Lo and behold, I return from a four-day retreat with Trappist monks — four days spent blissfully chanting the psalms at four in the morning, conversing with geese, napping at mid-day, and devouring brandy-laced fudge at dinner — when what do I find in my e-mailbox but a cheerful note from my favorite blogger in a wimple, alerting me to the news below: I’m a finalist!

I’m sure you all have better things to do, but if your weekend is quiet and you feel compelled to vote for me…well, okay. Go ahead. I won’t stop you. Just click on the logo above (or on the right in my sidebar column) and go to Best Religious Blog and vote.

I don’t want to sway your decision, of course, but there may be brandy fudge in this for you if you vote the right way…

Meantime, I’ll be blogging more about my visit to Conyers in the days ahead. It was a much-needed tonic. (And not just because of the brandy…)