Home from Big D

Just returned home from Dallas....had a blast! I stayed with some friends and had lunch today at a new location in West Village...really fun and trendy place near downtown. Got quite a bit of work done...just really enjoyed my time.

On the way down, I listened to the inaugural speech from President Bush...here are some key phrases that I really liked:

"Difficulty of a task is no excuse to avoide it."
"...a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself."
"Even the unwanted have worth."
"We cannot carry the message of liberty and bigotry at the same time"
"Divisions do not define us."

I don't know who writes his speeches, but it was wide in its scope..some will no doubt say too much so. But I enjoyed the imagery of it and the phrases that he used. I was proud of him.

Bye Bye Kitty

One of our family pets, Phonix, is being put to sleep...that is, if she makes it through tonight. Her kidneys started to fail earlier this week. She's been a part of our lives for over 10 years. She is really Ellen's pet. She exhibits a lot of behaviour that dogs often do with their owners. For example, when Ellen calls her, she comes to her. When Ellen is suppose to be home from school, she would wait on a certain step until she came home. When Ellen is gone, she would cry endlessly for her.

I think I've cried myself out over it, but every time I think of her, I start crying again. She was a gift to Ellen from me for her birthday ten years ago. Ellen is more pragmatic, but I think she is grieving in her own way. It's funny how a family pet can be so meaningful to you. I'll miss her.

Discovering God through ancient paintings

I am enjoying two new books that I rec'd for Christmas.


Painting the Word: Christian Pictures and Their Meanings -- by John Drury; Paperback

A Journey into Christian Art by Helen De Borchgrave, Helen De Borchgrave (Hardcover - September 1, 2000)

I am rediscovering my love for art history (a passion in college, have several hours in it along with my design degree). It is amazing to realize that ancient painters would communicate biblical truths through their images to an illiterate society. I think there is application to todays world but just enjoying the messages of these great thinkers is enjoyable enough in itself.