Anam Cara

A Vital Frontier Filled with Danger and Possibility...

 

"This is a frontier of tension; it is at once beginning and end, origin and completion.  Here is where two opposing forces reach towards each other to create a vital frontier filled with danger and possibility."    ~ John O'Donohue

The beginning of a new year is an exciting time, "an origin and completion", a time of "danger and possibility".  So many unknowns!  So much promise.!  I am incurably reflective.  Thresholds are natural times of reflection.  Time to remember.  Time to dream.  Each year I set goals to provide shape and structure and challenge for the coming year...goals spiritual, physical, academic and relational.  Here is a little look inside me...my goals from last year and how that went, as well as my aspirations for the year to come.

Spiritual:  This is the one I always find most difficult to quantify.   But, this is also the one that has provided the most delightful surprises as God has answered the longing of my heart in ways I could never have imagined.  This year I yearned to see God with new eyes.  He has provided experiences and sweet friends that have made that happen over and over.  It has been disconcerting at times, but mostly wonderful.  I pray that this journey is not nearly over yet. 

My first goal is actually a response of obedience to a challenge I feel compelled to answer.  This year I want to spend more time with Jesus...with His words and His story.  I intend to read the gospels through several times.  I also want to commit to memory The Sermon on the Mount (as told in Matthew 5-7), as well as Jesus' final words to his disciples beginning in John 14 and culminating in John 17 with His excruciatingly beautiful prayer.  I have a memory like an elephant, so that's not as impressive as it sounds.  I just know that when I memorize words they become part of me.  I want those words....His words...to be part of me.  I honestly don't know what to expect, but I am eager to see what awaits me.

I want to live a liturgical year.  As this lifelong protestant has visited liturgical congregations and participated in an Orthodox Bible study, I have hungered to experience deeply this faith practice that invades one's calendar and one's diet.  I want to hunger during Lent, so that I feel the ecstasy of Pascha with my whole body.  I want to remember the saints, and to walk out the life of Christ as one season rolls into another.

Physical:  Last year I set two physical goals.  One was to improve my time in the Country Music Half-Marathon, the other was to complete a triathlon.  Because I was nursing a shoulder injury, my triathlon alternative was to possibly do a full marathon.  My half-marathon time was 1:59:44 compared to 2:11:00 in 2007, and I completed my first (and last) triathlon in July.  The triathlon was a great experience but, truth is, I just don't like the swimming.  I went on to do a duathlon in October.  But, my proudest physical moment this year was when in November I ran my first full marathon in San Antonio.

I have two events already on the agenda for this year.  I plan to run the Country Music Marathon in April.  Because it is much more hilly than San Antonio, and because I was astounded by my San Antonio time, my goal will simply be to try and match that.  I am already adding hills to my runs and step training to my interval workouts.  The hill training should also help when I attempt the Pike's Peak Ascent in August.  The ascent is 13.3 miles with an elevation gain of just over 7800 feet, ending at 14,050 feet.  Grueling, but Glorious!  Then, the final event will actually overlap 2010 by just a bit, but all the preparation and training will be in 2009.  It is my hope to run the Disney Marathon in January of 2010.  Disney World holds a great many magical memories for our family, and I love the idea of running through these beautiful parks.  Running has become an essential part of my life.  I would run whether I ever had another event, but the events help me to push myself more than I normally would.  And that is a good thing.

Academic:  This category is a mixed bag of success and failure.  One of my goals was to learn more about the craft of writing by reading books by writers about writing.  This I have done, though not as much as I would have liked.  I have flirted with the idea of returning to school to pursue a graduate degree in literature, however I have decided I am not ready to commit to that at this point.  So, I begin this year using a great resource called Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose.  Prose walks through different particulars like words, narration, character, dialogue, etc... and points to authors who handled them well.  She publishes exerpts in her book, but she also offers a reading list of some of the great classics that should be read by anyone who wishes to write well.  I am anxious to read them.  I also intend to explore genre writing (travel, short story, etc...). with books like E.M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel.

I did not do so well at making time to draw and paint.  I did do some sketching while I was in England, but that was about it.  But, I have registered for a class at Watkins College of Art that begins in February.  It is a mixed media drawing and painting class where I will have an opportunity to work with charcoal, oil pastels, acrylics, and more.  I am very excited.

I decided to focus my foreign language efforts on French for the time being and am making reasonable progress.  My goal is to finish Pimsleur's Level two by the end of this year as well as to find a program that will give me more reading practice.

Relational:  My goal this year was to learn to linger.  Perhaps that sounds odd.  I am a do-er.  I have a strong work ethic and am pretty energetic.  But, it is important to me to give focused attention to whomever I am with and to be able to relax into the moment.  I believe I have made progress, but honestly, I still need work in this area.

My principal relational goal this year is to be a dispenser of grace.  I have received so much.  And, most of the time it is relatively easy for me to give.  But, every now and again I run up against a situation where it is really hard...beyond my ability, frankly.  It is my earnest desire to be a conduit, in those cases, for God's grace...for Him to be able to deliver grace through me as He so often has delivered it to me. 

Rex

"One of the most fascinating and mysterious features of the human mind is it's ability to house striking abilities and profound disabilities in the same person, as we discovered in an eight year old boy named Rex."  With those words, 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl opened a segment on a remarkable little boy.

The story of Rex is a story of expectation and disappointment, of dashed hopes and confusion, of disability and sensory assault.  But it is also a story of perseverance and courage, of laughter in the most unexpected places, of love and joy, of triumph and blessing...a story...of faith.

The story is compellingly told by Rex's mother, Cathleen Lewis.  Lewis is courageously honest as she tells about seasons of grief, anger, guilt, and fear as one obstacle after another throws itself into her son's path.  It is unfair.  It is too much.  She tells about begging a God she hardly knows to heal Rex...to make him walk and talk.  Instead, God heals her.  He gives her peace and strength.  And, He gives Rex a gift, too.  He gives him music:

"It was like our boy had been transported to a friendly world, one he understood, where the pain of his daily existence was held at bay.  For those brief moments, it was if the piano had freed him from the constraints of his body.  It became his eyes and the notes became his voice."

Blind.  Autistic.  Savant.  Musical Genius.  Lables.  This entrancing book goes beyond the lables and tells a triumphant story;  a story we all need to hear. 

Magnificent Glow...

 

"I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should
be stifled by dry-rot.  I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in
magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.  The function of man is
to live, not to exist..."

~Jack London

*Photograph taken from the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, summer 2007

Foodie Friday: Negative Calorie Foods

 

Are you recriminating about your holiday feasting yet?  Do you have that sluggish feeling that comes from piling so much rich, fatty food into your body at once that it begs for mercy?  Have you been on-line researching diet plans or diet pills?  How about a healthier approach?  How about simply making some changes in your everyday eating patterns that you can live with for the rest of your life?  Changes that will make you feel better every day and keep you healthier?  If weight-loss is one of your goals, you might want to start by including more negative calorie foods in your meals.

What is a negative calorie food?  A negative calorie food requires more calories for its digestion than it supplies.  For example, a serving of broccoli provides 25 calories.  The body will expend around 150 calories extracting the vitamins and minerals and making the calories usable, for a net loss of 125 calories.  Obviously, the low calorie content is a factor, but these foods are also more challenging to break down.  When you add the fact that most of these foods are extremely high in vitamin and mineral content, and are incredibly tasty, you have a win-win situation.

Here are some of the foods that fall into the negative calorie category:

Vegetables:  Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Hot Chilies, Cucumber, Garlic, Green Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Radish, Spinach, Turnip, Zucchini.

Fruits:  Apples, Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Cranberries, Grapefruit, Honeydew, Lemons, Limes, Mangoes, Oranges, Papaya, Peach, Pineapple, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Tangerines, Turnips, Watermelon.

So, what does eating like this look like?  Take a look at the plate above.  All items are on the list except the salmon.  However, salmon is considered a fat-burning food because the Omega fatty acids it contains speed up the metabolism.  Here are the recipes in order of preparation:

Salmon:
In a one gallon zip-lock bag, combine one half cup soy sauce, two to three tablespoons brown sugar (I use sucanat, an unrefined natural sweetener), and 5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, minced.  Add 1 1/2 pounds fresh salmon.  Press air out of bag and allow to marinate at least two hours.  Grill.

Mango Salsa:
Dice two ripe mangoes, half of a red bell pepper, and half of a red onion.  Two this, add two jalapeno peppers, finely diced and 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro.  Pour the juice of one medium orange and one lime over all.  Salt to taste.  Stir together, and let sit for an hour or so before serving to allow flavors to meld.   

Asparagus:
Wash one pound of fresh asparagus spears.  Cut an inch or so from the bottom of each.  Place in a skillet with 1-2 tablespoons water.  Cover and cook over medium high heat for two minutes.  Remove from heat.  Water should have evaporated; if not drain.  Drizzle a couple of tablespoons sesame oil over all.  Sprinkle a bit of cajun seasoning and a blend of Tuscan spices over this.  Toss gently to coat.  Place on hot grill for two more minutes.  Enjoy.

Place fresh berries in a cup, and top with a dollop of low fat vanilla yogurt for a light, satisfying desert.  (Berries are on the list, and the calcium in yogurt also helps accelerate metabolism.)

Note:  A diet made up entirely of these foods is not practical for more than short periods of time.  Particularly if you are a crazy runner type like me.  But, they can and should be part of every meal.

Happy, Healthy New Year!

BEHOLD a New and Wondrous Mystery!

Homily on Christmas Morning
St. John Chrysostom

BEHOLD a new and wondrous mystery. My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voice in harmony. The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The Seraphim exalt His glory. All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised.

Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of justice. And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed; He had the power; He descended; He redeemed; all things yielded in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is Born; and He Who is, becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became He God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassibility, remaining unchanged.   And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.   Since this heavenly birth cannot be described, neither does His coming amongst us in these days permit of too curious scrutiny. Though I know that a Virgin this day gave birth, and I believe that God was begotten before all time, yet the manner of this generation I have learned to venerate in silence and I accept that this is not to be probed too curiously with wordy speech.  

For with God we look not for the order of nature, but rest our faith in the power of Him who works. 

What shall I say to you; what shall I tell you? I behold a Mother who has brought forth; I see a Child come to this light by birth. The manner of His conception I cannot comprehend. 

Nature here rested, while the Will of God labored. O ineffable grace! The Only Begotten, Who is before all ages, Who cannot be touched or be perceived, Who is simple, without body, has now put on my body, that is visible and liable to corruption. For what reason? That coming amongst us he may teach us, and teaching, lead us by the hand to the things that men cannot see. For since men believe that the eyes are more trustworthy than the ears, they doubt of that which they do not see, and so He has deigned to show Himself in bodily presence, that He may remove all doubt.

Christ, finding the holy body and soul of the Virgin, builds for Himself a living temple, and as He had willed, formed there a man from the Virgin; and, putting Him on, this day came forth; unashamed of the lowliness of our nature. 

For it was to Him no lowering to put on what He Himself had made. Let that handiwork be forever glorified, which became the cloak of its own Creator. For as in the first creation of flesh, man could not be made before the clay had come into His hand, so neither could this corruptible body be glorified, until it had first become the garment of its Maker. 

What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now bound by an infants bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His Goodness. 

For this He assumed my body, that I may become capable of His Word; taking my flesh, He gives me His spirit; and so He bestowing and I receiving, He prepares for me the treasure of Life. He takes my flesh, to sanctify me; He gives me His Spirit, that He may save me. 

Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been implanted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels. 

Why is this? Because God is now on earth, and man in heaven; on every side all things commingle. He became Flesh. He did not become God. He was God. Wherefore He became flesh, so that He Whom heaven did not contain, a manger would this day receive. He was placed in a manger, so that He, by whom all things arc nourished, may receive an infant's food from His Virgin Mother. So, the Father of all ages, as an infant at the breast, nestles in the virginal arms, that the Magi may more easily see Him. Since this day the Magi too have come, and made a beginning of withstanding tyranny; and the heavens give glory, as the Lord is revealed by a star.

To Him, then, Who out of confusion has wrought a clear path, to Christ, to the Father, and to the Holy Ghost, we offer all praise, now and for ever. Amen.

HT: Glory to God for All Things
Thanks, Gail, for introducing me.

Some Children See Him...

Some children see Him lily white,
The baby Jesus born this night.
Some children see Him lily white,
With tresses soft and fair.

Some children see Him bronzed and brown,
The Lord of heav'n to earth come down.
Some children see Him bronzed and brown,
With dark and heavy hair.

Some children see Him almond-eyed,
This Savior whom we kneel beside.
Some children see Him almond-eyed,
With skin of yellow hue.

Some children see Him dark as they,
Sweet Mary's Son to whom we pray.
Some children see him dark as they,
And, oh! they love Him, too!

The children in each different place
Will see the baby Jesus' face
Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace,
And filled with holy light.

 

O lay aside each earthly thing
And with thy heart as offering,
Come worship now the infant King.
'Tis love that's born tonight!

Music and lyrics by Wihla Hutson and Alfred S. Burt

Listen HERE

What if You Were an Artist?

 

What if you were an artist?  And what if the tools of your trade were: large,
skeletal frames of interlocking metal bars that could be manipulated into an
infinite variety of configurations, colored lights of all sorts (lasers, spots,
cans, digital panels), floating stages, flames, and snow?  What would that be
like?

What if you were a musician?  What if you had the talent and the chops to play
classical music, but also had the passion and the guts to rock the house?  What
if you were so creative that you could seamlessly integrate the two into a
performance that would astonish and delight?  Can you imagine?







What if you were a team builder?  What if you could pull together gifted
artists, musicians, and technicians, and provoke, empower, and inspire them to
unite their most audacious and spectacular ideas in a singular endeavor?  What
if you could integrate the production with such precision that the whole
organism would move to one heartbeat?  Is that even possible?

 





Trans-Siberian Orchestra 

 

Somet Center.  Last Night.

A Meditation on Joy....

Song "Shovel" by Katie Herzig
Photos by Jeremy Cowart
Editing by Memry Smith
www.mochaclub.org

HT: Iz

Breath of Heaven...

 

"Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me
according to Your word."                             ~Luke 1:38

I have traveled many moonless nights,
Cold and weary with a babe inside,
And i wonder what i've done.
Holy father you have come,
And chosen me now to carry your son.

I am waiting in a silent prayer.
I am frightened by the load i bear.
In a world as cold as stone,
Must i walk this path alone?
Be with me now.
Be with me now.

Breath of heaven,
Hold me together,
Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.
Breath of heaven.

Do you wonder as you watch my face,
If a wiser one should have had my place,
But i offer all i am
For the mercy of your plan.
Help me be strong.
Help me be.
Help me.

Breath of heaven,
Hold me together,
Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.
Breath of Heaven.

Lyrics by Chris Eaton and Amy Grant

Foodie Friday: Tis the Season...

One of the things I love about the holidays is intersecting new and interesting
foods.  I also enjoy revisiting traditional favorites that seem to make their
appearance just this one time each year.  Since Christmas is a time for sharing,
I thought I would share a couple of recipes with you.

Something sweet:

Last week at Dickens of a Christmas I sampled Lucy's cheesecake with chocolate
ganache and pieces of peppermint.  It was a superb combination.  So, I decided
to attempt it at home.  It was a big hit at our small group party last night, and with
my kids.  Here are the recipes I combined to create ours:

Crust: Combine 1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs with 4 tablespoons of butter. 
Press into the bottom of a greased spring form pan.  Bake at 375 for 5 minutes.
Set aside to cool.

Filling:
Combine:
1 1/2 cups cream cheese
1       cup   sugar
1/2    cup   heavy cream
1       tsp.   vanilla

Mix until smooth.  Add 4 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour over crust.  Bake at 375 for 50 minutes.  Cool completely.  Remove from
pan.

Ganache:
Heat 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream.  Pour over 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
and 2 tablespoons butter.  Add 1 tablespoon liqueur (optional).  Stir until smooth
and shiny.  Spread over cheesecake.  Sprinkle with crushed peppermint pieces. 
Refrigerate for at lest 4 hours.  Enjoy!

Something savory:

Two years ago at the Brentwood Academy art show, we had a delicious layered spread that was also festive and beautiful.  The red and green of the tomatoes and pesto make it particularly festive for Christmas, though the flavor will make
you want it year round.  I have shaped it into a Christmas tree shape before.  Lovely.  Serve with bagel chips or crackers.

1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 package (8-oz. size) cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons dry vermouth
2 tablespoons vodka
white pepper
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup minced sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 cup pesto sauce

Spray a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray. Line with plastic wrap for
easy removal. In a blender or food processor, combine the butter, feta cheese,
cream cheese, garlic, shallot, vermouth, vodka and white pepper. Process until
smooth.

Layer the dip into pan as follows: Sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, pesto, cheese
mixture. Repeat.

Pat down into pan and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Turn the dip out onto a serving plate, and remove plastic wrap.

Something zesty (and easy):

It does not get easier than this.  Place an 8 ounce block of low-fat cream cheese onto a pretty serving plate.  Pour 6-8 ounces of pepper jelly (usually available in red or green) over the top.  Serve with bagel chips.  YUMMY!

 Something refreshing:

Delightfully fresh and vibrant, a Cape Cod looks like Christmas in a glass.  Pour one ounce of vodka over ice in a highball glass.  Fill with cranberry juice.  Squeeze a lime over all, then place in glass.  Make an alcohol free version by combining equal amounts club soda and cranberry juice, with a twist of lime.

Something different:

This is cheating just a little.  No recipe here.  Just a product recommendation.  Electra Orange Muscat.  It is a sweet, sparkling wine from Madera, California.  The sparkles and the unusual flavor transform any occasion into a celebration.  And, its low alcohol content (4%) means even the driver can indulge with impunity.

Here's wishing all of you a delicious Christmas...

"Poetry is the Human Voice..."

Robert Frost did it first...in 1961 for JFK.  Maya Angelou did it in 1993, and Miller Williams in 1997, for Bill Clinton.  On January 20, 2009, Elizabeth Alexander will join this auspicious group when she recites an original poem for friend Barak Obama's inauguration.  Alexander is a poet with several collections to her credit including 2005 Pulitzer finalist, American Sublime.  She is also professor of African American Studies at Yale University.

The poet is honored and sobered by the opportunity, but not intimidated.  "What we have seen is a man who understands that words bring power, who understands the power of language, the integrity of language, that it's not just idle. To be asked to turn my own words to this occasion and for this person is all but overwhelming."  She said she hopes to write a poem which "speaks to the occasion [and] has its own integrity". 

Other artists on the program include Aretha Franklin, Itzak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma.  It should be a beautiful event.  In the meantime, here are two favorite samples of Alexander's poetry; one about poetry itself (click the title to hear Alexander read the poem), and one that imagines the impact of Los Angeles on Russian born composer Igor Stravinsky.  Lovely!

Ars Poetica #100: I Believe

Poetry, I tell my students,
is idiosynchratic. Poetry

is where we are ourselves,
(though Sterling Brown said

"Every I is a dramatic 'I'")
digging in the clam flats

for the shell that snaps,
emptying the proverbial pocketbook.

Poetry is what you find
in the dirt in the corner,

overhear on the bus, God
in the details, the only way

to get from here to there.
Poetry (and now my voice is rising)

is not all love, love, love,
and I'm sorry the dog died.

Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,

and are we not of interest to each other?

Stravinsky in L.A.

In white pleated trousers, peering through green
sunshades, looking for the way the sun is red
noise, how locusts hiss to replicate the sun.
What is the visual equivalent
of syncopation? Rows of seared palms wrinkle
in the heat waves through green glass. Sprinklers
tick, tick, tick. The Watts Towers aim to split
the sky into chroma, spires tiled with rubble
nothing less than aspiration. I’ve left
minarets for sun and syncopation,
sixty-seven shades of green which I have
counted, beginning: palm leaves, front and back,
luncheon pickle, bottle glass, etcetera.
One day I will comprehend the different
grades of red. On that day I will comprehend
these people, rhythms, jazz, Simon Rodia,
Watts, Los Angeles, aspiration.

FREE...to Worship, Live, Breathe, Give, Laugh, Celebrate...

Our friend, Caleb Magnino, helped create this contribution to the
Advent Conspiracy movement.  

Provacateur and Friend...

“There are... things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind.”

~Fyodor Dostoevsky

Dostoevsky had a way of penetrating right to these "hidden things".  He created characters that are complex and layered...characters within whom virtue and depravity are constantly at war.  No one is beyond redemption, and no one is entirely without fault.  The reader is taken inside the mind and soul of each character.  It is a solemn and troubling experience, to be sure.  But, there is beauty and honor and dignity to be found in the most unexpected places.

My first waltz with Dostoevsky was through the remarkable Brothers Karamazov.  This is one of the most significant books I have ever read.  The culture is peculiar and exotic, and yet....I saw myself over and over in various characters.  Remarkable! 

 I began reading Crime and Punishment almost a month ago.  Though the author's style was definitely familiar, this was a very different experience on a number of levels.  This had a great deal to do with context.  Eleanor Roosevelt said, "What counts in the long run is not what you read; it is what you sift through your own mind; it is the ideas and impressions that are aroused in you by your reading."  With that in mind, here are a few of the thoughts that were "sifting through my mind" as I read.

"...some are more equal than others."  I borrow this quote from George Orwell to introduce a key point in the plot.  Raskolnikov believes that his superior intellect exempts him from certain laws that apply to others.  Many of his scholar friends agree.  He applies this theory when he takes the life of a pawn broker whom he sees as a scourge upon society.  This deed is the fulcrum around which the whole book orbits.

Here is the interesting twist.  Do you know that the popular video game Bioshock is based on this book, as well as one of my all-time favorites, Atlas Shrugged? I became aware of this when I was only a few chapters in.  It was very intriguing to read with this thought in mind.  Whereas Atlas Shrugged tells the story of genius and creativity being devalued and robbed of the most decent compensation and recognition, Crime and Punishment shows a man acting upon the presumption that he is indeed exceptional and deserving of special treatment.  Two sides of the same coin, perhaps.  But, it seems to me that the characters in Atlas Shrugged have proven their worth and understand the danger to culture of a refusal to recognize genius.  By contrast, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov seems to believe that the mere ability to flaunt the law and escape discovery proves his exceptional value.  "It was not so much the money I wanted, but something else.  Understand me...I wanted to find out there and quickly whether I was a louse or a man...whether I can step over barriers or not...whether I am a trembling creature, or whether I have the right to kill."

Faith.  Dostoevsky's Orthodox faith informed his writing in many ways.  My increased familiarity with the teachings and practices of the Orthodox Church made this reading far richer than my last interaction with the author.  From using church seasons, feasts, and fasts to locate certain events to poignant interactions with icons and crosses, to analogies based on the faith that all characters would have held in common, the religious heritage permeates every facet of life.

Self-incrimination.  Over and over I found that, for all their bluster and bravado, characters were far more severe in their judgements of themselves than their judgements of others.  How is it that the grace we so willingly extend to others, we are incapable of embracing for ourselves?

Mind vs. Soul  This novel is populated by a number of great intellectuals.  And yet, the most prescient individuals are those who are closely attuned to their hearts, to their souls.  In fact, we even observe a movement in the protagonist at the very end when he begins to enter this realm.  "...he could not have analyzed anything, he was simply feeling.  Life had stepped into the place of theory."

If you are looking for a lazy holiday read, avoid this book.  If you have solidly formulated, preconceived notions about life that you would not have challenged, do not read Dostoevsky at all.  But, if you are a seeker of what is true...if you are willing to be challenged and provoked, even made uncomfortable...if you are willing to work to know the fullness of truth...you could not find a more worthy guide, provacateur, and friend than Fyodor Dostoevsky.  Read on...

To Everything There is a Season...

Funny how traditions, those things that are the same every year,
can sometimes be the most obvious revelations of how a family
is changing.  This afternoon Joshua and I constructed our annual
gingerbread house.  We have been making them for at least a
decade now.  There have been years when all three children and
I worked together on it, but the last couple of years it has been
just Joshua and me.  It has been fun for him to have creative
control...making a list of candies for me to buy...giving direction. 
I willingly assume the role of assistant.  But I wondered today just
how many more years of gingerbread houses lie in my future. 

Sunday night, Joshua was part of his final children's choir
Christmas program at church.  We have had children in the
program for 14 years.  It was so odd to think that we are nearly
done.  Choir has been an important part of their growing up.  So
many truths hidden in their hearts...so many great experiences
singing and dancing and acting...so many opportunities to
develop and share their talents and gifts.  A blessing.  A
thousand thank yous to Ms. Diane and all the many others who
have given of themselves to my children.

"To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose
under heaven."  Ecclesiastes 3:1

Lingering Fragrance....

"[The Incarnation] is...a very complex thing.  Its unique note is the simultaneous
striking of many notes;  of humility, of gaiety, of gratitude, of mystical fear, but
also of vigilance and drama...There is something defiant in it also;  something
that makes the abrupt bells at midnight sound like the great guns of a battle
that has just been won.  All this indescribable thing that we call the Christmas
atmosphere only hangs in the air as something like a lingering fragrance or
fading vapor from the exhultant explosion of that one hour in the Judean hills
nearly two thousand years ago.  But the savor is still unmistakable, and it is
something too subtle or too solitary to be covered by our use of the word peace."

~G.K. Chesterton

Painting by Caravaggio

Dickins of a Christmas

"It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while
there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the
world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour."

~Charles Dickins, A Christmas Carol

There was laughter and good-humour to go round in Franklin
today.  Carolers, dancers, roasters of almonds, crafters, and
characters in Dickinsonian garb whisked us back to Christmas
past.  Every year this nineteenth century town embraces the
culture of a favorite nineteenth century author.  It is a
magnificent game of make-believe played by children and
adults alike.  Great fun!  Take a look.


Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache and Pieces
of Peppermint.  Wow!


These beautiful handmade soaps seduced me with
their luscious fragrance.  Lavender, Rosemary,
Patchoulli.....  Yum!


Enticing little corner in one of my favorite downtown
shops:  The Iron Gate.


Here we come a caroling....


Jacob Marly, I presume?  (I should confess that I
have a whole candycane in my mouth in this shot.)

Exhilarating Trouble...

"The power of the greatest art is the power to shake us into revelation and rip us from our default mode of seeing. After an encounter with that force, we don't look at a face, a colour, a sky, a body, in quite the same way again. We get fitted with new sight: in-sight. Visions of beauty or a rush of intense pleasure are part of that process, but so too may be shock, pain, desire, pity, even revulsion. That kind of art seems to have rewired our senses. We apprehend the world differently."

~Simon Schama

Eight seminal artists; eight iconic works of art; and the stories...the writhing and wrestling...the "exhilarating trouble" that accompanied them.  This is Simon Schama's Power of Art.

Schama is a professor of history and art history with a resume that includes tenures at both Oxford and Cambridge.  He possesses a comprehensive understanding of the artists and their times.  He is a mesmerizing storyteller with a great sense of timing and drama, penetrating insight, and elegance and precision of expression. 

This work on art is itself a work of art.  The cinematography is exquisite.  The angle of perception, the juxtaposition of color, the use of darkness and light, make each frame a feast for the eyes.  The carefully chosen music does not simply fill vacancy.  It expands and more fully informs.   Sometimes creating atmosphere and setting the stage, sometimes as music of the period that expresses through sounds and silences the same idea that the artist expresses with chisel and brush.  Interwoven throughout are actors fleshing out the role of artist, as well as photographs and film reel (where possible), bringing the figure to life.  A proliferation of images of the artist's work, as well as that of his influences and contemporaries, give context.  Masterful editing allows all to flow as a most satisfying integration.

This series originally aired on BBC in the fall of 2006.  It is now available as a DVD collection.  There is also an accompanying book.  To give you a small taste of what to expect I include a few extracts below.


Of Picasso's Guernica, "This is the reason why the painting has such an impact. Instead of a laboured literal commentary on German warplanes, Basque civilians and incendiary bombs, Picasso connects with our worst nightmares. He's saying here's where the world's horror comes from; the dark pit of our psyche."


On Van Gogh, "Vincent's passionate belief was that people wouldn't just see his pictures, but would feel the rush of life in them; that by the force of his brush and dazzling colour they'd experience those fields, faces and flowers in ways that nothing more polite or literal could ever convey.  His art would reclaim what had once belonged to religion - consolation for our mortality through the relish of the gift of life."


Rothko, "Something in there was throbbing steadily, pulsing like the inside of a body part, all crimson and purple. I felt I was being pulled through those black lines to some mysterious place in the universe.  Rothko said his paintings begin an unknown adventure into an unknown space. I wasn't sure where that was and whether I wanted to go. I only know I had no choice and that the destination might not exactly be a picnic..."

Of Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Theresa, "What Bernini's managed to make tangible is something that we all, if we're honest, know we hunger for, but before which we're properly tongue-tied. Something that has produced more bad writing, more excruciating moments of bad cinema, more appalling poems than anything else. No wonder when art historians look at this sculpture they tie themselves in knots to avoid saying the obvious, that is, that we're looking at the most intense convulsive drama of the body that any of us experience."

The other works in the series are:

Caravaggio's David With the Head of Goliath

Rembrandt's The Conspiracy of the Batavians Under Claudius

Turner's Slave Ship

David's The Death of Marat

Highly recommended!!

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

Perhaps you must live in one of those threshold states like
Tennessee where snow is never a guarantee to be this
surprised, this delighted, by the first snowfall of the winter. 
And then again, perhaps it's all I know.  I was out when it
began, so I got to drive home watching it blanket trees,
houses, grass....  I watched it fly in and out of shafts of light. 
I watched individual flakes spread themselves across my
windshield before vanishing.  I was terrifically distracted...
and delighted. 

I began snapping photos as soon as I arrived home.  I started
outside in the snow, then kept snapping once inside.  I followed
Christmas through the house.  We have already hosted a
number of gatherings this season. Yet, I know that many of you
will not visit us personally.  So to you,  I bid a virtual welcome...

Lavender flanks our entry on both sides.  Tonight it is
completely enwrapped in snow.  I was surprised at how vivid
it made the scent.  I am accustomed to summer heat
activating the fragrance, but have never noticed a similar
effect from snow.

The Christmas tree takes center stage in the music room. 
We already spend a lot of time here, but with the Christmas
lights, and the delicious scent, it has officially become my
constant haunt.  Sitting at the piano with all lights off save
those on the tree, and filling the room with Mozart or Philip
Glass or favorite carols is an experience too profound for
words.

Whether seating only the five who make their home here, or
crowded with family and friends as it has already been so
very many times, this is a sacramental space.  Here we linger. 
Here we feast on a great deal more than food.  Here we
laugh.  Here we listen.  Here we know. 



I am too much in love with Mercury ornaments.  The delicate
shimmer, the luxuriously understated colors, the glorious
shapes...inspire this little dance inside my stomach...



I have, over the years, accumulated a number of nativities.  I
can't explain how it is that they make the story come alive for
me, but they do.  So I surround myself with them.  Each one
has something unique to say.  I share a sampling.



Mike brought this one home from Africa.  A meaningful
addition to the collection.





The kids and I made this one when they were very small. 
Minimalist to be sure, but extremely significant.



This one sits on our front porch.  Joshua, the hard core
Christmas Elf, set up all the nativities this year.  I noticed
something interesting.  I always orient the scene as though
all were posing for a portrait.  Each character faces outward. 
But, Joshua turned every figure toward Baby Jesus.  I
started to "correct" it from habit, then realized it was just
as it should be.  Thanks, dear one, for a very important lesson.



I know it is entirely possible to have Christmas without snow,
but it sure is more fun with.  Christmas Blessings...from our
house...to yours.

Inspiration....

I am in the process of researching my next running event.  While reading about the Pike's Peak Ascent, I ran across the story of this remarkable woman.  As a late-comer to running who envisions many years of it to come, I found her incredibly inspiring.  Here is part of her story, lifted from the Pikes Peak site:

Annabel Marsh 1923 - 2008

Annabel Marsh, the well-known long distance runner and the oldest woman to run across the United States from Boston to San Francisco, died suddenly at her home in San Francisco on November 26, 2008. She was 85.

Annabel was born in Hampshire, IL, and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1945. After graduating from college, she worked as a Braniff Airline hostess out of Dallas, TX, for a number of years, and was selected to be a stewardess on General Dwight D. Eisenhower's plane during his campaign for president in 1952. When her good friend Pamela Archer married the famous actor and war hero, Audie Murphy, in 1951, she was in the wedding party. After nine years at Braniff, she moved to San Francisco in 1954, where she had a long career at U.S. Steel's Western Division as a planning analyst, retiring in 1981.

While working at her Financial District desk job, she took up running at the age of 47, and ran her first marathon in 1970, at the age of 48. She went on to run 100 marathons, the last one, the 1996 San Francisco Marathon, at the age of 73. She ran the Pike's Peak Marathon 20 times, from 1975 - 1995. She returned every August since her first ascent to host the Peak Busters, a group she founded, to encourage women of all ages to take on the challenge of the Pike's Peak Marathon. She remained a member of the Dolphin South End (DSE) Running Club, and the Pamakids Running Club. Annabel's most notable athletic achievement was her cross-country run from Boston to San Francisco in 1984 at the age of 61, with her good friend and running partner, Caroline Merrill. She still holds the record for the oldest woman to run across the United States. They ran 3,261 miles through 12 states in 113 running days, and wore out 12 pairs of running shoes.

After giving up running marathons in 1996, she took up acting at the age of 73. Annabel studied at Jean Shelton's Acting Lab, where she met her dear friend and companion, Martin Durante. She went on to perform in many local theater productions, and was a member of the Street School Artist Collective...

...Annabel's wish was that there be no memorial service, but she would not object to any of her friends getting together to remember her in just the way they feel is appropriate. Think back to one of the times you were together with Annabel and her buoyant, bubbly personality. Whether it was enjoying a glass of wine, hiking the Barr Trail at Pikes Peak, running or walking along with her at a Sunday DSE run or laughing at her theatrical efforts in her later years - pick any one, grab a bunch of kindred spirits, and take a hike, join the DSEers for a run, take in a local theater event, or just sip a nice Chardonnay while gazing at the sunset, in the Sunset.

Christmas Reverie.....

Tidings of Great Joy....

When the story is told well, This is what it looks like:

Midst the Yearning...

...a poem.  One that is very dear to me.  It speaks of the soul's deep yearning...of the arrogance and futility of attempting to forcibly apprehend God...and of the delicious reverie of surrender...of standing still...and quiet...and letting Him pour Himself over me...  Particularly poignant during this season of expectation and longing...

In deep nights I dig for you like treasure.
For all I have seen
that clutters the surface of my world
is poor and paltry substitute
for the beauty of you
that has not happened yet....

My hands are bloody from digging.
I lift them, hold them open in the wind,
so they can branch like a tree.

Reaching, these hands would pull you out of the sky
as if you had shattered there,
dashed yourself to pieces in some wild impatience.

What is this I feel falling now,
falling on this parched earth,
softly,
like a spring rain?

~Rainer Maria Rilke

Walkin' in a Winter Wonder Slam...

Mike, Kelsey, Jake and I experienced a great evening of music last night as part of
the Winter Wonder Slam tour.  It was a fantastic show.  Most of the tunes were
familiar favorites, though there were a few Christmas tunes thrown in here and there. 
Clips from favorite Christmas flicks stitched together the four sets.  That was a lot of
fun.  And, everybody piled onto the stage for the final encore, a riotous rendition of
Jesus Freak.

 

New artist, B. Reith opened the show.  The simplicity of his set, with
just two guitars and keys showcased his clear, sonorous voice.

Family Force Five fairly burst onto the stage.  Their set was
exuberant and intense.   Their lyrics are smart and pack a lot of
attitude.  This was my first time to see them live, though they have
been workout favorites for a long time.  They are talented musicians
and put on a dynamic and engaging show.

Reliant K brought their unique, quirky lyrics about mood rings,
Chapstick and Sadie Hawkins Day.  Funny Pages, one of the
companies Mike works for, recently animated a story video to go
along with their performance of Sleigh Ride.  This was my first time
to see it.  It was creative and cute.

Toby Mac and DiverseCity were amazing!  Strong vocals, a rockin'
band, arresting lyrics, creative and energetic movement, sweet
visuals and lighting, not to mention real snow, confetti, and
excursions into the audience, made for quite a remarkable show. 
Considering that they had played to the home crowd in Nashville just
the night before, I was impressed they could pull out such a
technically clean, passionate performance.  Given that I have been
reading a great deal about the Kingdom and about God's ardent
desire that we be one, Toby Mac's perennial message of unity in
diversity really resounded with my spirit.  Great show guys.  Thanks!

Artistic Encounter....

Ahhhh...  Fine Art in Brentwood was Fabulous!!  A myriad of beautiful artworks in a myriad of innovative and unique styles.  There were a great many artists whose works I would enjoy encountering in my home every day, but three in particular captured my imagination. 

Marabeth J. Quin uses a layered approach in her acrylics that gives a sumptuous richness and intriguing texture to her works.  She told us how the artwork frequently finds it's own form as she is in the process of creating.  You can feel this fluidity and receptiveness to the work in her paintings.  "Art is my doorway into the essential, yet unknown aspect of existence and my paintings are many times not what I intended, but a complete and pleasant surprise to me when I step back and realize that it is 'as it should be',  and in much the same way I view my life..." The painting above is hers.  Here are a few others that I LOVE:

 





Beginning with color-staining of raw canvas or wood, Kris Prunitsch builds her abstract works applying paint with household brushes, sticks, squeegees and palette knives.   "This process reveals fragments of color and texture.  Each layer emerges through to the next, giving the paintings a birthmark, a journey and a history."  I particularly liked the pieces that featured dark figures in silhouette.   She also chooses very evocative titles.  The painting shown is entitled "We Smelled Like Rain".  Click on her site, or visit Bennett Galleries to see more (especially "Her Entrance"  Lovely!!).



Leatha Frost is this year's featured artist.  She is a versatile painter with considerable diversity in style.  The works I found most appealing were vibrant and arresting, evocative and strong...like these:

Fine Art in Brentwood 2008

Fine Art in Brentwood, Brentwood Academy's annual fundraiser, begins
tonight.  Our family loves this event.  Several pieces of original art in
our home have been acquired at the show over the years.  We have a
personal interest, of course, given that Mike is an alumn and a former
employee, and that his brother works there now.  But I love it because
it is an opportunity to see remarkable art that is being created by my
neighbors.  All the artists are local.  You will find a refreshing variety
of style and subject matter.  There will also be art on display from BA
students.  I am always amazed at the creativity and skill of these young
artists.

There will be an opening night reception this evening from 5:30-8:30. 
You may also choose to visit tomorrow from 10am until 6pm, or Sunday
from noon until 4:00.  Click on the link above for more info.  To tempt
you, I thought I would show you a few of the works I am looking forward
to seeing.  The piece at the top of the post is Off Center Cala by Peggy
Peden.

Vicki Shipley

The Mime by Leroy and Barbara Hodges

Charlotte Terrell

Jennifer Wilken

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ...

This icon of The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ is a new and welcome addition to
our home this Christmas.  Like all things Orthodox it is rich in meaning.  The writer
of the icon has used traditional symbols to tell a number of stories in this single work. 

The Theotokos (Mary the Mother of Christ) occupies a place of honor in the center. 
She is also shown larger than the other figures.

Christ appears as a helpless babe, reminding us of his voluntary surrender to the
confines of humanity.  the baby's swaddling is reminiscent of burial clothes.  Even
his crib resembles a tomb.  The dark cave into which he is born represents a world
dark with sin.  The kneeling ox and ass portrayed inside the cave allude to Isaiah 1:3,
"The ox knows his owner and the ass knows his master's crib.  But Israel does not
know, and my people do not consider me."

Joseph is shown on the left.  Satan appears to him as an old man, encouraging him
to question the divine birth.

The star at the top hails his arrival.  "For by it, those who worshipped the stars, were
taught by a star to adore Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the
Orient on high" (from the troparion of Christmas).  The rays separate into three at the
bottom suggesting the trinity.

Angels sing, and shepherds and magi come to celebrate the birth.  Midwives on the
right remind us that Christ was born in the normal way, though his birth was a far
from normal event.

Thanks, Gail, for introducing me to this beautiful piece.

Playing for Change, Peace Through Music...

From (RED)WIRE today:
 
U2

 
Playing For Change

John Legend

Wintersong....

A favorite tune from one of the albums that gets lots of play at my house during this season:

Food for the Body AND Food for the Soul...

Oasis:  something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change
from what is usual.

Several of my Tuesday morning friends and I had lunch today at
one of my favorite Nashville "oases".  Alektor Cafe is a very
unusual place.  It provides delicious food.  Big hits today were the
lentil soup, the humus plate, the portabella sandwich, and the
French Press coffee.  But, the thing that sets Alektor apart is
the ambiance.  You eat your delicious lunch surrounded by
beautiful icons and books, with glorious ancient chants playing in
the background.   Oh and, by the way, if it matters, your
sandwich is assembled by a priest.  Fr. Parthenios Turner is the
priest at St. John Chrysostum Greek Orthodox Church in
Nashville.  He and his lovely wife operate Alektor.  Presbyter
Turner made my beautiful prayer bracelet. 

We browsed books.  Everyone pointed out favorites.  I made a list. 
And the icons.  Wow!!!  There are so many, and they are incredibly
Beautiful!  I made a wish list of those as well.  You can see the
tryptich I loved below.  There was also a double icon of the
Theotokos and Jesus the Teacher.  It was SO beautiful!  I went
back to it over and over.  I was entranced.  My friends acquainted
me with the stories behind some of the icons we were seeing.  Joan
told me about her patron Saint, Martha, and how God had been
revealing to her all her life that she was Martha.  She told me how
comforting it is to know that the Saint who intercedes on her
behalf understands her.  I LOVE that!!

If you live in the Nashville area, you owe it to yourself to visit this
beautiful place.  Take some friends.  It is a warm, sweet place to
visit and reveal yourself to one another.  Or visit alone, as I have
done on a couple of occasions.  It is a safe, quiet place to be still
and silent before the Lord.

Left to right.  Joan, Rhonda, Myrna, Donna, Anne.  Sorry I
waited until we had eaten to take the photo.  But, you can
clearly see that we LOVED our food.  Empty plates all round. :~)

Icons, and Icons, and Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL Icons!!

A Nativity Tryptic.  A GLORIOUS Nativity Tryptich.  You can
see the edge of the little Theotokos/Jesus the Teacher pair
that I found so fetching nextdoor.

Russian dolls.  So lovely!  There are also jewelry, holiday cards,
calendars....

Thank you Alektor.  Thank you, sweet friends.  Memorable
afternoon.

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