Starlings

Art by 23 degrees from Lorado Taft's Recording Angel - click to enlarge

I happened upon this sculpture by Lorado Taft and was struck not just by how beautiful she was but stunned by the scale of the cast—she must be 12 ft. high.

This Recording Angel sits on a hillside of a cemetery overlooking a pond and surrounded by trees, but that day I also captured a starling migration, which I felt had to go into this digital study (although barely noticeable)

Literary Kung-Fu

Recently I asked Kirsten to list her top ten titles and authors and make a list of books she has read twice, and I have accepted her invitation to do the same. Not being a voracious reader, I feel like I am standing here in my underwear without a whole lot of depth to my lists. Ilse made a comment I can relate to about reading level, and although I have read Tolstoy, Steinbeck, and Chekhov, my literary kung-fu is still waning. I am always looking for good suggestions, so please look at this as an invitation to share your ideas, or even better, a post of your favs.

Walking on Water is a title I share with my creative my friends and have given as a gift many times. I would love to hear comments on it if you have read it. Here is a quote: “As Christians (and artists) we live by revelation, so we must be careful to never get ourselves into rigid molds.”


Top Ten

Walking on Water - Madeline L’Engle
Growing into the Blue - Ulrich Schaffer
Surprised By Light - Ulrich Schaffer
Two-Part Invention - Madeline L’Engle
Power of One - Bryce Courtenay
What’s So Amazing About Grace - Philip Yancey
Ruthless Trust - Brennan Manning
Walking with the Saints - Calvin Miller
Toxic Faith - Stephen Arterburn (thanks LM)
Wild at Heart - John Eldredge

Titles I have read more than once:

Walking on Water - Madeline L’ Engle
Matthew Volume I - William Barclay (a commentary, but a good read)
Walking with the Saints - Calvin Miller
Tree and Leaf - Tolkien
Two-Part Invention - Madeline L’Engle
Listening to Your Life - Frederick Buechner
Ruthless Trust - Brennan Manning
Soul Survivor - Philip Yancey
Surprised by Light - Ulrich Schaffer
Growing into the Blue - Ulrich Schaffer
The Normal Christian Life - Watchman Nee
A Grief Observed- C.S. Lewis
Harold and the Purple Crayon - Crockett Johnson
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales - Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Something Under the Bed is Drooling - Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes)
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - Judith Viorst

Top three authors:

Madeline L’ Engle
Brennan Manning
Phillip Yancey