Sunrise 30 December 2008
Good Morning, Kuwait!
There are tiny, fleecy clouds in the sky, nothing to speak of, no rain in sight. The scum on the horizon is diminished. It is going to be another gorgeous “winter” day in Kuwait. Light sweater weather – my favorite!
Christmas is all put away, and we are readying to welcome in the New Year. Happy New Year (already) to my friends who celebrated the Islamic New Year yesterday. May God richly bless you in the year to come.
(As I write that, I realize with a start that we don’t think the way God does. What if the economic crisis, our dwindling investments, the rising prices – what if these are all a part of God’s blessing, and we don’t see it? What if he is demonstrating that we can live more simply, more happily, with less? What if he is telling us we can be happy eating less, spending less, what if he is telling us our greatest blessings are family? good health? moderation? Hmmmmmmm. . . . . . )
Once In Royal David’s City
My absolute favorite of all the beautiful Christmas music:
The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came Down
What would you say if you were a 14 year old unmarried virgin, and God asked you to have a baby? Mary said “yes.”
Airport Art – SeaTac Airport
Way way down at the end of B concourse, someone has painted the windows. It looks Christmas-y to me, or at the very least, wintery, but I can’t imagine they painted this beautiful painting just for a temporary display, so it must be permanent, or semi-permanent. Having pieces like this on display for people – public art – thrills my heart. It caught the eye, even of people rushing from the plane to their next gate. Even if it were only a second or two, it’s worth it, isn’t it, to have art in unexpected places?
I don’t understand exactly how this all fits together. There are three pieces, the forest and eagle, the night sky with constellations, and the people dreaming in their cottage bed. I tried to get an overview, and then broke it down into sections so you could see it better.
Even posting the photos, I see new details. It is as if the artist is playing a game with us, challenging us to spot the countless little details s/he included to catch our eye and delight us unexpectedly. Look at the little owls in the trees to the right of the cabin! Look at the way the artist disguised/included the doors on the left as part of the mural! Look at the stars, drifting down toward earth – or are they becoming snowflakes? Look at the comfortable couple, wrapped up warmly on a cold winter’s night. Look at the sun and the moon in their carriage, the moon pouring out the milky way stars . . . so many details! Draco the dragon! Ursa Major! I love the scope of this mural!
Leafing Seattle
A quick stop by the bank to stock up on cash before we leave for Kuwait, and although it is raining furiously, we take delight in the gorgeous leaves all over the pavement (dangerously slick but oh so beautiful.)
New Doha Museum – International Herald Tribune
It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world, hearing from old friends, even old friends you have never met. Blogger Kinan is one of those dear friends – I always enjoyed his blog entries, and I miss him, as he enjoys his new life in Sweden, working towards his advanced degrees.
But oh what joy, getting a note this morning with encouragement to read an article he found on the New Doha Museum of Islamic Art in the International Herald Tribune. You can read it too, by clicking on the blue type. 🙂
Q8Geek Sparkles
The Q8Geek sent me a photo to make me miss Kuwait – and oh WOW – I am a total sucker for SPARKLES and look at his SPARKLES!
AdventureMan and I are so COLD! Kuwait looks so nice and warm!
Trinity Collection in Pensacola
We were talking about low sales-resistance . . . this is not about being in Kuwait. This is about my lack of resistance to buying beautiful jewelry!
As we were driving around in Pensacola, I spotted The Trinity Collection. There is a lot of very mediocre jewelry out there, but I had seen the Trinity ads earlier, and they had caught my eye.
“AdventureMan! Pull over! Pull over! It’s the Trinity Collection!” and I’m fighting him for the wheel so he can turn right and park and I can run into the store.
VERY smart store. So many beautiful things, AND a seating area for guys like AdventureMan.
I can’t blame Kuwait. I have found beautiful pieces in Kuwait. (Hint to any blogging friends who want to honor me with jewelry – look in your grandmother’s old collections! I love the old stuff, and the original Gulf pearls, and those tiny tiny pearls and gem pieces that the Qatteris are buying up for their museums.)
(Just kidding, by the way. DO NOT bring me jewelry! I can’t accept it!)
Anyway, I also found wonderful pieces in this beautiful shop, full of gems, and employing several original jewelers, who specialize particularly in religious jewelry, but also other beautiful pieces.
If you get to Pensacola – this shop has a lot of variety, in goods and in prices, and many exquisitely crafted jewelry pieces. This shop is worth a special trip.
December Great Kuwait Holiday Challenge
Yes, I know, we are not even totally finished with the Great Kuwait Sand and Surf Challenge, but the holidays are coming – this year for many of us at the same time, with the big Eid and Christmas both falling in December.
If you are celebrating, be sure to have your cameras with you. This next challenge is more inclusive – The Great Kuwait Holiday Challenge is coming up next!
The Great Kuwait Sand and Surf Contest: Your Turn to Vote!
The deadline is here! The Great Kuwait Sand and Surf Contest is closed, and here are the entrants:
Check out their Sand and Surf photos, and then – you choose which photographer wins this round of the Great Kuwait Challenges.
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