The Power of One

I watched this movie last weekend on the recommendation of a friend, and found this to be a moving and well-written account of WWII in South Africe. P.K., an English boy, is left an orphan at the age of seven. He is sent to an Afrikaner (Germans, French, etc. ) school where he endures the taunts of his schoolmates, who support Hitler and the Third Reich. Through his own courage and the friendship of two important mentors (one of whom is played by Morgan Freeman), he learns to form his own beliefs in regard to race relations and political alliances. The story is narrated by P.K., a gifted storyteller who uses wonderful imagery to recreate his own sadness at the loss of his family and the anger he feels at the way blacks were treated under Apartheid.

Check out the new Christ Church cookbook hot off the press! Full of scrumptious recipes, Sabbath celebration tips, and ideas for entertaining.

I've recently learned how to upload pictures (yes, I know, it took me awhile...:). So! Here are some snapshots of our recent vacation to Michigan this past June. Enjoy!



















The long-spanning Mackinac Bridge linking the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. I learned that the inhabitants of the upper peninsula are called Yoopers (creative pronunciation of 'upper'), while those who live in the lower peninsula are called Trolls, b/c they live below a bridge.















A picturesque view of Mackinac Island, taken from Fort Mackinac which rests strategically on the highest hill on the island.
















Mackinac Island has banned all motor vehicles, so semi trucks are loaded onto barges, ferried across the harbor, and unloaded at the dock. A battalion of horse drawn carts make deliveries to all the B&Bs, restaurants, etc.

















The Grand Hotel- the largest wooden resort hotel in the world.
Built of virgin white pine, which is now very rare.


















Topiary horses and carriage in the gardens of the Grand Hotel


















A picturesque window, a Hobbit Gate, and a UPS cart (so incongruous I had to snap a photo!)

A Tribute to E.B White

I've just finished The Points of My Compass, as collection of White's essays originally published in The New Yorker and other periodicals. Many of you know this author as the creator of Charlotte's Web, or as the White in Strunk and White's Elements of Style. In my opinion, his essays take the prize. He writes with clarity, honesty, and a welcoming wave of the hand, inviting us to see the humor and mystery in the simple routines in life. One essay is written during an epic battle with a marauding fox, intent on stealing Bantam hens from the Whites' henhouse. Another whimsically captures his adventures aboard a ship traveling the length of Alaska in the 1920's. He saw with uncanny foresight the profound effect that TV would have on our culture. He gives the reader an important glimpse into life in America in the earlier part of this century. I also recommend a further book of his essays, entitled Second Tree from the Corner.