I am a Children’s Librarian living in the Portland, Oregon area. When I am not Children’s Librianing I like to play with cameras and film. I also like playing the ukulele, knitting, sketching, and hiking.
I found a really cool website: The Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection . When you go to the site, at first you won’t think much of it. However, when you begin to look at the dates of the photos it becomes clear that this is an important collection of slides. For example, look at this picture. It was taken in 1938! Have you EVER seen a photo taken from the thirties that was in color? I haven’t. The color, amazingly, brings this era to life. Just surf around on the site, look at the dates of the photos, and you will understand what I am talking about!
I am reading this book, “Holy Blood, Holy Grail“. The hypothesis of which is that Jesus survived the crucifixtion, and married Mary Magdalene. I began to be intrigued by this idea by reading the popular mystery, “the DaVinci Code“. I have to say, as much as I didn’t really like the DaVinci Code, I am intrigued by this idea. I don’t know if I believe it. But, admittedly, it is easier to believe than the alternative view, that Jesus rose from the dead and roamed the earth with his disciples. I’m not saying that I don’t believe that, either. But you have to admit, it is a little bit hard to believe….
I am reminded of one of my all time favorites scenes from any movie. It is a scene from “The Last Temptation of Christ“, the scene in which Jesus watches with surprise, the Apostle Paul preaching to the city the Gospel. Jesus, who has been told by an “angel” that he can choose not to be crucified, and that he can choose a life of marriage with Mary Magdalene (which he does choose), tries to tell Paul that he, in fact, is Jesus, and that he did not rise from the dead. He was standing right there in front of him. He is not the risen savior. Paul becomes very angry with Jesus and threatens him. He says something like, “Don’t ruin this for me.” Paul had quite a life traveling and preaching the Gospel, you know. Anyway, I find this scene so brilliant because Paul in this scene depicts Christians today. They are so blinded by what they are told by thier pastors or preists that they can’t see the truth, and they wouldn’t be able to see it if it walked up to them on the street.
When I used to read the bible I always wondered about Paul. I mean, he never even met Jesus. His big claim to apostledom his that he had this “experience”. And what he preaches is so different from what Jesus preaches.
Well, I guess that’s enough Jesus-talk for one day.
Good news at work: The head of reference, Alice asked me to be the part time science librarian over the summer while molly is on maternity leave. I’m stoked!
My mom mom just forwarded me an e-mail from an old friend of mine.
She had sent my friend’s mother some photos of their recent trip down here to Santa Cruz. His mother was so stoked to see pictures of me graduating with my Master’s that she forwarded the link on to her son, my old friend from a million years ago.
The e-mail that he sent to my mom stated that he was impressed with my website and that he was proud of me and that I had come as far as I had. He went on to say that he was now working at a Chicago biotech company as Lead Scientist and they are developing a new way to genetically engineer plants. Geez! Talk about being impressed! and he likes my stupid little website?!?
I remember the day I met this old friend of mine. In fact, it is one of my first memories. I was four years old, and so was he. My mom had just met his mom, and had taken my little brother (3 years) over to play while she chatted. We were in his back yard and trying to get to know each other. We were talking about how old we were of all things. He was showing us on his fingers that he 4 using the standard method of folding the thumb into the palm. Then he showed us that you could also fold your pinky down and hold your thumb out and that makes four also. I remember being really impressed by this (I was only four years old, mind you). And to tell the truth, I really don’t know why I remember this out of all of the experiences I have had, but it is something that I remember. We went on to become really great friends and eventually, as we started going to high school, we lost touch.
