Now

Left Lausanne July 10, but went up to Whidbey Island, returning to a friend's guesthouse in 1000 Oaks, finally moving in mid-August, our first unfurnished rental.

All to say, I share newly uploaded, but older pictures without chronology. The left is "Big Jack," a Lausanner and excellent skier who skied with Michael all day while we stayed far behind with Jack. A fondue at a former Alpine "refuge" ("mountain hut") with Effy, our Tacoma guest, behind the camera. The refuge system in Europe is extensive and affords basic lodging and food - hearty bowl of soup - for mountain hikers.

Effy is a professional, this summer handing us a CD inventory of her Swiss pics.

Love these jackets Carolyn found.

 
On to Whidbey: dungeness crab freshly trapped by a friendly neighbor - sorry to say that all that shelling wasn't our speed, but made for fabulous crab/artichoke dip. My heart sank when he offered more a few days later though.

TWO eagles out in back - a first.

 

Our favorite hike along the Strait of Juan de Fuca where you can see cruise ships, Trident subs, sea lions.

Joined this year by the Bonds.

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Michael loves to draw, joined by Jack's moon.

Makoto Fujimura offered an intriguing interpretation of Starry Night at Biola's 2012 commencement, analyzing Van Gogh's situating of a Dutch reformed church from his youth in the south of France. The only structure without light, out-of-place, in pale contrast to a glorious creation enlivened by the Spirit of God - a transformed creation - thus the phantasmal Sun-Moon in a pulsing, vivid sky.

London

Although the Olympics is generally a period I suffer through every 4 years - nations celebrating bodies rather than the industrial wares of the earlier World Expos - I came across this stunning choreography and rendition of "Abide With Me," a tribute to the 54 killed in the London terrorist attacks 7 years ago, just 24 hours after the city was named host for the 2012 games.
The piece closed the upbeat numbers, before the parade of athletes began and I understand NBC didn't broadcast the segment in the US, featuring Ryan Seacrest's interview of Michael Phelps instead. Too serious, "complex" (one NBC exec said) for American culture.

However distant and hollow Christian England's past may be, something is in their storehouse to draw upon; our occasional celebrity featuring of "How Great Thou Art" more another embrace of Americana, albeit distinctly southern.  "Amazing Grace" - sung by Judy Collins at Save the Whales rallies - now fully secularized, denatured.

We're also at an interesting crossroads with the increasing secularization of American politics a la European Community, as the recent flip-flop of the Democratic Party platform over striking the word "God":
Academic culture (also, the arts) - which the current president represents - has been an enclave & mutual admiration society of Europe; believing Christians most visible in the spheres of business and sports.  This controversy reminds of the EU's struggle in ratifying its own constitution, regarding naming God as part of its cultural history - a startling turn-of-events protested most openly by heavily Catholic countries, such as Poland.