-
The Tower of the Flock, Part 1
Eliezer’s Story Squinting in the late afternoon sun, I wiped my brow and surveyed our work. The crazy intense, sleep deprived spring was well behind us. The last ewe had delivered the last lamb. We’d had a lovely, lazy summer letting the sheep graze the lush hill country. I’d been glad to get away from town for a few months. But harvest had come and gone, and we’d brought the sheep to the fields to eat what the gleaners left behind. That morning, Uncle Asa sent me to the watchtower on the edge of town to ready it for the next lambing season. Ignoring my aching back and grumbling…
-
Why a Manger?
I don’t know about you, but it always bothered me that Jesus was born in a stable among a bunch of smelly animals. No comfy crib for the Son of God – he slept in a feed trough. Of stone. I can imagine a sheep sticking his head in the manger looking for a snack only to end up nibbling on Jesus’s hair. The usual explanation made sense. The Father chose a humble place for the birth of the Savior to show how he can sympathize with the poor and downtrodden. But that’s not a very satisfying answer. I thought Mary had a legitimate bone to pick with the travel…
-
The Ishtar Gate
If you visit the Babylon Archeological Site in Iraq today, you will not find the Ishtar Gate. To see that, you must travel to the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. The original gate was disassembled brick by brick, shipped to Europe, restored, and reassembled to grace the halls of the museum. However, you will see a recreation of the gate standing as a sentinel at the head of the Processional Way. This gate is just one of eight gates into the ancient city of Babylon, but it is surely the most important. Nebuchadnezzar’s passion was to make Babylon a masterpiece, and the Ishtar Gate was the jewel in the crown.…
-
Rosemaling
Rosemaling, the Norwegian folk art originally developed as painting flowers on wood, provides some texture for my story. Joe’s mom serves mujaddara, a Middle Eastern dish of lentils, rice, and caramelized onions, in a beautiful rosemaled platter. https://www.dailyscandinavian.com/the-story-of-norwegian-rosemaling/ Rosemaling went out of fashion in the nineteenth century, but it’s seen a resurgence with the popularity of Frozen. I think rosemaling is just lovely, and YouTube has some great tutorials. Enjoy!
-
A Pancake Taco?
In my book, my hero grew up in the Ottoman Empire, home to his Assyrian mother. But he was sent to live with his Norwegian grandparents for high school and college. His favorite after school snack was sveler. “…fluffy pillows of floury love slathered with a mixture of sugar and butter that’s been whipped till it’s light and creamy.” “Frosting covered pancakes?” “Yes. Exactly. Frosting covered pancakes. With jam on top. They can be served warm a variety of ways: with brunost, a brown Norwegian cheese, or syrup, or creme fraiche and berries. Or ferry cafes serve them cold, slathered with frosting, and folded up like a taco. Norwegian Griddle Cakes…
