Champagne Day

On Sunday, Lisa and I went up to Los Angeles to visit LACMA, the LA County Museum of Art. The museum did not have large collections of Western European art, but they did have a couple gems. I have to appropriate Lisa's favorite work as my own, a spectacular painting of Danae and the Golden Shower. Danae glowed! I would totally steal that and hang it above my bed. I also loved the penitent Magdalen by la Tour. (BTW, this painting is in Ariel's grotto in the Little Mermaid.) Unfortunately, the modern art wing was closed because the Museum is working on construction of a new building. I was actually disappointed! I think I am gradually growing an appreciation of modern art, mostly thanks to Lisa's influence.

Afterwards, Lisa and I drove to Beverly Hills, walked down Rodeo Drive, and had lunch at the Cheesecake factory. Yummy! We also had a great waiter named Phil, a Texan who is trying to make it in LA as a singer/songwriter. It was hilarious and great fun! And then if that wasn't already enough, we saw Shrek the Third with Andrew and went to church (awkward message on circumcision.)

The weather was gorgeous! It was a champagne day! If you've ever experienced a champagne day then you know what I'm talking about. So in honor of our fantastic day, and because I was seriously bored during my summer school class, I wrote this haiku:

Like sparkling champagne,
the soft skies and golden breeze
kiss my lips and soul.

Ducks on Leno

http://youtube.com/watch?v=E1UFy-vmhqk

In case you missed it....

The Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup!!!!!!!!!!
And to borrow a phrase used in every interview I saw, it's an unbelievable feeling and I'm speechless!

My favorite pics so far

Caption This?

Hiatus at an End

Okay, at Lisa's prodding, I have resumed my blogging career. For those of my friends who still bother to check if I've updated, many apologies. Long story short, my iBook decided to crash and I have been computer-less for the last two months. I just got a new iBook courtesy of my father, who also did an amazing rescue job on all my files. Moral of the story, back up files!!!

New Arrivals at the Sampson House

Meet Charlie and Susie, the newest additions to the Sampson Family! We just adopted two large and adorable chocolate labs. They belonged to a friend of a friend of a friend of an old man who couldn't take care of them. Since they were going to be put down unless a home could be found, we decided to take them. Suzie is the one in the pink collar, Charlie in the blue. They are brother and sister and love to play fetch. They are also trained hunting dogs, whatever that means. But I guess if I ever decide to shoot a rabbit or pheasant or something, they will retrieve it for me. They also love to play in the pool, relaxing on the top step to cool off or jumping in after a ball. Apparently they lifeguard too. When my sister got in the pool to swim, Susie tried to save her by tugging on her arm.

Smithsonian: D.C. Chronicles Part 8

On Wednesday we visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art. (Unfortunately the Museum of American History is closed for a couple years). Even if you had a week to explore and appreciate all of the museums along the Mall, it still would not be enough. The highlight of the Natural History Museum for me was the Hope Diamond. I could totally take that baby home!

The National Gallery of Art (technically not a Smithsonian Museum) is amazing. Lisa and I ran through that thing in about an hour and a half. That has to be some sort of record. We basically sprinted past beautiful Vermeers, Rembrandts, Monets, Reubens, Cezannes, and a stunning Da Vinci. It was kind of a painful experience!

Known Unto God: D.C. Chronicles Part 7

Tuesday afternoon we visited Arlington National Cemetery, site of over 300,000 graves of soldiers and their families. The beauty and peace of the cemetery washed over me as I thought about the courage and the honor of these men who had dedicated their lives to their country. After we walked around visiting the graves of men like John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert, Audie Murphy (the most decorated veteran of WWII), we went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the 8th graders participated in a wreath-laying ceremony.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has the unidentified bodies of soldiers from WWI, the Korean War, and WWII. The body from the Vietnam War had recently been identified using DNA analysis and re-interred in his hometown. Because of DNA analysis, there will never again be a soldier only "known unto God," as the inscription on the Tomb says. The tomb is guarded day and night by an honor guard from the Army's 3rd Infantry. Watching the precision and perfection of these guards inspires a sense of awe and timelessness. The soldiers always take exactly 21 steps and pause for exactly 21 seconds during their turn at guard.

Hail to the Chief: D.C. Chronicles Part 6

I just got back from D.C./N.Y. I am so happy to be back! I can't wait to hang out with my friends. Sorry for not keeping up with the blogging. A combination of exhaustion and lack of internet. But we had a great trip and I'm going to update my blog in the next few days. (FYI: I have no idea what happened to Part 3, but I think I just misnumbered. Again, exhaustion.)

On Tuesday, we visited the White House. It was so cool knowing how much history had been made there and how even as we were there, decisions were being made a couple hundred feet away that impacted the whole world. It was especially fun chatting up the Secret Service guards around the rooms. Since they were guards not agents, no dark sunglasses and suits, but it was still amusing to ask them questions. Q: Is that a door in the hallways? A: I'm not allowed to say. Q: How many people work in the Secret Service? A: I'm not allowed to say. Q: How long did it take to do your background check? A: Two and half years, back to eighth grade.

Btw, on the way out of the White House, we noticed that the street was closed down. Pretty soon a cavalcade of black SUVs with men and guns hanging out the window started to drive by. Then we saw a limo and believe it or not, George W. Bush leaned forward from the back seat and waved to our group! Unbelievable!! The kids jumped up and down and screamed like it was a rock star. I am still smiling!!

Fiat Lux-D.C. Chronicles Part 5

Tuesday evening we took the "Illumination Tour," which features the main monuments along the Mall. We first went the the Vietnam War Memorial. There aren't really any words to describe how moving the monument is. It is something that really has to be experienced for oneself. I will add that this is the only monument that was designed to be touched, in order to draw the viewer in emotionally and physically

Next we visited the Lincoln Memorial. The state of Lincoln inside is huge and awe-inspiring. On either side of him, quotations from the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural are inscribed into the walls. Lincoln was a brilliant writer, who managed to combine moral truths, political philosophy, and a simple but sophisticated turn of phrase. He was a truly great man.

Then we visited the Korean War Memorial. I didn't get a good picture of it. All I have to say, is that the sculptor decided to blend the feautures five different races into the faces of the soldiers to creat some strangely alien looking statues. Another example of PC out of control.

Finally, we visited the WWII monument, only finished a couple years ago. My favorite features of the design were the opposing entry arches representing the Pacific and the Atlantic theatres. On the marble wall beneath, the names of all the battles in each respective theatre were inscribed. According to the guide, over 400,000 Americans died in WWII.

Mount Vernon-D.C. Chronicles Part 4

On Monday morning, we were able to visit George Washington's home, Mount Vernon. Although I had seen it before, I still was not prepared. Firstly, the house is beautiful in its own right and incredibly well-maintained. It is also situated on the banks of the Potomac. I could picture our first president relaxing on his back porch and taking in that amazing view. The day before, I had the impression of Thomas Jefferson as a man of many interests, Monticello only being one of many projects. George Washington, on the other hand, clearly loved his house and land, and that showed everywhere throughout Mount Vernon. I would chose Mount Vernon over Monticello, and George Washington over Thomas Jefferson any day.

Pocahontas-D.C. Chronicles Part 2

This afternoon, we went to Monticello (Little Mountain in Italian), the home of Thomas Jefferson. I was impressed by the complex character of our third president. He was an intelligent but conflicted man. I also learned that Monticello is the building on the back on a nickel! The estate was so beautiful and Virginia is amazing.




This morning we visited Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America. All the workers there were dressed up like the settlers. We did things like build a canoe, scrape hair off deer hide, braid rope, catch some z's on an Indian bed. All in all a great time. We also heard the REAL story of Pocahontas, who did save the life of John Smith but ended up married to John Rolfe (who created the tobacco industry) and she eventually moved to London and converted to Christianity.





What a great day! I can't wait for tomorrow!

Busted in Williamsburg-The D.C. Chronicles Part 1

Watcha gonna do when they come for you...

We're barely in town for a couple hours before Lisa gets busted by the local constable and gets put in the stocks. Luckily we got her out in time to board the bus and head for the hotel.

Me Jane

According to the magic book in the Sorcerer's Lair at California Adventure, my secret Disney identity is Jane from the movie Tarzan. I can deal with that. She's pretty cool for a girl who hangs out with gorillas and dates men wearing loincloths.

Chillin' at the GV!

On Saturday, we drove up to Santa Monica to go to the Getty Villa. It was my second time visiting. Even if we had seen nothing in the museum, it still would be have been an awesome day because we got to make these wreaths with myrtle and flowers. Check out the awesome headgear:


The Getty Villa is like taking a trip to Europe , and all you have to do is drive up the 405. I have seen more valuable and historically significant art in Europe, but going to the Villa is so great because it's like experiencing Roman life for yourself. Standing in the middle of a beautiful peristyle with musicians playing Egyptian instruments, I could totally imagine I was really living in the Roman Empire.
Greek vases rock! Check out my man Theseus killing the Minotaur (the half-man, half-bull) in the middle of the Labyrinth.

Saturday was so wonderful, combining two of my favorite things, museums and great friends.

Honestly, this score is a lot lower than it should be. 1o points should be added just for being in band in high school.

If Thou Could'st Empty All Thyself of Self-by Sir Thomas Browne

My last post reminded me of this poem, one of my favorites.

If thou could'st empty all thyself of self,
Like to a shell dishabited,
Then might He find thee on the ocean shelf,
And say, "This is not dead,"
And fill thee with Himself instead.

But thou are all replete with very thou
And hast such shrewd activity,
That when He comes He says, "This is enow
Unto itself - 'twere better let it be,
It is so small and full, there is no room for me."

Paradox

Whoever saves his life will lose it, whoever loses his life will save it.
Perfect freedom lies in complete surrender.
The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.
I can only be wholly myself when I have lost all sense of self.
We are strongest when we have embraced our weakness.
Etc. (There lots of others.)

The Bible and the Christian faith contains so many examples of paradox, things which always give me food for thought and ideas to which I always seem to return. God seems to deal in these paradoxes. I think that although the pardoxes can be understood partially on an intellectual plane, they can never be understood completely because they reflect a deeper reality of the spiritual world, a reality in which we cannot participate while we are still tied to the physical one. I am sure that learned theologians have written more intelligently and interestingly about this, but I still thought I would share.

(BTW, I think the plural of paradox should be paradoxa, not paradoxes.)

Hockey and partial nudity

The real story is that USC has a hockey team.