The newest of Katie

Lisa sends these two of Katie for your pleasure and enjoyment. Does she look terrific or what?

This just in from Kirk!

Hey, Family!

Here are some pics of Madalyn's Junior Cotillion Dance from last Saturday at Hillwood Country Club, Nashville, TN. Madalyn has been attending the Junior Cotillion classes for several months and has done quite well in the program.

Best, Kirk

Supporting McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center, in Chattanooga

Yesterday Lisa sent out an all-points bulletin asking for us to support the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center in Chattanooga. On the steps to the front door, Coleman and Truman are looking for replies.

If didn't get a request from Lisa and would like to support the work of the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center, visit her Fundraising Page by using the link below and help her reach her personal goal by making a secure online donation today... https://owa.eku.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=86b1d734689e4052a08280b3dca9e6bd&URL=http%3a%2f%2fmy.e2rm.com%2fpersonalPage.aspx%3fSID%3d1697733

Kirk in India

This in yesterday from Kirk: "Today I walked barefoot on the cool white marble floors of the Taj Mahal." Let's hope we all get a Taj-Mahal-with- some-Swaheli-proverbs magnet for our refrigerators! Come home soon, son!

Andy recommends The Pillars of the Earth

For the past week Andy has been reading Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth. Here's an appreciative review by Suzanne Cross posted at http://www.amazon.com/:

I've never been a fan of Follett, and picked this book up with some misgivings - anyone these days can try to do an "historical" novel with some quick sex, some fake archaic new-speak, and a TV-movie-miniseries concept of history. While there are some minor flaws in this book, its sweep, characterization, tensions, and love of its subject are simply riveting. I could not put the darned thing down and have lost sleep for a week compulsively page-turning. Follett, unbelievably, seems to have made little splash with this book when it first came out - more shame to the critics who missed a "Gone With the Wind" from a conventional thriller author.

His primary strength in the book is his magnificent characters. By the end, Prior Phillip, Aliena, Jack, Richard, "Witch" Ellen, William of Hamleigh, Waleran Bigod, and a host of supporting characters are as real as people you know. Their strengths and weaknesses feel as sound as earth. I've just reached the part where the Cathedral is finished, and its magnificent image, built in love, hardship, and devotion, colors the whole book like light through stained glass. And I suspect the ending will be as immensely "right" as the entire rest of the book in its proportion in spinning out complicated human lives and emotions.

Follett manages to write of an age of religious devotion without tumbling into the two pits - making fun of medieval Christian faith, or uncritically adopting it. An IMMENSELY satisfying read.

I could quibble with what I feel is some gratuitous sex, some slightly contrived plot twists, but that's like complaining about some flotsam in the river as you're going over Niagara.

DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK if you love wonderful story-spinning and history. Well done, Mr. Follett!

Adam celebrates his twenty-first birthday!

It's been quite a week in Georgia. On Saturday, a few days after Adam's birthday on February 11, Wayne and Becky took Abigail, Adam, June and Andy out to lunch at the Buckhead Diner, a really neat eatery. Great time--and Adam had another among his many "firsts": a margaritta! On Friday, June and Andy saw The Great Debaters, and on Valentine's Day they went out for supper at The Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle. All in all, a great week!

Brunch at the Galt House

This morning Art, Liz, Cheerie and Dave Bultman, and we Kentucky Harnacks shared a wonderful brunch at the Galt House in Louisville. Andy and Dave, both of whom lived near each other in Indianapolis during the mid 50s, had not seen one another for fifty-five years! And--wonder of wonders!--neither one of us looks any older than when we were fifteen or so, heading off to different high schools. Even our life histories have much in common as we found out. Most importantly, it looks as though all six of us may have found so much in common that we'll be spending some time together later this spring and hopefully during the summer at the lakehouse. Thanks so much, Art and Liz, for bringing us together!