Wishing You a Merry Christmas

I love Christmas trees. We usually have at least one in every room.  This is one of my favorites - my Teddy Bear Tree.  To me Teddy Bears mean comfort,  companionship and joy.  Actually, this tree should probably be called a "Stuffed Animal Tree" because there are also a few poodles, a polar bear or two, and three Velveteen Bunnies. Which, by the way, is one of my favorite stories.  If you have bever read it, or if it has been a long time, you should read it soon.  Christmas is a great time for children, and for those few adults who haven't forgotten how to be children.  It is my prayer that you are included in that.  Because the Bible encourages us to have faith like a child.

Praying for you and your family the happiest Christmas, and a healthy joyful New Year.

Equine Art Horse and Bunny in the Snow by Della Burgus

Love in Any Language

Acrylic on Stretched, Studio Wrapped Canvas
16 x 20 x .75

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We sometimes chose our friends because something about them reminds us of ourselves.  We have the same interests, the same likes and dislikes, we come from similar backgrounds.  Relationships built on our similarities grow because we enjoy the same activities and share similar feelings and ideas.  But every now and then you meet someone who is entirely different.  He looks and speaks differently from you,  he comes from a different place and sees the world from an entirely different perspective. As unlikely as it may seem, sometimes those differences result in the most magical of friendships. Real love is not so concerned with a person's appearance as it is with his heart.

I began this as a horse painting over a year ago,  but was never satisfied with it. For months it was forgotten, hidden behind a stack of canvases in my studio.  But when I happened upon it again just last week I knew exactly what was needed. The horse was lonely, he needed a friend, so I painted one for him - a little bunny.   I have always been fascinated by the seemingly unlikely friendships between different species of animals. You often hear of dogs adopting baby kittens or cats taking care of squirrels or wild animals.  Earlier this year I shared the story of Bella and Tarra,  a dog and an elephant who have become devoted companions.  While this horse and bunny came out of my imagination, it was inspired by all the true stories of animal friendships.  Despite the confidence we have in our own superiority, we could learn a lot from all of God's creatures - great and small.

The Blizzard of '09 - Welcome to Iowa!

 

We have a good, old fashioned Iowa blizzard this week, the kind we used to have when I was a child. This is day two. Officially so far we have had 14.5 inches, although it isn't clear to me how anyone can be absolutely sure of that. There is so much wind that it is hard to tell what is coming down and what is being blown sideways.  All the highways are closed, but there is nowhere to go anyway. Wednesday, at least, has been canceled in Iowa. My husband was out taking pictures last night, but I believe that God gave us windows for such a time as this. The photo at right is the view from my living room, and I think it gives you a good idea of what it looks like here.

 This is a view of the world from my studio window. We added the room to our house about 23 years ago, and at the time I wanted north light for color clarity, so we have a bank of windows plus a skylight. Now I wonder what I was thinking. No matter how wonderful the window, how great the installation, it is cold in the winter when the wind blows. Even if it is all psychological, I would rather spend my time in some other room in the house.

The neighbors' "snowman" is almost buried by the real stuff. The wind whips his arms around, giving my dog something to bark about.

Speaking of dogs, they don't like this much either.  Larry had to shovel some snow off the deck this morning, just to get the door open for them to go outside.  Then he had to scoop a  path for them. They were grateful, but sure didn't stay long.  Barney usually loves bounding through the snow, but he hasn't been out much, except to bark at the snowplow -which seems to be the only vehicle running today. Button has a better idea...