News from Owen

I just finished reading Milton's Paradise Lost. It was outstanding. It is an extremely well-written and highly poetic (epic poetry) account of many gospel events and doctrines, especially The War In Heaven and The Fall of Man. The author takes a lot of liberties by adding all kinds of information to the Biblical accounts, but most if it is excellent. There are a few errors, but what is right far outweighs what is wrong. I also recently read Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamozov and just started reading Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. After years of restricting myself to reading only psychology books and articles, and never having been much of a reader in general, I am now addicted to reading high quality literature. I was deluded for a few years into thinking that works of fiction weren't worthwhile. That was a mistake. The great works of "fiction" are just as meaningful as the great works of "fact".

I'm also addicted to pizza, as usual. I'm still on the Atkins diet, but I regularly cheat by eating pizza. Papa Murphy's take-and-bake is my favorite.

I recently wrote a little poetry-like thing in honor of my 13th wedding anniversary. Here it is:

This Friday, 13th

13 laps around the sun
Some say is far for two to run

13 circles of the globe
For some is pain like unto Job

But what to them is dev’lish trial
Is our love’s season most fertile

And as May 1st our love re-Spring’th
We celebrate this Friday, 13th

The Mighty Artichoke

We love artichokes at our house. I don't know if there are any others who feel this way about this particular vegetable but we do. Every once in a while, some food item will really catch my imagination and I will embark on an iron chef like quest to involve that particular food into almost anything. This has been the case with the artichoke. It's simply an amazing food! It can turn an omelet into something phenomenal; the lowly pot roast becomes exceptional; pair it with its friends sweet bell pepper and olive oil, and you have something close to ambrosia. It's even a beautiful thing to behold! Such a lovely, symmetrical work of art. I would pay money (assuming I had some someday) for a beautiful artichoke sculpture or painting if I came across one. There are even legends about the lovely artichoke blossom. What an amazing food! I guess today it was a strong desire to eat the said choke that sparked this ode. If you haven't tried artichoke yet, may I suggest that you do so post haste! You haven't lived until you've experienced it.