It is almost that magic time again, Christmas music, decorations, frantic shoppers. But each year it has gotten harder and harder to see the wonder amidst all of the bad news. Wars and rumors of wars, corruption in religion and politics. Crime and degeneracy overwhelming society. BUT, perhaps all of this is because we have lost the sense of wonder, not the other way round. I am reading a book by an Episcopalian Bishop who debunks almost everything about fundamentalist Christianity including the Christmas story. I don't care. The Christmas story is a beautiful story filled with hope and promise. I am not willing to sacrifice it all for an historical account, no matter how accurate it is. Today, more than ever, we need to put a little romance and magic back into our lives and the lives of our children. Don't let it get lost in arguments over "literal-ism" or "historic-ism." Let the academicians fight it out and savor the few moments of "Peace on earth, good will to men."
While my wife and I were in Idaho visiting the kids, I met a new friend named Richard. Richard has been working hard on our new house, even hanging ceiling sheet-rock 30 feet in the air. I knew he was interested in engines so gave him a copy of the text book I wrote on gas engines, and a Puma folder. (Yes we have also paid him wages.) He called the next day and said he had a present for me and he'd be right up. Sure enough he came bustling up the walk with a wrapped present in hand. After all these years I can tell a knife, no matter how good its wrapped! Tearing off the paper revealed this Bowie-esque knife. The massive blade is hand-forged and the spine is nearly sharp. The primary edge is very sharp and the blade is rigid. The grip is antler that looks a lot like Elk. There appears to be a collar missing which left a big gap between the grip and the guard. Richard had no idea who made it, its age or exactly where it came from. He thought maybe it was picked up by his father in a bazaar in middle Europe during their travels. To me it looks more like American or even Mexican. BUT, the scabbard is very similar to those one finds on Kukri, paper thin leather over wood with thin sheet brass throat and tip. Anyone want to hazard a guess at its parentage? Absolutely no marks of any kind on knife or scabbard.
HAVE A VERY MERRY AND SACRED CHRISTMAS!!!
While my wife and I were in Idaho visiting the kids, I met a new friend named Richard. Richard has been working hard on our new house, even hanging ceiling sheet-rock 30 feet in the air. I knew he was interested in engines so gave him a copy of the text book I wrote on gas engines, and a Puma folder. (Yes we have also paid him wages.) He called the next day and said he had a present for me and he'd be right up. Sure enough he came bustling up the walk with a wrapped present in hand. After all these years I can tell a knife, no matter how good its wrapped! Tearing off the paper revealed this Bowie-esque knife. The massive blade is hand-forged and the spine is nearly sharp. The primary edge is very sharp and the blade is rigid. The grip is antler that looks a lot like Elk. There appears to be a collar missing which left a big gap between the grip and the guard. Richard had no idea who made it, its age or exactly where it came from. He thought maybe it was picked up by his father in a bazaar in middle Europe during their travels. To me it looks more like American or even Mexican. BUT, the scabbard is very similar to those one finds on Kukri, paper thin leather over wood with thin sheet brass throat and tip. Anyone want to hazard a guess at its parentage? Absolutely no marks of any kind on knife or scabbard.
HAVE A VERY MERRY AND SACRED CHRISTMAS!!!
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