My co-workers and I were cleaning out the attic at work a
couple years ago, and we found a box of old books belonging to the late Dr.
Eugene Leslie. Our offices are located in the old Leslie family home
(which the good Dr. and his wife donated to the City of Ann Arbor upon their
passing), so it is not uncommon to find artifacts and relics that pay testament
to Dr. Leslie's staggering intellect and insatiable curiosity. After
digging through layers of literature about everything from beekeeping to fire
brick buying, I found a nasty, old bible. The covers were black leather
worn paper-thin. The spine had disintegrated and pages were loosely contained
in the shape of a book. I opened the bible and found, on the inside
cover, a prayer written in pencil:
"Put any burden upon me, only sustain me.
Send me anywhere, only go with me.
Sever any tie, but that which binds me to thy
service and to thy heart."
I thought it was an especially beautiful prayer, and have
since discovered that it was the prayer of Dr. David Livingstone (an extremely
impressive and inspiring man in his own right...I think he and Dr. Leslie would
have gotten along quite well). So, I decided to keep the bible, ailing
though it was.
Which brings us to December 2011.
Elin was going to Iceland for Christmas, and I sent the
bible along with her, knowing that her uncle Leifur is a bookbinder by trade.
I'd seen some of his craft on a previous visit and was amazed at the
beauty of the books he'd bound. With guarded optimism, I asked her to get
Leifur's opinion on the book, to see if it was at all serviceable. I
wasn't expecting a good prognosis, given the condition. What Elin brought
back from her Christmas vacation was this:
The book is now hardbound. In fish skin. With
gold inscriptions. It's as solid as a brick; the rich, leather-like surface is as beautiful to look at as it is to touch. It still smells like ocean, although I suspect that will fade with time. It's a true treasure.
It has taken about 6 months of procrastination and
false-starts but I finally finished a meaningful "thank you" that I
hope in some small way reflects my appreciation. Going in the mail to
Iceland next week:
 |
| Takk!!! |
God's Bear II: Watercolor, acrylic, and India
ink on Arches 140 lb. hot-press watercolor block.
