I take back what I said

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my well-reasoned-and-inciteful opinion that Ron Howard is a pedestrian film-maker, whose work can (and should) be dismissed.

Well, to escape the heat last evening, Karen and I went to see 'The DaVinci Code', in a mostly-empty-but-nice-and-cool theater in Tigard. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying it on several levels. The direction, while obvious in places, was totally competent, the message of the film as potentially-revolutionary (to the uninitiated) as the Catholic Church has every right to fear, and Tom Hanks simply improves everything he's associated with.

Some reviewers have taken issue with the historical digressions/reconstructions, but, after all, how can you fully understand the implications of what Dan Brown and others are trying to tell us, without the Council of Nicea front and center?

Now for something completely different.

Readers of this blog (both of you) must surely be wondering what happened with my sick cat, who we debated euthanizing before we left for Spain. Well, Maisie is still with us, her abdominal tumor obviously growing and her energy level obviously low, but she is still affectionate, still eating with enthusiasm, and still a miracle to have around.

We love this cat. She is dying slowly, but still a big part of our family. The vet's best guess, three weeks ago, was that she wouldn't survive our absence. Every day is a gift, in so many ways.