Item # 9721873

This is Item #: 9721873 at All Posters (dot) com. You can see their watermark in the lower right corner there. If they make a fuss, I'll remove this post, but personally, I am rationalizing that the advertising I'm providing is a fair trade-off for letting me show this thumbnail.  And I would have bought this print for the bride for whom this blog is titled— had only she not run away in the middle of the night. 

(I've bought other things from All Posters and the orders have always matched the description, arrived on time without damage, and my credit info wasn't hacked—what more could you want?)

The name of the print is 'Matilda,' and the artist is the Brit, Sir Quentin Blake. If you've ever spent time in the children's section of a library, you've probably seen his work. He has a very nice website that allows you to send free e-cards of some of his work. There is even a quirky one of a bride and groom, but you'll have to go look that up for yourself  because I've already pushed fate & copyright law about as far as I dare.  Here's how to get there: 

http://quentinblake.com → fun & free → special occasion cards

So this is the Christmas gift that never was. It is also the closest thing to a portrait of KatieLyn that this blog ever plans to publish. No, she does not have a pointy nose or underdeveloped chin, but she often has that look of delight in exploring new things in her eyes. That is one of the things that Joe found so appealing about her. She seemed happy to rummage through the possibilities and opportunities that would have lain ahead. 

Some people would look at this print and miss her expression. Some would focus on the crate and belittle her for not using an ottoman upholstered in brocade.  Some would see only clutter.

The Lesson

I hope some day to have a daughter-in-law who will see the books as possibilities, not as disarray. I hope that Joe will find a wife like the Matilda of this picture who finds joy in contemplation and contentment in the wisdom she finds. And I hope that she would find this:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3