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Dear Mr. Keillor, A few

September 9, 2004 |

Dear Mr. Keillor,
A few years ago Architectural Digest featured a story about your home. One photo showed a prayer that you had had illuminated to hang above the fireplace in your dining room. I have a prayer by the German poet Richard Euringer that I have long wanted to have illuminated in similar manner for my kitchen. The time has come. I am wondering whether you could refer me to the artist who did the work for you. It's lovely.

Blessings and many thanks,
Elizabeth Felts
Pleasanton CA

Elizabeth, the prayer is not a wall hanging, it’s painted on the wall in gold leaf by a friend and cowboy guitarist named Jay Peterson. Jay is an old-fashioned sign painter who has done gold lettering for podiatrists’ office doors and retro murals and billboards and, for all I know, may have done the “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” signs that you see nailed to trees up around Lake Wobegon. He also did a picture of our daughter on the wall of our garage. (Jay lives in Maine: his e-mail address is signsong@earthlink.net) When Jenny and I bought our home, we noticed on the dining room wall a large 4x4 panel over the fireplace and decided to have Jay paint the table grace there, and when we sit down to dinner with guests, we like to sing it, to the tune of the Doxology. O Lord we thank Thee for this food, for every blessing, every good, for earthly sustenance and love bestowed on us from heaven above. Be present at our table, Lord. Be here and everywhere adored. Thy children bless and grant that we may feast in paradise with Thee.

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