August | 2015 | dual personalities

August 19, 2015

“Yes, ma’am, just as hard as I could.”*

by chuckofish

John Wayne and some old coots in “Tall in the Saddle”

Well, the films of John Wayne are featured on TCM all day today, so set your DVR!

I am especially looking forward to Tall in the Saddle (1944) which I have not seen in quite a while.

My mother always liked Tall in the Saddle, because she liked Ella Raines who plays the female lead. I think she thought she was more “normal” looking than a lot of the stars of the 1940s–i.e. pretty without the need for elaborate hair, extensive makeup and penciled on eyebrows.

She also has a good part to play in this western–a tomboy who gets to ride around on horseback and kick symbolic dust at the goody-two-shoes who is competition for John Wayne’s affection, Audrey Long.

The reviewer for the New York Times called the film “a regulation rough-and-tumble Western”, complete with a thundering stage coach ride through sagebrush country, fist fights, shootings, and “the customary romantic clinch”. The reviewer acknowledged that Wayne saves the film from its predictability:

Mr. Wayne has to fight his way through every inch of this film, against toughies like Ward Bond, a crooked judge; Harry Woods, a no-account rustler, and Russell Wade, a weakling gun-happy young rancher. Even Ella Raines sends some bullets whizzing perilously close to our hero’s head … Mr. Wayne walks into a mess of trouble in Red Rock, but in eighty-seven noisy minutes he bowls over the opposition, turns up the murderer of his cousin and has Miss Raines purring in his arms. Just take Tall in the Saddle for what it is, a rousing old-fashioned Western, and you won’t go wrong.

Yes, Mr. Wayne saves the day and the movie.

All the movies showing today are worth viewing for their star. That cannot be said for a lot of the movies shown this month on TCM’s Summer Under the Stars.

Anyway, The Quiet Man (1955) is on tonight, followed by The Searchers (1956) and Rio Bravo (1959). So enjoy!

Here is the schedule.

*John Wayne in response to the statement, “I saw you hit that poor man!”

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August 18, 2015

“No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess.”*

by chuckofish

Today is the birthday of Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809).

You probably know that he was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and is best known as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

He was the one played by Fred MacMurray in the movie The Far Horizons (1955). Charlton Heston played Clark. All very impressive. But did you know that he had a near-death experience with a grizzly bear? Well, he did.

On their famous expedition, Lewis and Clark and their men had several hair-raising encounters with bears. After awhile Lewis began referring to the bears respectfully as “gentlemen.” On June 14, 1905 Lewis had his own encounter with a grizzly on the Yellowstone River.

He had just shot a buffalo and was watching it die when he realized that a grizzly had crept up on him “within 20 steps.” He described the encounter: “I drew up my gun to shoot, but at the same instant recolected that she was not loaded…it was an open level plain, not a bush within miles…I had no sooner terned myself about but he pitched at me, open mouthed and full speed, I ran about 80 yards and found he gained on me fast, I then ran into the water…about waist deep, and faced about and presented the point of my espontoon, at this instant…he sudonly wheeled about as if frightened, declined the combat on such unequal grounds, and retreated.” Shaken, Lewis waded out of the river, speculating on the bear’s motivation for sparing him. He concluded that its reasons were “misterious and unaccountable.”**

I say old Meriwether Lewis deserves a birthday toast tonight. At the very least. But while I’m at it, I think he deserves a better monument.

This “national monument” in Hohenwald, TN (where he died/was murdered/committed suicide) does not seem to be quite enough somehow. What is the cylinder thing anyway? It looks like a smokestack.

I should think they could have done better in 1848.

*Isaac Newton

**Lewis and Clark Across the Divide by Carolyn Gillman

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August 17, 2015

“Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars.”*

by chuckofish

Well, this lady is still hauling things out of her basement.

I mean really. But as they say, sure and steady, gets the job done.

Meanwhile daughter #1 was Instagramming from New Hampshire this weekend

while daughter # 2 did so from atop the ferris wheel at the the Montgomery County Fair.

Good times. I have no idea what the boy was up to this weekend.

On Sunday after church I exhausted myself working in the yard. I went a little crazy with the electric trimmer, and then I had to clean up the mess. There are usually consequences to having too much fun.

Then I watched part of the Cardinals game. And I fell asleep.

I also watched The Apostle and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Episcopalians could use a little more Holy Ghost Power. Make that a lot more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPqaz9QfK5I

Have a good week!

*Proverbs 9:1

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August 15, 2015

Sturdy and staunch he stands

by chuckofish

Whew! What a week. Suffice it to say, it was busy, stressful, and now my refrigerator is broken and my kitchen full of coolers. But never mind, a dear friend gave me this little guy:

Isn’t he the best? He’s actually a ‘washing up sponge’, but I can’t bring myself to use him so he stands on the windowsill overlooking the sink. I’ll take pictures of him in situ should I ever get my kitchen back in order. In his new position, he reminds me of Eugene Fields’ heart-breaking poem, “Little Boy Blue”. It’s so sad that when I was in third grade and recited it in front of my whole class, my voice broke. It still makes me teary. Here, in honor of my little kitchen guard and my little-girl self, is the poem. Be sure to have kleenex at the ready when you read it.

The little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and staunch he stands;
And the little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket molds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new
And the soldier was passing fair,
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.”Now, don’t you go till I come,” he said,
“And don’t you make any noise!”
So toddling off to his trundle-bed
He dreamed of the pretty toys.
And as he was dreaming, an angel song
Awakened our Little Boy Blue,–
Oh, the years are many, the years are long,
But the little toy friends are true.Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place,
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
The smile of a little face.
And they wonder, as waiting these long years through,
In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue
Since he kissed them and put them there.

I remember visiting the Eugene Field house and Toy Museum with my mother many, many years ago. It’s a lovely place

— all that’s left of a block of row houses that used to occupy this area of South Broadway in St. Louis.

I guess you could say his house, like the little tin soldier in his lovely poem, stands sturdy and staunch. Long may it be so.

Have a good weekend! If you need a laugh after this melancholy post, watch any episode of QI on Youtube.

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August 14, 2015

Soul on fire

by chuckofish

Okay, I admit it. Sometimes I listen to Christian radio in the morning. Yesterday they played one of my favorites, “Soul on Fire” by Third Day, as I was driving into work.

Did you listen? Not a bad way to rev your engine for the day ahead.

Anyway, this song put me in mind of the great movie The Apostle (1997) starring Robert Duvall in the role for which he should have won the Academy Award.

He also wrote the screenplay, directed the movie and financed it with 5 million dollars of his own money. It is pretty awesome as I recall. I saw it at the movies back when it was released and then when it came out on DVD, but not since.

The Apostle is an unflattering but realistic portrayal of Pentecostal minister Euless “Sonny” Dewey who is searching for redemption amidst personal torment and anger issues. I was impressed with Duvall and indeed everyone in the film–Farrah Fawsett, Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash et al. I was impressed that he made this film with its Christian theme and that it was actually reviewed favorably by the mainstream media. Duvall’s minister is not perfect but he is not a fake. He is the real deal.

So it is my Friday movie pick. “I’m a genuine, Holy Ghost, Jesus-filled preachin’ machine this mornin’!”

4 Comments

August 13, 2015

“I said the mountains looked like white elephants. Wasn’t that bright?”*

by chuckofish

Did you know that yesterday was World Elephant Day? Well, it was. Did you know that elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, and they could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade?

This is shocking. China seems to be the main market for illegal ivory, where a single tusk can fetch $100,000–200,000.

Ugh. You can read more about it here.

Elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka, on April 16, 2015. (Getty Image)

Elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka, on April 16, 2015. (Huffington Post)

You know how I feel about elephants. I have blogged about this and the evidence is all over my house.

Between hedgehog populations in freefall and elephants going extinct, I am pretty depressed.

Well, let’s look at some great elephants.

Linen canvas embroidered with gold, silver & silk, one of the ‘Oxburgh Hangings’, made by Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury & members of her household, probably at Sheffield Manor Lodge, Yorkshire, England, UK, 1570-85.

A handsome elephant and Steve McQ

And how can we forget Stampy:

And I want one of these to toast elephants tonight. Try to enjoy your Thursday.

*Ernest Hemingway

7 Comments

August 12, 2015

Way-back Wednesday musings

by chuckofish

Polaroid picture taken at summer camp c. 1963

I loved day-camp. Except for some bullying by the swimming teacher, I had a good time. It was kind of a continuation of day-school, but we did crafts and went swimming. I learned to ride a two-wheeler one summer all by myself.

I have fond memories of the counselors and of the young man who drove the bus. They were nice.

We were divided into Indian “tribes” and we had fringed vests made out of burlap bags and wore headbands and danced around a teepee. We were awarded felt patches which were stapled to our vests–guppies to sharks–every time we moved up a skill level. These were awarded at a PowWow at the end of each week. Awesome.

And I got to go home every afternoon and see my own mother and have dinner and watch TV. It was the best of both worlds for me.

Anyway…don’t forget to keep your eyes on the sky tonight! The annual Perseid meteor shower will be on display in the predawn hours until August 13. By the way, a meteor, you will recall, is a piece of stony, metallic or icy matter that enters Earth’s atmosphere and briefly streaks across the sky. A meteorite is a meteor that lands on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body.

4 Comments

August 11, 2015

Note to self

by chuckofish

In America we have porcupines.

In Britain (and Europe) they have hedgehogs.

Even though they share similar spiny protective “armour” they are unrelated.

But news flash: I gather that hedgehogs are endangered in England. The Hay Quaker blog had a link to this Hedgehog Rescue blog.

Hedgehog populations are in freefall! This is troubling indeed. I have always loved hedgehogs. They are my spirit animal.

So a toast and a prayer for the lowly hedgehog!

And hello, this is why you will never find me hiking in Yellowstone. This is seriously my greatest fear in Life.

Give me a hedgehog any day.

[She] has the elegance of the hedgehog: on the outside, she’s covered in quills, a real fortress, but my gut feeling is that on the inside, she has the same simple refinement as the hedgehog: a deceptively indolent little creature, fiercely solitary – and terribly elegant.
– Muriel Barbery (The Elegance of the Hedgehog)

3 Comments

August 10, 2015

“The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.”*

by chuckofish

This past week I have happily returned to my usual work-and-home routine. Over the weekend it was hot, so I puttered around the air-conditioned house a lot. I did get outside, but ever-careful not to overdo it, my endeavors were minimal.

I did find a few estate sale “treasures”, including a small bookshelf which I snapped up. Bookshelves are a priority in this household!

For now it is in the living room, but who knows where it will end up? As you can see from my dual personality’s post on Saturday, daughter #2 has quite a few of my finds in her apartment.

I received a Couroc tray as a wedding present, and ever since then I have loved those mid-century modern designs and have collected them when they turn up at estate sales. This cowboy tray is too perfect.

I also got a chair back from the upholsterer. He had had it for quite some time, so it was a pleasant surprise to ~~finally~~ get it back. It is now back in my office by the window.

Don’t you love that arrow fabric?

I watched several movies over the weekend. I rather enjoyed Mixed Nuts (1994), which frequently appears on worst-movies-of-all-time lists. I was curious to see this “disaster” directed by Nora Ephron, starring Steve Martin, Madeleine Kahn, Rita Wilson and featuring in early appearances Parker Posey, Jon Stewart, Adam Sandler, and Liev Shreiber in a Caitlyn Jenner part. It wasn’t terrible and I thought Madeleine Kahn was hilarious.

I have seen many, many movies that were much, much worse. Why does this movie receive such over-the-top criticism? Perhaps everyone’s expectations were too high.

I also watched El Dorado (1966) in honor of Robert Mitchum’s birthday and, of course, enjoyed it immensely. I especially enjoyed James Caan this time around. He hit it big a few years later in The Godfather, but I bet he never forgot that early outing with the Duke. You can tell all the actors are enjoying themselves in this one.

Also here’s a PSA: August is TCM’s ‘Summer Under the Stars’ month where they feature the movies of a different actor or actress every day. Be sure to check out their schedule. For instance, Tuesday, August 12 is Robert Mitchum and August 19 is John Wayne. You’ll want to set your DVR!

Over the weekend I group-texted with my daughters who were together in New York City this weekend, daughter #2 visiting daughter #1.

Anyway, it was almost like being there with them (and Nate who was off engaged in bachelor party doings for some friend most of the time)!

And P.S. have you noticed that these guys are doing Awesomely? Well, they are. Awesome.

PI-MLB-Cardinals-ON-009-040615.vadapt.620.high.0

Fox Sports

Have a great week!

*Samuel Beckett, “Murphy” (1938)

5 Comments

August 8, 2015

I want you to let the ballyhoo boys loose, plan a celebration, and declare a holiday.*

by chuckofish

For the last few days, I’ve been on holiday here in Washington DC with my husband, who is attending a math conference. While he’s been working, I’ve been enjoying a veritable social whirlwind. So far, I’ve visited with my niece, a retired colleague and his wife, and my son and I even managed to navigate the red line all by myself, albeit not without an embarrassing interlude at the ticket machine. Still, perseverance paid off and I was rewarded by a wonderful afternoon spent with my niece, Susie, in her lovely apartment.

We enjoyed a glass of rose, some cheese and crackers, and lots of good conversation about life in academe. We even managed a slefie.

On the way back to the train station, Susie took me on a quick tour of the University of Maryland, which I must say is really very beautiful — a far cry from the late Soviet cinder-block vibe of my North Country institution. Sigh. Anyhow, I had a wonderful time and I’m so glad we got to catch up!

Yesterday I met my former colleague and his wife who have retired to Frederick Maryland. They drove all the way down to see me for lunch (2 hours!), for which I am eternally grateful, since the thought of driving around here by myself gives me the heebie-jeebies. We had a yummy lunch at a local Lebanese restaurant, but, alas, the belly dancer doesn’t perform during the day. After lunch we took a walk around the area and then I bid them fondly adieu.

Later that evening, we met our son, James, for dinner at Open City, which was crowded and loud, but fun. After dinner we took another short walk. And, yes, I’m going on a diet the minute I get home. I’m not used to so much eating out!

My very own ballyhoo boys

Today, if all goes according to plan, James and I are going to the zoo. The weather isn’t too bad — it’s only supposed to get up to about 84, so I should be able to tolerate an outdoor adventure. Tonight James is cooking for us at his apartment (yum yum) and tomorrow we head back home. Whew! It has been a busy trip, but it has been wonderful to see so many of my favorite people.

Declare a holiday! Have some fun!

*from “Mr. Smith goes to Washington” (1939) — my Saturday night movie recommendation.

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Month: August, 2015

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