September | 2015 | dual personalities

September 18, 2015

“He is rich who owns the day”*

by chuckofish

I had barely gotten my breath after returning from NYC when daughter #2 arrived for a short flyover visit. When it rains, it pours, as they say!

I drove up to the airport yesterday and picked her up and then dropped her off on campus so she cold schmooz with an old professor and hang out for awhile in her old stomping grounds while I finished up at work. I am taking today off so we can have fun, but, of course, thunderstorms are predicted.

C’est la vie.

And just as a reminder…

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt, crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

–RWE

Have a super-duper weekend! Carpe diem!

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September 17, 2015

The world is more than we know

by chuckofish

Once again I learned something interesting in an email from my flyover university about the death of an illustrious alum. William Becker, who was the head of Janus Films, was the uncle of one of my best friends growing up. I had no idea. I knew her aunt was a famous choreographer and I remember when her family went to NYC for spring break one year. ( You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown had opened on Broadway. Her next show was Grease.)

Eighth grade pre-contact lenses

But I did not know her uncle was so connected to the movies.

My friend was never particularly interested in the movies. Not like I was anyway.

Well, regardless, I am grateful to Janus Films for making La Belle et La Bete (1946), The Seventh Seal (1957), La Strada (1954), Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), Tunes of Glory (1960)…and so on available to us all–first in American theaters and then on DVD.

It is a small world.

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September 16, 2015

This is cool

by chuckofish

Did you read about the Battle of Britain commemorative “flypast“?

The 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain was marked yesterday (September 15) by the largest flypast of Spitfires since World War II. There was also a service at St Paul’s Cathedral. Prince Harry was supposed to take part, flying in a two-seater Spitfire from Goodwood Aerodrome in West Sussex, but he gave up his seat to a 95-year old veteran. Hats off to Harry, who by the way, was celebrating his 31st birthday!

BBC News

Anyway, this would have been something to see, right?

The Queen watches the flypast from Buckingham Palace balcony (Mirror)

And oh look, it’s another Total Lacrosse video with the boy!

Let’s not forget that today is also the day the Pilgrims set sail for America in the Mayflower in 1620.

“The Embarkation of the Pilgrims” (1857) by the American painter Robert Walter Weir in the Brooklyn Museum

A toast to those brave souls and a poem:

From my years young in days of youth,
God did make known to me his truth,
And call’d me from my native place
For to enjoy the means of grace.
In wilderness he did me guide,
And in strange lands for me provide.
In fears and wants, through weal and woe,
A pilgrim, past I to and fro.

–William Bradford

Have a great day! Learn something new and smile at someone!

6 Comments

September 15, 2015

Postcards from New York: I whistle a happy tune edition

by chuckofish

I had a lovely, fun-filled time visiting with daughter #1 in her tiny UWS third-floor studio apartment. Basically we were only there to sleep and grab an occasional Diet Coke. Oh, yes, we did shower and change, but in typical fashion I had done a miserable job packing, so my clothing options were limited. Daughter #1 always looked impeccable.

We were on the go from the time I dropped my bags there (after getting up at 3:30 a.m. to catch the 5:55 to LaGuardia) until I hopped in an Uber to head back to the airport.

It was rainy when I arrived, so we headed over to the Met to see the John Singer Sargent exhibit.

It was a terrific show with lots of great portraits. I liked the Edwin Booth portrait, but, of course, they didn’t have a postcard. They always pick the weirdest things for postcards, have you noticed? C’est la vie.

We also checked some of our favorites in the American Wing.

We went to Lincoln Center to see The King and I which was fabulous,

although the King was not Yul Brynner. His ghost is always there, arms akimbo.

We walked ALL OVER Central Park, but I did not have my phone with me (!) so I didn’t take any pictures of my favorite schist. We took the uptown bus to see the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which I have always wanted to do.

It was a divine space but rather godless. Not that I was really surprised, but oh well. I liked the poets’ corner with all my favorites.

We also took the subway all the way up to 190th to go to the Cloisters, another place on my bucket list.

It was very cool. (I bought a book about how it all came to be and read it on the plane ride home. Thank you, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.) Afterwards we rode the subway back down and conked out. Then we got up and made ready for our evening out with some of daughter #1’s college (and one highschool) friends.

Oh my–super fun!

By the time Sunday rolled around I was incapable of leaving the UWS and we opted to stay put and meander around, ending up on a park bench in Riverside Park, watching the world rollerblade or bicycle (training wheels optional) or jog by.

While I was visiting we ate at a wide variety of wonderful restaurants and made one notable and tipsy stop at Zabar’s.

Now I am home and back at the salt mine. Last night I planted myself in front of Dancing With the Stars in full recovery mode.

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September 14, 2015

Something Wonderful

by chuckofish

I am back from my jaunt to NYC and I am exhausted. I had a wonderful time with daughter #1, celebrating her birthday.

But I need to go to work today, so if you don’t mind, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to hear about it. Onward and upward.

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September 12, 2015

The road goes ever on and on…

by chuckofish

Today is son #2’s birthday. Last year, he spent the day at home with family and friends.

This year he is far away at the Oxonmoot (the Tolkein Society’s annual conference) at Oxford having fun and being scholarly.

Although I’m not a huge Tolkein fan myself (don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against him), I heartily agree with his sentiment that “fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!” He’s absolutely right, you know. Our best ideas often come to us slyly, emerging unexpectedly from the shadow of a dream or as we ponder what we have just read, seen, or heard (music is definitely liberating). So in honor of J.R.R. Tolkein, who created a whole world, my son, who is wandering but not lost, and his cousin, Mary, who celebrated her birthday yesterday, escape into a poem, a book, a film, a painting, or some lovely music and free your mind and soul!

Go ahead, have an escapist weekend.

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September 10, 2015

It’s time to get things started

by chuckofish

I honestly cannot wait for this new show.

Hats off to ABC for bringing the Muppets back! My father was always a fan of them back in the 1970s. I think he related to Statler and Waldorf:

So mark your calendar for September 22 at 7:00 p.m. (Central). In the meantime, I will be in NYC and offline for a few days, so take it easy!

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September 9, 2015

Prayer 101

by chuckofish

Readers of this blog know that I am a great one for prayer. Recently I was reading (in Springs in the Valley by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman) about the great 19th century Presbyterian minister Charles Grandison Finney (August 29, 1792 – August 16, 1875), abolitionist and president of Oberlin College.

The summer of 1853 was unusually hot and dry; pastures were scorched. There seemed likely to be a total crop failure. At the church in Oberlin the great congregation had gathered as usual. Though the sky was clear the burden of Finney’s prayer was for rain.

“We do not presume, O Lord, to dictate to Thee what is best for us; yet Thou didst invite us to come to Thee as children to an earthly father and tell Thee all our wants. We want rain. Our pastures are dry. The earth is gaping open for rain. The cows are wandering about and lowing in search of water. Even the squirrels are suffering from thirst. Unless Thou givest us rain our cattle will die, and our harvest will come to naught. O Lord, send us rain, and send it now! This is an easy thing for Thee to do. Send it now, Lord, for Christ’s sake.”

In a few minutes he had to cease preaching; his voice could not be heard because of the roar and rattle of the rain!

Yet another reminder that the direct approach is always best.

This guy has the right idea.

And, of course, Frederick Buechner always has something good to say.

The painting is by Eric Sloane.

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September 8, 2015

Thy daily stage of duty run

by chuckofish

I labored all weekend to get things ship-shape in my newly painted and papered master bedroom/bath and everything looks great.

I am very pleased. Unfortunately my photography skills are lacking, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. My wallpapered accent wall is fabulous. Everything else is clean and bright and creamy white.

Our Labor Day bar-b-que went well, but I forgot to take pictures.

Well, three day weekends are the best, right?

Now I have a two-day work week and then I head up to NYC to celebrate daughter #1’s birthday. We are going to walk around Central Park, see The King and I at Lincoln Center, check out the John Singer Sargent exhibit at the Met, take the ferry to Governor’s Island and the Brooklyn Ferry to Brooklyn where we will check out the Plymouth Church, and go to Dear Irving for birthday drinks with D#1’s friends. She has the itinerary all worked out (with naps scheduled in) and places to eat and drink. I love when someone else figures everything out for me!

In the meantime let’s not to forget to raise a toast tonight to the great man Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (September 8, 1828 – February 24, 1914) whose birthday is today.

And take a minute to listen this Steve Earle song about ol’ Col. Chamberlain and the 20th Maine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2qyqZvW_AY

Enjoy your Tuesday!

3 Comments

September 7, 2015

Ora et labora*

by chuckofish

Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, following the deaths of a number of workers during the Pullman Strike in Chicago. In an effort to conciliate organized labor after the strike, President Grover Cleveland and Congress designated the first Monday in September as a federal holiday.

When I was growing up it was considered the cut-off date for wearing white or seersucker. School resumed soon after. It also marked the start of the football season and new shows on T.V.

Much of all that has changed, but we still get the day off and for that I’m grateful. I will enjoy staying home today.

Of course, not everyone gets the day off. The boy will be laboring in his retail job. Here he is in yet another video for Total Lacrosse.

Don’t forget: If you liked what you saw, hit that thumb’s up sign!

(P.S. It takes awhile for those Youtube vids to load.)

[The above picture was taken circa 1977-78 when my dual personality and brother were laboring to repair the roof of my parents’ garage. I was too afraid to go up on the roof (I did try) so I took the picture with my trusty Instamatic commemorating the event. Par for the course.]

*Pray and work

Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

–BCP

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Month: September, 2015

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