I don’t know about you, but that perfectly describes how I feel on many a night. Usually I relate to my friends the hawks and owls, but not at night, alone and awake. I am a sparrow.
Then in church yesterday we sang this old-time hymn written by Elisha A. Hoffman in 1887 and I was reminded what we have as Christians:
What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms; What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain: Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, Leaning on the everlasting arms; Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day, Leaning on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Take heart, brothers and sisters! We do not have to go it alone. Again I say, go to church and be reminded.
After church…
…the boy and the wee twins came over for Presbyterian soufflé and other assorted goodies. The twins were introduced to Spicettes, a candy which literally blew their minds. It was a beautiful day so we also sat outside after brunch…
Who knew knee socks are a thing again…with ruffles!
Then we went back inside to get cleaned up after extended playtime which included much throwing of themselves bodily down the hill, chasing the new dog who lives across the street, and playing the fun game of pretending the Raptor has broken down and calling Triple A for a tow truck. (“Ma’am, I need a new battery.”)
I’m sure they slept well. And me too. I know I have a blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Last night I watched The Horror of Dracula, a wonderful 1958 product from Hammer House of Horror starring Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing and Christopher Lee as Dracula. The movie hits all the right notes: Dracula is appropriately menacing; the ladies vulnerable, and Van Helsing determined. The people at Hammer knew they were making a B movie, and they embraced it. The actors all played their parts in earnest; this was not a camp send-up. The film begins in Transylvania as mild-mannered Jonathan Harker, masquerading as a librarian, arrives at Castle Dracula to do away with the evil Count. The gallant Harker immediately falls prey to a mysterious woman who begs him for help. Was that a kiss or….no, she bit him!
That is the end of Jonathan Harker but not the story… Count Dracula goes after Harker’s fiancé Lucy, as Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) pursues the Count. Hoping to save a now dangerously anemic Lucy, Van Helsing advises the family to place garlic flowers all around her room, particularly at the doors and windows. Alas, the well-meaning maid removes them, even going so far as to open the windows, thus allowing Dracula entry and dooming Lucy to become a vampire.
After Lucy transitions, her brother and Van Helsing team up to drive a stake through her heart. Poor Lucy.
Meanwhile, Count Dracula entrances Mina, Lucy’s sister-in-law. You can see where all of this is going. Christopher Lee makes an excellent Dracula but he has very little to do in the film and probably had a total of about one page of dialogue to learn. He does get a mighty fine death scene. In the final fight, Van Helsing uses two silver candlesticks to make a cross and force Dracula into the morning sunlight,
where he promptly burns to ash.
Honestly, I was surprised that in 1958 the special effects would be so graphic. This movie must have scared a lot of children!
What shall I watch next? I don’t go for modern horror which is way too scary and gory for me, but I could enjoy some more Hammer flicks. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee bring gravitas to what would otherwise be silly and over-the-top (okay, the movie came perilously close to that despite the gravitas). If they had had the budget to film on location, hire good screen-writers, and decent costume and scene designers, this could have been a good movie! Bottom line: I enjoyed watching it and will gladly watch more.
Well, we finally got some rain after about a month without any and the storm was quite a whopper! But much needed and appreciated.
In other news, a 2,554-pound pumpkin won the record as the heaviest pumpkin in U.S. history! The super squash was grown near Buffalo, New York, this year. But wait! Just one week later, a new pumpkin king was crowned. A 2,560-pound pumpkin won a contest in Northern California, beating the first squash by six pounds. Who knew the competition was so fierce?
This article about the sin of contempt is very pertinent these days. It is a sin I grapple with daily. “But contempt is the silent killer of Christian charity. It has no place in the heart of a follower of Jesus.”
I had lunch the other day with two friends who are 93 and 82. We jokingly agreed that we are all very thankful to wake up every morning and know what day it is. But a lot of people forget that God commands us to be thankful: give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) As Darryl Dash writes, “To refuse to give thanks to God is, in some sense, the essence of sin, one of the greatest problems plaguing humanity (Romans 1: 21). Acknowledging God and giving thanks to him is no trifling matter.”
So may the Lord make me truly thankful for the big things (family, health, home, church) and for the smaller things, such as:
a house full of books and movies…
the internet, which can be a blessing. I stumbled upon this on the desiringGod website…
our memories
And a poem by Wendell Berry:
And, finally, a toast to Angela Lansbury who has died at age 96. I think I’ll watch either The World of Henry Orient (1964) or The Court Jester (1955)–both great favorites of mine in which she appeared.
Here we are on Wednesday again. I saw this on the interwebs the other day and I had to chuckle.
Don’t worry about me readers, I’m not depressed. But you know, I’d rather stay home and work on a puzzle or go to the winery in the sunshine. Especially if nuclear armageddon is approaching.
Anyway, at my DAR meeting this weekend, the chaplain read the following. I know it is kind of cheesy and my mother will probably roll her eyes, but I liked it.
Here are 10 easy prayer triggers to turn routine tasks into prayer prompts:
1) While pouring a morning cup of coffee, pray, “God, thank you that your love has been poured out into my heart through the Holy Spirit” (see Romans 5:5).
2) Before turning on the car radio, “Lord, tune my heart to sing Thy grace” (from “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”).
3) While getting dressed, pray, “God, clothe me today with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (see Colossians 3:12).
4) Before turning on the stove or oven, “Save me, God, from being lukewarm in my love for you” (see Revelation 3:15-16).
5) When using the ATM, take a moment to pray for the poor around the world. You might also choose an ATM password that reminds you to pray.
6) While waiting at a stoplight, pray, “Lord, let righteousness go before me and prepare the way ahead” (see Psalm 85:13).
7) When picking up a pen or pencil, pray, “Father, write your words on the tablet of my heart” (see Proverbs 3:3).
8) As you see your reflection in a mirror or store window, pray, “Father, let my life reflect, more and more, the image of Your Son” (see Romans 8:29).
9) When saying goodbye to a friend, “God, be with him or her until we meet again.”
10) When turning a light on or off, “Jesus, let me walk in the light, as You are in the light” (see 1 John 1:7).
You probably won’t use all of the above, of course. But incorporating just a few of these (or others that occur to you) into your daily routine can make a huge difference, injecting moments of prayer throughout your day.
Triggers like this could help me keep my mind on things above and not down here on earth–and are certainly an improvement over my usual triggers (lol). Something to work on during the week ahead–and maybe help restore my cup of ambition!
It is that time of year when we take a backward look at the bygone days of our youth when Halloween mattered…This annual glance was initiated by my looking for the witch costume that my mother made in 1986 for daughter #1 who was two at the time. It was her first Halloween costume and she wore it for many years…
Eventually daughter #2 inherited it and wore it multiple times…
(The politically-incorrect Indian costume was also made by my mother, but for me in 1962 to wear in a Peter Pan play at school.)
Our hope is that wee Katiebelle will wear the witch costume this year. It would please her great-grandmother. (Adorable pictures to follow, since–glory be–I found the costume!…)
In other news, we watched The Birds (1963) and Rear Window (1954), two Alfred Hitchcock movies suitable for October viewing. We enjoyed them both despite having seen them many times. It is kind of easy (and amusing) to make fun of them while watching, but they are classics, nevertheless, well made and suspenseful. And, of course, The Simpsons take-off of The Birds (and The Great Escape) in “A Streetcar Named Marge” is also a classic.
The author of this article makes a good analogy comparing daily Bible reading to the ongoing painting of the Golden Gate Bridge. “Does this persistent act of painting our hearts and minds rest solely with us? Does our perseverance in studying the word of God come about merely through our own willpower? As the apostle Paul often says, ‘By no means!’ It is a joint endeavor between God as the Master Painter and us.”
This was part of my daily Bible reading assignment yesterday–always a mood changer:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
How was your weekend? On Saturday I went to a training session for new members of the flower guild where I learned how to make the flower arrangements for church on Sunday.
Linda (the head of the guild and my style icon) taught us all the do’s and don’ts of flower arranging and so I am confident that I should be ready to go when I have to do this by myself. Right? It’s good to learn new things, right? Right?
After finishing up her business in mid-MO, daughter #1 drove into town so we could make one last trip this season to our favorite Jeff Co winery after church on Sunday. It was a beautiful day and we spread out our picnic on the grass…
and enjoyed the live music.
Good times!
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.
What’s a cross between Fat Baby Friday and Shark Week? A long-running marvel that I only just discovered, Fat Bear Week. It’s a contest run by the Katmai National Park in Alaska. Every year, they post photos of bears before and after they (the bears) have gorged on salmon. Then they pair up the bears, and people vote for the one they think is the fattest. Whichever bear wins goes to the next round until the last two bears face-off in a final contest. Voting started on October 5th and continues through the 11th. I recommend checking out the before and after photos here, and then voting here. Fat Bear Week is a better morale booster than finding a new series to binge-watch, although I feel a little cheated that I just discovered this wonderful annual contest. Here are a couple of teaser pictures from previous years.
Meet Holly, the winner of Fat Bear Week 2019.
You can also watch Katmai’s live grizzly cam:
Our father would have gotten a big kick out of our chunky ursine friends. He had a soft spot for bears. When he read out loud at Christmas or on rare occasions when he felt like amusing his daughters, he read bear stories — The Bears’ Christmas and Winnie the Pooh – and he could do it better than anyone else, a fact that made our mother a little jealous. I wonder how he would have read this poem by Bret Harte:
Coward,—of heroic size, In whose lazy muscles lies Strength we fear and yet despise; Savage,—whose relentless tusks Are content with acorn husks; Robber,—whose exploits ne’er soared O’er the bee’s or squirrel’s hoard; Whiskered chin, and feeble nose, Claws of steel on baby toes,— Here, in solitude and shade, Shambling, shuffling plantigrade, Be thy courses undismayed!
Here, where Nature makes thy bed, Let thy rude, half-human tread Point to hidden Indian springs, Lost in ferns and fragrant grasses, Hovered o’er by timid wings, Where the wood-duck lightly passes, Where the wild bee holds her sweets, Epicurean retreats, Fit for thee, and better than Fearful spoils of dangerous man.
In thy fat-jowled deviltry Friar Tuck shall live in thee; Thou mayest levy tithe and dole; Thou shalt spread the woodland cheer, From the pilgrim taking toll; Match thy cunning with his fear; Eat, and drink, and have thy fill; Yet remain an outlaw still!
It’s lovely to enjoy these giant bears from the safety of my living room sofa, but I sure wouldn’t want to encounter one in the wild! So, with that in mind, I bid you enjoy Fat Bear Week safely!
It is October again and time to toast our parents (tomorrow) on the anniversary of their marriage in 1950. I am grateful that they had it together enough to have three children in those post-war years and to stay together to raise them. It is more than a lot of people have, especially these days.
I finished S.C. Gwynne’s great book “Rebel Yell” about Stonewall Jackson. Although I am no fan of the Confederacy, I always admired Jackson a great deal.
The “Chancellorsville Portrait” taken seven days before Jackson was mortally wounded.
It was a terrible thing for the South when he died in 1863; but the whole country mourned his death. It is interesting to note how many strong men were moved to tears, openly sobbing in some cases, from the lowliest soldier to Robert E. Lee. Like U.S. Grant, he was not much of a success before the war. He was an unpopular professor at VMI and only came into his own when commanding men on the battlefield. When he did, he did so with a vengeance. He was a devout Christian, a Presbyterian, who believed completely in God’s providence. He knew that whatever happened, it happened because God willed it. This made him extremely courageous. He died knowing where he was bound.
Gwynne writes: “The most famous Northern view of Jackson came from the celebrated poet John Greenleaf Whittier, whose poem ‘Barbara Frietchie,’ published in 1864, became a national sensation. It described an almost entirely mythological incident from September 1862, when Jackson’s troops were passing through Frederick, Maryland, on their way to the battles of Harpers Ferry and Antietam. As Whittier told it, after Jackson’s troops had taken down all the American flags, the elderly Frietchie had retrieved one and flown it from her attic window. Seeing it, Jackson ordered his men to shoot it down, but Frietchie caught it as it fell and held it forth, crying, ‘Shoot, if you must, this old gray head/But spare your country’s flag.’ Jackson’s reaction followed:
A shade of sadness, a blush of shame,
Over the face of the leader came;
The nobler nature within him stirred
To life at that woman’s deed and word:
“Who touches a hair of yon gray head
Dies like a dog! March on!” he said.
All day long through Frederick street
Sounded the tread of marching feet:
All day long that free flag tost
Over the heads of the rebel host.
Ever its torn folds rose and fell
On the loyal winds that loved it well;
And through the hill-gaps sunset light
Shone over it with a warm good-night.
“None of this ever happened. But to the Northern nation–the wartime nation–the incident was as good as documented fact. What it said to them was that Jackson was a gentleman and a Christian and a decent person in spite of his role in killing and maiming tens of thousands of their young men. But it also said that he was, fundamentally, an American. It was his Americanness that had ‘stirred’ in him and redeemed him.”
Americans today have a hard time understanding that an enemy can be a good person, a noble person. And that being an American is a great thing.
We were sad to hear that beautiful Loretta Lynn had passed away at age ninety but we rejoice in her long, eventful life.
Loretta was the real deal who wrote songs about real people and how they felt about real things. She was a hillbilly and proud of it. This is a good article about her.
And here is a classic Loretta song, which she wrote in 1966:
Into paradise may the angels lead thee, Loretta, and at thy coming may the martyrs receive thee, and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem. (BCP, Burial of the Dead)
And let’s not forget all those devastated people in Florida. “God is our helper who’s always with us in times of trouble. Trouble comes and goes. Hurricanes pass. But our helper never changes or leaves us. Even when our future is uncertain and our lives have been completely overturned, we know these things about God. He is almighty; he is eternal; and he loves us.”
Well, happy Wednesday, friends. I’m home from three arduous days in Columbia at another Unclaimed Property Auction. I wrote about an earlier auction in July. The office did two this year because we didn’t do any in 2020 or 2021. We’ve got to clean out some space for new items that are turned over beginning November 1. Oy.
Anyway, the auction was a big success, with high attendance. I tend to think everything we sell is interesting because it was valuable enough to someone that they wanted to save it. Even if that item is a collector’s set of American Chopper PEZ dispensers. One interesting item we had this year–a thousand dollar bill from 1928! It features Grover Cleveland and was discontinued in 1969.
It was a hot ticket item and sold for over $3,000.
In other news, I’ve transitioned from summer Rose back to the red blend. And from sandals to slippers in the house. My windows are open and the heat and air conditioning are off. We’ve had some beautiful weather and I hope it holds so we can go to the winery this weekend. Monday is Columbus Day so I don’t have to work! Quelle treat.
I’ll leave you Ephesians, which is where I am in my year-long quest to read the bible.
“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers, the authorities, against the cosmic powers over the present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” –Ephesians 6:10-12
*I thought I’d throw it back to the good old days when Brooklyn-99 was on Hulu with the blog title.
Today we celebrate the birthday of movie actor Charlton Heston (1923-2008). Heston was made for the movies. With his fantastic 6′ 5″ physique and imposing persona, he was best playing historical (or biblical) characters or adventurers, especially ones who wore skimpy costumes. It was definitely a plus if he could take his shirt off.
Ben HurThe Ten CommandmentsPlanet of the Apes
He was also great in The Naked Jungle (1954)–although he is never naked–and The Secret of the Incas (1954) where he served as the prototype for Indiana Jones.
He was good in westerns too, such as The Big Country (1957) where he is naked.
There are plenty of good movies to choose from–and bad ones too…
dual personalities 