dual personalities

Month: January, 2023

January 31, 2023

“And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.”*

by chuckofish

My oldest granddaughter Lottie and I have a little joke about bears.

Whenever the adult conversation at the dinner table gets away from her, she says, “Guys! Guys! Does anyone have a story about bears?” This is hilarious because everyone knows Mamu is afraid of bears. This fear was exacerbated by the time a bear sauntered through our town a few blocks away our house. Now the joke is that a bear will be enticed by the smell of Pappy’s barbecue and will attack him in our backyard.

Anyway, on Sunday I did, indeed, have a story. It was about a bear hibernating under someone’s deck, which I had heard about when I was in Maryland. Lottie’s reaction was to say, “Why would a bear want to hibernate under a deck?” 🙄

Usually Lottie moves on to asking, “Does anyone have a story about scary animals?” On Sunday I had one such story. It seems a gruesome attack by a great white shark last week resulted in a Mexican diver being decapitated. 😲 That was a little too scary for Lottie and she retreated to her father’s arms. I hope she didn’t have nightmares.

I don’t want to give my grandchildren complexes, but a healthy respect for the dangers of the wild is a good thing.

Life is not a Richard Scarry children’s book, much as we would like it to be.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

and a little child shall lead them.

-Isaiah 11:6

*Maurice Sendak

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January 30, 2023

Let your light shine before others

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was a nice back-to-normal one–estate sales, going out to lunch, happy hour with music at home, and church on Sunday. The boy and Lottie came over after church for Presbyterian Souffle. (The bud was sick and stayed home with Mom.) Mr. Smith continued to grow.

And Baby Ida went for her first walk in the stroller.

We watched some good movies: The High and the Mighty (1954), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954).

This was an interesting article about the turnaround of Barnes and Noble (and a lesson for the church.) “There’s a lesson in the Barnes & Noble turnaround. Remember your first love. And don’t lose sight of your ultimate purpose.”

Keep reading, keep praying, keep showing up. Pay attention. “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1)

2 Comments
January 27, 2023

Behold, I am coming soon*

by chuckofish

One more weekend in January and then we are on to February–the year is off to a fast start.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the death of William Butler Yeats in 1939. We will toast him and read some poetry. Hard to believe “The Second Coming” was written over 100 years ago. It certainly resonates.

(The painting is by Fairfield Porter.)

*Revelation 22:12

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January 26, 2023

My burden is light*

by chuckofish

As reported yesterday, I returned home on Tuesday in a remarkably delay-free, easy trip. The plane wasn’t even full! The OM was at the airport to meet me and he had not burned down the house while I was gone. Daughter #1 cooked dinner. The forecasted winter storm did not turn out to be anything special, just some wet sticky snow which continued to melt all day yesterday. (The twins did manage to build an impressive snowman.)

So all is well, thanks be to God. Anyway, I am taking my time getting back into my flyover routine.

I will note that today is Paul Newman’s birthday, so I suggest we all watch at least one of his movies.

I recently watched The MacKintosh Man (1973) which I had not seen since it was originally released when I was back east visiting colleges. I went with my cousin and her friend to a drive-in movie theater. They talked throughout the movie and I had no idea what was going on in the movie, which at the time was very annoying. However, watching the movie 50 years later a few months ago, I still did not really know what was going on. It is one of those English spy movies where you don’t really like anyone and you can’t tell who the good guys/bad guys are and there is a cross followed by a double-cross and so on. Honestly, there are better choices to make.

So I’ll probably watch an old favorite. Maybe Road to Perdition (2002). We can eat one of your pizzas and toast you, old blue eyes. You were pretty great.

*Matthew 11:30

3 Comments
January 25, 2023

“There’s a reason those cowards at Cracker Barrel close at 8.”

by chuckofish

Well, Mamu made it back home ahead of the snowstorm that is allegedly going to descend on Missouri tonight. If we get more than two inches, I’ll be surprised. Luckily, I am able to work from home tomorrow and don’t have to worry about my commute.

Anyway, we had much more chill week with no new babies and no trips to the pet emergency room.

This guy just gets cuter. I never thought I’d be a dog person. And yet here we are. But then again, God does love the terrier.

In other news, my mother sent this to the fam text thread.

This reminded me that while I hope the Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl, I hope the 49ers do too. Their rookie, third-string quarterback is a Christian and unafraid to talk about. You go, Brock Purdy. Also, the Eagles are the worst.

A couple of things from around the internet:

This made me chuckle but also it is a real concern!! I mean, I’m always worried Google is going to get me murdered driving through the wrong neighborhood. Or trailer park. Also, that website is one that I follow for work now.

This did not make me laugh so much as shake my head like an adult who would also say, “Back in my day…” but also, sign me up to be an Alpha Phi at Georgia.

And finally, because, we all need more Matt Mitchell in our lives. Seriously, it lifted my spirits trying to identify which new video to link here.

*Second choice for blog title was “He’s just Jason Aldean with a cold.”

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January 24, 2023

Life in the fast lane

by chuckofish

Well, I am heading home later today. It has been lovely spending quality time with this little fam. Lots of conversation and sitting around staring at the new baby. We also toasted the baby.

Additionally, Katie is a never ending font of information and idiomatic toddler pronouncements. “I’m doing my own thing!” Brilliant.

Also I have enjoyed talking to DN and finding out more things we have in common, such as our classmates thinking we were Chinese when we were children. He directed me to this comedic routine of John Mulaney who evidently experienced the same thing. This was a revelation to me: this happened to other people?!

The world is more than we know.

Please pray for no delays, fair weather and an easy trip back to flyover country.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

4 Comments
January 23, 2023

“I gave you a book, you didn’t read it”*

by chuckofish

Well, I have hardly left the house all week and I am not complaining. Baby Ida is doing well, and how could she not with such a good big sister? I am not sure how much actual “help” I have been besides being another pair of hands to hold the baby and another lap for Katie to sit in, but we have managed quite well.

While here, I have been reacquainting myself with A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh and am newly impressed. “For I am a bear of very little brain, and long words bother me.” But for a bear with very little brain, he has quite a varied and amusing inner monologue.

“Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn’t.”

Anyway, the stories are a pleasure to read, to yourself or out loud to a two-year-old.

I also love stories like this. It is what being an American is all about.

And, oh Dolly, you released a good new song on your 77th birthday last week! The apocalypse is coming…

And speaking of the apocalypse, Anne is on fire here. Yeehaw.

“How on earth can you say that the Bible is “central to our understanding,” though that is a tepid, if not actually fatuous, way of putting it, and then announce that there are many different possible conclusions for what it says about gender, relationships, and marriage?”

(The links in the first paragraph are also excellent.)

Have a good Monday. Read some A.A. Milne. Listen to some Dolly. Hold a baby. Ask yourself:

Do two walk together,
    unless they have agreed to meet?
Does a lion roar in the forest,
    when he has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from his den,
    if he has taken nothing?
Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth,
    when there is no trap for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground,
    when it has taken nothing?
Is a trumpet blown in a city,
    and the people are not afraid?
Does disaster come to a city,
    unless the Lord has done it?

–Amos 3:3-8

*Dolly Parton

5 Comments
January 20, 2023

“Is the baby happy?”*

by chuckofish

Katie and I have played with a lot of Play-Doh and cut up a lot of Washi tape. She is more fun than a barrel full of monkeys. We have also cleaned up when we needed to.

And I have read a lot of good books over the last few days (and some really boring ones as well). My favorite books, besides the classics…

…are anything from the Pete the Cat oeuvre.

These books are gold and I highly recommend them to anyone who has small children!

A children’s book that quotes Emerson! I mean, the author James Dean is one groovy dude!

James earned his degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University and went on to work for Georgia Power for a number of years. Eventually, he was called to pursue his art full-time and began selling his work at art festivals around the Southeast. 

It was during this time that he began creating paintings and drawing of his cat, Pete. The little blue cat showed up as a character in James’ artwork around 1999 and has been a permanent fixture ever since. 

In 2008, James partnered with Eric Litwin to create the first Pete the Cat children’s book, Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes. Now, James has helped create over 70 Pete the Cat books, including many NYT Bestsellers. 

James is humbled every day by the success that this groovy blue cat has brought him. He says positively affecting children’s lives is his number one priority, and he is grateful to have such an amazing audience to work for. 

Good stuff is out there if you look!

And, of course, holding an infant is the best therapy for anything that ails you.

*What sister Katie asks incessantly.

3 Comments
January 19, 2023

“I drive a Dodge Stratus!”

by chuckofish

Well, it has certainly been an eventful few days. Baby Ida and her sweet mother made it home. Katie is reportedly much relieved. And Mamu has assumed the role of chief baby holder. And DN continues to be a real gem.

In other news, Mr. Smith received his first bath this weekend (Westies aren’t supposed to bathe that often because of their sensitive skin that can get dried out).

And on Monday night, he got a stick stuck in the roof of his mouth while playing outside and we had to make an emergency trip to the vet [insert eyeroll emoji]. They had to induce vomiting to get the stick out after he swallowed it. He was contrite that evening, but quickly resumed his usual antics. Looking cute and trying to sample my wine.

And doesn’t his fur look nice and white!

At work, they have begun renovating the floor I work on, so we all had to move to the fifth floor (decidedly less glamorous). Nevertheless, I am settling in to my new office with this lovely view.

But there are also views like this. In real life, the blinds aren’t so noticeable.

So far, I still find it thrilling to see the Arch.

*The blog post title comes from this classic SNL sketch that always makes laugh.

4 Comments
January 18, 2023

“Sweet joy befall thee”*

by chuckofish

We welcomed baby Ida yesterday around 12:30 pm.

She looks just like her sister!

All concerned are doing well. Thanks be to God.

Into your hands, O God, we place your children. Support them in their successes and in their failures, in their joys and in their sorrows. As they grow in age, may they grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child, BCP

*William Blake

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