dual personalities

Month: March, 2025

March 31, 2025

So we are always of good courage

by chuckofish

The Big News of the weekend was that Lottie scored a goal. You go, girl! She is small but mighty…

I also cleaned up the Florida room on Friday and moved a lot of plants out there. It is ready for spring happy hours. Daughter #1 and I kicked off the season on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday morning the OM and I went to a memorial service for a longtime member of our church. We sang Abide With Me and It Is Well With My Soul and I was done in. (Luckily I had a paper towel with me.) There were Remembrances and Readings by the numerous family members–much love expressed and many tears and why not? There were prayers and our pastor preached on 2 Corinthians 5:1-10:

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on[a] we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

I always loved the Episcopal service for the Burial of the Dead (Rite I)–it is a beautiful service, but, indeed, rather impersonal. I have to admit, the more personal Presbyterian service is all right. And, of course, everyone–and I mean the whole congregation turned out–sings with gusto. The reception was in the Fellowship Hall with cookies made by the deceased.

I was a little discombobulated when I had to get up and go back to church on Sunday morning–at 8:30–we are back to lacrosse season timing. The bud had a game at Noon! But we all made it there and to Sunday School. Our pastor gave a good sermon on Hebrews 12:1-17–throwing off sin, enduring discipline. I also made it to the game which was played at my old school stomping grounds. Nice astro-turf!

It was very windy, but pleasant to sit in the sunshine with daughters #1 and 3 and watch the young cubs play. The bud, I am proud to say, has all the moves and was playing pretty aggressively.

He was the Man taking face-offs!

“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet…” (Hebrews 12:12)

Woohoo! And the anticipated storms mostly passed us by. Have a good week!

*Thanks to the boy for the great pics!

4 Comments
March 28, 2025

I need a quiet weekend.

by chuckofish

Happy Friday! Yes, as my mother noted on Monday, Mr. Smith and I had a lovely weekend in Mahomet. We read some books, unpacked some pouches, had wine time, went to an estate sale, had margaritas and played outside. She already shared the best pictures, but here’s one of Mr. Smith looking like a perfect specimen of a Westie. That lush green grass is not something he gets to experience at our house. Anyway, he needs a bath and thankfully, he’ll get one this weekend.

As I’ve mentioned, it is a very busy time at work that is about to coincide with a busy time with the DAR (eyeroll). I have many evening calls with Australian counterparts (eyeroll) and a rowdy pup who likes to bark at everyone who walks by our house during the nice, sunny evenings we now enjoy during daylight savings time (eyeroll). Anyway, not a lot of time for relaxation in my schedule. But! I have managed to keep up with my bible reading. And who doesn’t enjoy this passage from Luke?

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15: 4-7)

Have a quiet weekend.

3 Comments
March 27, 2025

Set your face like a flint

by chuckofish

JESUS IS APT TO COME, into the very midst of life at its most real and inescapable. Not in a blaze of unearthly light, not in the midst of a sermon, not in the throes of some kind of religious daydream, but . . . at supper time, or walking along a road. This is the element that all the stories about Christ’s return to life have in common: Mary waiting at the empty tomb and suddenly turning around to see somebody standing there—someone she thought at first was the gardener; all the disciples except Thomas hiding out in a locked house, and then his coming and standing in the midst; and later, when Thomas was there, his coming again and standing in the midst; Peter taking his boat back after a night at sea, and there on the shore, near a little fire of coals, a familiar figure asking, “Children, have you any fish?”; the two men at Emmaus who knew him in the breaking of the bread. He never approached from on high, but always in the midst, in the midst of people, in the midst of real life and the questions that real life asks.

–Frederick Buechner, The Magnificent Defeat

This is  a thought-provoking article about a group of ‘Jesus Geezers’ and the sad death of Gene Hackman. Everyone needs a church community!

–Evangelist tells Christian and Faithful in Pilgrim’s Progress

Don’t forget to look up today! Seek Him through a grateful heart.

2 Comments
March 26, 2025

Reasons to smile

by chuckofish

Yesterday morning I drove down to the city to pick up a table at the auction house, but the table wouldn’t fit in my new car! Despite much utching and maneuvering by the nice staff people, it just wouldn’t fit. So I had to go all the way home and eventually switch cars with the OM and drive back down. My second attempt was successful, so all is well. The boy came over later and helped get the table out of the car and into the house. Phew. Festina lente and take a deep breath and smile.

Well, as you can see by the view from Don’s garden, spring is here! The sun plus all that rain has done the job once again.

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
    they flow between the hills;
11 they give drink to every beast of the field;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
    they sing among the branches.
13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
    the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
    and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
15     and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
    and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

(Psalm 104: 10-15)

It is lacrosse season again…look at that little gal go!

And baseball season starts tomorrow, so I guess that means we’ll be watching Major League (1989)…

The Christmas Cactus is blooming again!

And it’s DN’s birthday today…

Good daddy and proud Mini driver…

We love you!

6 Comments
March 25, 2025

Tuesday this and that

by chuckofish

Yesterday was Steve McQueen’s 95th birthday–how did I miss that? Mea culpa for not reporting that in a timely manner. When I remembered I watched several episodes of Wanted Dead or Alive, the show that kick-started Steve’s career. It’s Steve before Steve was super-cool.

Today we toast British director David Lean who was born on this day in 1908. Lean was nominated for ten Oscars, winning seven, including two for Best Director.

Lean remains the only British director to win more than one Oscar for directing. He has seven films in the British Film Institute’s Top 100 British Films (with three of them being in the top five)–which seems rather over-indulgent. They include: Brief Encounter, Lawrence of Arabia, Great Expectations, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago, Oliver Twist, and In Which We Serve. Before he became a film director, he was a film editor. He edited Pygmalion (with Leslie Howard), Major Barbara, 49th Parallel, and One of Our Aircraft is Missing. Anyway, you might want to pick one of these movies to watch. I’m afraid it would take me at least three nights to watch Lawrence of Arabia! But I could probably handle Pygmalion.

It is also the 100th birthday of the author Flannery O’Connor. I was never a big fan of her writing. She is primarily known for her short stories which are a little too weird for my taste. I think I was seriously scarred by reading “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” in high school. You can visit her Andalusia farmhouse in Milledgeville, Georgia if you are so inclined.

And lest we forget, today is Medal of Honor Day in the U.S., created to honor the heroism and sacrifice of Medal of Honor recipients and celebrated every year since 1991. Over 3,500 Medals of Honor have been awarded, including two to Frank Baldwin (1842-1923) who is one of only 19 servicemen to receive the Medal of Honor twice and one of only 14 to be awarded the United States’ highest military honor for two separate actions. 

Baldwin received his first award for his actions during the Atlanta Campaign where he led his company in battle at Peachtree Creek and captured two commissioned officers in the Civil War. He received his second for conspicuous bravery in 1874 during the Indian Wars. On November 8, 1874, while commanding a scout company on escort duty, he led a surprise attack on the camp of Grey Beard, rescuing two young sisters whose parents and brothers had been killed by another Indian band. His second citation reads “Rescued, with 2 companies, 2 white girls by a voluntary attack upon Indians whose superior numbers and strong position would have warranted delay for reinforcements, but which delay would have permitted the Indians to escape and kill their captives.” Baldwin also served in the Spanish-American War and in World War I. Let’s all take a moment.

This is a wonderful ‘Ask Pastor John’ from John Piper: seven promises God has used to keep me from drifting away. 

So enjoy your day! Get out in the spring sunshine, watch an old movie, read some history, and remember that all the promises of God find their Yes in Christ.

3 Comments
March 24, 2025

Embrace awkwardness

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was a quiet one mostly spent recovering from a stressful week full of trips to MoBap, semi-annual and annual checkups and infusions etc. It has been five years since I ended chemo/radiation, but once you’ve had cancer, dark thoughts are always at the back of your mind. All you can do is trust God and live your life.

I ran across this poem, In Case I Die Unexpectedly, and I think it is really good. We should all write our own version.

for Hildegaard

Always salt your pasta water.
Watch how he treats his mother.
Ask people how you can pray for them,
then stop and pray for them
right then and there,
in a crowded restaurant,
in the grocery aisle,
during donuts before or after church.
Embrace awkwardness, or else
you will miss out on so much.
Don’t chew your nails (like I do).
Don’t open everything with your teeth (like I do).
Don’t always fill the silence. It can be a gift.
Carry the pocket knife your dad will give you,
but don’t forget to take it out of your backpack
before you go to the airport.
Wash your darks and lights separately.
If you find a good peach, give thanks to God.
If you find a good mango, get down on your knees and worship.
Give things away as often as possible. Hold everything
with open hands. Nothing is our own.
Don’t fall for fad diets. Try to eat healthy, but
don’t feel guilty for going to McDonald’s.
There is no such thing as “get rich quick,”
there is only hard work. Go to bed tired.
Put your feet in the water as often as possible:
touch, taste, and see that God is good.
Wake up with hope. Jesus is the same
yesterday, today and forever. 

–Rachel Joy Welcher

Well, daughter #1 and Mr. Smith made it home after a fun-filled visit in Mahomet.

I gather that Mr. Smith was quite a hit with the young ladies. They have gotten over their fear and pet him freely now.

Onward and upward!

3 Comments
March 21, 2025

I guess it is National Westie Day?!

by chuckofish

Who knew that was such a thing. Well, it’s always Westie Day at my house.

Once again, I was not surprised to find that most people have no taste. The American Kennel Club released the rankings of the most popular dogs by breed. And woof, pun intended.

  1. French Bulldog
  2. Labrador Retriever
  3. Golden Retriever
  4. German Shepherd
  5. Poodle
  6. Daschaund
  7. Beagle
  8. Rottweiler
  9. Bulldog
  10. German Shorthaired Pointer

Not a terrier in the top 10! And surprisingly no doodles. But I guess they aren’t recognized as purebred dogs.

On Monday, I had landscapers come and clean up my yard for the spring. They vacuumed all of the leaves, put down mulch, trimmed the plants. By Tuesday morning, my neighbor’s dumb magnolia tree had drenched my backyard in flower petals. I’m very annoyed. And Mr. Smith has discovered that he loves digging in the mulch. Eyeroll. He’s such a dirty dog now! We’re off to Mahomet this weekend and he won’t get a bath. Sigh. The best laid plans.

And I thought this was interesting. Butch Wilmore, one of the formerly stranded astronauts was asked what lessons he’d learned while stuck in space.

“My feeling on all of this goes back to my faith. It’s bound in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is working out His plan and His purposes for His glory… And however that plays out, I am content because I understand that.”

A good reminder. Happy Friday!

2 Comments
March 20, 2025

For the means of grace, and the hope of glory

by chuckofish

I have to say, I was pretty excited by the safe return of those stranded astronauts by SpaceX. They made it look so easy. There was even a pod of dolphins there to greet them! High fives all around.

Meanwhile, we are racing through March, aren’t we? I had a busy day yesterday getting ready for a busy day today (and tomorrow). I made a to-do list. I crossed off items–very satisfying. I wrapped up presents for DN whose birthday is next week so that daughter #1, who is driving to Mahomet tomorrow to visit her sister et al, can take the presents plus some other stuff for their house. My sister is also driving to Maine to see her new grandson. So prayers for travel mercies all around.

Today we remember our beloved Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant archbishop of Canterbury, who was burned at the stake on March 21 in 1556 for violating heresy laws revised under the Roman Catholic queen Mary I, known appropriately as Bloody Mary. He put the English Bible in parish churches, drew up the Book of Common Prayer and composed a litany that remains in use today.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we thine unworthy servants
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks
for all thy goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all men.
We bless thee for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for thine inestimable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

I surprised my Presbyterian community group recently by reciting the General Thanksgiving from memory–after a reference by Saint Paul to unworthy servants in 1 Corinthians–and I said, well, I prayed it for 50+ years, I ought to remember it! Of course, this prayer comes from the Morning Prayer service (Rite I) which is hardly said anymore as Holy Eucharist is preferred every Sunday. But some things just stay in your head and I am thankful for Thomas Cranmer and his beautiful prayers (with much of the wording lifted from the scriptures).

So say a prayer of thanks for rescued astronauts, martyrs to the cause, travelers everywhere, and all of us unworthy servants.

Ida: “Oh, hi Mom, I’m just sitting with Katie.”

3 Comments
March 19, 2025

“I met a traveler from an antique show/ His pockets empty, but his eyes aglow.”*

by chuckofish

The sun is out and the yard is cleaned up. One set of storms is behind us. But we are still feeling a bit disheveled.

Over the weekend we went to an estate sale in South County where the owners had been greatobsessive collectors. The wife collected dolls, which brings to mind those scary houses where the rooms are filled with those dolls you used to see ads for in women’s magazines–

but these were nice dolls from foreign countries and she had quite a good collection. I have a similar (much smaller) collection which is in the doll case at daughter #1’s house. We had fun looking at this huge collection which was housed in a lighted, built-in case, but did not consider actually buying any of the dolls. Until we saw these two:

Lord Cadogan
William the Conqueror

Handmade in England, back in the 1950s (?), they are beautiful. They remind me of the huge collection of dolls which was on permanent display at the school I went to growing up. I’m sure they are from the same source. Anyway, I knew no one would want them, so I rescued them–for a song (minus Lamar’s generous discount). I’m not sure where I will put them, but for now they are safe at my house.

Oh, people and their collections! I do not really understand them. It takes a certain kind of addictive personality to really go all out; we see it not infrequently when estate-sale-ing. It is a good thing to remember that you can’t take it with you, and unless your children share your obsession, it will all end up in an estate sale. (Or else in the Saint Louis Art Museum if you are Morton May.)

Collecting is a curious art,
From treasures in a chest.
The value of what’s gathered there
Is in the one who’s blest.”

–Emily Dickinson

This was interesting: 100 years ago, on March 18, 1925, nearly 700 people died as a massive tornado raced across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana for several hours. Unlike most tornado outbreaks, this was a single, long-tracked twister, ripping primarily through southern Missouri and Illinois. Yikes!

From the I-don’t-ever-want-to-hear-the-word-‘misinformation’-ever-again department, here’s Anne on kooks and cranks, the MSM and the NYT: “For sure it backfired. But still, see, you’re still being judgemental, and you’re not in a position to do that. You can’t judge other people’s motives until you yourself have come clean. You weren’t right on the merits, and other people were, whom you shut down. Until you, the New York Times, breaks down and says sorry, there won’t be any possibility of institutions being rebuilt in a trustworthy manner.”

And as someone noted, due to park ranger cutbacks by DOGE, bears are now tasked with fixing fallen cones…

Have a good day!

*Ogden Nash

4 Comments
March 18, 2025

And also with you!

by chuckofish

This made me chuckle. If you go to an evangelical church you will understand this. The boy and the bud are definitely Village People during the Benediction. I am Hold My Baby (moving tentatively to Mufasa). Lottie is somewhere in there with me. The OM is hesitating between Elbow Flap and Carry the TV.

Feel the joy–go to church.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

–Helen H. Lemmel, 1922

2 Comments