dual personalities

Category: Uncategorized

April 16, 2026

You wait for me

by chuckofish

There are buds on the Iris plants!

We got a lot of rain last night and the tornado sirens went off, but nothing dire.

I have been listening to Ligonier’s Renewing Your Mind series and highly recommend it. R.C. Sproul launched this outreach in 1994 to help people gain a deeper understanding of who God is as their minds are renewed according to His Word. Each episode is about 25 minutes long and is well worth your time.

And from the gee-whiz-that-was-inevitable department: Hampshire College is closing. When I went to Smith in the ’70s Hampshire was the newbie in the 5-college valley–opened in 1970–and it was kind of joke even then. I mean, Elliott Smith went there. (His undergrad senior thesis was titled “Toward a Post-Structuralist Feminist Jurisprudence”. After he graduated, he “worked in a bakery back in Portland with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and legal theory”.) The story of higher education in a nutshell.

Meanwhile I am getting ready for daughter #2 and the prairie entourage to arrive tomorrow. Super fun expected. Here’s Ida’s new favorite song:

I’m sorry it took so long
I was takin’ the long way home
But You wait for me (oh-oh)
Oh, You wait for me (oh-oh)

Praise God for his patience and kindness.

4 Comments
April 15, 2026

The green grass grows all around, all around/The green grass grows all around

by chuckofish

Yesterday we almost broke a record high temperature! And they say we are in for severe weather later today–I hope not, but it’s par for the course with the springtime temperature swings.

Things are looking rather lush.

There are buds on the peonies!

And the grass…zut alors!

It won’t last, but I’m enjoying it now!

Daughter #2 reminded me that the lilacs are blooming and, of course, that reminded us of this:

Read the whole poem here. One should read this poem at least once a year!

Breath in the spring air, remember Lincoln, read a poem, praise God from whom all blessings flow!

3 Comments
April 14, 2026

More precious than rubies

by chuckofish

Today is daughter #2’s birthday! We will celebrate on Friday when the whole prairie gang comes into town for my birthday–the first time since before Wes was born! In the meantime, happy birthday, precious Susiebelle!

Yesterday I delivered a “meal train” dinner to a fellow parishioner who was recovering from a shoulder replacement. She is an almost 90-year old lady–a tiny woman originally from Texas who has a concealed carry license and who really reminded me of another little lady from Texas I used to know. She talked my ear off for an hour! We had a great time. Another lesson learned by this poor introvert.

Here’s a poem for daughter #2 by Mary Oliver, The Black Walnut Tree:

My mother and I debate:
we could sell
the black walnut tree
to the lumberman,
and pay off the mortgage.
Likely some storm anyway
will churn down its dark boughs,
smashing the house. We talk
slowly, two women trying
in a difficult time to be wise.
Roots in the cellar drains,
I say, and she replies
that the leaves are getting heavier
every year, and the fruit
harder to gather away.
But something brighter than money
moves in our blood–an edge
sharp and quick as a trowel
that wants us to dig and sow.
So we talk, but we don’t do
anything. That night I dream
of my fathers out of Bohemia
filling the blue fields
of fresh and generous Ohio
with leaves and vines and orchards.
What my mother and I both know
is that we’d crawl with shame
in the emptiness we’d made
in our own and our fathers’ backyard.
So the black walnut tree
swings through another year
of sun and leaping winds,
of leaves and bounding fruit,
and, month after month, the whip-
crack of the mortgage.

And for those of us old enough to remember:

3 Comments
April 13, 2026

Then sings my soul

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Daughter #1 and I went to a couple of good estate sales on Saturday and got a random selection of items–an X-acto knife, a Christmas wreath holder, an extension cord–you know, the usual. We had to walk a mile to the first house in Grantwood Village, the nice neighborhood bordering Grant’s Farm. The other house was around the corner from my house, but we still had to do some walking to get there. Got my steps in on Saturday! I went home and rested, knowing that I had a big night ahead of me.

For Christmas daughter #1 gave everyone tickets to see…

We headed down to Chaifetz (on the campus of St. Louis University) and got there a good 45 minutes early–there was a lot of traffic or we would have been there an hour early. The boy and the twins, like good Presbyterians, arrived right as the concert started.

It had been a long time since I had been to a concert in such a large venue! (Springsteen in ’87?) It was pretty exciting!

Zach Williams was wonderful–I got really choked up when he started his first song–Jesus Loves–but that is who I am now. It was great to see Mac Powell and Third Day who were also in fine form. We were great fans in the late ’90s/early aughts.

The twins, I think, had a really good time at their first Christian rock concert, especially the bud who is a rock fan–Free Bird is his fave.

Lottie had played in two lacrosse games that day and was a bit tired, but she was eventually singing along with everyone else.

Anyway, I had a really fun time out of my comfort zone and that is a lesson for us all.

We were out late, but I made it to church at the regular time and heard an excellent sermon on Joshua 10:1-27: The Lord fights for his people! I really love Joshua a lot–one of those truly great “mighty men of valor”. Speaking of mighty men of valor, Mike Matheny‘s grandchild was getting baptized–but at the 11:00 service! I looked around before I left after Adult Ed, but I didn’t see him. 😭 C’est la vie.

We started a new 5-week Adult Ed term. It was hard to choose a class, but I went with “Amusing Ourselves to Death” about social media, mostly because I like the man leading the class. It should be interesting.

After church I headed out to the bud’s lacrosse game…

(And here’s Lottie at her game on Saturday)

She is small, but mighty! You go, girl!

Have a good week!

5 Comments
April 10, 2026

Well, we made it to Friday, again.

by marycompton

I hope you had a nice Easter. I was a greeter and reader at the Sunrise Service in Forest Park. It was like 45 degrees with a brisk wind. The standing up and sitting down kept us warm. But the lengthy Presbyterian sermon almost did me in. By the end, I went and stood in the sunshine outside the World’s Fair Pavilion. It was a nice service—and it is fun to do something a little different. Plus there were donuts.

For Christmas, I gave my brother and his family tickets to see Third Day and Zach Williams and that weekend is finally upon us. The closest I’ve come to a Christian concert is when I went to see Billy Graham in high school and DC Talk and Kirk Franklin performed. This will be an experience. But props to Weber Chevrolet for being the corporate sponsor. If I wanted to buy a Chevrolet, I’d buy one from them.

I also have the DAR on Saturday. Sigh. I only have two meetings left during my term as Regent. Praise hands all around.

Finally, I don’t have any cute pictures of Mr. Smith because he has been an absolute maniac all week. This has truly been the vibe.

The dog really hates my slippers.

Have a great weekend!

1 Comment
April 9, 2026

Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.*

by chuckofish

I made it to the prairie! A very windy trip indeed, but I am getting the hang of it.

We have had a productive few days…

…doing puzzles, taking walks…

…organizing the girls’ room which they are are now sharing with our antique twin beds…

Good times.

Today we have another day together with plans for more organizing fun. The weather has been great, but it will probably rain when I head home tomorrow. C’est la vie.

Embrace the simple pleasures in your life and be grateful for them. The blue sky, smart kids, good food, God’s beautiful creation, encouraging friends, faithful family.

*Matthew 6:26

2 Comments
April 7, 2026

A little that a righteous man has/ Is better than the riches of many wicked*

by chuckofish

Everything is greening up nicely in flyover country. I am heading up to the prairie for a few days today for some hang-out time with the girls and the prairie prince. The speedwagon is loaded up and raring to go. But first I have to vote for city council members and school board members. It is my civic duty!

And this is one of the greatest things I’ve seen in a long time:


Who knew Bluegrass was a thing in Japan?!

Look up! Pray for the day ahead. Pray that you might bring glory to God, in thought, word and deed. Thank God that his mercies are new every morning. Thank God that his grace is sufficient for all situations that you may encounter.

*Psalm 37:16

2 Comments
April 6, 2026

Sons of men and angels say

by chuckofish

I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend. Mine was lovely. I went to the Friday night Good Friday service at church which was appropriately solemn. On Saturday daughter #1 and I finished watching Ben Hur (1959) which never disappoints.

(With a wineglass and a Westie in hand)

On Sunday I went to church with the boy and the twins, plus daughter #3 and her mother who is in town. It was nice to hear her Mom comment on how bright and sunny our church is, how the music is not all doom and gloom and no one looked askance or batted an eye at the children in the pews acting like children. Well, yes.

After church we all went over to the boy’s house where we ate a lovely brunch, drank Mimosas and then sat around talking. What could be better? Not much. I didn’t take any actual pictures, but you get the picture.

Meanwhile on the prairie daughter #2 and her famille celebrated in like fashion.

…in vintage smocked dresses of course.

There were Easter egg hunts on both ends…

Good times.

Sorry to hear that the Illini lost to UConn, but c’est la vie. And, hey, it’s lacrosse season!

4 Comments
April 3, 2026

O Sacred Head, now wounded

by chuckofish

It is the culmination of Holy Week. Good Friday and on to Easter!

But tomorrow is also my father’s birthday.

Amazing to think he was born 104 years ago! He died in his seventieth year and as I am turning 70 in a few weeks, I am feeling reflective.

The older I get, the more I think I am like him and less like my precious mother. We have the same curiosity about certain things, but lack the genius that my siblings inherited from our mother. We have the same weaknesses and insecurities. We are introverts. I find myself driving to the P.O. just to get out of the house like he did. He was a bad example to me in many ways and that has helped me avoid some pitfalls. But then, I never took part in WWII, nor did I have to support a family. I have no idea whether he was a Believer. Is he in heaven? Is he in hell? I cannot say. He never went to church with us, although he was a card-carrying Episcopalian his whole life. But we know that frequently means nothing. He is, in the final analysis, a mystery to me.

I hope I am not a complete mystery to my children. I mean, you never know everything about a person. We all have our secrets. But I think they know me pretty well. And if they have a question, they can ask. Only God knows our true heart. There is no escaping Him.

(And never forget this about ANCIII.)

I went to our Maundy Thursday service last night and it was wonderful. I held it together until two soloists sang this song during communion:

We had our high school cellist accompanying them as well. And here’s a hymn for Good Friday:

Anyway, have a blessed Easter. I pray that all those who go to a service on Sunday for the first time this year will want to return before next Christmas.

4 Comments
April 2, 2026

The full extent of His love

by chuckofish

It is Maundy Thursday. I watched Sinclair Ferguson’s lesson on the Foot Washing in Five Stages–physically and theologically, in which He reveals Himself as the One who served us in order that we might serve others.

I read Luke 22 and reformed commentary on the subject of the Last Supper. And I started watching the Hillsdale College online course on C.S. Lewis.

I also listened to a barred owl outside my window last night being very talkative.

All highly recommended.

And here’s a poem by George Herbert (1593-1632): “Love”

LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
            Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
    From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
            If I lack’d anything.

‘A guest,’ I answer’d, ‘worthy to be here:’
            Love said, ‘You shall be he.’
‘I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
            I cannot look on Thee.’
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
            ‘Who made the eyes but I?’

‘Truth, Lord; but I have marr’d them: let my shame
            Go where it doth deserve.’
‘And know you not,’ says Love, ‘Who bore the blame?’
            ‘My dear, then I will serve.’
‘You must sit down,’ says Love, ‘and taste my meat.’
            So I did sit and eat.

(The photo of the grape hyacinths is from Don.)

2 Comments