Today is my BFF’s birthday, so I decided to post a photo of her teenage crush Garry Unger, the captain of the St. Louis Blues during the 1970s. Here he is in all his sartorial splendor:
January 29, 1974
I don’t think that needs further comment, so I’ll just say Happy Birthday, dear friend! May the next year be full of happy, boisterous clothing and fun times!
In other news, I went to the movies last weekend to see Channing Tatum in Dog. I give this movie two thumbs up. It has a good script, good music, is never maudlin, and has excellent pacing that manages to shift between funny and sad without overdoing either.
Above all, it boasts two great actors, Channing Tatum and Lulu the dog. Maybe I liked it because it was the first movie I’ve come across in a long time that wasn’t full of explosions and physics defying CGI, and because its message could appeal to anyone of any background. What a breath of fresh air.
We have had a lot of rain this past week, so things are really greening up in our neck of the woods. Don reports that “the daffodils and the jonquils have exploded – a feast for the eyes.” I’ll say.
As you know, I am slowly reading through the Bible (four books/one chapter at a time). At the moment I am reading the book of Proverbs and I highly recommend it.
Wisdom is pretty rare these days, but you can find it if you look in the right place.
I am also reading Paul Zahl’s book Peace in the Last Third of Life.
Interestingly, he, after “45 years of conducting services in cathedrals and so-called ‘prominent’ [Episcopal] churches,” is still searching for wisdom. I think he knows his denomination no longer cuts the mustard and he has started looking farther afield for answers, even to Paula White’s Pentecostal church in Florida where she knocked him over with the statement Open yourself up to the Supernatural Power of God. He quotes from an article in the WSJ which said that the ‘moderately’ religious are in the decline in the U.S.A., but that the ‘intensely’ religious are on the upswing. One feels he is on the right track, but the answers (and peace) are not to be found in pop psychology (Be a good listener) or in pop music. The answers are in the Bible and in Jesus Christ. Zahl is still too reserved to come right out and say that.
Here’s more good stuff from Anne who does come out and say it: “But setting all joking aside, I will say once again, with more tears, that if you want to be happy, or have any nice things, you can’t go after happiness or the nice things. You have to abandon yourself into the arms of Jesus who knows what you need and whereof you are made.”
On another note, I want to acknowledge that Saturday is DN’s birthday and to wish our son-in-law a happy day.
He is a wonderful husband and father and an all-around great addition to our little family unit. Praise hands 🙌🙌🙌 and thank you, Jesus. Rest assured we will be toasting you multiple times on Saturday.
Speaking of the weekend, daughter #1 is driving home tomorrow. We hope to put the finishing touches on our plan for driving to Oklahoma and Texas in early April, which is right around the corner. There’s also at least one good estate sale to check out and I’m sure we’ll work in some of our other favorite activities.
Well, hang in there! Check out the emerging floral and fauna in your neighborhood.
Though we cannot love you as we ought, O Lord, let us love you as we are able, that guided by your light and kept by your power, we come at the last, into your glorious presence. Amen.
As the Madcaps say, “Create bright and happy moments inside your home that are antidotes to the world outside.” (They’re the source of my post title, too). This weekend, I really channeled my inner Jason and John and gussied up a plain, old lampshade and turned it into a pattern-filled delight for my living room.
At some point, on the internet or instagram, I saw a tutorial where someone made a bunch of bias binding strips and glued them to a lampshade to look like it was pleated fabric. Inspired by that tutorial and the below photo, I decided to attempt replicating the look. Please note, I have that Ralph Lauren blue and white lamp–it was a great find I made at the Home Goods at 100th and Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side (back in the day, I like to call it the suburbs because there was a Whole Foods, a TJ Maxx, and a Home Goods on that block).
Anyway, I ordered some block print fabric on Etsy and got to work cutting strips. The tutorial called for bias strips, but the fabric was light-weight enough that there was enough stretch without cutting on the bias (which is kind of a pain). I then used a bias tape maker to iron the fabric into bias strips. There is something incredibly soothing about sewing a mile and a half long strip of bias tape (that might be an exaggeration, but it was long).
Next, I began gluing the strips to the lampshade, placing them so that it looked as if made from one piece of pleated fabric.
Doing my best Chamberlin concentration face.
It was a time-intensive process, but thankfully there was an Aurora Teagarden Mysteries marathon on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries to keep me entertained.
Once I finished gluing the strips around the outside, I trimmed the excess off at the top and bottom and began gluing a strip across the top and bottom on both sides of the shade. I used the wonder clips to hold it in place while it dried.
And here’s the finished product!
And, yes, that is a 2014 issue of T Magazine with Chan on the cover that I stole from Nightline. [insert the shrug emoji]
I have to say, I am not skilled with the hot glue gun (and have the scald marks on my fingers to prove it) but I am so pleased with how this turned out. I think it looks much more expensive than it was. And I don’t think it looks super homemade.
The Florida room is open for business! Come on over!
In the meantime, today we remember Jonathan Edwards who died on this day in 1758. His words resonate today.
Though Christian fortitude appears in withstanding and counteracting the enemies that are without us; yet it much more appears in resisting and suppressing the enemies that are within us; because they are our worst and strongest enemies and have greatest advantage against us. The strength of the good soldier of Jesus Christ appears in nothing more than in steadfastly maintaining the holy calm, meekness, sweetness, and benevolence of his mind, amidst all the storms, injuries, strange behavior, and surprising acts and events of this evil and unreasonable world.
Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections
Today also marks the 88th anniversary of the first Masters Tournament in 1934 (held March 22-25) at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The winner was Horton Smith who hailed originally from Springfield, Missouri. He won the event with a 20-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole (now the 8th hole), and finished at 284 (−4), one stroke ahead of runner-up Craig Wood. Smith served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII. After the war, he became the golf pro at the Detroit Golf Club in Michigan, where he remained until his death. The Masters is coming up April 7, so stay tuned.
We also wish a happy birthday to William Shatner (1931), Orrin Hatch (1934) and Billy Collins (1941).
And a shout-out to daughter #2 and Baby Katie who are on spring break.
Easter candy season has arrived and the bud was introduced to malted milk eggs…
Super Yummo
…and the Dedham bunnies have come out.
Lottie and the wee laddie deserved candy after church on Sunday because they sat quietly through the entire service, including the long sermon. (There was no children’s separate worship because of spring break.) Their dad said there was some “loud sighing” which he did not appreciate, but I was very impressed.
After church we had bagels again and then indulged in some fine driveway sitting while the twins frolicked.
Good times, simple pleasures. Go for a drive, eat some candy, blow some bubbles, dig in the dirt…read some poetry!
I like Robert Herrick’s poem from the 17th century. Some things don’t change.
P.S. The Babylon Bee has been on fire recently, but this headline made me LOL. The world is so crazy, what can you do but laugh?
Is it Friday? I’m sorry to say that I completely lost track of the days and forgot that it is my turn to post. Here goes, but be warned that my extempore wit isn’t what it used to be.
Last weekend I won this pretty little inlaid mirror at a local auction.
Much as I love a good auction, I am increasingly put off by skyrocketing buyer’s premiums (up to 30%!) and exorbitant shipping fees, so it was nice to be able to support the auctioneer in the next town, whose fees are much more modest (about 12%). I rescued the little mirror for a pittance and it now sits on the dresser I bought in Vermont a few weeks ago. I also put new drapes in the bedroom in which the dresser resides, but I’ll wait until the room gets painted and everything looks nice before I post any pictures.
Aside from the auction excitement, I read more Joseph Conrad: Amy Foster, The Secret Sharer, and the Shadow Line. Of the three, I liked the Shadow Line the best — it was quite exciting. The Secret Sharer was psychological and mysterious, but ultimately not that satisfying, and Amy Foster just left me baffled. I’ve seen the 1997 film version, Swept from the Sea, starring Vincent Perez, Rachel Weisz and Ian McKellan. They turned Conrad’s ambiguous tale into a straightforward romance, albeit not one as lurid as the poster suggests.
It is a pretty good movie, but it takes liberties with the story by (forgivably) transforming the squat, wispy-haired Amy into Rachel Weisz and (unnecessarily) adding Ian McKellan’s homosexual attraction to Vincent Perez. I rather wish film-makers would leave Conrad alone.
Now I’m indulging myself with a late Mary Stewart book, Touch not the Cat, which although not her best, is certainly pleasant reading. It features a crumbling mansion, mental telepathy and moderate peril — perfect for the end of spring break. What are you reading?
Well, leaf blower season officially started this week. That sound is one thing that makes winter not so bad by its absence.
This short word from Sinclair Ferguson is great:
It struck me how right he is about Jesus and how He was willing to pause for the kind of people who don’t think anyone cares or notices them. That is something we could all do more often–just pause and take a moment. Our mother was the kind of person people did not notice or pay attention to. But the rector of the largest Episcopal church in our diocese knew who she was and he had even been to her house. It made a huge difference in the last years of her life. He made a point of knowing everyone in his parish and visiting them at home. I often think of that when clergy complain that they are too busy. He had 1000 members in his church. It was his joy to know them. He knew that was his job. Later he became a bishop and passed into glory years ago and I doubt if he would recognize his church these days. But Sinclair hits the nail on the head.
This is a really important reminder that we should never be scared of a little discomfort. “When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you—a land with large and beautiful cities that you did not build, 11 houses full of every good thing that you did not fill them with, cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” (Deuteronomy 6:10-13)
Today, of course, is St. Patrick’s Day so that means it’s time to watch The Quiet Man (1952)…
not even a job that would allow me to row to work,
or a coffee-colored Aston Martin DB4
with cracked green leather seats.
No, it’s all here,
the clear ovals of a glass of water,
a small crate of oranges, a book on Stalin,
not to mention the odd snarling fish
in a frame on the wall,
and the way these three candles–
each a different height–
are singing in perfect harmony.
So forgive me
if I lower my head now and listen
to the short bass candle as he takes a solo
while my heart
thrums under my shirt–
frog at the edge of a pond–
and my thoughts fly off to a province
made of one enormous sky
and about a million empty branches.
Take a moment, a pause. Think outside yourself.
The wind blows as it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit.
Well, I am back from my visit to the East Coast/Mid-Atlantic region. I had a truly wonderful time. Lots of wine and gabbing and playing with sweet Baby Katie.
Hammer Boat is the best toy.
On Friday, we ventured to Northern Virginia to visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon. I’ve always wanted to go and never made it while I lived in Washington, DC. DN braved the traffic for us in the drivers seat. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for a visit to our first President’s lovely home on the Potomac River.
Rebels taking a photo after they asked to move on to the next room.
A house overlooking a river with fancy wallpaper is a real vibe I can get behind. Mount Vernon is maintained by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, the nation’s first national historic preservation organization and the oldest women’s patriotic organization in the country. You can learn more about them here. I think organizations like this are awesome and I am so grateful for the important work they do.
On the way back to Maryland, we stopped at a winery for some outdoor cheese and crackers and unoaked Chardonnay. It was delightful.
The next day, it snowed all day and we only ventured out for about 12 minutes.
Then we had fun trying on Mommy’s earmuffs.
Sadly, the next day, I had to venture into the city and go to my conference. I did have the chance to catch up with some old friends which was nice. And after spending two hours sitting in a restaurant at the airport and spending approximately $1 million on bevvies and french fries to keep me from having to put my mask on at the gate, I made it back to Missouri. Praise hands.
*the blog post title is something sweet Katie’s mother told her during dinner and I had to write it down.
Today is the Ides of March–famous, as you know, for being the day Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. “Beware the Ides of March” was a line we knew as children, long before reading the play in ninth grade. Well, I doubt if that is the case with kids anymore. But maybe we were just odd children.
Another famous person who died on March 15 is Benjamin McLane Spock (Dr. Spock). Besides being a world-famous pediatrician, Spock won a gold medal at the 1924 Olympics with his Yale University rowing team. No kidding.
Speaking of the 1924 Olympics, I watched Chariots of Fire (1981) on TCM the other night and was reminded what a really good movie it is. Here is Siskel and Ebert’s review from back in 1981.
I’m with Ebert on this one.
I also recently watched Captains Courageous (1937) on TCM. I had not seen it in a long time and I was impressed.
I am not a big fan of Spencer Tracy, but he is great in this movie as the Portuguese fisherman who saves spoiled rich kid Freddie Bartholomew’s life and then helps him become a better person. And Freddie gives 100%. The film bears the mark of a great director–Victor Fleming–and the cast is a wonderful mix of Hollywood regulars. The sailing scenes, probably filmed in a backlot tank, are very exciting. The first time I saw this movie was around 1966 when my DP and I went to see it at our local movie theater one Saturday afternoon with our neighbor Nancy and her mother. I loved it, but was very shocked by the ending and the way Spencer Tracy’s character dies–(spoiler alert) cut in half and all stove in and sinking out of sight. It was a lot for little kids to handle.
Today is also the birthday of Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), the seventh president of the U.S.A. He is out of favor these days, but he was a man of his time. The son of Ulster Presbyterians who emigrated to America in 1765, his father died just weeks before Andrew was born. Then he watched his two older brothers and his mother die–all at the hands of the British. He had strong feelings about a lot of things. It might be time to dust off The Buccaneer (1958) to watch in his honor. (Charlton Heston played Jackson twice: in The Buccaneer and in The President’s Lady (1953).
By the way, I did make some progress in my office…
How was your weekend? Mine was super cold and then super nice and sunny, so we covered the bases, weather-wise. On Saturday I got up early and went with my friend Becky and her sister to the Vintage Market Days in St. Charles, held at the giant St. Charles Convention Center. We had to stand outside in line in the bitter cold (16 degrees) for a good fifteen minutes, but it was worth it. We had fun perusing the aisles.
By the time we left it was very crowded. I bought a little cement rabbit for the yard.
I was worn out though, so when I got home I lay on the couch and watched three hours of PGA golf.
The boy and WRC jr. joined us at church on Sunday. (Lottie and her mother had a Mommy and Me day to mark the anniversary of the day Lottie came home from the NICU back in 2017…)
After church we ate bagels and then played outside. The wee laddie took the Raptor out for a spin…
…checked out the “moisture” in the grass…
(Nice plank)
…and blew some bubbles…
…in a nice sunny spot he chose for his chair. He (and I) are ready for some driveway sitting!
We missed the girls, but it was nice to have the boys all to ourselves. After they left to go work at the boy’s store, I gabbed on the phone with daughter #2 and heard all about her fun visit with daughter #1 who had moved on to her conference in D.C.
I watched some more PGA to round out the weekend and saw Shane Lowry hit a hole-in-one on the 17th hole which the day before had been giving everyone a super hard time because of insane headwinds. Crazy, man–made my day.
