Uncategorized | dual personalities

August 10, 2017

This and that and border ruffians

by chuckofish

Apparently ever since the little guy wore his Fredbird onesie the other day the Cardinals have been on a hitting streak.

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Coincidence? “If we could figure out what that key is, we’d never put the key away,” manager Mike Matheny said. “We’re fortunate to be riding it as long as we are, and there’s no reason to stop now.” (PD, 8/9/17)

Well, keep that onesie handy, Little Boy! The Cards are in second place!

Onesie or RallyCat? You decide.

In memory of Glen Campbell, we thought we’d treat you to this montage of his variety show from the late sixties/early seventies. Remember The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour? Steve Martin was one of the writers and the Smothers Brothers were frequent guests. It was pretty darn hip. I was a big fan.

I was in the eighth grade and I had a major crush (okay, minor crush) on Glen’s banjo player Larry McNeely, who was very shy and so cute.

He never spoke, but, boy, could he play!

Daughter #1 is now back in flyover country. She bid farewell to NYC yesterday and had drinks at Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel on Tuesday night.

Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 2.09.41 PM.png Perfect. You gotta love those Madeline murals, right?

Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 2.12.41 PM.png By the way, on this day in 1821 President James Monroe issued a proclamation which concluded with the words: “The admission of the said State of Missouri into this Union is declared to be complete.” Behind that declaration lay years of struggle and a series of complicated maneuvers designed to maintain the delicate balance of power between the free states and those which permitted slavery.

In case you were wondering, the state is named for the Missouri River, which was named after the indigenous Missouri Indians. They were called the ouemessourita (wimihsoorita), meaning “those who have dugout canoes”.

Thomas Hart Benton, of course

So have a happy and productive Thursday! The weekend is almost here!

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August 9, 2017

The thing to do or Ewa-yea! my little owlet!

by chuckofish

Last week when daughter #1 was home for a few days and we were sitting out in the Florida room on an unseasonably cool evening, we saw a huge owl swoop down and fly through our yard. He perched on the neighbor’s basketball hoop and we sat and watched him.

After awhile he swooped down again into the grass where he sat for a bit. We couldn’t see if he had caught some poor unfortunate creature. From a distance and in the near dark he looked like a big chicken on the ground. We went outside to get a closer look, but he flew off.

It was an awesome experience. I have been out several evenings since then but I haven’t seen the owl again. I have heard some hooting, but that is all. Anyway, this all reminded me of this bit from Hiawatha’s Childhood:

When he heard the owls at midnight,

Hooting, laughing in the forest,

‘What is that?” he cried in terror,

“What is that,” he said, “Nokomis?”

And the good Nokomis answered:

“That is but the owl and owlet,

Talking in their native language,

Talking, scolding at each other.

Then the little Hiawatha

Learned of every bird its language,

Learned their names and all their secrets,

How they built their nests in Summer,

Where they hid themselves in Winter,

Talked with them whene’er he met them,

Called them “Hiawatha’s Chickens.”

–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This is how my mind works.

By the way, on the way home from work yesterday I had to stop my car as a doe bounded across Warson Road. Three little fawns came crashing out of the woods following their mother one after the other. None of them stopped to look both ways.

So much nature in such a short time!

At the door on summer evenings
Sat the little Hiawatha;
Heard the whispering of the pine-trees,
Heard the lapping of the waters,
Sounds of music, words of wonder;
‘Minne-wawa!” said the pine-trees,
Mudway-aushka!” said the water.
Saw the fire-fly, Wah-wah-taysee,
Flitting through the dusk of evening,
With the twinkle of its candle
Lighting up the brakes and bushes,
And he sang the song of children,
Sang the song Nokomis taught him:
“Wah-wah-taysee, little fire-fly,
Little, flitting, white-fire insect,
Little, dancing, white-fire creature,
Light me with your little candle,
Ere upon my bed I lay me,
Ere in sleep I close my eyelids!”

The illustration from Hiawatha’s Childhood is by N.C. Wyeth.)

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August 8, 2017

“Nothing for nothing, kid.”

by chuckofish

The other night I watched Dead End (1937) which I had not seen in years. I was quite struck by it. Based on the Sidney Kingsley play, the screenplay is by Lillian Hellman and it is directed by William Wyler. It stars Joel McCrea, Sylvia Sidney and Humphrey Bogart, who are all first-rate, especially Bogart who is remarkably vulnerable as the vicious gangster whose heart is broken twice in one day.

Furthermore, the character actors really impressed me. Marjorie Main (Bogart’s mother) and Claire Trevor (Bogart’s former girlfriend)

each have one scene and they steal them impressively. The young boys in the movie are all good too–they must have impressed someone, as they got their own movie franchise–the Dead End Kids–as a result.

It’s a simple story about haves and have-nots, which takes place in an East Side slum, overlooked by the high-rise apartments of the rich. Although nobody is preaching anything, we all get the point. It is realistic and gritty and violent–but the grit and the violence are mostly inferred, suggested…

Hugh “Baby Face”: Why didn’t you get a job?

Francey: They don’t grow on trees.

Hugh “Baby Face”: Why didn’t you starve first?

Francey: Why didn’t YOU?

A strong screenplay, a great director and a terrific cast equals a classic movie that never becomes dated, because the feelings that are evoked are still the same eighty years later.

By the way, today is Sylvia Sidney’s birthday, so why not toast her, and, if you have the chance, watch this fine film!

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August 7, 2017

Weekend update

by chuckofish

Screen Shot 2017-08-07 at 6.06.42 AM.png Well, that was a busy week followed by a busy weekend! Daughter #1 and I checked a lot of things off our to-do list and then she went back to NYC one more time on Saturday to tie up loose ends and pack her stuff for the movers who arrive this morning.

Sunday I went to an estate sale and got a couple of things for daughter #1’s new apartment. The OM and I went out to lunch at Denny’s after our first and second choices were too crowded. (Remind me never to do that again.) Then I yakked on the phone for hours with my DP and daughter #2. I finished Longmire #10. The boy came over to show us his new pickup truck–a Ford 150 Raptor–about which I am pretty excited. Finally, a truck in the family!

And by the way, congrats to the great Kurt Warner who was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. You will recall that he was the quarterback of one of the greatest offenses in NFL history, the “Greatest Show on Turf” of the St. Louis Rams back in the early niineties.

We love you Kurt. We haven’t cared a hoot about football since you were traded to Arizona.

Have a good week!

Lord God, whose strength is sufficient for all who lay hold on it, grant us in your mercy to comfort our hearts and be strong. Humility, temperance, purity, largeheartedness, sympathy, zeal – grant us these evidences of faith, servants of hope, fruits of love; for the sake of Jesus Christ, our strength, our righteousness, and our hope of glory. Amen.

–Christina Rosetti

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August 5, 2017

Moving time

by chuckofish

August seems to be moving month. This weekend the DH and I are helping son #3 pack up his worldly belongings preparatory to moving to Indiana, where he will be gainfully employed as the head sound technician at this pretty Hoosier college. We couldn’t be more proud!

It sure is flat in Indiana.

He won’t read this post, but I’m going to include some moving tips anyway. I mean, you never know, right?

Plan and organize before you start packing. That way you won’t end up with a hundred, half-empty carrier bags full of random objects (I’m recalling that epic move back from college after graduation).
Pack books and other heavy things in small boxes (Ditto the college moving memory).
Use clothes, pillows or bedding as padding for fragile things.
Clearly label boxes to facilitate unpacking.
Get someone else to do the heavy lifting. Well, we can dream.
Don’t move in the rain. Okay, this one can’t be helped, but do keep an eye on the weather forecast.
Get a leash for the cat, so she can’t run away while you’re at a rest stop.
If you’re driving the UHaul and someone else is driving your car, figure out your stops ahead of time, so you don’t have to text or phone while driving!
Find out which hotels allow cats.
Take it slowly. Stop when you get tired and never rush.

That’s about all I can think of for now. Please add your advice in the comments section, and wish us luck!

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August 4, 2017

Mission accomplished

by chuckofish

Daughter #1 and I had a great day in Columbia and found a terrific 2-bedroom apartment complete with all the modern conveniences, i.e. closets, washer and dryer, garbage disposal, dishwasher, counter space, garage, and all the things she lived without in Manhattan. She is very pleased and I got to ride around on a golf cart. I didn’t take any pictures though.

When we returned home, the boy and his family came over for dinner. We had lots of twin time. I didn’t take any pictures then either, but here are a few from the boy taken at their house.

Well, the weekend is upon us. Daughter #1 heads back to NYC on Saturday to pack up her apartment. The movers come on Monday and then she flies home for good on Wednesday.

Quelle summer, right?

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August 3, 2017

“Country life has its advantages”*

by chuckofish

Daughter #1 is in town (finally, after a long, long 8-hour delay at LaGuardia) and we are driving to Columbia today to find an apartment for her.

Living in CoMo will be quite a change from the Upper West Side. Hopefully she will be able to have a dishwasher and other modern conveniences. Her bed won’t be in her living room and maybe her kitchen will be used for more than storage.

Huzzah.

*Anton Chekhov

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August 2, 2017

The right stuff

by chuckofish

Well, now Sam Shepard has died.

I thought this article was more on point than some. The Times called him “a true renaissance man. As a playwright, he was the toast of Broadway and a Pulitzer Prize recipient. And he had no trouble making the transition to screens small and large, winning over audiences as an actor and earning respect within the industry as a skilled pen-for-hire. His body of work, rich and varied as it is, reveals a man with infinite empathy and intellectual curiosity.”

“Infinite empathy”? He never struck me that way. To me, Sam was one of those smart, good-looking, very wasp-y guys who was just really cool without trying to be. He did what he wanted. He frequently did not have the lead part in movies and he was fine with that. He supported himself that way so he could do the stuff he cared about.

He was friends with Patti Smith.

I always liked him. He had a small part in Raggedy Man (1981) but you sure noticed him.

Other favorites: Resurrection (1980),

The Right Stuff (1983),

Black Hawk Down (2001),

And, of course, he was Dolly’s husband in Steel Magnolias (1989).

He had the right stuff. Yes, he did.

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August 1, 2017

This and that

by chuckofish

“It’s better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”

–Herman Melville

This statement was quoted by House Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Sophie Donelson in her July/August column. She doesn’t say where the quote comes from, but it probably wasn’t from the book on her nightstand. Of course, she was quoting Melville in reference to home decoration and that is valid I suppose, but poor Herman was talking about something different. Sadly, he knew a lot about failure.

Today is Melville’s birthday, so let’s give some thought to how to celebrate. You could check out this website: Melville’s Marginalia Online, a virtual archive of books owned and borrowed by Melville (1819-1891). Amazing! If you are in New York City, you could take the Melville walking tour. Whatever you do, be sure to wear your Herman Melville t-shirt.

Screen Shot 2017-07-31 at 11.44.45 AM.png And by that I mean, please don’t. (Maybe Ms. Donelson found the quote on a t-shirt!)

Well, moving on…we have heard a lot lately about the total solar eclipse that will occur around 1 p.m. on Monday, August 21. The last total solar eclipse here in flyover country was in 1442. As you can see, we are right in line for some great viewing!

Screen Shot 2017-07-31 at 11.02.42 AM.png We have, of course, been reminded ad nauseum to obtain special protective glasses if we plan to watch, so I sent off to Amazon for some of these. Am I cool or what? (Well, the OM is a scouter, so I always try to be prepared.)

Are you wondering how I am going to tie up Herman Melville’s birthday and the total eclipse of the sun? Here is a section of his obit in the New York Times of October 2, 1891:

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Sad, sad, so sad.

Discuss among yourselves.

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July 31, 2017

Steadfast resolution

by chuckofish

We had perfect flyover weather this weekend–and to think, it was 108-degrees last Saturday! Anyway, we had a pleasant weekend, although we did very little. I went to a few estate sales and got a few things,

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including this book which I have been looking for for quite some time.

I also found a nice Hitchcock table and four chairs for daughter #1 who will now have room in her flyover apartment for such things!

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After taking the table apart, the OM and I wrestled everything into my Mini Cooper and his Accord and were pretty proud of ourselves for doing so.

I also sat outside and read a good deal of Longmire #9, which was excellent. It includes exchanges like this:

I opened the volume to the title page and read: “The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume XXV, History of Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming 1890.” I gently closed the heavy, leather-bound hardback and rested it against my chest. “Is this book for sale?”

She smiled at me with all the warmth of a Moroccan rug salesman. “Do you know what it’s worth?”

“I do.”

“Twenty-five dollars.”

I studied the marbled edges of the pages. “That’s not what it’s worth.”

“I wasn’t negotiating a price; I was simply trying to see if you knew the value.” She sighed deeply and picked up another from one of the towers near her. “I’m past the point of caring what things cost; I just want to know that beautiful and important objects are in the hands of people who will appreciate them.”

…I stood there holding the two books and looking at the piles around us–they were like literary land mines just waiting to explode minds…

And this:

He smiled, and a line settled alongside the upturned corner of his mouth as he popped the lid on the center console–he knew all my caches and cliches–and pulled out an extra box of shells. “What other weapons do we have?”

I started the Bullet and pulled the gear selector down into drive. “Steadfast resolution.” I turned and looked at him, not as if he would take the option, but it had to be said. “If you want out now would be the time.”

He actually laughed as he reloaded the round. “I try never to miss an episode of Steadfast Resolution–it is my favorite program.”

Having finished Longmire #9, I am now reading Cheyenne Autumn by Mari Sandoz, a classic novel published in 1953 about the 1,500-mile flight of the Northern Cheyenne from the Indian Territory back to their home in the Yellowstone region in 1878–because Henry Standing Bear put it on his list of 10 Books to Read. Is it weird to take literary suggestions from fictional characters?

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I don’t think so either.

Meanwhile we continued to receive adorable pictures of the wee babes in Florida

We also heard from daughters #1 and #2 enjoying one last weekend together in NYC!

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I went to church because I was reading and was treated to this lesson:

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:26-39)

I don’t know about you, but I cannot read verses 35-39 without a tear coming to my eye. Great stuff.

Have a great week!

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