dual personalities

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September 4, 2026

In the dust and smoke of the arena*

by chuckofish

I’m heading up to the prairie today with daughter #1 and Mr. Smith to see the prairie fam–so much more fun than imaginary talking on the phone!

Enjoy your long weekend and let’s all toast the hardworking American men and women out there! And a special call out to those men who do the important jobs women don’t want to do: who pick up your trash, and fix the roads, who are plumbers and electricians, who mine the coal and fix our cars and fight the wars and protect the streets. The ones who stop on the highway and pull people out of burning cars. I salute you and I thank you.

Work and love, using each in its broadest sense – work, the quality which makes a man ashamed not to be able to pull his own weight, not to do for himself as well as for others without being beholden to anyone for what he is doing; work, no man is happy if he does not work.

–Theodore Roosevelt speaking to the railroad branch of the YMCA in Topeka, Kansas, on “decent living and high ideals”, 1903

This little picture essay offers one of the best reminders of the wonders all around us, even in a simple small apartment. We are blessed beyond measure.

And this is a really good article about Wendell Berry. “Berry’s poetic imagination shapes us to love the limits and simplicity of the real life we have, even if it’s not the perfect life.’

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)

P.S. Prayers for travel mercies are much appreciated!

*Theodore Roosevelt

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September 3, 2026

How’s it going?

by chuckofish

It has been steamy hot all this week so I have been working on inside projects and getting ready to head up to the prairie on Friday for the long weekend.

I have, as usual, been reading several different books, including Agatha Christie’s autobiography. She really was quite an unusual person who seemed to think nothing of traveling to exotic places like Bagdad alone. She was always very lucky and found people to stay with and hang out with for lengthy periods of time. It was a different world–at least for people of her social class etc. If they had made a movie about her, she would have been played by Margaret Rutherford, if you can imagine Margaret Rutherford surfing. (I can.) She was married twice and had one child, who was shipped off to boarding school at age eight–don’t worry–she wanted to go. Agatha, of course, never had any formal education, but was, of course, much better “educated” than most modern students. It is a fascinating read, but I’m not sure how much of it I actually believe.

Indeed. what can beat a train?

This is a really interesting short film I saw on TCM about the making of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)–back when making movies was a true collaboration of real artists. It was an entirely different endeavor from today when everything is done on computers. They were crafting illusions and bringing them to life through brilliant camera work, art direction, costumes, music, makeup, acting. Wow. Fascinating!

Down to the buzzing of the arrows, they don’t don’t make ’em like this anymore!

Well, have a great Thursday! Keep cool.

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September 2, 2026

“I been eating peaches/off some mighty fine trees.”*

by chuckofish

Kentucky poet, novelist and essayist Wendell Berry died on Monday. He was 92.

He was right about a lot of things and wrong about others (as are we all) but I always liked him.

I like his poetry and I like his novels.

“You mustn’t wish for another life. You mustn’t want to be somebody else. What you must do is this:
‘Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks.’
I am not all the way capable of so much, but those are the right instructions.”

–Wendell Berry, Hannah Coulter

I am re-reading Hannah Coulter; it is pretty great.

Enjoy your Tuesday! Read some poetry, re-read an old book, take a walk, be thankful, do not be ashamed.

* Wendell Berry, read the whole poem here.

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September 1, 2026

It is life that is going on

by chuckofish

It a new month–a good time to start observing…(if you are not already)…

A RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE can be a wedding, a christening, a Memorial Day service, a bar mitzvah, or anything like that you might be apt to think of. There are lots of things going on at them. There are lots of things you can learn from them if you’re in a receptive state of mind. The word observance itself suggests what is perhaps the most important thing about them.

A man and a woman are getting married. A child is being given a name. A war is being remembered and many deaths. A youngster is coming of age.

It is life that is going on. It is always going on, and it is always precious. It is God that is going on. It is you who are there that is going on.

As Henry James advised writers, be one on whom nothing is lost. Observe!! There are few things as important, as religious, as that.

–Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark

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August 31, 2026

Day by day

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was very low-key but filled with the small joys that life is made of. It is a good practice to take note of them. Otherwise, we become forgetful of the fact that the present is a constant romance, as Buffalo Bill once said.

On Friday afternoon daughter #1 and I went to our favorite local watering hole where the waiters know what we’re going to order before we order. We sat in our favorite window seat and watched the middle schoolers walk by in groups of three or four after school. On Saturday I went to an estate sale in a nice old neighborhood where the home reflected the good life the people in it had lived. You can just tell from the books and DVDs and Christmas decorations. The sale was run by our favorite company so help abounded. One of the guys pointed me to a good parking place close to the house…but then I had to parallel park in front of people–always stressful! Lamar gave me his discount and asked if I was alone–he always wonders where daughter #1 is if she isn’t with me.

At both places I felt so ‘seen’. A rare thing these days.

It was nice to have the boy back in church on Sunday and the bud with him. We heard a good sermon on Acts 2:42-47 about the fellowship of believers and we sang good hymns. During the offertory two members of the congregation played a hymn medley as a duet (one piano, four hands) and they were really cookin’ with gas, eliciting impromptu applause. After church we had fold meetings in place of adult ed.

In the afternoon I went to daughter #1’s pool–the last weekend before Labor Day. It was lovely to float and get some sun.

This was a really nice tribute to Dolly Parton from Glenn Reynolds who teaches at the University of Tennessee Law School. “There was a sizable crowd gathered, but at a bit of a distance. People were taking photos, and people politely lined up and encouraged each group to take their time posing by the statue before the next people came in. The mood was reverent, but pleasant: These were people there to pay their respects, not simply to mourn, and one way to respect Dolly was to be nice to the other people who were there for the same purpose.”

And Scottie won the FedEx cup!

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August 28, 2026

Unfaded, yet prepared to fade*

by chuckofish

Well, here we are–it’s the last Friday in August. One more weekend and then it’s September! It was a good summer. Good weather. A little travel. I watched all seven seasons of The Mentalist (2008-2015). Now I am ready to get back into the fall swing of things.

Departing summer hath assumed

An aspect tenderly illumed,

The gentlest look of spring;

That calls from yonder leafy shade

Unfaded, yet prepared to fade,

A timely carolling.

In the meantime, here are some good things to read:

I agree with this. “There is a difference between possessing the information contained in a book and possessing a book.”

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. This is important: What the Heidelberg Catechism Says to the Age of Self.

R.C. Sproul’s entire teaching series library is now free forever. You can find them all on Ligonier’s Teaching Series page.

The Book of Common Prayer (1662) as printed by John Baskerville is available online.

Have a good weekend!

P.S. This made me LOL:

*William Wordsworth, September, 1819…read the whole poem here.

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August 27, 2026

I will always love you

by chuckofish

I have blogged about or mentioned Dolly over 50 times in my 15 years writing this blog. She has been on my radar for 60+ years.

Somebody compared Dolly’s passing to the death of Queen Elizabeth, and I have to say, there is a lot of truth in that. I mean, can you think of anybody else in America who was so universally loved in his/her lifetime? And she was a queen of sorts, an American queen from the hills of eastern Kentucky. She earned her place as a global icon through hard work, talent and brains. She stayed humble. And she had class. The real kind.

The boy shared this tweet from Spencer Pratt and he says it best:

The boy also shared this tweet from Marshall Mathers (aka Eminem):

That made me almost cry. Of course, she felt some unexplained connection with him.

Above all else, she was a great writer–so many great songs! Jolene, I Will Always Love You, Tennessee Mountain Home.

And remember this great one released on Dolly’s 77th birthday?

But my favorite will always be Coat of Many Colors.

But they didn’t understand it
And I tried to make them see
That one is only poor
Only if they choose to be
Now I know we had no money
But I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me
Made just for me

P.S. This post about Dolly would not be complete without the inclusion of this photo of daughter #2 when she chose Dolly as her 6th grade Reach “creative producer” project. Here she is in costume holding her shoe box Grand Ole Opry for her (1st place) presentation:

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m going to watch Steel Magnolias tonight and have a real good cry.

Into paradise may the angels lead thee, Dolly. Thanks be to God for the gift of your extraordinary life.

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August 26, 2026

Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble

by chuckofish

Today we remember H. A. Rey (born Hans Augusto Reyersbach) on the day he died in 1977. He and his wife wrote the Curious George books, which were favorites of daughter #2…

Now George is an inseparable friend of her daughter, Ida.

Funny how that works.

Curious George was an instant success when it was first published in 1941, and the Reys were commissioned to write more adventures of the mischievous monkey and his friend, the Man with the Yellow Hat. As of October 2024, more than 25 million copies have been sold, and translations include Japanese, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Chinese, Danish, and Norwegian. The prairie girls are also big fans of the animated TV show, which was originally on PBS Kids.

“’Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.’ George promised to be good. But it is easy for little monkeys to forget.”

And, yes, I heard about the passing of the incomparable Dolly Parton yesterday. Literally 90% of my Instagram feed was dedicated to that news. Lord knows, readers of this blog know that she was a favorite of mine. She and my mother shared a birthday. I will comment at a future date.

She was just the best.

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August 25, 2026

Like the dew of Hermon*

by chuckofish

It has been too hot lately (and for most of the summer) to use the Florida room, but it cooled off over the weekend and I was able to sit out there yesterday and read. Lovely.

The twins went back to school and are hopefully off to a good start in fourth grade. Lord, cover them today, body, mind and soul…Give them one friend who is good for them, and the sense to hold onto that friend. Place your hand over their day…

Meanwhile on the prairie, Katie was helping Ida get dressed, and when their mother came in the room, she was zipping up her sister’s sweatshirt. Ida said, “My sister is helping me out. That’s why I have her. She’s my assistant.”

Count your blessings–they are many. Breathe the fresh air!

*Psalm 133:3

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August 24, 2026

“Yet I creep/To the throne of grace”*

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? We had lovely sunny days in the high 70s–low eighties, so no complaints. I didn’t do much, but that’s okay too. Church on Sunday morning is always a pick-me-up for me. Good music, an excellent sermon (on Psalm 38) and another wonderful adult ed class on prayer. It was our last class and I will miss this topic–it has been great!

Wrapping up the course, we talked about practicing daily prayer. The teacher asked the class how we practiced this growing up. It occurred to me that I went to a private school where we had daily chapel, which we all just took for granted. But really, this was quite a privilege. We sang a hymn, we said prayers–it was all very Anglican, like our headmaster. Of course, this sort of practice at schools is mostly all a part of the distant past now. More’s the pity. Anyway, I am inspired to get serious about my daily prayer routine.

Today I must note that it is the birthday of Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), who readers of this blog know, is one of my favorites. He really was brilliant.

In other news, sadly, Scottie Scheffler was under the weather at the BMW Championship here in town and had a bad day on Thursday. He battled back on Saturday after a rough start, but it wasn’t enough to catch up and win on Sunday. C’est la vie. I went to the pool with daughter #1 and they had set up a big screen TV poolside, so I got to watch the final round while floating! Anyway, I was reminded, while watching, of driving the boy to Bellerive Country Club at the crack of dawn when he used to caddy there twenty-something years ago. Sunrise, sunset.

Have a good Monday!

*George Herbert

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