dual personalities

December 19, 2024

How sweet the sound

by chuckofish

What would Christmas be without the Lucille Rapp Dancing School Recital? It was short and sweet and the bud, who was sitting next to me, dubbed it “nicely done!”. He was impressed with the gymnastic abilities of the girls. Also their beauty–“Pretty!”

Yesterday I also attended the Covenant School’s Christmas Chapel rehearsal–all church members had been invited, so I went. I enjoyed it very much. My favorite part was when the 4th, 5th and 6th graders sang “Away in the Manger” while accompanying themselves on ukuleles.

The Kindergarteners belting out “Amazing Grace” while the 1st graders accompanied them with bells was also very special. Not to mention the 2nd and 3rd graders singing “Silent Night” in German! And the whole school reciting Luke 2:8-14 from memory…

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

…Well, it was all pretty sweet and I admit I may have needed a Kleenex once or twice.

In other news, the boy and his family closed on their new house yesterday and will move on Saturday! Prayers all around for an easy and smooth transition. It will be another super busy weekend with daughter #2 coming into town with her family to attend daughter #1’s Christmas party. And DN will pick up the Mini Cooper and drive it home. More prayers for travel mercies!

And then…it’s Christmas!

2 Comments
December 18, 2024

For there is no friend like a sister*

by chuckofish

Today we toast my darling sister on her birthday. We have been together through thick and thin. Now we are both old retired ladies, trying to stay healthy and keep out of trouble.

I enjoy watching Katie and Ida as they navigate the rocky road of sisterhood. (And watching them watching Betty and Judy singing about “Sisters”!)

I pray that they will stay as devoted to each other as my sister and I, and though the miles may divide them, they will stay in close touch.

*“For there is no friend like a sister

In calm or stormy weather;

To cheer one on the tedious way,

To fetch one if one goes astray,

To lift one if one totters down,

To strengthen whilst one stands.”

(“Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti; read the poem here.)

And I thought this post by Ann, wherein she links to another post on X, is excellent on the subject of keeping the Christmas feast in a wayward and dark world. Read the whole thing.

4 Comments
December 17, 2024

Christmas goals

by chuckofish

“He went to the church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and for, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of homes, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed of any walk, that anything, could give him so much happiness.”

–Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, 1843

So much happiness!

The drawing is by Quentin Blake (b. 1932), illustrator, Quentin Blake’s A Christmas Carol, 1995

3 Comments
December 16, 2024

Angels, from the realms of glory, wing your flight o’er all the earth

by chuckofish

We’re nearing the home stretch…but it rained all day Saturday which dampened everyone’s holiday spirits. We were grateful, however, that it was rain and not ice or snow. And we got the tree up!

It was a group effort. The boy came over Thursday evening to carry the tree in from the garage and put it in the stand. The OM and I strung the lights on Saturday morning. And daughter #1 came over after her DAR luncheon to help decorate it. Ain’t it lovely?

I missed the DAR luncheon because I had to go to our Historical Society Christmas party and membership meeting. It was actually quite fun. The house looked beautiful and festive. Of course, I didn’t take any pictures. C’est la vie.

The boy and his famille were in Kansas City this weekend, so the OM and I sat alone in church. They missed a good sermon on the Mosaic Covenant, some great hymns and solos, and a fantastic adult ed class, continuing on the angels and demons theme. The teacher even referenced Hermann Bavinck (see Friday’s post). I am learning a lot. My Bible Study leader made a really good and astute comment during the class and I told her so afterwards, and she said, “It was the Holy Spirit, not me”. Once again, I am humbled and grateful to be among these people.

We watched three Christmas movies: Home Alone (1992), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)…

and White Christmas (1954), the latter on the big screen! We enjoyed them all.

What an absolute treat to see White Christmas on the big screen! In recliners! Can’t believe it wasn’t sold out! For the 50th time, it was great. And I had to laugh thinking of little Ida watching it for the first time at home on her TV and running to get her tambourine during the “Mandy” number! Perfect!

Have a good Monday, watch an old movie, feel the joy, read some poetry:

  1. Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
    And with fear and trembling stand;
    Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
    For with blessing in His hand,
    Christ our God to earth descendeth,
    Our full homage to demand.
  2. King of kings, yet born of Mary,
    As of old on earth He stood,
    Lord of lords, in human vesture,
    In the body and the blood;
    He will give to all the faithful
    His own self for heav’nly food.
  3. Rank on rank the host of heaven
    Spreads its vanguard on the way,
    As the Light of light descendeth
    From the realms of endless day,
    That the pow’rs of hell may vanish
    As the darkness clears away.
  4. At His feet the six-winged seraph,
    Cherubim with sleepless eye,
    Veil their faces to the presence,
    As with ceaseless voice they cry:
    “Alleluia, Alleluia,
    Alleluia, Lord Most High!”

Liturgy of St. James, 5th century (adapted by Gerard Moultrie, 1864)

4 Comments
December 13, 2024

“Man is an enigma whose solution can be found only in God.”

by chuckofish

It is Friday, but daughter #1 has been sick at home all week, so I am posting. It has been a busy week, but I have managed to check off a lot of items on my to-do list. I even got my hair cut!

Today we toast Herman Bavinck (1854-1921), who was a significant Dutch Calvinist theologian and churchman. I had not heard of Bavinck before joining a reformed church, but I appreciate him now. In my church we have several children named Calvin, and even a Kuyper and a Dietrich, but so far no Hermans or Bavincks. He is, however, a worthy candidate in that department.

“The conclusion, therefore, is that of Augustine, who said that the heart of man was created for God and that it cannot find rest until it rests in his Father’s heart. Hence all men are really seeking after God, as Augustine also declared, but they do not all seek Him in the right way, nor at the right place. They seek Him down below, and He is up above. They seek Him on the earth, and He is in heaven. They seek Him afar, and He is nearby. They seek Him in money, in property, in fame, in power, and in passion; and He is to be found in the high and the holy places, and with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit (Isa. 57:15). But they do seek Him, if haply they might feel after Him and find Him (Acts 17:27). They seek Him and at the same time they flee Him. They have no interest in a knowledge of His ways, and yet they cannot do without Him. They feel themselves attracted to God and at the same time repelled by Him.

In this, as Pascal so profoundly pointed out, consists the greatness and the miserableness of man. He longs for truth and is false by nature. He yearns for rest and throws himself from one diversion upon another. He pants for a permanent and eternal bliss and seizes on the pleasures of a moment. He seeks for God and loses himself in the creature. He is a born son of the house and he feeds on the husks of the swine in a strange land. He forsakes the fountain of living waters and hews out broken cisterns that can hold no water ( Jer. 2:13). He is as a hungry man who dreams that he is eating, and when he awakes finds that his soul is empty; and he is like a thirsty man who dreams that he is drinking, and when he awakes finds that he is faint and that his soul has appetite (Isa. 29:8).

Science cannot explain this contradiction in man. It reckons only with his greatness and not with his misery, or only with his misery and not with his greatness. It exalts him too high, or it depresses him too far, for science does not know of his Divine origin, nor of his profound fall. But the Scriptures know of both, and they shed their light over man and over mankind; and the contradictions are reconciled, the mists are cleared, and the hidden things are revealed. Man is an enigma whose solution can be found only in God.”
― Herman Bavinck, Our Reasonable Faith: A Survey of Christian Doctrine

Have a good weekend! Read some theology!

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. (Luke 12: 1-3)

1 Comment
December 12, 2024

Lend us thine aid

by chuckofish

Every year I bemoan the fact that no one sends Christmas cards anymore. With a single stamp costing over 75 cents, I realize this can be an expensive venture. Still, I do enjoy sending and receiving them. As of December 11, I have received three and one of those is from a business!

Anyway, I am working on mine. I was startled to note how many friends I have had to delete from my mailing list because they have died. Gee whiz, we are getting old. Sunrise, sunset.

Meanwhile both my daughters are sick! I hope they feel better soon! Unfortunately it is that time of year when you are most likely to get sick and are the busiest.

Daughter #2 was well enough (i.e. dragged herself) to attend Katie’s first Christmas program at her Lutheran preschool.

Her baby sister enjoyed it immensely.

Adorable.

In other news, the bud, when he was over on Tuesday afternoon, helped me unwrap all my Christmas stained glass…

He was a good helper!

This is always a fun job, remembering all the different ones we have–some from as far back as the 1960s!

On the academic front we are told that in a poll of 634 UPenn students, 63% stated they “stay silent/outright support” UPenn alumnus Luigi Mangione’s action of murdering the CEO of UHC. Only 37% voted that they condemn it. This is shocking and terrible news, but I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised when we remember all those people who laughed at the unsuccessful assassination attempt on Donald Trump last summer and said they wished the would-be assassin hadn’t missed. We live in a post-Christian world where such behavior is celebrated. Our pray-for-our-enemies list grows longer by the day.

Well, it is time to listen to this great Christmas classic written by English Anglican Reginald Heber in 1811:

P.S. I forget to mention that yesterday was the twins actual birthday. (They had so many celebrations, that the actual one may have–for me–gotten lost in the shuffle!) Of course, we are so thankful for our wonderful twins!

Readers of this blog may remember when they were born eight years ago, weighing just a little over a pound each. Many friends–Jews and Christians, Protestants and Catholics–were praying for them mightily. They pulled through and have thrived. We are so grateful.

O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your servants Wheeler and Lottie as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their
trust in your goodness all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

4 Comments
December 11, 2024

Teach us to number our days*

by chuckofish

Yesterday I spent three hours at the Mini dealer getting my Cooper ready to pass on to DN in a couple of weeks. It is not an unpleasant place to wile away a few hours. Steve, the service “advisor”, checks in from time to time and lets you know how it’s going and that they haven’t forgotten you. The Lounge is well stocked with a fancy coffee machine, water and treats. The TV was set to the Hallmark channel and I had come prepared with my phone and an actual book to read.

I read a good amount of A Day’s Journey by Tim Keesee, which tries to answer the question, “How do you make each day of your brief life count?” Keesee is a Christian and a cancer survivor. I am enjoying it. In each chapter he tells about an encounter with someone who has taught him something about a day well spent. They range from the well-known (Rosario Butterfield, Joni Eareckson Tada) to the unknown. There are a lot of good scripture references and quotes by people I like, such as this poem by Wendell Berry:

Anyway, the key to making a morning at the car dealership a pleasant experience, as with most things, is to be prepared and to have the right mindset. Be prepared to be there longer than expected and you will be pleasantly surprised when they call your name sooner than expected.

So be prepared, read some poetry and don’t forget to have some cash ready when you go to the grocery store and the Salvation Army person is ringing their bell outside the store. Give, give, give. ‘Tis the season.

*Psalm 90:12

4 Comments
December 10, 2024

This and that

by chuckofish

Yesterday I tried to catch up after my very busy weekend. I got some “desk work” done, met with my co-editor, Ron, to talk about the next Kirkwood Historical Review, and I went to the P.O. where I stood in line for 45 minutes waiting my turn for the one employee to wait on me.

I meant to start addressing Christmas cards but I did not. Tant pis.

In other news, today we toast the great movie actor Victor McLaglan (1886-1959) on his birthday. Best-known for playing Irishmen in John Ford movies, he was not Irish. He was English, of Scottish descent. His father was a bishop. He had a long career in the movies, winning an Oscar for Best Actor in The Informer (1935). I think I will watch Gunga Din (1939) in which he starred along with Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

He was also great, of course, in the John Ford Cavalry Trilogy: Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Ford’s The Quiet Man (1952).

So try not to obsess over all the things on your ‘to do’ list! They will get done in due time. In the meantime, watch an old movie!

P.S. It brings me joy to see my granddaughters in their hand-me-down clothes…

I had a conversation with the wife of our new pastor about this. Her mother also saved all her smocked dresses and now her daughter (Edith!) wears them to church. I love it. Of course, it’s fine if you don’t do this! But I love seeing the different generations wearing the same outfits.

And it’s so environmentally responsible!

2 Comments
December 9, 2024

Postcards from a very busy weekend

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was very busy–so busy that I can only post about a little bit of it. ‘Tis the season, right? Lots of running around.

Suffice it to say, I helped to decorate the church…

…the OM and I bought our Christmas tree from the friendly neighborhood Optimists…

…and because it was so warm on Saturday, I managed to sit outside and drink a glass of wine with daughter #1 at a local watering hole.

On SUnday I got up and went to church where I sat, as usual, with the boy and the twins. Our adult ed class was excellent–on angels and demons. Afterwards we came home and celebrated the twins 8th birthday with Episcopal/Calvinist soufflé and cake.

Then after that, daughter #1 and I hopped in the car and headed to Boonville, Missouri (2 1/2 hours away) to attend a DAR event at Roslyn Heights, the state chapter house.

We had to drive home in the dark and the rain, but it was worth it.

It was a lot, but I’m not complaining!

2 Comments
December 6, 2024

So glad it is Friday. As usual.

by chuckofish

Well, happy Friday, readers. And a welcome sight it is. It has been a rather insane few weeks/months at work culminating in this week’s end of year employee luncheon that for some reason falls under my jurisdiction. It all turned out well but I managed to strain my back moving tables, chairs and large boxes of company branded items. The heating pad is my current best friend.

However, this large and festive bow is bringing me joy. It is for sure the largest bow in my neighborhood.

I just love it.

Mr. Smith has been a good boy lately–although today as soon as the sun went down, I think he found some puppy crack somewhere because he was bouncing off the walls. But can you resist that face?!

Don’t worry, he’s going to the groomer after Christmas.

Finally, did you treat yourself to anything over Black Friday or Cyber Monday? I did.

Mr. Smith hates it (he hates all vacuums) but I love it. After the snow this weekend, I realized I need something more powerful than my little mop to keep my kitchen feeling sparking clean. Mr. Smith loves frolicking in the snow (unexpected) and comes in and channels his inner Taylor Swift to shake off the snow globs on his fur. He makes a big mess.

Anyway, life is good. Seasonal bows are real mood lifters. It is time to read A Christmas Carol but of course I can’t find my copy, so I’ve ordered a new one on Amazon. Next week, I’ll have some Scrooge for you.

3 Comments