dual personalities

December 24, 2015

“Hey, unto you a child is born!”*

by chuckofish

But as far as I’m concerned, Mary is always going to look a lot like Imogene Herdman – sort of nervous and bewildered, but ready to clobber anyone who laid a hand on her baby. And the Wise Men are always going to be Leroy and his brothers, bearing ham. When we came out of the church that night it was cold and clear, with crunchy snow underfoot and bright, bright stars overhead. And I thought about the Angel of the Lord – Gladys, with her skinny legs and her dirty sneakers sticking out from under her robe, yelling at all of us everywhere: ‘Hey! Unto you a child is born!’

Happy Christmas Eve. We are going to the early service this afternoon which includes the Pageant. It always reminds me of the book by Barbara Robinson and takes me back to my own Christmas Pageant experiences at school. How well I remember going to the Inn to ask for a room and my friend Trudy Glick turning me away. We had a moment where we nearly burst into nervous laughter, but we didn’t. I sang a tremulous solo to my wife Mary. The Angel of the Lord fainted…or was that a Wise Man?

Keep the faith!

*Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever; the painting is by N.C. Wyeth.

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December 23, 2015

All she wants to do is dance

by chuckofish

Tradition says we must play 1980s 45s and dance at Christmastime. Who are we to mess with tradition?

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December 22, 2015

Flyover good times

by chuckofish

“He saw clearly how plain and simple – how narrow, even – it all was; but clearly, too, how much it all meant to him, and the special value of some such anchorage in one’s existence. He did not at all want to abandon the new life and its splendid spaces, to turn his back on sun and air and all they offered him and creep home and stay there; the upper world was all too strong, it called to him still, even down there, and he knew he must return to the larger stage. But it was good to think he had this to come back to, this place which was all his own, these things which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted upon for the same simple welcome.” (Kenneth Graham, The Wind in the Willows)

Hope you are enjoying your countdown to Christmas! Try to slow it down and enjoy the simple things.

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December 21, 2015

What fun it is to laugh and sing

by chuckofish

Phew! The weekend was crammed full of holiday fun. Haven’t had time to distill it all yet. But in case you didn’t know, DIY photo props are the newest thing. More on that tomorrow.

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December 19, 2015

Give thanks now, every one

by chuckofish

A long time ago when I was in second or third grade, I had to sing a solo of “Bring a torch Jennette Isabella” in the school Christmas pageant. I only got picked because I had the appropriate attire, a peasant-looking dark green corduroy jumper, which also happened to be my favorite dress, although by then it was a little on the small side. I was very nervous and my voice quavered, but I got through my performance.

I like the mini angels in the 1515 triptych

What I remember most about that event was another song we sang, one that I’d never heard before but loved so much that I sang it over and over until I had the tune memorized. Unfortunately, I didn’t remember the title or most of the words. Every Christmas since then I’ve searched without success for a song about angels standing at His feet and the wise men casting down their royal crowns. Until last week, that is. Thanks to some clever googling, I discovered that the song, called “Jesus, the Christ, is born” is an Appalachian carol, first recorded in Sevier County Tennessee in 1934 (source). Here are the words:

Jesus the Christ is born, Give thanks now, every one. Rejoice, ye great ones and ye small, God’s will, it has been done.

Ye mighty kings of earth, Before the manger bed, Cast down, cast down your golden crown From off your royal head.

For in this lowly guise The son of God do sleep, And see the Queen of Heaven kneel, Her faithful vigil keep.

Two angels at His head, Two angels at His feet Beside His bed the flower red, Perfuming there so sweet.

Jesus the Christ is born, Give thanks now, every one. Rejoice, ye great ones and ye small, God’s will, hit has been done.

I found a couple of recordings on youtube, but the best one by far is this one of the Anne Philips Singers c. 1960.

One more mystery solved. Now if I could just figure out some of the more obscure genealogical conundrums…

Have a wonderful weekend!

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December 18, 2015

“A flock of blessings light upon thy back.”*

by chuckofish

Today is the birthday of my dear dual personality! I wish her peace on earth, good health and tickets to the Star Wars movie!

Ha ha.

They say the movie is worth seeing, but I say ho hum.

I can wait. A long time.

Anyway, to get back to my sister’s birthday, we are having a little party tonight for some of daughter #2’s friends who are in town for a wedding. But I will be thinking of my dual personality and wishing she were here laughing it up with me.

Dual personalities festively attired in red and green circa 1983

I’ll be toasting her and sending my love.

In other news: daughter #1 arrives on Saturday! Hope she bundles up for the trip home!

*Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

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December 17, 2015

Oh, come all ye faithful

by chuckofish

Tree’s up! The boy came over Tuesday night and we put up the tree. Doesn’t it look nice?

The OM got creative and put a collage of his favorite bears and scouts on his Facebook page. I couldn’t figure out how to recreate the snazzy moving images here, but here are the photos.

Well, I am very glad to have this major holiday feat accomplished.

And daughter #2 made it home! Shortly after arriving, she rearranged some of the ornaments on the tree. Can’t wait for daughter #1 to add the finishing touch on Saturday!

It’s all good.

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December 16, 2015

“Xmas all grown ups sa is the season for the kiddies but this do not prevent them from taking a tot or 2 from the bot and having, it may seme, a better time than us.”*

by chuckofish

Let us pause mid-week and take a deep breath.

“Lady at the tea table” by Mary Cassatt

Yes, it is less than ten days until Christmas, but all will be well.

All will be wonderful.

Maybe not perfect…but perfection, I think, is highly overrated.

(c) Northampton Museums & Art Gallery; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

Juriaen van Streeck, Northampton Museums & Art Gallery

Make yourself a cup of tea (or coffee) and take a few minutes to sit by the window and think.

“Woman Sitting by the Window” by Pablo Picasso

Think about those Christmases of long ago.

“Years and years ago, when I was a boy, when there were wolves in Wales, and birds the color of red-flannel petticoats whisked past the harp-shaped hills, when we sang and wallowed all night and day in caves that smelt like Sunday afternoons in damp front farmhouse parlors, and we chased, with the jawbones of deacons, the English and the bears, before the motor car, before the wheel, before the duchess-faced horse, when we rode the daft and happy hills bareback, it snowed and it snowed. But here a small boy says: “It snowed last year, too. I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.”**

Feel better now? This is how my brain works.

Have a great Wednesday. Daughter #2 is flying in from the east coast today. Tra la, tra la.

*From How to Be Topp by Geoffrey Willans

**From A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas

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December 15, 2015

“The world was hers for the reading.”*

by chuckofish

Today is the birthday of Betty Smith (December 15, 1896 – January 17, 1972), who wrote A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a classic about a sensitive young girl who escapes the grim realities of her tenement life through reading.

I always thought the author was Irish-American, but she was born Elisabeth Wehner, the daughter of German immigrants. I guess I am thinking of the movie based on her famous book–the characters are all so Irish. It is a good movie and Peggy Ann Garner as Francie Nolan is quite affecting. James Dunn won an Academy Award for best supporting actor as Francie’s pathetic drunk of a father (whom she loves very much nevertheless.) He deserved the award, although I always had the feeling he was playing himself.

The characters are very real and the movie does not gloss over the hard realities of the book. This is probably due to the fact that the film is directed by the great Elia Kazan–in his directorial debut.

Anyway, a good book, a good movie–hat’s off and happy birthday to Betty Smith!

“People always think that happiness is a faraway thing,” thought Francie, “something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up; a place of shelter when it rains – a cup of strong hot coffee when you’re blue; for a man, a cigarette for contentment; a book to read when you’re alone – just to be with someone you love. Those things make happiness.”

I should also mention that yesterday was the birthday of one of my most favorite writers, Shirley Jackson (December 14, 1916 – August 8, 1965). I will happily toast both ladies. How about you?

*A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

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December 14, 2015

Rejoice, rejoice, believers, and let your lights appear!*

by chuckofish

I did a very brave thing this weekend. I took an eighth grader out to lunch. Yes, as a confirmation mentor, it was time to go to a confirmation class again on Sunday before church. So I asked my mentee to go to lunch after church.

Being in the class threw me into a time warp. I remembered so vividly what it was like to be in eighth grade again. The awkwardness. The resistance to participating in the proceedings. OMG, what fresh hell is this?

Not that we had mentors back in the day. It is a good idea and a bad idea at the same time, you know? All that awkwardness made public. Ugh. Daughter #2 assures me that, although it is awkward now, it is a good thing in the long run. The kids will learn something about talking to people other than their peers and will probably look back on it fondly in the future. I think she’s just being nice.

We had a guest in the class–a man with MS, a surgeon who can no longer practice, who talked about his life. Afterwards when we were discussing his visit, I told the class that Rudy had just explained one of the secrets of life to them and I hoped they were paying attention. Live in the day. He also reminded us that the Plan is His and not ours. Be grateful for what you have, because it can change. Be grateful for the change too.

We also watched this video:

I had to give credit to the teacher–it’s a good song, even if the kids had no idea who Steve Earle is. Anyway, I said the revolution starts in your own backyard. Just be nice to the fat girl on the school bus. Be nice. As old Fred Buechner said, if you want to be holy, be kind.

I have a feeling that everyone involved in this Sunday morning activity was uncomfortable, and I guess that’s the point. For me anyway. It is a good thing to push oneself out of what we used to call “our comfort zone.”

Even if it is just having lunch with an eighth grader.

*Advent hymn #68

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