dual personalities

March 6, 2025

A firebell in the night*

by chuckofish

In case you have forgotten, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a law that tried to address growing sectional tensions over the issue of slavery. By passing the law, the U.S. Congress admitted Missouri to the Union as a state that allowed slavery, and Maine as a free state. It also banned slavery from the remaining Louisiana Purchase lands located north of the 36º 30’ parallel (the southern border of Missouri). The U.S. Congress passed the legislation on March 3, 1820, and President James Monroe signed it on March 6, 1820–over 200 years ago.

Thomas Jefferson considered it “as the knell of the Union. It is hushed indeed for the moment, but this is a reprieve only, not a final sentence.”* It was a temporary fix.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act effectively repealed the bill in 1854, and the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), both of which increased tensions over slavery and contributed, as you can imagine, to the Civil War.

In other news, in case you missed it, yesterday was Ash Wednesday–I only found out because it is printed on my weekly planner! Well, gee, we forgot to have pancakes on Tuesday and make meaningless resolutions about Lent and self-care. I was busy praying hard for daughter #1 to make it home safely, flying on a small jet from Colorado on a very windy (and intermittently snowy) day. (She made it home and picked up Mr. Smith at the kennel and made it to her Wednesday night Bible study!)

And here’s an important reminder.

I will also mention that Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died a few days ago. It is strange to see so many pictures of him since for so many years she never appeared with him in public and no one even really knew what he looked like.

He was quite a handsome dude. And a lucky one. We’ll toast him (and Dolly) tonight. May flights of angels lead you on your way, Carl.

*Jefferson to Holmes, April 22, 1820

3 Comments
March 5, 2025

Midweek thoughts

by chuckofish

At the suggestion of daughter #1 I am re-reading The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. It is very good and the type of literary mystery written by an intelligent and educated author, which you rarely run across these days.

“Did no one, any more, no one in all this wide world, change their record now and then? Was everyone nowadays thirled to a formula? Authors wrote so much to a pattern that their public expected it. The public talked about “a new Silas Weekly” or “a new Lavinia Fitch” exactly as they talked about “a new brick” or “a new hairbrush.” They never said “a new book by” whoever it might be. Their interest was not in the book but in its newness. They knew quite well what the book would be like.”

The Daughter of Time was chosen by the Crime Writers’ Association in 1990 as the greatest crime novel of all time(!). After this, I will try to find some of her other books to read.

I wonder if Hilary Mantel read this book–because Tey brings Sir Thomas More to task for writing the “definitive” history of Richard III based soley on hearsay. He was actually five years old when everything transpired. He was not a witness. Did this book get her thinking about Thomas More? Did she come to the conclusion that Thomas More was a monster and not a saint….Interesting.

Well, the bud and his dad came over yesterday afternoon and we had a gab fest and the bud jumped in with the Beanie Babies for a rollicking good time…

We discussed movies and books and the state of the world.

I liked this one from Tim Challies. “God’s plan all along has been to use ordinary leaders to accomplish extraordinary things.”

And this made me laugh (and cry)…

Hang in there!

5 Comments
March 4, 2025

“And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen.”*

by chuckofish

So Gene Hackman died last month. He was 95 and had had a long and fruitful career/life. Over the weekend I watched my two favorite GH movies: Bite the Bullet (1975) and Hoosiers (1986). I enjoyed them both very much.

Bite the Bullet is a western written and directed by Richard Brooks who also wrote/directed The Professionals (1966). They are similar in a lot of (good) ways. A ragtag group of misfit men (including two former Rough Riders) and one woman are trying to get somewhere and have to cross a desert. They are good people and the one young jerk learns from the older, wiser men and changes. Each player is given one or two good scenes where they confess their secrets, but there is relatively little dialogue. Everyone handles the physical stuff like pros. It is the kind of movie I like best.

Hoosiers is one of the best sports movies ever and even if, like me, you couldn’t care less about basketball, you can’t help getting carried away by it all.

Of course, Gene Hackman made a lot of other good movies during his long career. I remember when my parents went to see The French Connection in 1971. They came home and were very excited about this great movie, which they had enjoyed very much.

Gene Hackman was always convincing and real–as a good guy and as a bad guy. I prefer the good guys.

In other news, the crocus at Don’s house are blooming!

The daffodils in my yard are about six inches tall and there are some buds! Some of them do look a bit frost-bitten. Hopefully they will be okay.

*Pre-game prayer, Hoosiers

3 Comments
March 3, 2025

Postcards from the weekend–it is well with my soul edition

by chuckofish

Is anything more stressful than having tech problems? Yes, I can think of several things, but still you understand what I mean…My email account was locked for three days and it took three attempts and finally daughter #1 mediating for her elderly parents with Vijay in India to get it fixed…

But fixed it is and, praise Jesus, I am slowly regaining my composure.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul. 

It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

We had a lovely, sunny weekend. After reaching 70 degrees on Friday (not a record) when everyone was out and about and a parking place in downtown Kirkwood was not to be found, the weekend was much colder. On Sunday we picked up the twins and brought them to church. (Lacrosse season is about to start and their Dad’s store was a madhouse over the weekend.) They enjoyed Sunday School, but their depravity self-checking during the service earned them a B- from me. C’est la vie, they are eight and the sermon was a long one on Hebrews 10:26-39. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

After depositing them back with their Dad at the store, we went to lunch at the house of our “fold” leader with two other couples. It was very nice–and the conversation was excellent. Then we headed home to meet daughter #1 and Mr. Smith, who stayed with us overnight so I could take him (again) to the kennel this morning. Daughter #1 had to get up early and head to Colorado for work.

So remember what Frederick Buechner said: “In everything,” Paul says, they are to keep on praying. Come Hell or high water, they are to keep on asking, keep on thanking, above all keep on making themselves known. He does not promise them that as a result they will be delivered from the worst things any more than Jesus himself was delivered from them. What he promises them instead is that “the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  

Amen, brother.

And here is a talk Anne gave last week wherein she asks (among other things) “Where Are We Going, and Why Are We in This Handbasket?”

Have a great Monday!

2 Comments
February 28, 2025

TGIF.

by chuckofish

Well, I survived my trip to three coal mines in three days. By the end, I was so worn out that I rolled up to the hotel still wearing my steel-toe boots and neon safety vest while checking in. The company’s COO said to me, in his Australian accent, “You look like a regular mina!” Thankfully, the Courtyard by Marriott in Evansville has a bar.

When I picked up Mr. Smith from the kennel, he looked like he was auditioning for the part of Harry in Harry the Dirty Dog. That is to say, he was D-I-R-T-Y. Like the dirtiest I have ever seen him. He had a good time. And he’ll get his usual Friday bath at the dog spa. Now that I think about it, Mr. Smith actually looked like he’d been at work in a coal mine.

I think iphone corrected the dirt. Seriously.

While I was driving home tonight I heard part of the JOY Couch Concert with Blessing Offor. He told a story about how he grew up in Nigeria and only listened to Christian or praise music. But when he moved to America he thought all music was Christian. He thought Bob Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love” was a Christian song. Funnily enough, I’ve heard people debate this at my church. I think it passes. (Even if it does make me think of the movie Hope Floats).

What do you think? And here’s a Blessing Offor song as a bonus.

3 Comments
February 27, 2025

Talkin’ baseball

by chuckofish

February is almost in the rearview mirror, and I am not complaining. Some Big News this week was that the New York Yankees baseball organization has dropped its infamous beard ban, which dated back to legendary owner, the late George Steinbrenner.

This news, of course reminded me of the classic The Simpsons episode, Homer at the Bat, wherein the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team has a winning season led by Homer. However, Mr. Burns makes a large bet that the team will win the playoff and brings in nine ringers from the “big leagues” to ensure his success. Mr. Burns begins to micro-manage and hilarity ensues. For example. he kicks Don Mattingly off the team for failing to shave off his (non-existent) sideburns.

Which just goes to prove that truly there is nothing that cannot be related back to a Simpsons episode.

Or to the Bible:

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. — 1 Corinthians 9:25

2 Comments
February 26, 2025

You have been God’s grace to me

by chuckofish

Monday I successfully dropped off Mr. Smith at Silver Maple kennel after an early morning belly-scratch session. He never looked back, so happy was he to be there. He definitely is a ‘no regrets’ kind of dog. I’m sure there is a lesson there for all of us.

The weather has been lovely–blue skies and temperatures in the 60s–I even went to the park and walked around the pond. Hard to believe it was so cold and snowy last week!

I talked to my sister who is a grandmother as of last Friday. Congratulations to all! The baby boy weighed over 10 pounds!

The boy brought the bud over yesterday afternoon while Lottie went to dance class. The bud wanted to do some driveway sittin’ (the first of the year!) and I can’t say no to him. He broke up some ice on the driveway and made friends with the cat next door (named Messi after his hero) and patted a dog walking by. There were a lot of people, in fact, passing by and cars with whom he raced (a Honda! a Fiat! an Audi!)–good grief. He wiped out racing a UPS truck and we went inside to get a bandaid and watched some Wild Kratts until his dad returned. All in a boy’s day…

Daughter #1 returns today from work adventures in Indiana and I am looking forward to a glass of wine and hearing about her exploits.

I talked to daughter #2 and she told me she had just read Home by Marilyn Robinson, which was quite a delight after all the bad contemporary “literature” she has read recently. This warmed my heart. She had many good insights with which I concurred. I started re-reading Gilead after our conversation. Wonderful.

“I’m writing this in part to tell you that if you ever wonder what you’ve done in your life, and everyone does wonder sooner or later, you have been God’s grace to me, a miracle, something more than a miracle. You may not remember me very well at all, and it may seem to you to be no great thing to have been the good child of an old man in a shabby little town you will no doubt leave behind. If only I had the words to tell you.”

So praise God from whom all blessings flow, pet a nice dog, watch a boy play in the yard, read an old book, reach out to the ones you love. They are God’s grace to you.

3 Comments
February 25, 2025

“All I’m saying is… “*

by chuckofish

Today we toast Don Knotts, who died on this day in 2006. I have to admit that he made me laugh as a child and he still does. Knotts won five Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy between 1961 and 1968. Barney Fife was one of a kind.

And you have to love Andy who is always so patient with him. He was the perfect foil.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Most of Don’s movies were not great, but I have to admit a certain affection for The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964). I wonder what the twins would make of it? We may have to check it out.

Truly Hollywood could never make a movie like that today. “I wish, I wish, I wish I were a fish…”

Enjoy your Tuesday. I think I’ll work on memorizing the preamble to the Constitution.

*Barney Fife

5 Comments
February 24, 2025

You never gave up on me

by chuckofish

Well, the sun came out and it warmed up a lot here in flyover country. Everyone was out and about on Saturday. Daughter #1 and I ventured out to go estate sale-ing and drove all over but we were not very successful–got a couple of books and said ‘hey’ to Lamar. We were more successful at the Joann’s fabric store going-out-of-business sale. We went out to lunch, which we had not done in quite awhile, and got pretty silly thinking about Steve Gutenberg and his faded stardom. “The stonecutters aren’t doing their job.”

It was our Missions weekend at church so the OM and I were there twice. On Friday night we went to the banquet where we heard an update on the missionaries we support. There was more about that on Sunday morning during Sunday School and in the sermon. We picked up Lottie and brought her with us (the bud was busy doing something) and she went to Sunday School and then church with us. She seems so grown up these days! We went to the Sunny Street diner after and that was fun. Then we went home…

…and after the obligatory jump in the Beanie Baby mosh pit, we found all my old Barbies etc in the basement and got them out. She entertained herself while we talked to her Dad for awhile when he came to pick her up. Then they left to go to Lacrosse practice. Busy, busy.

Shortly after that daughter #1 came over to drop off Mr. Smith who spent the night with us, so that I could take him to the Kennel this morning while she left bright and early to go to Indiana for work.

In other news, back in the fall I got the idea of bringing some pelargoniums inside for the winter from @carlosgarciainteriors and I’m glad I did. They are doing great inside!

They are even blooming!

This is what I call exciting in my life!

And here’s a song I like:

Have a good Monday!

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.

–Robert Robinson, 1758

7 Comments
February 21, 2025

As usual, I am here to remind you that it is Friday!

by chuckofish

Well, hello, readers. And a happy Friday. We made it once more to the weekend. I know Mr. Smith is ready.

I am ready too. It was a short week for me, but busy nonetheless. As my mother noted, I successfully got through the Washington’s Birthday Wreath Laying at Lafayette Park. And looked lovely on TV in my puffy coat and pom pom hat.

This was all after I exhausted my social battery at the women’s retreat hosted by my church. It was a lovely day and a half event–but boy was I pooped when it was over! However, I will note that I have grown to really appreciate the women’s ministry. In this modern age, it is refreshing to have events that are geared to women but without expectations or judgement for place in life. I highly recommend finding a church with a strong and active women’s ministry.

And now, to step off my soap box, I thought I would share a few dog related memes. Because I know that’s really why you came to see the Friday post.

Funnily enough, my roommate at the retreat and I discovered we are neighbors. And when I was describing my house, I was like my dog is always in the window and he barks at everyone who walks by. She knew which one was mine.

I’m off to Indiana next week for several days for work. Mr. Smith will head to his favorite place, the kennel. Prayers for safe travel!

4 Comments