dual personalities

July 4, 2024

For what avail the plough or sail, Or land or life, if freedom fail?

by chuckofish

Happy Independence Day!

We grant no dukedoms to the few,
We hold like rights and shall;-
Equal on Sunday in the pew,
On Monday in the mall.
For what avail the plough or sail,
Or land or life, if freedom fail?

The noble craftsmen we promote,
Disown the knave and fool;
Each honest man shall have his vote,
Each child shall have his school.
A union then of honest men,
Or union nevermore again.

–Ralph Waldo Emerson, from “Boston”–read it here.

Today in St. Louis we are also celebrating the 150th anniversary of the opening of Eads Bridge, a true architectural marvel. It was the first bridge in St. Louis, the first in the world to use steel and the first in the U.S. to use caissons for its piers.

At the time there were many doubters who were concerned about the safety of the structure, but people were reassured two weeks before the grand opening by the sight of an elephant lumbering across the wagon deck. It was an unscientific test, but in the 19th century many people believed elephants knew instinctively not to set foot on unsound structures. (This made me think of that famous scene in Gunga Din (1939) when the elephant is willing to step onto the rickety bridge to follow Cary Grant…)

Needless to say, Eads bridge was sound…

Well then, exactly at daybreak on July 4, 1874 on a clear and sunny day, a thirteen-gun salute was fired to honor the original colonies of the United States. At 9 a.m. 100 guns were fired, fifty on each side of the the Mississippi River, to signal the beginning of a huge parade.

“A link of steel unites the East and West” was painted on one side of the bridge’s main arch. On the other side, decorated with evergreens, appeared a fifty-foot-high portrait of the man of the hour, James B. Eads. A display of fireworks completed the evening festivities.

I hope you all have fun plans to celebrate Independence Day with friends and family. If not, read some Emerson or Whitman, watch an old movie like Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) or Alleghany Uprising (1939)…

What is the meaning of this intrusion?

…Read Esther Forbes’ fine book Paul Revere and the World He Lived In or Eric Metaxas’ If You Can Keep It: the Forgotten Promise of American Liberty or David McCullough’s 1776.

“The year 1776, celebrated as the birth year of the nation and for the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was for those who carried the fight for independence forward a year of all-too-few victories, of sustained suffering, disease, hunger, desertion, cowardice, disillusionment, defeat, terrible discouragement, and fear, as they would never forget, but also of phenomenal courage and bedrock devotion to country, and that, too they would never forget.”

Be proud. Be loud. Open the windows and blast your neighbors! That’s what we did when I was growing up. We had this LP and this was one of my favorite pieces:

God bless America!

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July 3, 2024

Come and see, look on this mystery

by chuckofish

It is a sultry day; the sun has drunk

The dew that lay upon the morning grass;

There is no rustling in the lofty elm

That canopies my dwelling, and its shade

Scarce cools me. All is silent, save the faint

And interrupted murmur of the bee,

Settling on the sick flowers, and then again

Instantly on the wing.

–William Cullen Bryant, “Summer Wind”–read it here.

Yesterday I had lunch with two old (and much older than I) friends at the fancy retirement home where they live. It is always a delight to meet with them and talk about what we are reading, re-reading and what we are finding to watch on TV/streaming. One of them walks on the treadmill every morning and recites the Gettysburg Address from memory. I told him about the guy I used to know who recited the lyrics to Abide With Me while maintaining a plank position every morning. We avoid discussing politics but one of them said that the (very liberal) interfaith group he was in fell apart this year following the events of October 7. This is troubling, but no surprise to me I said. It is not the evangelicals the Jews have to worry about. I have no doubt that I am somewhat of a mystery to them, but we respect each other, and yes, even love each other. And that is the way it should be.

So meet an old friend for lunch, read some poetry out loud, memorize something! And here’s a hymn that we heard in church on Sunday that the boy really liked:



Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts
He is our great redeemer
Sing to Jesus, honor His name

(The painting above is by Winslow Homer, 1878)

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July 2, 2024

“The vast space of the sky overhead so clear, and the buzzard up there sailing his slow whirl in majestic spirals and discs”*

by chuckofish

We enjoyed another beautiful summer day yesterday with low humidity and a high of 81 degrees. Zut alors! Practically unheard of for our part of flyover country in July!

I ran errands and busied myself getting ready for the 4th of July. By then it will have warmed up considerably and will do doubt be raining. But c’est la vie.

I thought this video about vultures was great. They are indeed one of God’s ugliest creations, but also one of the most amazing. (There is a lesson there.) We see them frequently around here, sailing their slow majestic spirals, but I have never seen one up close (except at the zoo). Once when crossing the Missouri River we saw a tree filled with them on the riverside.

Never stoops the soaring vulture
On his quarry in the desert,
On the sick or wounded bison,
But another vulture, watching
From his high aerial look-out
Sees the downward plunge, and follows;
And a third pursues the second,
Coming from invisible ether,
First a speck, and then a vulture ,
Till the air is dark with pinions.

–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from “Hiawatha”

Sometimes vultures make for a scene of horror, such as in the movie The Four Feathers (1939). And sometimes they save the day as in the book The Searchers by Alan LeMay.

Meanwhile, Idabelle learns how to water the porch…

…and the Hibiscus is ready to pop!

Enjoy the day!

*Walt Whitman, from “A July Afternoon by the Pond”

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July 1, 2024

Abide with me

by chuckofish

Happy first day of July!

Another weekend has come and gone. Did you have a fun one? Daughter #1 and I had our usual happy hour on Friday, followed by the OM bringing us Chick-fil-a and watching a movie–this time we watched Wayne’s World (1992). I had not seen it since the 1990s and it was surprisingly harmless and amusing. I enjoyed bringing daughter #1 up to speed with the cultural references.

Saturday night I finally got to watch The Longest Day (1962) which I enjoyed very much. I know my father must have enjoyed seeing it when it came out. He was 40 years old and only ten years out of the army. He had a desk job during WWII, but he was proud to have served. In the Korean Conflict he was in England in the Strategic Air Command. My brother told me when we were together in Michigan a few weeks ago that when ANC III flew home from England when my mother was giving birth in Savannah, GA, his plane crash landed. I never knew that. Wow.

The other highlight of the weekend was going to church with the boy and the twins. We had a good adult Sunday School class followed by a sermon on Psalm 4. (We are working our way through the Psalms.) Once again the twins were minimally depraved. Their father said, “They could have been better,” but I gave them an A for sitting through a 30-minute PCA sermon like good Calvinists. We went home afterwards and frolicked with Mr. Smith…

…and enjoyed some driveway sittin’.

We ate leftovers from the OM’s casserole which he made for the men’s breakfast on Saturday. Daughter #1 brought fruit salad. Of course, there was Prosecco. Life is good.

You have put more joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abounded.

–Psalm 4:7

And a happy, happy 7th anniversary to daughter #2 and DN!

A toast to you both and that happy day! Time sure flies!

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June 28, 2024

“I once thought I had mono for an entire year. It turned out I was just really bored.”

by chuckofish

Well, well, well, it is Friday again. Thank goodness. Yesterday, I went to the eye doctor and got fresh contacts. I’ve been wearing my glasses for a month and I am so. happy. to. be. wearing. contacts. again. Afterwards, I met my mother for lunch before returning to work. It was a cool 85 degrees so we sat outside. What a treat!

As I mentioned in my last post, it was quite the week for this homeowner. I had my landscaping done, my gutters cleaned, and my driveway resurfaced. I check my privilege a lot, but man, nothing feels more privileged than having several men clean up your yard for you. My landscaping is pretty bare now, and it has been too hot for mulching, but when the yard looks a little more put back together, I’ll share pictures.

Here is your weekly dose of Mr. Smith looking cute.

I was amused on Saturday to find that Amazon had delivered a blu-ray copy of Wayne’s World. I’d forgotten that I’d ordered it several glasses of wine deep on Friday night. I guess this is what my mother and I will be watching tonight. I’m not mad.

And here are some funny things I’ve saved from the Instagram explore feed.

*The title is from Wayne’s World. Gotta say, scrolling through the IMDB quotes page got me very excited to watch it again (probably for the first time in 20 years). Have a great weekend!

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June 27, 2024

That’ll preach

by chuckofish

Amen, brother.

Read the Bible, find a church with good biblical preaching. And also this. “Let us fall before the majesty of our great God.”

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June 26, 2024

She’s borne the burden and heat of the day

by chuckofish

Time continues to march on and we are nearly halfway into the year.

It is hot here, and the hostas are looking pretty droopy and sad. The lawn, despite copious watering, is burning up. But the day lilies are amazing as usual–they love the heat! They scoff at the lack of rain. They just keep going.

(Photos taken from my car!)

This old plant is native to Asia and arrived on our shores early during the colonial period from Europe. It was so popular, and “passed along” from so many gardeners to their neighbors, it now grows happily from coast to coast, often along roadsides. When wagon trains went west, the old orange day lilies rode along with many a frontier gardener. I think that’s great.

Everyone should have some day lilies in their yard!

Today we remember my mother who died on this day in 1988. I can’t believe I have lived over half my life without her. Here she is with her baby sister Donna circa 1934.

Weep not, weep not,
She is not dead;
She’s resting in the bosom of Jesus.
Heart-broken husband–weep no more;
Grief-stricken son–weep no more;
Left-lonesome daughter –weep no more;
She only just gone home.

— from “Go Down, Death” by James Weldon Johnson (who also died on this day in 1938)

Amen.

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June 25, 2024

Catching up

by chuckofish

Since I have had such a busy two weeks, I confess I fell behind in my daily Bible reading. However, I have caught up and it wasn’t easy considering I was in 1 and 2 Kings. Lots of violence and mayhem and even sassy boys being devoured by bears! But it did supply me with a good bear story for the twins on Sunday, complete with a moral: never call a prophet of God “you baldhead!” Show some respect or it will not end well for you. (I keep my MacArthur Bible Commentary close by to explain these sometimes troubling passages.)

Speaking of bears, a baby bear was spotted in Ballwin, a neighboring suburb here in flyover country, which is a little too close for my comfort. (Since then it has been spotted in Sunset Hills and Kirkwood!) Where there’s a baby bear, there’s a mama bear close by.

Today we remember George Armstrong Custer and his brothers, Thomas Ward Custer and Boston Custer who all died on this day in 1876 at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Custer’s nephew and brother-in-law died there as well.

And Myles Keogh. You remember Myles…

Side note: Our ancestor, Arthur Newell Chamberlin, fought at the battle of the Rosebud Creek (between the U.S. Army and its Crow and Shoshone allies against the Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne) eight days before and lived, thankfully, to tell the tale.

In local news, the day before on June 24, 1876, Forest Park was formally opened in our fair city. This 1,380-acre tract had been purchased by the city a year earlier for just under $800,000. Because more than 1,100 acres of its land was forested, the name Forest Park was agreed upon. At the time of its purchase the park was considered to be ridiculously far from the city–of which it is now a central and integral part. The park’s vital role in the life of St. Louis really began in 1904, when it served as the site for the St. Louis World’s Fair.

It was, and still is, pretty great.

So seize the day, learn some history, watch an old movie! And count it all joy.

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June 23, 2024

Happy at home

by chuckofish

“To be happy at home, said Johnson, is the end of all human endeavor. As long as we are thinking only of natural values we must say that the sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal, or two friends talking over a pint of beer, or a man alone reading a book that interests him; and that all economics, politics, laws, armies, and institutions, save in so far as they prolong and multiply such scenes, are a mere ploughing the sand and sowing the ocean, a meaningless vanity and vexation of spirit.” –C.S. Lewis

Wowee is it ever summer here in flyover country! Keeping cool is our top priority. That mean’s plenty of ice cream/frozen custard and wine coolers.

We went to Lottie’s big dance recital on Saturday–because that’s what Mamus and sweet aunts do–and it was really special.

She had a cheering section of nine who sat through a program of 49 numbers to see her 2 minutes of the dance-o-rama. That is love.

On Sunday the boy and the twins joined us at church and they earned A++ marks for depravity-free behavior. They are big 2nd graders now so they stay for the whole service!

After church we all went home and the OM barbecued burgers and hot dogs. Daughter #1 brought a bubble blaster from Costco which was a big hit. Mr. Smith was in dog heaven frolicking with the twins.

It was good to get back into our old routine. (At least for a few weeks–it’s turning out to be a busy summer!)

And can you believe (yes, of course, you can!) the whining of various individuals and groups regarding the singing of “10 German Bombers” by British soccer fans at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dusseldorf? Good God, people, get over yourselves!

And the RAF from England shot them down! Yes, they did.

Well, have a good week! Look up from your phone and keep fighting against the meaningless vanity and vexation of spirit that permeates our lives.

4 Comments

June 21, 2024

This was a long week, was it not?

by chuckofish

Well, hello and happy Friday, dear readers. The alarm on my phone just went off–and I can’t remember why I set it! I hope it was to remind me to write a blog post. I guess merely setting the reminder alarm is no longer enough–I’ll have to start labelling them! This is worthy of a facepalm emoji and an oy vey.

Well enough about that. I did not spend the week toiling at VBS but I did have to work all day each day. And then take my silly dog on a hot walk. But I’m not complaining. Mr. Smith continues to adjust to his new lifestyle of guard dog several feet removed from the windows.

Quit bothering me, I’m watching the neighbors.

I am very excited because, having lived in my house for a year, I am finally starting some home improvement projects. For instance, this past weekend I painted my front door. It used to be a bright royal blue which was a bit much for my taste. I think the green is an improvement, even if it isn’t quite the color I had in mind. I’m pleased. And I’ll do the backdoor this weekend.

Tomorrow, I am having my landscaping cleaned up and a (small) dead tree cut down. I am really looking forward to my mother no longer commenting on the dead tree every time she comes over. And also having a more presentable yard. Next week, my driveway is being resurfaced. I’m a real homeowner, Gepetto!

I will close with this, because it really did make me laugh out loud.

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