dual personalities

Well my mother and I are off to Nashville this morning. We have not been since 2018 when we had a hip wedding to attend. After I won the Bill Anderson sweepstakes, which included tickets to the Country Music Hall of Fame, we’ve been trying to commit to a weekend. We felt that the opening of the new Patty Loveless exhibit at the Hall of Fame was a good reason to venture south–especially since Patty will be speaking there on Saturday!

Here she is checking out the new exhibit in her honor. Patty has always been a favorite of ours. Those 90s country music ladies were great–and there’s no one like them now. We are also going to the Grand Ole Opry where we’ll get to see Opry standards like Jeannie Seely (still performing at 83) and The Whites. But Ricky Skaggs will be there and Deana Carter, also. It will be fun just to be there–we haven’t been since 1997!

Anyway, pray for safe travels (we’re driving) and enjoy the Nashville Skyline Rag.

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August 24, 2023

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may

by chuckofish

The twins are back in school–first grade!

Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

(Jerry Bock)

Oy. On that note we remind you of the poet Robert Herrick (1591-1664) who wrote:

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.

And can it already be the birthday of Jorge Luis Borges? It is!

And yet, and yet… Denying temporal succession, denying the self, denying the astronomical universe, are apparent desperations and secret consolations. Our destiny … is not frightful by being unreal; it is frightful because it is irreversible and iron-clad. Time is the substance I am made of. Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire. The world, unfortunately, is real; I, unfortunately, am Borges.

Bonus: this is an excellent article by Kevin DeYoung about corporate responsibility, repentance and guilt. “The sins of the past are far from irrelevant. And yet we are not meant to live with a sense of corporate guilt for an ethnic, racial, or biological identity we did not choose and from which we cannot be free. Self-flagellation is not a requirement for spiritual maturity.”

So festina lente, keep cool, read some poetry, and note the time–it’s later than you think!

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August 23, 2023

It matters not how straight the gate

by chuckofish

We are in the middle of a flyover heatwave, so there is not much going on! Everyone is keeping cool inside (if they can) and that includes me.

It is good weather for reading poetry–perhaps a poem by William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) whose birthday is today.

You may recall that his famous poem “Invictus” was the favorite of Nelson Mandela who recited it to his fellow prisoners at Robben Prison. Clint Eastwood named his biographical sports movie Invictus (2009) after the poem.

This poem doesn’t really take into consideration God’s providence, but I can see how it resonates with some people. Sadly, I am unable to think of Henley and his most famous poem without remembering Richard Armour’s parody: Out of the night that covers me/ Black as the pit from pole to pole,/ I thank whatever gods may be/ I have not fallen in a hole.

Also, I did not know that the one-legged Henley was the inspiration for the character Long John Silver in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. File that fun fact away.

I see hummingbirds in my garden not infrequently. When I catch a glimpse, I always think it is a very large insect and then I realize, no, it’s a hummingbird! They are amazing creatures indeed.

So keep cool, read some poetry, and remember:

The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honorable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

(Psalm 111:2-3)

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August 22, 2023

“Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

by chuckofish

Today we toast screenwriter Julius J. Epstein (1909-2000) on his birthday. After graduating from Penn State where he became an NCAA Bantamweight Champion, he and his twin brother went to Hollywood where they hoped to work in the movies. They were successful, and he is most fondly remembered for having written (along with his brother Philip and Howard Koch) the screenplay to Casablanca (1940) for which the writers won an Academy Award. Indeed, they wrote some very good movies, but it should also be noted that the Epsteins were also responsible for the adaption of the J.D. Salinger’s short story which became My Foolish Heart (1949)–a movie so bad that it turned Salinger off Hollywood forever. After his brother died, Julius continued to write screenplays, including one of my favorites, Send Me No Flowers (1964) starring Rock Hudson and Doris Day.

Well, you win some, you lose some.

Thinking of Casablanca made me think of a text discussion I had with the boy where we were talking about the best final shots in a movie. The Twitter trail he had been following posited movie endings I could not even identify…

I mean, I saw The Shining once back in like 1983 but…

Here are some much better ones. Can you name these famous final shots?

Ring, ring…

Look, Marguerite–England!

So let’s toast Julius Epstein and watch an old movie with a great ending! (I’ll put the answers in the Comments section later today.)

9 Comments

August 21, 2023

Come ye sinners, poor and needy

by chuckofish

We are really in the dog days of summer now, but on Friday it was still nice enough to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine. Mr. Smith sat like a good dog with us and was not too distracted by the flora and fauna. As little Katie would say, “Mr. Smith is growin’ up!”

Earlier on Friday I met the boy down at the Link Auction Galleries and he picked up a glass-front bookcase for me and a large oriental rug for daughter #1 before rushing off to open his store. He came back on Sunday afternoon and moved the bookcase inside from the garage and the rug over to her house.

What would I do without him and his truck?

I watched Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 (2023) on my friend’s very large television and I enjoyed it, although it was much too long–2 hours and 30 minutes! It could easily have been edited to an hour and a half, but today’s moviemakers are so self-indulgent, they have no idea how to edit a movie.

It was very good to be back at church after missing for two weeks when I was out of town and then sick. We even sang my new favorite hymn:

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
lost and ruined by the fall;
if you tarry till you’re better,
you will never come at all.

And is this baby too cute or what?

Life is full of blessings. Be sure to count yours every day!

4 Comments

August 18, 2023

Do us a favor!

by chuckofish

Today, I thought I’d go through the photos on my phone and share some of the screengrabs that I’ve taken for inspo slash amusement. I threw in some memes and dog pics as well. Happy Friday!

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August 17, 2023

Live Free or Die*

by chuckofish

Bennington Battle Day is observed on August 16 annually, and this year it marked the 245th year of the battle. It is a state holiday in Vermont honoring the American victory against the British forces during the American Revolutionary War.

The Bennington Battle began in July 1777 when the British forces led by General John Burgoyne captured Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence. Their goal was to cut off New England from their other colonies. On August 9, General Burgoyne sent German Lt. Colonel Friedrich Baum with an armed troop consisting of 800 men to raid Bennington and plunder food supplies and ammunition. On August 14, this raiding party won the battle over the American militia, which was led by Brigadier-General John Stark. However, the battle didn’t stop there. The New Hampshire militia regrouped and grew in number to prepare for the final battle that took place just two days later. Reinforced by Vermont militiamen led by Colonel Seth Warner and members of the Green Mountain Boys, they decisively won the battle, capturing at least 700 men.

In 1877, a local historical society began to plan a monument for the battle’s centennial celebration, which was eventually attended by President Rutherford B. Hayes. The monument’s cornerstone was laid in 1887, and it was completed in November 1889 at a total cost of $112,000 (including the site). Dedication ceremonies were delayed until 1891, when President Benjamin Harrison attended the ceremonies. Statues of John Stark , Seth Warner and other notables ornament the grounds.

You may recall that John Stark, while hunting in 1752, was captured by Abenaki Indians, taken to Canada and made to run the gauntlet. Stark grabbed a club and attacked the Indians who were so impressed by his courage that he was adopted into the tribe. (He was later ransomed.) Stark fought through the French and Indian War as an officer in Roger’s Rangers. With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Stark became colonel in the New Hampshire Militia. Stark fought at the Battles of Bunker Hill, Trenton and Princeton, before returning to New Hampshire to raise more men for the Continental Army and leading the Americans at the Battle of Bennington.

And he was married to the redoubtable Molly Stark.

My question is: why was there never a movie made about this hero? Really, there are only a very few movies of consequence about the revolutionary period. The only ones that come to mind are Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), Alleghany Uprising (1939) and Northwest Passage (1940). Can you think of any others? (Please don’t say The Patriot.)

Our country’s 250th birthday approaches–so read some history, watch an (old) movie, visit an historical site. Join your local historical society!

*“Live Free or Die. Death is not the greatest of evils.”–John Stark

3 Comments

August 16, 2023

Your work in the Lord is not in vain*

by chuckofish

Yesterday afternoon I watched the livestream of Tim Keller’s Memorial Service in Manhattan. It was no celebrity show. There was no super choir. No pomp–It was strictly Presbyterian down the line, with men in grey suits, plenty of scripture, good hymns and Christ at the center. As one would expect, Keller wrote down his detailed wishes before he died and they were followed scrupulously. Remarkably, it was held in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral–presumably to accommodate the size of the congregation and because he and Cardinal Dolan were friends. Cardinal Dolan welcomed the gathering and then humbly stepped aside.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27)

Keep us in Christ Jesus.

Here’s the bulletin. You can watch it here.

*I Corinthians 15:58

3 Comments

August 15, 2023

What have you learned, Dorothy?

by chuckofish

Today we toast The Wizard of Oz (1939) which debuted on this date 84 years ago!

I have written many times of how I love this movie and consider it one of my top 5 faves of all time and, indeed, one of the best movies ever made.

In reading up on it I found the answer to a question I have asked for all my years of viewing. I had always wondered about the leader of the Witch’s band of flying monkeys, the one who is always by her side. He seemed so monkey-like–was he an actual monkey or was he a man playing a monkey?

Answer: He was played by a man, Pat Walshe.

What an amazing performance! Like all the details in this perfect movie, he is perfect.

Walshe was sought after for the role due to his extensive vaudeville and circus experience and his acclaimed ape imitations. While the other monkeys wore simple rubber masks, Walshe needed to appear in closeups, so multi-piece prosthetic makeup was produced for him, moulded to his features and glued to his face. He also wore a full fur body suit, with a short open tunic as well as a tail and wings. (Unlike the other monkeys, Nikko’s wings are clipped to prevent him from flying. As a result, he is confined mostly to the Witch’s castle and does not take part in the forest capture of Dorothy.)

Though he had no spoken lines, performing only through physical movement, he received on-screen credit, which was rare, indeed.

Although Walshe is listed in the film’s credits as “Nikko”, and despite his frequent appearances, the name “Nikko” is never spoken. As a result, fans of the movie have been confused about the identity of Nikko–wondering if he is the head of the Witch’s guards or, like me, thinking perhaps he was the doorman to the Wizard of Oz, who seemed to be Frank Morgan, or was he?

Well, now we know. Nikko was the leader of the flying monkeys, who was played by a tiny man, Pat Walshe.

You’re welcome.

5 Comments

August 14, 2023

“I cannot go to school today,”/Said little Peggy Ann McKay*

by chuckofish

Once again I am down with the dreaded whatever, using great quantities of Kleenex and trying to stay hydrated. I did nothing all weekend. Well, the twins came over for a few hours on Saturday morning while their parents were busy. Thankfully daughter #1 came over to support me.

We went through the box of Steiff animals, which we thought would interest them, but they were not really impressed with my old collection. “Why are they called Steiff?” We did note that “Bucky” beaver matched Lottie’s Buc-ee’s sweatshirt which she got on their recent roadtrip to South Carolina.

I was prepared to send some Steiff animals home with the twins, but since they did not show any interest in them, they went back in the box. That’s okay, I understand how that goes.

We were amazed at how my old Christopher Robin doll could be the laddie’s twin. However, getting him to pose for a picture is a losing proposition.

We eventually let him do his own thing with the Lego boxes and entertained Lottie with looking at American Girl stuff. We are nothing if not flexible. And we certainly have plenty of options.

I couldn’t go to church because of my incessant coughing, but I did read through the online bulletin. Well, I hope I start to feel better this week. Pass the DayQuil!

*“Sick” by Shel Silverstein.

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