family | dual personalities

April 8, 2024

“Civil War skeletons in their graves”*

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was a quiet one, mostly spent hanging out at home. Although it was chilly, we could sit out on the patio and soak up some vitamin D on Saturday.

I went to a few estate sales and picked up two books.

I am reading the Keegan now and really enjoying it. I am no scholar, but I find it accessible and readable. And I love reading about all those guys, especially my heroes: Grant and Sherman.

There is much to be learned from them.

Church was held outside on Sunday morning and luckily it was not raining, although it was chilly, overcast and windy. I dressed appropriately and I enjoyed it. We started a new sermon series on Paul’s letter to Titus, having finished the gospel of Mark, and our new young (29 years old) lead pastor gave a good sermon. He does not cut and paste from the internet, but gives a good exegesis of the text, in this case Titus 1:1-4. Stonewall Jackson would have approved–it was all about the doctrine of election.

Meanwhile Anne “enjoyed the astonishing delight of getting to see my name in Not the Bee underneath the Andrew Walker tweet that went viral.” Take heart, not all the news is terrible. As the Bee says:

We’re here, and we’re fine.

Growing up Baptist and going to VBS didn’t hurt anyone.

There’s no book because this is how normal, well-adjusted, salt-of-the-earth Christian men and women are raised. Nothing is extraordinary about this story. And that’s the point – God uses the weak and mundane and insignificant things in the world’s eyes to shame the things that the world considers #StunningAndBrave.

Amen, brother.

The young bud played in his first lacrosse game and was, by all accounts, a scrappy competitor.

*And here’s a blast from the past which has new meaning for us since Decatur is just up the road now from daughter # 2 et famille.

I am told it is Katie’s favorite song right now and she always sings along to the line, “Sangamon river it overflowed.”

Now go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

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April 2, 2024

Day by day

by chuckofish

It’s April again! Woowee, I can hardly believe it. It came in like a lion–stormy!

I spent yesterday getting the house back in semi-order after our busy and fun-filled weekend. Laundry, dishes, toys.

Just the usual.

I had DVR’d Godspell (1973) when it was on TCM on Easter and I watched about 20 minutes of it. It is of an era, for sure, but it is pretty unwatchable I’m afraid.

I remember in high school the choir from another school came and sang selections of it in chapel and I thought hearing the words to old Anglican hymns sung to sultry tunes was pretty cool. (Turn back, oh man! Forswear thy foolish ways!) The whole thing is really kind of high school quality though. Seriously I wish they had done it at KHS–the boy would have been great in it! I loved the cast album and listened to it a lot in college, but I don’t think I ever saw the whole play performed. Day By Day was a big hit. I had forgotten that DC Talk covered it in 1995.

Now you gotta love that.

It is also interesting to note that in the movie, which takes place in Manhattan, the city looks terrible–dirty, run-down. Central Park is a mess. Thankfully the park was renovated in the following decades. We are so used to seeing NYC photographed to look good, but not so in this movie. The production values are generally very low.

As is often the case, things you thought were great as a teenager do not hit you the same way years later. Thank goodness, right?

And I really liked this about a man who died in the pulpit.

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April 1, 2024

With grace in the heart

by chuckofish

How was your Easter weekend? We had our whole family together so it was joyous, if not sometimes a bit overwhelming. I mean seven adults, four children under seven, and a small dog. I am very grateful.

On Saturday daughter #2 and famille arrived and we hung out with daughter #1 and Mr. Smith.

On Easter we all met at church. Lottie and the bud set an excellent example of non-depraved behavior for Katie and Ida in their first visit to church. On their way out of town, daughter #2 texted me Katie’s comment about church:

The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, (Act 15:21; Rev 1:3); the sound preaching, (2Ti 4:2); and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence, (Jam 1:22; Act 10:33; Mat 13:19; Hbr 4:2; Isa 66:2); singing of psalms with grace in the heart, (Col 3:16; Eph 5:19; Jam 5:13); as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God, (Mat 28:19; 1Co 11:23-29; Act 2:42):
–The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XXI. 0f religious worship, and the sabbath day

She’s got it, man.

We all reconvened back at our house for pork tenderloin, Presbyterian souffle, salad, and crescent rolls. I prepared them ahead of time and daughter #1, who went to the early service at her church, came over and put everything in the oven, so it was ready when we came home. Teamwork.

No fuss, not much muss. If a menu works, I stick to it.

And, of course, we had an Easter egg hunt.

I washed dishes after everyone went home. And I felt like Ida who practically fell asleep going down the driveway.

Happy Monday! Happy April!

And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. ⁵And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. ⁶And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
–Mark 16:4-7

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March 27, 2024

This little light of mine

by chuckofish

Easter, unlike Christmas, is not a time one thinks of taking pictures unless one is immortalizing a new Easter outfit. But I have a few classics from days of yore…

My infant DP does not seem to feel very secure in my 3-year old lap, but check out those bunnies and eggs on the table. Lots of books (of course) and my father must have been going through a pipe-smoking phase because there is quite a collection above my head.

Here, my brother and I are posing for a picture before we head off to church on Easter morning when our baby sister blunders into the frame. A classic! Of course, this was back in the day when there were just so many pictures on a roll of film so you couldn’t just click away. I remember yelling at her for wrecking the picture and then being reprimanded for yelling at my precious angel of a sister. C’est la vie.

Here’s another one in front of that same sad tree with my same sad brother forced to hold my hand.

And here we are, having moved to a house, with our dog, Teak. My DP and I are wearing matching dresses. Mine was white with little pink flowers and hers was white with little blue flowers. They had attached petticoats so the skirts really stuck out. This was about 1963-64.

I have seen these pictures re-enacted many times over the intervening years. Some things–like family photos–never change. Thank goodness.

And a happy belated birthday to DN whose big day was yesterday! We love you!

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March 25, 2024

Let the rocks cry out!

by chuckofish

How was your Palm Sunday? The little kids from the Covenant School sang in church and it is always a treat to see them expressing the joy, joy, joy, joy down in their hearts. They processed around the sanctuary with palms and we all sang “All Glory, Laud and Honor”.

We finished up our class on the Westminster Confession and I was happy to hear we will be moving forward with more installments (33 chapters!)

God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them; He alone is the foundation of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom, are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever Himself pleaseth.

Amen, brother.

We didn’t have brunch or driveway sittin’ time because the wee bud has lacrosse now on Sundays. Our schedule has changed for the duration, but I can’t complain as the twins are still coming to church/Sunday School. C’est la vie.

Lottie plays on Thursdays.

It struck me recently that I must be very weird (and my entire family) because a) we watch old movies and b) we watch them over and over. I guess most people do not. When the subject of leprosy came up in my Bible study group I reminded everyone how it is a theme in Ben Hur and I got a lot of blank looks. I suggested everyone watch it at Easter. Of course, we watched Ben Hur (1959) once again this weekend and it was great! No computer-generated action scenes. All real.

I ask you, what actors nowadays could be trained/would be willing to drive a chariot? And carry off all the dramatic scenes as well?

Well, for me, the redemption of Judah Ben Hur is still quite powerful after multiple viewings: “And I felt his voice take the sword out of my hand.”

I finished cleaning up the Florida room and started getting ready for next weekend when daughter #2 and DN et al will visit. Hopefully everyone will be well (Ida has an ear infection) and we will be all set for egg hunts and family worship.

Have a good week. Watch an old movie, re-read an old book, call an old friend. Thank God for His mercies which are new every day.

4 Comments

March 21, 2024

The patter of little feet

by chuckofish

Yesterday the wee twins came over to play at my house while their father went to work. They are on spring break and their mom is out of town. On Monday and Tuesday they went on adventures to the zoo and the art museum and to work with their dad.

Lottie said, “It looks like Mamu’s house in here”–referring to the old brown furniture I guess. Smart girl.

At my house we played inside…

…we played outside…

Then we went to Dewey’s for lunch and had a lovely cheese pizza…

…and we went to Kirkwood Park to frolic on the playground.

Then we went home and started to watch the original Star Wars (1977)–until the boy came to pick them up. Interestingly, the twins thought everything in the movie looked like Legos. I said it was the other way around, but why argue?

Then I took a nap.

Later I went and picked up daughter #1 at her house and we went to a concert at Central Pres, featuring the violin virtuoso David Kim from the Philadelphia Orchestra backed up by five musicians from the St. Louis Symphony. They played a Vivaldi program which was quite a treat. It is good to avail oneself of some culchuh sometimes.

Thankfully the week is almost over.

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March 19, 2024

Awake my soul and with the sun*

by chuckofish

In my daily Bible reading I have been sojourning in the book of Joshua. I am always impressed with Joshua. He is a real role-model, a mighty man of Israel: steadfast, obedient and brave. Funnily enough, over at desiringGod.com someone was thinking the same thing and wrote this about the humble young leader.

Yes, Joshua learned to trust God’s word, and it guided his life. We all have a lot to learn from him. “Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD.” (Joshua 22:31)

Speaking of humble young men, I was pleased to see that Scottie Scheffler won the Players Championship, the first professional golfer ever to repeat, a back-to-back winner!

Today we remember Thomas Ken (July 1637 – 19 March 1711), English Anglican cleric, who died on this day in 1711. He wrote many hymns and was one of the seven non-juring bishops when James II reissued his Declaration of Indulgence. Along with his six brethren, Ken was committed to the Tower on June 8, 1688, on a charge of high misdemeanour. Ken was put on trial with the others, which resulted in a verdict of acquittal. He is commemorated on the Episcopal Church liturgical calendar on March 21. I always think of him when we sing the doxology.

Here’s a good word from Randy Alcorn about being a Christian in today’s hostile world. “Jesus is the Audience of One. We will stand before His judgment seat, no one else’s. We should long to hear Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ What other people think won’t matter.”

And in nutball news…

It was cold but sunny here in flyover country yesterday. (Note the down coats.) Today should be warmer. Hopefully I’ll get some more work done on the Florida room and we can open it for business soon.

*Thomas Ken

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March 14, 2024

How like a prodigal

by chuckofish

–from “To the Dandelion” by James Russell Lowell, 1819-1891. Read the whole poem here.

Spring seems to have sprung, but here in flyover country we know better than to jump to any conclusions. We could have snow before the end of the month. It sure is nice, however, to sit on the patio in the seventy-degree afternoons and soak up some sunshine.

In other news, we wish Michael Martin Murphey a happy birthday.

He is 79 years old! Kudos for still touring. Here is a list of other oldsters who are still out there making music in public.

Later today daughter #1 is dropping Mr. Smith off at our house. He will be staying with us while she visits daughter #2 et al in Illinois. So please keep us in your prayers!

Ha!

Daughter #1 will no doubt enjoy spending quality time with Katie and chasing Ida around–did I mention that Ida is now walking/playing soccer? The boy says, “Get out the cones! Agility drills start now!”

We will do our best to keep Mr. Smith from stressing out.

(The painting is by Jean-Francois Millet, 1868)

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March 11, 2024

Take my intellect and use ev’ry pow’r as thou shalt choose*

by chuckofish

It was a quiet weekend, mostly because it was a busy week punctuated by several visits to MoBap for routine appointments. We also spent eight hours there on Thursday while the OM had an ICD–an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator–implanted. Fun city.

Meanwhile I am through with my semi-annual cancer checks (until September) and an infusion etc. Onward and upward.

In Sunday School we continued with the Westminster Confession and I cannot tell you how much I enjoy this class. The boy is in agreement. Such a smart class!

All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.

We are almost finished with chapter one!

We had a baptism in church–the fifth child in a family, who did not make a peep through the whole thing. I was impressed. As the elder walked her down the aisle, the congregation sang Jesus Loves Me and the twins chimed in with gusto. Once again they got an A for non-depraved behavior.

After church we went home for quiche and fruit salad and jelly beans, of which they ate plenty.

It was too cold for driveway sittin’ so the twins played with Legos while the grown-ups talked. Lovely. After everyone left, I watched some PGA–Scottie Scheffler won!–and took an unintended nap.

I didn’t watch the Academy Awards last night (of course). Instead I watched True Grit (1969), starring John Wayne in his Oscar-winning performance. It was a very good choice! Here’s his acceptance speech: humble and grateful.

And here is some news we can all use: good advice on how not to be a grumpy old woman. “It is good to give sober thought to the fact that life is short, and if we hope to finish well, we must intend to finish well.”

Have a great week!

*Frances R. Havergal, 1874

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March 4, 2024

Ponder anew, what the Almighty will do

by chuckofish

A quiet weekend by some standards, but one filled with low key blessings and great weather.

Everything is starting to pop!

At church we had a guest preacher who also played the guitar, accompanied by piano and…harmonica! I have to say I didn’t hate it. The congregation sang with gusto. The twins got an A for non-depraved behavior. They have really crossed a line in general maturity. When I was talking to the head of the Sunday School on Thursday, she said the boy is the friendliest boy there and that Lottie is a real thinker. I concurred. I said that if you asked the twins what they learned in Sunday School, Lottie could tell you in detail and the boy says, “We had fun.”

After church we headed to our house where, after bagels and bacon and handfuls of jelly beans, we indulged in some driveway sittin’ with Mr. Smith.

Meanwhile Ida caught up on reading my article about Alphonse Smith, Kirkwood’s greatest athlete, in the latest edition of the Kirkwood Historical review.