dual personalities

Tag: family

January 9, 2023

“Morning by morning new mercies I see”*

by chuckofish

We took down the Christmas decorations at church on Friday, so we are “back to normal” all around I guess.

I had a busy weekend, which included putting together a portable coat rack so daughter #1 has somewhere to hang her clothes, a DAR meeting, lunch out at a new diner, grocery shopping, visiting a house for sale (for daughter #1), church, and celebrating daughter #3’s birthday with Presbyterian Soufflé and cake. (This is the last of our four birthdays between November 28 and January 6.)

All this was accomplished in between walking the puppy. Phew. I am tired just thinking about it.

This week will be slower. I just have to get ready to fly to Baltimore on Saturday to help daughter #2 as she is due to give birth very soon. (Another January birthday!)

In the meantime, here are some fascinating events and discoveries from 2022 that you might have missed–I know I did.

This is a good reminder to stop grumbling.

And here’s a word from our Katiebelle:

So many.

Great is thy faithfulness!

Great is thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see:

All I have needed thy hand hath provided—

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

–Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923

Is it time for a walk?

3 Comments
December 27, 2022

A few Christmas postcards

by chuckofish

It’s been a busy few days, and I’m afraid we really didn’t pause to take many pictures. But everyone got dressed up and looked their best.

Christmas Eve was rather raucous, but things calmed down a great deal on Christmas. Here’s our Christmas dinner setting for three…

It doesn’t take much to make a pretty table: candles, a poinsettia, a vintage tablecloth. But a little effort goes a long way.

The right background music is key…

And life is never dull with a puppy at home…

and this little miss to FaceTime with…

Don’t forget to count your blessings as the year draws to a close! They abound.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

–Psalm 90:14

P.S. This was my favorite stocking present…

Yes, of course, everyone has a stocking…

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December 26, 2022

“God bless us, every one.”*

by chuckofish

Here’s hoping y’all had a festive, fun holiday! We did–right here in our own home town!

…[It] was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!

–Charles Dickens

*Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens–read the conclusion of the story here.

3 Comments
December 22, 2022

What then shall we say to these things?

by chuckofish

Well, the local weather-casters are pretty excited about a possible weather event today. They have been predicting snow, wind and freezing temps and will be very disappointed if nothing happens. We have all been to the store to stock up on food and daughter #1 came home a day early to avoid the bad weather. The OM is working from home.

As long as the furnace holds out and the electricity stays on, I am happy to hunker down at home.

Meanwhile my BFFs and I toasted the fact that daughter #1 has a new job and is moving back to St. Louis…

…little did I know this was causing consternation with Katiebelle…

Oh, modern life.

In other news, Marty Stuart is just the best. Look what he’s done now!

Daughter #1 shared this Q&A interview with Bob Dylan. “I’m not a fan of packaged programs, or news shows, so I don’t watch them. I never watch anything foul smelling or evil. Nothing disgusting… I’m a religious person. I read the scriptures a lot, meditate and pray, light candles in church. I believe in damnation and salvation, as well as predestination.”

Yes, Marty and Bob and I are on the same page. Marty is rescuing antiques and Bob is reading scripture. That is comforting.

“In religion, as in war and everything else, comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth — only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair.”

–C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

No wishful thinking here.

2 Comments
December 16, 2022

There is no friend like a sister

by chuckofish

Sunday is my sister’s birthday and I wanted to be sure to wish her a happy one here on the blog. Although she has stepped away from writing here, she is still my dear dual personality and always will be. How blessed I have been to have her all my life. An acquaintance of mine once remarked that the greatest gift she ever gave her children was their siblings, and I agreed. I have told my own children this on numerous occasions so that they would make no mistake about it.

Today is far from Childhood –

But up and down the hills

I held her hand the tighter –         

Which shortened all the miles –

–Emily Dickinson

P.S. This poor kid sure comes by that smile honestly, doesn’t he?

4 Comments
December 12, 2022

Go tell it on the mountain

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? The twins turned six (!) on Sunday and we celebrated their birthday on Friday with Dewey’s Pizza and a Tippin’s pie.

…and presents…

It was one of four celebrations they enjoyed so we played it down.

On Saturday I had a meeting at Mudd’s Grove after which daughter #1 buzzed into town with the wee dog. We celebrated her getting a new job (!) and the fact that she will be moving back to St. Louis (!) in January with much toasting. Later we watched A Charlie Brown Christmas and Die Hard (1988) which IS a Christmas movie. Mr. Smith watched too like a good boy.

On Sunday we went to church where the Covenant children sang “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” the choir sang and the congregation sang with piano, guitar and drum accompaniment, and I cried during the Doxology per usual. It never gets old.

And Katie watched White Christmas for the first time.

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

–Isaiah 35:10

P.S. This is an interesting article about how A Charlie Brown Christmas first made it on to network TV. “The Charlie Brown Christmas special may have been the first time a prime-time animated cartoon quoted Scripture at length, but it was not the first time Schulz infused his comic strip with his faith. Published in more than 2,500 newspapers at its peak, the Peanuts gang’s musings on contemporary issues sparked passion and fueled debate among Schulz’s readers—particularly in the areas of religion and faith.”

4 Comments
December 5, 2022

The light shines in the darkness

by chuckofish

A busy week and a busy weekend! Non-stop activity. On Friday I helped decorate the church…

By Sunday morning it looked really nice and very festive!

On Saturday daughter #1 buzzed home to introduce the wee doggie and get a break from being home alone with a semi-frenzied pup. (She doesn’t look too frazzled herself, does she?)

Mr. Smith is quite a cutie and we all took to him immediately…(especially the wee bud who was very angry when the pup had to go into his crate and he had to go home…Life is hard sometimes.)

On top of all this we checked off a few important things on my To Do list: we bought a Christmas tree from our super friendly local Optimists…

…and daughter #1 put up the outside Christmas lights!

I also managed to go to my church’s Advent ladies’ tea held at the seminary where I had never been. (No pictures) It was very nice–there were scones and cucumber sandwiches and tea and hymn singing and a spiritual message!

During the service at church on Sunday the Covenant School (4-5 grades) Ensemble sang a “Celtic Noel,” the organist played a dramatic version of Handel’s “For Unto Us a Child is Born” and my Bible Study leader sang an operatic rendition of the Lord’s Prayer (Lottie spontaneously clapped at the end) and we all sang some good Advent hymns. Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Afterwards we had bagels and creme cheese and the twins got another chance to frolic with Mr. Smith. Then everyone went home and I collapsed.

(We also FaceTimed with this precious angel…)

Hail, the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

–Charles Wesley
4 Comments
November 28, 2022

Come let us walk in the light of the Lord*

by chuckofish

Last week was exhausting and I will need a week to recover! But, of course, we had a wonderful time together doing all the things.

Watching the parades with Mimosas and cinnamon rolls…

Eating big meals…

…and throwing a swingin’ party on Friday complete with DN’s party punch and charcuterie board…

But we totally forgot to take any pictures!

After daughter #2, DN and Katie headed back east, we consoled ourselves with bingeing our favorite Christmas movies to start off the holidays…

And we put up the little tree…

After bringing up lots of Christmas stuff from the basement, daughter #1 left Sunday morning to pick up her new puppy…

…and we went to church with the boy and the wee twins. Afterwards we celebrated the boy’s birthday in our familiar style…

…with food (you don’t have to eat your veggies on your birthday!) and cake and presents…

And then I collapsed.

*Isaiah 2:5

3 Comments
November 24, 2022

More postcards

by chuckofish

Today is a day for giving thanks! We are thankful for so many things…

The Ultimate Fam…

…Cousins…

…Shared interests…(checking out the prices at an antique mall)…train ’em early!

…lunch out with the Compton Ladies…

…vintage Beanie Babies…

Jumpin’ on the trampoline…

Pete the Cat!

My cup runneth over. Relax and enjoy the Mimosas, the parades, the food, the family, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), a fire in the fireplace, living in America, and all the blessings of this life.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3:17
6 Comments
November 21, 2022

Postcards from flyover country

by chuckofish

Everyone arrived yesterday on schedule and without much ado. We all settled in for some good times.

Okay, we may have gotten a little silly, but par for the course.

I hope you all are enjoying family time this week and counting your blessings.

Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.

–Henry Alford, pub.1844
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