It was a dark, rainy, windy weekend. Every time I went out–and I did go out–it was miserable. C’est la vie.
So I got a lot done inside. I vacuumed. I tidied up. I cleaned out drawers. I needlepointed. All while listening to Beethoven! You see, we had a special program at my flyover institute on Friday celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday (in 2020 actually) and it was very interesting. Besides the fact that we screwed up a lot in our Zoom presentation (the music), it was kind of mind-blowing. Anyway, it inspired me and I highly recommend listening to some Beethoven. It really elevates one’s daily chores. (Just google Youtube Beethoven.)
Of course, listening to the seventh symphony, I couldn’t help thinking of the great scene in The King’s Speech (2010).
And daughter #1 reminded me of this:
We had quite a record collection when I was growing up. My DP and I loved to listen to classical music and dance around the living room when we were little girls. Sometimes we fake conducted while standing on the canister vacuum cleaner. Our brother and our mother used to quiz each other–you know, play a snippet and see how long it took before they could identify the piece and the composer. Our brother got to be too cool for that and moved on to more contemporary fare, but we still liked to play the old records. In fact, I still prefer listening to records to going to hear the symphony play. Even when I was much younger, sitting in Powell Hall always put me to sleep. If that makes me low-brow, so be it.
The wee babes came over on Sunday night with their parents for dinner and a frolic…
…and a wee bit of quiet time.
Good times. I’m not ready for Monday or, really, for a new month, but I’ll persevere. With a little help from Beethoven.
It snowed on Wednesday–not much–just enough to be pretty.
Look at that blue sky for a change! We haven’t seen much of that blue sky this winter.
This is good information for those of us who worry about such things.
Wednesday was the 100th birthday of Donna Reed. Iowa’s governor, Kim Reynolds, proclaimed it “Donna Reed Day“–wasn’t that nice? Indeed, it is surprising to note how many of my favorite movies featured her back in the day, notably They Were Expendable (1945).
Her big scene is so well done, so understated, but powerful. Note that she is wearing her U.S. Navy jumpsuit, but has put on pearls for this big “dinner party” on the temporary island base. She won an Academy Award for playing against type in From Here to Eternity (1953) and she deserved it, but no one was better at playing to type, the fresh-faced Iowa girl.
This article on “the standing orders of the gospel” (“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances”) is worth your time to read.
It is the will of God for us to rejoice always. But obedience to this command is not accomplished by an act of the will. It is only accomplished by faith in Christ. The believer’s unceasing rejoicing is the will of God for us “in Christ Jesus.” This is the key to the life of rejoicing. Unsaved people do not rejoice in God, pray to God, or give thanks to God. Religious people rejoice sometimes, pray when they feel like it, and give thanks when things are going well. But Christians rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. This is not the believer’s response because we are impervious to life’s dangers, toils, and snares. It is our response to life because we are in Christ Jesus.
The term “obeisance” means to acknowledge another’s superiority or importance. I love the way it is used in this provocative article in the UK’s The Guardian. “Even with the smartphone’s on-purpose designed-in distraction notification architecture, our prostration at their non-human feet is the real issue. Our obeisance demotes the advanced human, and we pretend it doesn’t. We don’t take charge of our attention. Our little robots do. And we caress them.”
Of course, our obsession with our phone is not the problem; it is a manifestation of the deeper problem. Sin – or in current terms, self-interested distractibility – is our problem. Our attention and obeisance rightly belong to our Lord. Single-mindedly, St. Paul says, “For I resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)
While we may worship our Lord each day and in all kinds of settings, our current inability to worship Him in church is what truly “demotes the advanced human.” Worship, especially corporate worship, is a reset – it pulls our bent down heads and fixated eyes from our phone (or you name it) up to gaze at the cross. We are brought out of ourselves to, ironically, be ourselves, for we were made by God and for God – to love, worship, and obey Him.
Help us, Lord!
Tonight we will toast our other ancestor with a January birthday, John Wesley Prowers, on his 182nd birthday. Born in Missouri in 1838, you will recall that he became a trader, cattle rancher, legislator, and businessman in the territory and state of Colorado.
Speaking of ancestors and descendants, I hope we get to see the wee babes this weekend…
…and talk to these twinsies…
Indeed, I plan to take it easy this weekend–it was a long, hard week!–I’ll toast J.W. Prowers, watch a Donna Reed movie, do some needlepoint, talk on the phone with my loved ones (and then put my phone down for the duration), and get out of the house to do something.
And rejoice!
*”The Village Blacksmith” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow–read the whole poem here.
We are now in the last week of January! Time slips by even though we don’t do much.
On Friday night the wee babes and their parents came over for pizza. Daughter #1 arrived in town in time to join in the fun. While the adults gabbed, the wee laddie set up a Beanie Baby school with his favorite Collie as teacher. (Is that the cutest thing or what?) School must be on his mind and I guess he likes it!
In other news daughter #1 found this handmade mid-century child’s apron for me at a mid-MO antique mall.
How much do you love that fabric?
On Saturday I had the pleasure of daughter #1’s company while running a few errands. Gone are the days when we could enjoy lunch out, but we did get take-out margaritas from Club Taco to bring home and drink in front of a crackling fire.
The Bob Dylan sing-along started early and the music flowed far into the night. (The OM remained engrossed in his iPad.)
It was a good weekend. So onward and upward, remembering that today is the feast day of the conversion of Saint Paul on the road to Damascus.
Great painting–but please note that there is no mention of a horse in the scripture. Saul/Paul was on foot.
I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17 In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. 18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. 19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.
How was your weekend? Mine was very quiet. The weather was cold and gray and overcast–very conducive to staying home and reading. The wee babes shook things up a bit by coming over on Sunday to celebrate there mother’s belated birthday. We had meatloaf (her fave) and birthday cake and opened a few more presents.
This was real cake…not cornbread in disguise. The OM had very specific instructions when he went to the store.
From November 28 through January 6 it is one big birthday party in their little family–with Christmas thrown in for good measure. Zut alors! Daughter #3 is a good sport about her anti-climactic day.
The babes have been back at school for a week and are happy to have returned to their old routine. I wish I could say the same. C’est la vie–Zoom classes! Oh well.
But this is great: Seven Things I Pray You Experience in the New Year by James Smith, one of Charles Spurgeon’s predecessors at New Park Street Chapel in London. And, BTW, “Laodicean” means lukewarm. I looked it up.
Have a good week.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Our little family group had a joyful Christmas with lots of baby holding…
…good food…
…and drink…
…presents…
and more baby holding…
and lots of sitting around talking which is the best of all.
We are recovering today and feeling sad and weepy because our precious angel and her darling Mommy and Daddy are driving home to far away Maryland. But you’ve got to take the bitter with the sweet. We are grateful they were able to visit and we look forward to our next get-together.
Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Here’s hoping you all have a holly jolly Christmas…
Fashions by Lauren
..and that things don’t get too out of control.
But try to take a moment to remember why we celebrate…
Remembering that it happened once, We cannot turn away the thought, As we go out, cold, to our barns Toward the long night’s end, that we Ourselves are living in the world It happened in when it first happened, That we ourselves, opening a stall (A latch thrown open countless times Before), might find them breathing there, Foreknown: the Child bedded in straw, The mother kneeling over Him, The husband standing in belief He scarcely can believe, in light That lights them from no source we see, An April morning’s light, the air Around them joyful as a choir. We stand with one hand on the door, Looking into another world That is this world, the pale daylight Coming just as before, our chores To do, the cattle all awake, Our own frozen breath hanging In front of us; and we are here As we have never been before, Sighted as not before, our place Holy, although we knew it not.
The weekend whizzed by. We jumped into our Christmas break with much baby gazing.
The cousins got acquainted. The wee laddie let “Baby Katie” hold his Hot Wheels and when she put one in her mouth, he said, “Don’t put that in your mouth! That’s a car!”
“Peace, brother!”
Katie learned about dance parties with Aunt Mary.
(My beautiful baby with her baby.)
Carla and Becky drove by for a socially distanced outdoor viewing of the wee babe.
Katie checked out the nativity figures and we actually managed to decorate the tree.
We washed a lot of dishes and did many loads of laundry. “She puts the toot in cutie patootie!”
Five days ’til Christmas! We’ll keep baby gazing and counting our blessings. Don’t forget to check out the sky tonight!
Well, I was a bad Mamu and forgot to mention that the wee babes turned four on Friday. They didn’t notice this oversight as they celebrated for two days (see above). I was a bit preoccupied with anticipating the arrival of baby Katie and her parents on Friday.
Daughter #2 and famille arrived right on schedule Friday night after a 15 hour car trip.
(Daughter #1 thoughtfully captured this moment of me jumping up and down as they arrived in embarrassing mom fashion.)
Darling Katiebelle, who has led a very sheltered life thus far, adapted to our chaotic household immediately and made herself right at home.
Anyway, all is well in Whoville.
Literally a foot in mouth moment.
Plus the twins came down off their sugar high and we had another tiny pod party at our house on Sunday and they met their new cousin.
Well, we are one week closer to Christmas! Daughter #1 came home mid-week to take over at Aunt Mary’s School for Misbehaving Tots…
She said, “I think the red one is called a rhombus” and he yelled “it’s a TRAPEZOID”’
We watched the latest Hallmark movie starring distant cousin and doppelgänger Candace Cameron Bure, If I Only Had Christmas, which per usual, was super yawn-worthy and starred a bunch of actors who were all undoubtedly the presidents of the their high school drama clubs.
We enjoyed it though (and we weren’t even playing a drinking game while watching.)
In other news, I strained a muscle in my back while putting a new mattress pad on my bed and now I am hobbling around like an old lady. Okay, even more than usual. This has, however, put a certain crimp in my activities, festive and otherwise.
Meanwhile I am managing to keep up with my Zoom meetings and phone calls while the countdown to daughter #2’s visit edges closer. This weekend I will put the finishing touches on getting ready for her visit with her wee family…
…and watch some more Christmas movies.
Isn’t it wild to think that two years ago I was in Israel? The boy sent me this Instagram memory of me and those Georgetown lacrosse players:
Time flies. Enjoy every day. They are fleeting. And the Bee is correct as usual:
What a long, hard week this has been! But it is Friday at last and I am ready to relax a little.
Yesterday in the midst of numerous Zoom calls/classes and a national conference, the wee babes came over for a short visit while their dad went downtown to pick up a desk for me. I had won it at an online auction, but it was too big for ‘my Cooper,’ so he went in his pickup to fetch it. The babes were on “fall break” so he had them in the morning–life is so complicated!
We had an hour of diverting play while he was gone. We improvised a fun game with the Beanie Babies–sorting them into groups. Which ones live in the ocean, which ones live in the forest, which ones live in Africa. They knew!
Who says I can’t multi-task anymore?Jumping on the trampoline is the best!The bud checked out the plumber’s van before coming inside. Yes, the plumbers were at our house too.
Later in the day when Lottie went to her dance class, the wee laddie came back over.
We counted the dogs–15! The cats–8!
Then we settled in to watch TruckTunes…
Good times
So anyway, I am rearranging my work space. I have been working remotely at home for seven months and any improvement is welcome.
This new desk has a much bigger work surface and looks pretty good for $20.
What a day! I even FaceTimed with daughter #2 and Katiebelle while they were taking a walk. But, boy, I am ready for some downtime and a margarita!
dual personalities 