dual personalities

Tag: Friends

August 24, 2012

Send out your light and your truth

by chuckofish

Well, it’s Friday once again. Time to look back over the week and to remind ourselves of some important things. Here’s Frederick Buechner with some wise words:

“We must be careful with our lives, for Christ’s sake, because it would seem that they are the only lives we are going to have in this puzzling and perilous world, and so they are very precious and what we do with them matters enormously.”

Have a great weekend and be careful with your life!

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August 13, 2012

Embarrassing picture Monday

by chuckofish

When I was in high school we amused ourselves by drawing pictures of each other (and other people) while bored in class. The above doodle depicts a 15-year old me, sketched by a friend of mine. Believe me when I say, the “Mean Girls” of the 21st century had nothing on us.

Why have I kept it all these years? Because that’s what I looked like.

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March 26, 2012

Postcards from abroad

by chuckofish

The Cathedral Church of St. George in Jerusalem

A dear friend of mine recently returned from a trip to the Holy Land where she visited the (Episcopal) Cathedral Church of St. George in Jerusalem. According to their website, the Cathedral is home today to two congregations: the indigenous Palestinian Anglicans, often called the ‘Living Stones,’ and a community of expatriate English-speaking members. The local Arabic-speaking Anglicans are part of the historic Christian presence here since the time of the first Pentecost:

‘Cretans and Arabs – in our own language we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power’ (Acts 2:11)

The Cathedral remains a focal point for the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East and the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

My friend took a picture of this for me:

How perfect is that? A needlepoint chair pad with the family cognomen! I was very touched. It is indeed a small world, especially in the Anglican Communion. And here’s a Monday morning shout-out to those distant relatives at St. George’s!

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December 8, 2011

Wine country–flyover style

by chuckofish

Last weekend I ventured forth with my best Grace girlfriends to celebrate one of their birthdays. We went to Gasconade County, which is located on the south side of the Missouri River, in the area called the “Missouri Rhineland.” The county seat is Hermann, a lovely river town settled by Germans in the mid-19th century. It is full of nice old brick buildings, quaint shops and wineries.

We went to the Stone Hill Winery which at the turn of the 20th century was the second-largest winery in the United States and the third-largest in the world; it produced 1,250,000 gallons in 1900. Its wine had won numerous awards in international fairs, including Vienna in 1873, Philadelphia in 1876, and St. Louis in 1904. Due to Prohibition, the winery was closed in 1920, along with virtually all others in the nation. In 1965 Stone Hill Winery was the first in Missouri to be re-established. Its main building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

While we were there they were hosting a Kristkindl Markt–lots of craft and local vendors in a big barn. I purchased some handmade ornaments and stocking stuffers.

Also in Hermann is the Lewis and Clark Encampment. (Germans love their gilded stags, don’t they? I mean what do they have to do with Lewis and Clark?)

On this particular Saturday, there were lots of friendly re-enactors hanging out.

When the skies began to threaten and we were beginning to tire out, we headed to our Bed and Breakfast in Marthasville, Monette’s Cabin. To our delight we found a two-story log cabin, fully modernized with all the requisite luxuries, including a hot tub. The view of the rolling Missouri hills was lovely. And we had the place all to ourselves.

It was even decorated for Christmas!

There were cows mooing in the distance, goats in the backyard, keeping the grass under control, and coyotes howling in the evening. In the morning our hosts returned and cooked us a traditional breakfast of “Dutch Babies”–a baked pancake with fresh strawberries and yogurt.

All in all, a flyover getaway of the best kind. We’ve reserved a return visit for next year!

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