History | dual personalities

History is the open Bible

by chuckofish

History is the open Bible: we historians are not priests to expound it infallibly: our function is to teach people to read it and to reflect upon it for themselves.

(George Macaulay Trevelyan)

I had a wonderful time back east visiting daughter #2 in College Park, Maryland and driving all over the tri-state area. As planned we visited the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. It is awesome.

We started our visit by viewing “A New Birth of Freedom,” narrated by (of course) Morgan Freeman, and the restored Gettysburg Cyclorama, which depicts Pickett’s Charge. The film features wonderful graphics, which, for the first time, really gave me an idea of what was happening in the battle. There was also a lot of artillery noise and that made me think of the poor people who lived in the town of Gettysburg back in 1863 and how horrific it must have been for them. It would have been panic attack city for me locked in a basement or root cellar somewhere. Anyway, after that emotional experience we trekked up to the Cyclorama, originally painted in the 1880s. It is really something to see.

We toured the park by car stopping frequently to check out particular spots.

Daughter #2, not really a history person like her mother, was very indulgent. I think she enjoyed it all too.

It was not at all crowded, but I can imagine in the summer it is. Spring break seems like a perfect time to visit.

The town of Gettysburg was very picturesque–lots of old buildings and a nice town square (which is now a circle/roundabout.) There is the college to see and also the Lutheran Seminary, which is part of the Gettysburg Battlefield’s “hallowed ground”–Seminary Ridge. We stayed at the Gettysburg Hotel on the circle (square), which I think is owned by the college and very nice.

The next day it was rainy so we drove to Frederick, Maryland, another lovely old town and had great luck at an antique mall where daughter #2 scored a great piece of vintage furniture. We had lunch in Frederick and then drove to Harper’s Ferry, another historic site and National Park, passing from Maryland to Virginia and West Virginia in a matter of minutes. It was thrilling to see the old town at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers–very dramatic scenery and lots of greenschist metamorphic rock formations. My favorite!

Harper’s Ferry, c. 1865

Seeing the site of John Brown’s raid on the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, put me in the mood to watch Santa Fe Trail (1940) with Errol Flynn as Jeb Stuart and Raymond Massey as Brown. Of course, it is a highly fictionalized account of events, but very enjoyable fiction, and Raymond Massey is excellent as the zealous Brown. Maybe this weekend.

On Sunday we drove up to Baltimore with Nate to go to the Baltimore Art Museum which has a wonderful collection of American art and decorative arts, including some lovely export china.

All right up my alley.

We ate at the museum restaurant which was yummo. Nate drove me around Roland Park, which I have always wanted to do–I am after all a big Ann Tyler fan–and we saw a lot of Johns Hopkins and plenty of row houses. As Pigtown Design is always saying, “There is much more to Baltimore than The Wire!” We had forgotten that it was the St. Patrick’s Day weekend (curses) and the city was jammed with green-clad revelers, but we dealt.

So you can see my weekend included all the ingredients of a good time: historical sites, antique malls, college/university tours. And lunches at good restaurants. I had crab cakes twice!

For me the only downer was the stressful driving on congested east-coast highways, but daughter #2 has learned to be an aggressive, confident auto racer, so it was all okay.

P.S. Daughter #2 posted on our weekend and she covered everything and has better pictures than I, so check it out!

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March 11, 2015

Way Back Wednesday

by chuckofish

Today is Johnny Appleseed Day! John Chapman was a real person,

Harper’s Weekly 1871

who became a legend through his travels as a pioneer nurseryman and missionary for the Swedenborgian Church.

Among other things, he is remembered for singing the Swedenborgian hymn: “Oooooh, the Lord is good to me, and so I thank the Lord, for giving me the things I need, the sun and the rain and the appleseed. The Lord is good to me. Amen.”

When I was a Sunday School teacher back in the day, we sang this as a grace before our snack. We sang it a lot at home as well, because it is pretty catchy.

I made this counted cross stitch sampler for my son when he was little and he has it hanging in his house.

And do you remember this? I bet you do.

So let’s raise a cup of apple juice to ol’ Johnny Appleseed tonight! Or maybe a glass of this.

Do they still make this stuff?

I guess they do.

4 Comments

March 2, 2015

Holier than thou

by chuckofish

Well, I do feel a bit holier than thou, having gone to church on Sunday when over 300 (mostly small) churches in the area were closed. However, First Presbyterian and Kirkwood Baptist, two large churches which are only a block or two away from Grace, were also closed. And why you ask? Because it snowed on Saturday! But only 6-7 inches! The streets were plowed! I got down my driveway in my little car no problem.

When did this happen? This fear of snow and the weather in general? When did Americans become such sheep huddled together in fear of a big bad weather front coming through? When did church become just another activity that could be canceled at will?

Well, about 40 hardy souls gathered at our church (and 18 at the 8 a.m. service!), including all the acolytes, all the lay readers and half the ushers! The Sunday School held classes. I say high fives all around for these intrepid Episcopalians!

I must say, it was kind of creepy listening to the snow slide loudly off our big ‘ol roof during the service.

I shoveled off the front walk when I got home and part of the driveway and then the OM hired some teenagers with a snow-blower to clear the driveway, so we are all set now.

I watched some of Ken Burns’ The Civil War in anticipation of my trip in a couple of weeks to see daughter #2. We are road-tripping up to Gettysburg to see the National Military Park. I am also re-reading Long Remember by Mackinlay Kantor, which you will recall is a novel about the battle from the viewpoint of the people who lived in the town. It is really good. I will probably also watch Gettysburg (1993) based on the Michael Schaara novel The Killer Angels. I always thought it was pretty good, except for Martin Sheen as Gen. Robert E. Lee. Jeff Daniels, who plays my hero Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, makes up for Sheen.

Speaking of Chamberlains, did you watch Josh Duhamel’s new show Battle Creek last night? He plays a detective named Milt Chamberlain. (And BTW, the actor who played Dewey Crowe on Justified has a small part.)

Have a good Monday!

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February 20, 2015

This and that

by chuckofish

So hey, there’s only a week of February left! March is in sight! Spring is on the horizon, right?

I only ask because I have been shivering in my office all week, reduced to wearing a wool shawl around my shoulders because it is so freakin’ cold! Here’s the local weather report:

Some areas are seeing temperatures below zero this morning. Snow flurries are on the way for tonight, plus freezing rain this weekend.

But at least we don’t live in Niagra Falls, NY where the famous falls have frozen. Zut alors!

Moving right along…Today is the birthday of Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984), American photographer and environmentalist.

The Tetons and the Snake River

ansel-adams-1942-yosemite-valley-clearing-winterstorm

Winter storm in Yosemite Valley 1942

Ansel Adams in Yosemite 1942

It is also the anniversary of the death of the great Broadway star John Raitt (January 29, 1917 – February 20, 2005). In his honor, I suggest you watch this show-stoppin’ scene from The Pajama Game (1957) where he and Doris Day sing with gusto and precision one of the hardest darn songs to sing ever written!

Aren’t they great? This always reminds me of the episode in season 5 of Angel when Lorne (of the Deathwok Clan) has to listen to every staff member at Wolfram & Hart sing a song so that he can tell if they are hiding something. One girl sings “There Once Was a Man” and it is pretty funny. I guess you had to be there…

On the Episcopal Church front, we remember Frederick Douglass on the liturgical calendar today, the anniversary of his death in 1895.

Almighty God, whose truth makes us free: We bless your Name for the witness of Frederick Douglass, whose impassioned and reasonable speech moved the hearts of a president and a people to a deeper obedience to Christ. Strengthen us also to be outspoken on behalf of those in captivity and tribulation, continuing in the Word of Jesus Christ our Liberator; who with you and the Holy Spirit dwells in glory everlasting. Amen.

We are grateful for the lives of Ansel Adams, John Raitt and Frederick Douglass and for their contributions to our American culture. And we are grateful that the coach stopped by for dinner!

He moved some big boxes for me. Wasn’t that nice? And it’s Friday! Have a great weekend. Stay warm!

8 Comments

February 5, 2015

Give the devil his due*

by chuckofish

Have you ever heard of this clapper bridge, Tarr Steps, over the River Barle in Exmoor? I first came upon it here. (There are many more good pictures, so check it out.)

This is so cool! I mean the bridge may date to around 1000 BC! (Its age is unknown–several theories claim that Tarr Steps dates from the Bronze Age, but others date it from around 1400 AD.) A clapper bridge, you will recall, is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of Devon (Dartmoor and Exmoor) and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom.

The stone slabs weigh up to 1-2 tons apiece. How were they moved? According to local legend, they were placed by the devil to win a bet. The bridge is 180 feet (55 m) long and has 17 spans. Half of this bridge was washed away by the river during heavy rains in December 2012. Thankfully the bridge has now been re-assembled.

The aforementioned myth has it that the Devil built the bridge at Tarr Steps and still has sunbathing rights on its stones. Supposedly the devil swore he would kill anyone who tried to cross his bridge. The terrified locals got the parson to face him. A cat was sent over the Bridge but was vaporised in a puff of smoke. The parson then set off and met the Devil midway. The Devil swore and intimidated him but the parson reciprocated equally and finally the Devil conceded to let people pass except when he wants to sunbathe.

These photos were taken in 1953 by John Gay. You can see more here.

I’ve no doubt that my dual personality has probably been to Tarr Steps, but this provincial girl has not. If I ever get back to merry old England, I will definitely try to check out Exmoor’s National Park!

Wonderful.

*English proverb

12 Comments

November 10, 2014

“As if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear”*

by chuckofish

Are you prepared for the day of the Lord? For whom would it be good news? (Matthew 25: 1-13) These were the questions asked in our sermon yesterday. They are good ones to ask yourself. My rector was not terribly helpful in answering them, but that’s par for the course. You have to work out your own salvation anyway, so c’est la vie. I’m still stuck on old Amos’ imagery from the OT reading anyway (see above).

Well, the highlight of my weekend was an after-church jaunt to the Missouri History Museum with the OM. I had not been in years, but I had heard that the “250 in 250: A Yearlong Exhibit Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of St. Louis” was not to be missed.

This turned out to be an over-statement. “Through the stories of 50 People, 50 Places, 50 Images, 50 Moments, and 50 Objects we were invited to learn all about St. Louis.” This kind of display is not really my cup of tea, but it was okay.

Across the hall, however, was a very cool exhibit–“The Louisiana Purchase: Making St. Louis, Remaking America”.

You will recall that in 1803 the United States agreed to pay France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory—828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River. The United States doubled its size, expanding the nation westward. Beyond the geographic expansion, The Louisiana Purchase remade St. Louis into an American city—”and reshaped and redefined what it meant to be an American.” Featuring loans from the National Archives and documents and artifacts from the Missouri History Museum’s collections, the exhibition explores the complex negotiations related to The Louisiana Purchase and its after-effect on St. Louis. A highlight of the exhibition is the Treaty of Cession (in French), better known as The Louisiana Purchase Treaty. The Treaty was first drafted in French and then translated into English, so it can be said that the French text is the “original original.”

Anyway, the Museum has changed quite a lot since the days when we would visit with our mother. Nowhere in sight is the riverboat wheelhouse which was a favorite of mine and my dual personality’s as wee children. Also the gun collection, which made up a good part of the second floor exhibition space, is nowhere to be seen. Thankfully in moth balls is all the Veiled Prophet knick-knack-iture that also took up a lot of space in days gone by. Yes, it is all very 21st century and up-to-the-minute PC-wise, but I do miss the old-fashioned dusty taxidermy and Mark Twainia of the olden days.

Well, I’ve been there and done that now, but it is a good and mindful thing to be reminded of the wonderful and important part Missouri played in our national history.

There is a fancy restaurant in the museum, but we headed over to the Wildflower Cafe in the CWE for some eggs benedict. Yum.

How was your weekend?

*Amos 5:18 (Not Abraham Lincoln like you thought)

7 Comments

November 5, 2014

Smoting the Babylonian Dame

by chuckofish

On this day in 1688, William of Orange invaded England in an action that ultimately deposed King James II and won him the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland. Huzzah!

William’s mother, Mary Stuart, was the oldest daughter of King Charles I and sister of King Charles II and King James II. His wife was the daughter of King James II and his cousin. I can never keep all that royal genealogy straight, can you? I had forgotten that old William was the grandson of Charles I. It’s good to dust off the history books once in awhile, eh?

You will recall that the OM’s ancestor Henry Compton, the Bishop of London, crowned William King a few months later. He reigned jointly with his wife, Mary II, until her death in 1694–as William and Mary–and then alone until his death in 1702.

So a toast to William and Mary is definitely in order tonight, and to the Glorious Revolution when

Englands Church so much opprest
Of all its Rights now re-possest,
With all its Sacred Glories blest,
it shines in Heavenly splendor,
May it ever so endure,
And everlasting peace procure,
For him who keeps our Church secure,
and crush’d the Romish Grandieur.

(For the whole poem (ENGLANDS Triumph, OR, The Kingdoms Joy for the proclaiming of King William , and His Royal Consort, Queen Mary , in
the Throne of ENGLAND , on the 13th. of this instant February . 1688. To the Tune of, Thundering Cannons roar, click here.)

4 Comments

November 3, 2014

Here in Missouri

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? The OM and I had an adventure–a roadtrip on Saturday over to Fulton in the rolling green hills of central Missouri to visit the Winston Churchill Memorial on the campus of Westminster College.

You will recall that in 1946 it was at Westminster College that Winston Churchill delivered one of the most significant speeches of his long and illustrious career–the “Iron Curtain” speech. In the 1960s Westminster College set out to mark what would be the 20th anniversary of Churchill’s visit. After due consideration of traditional modes of commemoration, Westminster College settled on the rather more ambitious notion of moving a Christopher Wren designed Church from London. This Church, St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury, had stood in London since 1677 when it replaced an earlier structure that had sat on the same site since the 12th century until it was destroyed in the great fire of 1666. This magnificent building, badly damaged during the London Blitz, was moved stone by stone to Westminster’s campus and rebuilt to Wren’s original specifications.

What an incredible undertaking! I had not been there since 1969 when it was dedicated. It is breathtaking.

It is a popular venue for weddings, as you can imagine, and there was one about to take place when we ducked in, so this postcard view will have to suffice. It is my favorite type of church, reflecting the puritan branch of the Anglican church. I love those clear glass windows and brass chandeliers and the Ten Commandments behind the altar.

A needlepoint kneeler in the museum downstairs

The National Churchill Museum which opened in 2006 is downstairs under the church. I was quite impressed.

ANC III would have approved of these toy soldiers.

Indeed, ANC would have liked the museum as it illustrates the life and career of W.C.

Iron Curtain Speech sculpture

Anyway, it is well-worth the trip to Fulton which is a nice college town, not unlike Greencastle, Indiana which we visited many times over the years when daughter #1 was a student at DePauw University. I like college towns and am always up for visiting one.

Sunday was All Saints Sunday and we had three baptisms in church. All three children, who ranged in age from infant to toddler, wailed for dear life. (Bill Baker who baptized daughter #1 and the boy always said that that was the devil leaving the child and not to worry.) Well, I always enjoy renouncing “Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God”, including “the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God”--especially a few days before an election.

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow!

10 Comments

October 23, 2014

Sesquicentennial news

by chuckofish

Today is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Westport–sometimes referred to as the Gettysburg of the West–on October 23, 1864.

N.C. Wyeth mural of the Battle of Westport at the MO State Capitol

Union forces under Major Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumbered Confederate force under Major Sterling Price. This engagement was the turning point of Price’s Missouri Expedition, forcing his army to retreat and ending the last significant Confederate operation west of the Mississippi River. This battle was one of the largest ever to be fought west of the Mississippi River, with over 30,000 men engaged. Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickcock (a scout for Gen. Curtis), Frederick Benteen, and Jeremiah Johnson all fought in this battle.

I am definitely adding this trip to my “To Do” list. I have been meaning to visit Westport, Missouri (now called Kansas City) where my ancestors were among the first pioneers to settle. And now I find that there was a major Civil War battle fought there? Where have I been?

Unfortunately, I will have to miss the reenactment, but, as you know, I am more of the self-guided-tour type anyway.

Road trip, anyone?

Trivia question: What famous movie character had a cat named after Gen. Sterling Price? What movie?

13 Comments

October 1, 2014

Way Back When Wednesday

by chuckofish

On this date back in 1942 the first twelve titles of the Little Golden Books series were published. You remember. These were the books your mother used to buy for you in the grocery store when you were a good child and deserved a treat. The books, which initially sold for 25¢ (rising to 29¢ in 1962 and currently $3.99), were published by Simon and Schuster.

Many of the best children’s writers and illustrators have worked on the series, including several of my personal favorites:

Mary Blair,

Margaret Wise Brown and Alice and Martin Provensen,

Garth Williams,

and, of course, Richard Scarry.

You will be happy to know that now there are Little Golden Book apps for children: “Now the Little Golden Book that you loved as a child can be shared with a whole new generation in this magically interactive storybook app. Open the cover, complete with its distinctive gold spine, to reveal the timeless story, beautifully rendered with interactive illustrations on every page, and activities that encourage reading comprehension and creativity.”

“Magically interactive”! Oh brother. Just what every 3-year old needs for his/her iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch! Gone I suppose is the magically interactive time you spent with your mother or father while you were read these books.

I know I am an old curmudgeon, but this concerns me. And I have to say, it’s sad that there is no name plate on an app where you can make that first attempt at proudly writing your own name on your own book.

Oh well. C’est la vie. Do you have a favorite Little Golden Book?

7 Comments

dual personalities

Tag: History

March 18, 2015

History is the open Bible

by chuckofish

March 11, 2015

Way Back Wednesday

by chuckofish

March 2, 2015

Holier than thou

by chuckofish

February 20, 2015

This and that

by chuckofish

February 5, 2015

Give the devil his due*

by chuckofish

November 10, 2014

“As if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear”*

by chuckofish

November 5, 2014

Smoting the Babylonian Dame

by chuckofish

November 3, 2014

Here in Missouri

by chuckofish

October 23, 2014

Sesquicentennial news

by chuckofish

October 1, 2014

Way Back When Wednesday

by chuckofish