lacrosse | dual personalities

April 7, 2025

Fill our hearts with thankfulness

by chuckofish

Rain, rain, go away! 🌧️🌧️🌧️ Well, it did finally stop on Sunday but then it was freezing cold! Not exactly perfect weather for watching lacrosse, but I braved the overcast skies and windy 40-degree temps to do so. The other grandparents were visiting from Florida and had to stop at Kohl’s on the way to the game to buy winter coats! The bud was great in goal! He played half the game there…

…and half in midfield…

…and part of the time, hanging with his lacrosse bros…

This was all, of course, after going to Sunday School and sitting through church and a sermon on Hebrews 12:18-29! Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire! The twins do so well now in church, sitting quietly and with a minimum of wiggling and squirming. I guess they want that thumbs up/A+ from Mamu, right?

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!

–Charles Wesley

(One of these days I’ll make it to one of Lottie’s game, but she was rained out this weekend.)

Besides that excitement, I had a quiet weekend, mostly because of the weather. I went to our DAR meeting and I was the stand-in Chaplain so I had to open with a prayer before brunch. I gave them this:

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our
heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove
ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will.
Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and
pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion;
from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend
our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes
brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue
with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust
the authority of government, that there may be justice and
peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we
may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth.
In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness,
and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail;
all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The old BCP (1979) is such a lifesaver. I always have to tell people, no, I didn’t come up with that myself–it’s from the BCP!

And now we have a new week! Have a good one.

As always, thanks to the boy for the cool pix!

5 Comments

March 31, 2025

So we are always of good courage

by chuckofish

The Big News of the weekend was that Lottie scored a goal. You go, girl! She is small but mighty…

I also cleaned up the Florida room on Friday and moved a lot of plants out there. It is ready for spring happy hours. Daughter #1 and I kicked off the season on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday morning the OM and I went to a memorial service for a longtime member of our church. We sang Abide With Me and It Is Well With My Soul and I was done in. (Luckily I had a paper towel with me.) There were Remembrances and Readings by the numerous family members–much love expressed and many tears and why not? There were prayers and our pastor preached on 2 Corinthians 5:1-10:

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³if indeed by putting it on^[a] we may not be found naked. ⁴For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

I always loved the Episcopal service for the Burial of the Dead (Rite I)–it is a beautiful service, but, indeed, rather impersonal. I have to admit, the more personal Presbyterian service is all right. And, of course, everyone–and I mean the whole congregation turned out–sings with gusto. The reception was in the Fellowship Hall with cookies made by the deceased.

I was a little discombobulated when I had to get up and go back to church on Sunday morning–at 8:30–we are back to lacrosse season timing. The bud had a game at Noon! But we all made it there and to Sunday School. Our pastor gave a good sermon on Hebrews 12:1-17–throwing off sin, enduring discipline. I also made it to the game which was played at my old school stomping grounds. Nice astro-turf!

It was very windy, but pleasant to sit in the sunshine with daughters #1 and 3 and watch the young cubs play. The bud, I am proud to say, has all the moves and was playing pretty aggressively.

He was the Man taking face-offs!

“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet…” (Hebrews 12:12)

Woohoo! And the anticipated storms mostly passed us by. Have a good week!

*Thanks to the boy for the great pics!

4 Comments

May 20, 2024

Ultimate lacrosse and more

by chuckofish

After getting up early and going to buy flowers at Trader Joe’s and taking them to church where I arranged them for Sunday services, I went with daughter #1 to watch Lottie play lacrosse…

It was quite hot as you can see!

The young bud found a friend while he cooled off under a tree…

After that early start to the day, I took it easy! I read another D.E. Stevenson book (published in 1957)…

…and enjoyed it very much!

On Sunday I went to the early service so I could go to the bud’s last lacrosse game. We had a good sermon on Titus 3:1-8 and another really good Sunday School class. Then it was back to the lacrosse field to sit in the almost 90-degree heat! The bud (and most of the players) was less than enthused.

Summer in STL is upon us I’m afraid.

Meanwhile Katie and Ida were introduced to Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood–they were spellbound.

I will spare you a rant about Scottie Scheffler and the Louisville PD, but this about says it all. And this is perfect:

I've obtained footage of Scottie Scheffler getting arrested pic.twitter.com/STHjMgTF8U
— JaguarGator9 (@JaguarGator9NFL) May 17, 2024

Absolutely insane! #freescottie

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

–Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

Have a good week!

5 Comments

August 9, 2022

Here I’ll stand though he should win*

by chuckofish

You are my war club, my weapon for battle— with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms,

with you I shatter horse and rider, with you I shatter chariot and driver…
-Jeremiah 51:20-21

Sorry, I couldn’t resist another look at the boy.

In other news, I was sorry to hear that historian David McCullough had died. I admired him a lot. Here’s a short interview he did at Baylor University when he was there to give a speech in 2016. I was interested to see that he is a re-reader. “I think that reading is essential to not just education but to a good life, and I read a lot. I have to read so much history and biography as part of my work, but when I’m reading for pleasure I read fiction and reread fiction that I’ve read 20 or 30 years ago, and I find I don’t necessarily react to it as I did then –– whether I think it’s better than I thought it was then, that sort of thing. “

And, by the way, I watched The Buccaneer (1938) last night. It was a rousing adventure loosely based on the real-life pirate Jean Lafitte (Frederic March) who sided with the U.S.A. at an important juncture in American history.

Cecil B. DeMille was a real pro at mastering a cast of thousands. All the actors, especially Akim Tamiroff, perform admirably, but March is hampered by a bad fake French accent and he’s no Errol Flynn. Having said that, however, I think it’s a better movie than the Yul Brynner remake of 1958. Definitely worth watching!

The God of love and peace be with you on this fine day.

*Homer, The Iliad (Robert Fitzgerald, translator)

4 Comments

March 26, 2021

“May you have a strong foundation/ When the winds of changes shift”*

by chuckofish

Friday again. The OM and I are in Jefferson City getting our second Pfizer vaccine shot. We took the train in yesterday after work and daughter #1 is going to drive us back home later today. We lead such glamorous, fast-paced lives, n’est-ce pas? Anyway, I will be glad to have all this vaccine business behind us.

Speaking of Jeff City, daughter #1 sent me this article about hometown Hollywood producer Gina Goff, who just made a movie starring 90-year old William Shatner. It’s a small world.

Meanwhile the spring term at my flyover institute commences on Monday. A whole year has gone by since we canceled our spring term last year. Yes, we are still online and Zooming.

“This hill, though high, I covet to ascend;
The difficulty will not me offend.
For I perceive the way to life lies here.
Come, pluck up, heart; let’s neither faint nor fear.
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.”
John Bunyan, “Christian” in Pilgrim’s Progress

We could all be reminded of this, written by William Crawford, Minister of the Gospel at Wiltown, Hawick From A Short Practical Catechism, 3^rd edition, Edinburgh, in 1745.

Are you following @ultimatelacrosse on Instagram? The boy has started making videos again and they are pretty great. Daughter #1 is his producer. (You have to click on the link to watch the videos.)

And here’s to DN whose birthday is today. You know we’ll be thinking of you and toasting you tonight! L’chaim!

In other news, I watched Seven Samurai (1954) again and it was great.

It took two nights, because it is a long (207 minutes) movie, but I highly recommend it. It is a top ten film in the foreign film category.

Sunday is Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week:

And when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Beth′phage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, ²and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it. ³If any one says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” ⁴And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door out in the open street; and they untied it. ⁵And those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶And they told them what Jesus had said; and they let them go. ⁷And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their garments on it; and he sat upon it. ⁸And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. ⁹And those who went before and those who followed cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹⁰Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!”
¹¹And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Mark 11:1-11

To help you picture the landscape of the scriptures, here are a few photos from my trip to Israel in 2018, including one of the model of ancient Jerusalem.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

*Bob Dylan, “Forever Young”

2 Comments

May 19, 2020

Let angels prostrate fall

by chuckofish

Well, it has been rainy and rather bleak here in flyover country for several days. But as William Law said, “He who complains of the weather–complains of the God who ordains the weather!”

The highlight of my quiet weekend was driving a bunch of boxes to the recycling center. (Okay, we also got some frozen custard.) Woohoo. The boy came over on Sunday afternoon for a brief parley which is always a treat. The good news is that he reopened his store yesterday, but we probably won’t see him for awhile.

Screen Shot 2020-05-18 at 3.56.52 PM I watched The Green Mile (1999) about the mysterious goings on in a prison in 1935. It was as good as I remembered it. One of Tom Hanks’s best.

Screen Shot 2020-05-18 at 4.07.50 PM It is over three hours long, but I can’t think of anything I would cut. So if you have three hours, I recommend it. I read the book by Stephen King back in the day and it is good too.

A fellow fan emailed me the sad news that Ken Osmond had died. You remember Ken–he played Eddie Haskell, Wally Cleaver’s super polite-with-parents but a jerk-to-his-little brother-Beaver friend. Quel icon.

Rest in peace, Ken. You nailed it. And those 18 years as a real-life motorcycle cop were impressive too.

On the horticultural front, the iris this year have been insane.

And don’t the new pillows (with thistles!) that daughter #2 gave me for my birthday spruce up the Florida room nicely?

“Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke

Have a good week! Shop local and small!

8 Comments

February 7, 2018

The Games of the III Olympiad

by chuckofish

That’s right–the third Olympiad. Lest we forget–the 1904 Olympics were held here in my flyover town.

And that is pretty cool. We are, after all, one of only three cities in the U.S. — one of only 23 in the world — to host the Summer Games. And, of course, my flyover university–where most events of the third Olympiad took place–is going to “add another architectural jewel to its historic campus later this year when an Olympic Rings ‘Spectacular,’ a five-ring sculpture, is installed at the end of Olympian Way, on the southwest corner of the Danforth Campus.” Oh boy.

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But why did they ever get rid of the tug-of-war?

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Well, things haven’t changed that much on campus. Still a lot of pink granite and ramparts.

Here’s an article about the “St. Louis’ Olympic legacy” with a lot of pictures.

By the way, did you notice that lacrosse was one of the team events in 1904? Speaking of lacrosse, here’s the boy’s latest video featuring D2 Lindenwood University’s team.

(That was a smooth segue, right?) Still pretty chilly for lacrosse.

4 Comments

November 3, 2017

“Hand me down that can of beans”*

by chuckofish

I have a busy weekend ahead with a bigger helping of social events than I am used to. How about you?

In addition to the aforementioned social events, the OM and I are also babysitting for the wee babes while their parents go to a wedding. This will entail sticking around for longer than two hours, so daughter #1 has kindly agreed to come into town to help. Phew.

The King of Cool: one-handed non-chalance; he will be one-strapping** a backpack soon…

Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Here’s hoping the three of us can handle these two goofballs.

In other news, did you read that November 1 was the 50th anniversary of the release of Cool Hand Luke (1967)?

Fifty years?! Zut alors, that makes me feel old. Not that I was actually old enough to see it at the movies, but almost. I remember my older brother going to see it and hearing all about it afterwards. Of course, he thought it was great, and he couldn’t believe the ending. I couldn’t wait to see it–a few years later and on television. It is one of my Top Ten favorite movies and it is my Friday movie pick. Even if you have seen it 50 times, watch it again. Paul Newman is at his tip-top best and he is ably supported by a terrific cast of up-and-coming actors. The only woman in the cast is Jo Van Fleet and her one scene is very memorable, although the Academy failed to nominate her for an Oscar. As I have said before, Paul Newman was also robbed.

By the way, last weekend I watched Paint Your Wagon (1969) which I had not seen in many years.

I enjoyed it a lot, especially Clint Eastwood, who is at the peak of his physical attractiveness and actually, for once, plays a nice guy.

No wonder I fell behind in all my eighth grade classes–I was daydreaming about him! Sigh. In fact, I never caught up with Math and French and was forever relegated to the A1 sections thereafter. (This was fine with me, but I blame Clint Eastwood.) I also was surprised that I still knew the soundtrack backwards and forwards, having listened to it ad nauseum back in the day.

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Good to know we don’t forget everything.

Have a great weekend!

BTW, if you are wondering who takes all those great photos of the wee babes, it is their pater, the boy.

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He’s pretty good, right?

@ultimatelacrossestore

*The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on the Paint Your Wagon soundtrack

**Chan Tatum one-strapping; Jonah Hill two-strapping

7 Comments

June 27, 2017

“Velvet I can wish you For the collar of your coat And fortune smiling all along your way”*

by chuckofish

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The sign’s up at the boy’s store! He’ll be open for business shortly. Can you believe it?

When it rains, it certainly pours.

Did I just mention rain? I didn’t mean to…

More on this exciting mercantile development later.

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Right now we are trying to focus on the upcoming nuptial events later this week.

But More I Cannot Wish You
Than to wish you find your love
Your own true love this day
With a sheeps’ eye
And a lickerish tooth
And strong arms
To carry you away.

*More I Cannot Wish You, Frank Loesser

2 Comments

April 3, 2017

“The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand”*

by chuckofish

Well, for the first time in three months, the OM and I didn’t have to venture out to the NICU on Saturday–yay!

Indeed, I had nothing planned for the weekend besides a funeral on Saturday for another pillar of our church, a classy 95-year old lady who was the last of our British war-brides. The service was Rite I Burial of the Dead, which took well over an hour–just the way I like it. Why shouldn’t a funeral be long? The woman’s three children and one daughter-in-law spoke beforehand and the rector gave a better-than-usual homily (he actually knew the deceased). The grandson who is in divinity school was the cantor and intoned the initial anthem (“I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord”). It was a lovely service and there was even a piper at the end playing “Loch Lomond”. The reception was a proper English Tea with cucumber sandwiches etc. and even wine for some of us unruly Americans–just kidding, no one was unruly.

In other news, I read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, which, I must say, still holds up after 50 years and, indeed, packs quite a punch. I mean a book about hoodlums that can make this jaded lady cry (several times) must be darn good. I was impressed and I recommend you read this classic young adult novel. Written by a sixteen year-old back in 1966, it still rings true. “Things are rough for everybody.” Next I am going to find the movie (1983), which was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starred a panoply of rising 80s stars.

I remember it being pretty good. Ralph Macchio and Matt Dillon stand out in my memory.

Meanwhile the yard is greening up and the birds are chirping merrily. Could it be spring for real?!

Well, the Florida Room is open for business.

And the boy and his wee family came over for our first barbecue of the season on Sunday evening. Of course, they were dressed appropriately in their Cardinal gear for the season opener.