dual personalities

Tag: Snow

February 19, 2024

It’s the same old song

by chuckofish

Friday we got several inches of snow. Plans were canceled.

But the sun came out on Saturday and we were back in action, venturing to an estate sale and even Costco with daughter #1.

On Sunday we went to church and during the adult ed hour heard from two of our missionaries, one in Mexico and one in Connecticut. I find it fascinating that Connecticut (and New England in general) is a mission field. But with 5% of people attending church, it really is.

I made a new breakfast casserole which incorporated bagels, eggs, bacon, cheese. The consensus was positive, so I will make it again. The twins had fun frolicking with Mr. Smith, whom they had not seen in several weeks. “Smitty!”

I want someone to make me one of these…DN?

And I think this is funny:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmawrH_HeAs

I heard the boogie man checks under the bed for Chuck Norris.

Happy Monday!

5 Comments
January 26, 2023

My burden is light*

by chuckofish

As reported yesterday, I returned home on Tuesday in a remarkably delay-free, easy trip. The plane wasn’t even full! The OM was at the airport to meet me and he had not burned down the house while I was gone. Daughter #1 cooked dinner. The forecasted winter storm did not turn out to be anything special, just some wet sticky snow which continued to melt all day yesterday. (The twins did manage to build an impressive snowman.)

So all is well, thanks be to God. Anyway, I am taking my time getting back into my flyover routine.

I will note that today is Paul Newman’s birthday, so I suggest we all watch at least one of his movies.

I recently watched The MacKintosh Man (1973) which I had not seen since it was originally released when I was back east visiting colleges. I went with my cousin and her friend to a drive-in movie theater. They talked throughout the movie and I had no idea what was going on in the movie, which at the time was very annoying. However, watching the movie 50 years later a few months ago, I still did not really know what was going on. It is one of those English spy movies where you don’t really like anyone and you can’t tell who the good guys/bad guys are and there is a cross followed by a double-cross and so on. Honestly, there are better choices to make.

So I’ll probably watch an old favorite. Maybe Road to Perdition (2002). We can eat one of your pizzas and toast you, old blue eyes. You were pretty great.

*Matthew 11:30

3 Comments
February 17, 2022

Is it snowing where you are?

by chuckofish

“You wake up on a winter morning and pull up the shade, and what lay there the evening before is no longer there–the sodden gray yard, the dog droppings, the tire tracks in the frozen mud, the broken lawn chair you forgot to take in last fall. All this has disappeared overnight, and what you look out on is not the snow of Narnia but the snow of home, which is no less shimmering and white as it falls. The earth is covered with it, and it is falling still in silence so deep that you can hear its silence. It is snow to be shoveled, to make driving even worse than usual, snow to be joked about and cursed at, but unless the child in you is entirely dead, it is snow, too, that can make the heart beat faster when it catches you by surprise that way, before your defenses are up. It is snow that can awaken memories of things more wonderful than anything you ever knew or dreamed.”

–Frederick Buechner, Telling Secrets
4 Comments
January 11, 2019

“Snow’s all right on a fine morning, but I like to be in bed when it’s falling”*

by chuckofish

Screen Shot 2019-01-10 at 11.52.47 AM.png

Well, they are saying we will get 5-7 inches of snow starting later this afternoon.

Screen Shot 2019-01-10 at 10.27.15 AM.png

We’ll see.

I plan to head home a little early and settle in for a quiet weekend. Hopefully I will get some reading done. I have a lot of new books.

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And there are always movies to watch, right?

In the meantime, try to focus on the little joys encountered every day. For instance, yesterday morning on my way to work, I passed the boy in his big ol’ truck driving the wee babes to their nursery school. We waved to each other.

Have a good weekend!

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*Samwise-gamgee (J.R.R. Tolkien)

7 Comments
January 25, 2016

“Woman, I am the calvary”*

by chuckofish

So I spent most of the weekend inside, in solidarity with daughters # 1 and 2, who really were stuck inside their east coast apartments because of all the snow.

Although I guess daughter #2 wasn’t stuck inside all weekend.

Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 3.59.38 PM

We had no snow besides the old stuff from our mid-week event.

Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 3.53.19 PMThe boy came over to show us his new hockey skates.

Whheler

And we watched Furious 7 again and thoroughly enjoyed all its lovely ridiculousness.

fastfuriouscars7

The OM made shepherd’s pie.

Not a bad weekend, all things considered.

Have a good week!

*Hobbs in Furious 7.

6 Comments
March 2, 2015

Holier than thou

by chuckofish

duck

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!

grace-episcopal-churc03

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!

8 Comments
March 26, 2014

More snow you say?

by chuckofish

Bah humbug!

snowyday

Yes, we are a wee bit annoyed in our flyover state. However, you may recall that last year at this time we had 12.4 inches of snow! So big deal, right? What’s a dusting?

Besides, this is just a minor set-back. It does feel like spring is almost here. There are Robins in abundance. Songbirds are singing. Have you heard “Peter! Peter! Peter!”? According to BirdWatcher’sDigest.com, we should also be listening for woodpeckers drumming and owls hooting. Look for raptors in clumps or pairs and ducks in flight.

Take a deep breath. It smells like spring.

Meanwhile I have my spies in Florida. They send me photos of this guy.

MIKE

Hello, Mike Matheny. How ya doin?

4 Comments
February 5, 2014

And make rough winter everlastingly*

by chuckofish

N.C. Wyeth, "Snow Platform"

N.C. Wyeth, “Snow Platform”

Well, we are digging out from more snow. Aargh.

So here is a poem for a snowy day. The last verse is rather famous, but perhaps you have forgotten the earlier part.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, 1923

*William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”

4 Comments
January 31, 2014

*No cloud above, no earth below,— A universe of sky and snow!”*

by chuckofish

Yesterday’s post with the wonderful Hiroshige landscape got me thinking about my love of landscape paintings that include snow. I have always loved them. I don’t know why.

I have one in my kitchen which I love.

IMGP0906

I bought it on eBay and had it framed. It is a watercolor, painted by a talented amateur. Every day it makes me happy.

Here are a few examples of my favorite landscapes in snow:

Japanese, "Scouting Party near Niuzhuang on a Snowy Night" 1894

Japanese, “Scouting Party near Niuzhuang on a Snowy Night” 1894

Winslow Homer, "Fox Hunt" 1893

Winslow Homer, “Fox Hunt” 1893

Winslow Homer, "Sleigh Ride"

Winslow Homer, “Sleigh Ride”

Hiroshige, Bridge in Snow

Hiroshige, Bridge in Snow

Childe Hassam, "Melting Snow"

Childe Hassam, “Melting Snow”

Childe Hassam, "Heckscher Tower"

Childe Hassam, “Heckscher Tower”

Frederic Remington, "The Scout--Friends or Foes"

Frederic Remington, “The Scout–Friends or Foes”

Andrew Wyeth, Winter Landscape

Andrew Wyeth, Winter Landscape

Eric Sloane

Eric Sloane

Maxfield Parrish may be too popular to be “art”, but these are among my absolute favorites:

Maxfield Parrish, "Christmas Morning 1949"

Maxfield Parrish, “Christmas Morning 1949”

Maxfield Parrish, "White Birches in the Snow"

Maxfield Parrish, “White Birches in the Snow”

Aren’t they all wonderful? So many pictures, so little wall space left!

Well, onward to February! And have a nice weekend! Go, Broncos!

Peyton Manning...in the snow!

Peyton Manning…in the snow!

*John Greenleaf Whittier

12 Comments
January 10, 2014

Great God! this is an awful place.*

by chuckofish

Preoccupied as I am with snow, I got to thinking about a movie pick for Friday that is snow-related.

The first film that came to mind, of course, was one of my favorite musicals, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), directed by the great Stanley Donen and featuring the best-ever dance in the snow.

Then there is the entertaining Cold War thriller Ice Station Zebra (1968) starring a studly all-male cast that includes Rock Hudson, James Brown and Patrick MacGoohan. Who cares if the sets are terrible?

icestationzebraart

If you like Robert Mitchum (and I do), you could watch Track of the Cat (1954), a film noir western wherein “complex and dangerous family dynamics play out against the backdrop of the first big snowstorm of winter.”

TrackoftheCatLobby

Or there’s Scott of the Antarctic (1948)–the true story of the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his ill-fated expedition to try to be the first man to discover the South Pole. All the Brits have stiff upper lips (which become frostbitten) in this very sad rendering of a tragic tale.

scott

Jeremiah Johnson (1972) with Robert Redford has a lot of snow in it and it is a much better movie than Downhill Racer (1969) which also boasts Robert Redford and lots of snow. I vote for Jeremiah Johnson.

jeremiahjohnson1

Other movies that come to mind: The Shining (1980), The Grey (2011), The Pink Panther (1964). Can you think of any good movies that take place in a snowy locale? Did Elvis make a ski-bum movie?

*Scott at the South Pole

4 Comments