Weekend | dual personalities

October 17, 2022

Leaning on the everlasting arms

by chuckofish

Recently I read in Psalm 102:

I lie awake,

and am like a sparrow on the housetop.
–Ps 102:7

I don’t know about you, but that perfectly describes how I feel on many a night. Usually I relate to my friends the hawks and owls, but not at night, alone and awake. I am a sparrow.

Then in church yesterday we sang this old-time hymn written by Elisha A. Hoffman in 1887 and I was reminded what we have as Christians:

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
- Refrain:
  Leaning, leaning,
  Safe and secure from all alarms;
  Leaning, leaning,
  Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Take heart, brothers and sisters! We do not have to go it alone. Again I say, go to church and be reminded.

After church…

…the boy and the wee twins came over for Presbyterian soufflé and other assorted goodies. The twins were introduced to Spicettes, a candy which literally blew their minds. It was a beautiful day so we also sat outside after brunch…

Who knew knee socks are a thing again…with ruffles!

Then we went back inside to get cleaned up after extended playtime which included much throwing of themselves bodily down the hill, chasing the new dog who lives across the street, and playing the fun game of pretending the Raptor has broken down and calling Triple A for a tow truck. (“Ma’am, I need a new battery.”)

I’m sure they slept well. And me too. I know I have a blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Have a good Monday.

4 Comments

October 3, 2022

“O hushed October morning mild”*

by chuckofish

My weekend was a nice quiet one. The weather was beautiful. I went to a DAR meeting and to Target for the first time in a couple of years to buy a second car seat. On Saturday afternoon the OM and I attempted to install it, along with our other car seat in the SUV, but failed. Seriously you need an engineering degree and the strength of Hercules to do this. I accept that I lack these things, but it frustrates the OM mightily when he is unable to do such tasks easily. We had to ask the boy to come over and use his man strength and general know-how to accomplish this not-so-simple chore. C’est la vie.

I needed the two car seats because I wanted to pick up the wee twins and take them to church on Sunday so they wouldn’t miss again when their Dad was working. This I did. And all by myself since the OM went to the baseball game–the last home game of the season**. He would have benefited from hearing the sermon which was on the third commandment:

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
–Exodus 20:7

There was a lot of blaspheming during the carseat installation incident on Saturday.

Anyway, the twins were great and I got them in and out of their carseats (another engineering feat) and home safe and sound. Lottie filled me in on all the gossip.

It is October so I am beginning to watch some of my favorite Halloween-ish movies, i.e. ones dealing with the supernatural. First up was The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) directed by Joseph Mankiewicz.

Rex Harrison stars as the ghost of a sea captain who appears to Gene Tierney’s young widow Lucy Muir when she moves into his Gull Cottage and dictates his “memoirs” to her. George Sanders is the children’s author who temporarily steals Mrs. Muir’s heart. Edna Best is Lucy’s devoted maid and Natalie Wood plays her daughter. It is a wonderful, subtle and genuinely haunting movie, beautifully photographed by Charles Lang. The score by Bernard Herrmann is perfection. Every time I see it, I like it more. This time I was struck by how much Gene Tierney reminded me of my friend Nicki, who died in January. This made me even more sad, but the OM had left during the opening credits, so I was free to weep throughout the movie.

Here’s the soundtrack suite from the movie. According to Wikipedia it was Bernard Herrmann’s personal favorite.

So watch The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, forebear to swear, and enjoy the lovely fall weather (if the hurricane missed you.)

Thanks, Mommy, but I prefer Toll House to these organic, gluten-free cookies

*”October” by Robert Frost–read it here.

**In his final Busch Stadium at-bat, Albert Pujols hit homerun #702 to tie Babe Ruth on MLB all-time RBI list. And the crowd went wild.

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August 29, 2022

“While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high”*

by chuckofish

On Friday I went to my BFF Carla’s mother’s funeral. It was a very watered down Catholic/Episcopal service loosely officiated by Carla’s cousin (a Catholic priest) and her son Michael (an Episcopal priest) with Eucharist (wafer and white wine). No pomp. No circumstance. Her mother Rosemary would have liked it that way.

My favorite memory of Rosemary is the time we went to hear her grandson preach and after the service we talked about how all of us flyover friends and relatives should go to his ordination in NYC. We laughed picturing us all pulling up in front of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine like the Beverly Hillbillies in an overloaded pickup truck. I told Michael that story before the funeral and he showed me the picture of just that–Rosemary in front of the cathedral with the entire family (sans pickup.) She was very proud of all her grandchildren.

Into paradise may the angels lead thee, Rosemary, and at thy coming may the martyrs receive thee, and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem. (BCP, Burial of the Dead)

The rest of my weekend was pretty quiet. The boy and the twins were back at church with us and then came over for brunch and some driveway sittin’.

The wee bud took the Raptor out for a spin…

…and a good time was had by all.

I watched Santa Fe Trail (1940) starring Errol Flynn as Jeb Stuart and Ronald Regan as George Custer.

Although it bears no connection to historical reality, it nevertheless holds up very well as a movie. Directed by Michael Curtiz and with the Warner Brothers A Team of supporting actors, it tells a good yarn, and as the boy said, Raymond Massey was born to play John Brown.

And I talked to these sweet ladies…

…who were doing some driveway sittin’ of their own.

*Charles Wesley, 1740

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August 22, 2022

You know my sitting down and my rising up”*

by chuckofish

We had a nice weekend in flyover land with temperatures in the low eighties and low humidity. That is about as good as it gets here in the summer and I am grateful.

Daughter #1 came home and we enjoyed some normal weekend-y activities. The boy and I also went in his truck to pick up a “new” vintage camelback sofa I had bought at our local antique mall last week. Now we have to deal with disposing of our old sofa, which, believe me, is not easy!

We went to church on Sunday where we heard a good, long sermon on Luke 16:1-13, a hard parable, which the preacher met head-on. Later in the afternoon the OM and I returned for the fall ministry kickoff picnic which was actually a lot of fun. Everyone is returning to school and that means that the summer, I guess, is more or less officially over. Sigh.

I was sad to read that the College Hill Presbyterian Church in Oxford, Mississippi, had burned to the ground. The church was built in 1846 and was the oldest church structure in Oxford, as well as the oldest Presbyterian church in all of North Mississippi. The grounds of the church were used by Union troops under Generals Grant and Sherman during the Civil War, and it is where William Faulkner was married.

In other news, a ridiculous story has recently been making the rounds of social media claiming that six security men had to hold back John Wayne from assaulting Sacheen Littlefeather at the 1973 Academy Awards. Blogger Farran Smith Nehme, aka the Self-Styled Siren, has now thoroughly researched and debunked this fantasy in a well-written article. People have no shame nowadays about lying and spreading more lies.

But this story about the Samaritan’s Purse volunteers helping people right here in St. Louis is uplifting. They walk the walk. Check out the video.

Also, Katiebelle got a haircut…

…and she approved…

And here’s R.C. Sproul explaining flat-out nonsense:

Well, have a good week!

*Psalm 139: 2

3 Comments

August 8, 2022

Gotta serve somebody

by chuckofish

Lord, grant us grace, to make Thy goodness our trust: shutting our hearts against pride, our mouths against evil words, our ears against foul knowledge, and using Thy gifts to the promotion of Thy glory and of man’s salvation; for His blessed sake, in Whom we have all and are full and abound, Jesus Christ.
-Christina Rosetti

Many things these dark days are an outright affront to God, such as a drag queen parading down the aisle at Grace Episcopal Church in New York City. I could go on, such examples are everywhere, but what’s the point? They are all trying to provoke us and mock God.

But God will not be mocked and I try not to be provoked.

This past weekend I stayed in my lane by watching movies directed by the great Cecil B. DeMille. First I watched Samson and Delilah (1949) which was a huge box office smash when it came out, the #1 highest grossing film of the year. I have to say, I enjoyed it. Beautiful Hedy Lamarr, as Delilah, stole the show from Victor Mature, who doesn’t have the personality to match her…

…but they are well supported by George Sanders, Henry Wilcoxon, Angela Lansbury et al. The screenplay sticks to the biblical story fairly closely until the end when they soften up Delilah quite a bit. The real Delilah never had a second thought for Samson or a moment of guilt. (I will add that a drag queen would have gone unnoticed in this film and maybe there’s a point to be made there.)

Next I watched Reap the Wild Wind (1942), a technicolor historical romance directed by DeMille and starring John Wayne, Paulette Goddard, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, and a giant squid.

It is a good movie featuring all the bells and whistles–sets, costumes, music, a great cast, and lots of action–but it suffers somewhat because, I’m sorry, the audience is rooting for John Wayne, but he isn’t the hero! He does a bad thing and has to die, doing a good thing, killed by that giant squid. Paulette Goddard has to settle for Ray Milland. Sigh.

Both these movies have very strong female characters at the center and both are appealingly played. Points to Mr. DeMille.

My plan was to watch The Buccaneer (1938) which I have never seen. It stars Frederic March as Jean Lafitte…

…who one imagines is very different from Yul Brynner who played Lafitte in the 1958 remake. But I haven’t gotten to watch it yet since I was sidetracked on Sunday night when we went to see the boy play in his Men’s Lacrosse League championship playoff.

It was fun to be back at DeSmet HS watching a game. It’s been quite awhile. The wee babes were there yelling, “Go, Daddy, go!”

…even when he wasn’t on the field…

But he scored once and they are league champs!

And we saw a rainbow!

I am content.

2 Comments

August 1, 2022

“Footfalls echo in the memory Down the passage which we did not take”*

by chuckofish

It is August now and our summer has been a hot one. I am thinking how nice it would be to be floating in a lake in Maine with my Massachusetts cousins (see above). Alas, I am not. Sixty or so years have passed since that picture was taken–hard to believe.

Happily, the temperatures came down this weekend to a very respectable low eighties. It was overcast, but pleasant enough to sit outside on the patio and contemplate the passage of time. I was happy that daughter #1 could join me for happy hour.

I spent a good part of Saturday attending an online auction where I was glad to see some vigorous bidding on “brown furniture.” This meant that I didn’t get anything, but c’est la vie. I was glad to see that there is still a market for tall case clocks. The prices are still amazingly low compared to twenty years ago, but they are, nevertheless, more than I am willing to pay for a rescue. I did buy a nice wing chair for $25. I mean, nobody wants a wing chair these days. Nobody but me.

On Sunday we went to church and were joined by the boy and his two wild monkeys. They checked their depravity and behaved, but when we got home they let loose and wreaked some havoc. (Note that our wing chairs took quite a beating.)

At some point the havoc moved outside (thankfully).

I am out of breath just looking at these pictures! When the wee babes headed home, daughter #1 also headed back to Jeff City, and the OM and I crashed for awhile before heading back to church that evening to celebrate the assistant pastor who is leaving with his family for a new job in Tuscaloosa.

Sunrise, sunset.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us;
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
–Martin Luther, Ein Feste Burg

*T.S. Eliot, “Burnt Norton”

5 Comments

July 25, 2022

This and that, here and there

by chuckofish

Every so often I just like to post this old Booth cartoon because it sums up my mood so well.

In other news, we continue to languish in our tropical flyover state where we have been tolerating/not tolerating super hot temperatures. On top of which, my allergies were terrible this weekend–the sneezing and the blowing–zut alors!

I did manage to go to one estate sale and I checked out my local antique mall where I found something I could not resist.

It’s a large lead soldier–a Cameron Highlander–in a nice case. It is very well painted.

You will say that I already have plenty of lead soldiers around my house, but I couldn’t help myself. He was on sale! It was a rescue job and I am not apologizing.

You may recall that our father was quite a hobbyist and one of his longterm hobbies was painting lead soldiers and collecting Britains. I do indeed have them all over my house.

So what’s one more soldier?

The OM and I went to church on Sunday where we heard a good sermon on Matthew 21: 33-46. We also sang some great old hymns lustily which is always a joy. The boy and his family were in KC this weekend so we ate brunch at our backup diner and then drove down to my favorite auction house to check out the preview of next weekend’s auction. I am keeping my eye on a few things and who knows, if there is no competition, I may win something.

And they say the intense heat will be vacating the area and we will be back to near normal temperatures and maybe some rain. That would be nice.

Did you watch Red River (1948) on Saturday? We did and it was great.

John Wayne is iconic and Montgomery Clift holds his own. And, boy, that is saying a lot.

And here’s a great rendition of a favorite hymn by Missouri’s own, the Petersens, to start your week off…

4 Comments

July 18, 2022

“He who regards the clouds will not reap”*

by chuckofish

I had a busy week. We even went out on a weeknight.

The OM got to use his office’s (air-conditioned) suite at the ballpark so he invited a group of friends and clients to watch the game. I had not been to a Cardinals game in many years, not since my flyover university used to sponsor nights at the ballpark. Also I lost interest in the redbirds when they fired Mike Matheny in 2018 (sigh). Anyway, it was fun to watch a game right on the third base line.

The little bud made a new best friend, who taught him how to yell, “You’re a bum!” to the manager. (Our manager is a bum, so it’s okay.) We had a 6-0 lead through seven innings and then lost the game because we have no relievers. C’est la vie.

After my busy week, all I wanted to do was chillax and watch the 150th Open at St. Andrew’s. I did get to see a little, but since I went to church on Sunday I missed the end. (Congrats to Cameron Smith who to me always has a disconcerting Nathan Bedford Forest vibe.)

We celebrated the OM’s birthday with a little party after church.

(The pictures of our birthday parties always look the same, don’t they?) Mr and Mrs Crypt Keeper–c’est la vie.

I’m impressed the OM blew out all the candles with one breath. (So was he.)

The French Silk pie was from Tippins and a big success. I made a tater tot casserole which was also a hit.

Here’s hoping this week will not be so busy and maybe it will cool off a little. It has been a hot summer, but that is par for the course and I am not complaining (as long as the electric grid holds out.)

And here’s a bonus picture of precious Katiebelle doing her chores:

*Ecclesiastes 11:4

3 Comments

June 20, 2022

Pickin’ and grinnin’

by chuckofish

As you know, I had quite a week, what with volunteering at Vacation Bible School…

…but the fun did not end there. After a slam bang VBS finish on Friday morning (which included a big slip ‘n slide on the front lawn), I rushed home to meet the OM so that we could drive to Jefferson City where we celebrated Father’s Day by attending a Ricky Skaggs concert with daughter #1 in the city’s outdoor amphitheater.

(As usual I did my best to advertise for Ultimate Lacrosse as well as use my Unclaimed Property fan to great advantage! It was super hot.)

We have seen Ricky in concert at least four times. The first time was in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry twenty-five years ago.

We have all aged quite a bit since those glory days, but ol’ Ricky and his Kentucky Thunder Band still put on a great show.

No one goes to a Bluegrass concert who isn’t really into it, so the crowd is always rockin’–and this crowd of mid-Missouri oldsters was no exception.

I went to my first Bluegrass concert back in the 1970s. It was the legendary Doc Watson and his son Merle, playing in Graham Chapel at Washington University. I went with my brother and his friend Tom, who were bluegrass musicians themselves. I have been a fan ever since.

Anyway, we stayed up way past our usual bedtime on Friday night, but Ricky Skaggs was worth it.

On Saturday, daughter #1 and I went to a few favorite places in JC…

including the always interesting “Vin-tique” antique mall. Then we all had lunch at Steak ‘N Shake, followed by a treat at Central Dairy before heading home and collapsing.

On Sunday I had to wear my VBS t-shirt one last time to church for the final celebration and explosive display of Christian enthusiasm before we all settled back down into our more sedate Presbyterian worship. The OM and I thought we would bring the boy lunch at his store after church since he had to work, but every place we tried to stop was way too crowded and the drive-through lines were too long, so we just stopped by and said “Happy Father’s Day!” and went home. C’est la vie.

Here’s hoping life will be calmer this week while I ready myself to visit this little tyke and her parents in North Carolina next weekend.

Cheese!

5 Comments

May 30, 2022

How lucky

by chuckofish

We had a beautiful, sunshine-y weekend and we took good advantage of it. Daughter #1 came home on Friday to attend the funeral of our old friend Bob. He and his wife, who we met at our old church, switched to the Anglican Church many years ago and were pillars of that small congregation. The church was overflowing with friends and family and we were happy to get seats. One son and a granddaughter gave heartfelt eulogies; he was a much-loved patriarch of a large and loving family.

Bob and and his wife Sue always had time for our family; indeed, they were often stand-in grandparents for our kids who had none, taking them to the movies, and attending school plays, graduations, holidays, weddings, even the V.P. Ball, with us. And every New Years Day for years we attended their spades party where a potpourri of guests played a round-robin spades tournament with randomly selected partners. Frequently daughter #2 was paired with Bob, who good-naturedly played with a six or seven-year old. They invited us to their camp at the Lake of the Ozarks. They were swell.

Bob was indeed a saint, a child of God, and now he is among that “cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us. (Hebrews 12:1) Into paradise may the angels lead thee, Bob. At your coming may the martyrs greet thee, and bring you into the holy city Jerusalem.

Daughter #1 also came home in order to attend a birthday party on Saturday, but it was canceled at the last minute. So because it was such a beautiful day, we drove to Faust Park in west St. Louis County. The park is 200 acres on a tract of land that once belonged to the second governor of Missouri, Frederick Bates.

The estate includes a house, barn and three log buildings that were built around 1817-1819. Faust also is the home to the Butterfly House and a carousel. We walked around the “historic village” and toured the Butterfly House, which is like a mini Climatron with lots of exotic butterflies.

After lunch we went home and sat on the patio for three hours sipping margaritas and watching the birds and squirrels enjoy Happy Hour in the mulberry tree. They are rather comical to watch as they gorge on the over-ripe berries and get tipsy. (The squirrels hang like monkeys reaching for berries and the Robins fall off the branches.) We even saw a Pilated Woodpecker–very exciting!

On Sunday after church the wee twins came over to eat bagels and frolic outside while the grown-ups indulged in driveway sittin’.

Watering the flowers (the bud’s idea) ended in filling the baby pool and drenching themselves.

Can you imagine anything more fun?

Today is Memorial Day–lest we forget–so I will be watching They Were Expendable (1945) and giving heartfelt thanks for our veterans, past and present.

Sidenote: We also watched Dog (2022) this weekend. It is a great movie about veterans.