Weekend | dual personalities

February 8, 2016

“While life’s dark maze I tread”*

by chuckofish

Yesterday was the last Sunday in Epiphany. We are heading into Lent. Tomorrow we eat pancakes.

I had another confirmation class to go to on Sunday which meant another painful meeting with the eighth graders! We had a lesson in using a concordance. I thought this was kind of fun, but then I am such a nerd. We mentors were instructed to bring a bible with a concordance, so I hauled out my old NIV study bible from back in the day when I was in a small group. It made me realize how seldom I use it, now that one can find everything on the computer–and so fast!

Anyway, I told my ‘mentee’ as we were leaving that when she was bored sometime she should play with the concordance. It really can be fun. You know, look up words and then follow up with the bible verses. Super fun and better than trolling your iPhone! She smiled and nodded enthusiastically, probably thinking, “OMG, how did I get stuck with this person?”

The weather this weekend was warm and springlike. I ran a lot of errands and even induced the OM to go to an estate sale on “The Hill”–an historically Italian-American neighborhood in south city which is terra incognita to me.

The estate sale was run by the most reputable and high-end estate sale company and the pictures online looked like there was a lot of good stuff, so I wanted to check it out. We got lost of course, but we finally found it–right around the corner from St. Ambrose Church.

The exhilaration of finding the place was unfortunately followed by the let down of most of the good stuff being already gone. C’est la vie. I did a little sleuthing and figured out that the house was owned by a retired Episcopal priest! Do I have a nose for finding Episcopalians or what? Even in the heart of Little Italy. I bought one of his bibles for $2. There were a bunch of old Vanderbilt yearbooks, which, had I been alone, I might have perused and even bought. I get a kick out of old yearbooks.

We had dinner out with the boy and daughter #3 and her parents on Saturday and we went to a Super Bowl party for oldsters, where we mostly watched the commercials. The PSA about the rampant problem with heroin starred a girl from our church!

Which I guess really brings home the message of heroin addiction and the girl next door. Sigh. I remember Tori (or maybe it was her sister) as a toddler going up to communion with her mother and saying in a loud voice, “Crackers? I want a cracker!” My older and more sophisticated daughters thought that was uproariously funny and for years afterwards would say, “Crackers? I want a cracker!” at inappropriate times.

And Peytie Pie won the Super Bowl!

Well, it’s Monday. Have a good one!

*Ray Palmer, 1830, “My Faith Looks Up to Thee”

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February 1, 2016

In a mirror, dimly*

by chuckofish

In flyover news, the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company announced last week that Mac, the first foal of 2016, was born at Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville, Mo., joining more than 160 other horses in the beer giant’s stable. Hello, Mac!

Over the weekend the OM and I attended the “Elegant Italian Dinner,” an annual fundraising event for the youth mission trip at church. It was, as usual, a jolly good time. What is it about heated up lasagna and a side salad in a dimly lit church hall that always hits the spot?

The next morning I got up and went to the 8 o’clock service at church so that we could go out to breakfast afterwards with the boy and daughter #3 at our favorite diner.

photo from yelp.com

The OM had never been there, but he liked it, I guess, because he ate his slinger and then finished daughter #3’s waffle a la mode.

Anyway, the 8 o’clock service is a shorter service because there is no music (besides the Voluntary at the beginning and end of the service). It appeals to an older crowd and also to the golfers in the congregation. It is not really my cup of tea. I also skipped the 155th Annual Meeting which followed. I forgave myself.

I finished the mystery I was reading by the Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Keeper of Lost Causes. It is the first in the Department Q series about detective Carl Morck. I thought it was very good–character-driven and darkly humorous. I will definitely read more in this series.

I watched Red River (1948) and really enjoyed it. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift are really pretty great together. Clift never overplays his hand, never tries to upstage John Wayne, but is a real presence in every scene. He appears to be confident and at ease and not bad on horseback. I was impressed. Needless to say, this is no mean feat, because John Wayne is mythic in this part.

SO…

*I Cor. 13: 12 (or “through a glass, darkly” KJV)

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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.

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

The boy came over to show us his new hockey skates.

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

The OM made shepherd’s pie.

Not a bad weekend, all things considered.

Have a good week!

*Hobbs in Furious 7.

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January 11, 2016

O, Comforter draw near*

by chuckofish

The OM circa 1956–picture him in the same get up in a wing chair.

It turned cold over the weekend. We got a dusting of snow, but nothing to write home about. The windows were icy Sunday morning though. Brrrr.

It was a good weekend to stay in and needlepoint/read/putter. I also watched a few movies.

Let me just say, I am most definitely not a fan of Amy Schumer or Judd Apatow. But someone had left a copy of Trainwreck at our house and I had nothing to watch on Saturday night. I knew I would hate it, but I like to stay current, right?

I assumed I wouldn’t watch the whole thing, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised.

I watched the whole thing. Yes, it is vulgar, but the title character is a trainwreck after all, and the movie is about her figuring that out. There is actually a moral to the story. Spoiler alert: She cleans up her act.

I also watched Bulldog Drummond (1929), a rather bizarre pre-code movie starring Ronald Colman and a 19-year old Joan Bennett.

Colman was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor as Bulldog Drummond and he is, indeed, young, funny and very appealing–not the stiff-upper-lip epitomizer of his later films (think Random Harvest). And there is plenty of sexual innuendo in this movie, let me tell you. This 87-year old movie is worth checking out!

On Sunday night we celebrated daughter #3’s birthday (a few days late) with pizza, cake and ice cream.

Now it is Monday again and the salt mines beckon. Have a good week!

Hymn #516

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January 8, 2016

Friday forecast

by chuckofish

Well, here we go…and since I have no big plans for the weekend, that’s okay with me. It may be a good time to hunker down and resurrect a needlepoint project. Or clean out the “craft closet.”

I will find something to do.

Tonight I will definitely toast Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) on his birthday

and perhaps watch one of his movies.

Okay, it’s settled. Have a great weekend!

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December 4, 2015

“Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings”*

by chuckofish

I had a busy week, especially yesterday, so I am planning to take it easy this weekend. I’m going to go to the church on Saturday for the Christmas cookie sale, wrap presents and mail packages and probably buy our Christmas trees.

Sunday is Advent Lessons & Carols and I am a reader.

I am going to watch Christmas movies and probably more of Sons of Anarchy season three, which I started when the OM was away at a conference this week. (He hates the show.)

But how can you not love a show where Katey Sagal’s character (the SOA Queen Bee), while desperately trying to hot-wire and steal a car, says “Goddamit” in frustration and grabs her purse to find her reading glasses! I can so relate.

Enjoy your weekend! Three weeks from today is…Christmas!

*Isaiah 40:9

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November 20, 2015

Hello, Friday!

by chuckofish

This is one of those event-packed Fridays when I think, if I can just get through today, I’m going to take it easy this weekend! That is my plan.

In the meantime, here are some postcards from my week.

St. Louis keeps watch over Art Hill.

The Ginko trees at my flyover university are awesome.

The Christmas cactus is blooming right on schedule!

And someone brought me cookies at work! 420 calories per 3-bite serving! Oh mein Gott!

And one reminder! Turner Classic Movies: TCM has revised its schedule to showcase a 24-hour tribute to Maureen O’Hara starting today, Friday, November 20. The 12-movie marathon begins at 6 am ET.

Now feel free to

Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honor everyone; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.’ (from the service for Remembrance Sunday SPCK)

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November 13, 2015

Have a nice weekend

by chuckofish

Middle age is when you’re sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn’t for you. ~Ogden Nash

Maybe I’ll see what the boy’s up to.

What are you up to?

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November 9, 2015

“Awake, awake, to love and work!”*

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was quite enjoyably low-key.

On Saturday evening the OM and I went to the members’ preview of the new exhibit “St. Louis Modern” at the SLAM.

Luckily, he found something right away to admire.

As readers of this blog know, my own home is filled with antiques and reproductions. My taste certainly leans toward 18th and 19th century American style. I am, however, a great appreciator of mid-century modern–i.e. the 20th century stuff of my youth. The aforementioned exhibit was full of the contents of some pretty great Bernoudy and Armstrong and Dunn homes and offices and included the design products of Charles Eames, Russel Wright, Eliel Saarinen, et al. It prompted me to look around my own house and find the odds ‘n ends of this period that I love.

I mean who doesn’t love mid-century modern pottery and china?

Church on Sunday was enjoyable–the only blip being when our female assisting priest referred in her sermon to Beethoven’s “Erotica” symphony instead of the “Eroica”. Talk about your Freudian slip! I refrained from correcting her after the service, because I hate people who do that. You know–the ones who look for typos to point out in newsletters etc. Like they’re being helpful. I always say, “I know everyone thinks I’m perfect, but really I’m not!”

Have a good Monday. Learn something new.

*Hymn #9, Geoffrey Anketel Studdert-Kennedy

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November 2, 2015

Hearts are brave*

by chuckofish

I went to see The Yeoman of the Guard by Gilbert & Sullivan on Friday night.

The scene of this opera is laid within the precincts of the Tower of London, in the period of the 16th Century.

Admittedly, it was not the D’Oly Carte Opera Company, but I thought our local Winter Opera company was really quite wonderful.

My mother was a fan of Yeoman and we had the record.

I think she liked it because it is the only W&S opera with kind of a sad ending. She could always relate to the fool/jester character in anything and there is a stellar one in Yeoman.

Anyway, I dragged the OM and the boy along (daughter #3 was otherwise engaged) and they enjoyed it also. We were all proud of ourselves for getting out and participating in a cultural activity.

It reminded me of the time back in 1964 when my mother bought tickets to see the actual D’Oyly Carte Company perform The Mikado. She took my brother and me. I was in the second grade, but she thought I was old enough to enjoy/appreciate this opportunity. (She may have over-estimated me.) Anyway, my father took my little sister (who was not old enough to enjoy/appreciate light opera) to see It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Ironically this film was on TCM last week and I DVR’d it and then watched it this weekend. It features literally every American comedian (plus Terry-Thomas) alive in 1963. It is overly long and drags some, but it does have its moments. Jonathan Winters is great and the scene in the gas station with Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan is priceless. There is a lot of yelling in this movie.

Speaking of movies, I also watched From Hell (2001) on Halloween and, despite the presence of Johnny Depp, I thought it was dreadful. Apologies for recommending it on Friday!

Sunday, as you know, was All Saints Day and we had an interminably long service complete with a children’s sermon dissecting the hymn The Saints of God. Oh, did I mention it was also pledge Sunday? Well, it was. On top of this, the woman sitting behind me was a beat behind or a beat ahead during every prayer and every hymn to the point where I was ready to slap her and slap her hard. I hate feeling that way in church.

And now it is November and the long slide to Christmas begins. Deo gratias.

Enjoy your Monday!

Point. I have a song to sing, O!

Elsie. Sing me your song, O!

Point. It is sung to the moon

By a love-lorn loon,

Who fled from the mocking throng,O!

It’s the song of a merryman, moping mum,

Whose soul was sad, and whose glance was glum,

Who sipped no sup, and who craved no crumb.

As he sighed for the love of a ladye.

Heighdy! heighdy! Misery me, lackadaydee!

He sipped no sup, and he craved no crumb,

As he sighed for the love of a ladye.

–Yeoman of the Guard

Hymn #287

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