What a strange two weeks this has been! Daughter #2 and DN are moved in, but not totally settled in yet. That will take some time. Their new home is great–unfortunately I took no pictures when I was there–and the University of Illinois is very impressive. I liked Champaign-Urbana a lot. It is the perfect sized small city with everything you want but without a lot of the stuff you don’t need.
After a few days in their new house, Katie said, “I think Mamu is living with us now!” Well, no dear. I certainly enjoyed all the bonus time with daughter #2 and her sweet family, but I am glad to be home. In my absence the OM did not burn the house down. Now I have mountains of laundry to do and sheets to change and the house to get back in order…but c’est la vie.
It was so good to be back in church on Sunday. We had a good sermon on the transfiguration and we sang some great hymns. I teared up twice. The twins seem very grown up after spending so much time with a three-year old and one-year old! They came over for bagels after church and played contentedly with their old toys. The bud sang the doxology without prompting to show me that he knows all the words.
Daughter #3 made this updated sweatshirt for me (Wheeler, Lottie, Katie, and Ida), which I think is pretty great, don’t you?
In other news, I was sad to hear that ol’ Toby Keith had died. He was one-of-a-kind. I liked his attitude: “How do you like me now?” And I did love that deep vibrato of his. We’ll toast him tonight.
You gotta saddle up your boys You gotta draw a hard line When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune And we’ll all meet back at the local saloon We’ll raise up our glasses against evil forces Singin’ whiskey for my men, beer for my horses
I have lost all sense of time over the last few days since daughter #2 arrived with her family–you know how it is when the dishwasher is literally running three times a day. And also the washing machine. Plus everyone (except the OM) got sick with some stomach virus and we have been cleaning up bodily fluids since Friday. I barely got out of bed on Friday.
We were on the mend by Saturday. And some of us managed to do a few normal things…
…but you can tell around the eyes that things are not 100%.
Then daughter #2 got sick early Sunday morning and I had a relapse. I was unable to go to church for our new senior pastor’s first Sunday and I missed the last Sunday School class of the TULIP–Perseverance of the Saints. Did I mention that poor Ida is teething?
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Another rainy, overcast weekend filled with busy-ness. When did February become such a busy month?
Among other things, the bud had the Pinewood Derby…
He got the “Spirit of Scouting” medal…
…but his car came in 4th out of 12 in the race, so he missed out on a podium trophy by three-tenths of a second. C’es la vie.
Meanwhile the movers came to daughter #2’s house two days earlier than previously arranged, so they had a last-minute scramble to finish packing the night before.
This gives them more time to drive to Illinois, so it’ll work out.
They left on Sunday and will arrive on Monday, in plenty of time to close on their house on Tuesday.
The OM and I are poised to drive over to help them unpack as soon as we hear when the movers are actually going to arrive (probably Wednesday) with all their stuff. Prayers for traveling mercies all around.
This week our Sunday School class on the Doctrines of Grace (TULIP) focused on Irresistible Grace–“the point at which the things determined beforehand in the mind and counsel of God pass over into time.” Or to put it simply: “He who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6) I love this class!
After church the OM went to the Blues hockey game and the rest of us all went to see The Wizard of Oz (1939) on the big screen. (Check out Fathom’s Big Screen Classics series here.) As you know, it is one of my top 5 favorite movies, so I jumped at the opportunity. Wow, to see this great movie as it was meant to be seen was fantastic. The art direction is A++++ and on the big screen you can see every detail. The incidental music is awesome and Judy Garland is perfection. In fact, everyone in it is great.
The bud’s favorite part was the tornado in Kansas and Lottie’s fave was Glinda. We all agreed that Toto reminded us of Mr. Smith through the whole movie. I hope we can talk about it further sometime–they had to rush off to Lacrosse practice!
Today is the birthday of one of my favorite ancestors, John Wesley Prowers, the Colorado cattle king who was an early inductee into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Hall of Fame in 1963.
I like to celebrate by watching a really good cowboy movie. This year we watched Red River (1948), one of the best and a favorite of mine. As Roger Ebert wrote, “….’Red River’ is one of the greatest of all Westerns when it stays with its central story about an older man and a younger one, and the first cattle drive down the Chisholm Trail. It is only in its few scenes involving women that it goes wrong.” I have to agree.
John Wayne and Montgomery Clift are perfect as father and (adopted) son. Every time I see it I am so impressed with both of them. And Walter Brennan gives one of his best performances.
I also watched Kevin James’ Irregardless stand-up special on Prime Video. I think he’s funny and he seems really normal. No bad language or vulgarity. No politics. Probably having an old lady like me like your comedy routine is the kiss of death, but oh well.
So it was quite a weekend. What did you do? What did you learn? There’s no place like home!
We survived another frigid weekend in flyover country. At least the sun was out. Daughter #1 and I braved the arctic elements on Saturday to go to an estate sale where Lamar gave us our usual good customer discount and made our day. We then went out to lunch at our local pizza place which was hoppin’ with activity.
Later at home I worked on a puzzle I got for Christmas…
And the Amaryllis is blooming! Wowee! What a show!
We went to church–it was almost 10 degrees! Our Sunday School class was on Limited Atonement. We had a lively discussion in our 60s age group. The boy said they also had a lively discussion in their 20-30s age group, but some of them are still working out their salvation with fear and trembling. It is a blessing to be able to go somewhere and have a lively intellectual discussion.
After church we went to our favorite diner for brunch and daughter #1 met us there after her service. We wolfed down our food like starving Presbyterians after a worshipful morning. As Charles Spurgeon said, “There is hardship in everything except eating pancakes.”
We went back to church that evening for our annual meeting, which was pushing it considering the eternal threat of bad weather. But we had a quorum and conducted our business. Our new pastor starts in two weeks!
Meanwhile daughter #2’s daughters continue to enjoy outdoor winter activities to varying degrees…
Ida prefers to play inside and I’m with her…
We are bracing for an ice storm today. Here’s to further hunkering down.
*This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
Our weekend in flyover country was very cold–indeed, frigid. I wore my (vintage) fur coat to church, it was so cold. We did have a few diversions.
The boy came over with the twins on Friday in between a birthday party at the Mini Fig store and a date at the Cat Cafe (no school that day)…
Kirkwood is such a happening place. A Mini Fig store and a cat cafe.
Continuing the ‘In Memoriam Glynis Johns’ theme, we watched Mary Poppins (1964) and were reminded what a great movie it is.
Disney really peaked with that one. It had a message for all the parents in the audience, especially the fathers.
Thankfully, Mr. Banks is redeemed.
Sunday morning as we drove to church in the negative-five-degree cold, I said to the OM, “I bet [our old church] is closed this morning.” But we had an (almost) full house at our new one–everyone who stayed home missed a good class on Unconditional Election. Oh well. We hunkered down in the afternoon and attempted to stay warm watching the PGA in Hawaii.
Meanwhile daughter #2 et al are busily packing up their stuff and getting ready for the big move to flyover country at the end of the month…
…as well as Ida’s first birthday this week.
And I received this text:
Of course she did.
And this is interesting. Here’s the song that started Bobby Zimmerman on the road.
You’re drifting too far from the shore You’re drifting too far from the shore Come to Jesus today Let Him show you the way You’re drifting too far from the shore
How was your weekend? Ours was dark and gloomy and rainy, but full of festive seasonal fun nevertheless.
We went to the Christmas concert Friday night–a packed house of Presbyterians, plus a few random Episcopalians I recognized and even a few Jewish Messiah lovers. I enjoyed it very much, but didn’t get home until 10 p.m.–way past my usual bedtime!
On Saturday I went to the funeral of an old 99-year-old friend at my old church. Shirley was quite the gal–a lifelong Episcopalian, Republican and Cardinals fan who went to spring training in Florida every year. She was also a professional woman who had enjoyed quite a long and successful career. The former rector came from Florida to speak along with the former President Pro Tem of the Missouri State Senate. He told the story of how Shirley was sad when she gave up her season tickets to the Cardinals at age 97, but that she had to admit that watching the games on her daughter’s big screen tv had its benefits–namely being able to see Nolan Arenado, “the most beautiful man ever,” up close and personal.
The service was 100% Rite I, but the interim rector kept lapsing into Rite II. C’est la vie. The lay readers were good, which would have pleased Shirley. She had been one herself for decades. I always felt so validated when she gave me a thumbs up after I read. The church was almost full–which said quite a lot about 99-year-old Shirley–but the singing was weak. Shirley, I daresay, is well out of the Episcopal Church and in heaven now.
For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
–Job 19:25-27
After Mr. Smith went to the spa for his shampoo, daughter #1 came over and helped me decorate the tree.
We also watched the 1951 A Christmas Carol–the best version in my not so humble opinion.
This scene always makes me cry: “You’ve made Fred so happy!”
The boy was in Kansas City with his family all weekend, so it was just the OM and I at church and a quiet Sunday afternoon.
Also, I did want to wish a happy birthday to my dual personality. Happy Birthday, sweet sister of mine!
I hope someone is cooking you a nice dinner and that my present arrived in time for you to open it today. I hope you watch a good movie, maybe Captain Blood (1935) or How to Steal a Million (1966). I will be toasting Fizzy Fuzz, Pompey, Pete, and Robert Preston!
Also, this meme made me LOL:
P.S. Many thanks to whoever sent the fruitcake from Texas–there was no card!
Another super busy weekend with a variety of events, several of which involved getting dressed up and socializing with people. But the weekend was dominated by the wee twins’ 7th birthday and their birthday party. Their parents rented one of the small movie theaters at the Galleria and invited 20 kids to watch Aladdin (1992) in their pajamas.
They got popcorn, candy and a drink and, of course, a special cookie.
I must say it was a pretty fun party. When Jasmine and Aladdin go on their magic carpet ride and sing “A Whole New World” all the girls in the back row, led by Lottie, burst into song and sang along. Several of the boys (down in front) got annoyed and said, “Be QUIET!” I was amused–funnily enough the boys were better behaved than the girls. I also enjoyed the movie–Robin Williams knocks it out of the ballpark. I had forgotten that it was the highest grossing film of 1992!
Later in the day the twins also came over to our house for a more sedate birthday gathering with a cookie cake and a few presents to open.
We also managed to go to church twice–once on Sunday morning and once Sunday evening for Lessons & Carols followed by a congregational meeting to vote for our senior pastor candidate. It was a full house and we blew the roof off singing–this congregation loves to sing! And we voted in the new pastor!
Among other Advent standards, we sang O Come, O Come, Emmanuel which I always associate with my earliest pageant experience at my school in kindergarten. We sang it in the dark with our little candle/flashlights. It made quite an impression. That old 13th century Plainsong is so sad and eery sounding. I never really understood the lyrics until recently though.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; From depths of hell Thy people save, And give them victory o’er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.
There’s actually a whole lot I understand now that I did not before. I am so grateful for my new church. I am so grateful for Tim Keller and R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur and John Piper for pointing me in the right direction and for encouraging me to find a good church!
It is December again and time to decorate the church, which I helped do on Friday morning.
So pretty and understated. (The TV screens are not usually there. We had a presentation earlier in the week about our senior pastor candidate.)
Later in the day daughter #1 and I celebrated at 19 North, about which I will tell you more later. Then we watched White Christmas (1954), officially ushering in the yuletide season. It never gets old.
The OM and I also ventured out and bought our Christmas tree this weekend from our friendly neighborhood Optimists–they get smaller and more expensive every year.
We’ll put it up and decorate it in a couple of weeks. For now it is chillin’ in a bucket of water in the Florida room.
I am doing my best to chill as well, but there is a lot going on. On Sunday we heard our senior pastor candidate preach and next week we, being Presbyterians, vote on whether we call him to our church. It has been a long process (almost two years!)–but all’s well that ends well, right?
We also had an Advent craft event in between services instead of Sunday School. Lottie is a real crafter and she hunkered right down and made some outlandishly garish Advent decorations.
The bud concentrated on the yummy treats available but also colored this for me, which I will treasure always:
Meanwhile Katie shared a cheeseburger meal with her Mommy and said this:
Can you even?
Well, have a good week! Watch an old movie, consider the Incarnation, and try to chillax!
“Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed, For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.”
How was your weekend? We had another lovely fall weekend with a stupendous sunrise on Sunday. What a view out the kitchen window!
In church the choir sang and the wee bud stood up and applauded. I wanted to applaud after our sermon by our guest preacher Dan Doriani on the “I believe; help thou mine unbelief!” passage from Mark 9. How great is it to feel like that after a sermon? Yes, pretty great. We also found out that a new senior pastor has been called and it will be announced next week after he has had time to tell his current church that he is leaving. It has been nearly two years since our senior pastor left, but I think we have been doin’ all right.
The boy and the wee bud and daughter #1 came over after church. (Lottie went to another birthday party.) We had bagels and prosecco and good conversation. Then he moved a few things for me and turned one of the carseats around so baby Ida can use it. We are almost ready for a visit from daughter #2 and family.
By the way, the wee bud hit a milestone this weekend, scoring his first goal in a game with his indoor soccer team.
It was rather momentous! His other grandma, Mom and aunt cried. I would probably have too had I been there!
Miss Katie is also showing promise in her backyard…
…and Ida is the tunnel queen.
And hold the phone, Mizzou beat Florida with a field goal in the last 7 seconds! 😂😂😂
I tell you the world is falling apart, but there is still plenty about which to rejoice and be thankful.
Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed, For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner! We should rejoice and be thankful, despite our manifold sins and general wickedness, all year round, but I especially do at this time of year. As always, it is the little things that stand out for me, such as the chip fest we enjoyed on Saturday night when the boy dropped off Lottie while the wee bud went to a birthday party. (Their Mom was in Dallas this weekend.)
Daughter #1 and Mr. Smith joined the OM and Lottie and me to watch The Gnome-Mobile (1967)–a vintage Disney film in which a multi-millionaire lumberman (Walter Brennan) and his two young grandchildren (played by the kids from Mary Poppins) encounter two gnomes in the Redwood forest of California who are supposedly the last of their kind. Hilarity ensues. Although there is no princess in this film, I think Lottie enjoyed it. At least now she knows what a gnome is.
On Sunday we all went to Sunday School, but then the boy took Lottie to a birthday party and the bud stayed with us through church. He came over to our house after church to hang out with daughter #1 and Mr. Smith who joined us for total depravity casserole. Of course, Lottie had told her brother all about The Gnome-Mobile (including the car chase) and he wanted to watch it, but I was like, um no, not right now.
The boy and Lottie came over after her party. We hung out on the driveway for awhile, probably for the last time til next year.
It was another beautiful weekend.
And Mizzou beat the pants off Tennessee! Hometowner Cody Schrader, a graduate of Lutheran South, was the star of the game. According to the AP, “Cody Schrader put together one of the most impressive performances in Missouri history Saturday night, running for 205 yards and a touchdown, catching five passes for 116 yards, and leading the No. 16 Tigers to a 36-7 rout of No. 14 Tennessee.” Normally I could care less about Mizzou football, much less watch a game, but Matt Mitchell gives them so much grief for being in the SEC, I have become an interested partisan. Anyway, I was pleased that they won.
In honor of Veterans Day we watched Gettysburg (1993) which is based on Michael Shaara’s fine book The Killer Angels. It is a good movie, except for the miscast Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee. But I much prefer old Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain anyway. As you know, he is a hero of mine.
This is a different kind of army. If you look back through history you will see men fighting for pay, for women, for some other kind of loot. They fight for land, power, because a king leads them, or just because they like killing. But we are here for something new, this has not happened much, in the history of the world. We are an army out to set other men free. America should be free ground, all of it, not divided by a line between slave states and free – all the way from here to the Pacific Ocean. No man has to bow. No man born to royalty. Here we judge you by what you do, not by who your father was. Here you can be something. Here is the place to build a home. But it’s not the land, there’s always more land. It’s the idea that we all have value – you and me. What we are fighting for, in the end, we’re fighting for each other. Sorry, I didn’t mean to preach. …Gentlemen, I think if we lose this fight we lose the war, so if you choose to join us I will be personally very grateful.
(Jeff Daniels as Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain)
Well, continue to cultivate gratitude, appreciate your freedom and enjoy your Monday.
Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
dual personalities 