Happy Friday, readers! Daughter #1 here. Back from a several week hiatus. This time last week, I was in sunny St. Augustine, Florida, relaxing by the pool. As you know, St. Augustine is the oldest establishment in the United States. I was there to attend a wedding of a former co-worker/PA of mine. And, having to travel all the way to Florida, I thought I’d make a mini-vacay out of it. I booked a room, not in the historic downtown, but out at the beach on St. Augustine island. I did not regret my choice.
I will admit, I was a little nervous to see my old co-workers–a lot has changed since our Nightline days. But it turned out to be a wonderful time and I was reminded that yes, people do like me and remember me fondly.
Shannon looked lovely and my dress got lots of compliments. Believe it or not, I curled my hair for the party, but in the Florida humidity, my curls fell out and my hair was straight. After my middle school years, the irony of humidity making my hair straight is almost too much.
It’s the busy season at work right now–and I’m off to Wyoming for a work project next week. Pray for me–I have to fly United. Woof.
The title of this blog post comes from this Mary Oliver poem.
We had a rainy day on Tuesday, so the road crew was absent from our street and work stalled. Damn and blast. Yesterday was a beautiful day, but the workmen were slow in getting started and basically did nothing. We’ll see what happens today.
Since I was given two archival boxes for my birthday, I have been reading through piles of old letters before filing them away. They really are a window into the souls of our ancestors. I especially enjoy the ones my maternal grandmother wrote to my mother when she lived far away in flyover exile.
Tomorrow morning I have a hair appointment. Have I ever mentioned that I have let my hair grow since last Sept. and it is a “French Twist”? Ellen Coghlin told me I looked 20 years older and tried to get me to cut it. But long it is. I am nearly 65 and willing to look it. I am sure Ellen’s dyed, buffant hairdo does not make her look any younger! And her wrinkles are many.
Women do not change, do they? Well, I am with my grandmother. I am 68 and willing to look it.
Today we note the birthday of Maud Hart Lovelace(1892 – 1980), an American writer best known for the Betsy-Tacy series. My daughters were big fans of these books back in the day and now daughter #2 is reading them aloud to three-year old Katie, who loves them. She then “reads” them aloud to her sister and to the world at large. Since she has begun atttending a Lutheran pre-school two mornings a week, Jesus has been introduced as a character in her interpretive readings.
In my daily Bible reading I have been working through 1 and 2 Samuel and the story of David who I don’t have to tell you is pretty great. Everyone knows the story of David, the shepherd boy who fought the giant Philistine, Goliath, who had been ridiculing the Israelites for forty days, daring one of them to fight him. Everyone thinks David is crazy when he says he’ll fight Goliath. But do you remember what David said to Saul?
But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
–I Samuel 17: 34-37
This is David’s attitude throughout his life and it is a good attitude. Later in II Samuel 22 he spoke to the Lord the words of a song he wrote when the Lord delivered him from the hand of his enemies. He also wrote a Psalm about it: Psalm 18.
The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation. (II Samuel 22:47)
I’m not sure where I was going with this except to say that daily Bible reading is quite an encouragement to me and I highly recommend it.
Along these same lines, this is a good article about Jesus as our shepherd and why he carries a rod. “Numbered by Jesus, we’re led by Jesus; led by Jesus, we’re protected by Jesus; and protected by Jesus, we’re comforted by Jesus.”
And God love him, here’s Bob:
And they’ll raise their hands Sayin’, “We’ll meet all your demands” But we’ll shout from the bow, “Your days are numbered” And like Pharoah’s tribe They’ll be drowned in the tide And like Goliath, they’ll be conquered
P.S. I always liked the Bernini David best (see above).
I received some good books for my birthday–I mean does my family know me or what?
I got some other nice things as well, including archival boxes to aid me in my quest to be organized. However, the twins quickly became bored with my presents as I opened my pile of goodies and returned to playing with Mr. Smith. But I will have no excuse for being bored for some time.
Just a reminder that yesterday was the 62nd Anniversary of the release of The Man Who Shot LibertyValance (1962).
In its review, The New York Times heralded Duke as a paragon of the Western genre, writing, “Mr. Wayne again proves, if it is necessary at this late date, that he can sit a horse well, shoot from the hip and throw a haymaker with the best of them.” Well, he could do a lot more than that and he did in this great film, which is a lot more than your everyday, run-of-the-mill western. But you know that. Anyway, if you are looking for something good to watch, I suggest Liberty Valance.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
How was your weekend? Mine was quiet, but there were donuts on my birthday.
It was good to be back in church after missing last weekend. We had a really good sermon from a guest preacher on John 21:1-17 and we started a new Sunday School class on stories as apologetics.
Daughter #1 returned from a quick trip to Florida and she hosted the family for my birthday on Sunday afternoon for happy hour and ice cream cake.
We walked to the neighborhood park where the twins frolicked and Mr. Smith kept watch.
He conked out early after his busy day…
…and so did I.
This is a good article about losing loved ones and having regrets, in which the author includes this wonderful quote from Jonathan Edwards:
In every heart in heaven, love dwells and reigns. The heart of God is the original seat or subject of love. Divine love is in him…from God, love flows out toward all the inhabitants of heaven…the angels and saints all love each other. All the members of the glorious society of heaven are sincerely united. There is not a single secret or open enemy among them all. Not a heart is there that is not full of love, and not a solitary inhabitant that is not beloved by all the others. And as all are lovely, so all see each other’s loveliness with full complacence and delight. Every soul goes out in love to every other; and among all the blessed inhabitants, love is mutual, and full, and eternal.
TGIF. It has been a stressful week for this old retired lady. I have had a lot to do, on top of our ongoing street renovation stress.
So I am going to channel Katie’s vibe this weekend and chill as much as possible.
However, we do have a birthday to celebrate (mine) amidst other distractions.
I had my last bible study meeting of the “semester” yesterday–we finished part one (chapters 1-13) of Matthew. I really enjoy this group of old and young ladies who take their prayer work seriously and study very hard. We had a nice potluck salad lunch afterwards. Indeed, I feel very blessed to be in this group. I am grateful that God has been so patient with me over the years and that he has put me in this good place.
This is a wonderful story from the book God’s Smuggler about Christians communicating. I have heard of this book, but have not read it. I will soon.
And did you see that an elephant escaped from a circus in Butte, Montana this week and ran through town? The trainer managed to get her under control and there was no need for law enforcement intervention. I guess people in Montana take such things in stride.
So happy birthday to me and here’s to another trip around the sun!
*Emily Dickinson, “We turn not older with years, but newer every day.” (from a letter to a cousin, 1874
Well, the Imperial Walker was back yesterday and blocked the entrance to our street for awhile. We were told by a neighbor that we would have to park our cars on some other street blocks away once they start resurfacing the street. This is all very stressful and I am stressed. And the noise, noise, noise, noise! Zut alors.
May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
–Psalm 29:11
In other news, the iris are beginning to bloom.
They put on quite a show, don’t they? Also the bud’s other front tooth fell out.
He announced this to me when he and the boy came over while Lottie was in dance class. We had fun sitting outside.
The wee laddie got a good look at the Imperial Walker.
Funnily enough, the giant Imperial Walker was removed yesterday morning, only to be replaced by a variety of other large vehicles. Lots of coming and going ensued.
Onward and upward.
Today we celebrate the birthday of movie actor William Holden (1918-1981).
He was born just across the river in O’Fallon, Illinois, but he spent most of his youth in California. Though a very sophisticated type, he managed to hold on to his midwestern charm–not unlike his friend and fellow Illinoisan, Ronald Reagan. He made a lot of good movies.
Of course, my favorite is The Horse Soldiers (1959).
Like too many other people, sadly, alcohol was his downfall. He died at 63 after tripping on a rug at home alone and hitting his head. He was found four days later–an ignominious end. Toasting may be inappropriate, but I will find something on his playlist to watch.
We also note that today marks the 234th anniversary of the death of Benjamin Franklin in 1790. Approximately 20,000 people attended his funeral after which he was interred in Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia.
In those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything his own. Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech … Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom, and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech, which is the right of every man …
Silence Dogood, 1722
I couldn’t agree more. I also like Franklin’s proposal (which was not adopted) for the design of the Great Seal of the United States which featured the motto: “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God”.
The OM texted me yesterday to inform me that Whitey Herzog had died. Whitey was great and we sure loved that 1982 St. Louis Cardinals team that won the World Series. Ozzie Smith, Keith Hernandez, Willy McGee, Darrel Porter, Lonnie Smith, Bruce Sutter…
The team hit a grand total of 67 home runs in 1982, the fewest in the major leagues. But they caught the ball, pitched well and ran–they played what became known as “Whiteyball”. The style was solidified one Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium, when the team’s third-string catcher stole home with two outs and two strikes in the 12th inning for a victory. The Cardinals won the division by three games, then swept the Braves in a best-of-five playoff. They kicked off the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers with Gussie Busch riding around the stadium behind the Clydesdales and Smith doing a backflip on the way to his position. In truth, reading about it now, it sounds a lot like the Indians in Major League (1987)!
Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction! Have a good Wednesday!
This is a beautiful time of year in flyover country. Everything is popping, the bugs are not omnipresent and the humidity has not set in yet. The grass is so green and plush!
But look what we have had across the street for going on three weeks!
I feel like we have an Imperial Walker parked in front of our house! It is quite alarming. And good grief this street “improvement” has been going on since before Christmas!
The view out my office window:
Lovely.
But we count it all joy, friends, don’t we? Well, we try to.
I thought that this was a good piece on the Christian response to cultural catastrophe.
The OM and I made it Mahomet and back again–an easy peasy drive across the Illinois prairie.
We had absolutely fabulous weather–beautiful blue skies and not too windy.
We celebrated a couple of birthdays and walked around the neighborhood. We drove through the lovely Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve along the corridor of the Sangamon River, which is practically next door to daughter #1’s house. I am looking forward to visiting the Museum of the Grand Prairie on a future visit. We had dinner in Champaign, but mostly we did a lot of sitting outside, soaking up and frolicking in the sun.
Say cheese! Photogenic ladies
Unfortunately the boy was not around to take wonderful blog photos, so this is the best I can do. I didn’t even get a picture of the birthday girl. C’est la vie.
We had a wonderful time, but you know I’m always happy to cross the river and see the Arch and come home.
I watched the Masters Sunday afternoon. Scottie won! (And Ida got a popsicle!)
And here’s this to start your week off right:
My Shepherd will supply my need: Jehovah is His Name; In pastures fresh He makes me feed, Beside the living stream. He brings my wandering spirit back When I forsake His ways, And leads me, for His mercy’s sake, In paths of truth and grace.
When I walk through the shades of death His presence is my stay; One word of His supporting grace Drives all my fears away. His hand, in sight of all my foes, Doth still my table spread; My cup with blessings overflows, His oil anoints my head.
The sure provisions of my God Attend me all my days; O may Thy house be my abode, And all my work be praise. There would I find a settled rest, While others go and come; No more a stranger, nor a guest, But like a child at home.
dual personalities 