Julie wrote uplifting notes in all her children's books. Scott forgot his wallet again and had to beg for cabfare.

 Episode 339 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene, with guests Rose and Hannah! 

Velo

Velo
by Edward B. Gordon

As I have said many a time, I love it when modern art reflects modern life in a way that people in the future can get a feel for how we live. No one does it better than Edward B. Gordon.

How Harry Cast His Spell by John Granger

How Harry Cast His Spell explains why the books meet our longing to experience the truths of life, love, and death; help us better understand life and our role in the universe; and encourage us to discover and develop our own gifts and abilities.

I recently listened to a podcast specializing in deep meaning in novels do several episodes on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone. It was really interesting and led to me to look for information about the following six novels of the series.

This book fills the bill. Not only does John Granger have chapters about Christian and literary symbolism, names, and themes, but he then goes through each book looking beneath the surface. This led me to reread the series for the first time in years, which I enjoyed immensely. Granger's commentary showed me some new ideas about the books and that made them even more meaningful. I enjoyed this a lot. 

Definitely recommended.

The power of character

It often feels like we’re in society that’s moved beyond any accepted definition of character or morality. It’s shown in our politics, our entertainment, our social media feeds . . . But in the person of Lincoln, we’re clearly reminded about the power of character. Kindness, magnanimity, wisdom, thoughtfulness, etc. These things matter.

Jeremy Anderberg, The Big Read, commenting on Team of Rivals

Absolutely. I look at Lincoln and I look at our leaders today. These things matter and we don't require it of our leaders any more.

Fun Summer Reading — The Empress of Mars by Kage Baker

Empress of Mars is an enjoyable "Western" romp on Mars as seen via Mary Griffith who runs the local saloon and represents society on the fringes being oppressed by big business. As people come and go we see their individual stories and how they fit into the jigsaw puzzle that is this Martian colony. I really loved the romantic Ottorino Vespucci, scion of a wealthy but boring Earth family. He's a misfit due to his love of adventure and "translates" all the finagling for power in the Martian colony in terms of Western movies. And it fits.

I also really enjoyed Baker's ability to tell the truth without worrying about letting the chips fall where they may. Proper society is one that we might predict from watching current popular sociological trends. Although the "Goddess" worship popular among Mary and her cronies is linked to the Virgin of Guadalupe, it is also a nebulous sort of faith which encompasses something far beyond any Christian understanding of the Virgin Mary. And yet Baker isn't afraid to include Christians among those who would be thrown into the Hospital for Eccentrics, which is something a good many authors would have been blind to, depending upon their own prejudices.

This book is set in the world of Baker's series about "The Company." It is a stand-alone and only tangentially connected to that series. I honestly didn't recognize the two obvious Company characters who were included (Mr. De Wit and Mr. Nennius) but knowing who they are explains why they are enemies from the time they meet.

Overall a fun, light, imaginative read.

A City Atlas

Sidney Starr, A City Atlas, 1888-1889
via Arts and Everyday Living

Playing Children

Su Hanchen, Playing Children, mid-12th century

A painting by the Song Dynasty Chinese artist Su Hanchen (active 1130s–1160s) of two children waving a peacock feather banner like the one used in Song Dynasty dramatical theater to signal the acting general or leader of troops. If not displayed in the home of a wealthy gentry figure, this painting could very well have been an art piece of the royal family's residence in Hangzhou.

The image and description are via Wikipedia. I was looking for Chinese opera masks and came across this instead. I loved these children and their kitten. People never change ...

Adolphe Cossard

Adolphe Cossard
via French Painters

Gismonda

Alfons Mucha, Poster for Victorien Sardou's Gismonda
starring Sarah Bernhardt at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris.
Source

Orange

Orange
painted by Paul Coventry-Brown

One of my favorite painters. Be sure to check out his gallery at the link.

Just Plain Fun — The Lost City

Reclusive author Loretta Sage writes about exotic places in her popular adventure novels that feature a handsome cover model named Alan. While on tour promoting her new book with Alan, Loretta gets kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire who hopes she can lead him to the ancient city’s lost treasure that featured in her latest story. Alan, determined to prove he can be a hero in real life and not just on the pages of her books, sets off to rescue her.

This movie had mixed reviews and I've never been a fan of either Sandra Bullock or Channing Tatum. So I ignored it until I came across a positive review from Scott's Self-Indulgent Movie Blog which summed up:

Behind charming lead performances and an upbeat message, The Lost City is a fun as hell romantic action comedy.

We watched this for our family movie night and all of us really had a great time. It's a solid comedy that is an homage to Romancing the Stone, while being completely different. Very funny and a lot of fun. Also, Brad Pitt's part showed why he should do more comedy.

A Really Good Prayer ... Again

I first wrote this back in 2004 and then again in 2013. It seems to come up every ten years since I was recently asked about this post again ... so I'm just popping it in as a new post. 

=============

Here is a prayer that never fails. It is excellent for those times when someone is crunching popcorn in your ear while you are watching "The Passion", when the choir won't stop practicing even though they did not reserve the room that you need to use, or when you find yourself in the situation I did yesterday ... talking to a very angry man who treats you contemptuously as a simple fool. In other words, it is perfect for helping deal with the irritations and stress of daily life.

Lord, have mercy on me and bless them.

This simple prayer is proof that you do not have to "feel" the prayer. You simply must be willing to say it, however grudgingly. Considering the circumstances that lead up to it, I always am upset and irritated whenever I say it. Do I actually want those annoying people to be blessed? Hmph, I should say not! (At least I don't feel as if I do, although I am going to the effort of saying the prayer...) In fact, yesterday I was shaking with anger when I suddenly realized that prayer was running over and over in my head. But it is the classic case of "ask and you shall receive." Whenever I say it, I never fail to be reminded of my many imperfections, my pride, and that we are all sinners together. Often that is just what I need to calm down and let my anger go. Especially when I remember to ask God what he sees that is lovable in that person. After all, he sees so much deeper than we do.

In fact, yesterday I was given much more than that. I actually was able to walk away without getting sucked into further argument. I let him "win." So he thinks I'm an idiot? OK, fine. Believe me, that's not my way. No matter how hard I have fought with myself, I never have been able to do that before. It was all grace, an amazing triumph over my worst instincts, an answer to prayer for which I am very grateful.

I realized that angry man actually was the answer to a prayer for humility. That's another prayer that usually is fairly grudging. I know I need it. I know its good for me. But I know it hurts. Why is it that those prayers always are answered so quickly? Maybe its because that is the path that takes us closest to where we should be ... death to self, doing everything for the glory of God.

I was left with peace in my heart, an ability to pray for the man to truly be blessed, and an appreciation of humility (again). This morning's prayer for humility was much more sincere. What a great ending to that encounter. Thanks be to God for that simple prayer and for His quick answers.

TV You Might Have Missed 11 — Star Trek: Lower Decks

The main characters of Lower Decks (L-R):
D'Vana Tendi, Sam Rutherford, Beckett Mariner, and Brad Boimler.

The Star Trek franchise's first first comedy, Lower Decks focuses on one of Starfleet's least important starships, the USS Cerritos. Unlike previous Star Trek series, whose principal characters are typically starship captains and other senior officers, Lower Decks focuses on the missions and adventures of the "lower deckers", low-ranking officers with menial jobs, while the captain and other senior staff appear as supporting characters.

I first heard of this on Scott's Self-Indulgent Movie Podcast. Scott had never watched any Star Trek of any sort but had the cultural understanding of the show. He enjoyed this animated series so much that he binged the whole thing. We had to try it. By Episode 4 we were hooked. Part of the fun is the references to other Star Trek shows that the lower decks gang toss around. Part of it is the friendship between the lower decks gang. And, finally, part is the wackiness and humor. As for the rest, go read Scott's review. Here's a key part that drew me in.

Lower Decks basically handles a movie-level problem every episode as the main thrust or A plot, often with direct homages to the Star Trek movies themselves. Action scenes are quick and feature everything from hand-to-hand combat to space battles and hell they can destroy a moon or a planet if they want to without obvious green screen work. Meanwhile the secondary storylines, either the B or C storylines, are the equivalent of a sci-fi workplace comedy where one character is trying to impress a superior, deal with some interpersonal conflict, or essentially an episode-long joke.

But because it's a comedy, the life or death stakes often have a silly bent to them. For instance, the recurring villain the Pakleds are deadly serious when encountered in combat but are also...complete morons whose hierarchy is based on hats.

This captures the gist of the thing. We've caught up with all four seasons and are eagerly awaiting the final season which will begin streaming in October. Give this a try.

Jardín de las Elegías

Santiago Rusiñol, Jardín de las Elegías. Circa 1903.

This looks like where I'd like to be — on vacation in a beautiful garden.

On Ray Bradbury's Birthday

"They began by controlling books of cartoons and then detective books and, of course, films, one way or another, one group or another, political bias, religious prejudice, union pressures; there was always a minority afraid of something, and a great majority afraid of the dark, afraid of the future, afraid of the past, afraid of the present, afraid of themselves and shadows of themselves."

Ray Bradbury, "Usher II" (1950)

Ray Bradbury shares a birthday with Hannah ... which I tend to forget. They both share the qualities of being smart as whips, logical, and never fearing to speak the truth. Hannah doesn't have nearly as many best sellers, but there's time.

The Floor Scrapers

The Floor Scrapers, Gustave Caillebotte

This is one of the first paintings to feature the urban working class. It reintroduces the subject of the male nude in the painting, but in a strikingly updated form. Instead of the heroes of antiquity, here are the heroes of modern life—sinewy and strong—in stooped poses that would appear demeaning if they did not convey a sense of masculine strength and honest labor.[5] There is a motif of curls in the image, from the wood shavings on the floor, to the pattern of ironwork in the window grill to the arched backs and arms of the workers. The repetition in the image, with the three workers engaged in different aspects of the same activity but having similar poses, is similar to works by Caillebotte's contemporary, Edgar Degas. — Wikipedia

Scott's hoping for the part of the kingdom with the water park. Julie will take any part that doesn't contain the heath.

 In Episode 338 of A Good Story is Hard to Find we discuss King Lear (2008) starring Ian McKellan

View of the Westerkerk

Jan van der Heyden, View of the Westerkerk, Amsterdam, 1670s
via Wikipedia

It's hard to see in this image but if you look at it larger (say at the Wiki link), you'll see the people going about their daily routines. I know life then was as it is now, messy and confusing sometimes. But these people and the scene look so calm and peaceful.

Fable has strong shoulders

... the abbot of our monastery always said that fable has strong shoulders that carry far more truth than fact can.

Barry Hughart, Bridge of Bird

Coronation of the Virgin

Coronation of the Virgin
Book of Hours (Use of Rome), France, Lyons, c. 1495-1510
by Guillaume II Le Roy

I love picture books pages from books of hours, such as we see here, are always interesting to me. How much more would we get from our devotions if there were wonderfully illustrated paintings to help our imaginations take flight, to aid us in pulling back the veil between us and God?

If nothing else would I be lured into reading more devotional work if I had the pictures to get me to pick it up and open it?

That is a moot point I suppose since such things are still the province of rich men today just as much as they were yesterday. No one would publish them because they would be prohibitively expensive to buy. All the more reason to enjoy these pages from the past which can still enrich our imaginations ... and souls.

Having hope means ...

Having hope means that one will not give in to overwhelming anxiety, a defeatist attitude, or depression in the face of difficult challenges or setbacks. [Hope is] more than the sunny view that everything will turn out all righe; [it is] believing you have the will and the way to accomplish your goals.

Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence

This was quoted in Team of Rivals and there was never a better time than during the Civil War to remember what hope really is. This is something that we could all do with a little more of today.

How a gentleman shouldn't go to the devil

Flambeau had known Quinton in wild student days in Paris, and they had renewed the acquaintance for a week-end; but apart from Flambeau’s more responsible developments of late, he did not get on well with the poet now; choking oneself with opium and writing little erotic verses on vellum was not his notion of how a gentleman should go to the devil.

G.K. Chesterton, The Wrong Shape

Chesterton is just so darned funny. And this is just a toss off line in a Father Brown mystery.

Lemon Still Life

Paul Coventry-Brown

I haven't featured anything by this artist for a while but every time I go through his online gallery and blog I find so much to love. He is truly an extraordinary artist.

La Femme à l'Ombrelle

Louis Anquetin, La Femme à l'Ombrelle
via French Painters

The Eiffel Tower

La tour Eiffel, Georges Seurat, 1889

This jewel-like painting makes me think of the Eiffel Tower lit at night.

Young Girl Climbing Rocks

Young Girl Climbing on Rocks at Park Guell
taken by Carlos Lorenzo at Barcelona Photoblog

Looking for more summertime photos I went back to 2007 in the Barcelona Photoblog archives and found this beaut. Go to Carlos' place and click on the photo to see it in full screen glory and also his comments.

Better give your path to a dog, than be bitten by him in contesting for the right

No man resolved to make the most of himself can spare time for personal contention. Still less can he afford to take all the consequences, including the vitiating of his temper and loss of self-control. Yield larger things to which you can show no more than equal right; and yield lesser ones, though clearly your own. Better give your path to a dog than be bitten by him in contesting for the right. Even killing the dog would not cure the bite.

Abraham Lincoln, letter to Frank Blair

Lincoln was so unusual in actually living up to these words. I wish we had a few politicians ready to try this themselves.

To meddle in the government of society [is], so to speak, the only pleasure that an American knows

Citizens assemble with the sole goal of declaring that they disapprove of the course of government. To meddle in the government of society and to speak about it is the greatest business and, so to speak, the only pleasure that an American knows. . . . An American does not know how to converse, but he discusses; he does not discourse, but he holds forth. He always speaks to you as to an assembly.

Alexis de Toqueville

It's so interesting to see that we began as we meant to go on. And we're still obsessed with holding forth about politics to this day.

Forty Winks

Forty Winks by Frederick Hall, 1892

 I know just how that donkey feels!

The Bookworm

The Bookworm, 1857, Carl Spitzweg

Mine is a simple system

Mine is a simple system. I read from morning till bedtime, with breaks for my job, my family, meetings with friends, exercise, household chores and periodic reviews of my life's greatest blunders.

Michael Dirda, 10 Rules for Reading from Someone Who Does It for a Living

I don't read for a living, but I am often asked how I read so many books. My system is identical to Dirda's.

The Release from Deception

The Release from Deception, Francesco Queirolo

Carved in one piece, which is incredible enough, this conveys a deep meaning. Here's what Wikipedia says:

Release from Deception (Il Disinganno), produced in 1752–1759,[2] shows a fisherman being released from a net by an angel. The masterpiece was carved from a single piece of marble and can be seen in Cappella Sansevero, Naples.

The inscription on the book at the bottom of the sculpture depicts in Latin the words of the angel to the fisherman, made up of three different quotations from the Vulgate Holy Bible put together:

VINCULA TUA DISRUMPAM (Nahum i. 13)

VINCULA TENEBRARUM ET LONGÆ NOCTIS (QUIBUS ES) COMPEDITUS (Sapientiæ xvii. 2)

UT NON CUM HOC MUNDO DAMNEBIS (St. Paul 1 Corinthians. xi. 32)

“I will burst thy bonds asunder, / being fettered with the bonds of darkness, and a long night, / that you will not be condemned with this world.”

Surrender is not giving up.

Surrender is not giving up. Surrender is giving God access – and then getting to work.

Father Mike Schmitz

Amen, amen.

The Interior of the Palm House

Carl Blechen (1798–1840), The Interior of the Palm House

Notes on Mark: Choosing The Twelve

Vocation of the Apostles, a fresco in the Sistine Chapel by Domenico Ghirlandaio

MARK 3:13-19
I like the way the Standard Revised Version says it ... "He called to them those whom he desired." That rings true for my life, much less for anyone who is called to a vocation. Some interesting observations about the choosing of The Twelve. I especially like the point that the Apostles were a group because I always am mystified by people who say that they don't need church. I know that if left to myself I tend to lose perspective. I definitely need the church even if I don't always feel warm and fuzzy toward the people in it all the time.

It is significant that Christianity began with a group. The Christian faith is something which from the beginning had to be discovered and lived out in a fellowship. The whole essence of the way of the Pharisees was that it separated men from their fellows; the very name Pharisee means the separated one; the whole essence of Christianity was that it bound men to their fellows, and presented them with the task of living with each other and for each other.

Further, Christianity began with a very mixed group. In it the two extremes met. Matthew was a tax-collector and, therefore, an outcast; he was a renegade and a traitor to his fellow countrymen. Simon the Cananaean is correctly called by Luke, Simon the Zealot; and the Zealots were a band of fiery, violent nationalists who were pledged even to murder and assassination to clear their country of the foreign yoke. The man who was lost to patriotism and the fanatical patriot came together in that group, and no doubt between them there were all kinds of backgrounds and opinions. Christianity began by insisting that the most diverse people should live together and by enabling them to do so, because they were all living with Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark (The Daily Bible Series, rev. ed.)

We also can't forget the significance of numbers, as is always the case when studying Scripture.

The Twelve chosen by Jesus receive a specific vocation to be "people sent out," which is what the word "apostles" means. Jesus chooses them for a mission which he will give them later (6:6-13) and to enable to perform this mission he gives them part of his power. The fact that he chooses twelve is very significant. This is the same number as the twelve Patriarchs of Israel, and the Apostles represent the new people of God, the Church founded by Christ. Jesus sought in this way to emphasize the continuity that exists between the Old and New Testaments. The Twelve are the pillars on which Christ builds his Church (Gal 2:9); their mission to make disciples of the Lord (to teach) all nations, sanctifying and governing the believers (Mt 28:16-20; Mk 16:15; Lk 24:45-48; Jn 20:21-23)

The Navarre Bible: St. Mark

===== 

Sources and Notes Index   

Julie and Scott are not surprised to learn that Ramon's favorite song is Me and My Shadow.

In Episode 337 of A Good Story is Hard to Find, we discuss The Charwoman's Shadow by Lord Dunsany. Fantasy the way it should be done.

We gave him the power to die

Who is Christ if not the Word of God: "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God?' This Word of God was "made flesh and dwelt among us." He had no power of himself to die for us: he had to take from us our mortal flesh. This was the way in which, though immortal, he was able to die, the way in which he chose to give life to mortal men: he would first share with us, and then enable us to ashare with him. Of ourselves we had no power to live, nor did he himself have the power to die.

Accordingly, he effected a wonderful exchange with us, through mutual sharing: we gave him the power to die, he will give us the power to live.

Saint Augustine

Once again, Saint Augustine teases out a fact that never would have occurred to me. But it is so obvious once it is pointed out.

Travelers

Travelers
painted by Karin Jurick

Karin Jurick had so many paintings that are evocative of American summer vacation on her blog every summer. Be sure to check them out. I love them so much!

"It's hard to get clos'r to a chicken goin' at him head on..."

A chicken lived every situation, every moment, like it was brand-new, and so lived in a constant state of wonder and surprise. "It's hard to get closr to a chicken goin' at him head-on," the old man said, because, though chickens had tiny brains, most of these brains seemed devoted to suspicion.

Rick Bragg, The Best Cook in the World

We kept chickens for a while when I was young. My mother found them frustrating, but also relaxing with their clucking, scratching, and general gossip sessions amongst themselves.

It's her 90th birthday today. It's the excuse for a family reunion so it will be full of good food and laughter and talk. We will not, however, be eating chicken. We're having TexMex for this celebration.

This quote and today's chicken picture are a little blog gift for her. Happy birthday, Mom!

Red Junglefowl

Illustration of male and female Red Junglefowl

 A main ancestor of our modern chickens which is still found in India and Southeast Asia.

WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich Is Free

 I'm so happy to hear this!

She does not own a measuring cup.

She does not own a measuring cup. She does not own a measuring spoon. She cooks in dabs, and smidgens, and tads, and a measurement she mysteriously refers to as, "you know, hon, just some." In her lexicon there is "part of a handful" and "a handful" and "a real good handful," which I have come to understand is roughly a handful, part of another handful, and "some.

Rick Bragg, The Best Cook in the World

Laundresses before the Wasserturm

Samuel Prout, 1783 - 1852, Laundresses before the Wasserturm, Nuremberg
via National Gallery of Art

I was drawn into the Wikipedia piece on him which begins:

Samuel Prout (/praʊt/; September 17, 1783 – February 10, 1852) was one of the masters of British watercolour architectural painting. Prout secured the position of Painter in Water-Colours in Ordinary to King George IV in 1829 and afterwards to Queen Victoria. John Ruskin, whose work often emulated Prout's, wrote in 1844, "Sometimes I tire of Turner, but never of Prout". Prout is often compared to his contemporaries; Turner, Gainsborough, Constable and Ruskin, whom he taught.

It is all worth reading and the art samples are lovely.

Ocean Waves

Ocean waves, Katsushika Hokusai
via Wikipaintings

I love the sense of motion and grandeur conveyed here. We almost feel that we are these boatmen, dwarfed. Do they feel afraid? Exhilarated? I plump for exhilaration, but in reality ... I might be hanging on for dear life.

"Tell us of that man.”

In 1908, in a wild and remote area of the North Caucasus, Leo Tolstoy, the greatest writer of the age, was the guest of a tribal chief “living far away from civilized life in the mountains.” Gathering his family and neighbors, the chief asked Tolstoy to tell stories about the famous men of history. Tolstoy told how he entertained the eager crowd for hours with tales of Alexander, Caesar, Frederick the Great, and Napoleon. When he was winding to a close, the chief stood and said, “But you have not told us a syllable about the greatest general and greatest ruler of the world. We want to know something about him. He was a hero. He spoke with a voice of thunder; he laughed like the sunrise and his deeds were strong as the rock….His name was Lincoln and the country in which he lived is called America, which is so far away that if a youth should journey to reach it he would be an old man when he arrived. Tell us of that man.”

“I looked at them,” Tolstoy recalled, “and saw their faces all aglow, while their eyes were burning. I saw that those rude barbarians were really interested in a man whose name and deeds had already become a legend.” He told them everything he knew about Lincoln’s “home life and youth…his habits, his influence upon the people and his physical strength.” When he finished, they were so grateful for the story that they presented him with “a wonderful Arabian horse.” The next morning, as Tolstoy prepared to leave, they asked if he could possibly acquire for them a picture of Lincoln. Thinking that he might find one at a friend’s house in the neighboring town, Tolstoy asked one of the riders to accompany him. “I was successful in getting a large photograph from my friend,” recalled Tolstoy. As he handed it to the rider, he noted that the man’s hand trembled as he took it. “He gazed for several minutes silently, like one in a reverent prayer, his eyes filled with tears.”

Tolstoy went on to observe, “This little incident proves how largely the name of Lincoln is worshipped throughout the world and how legendary his personality has become. Now, why was Lincoln so great that he overshadows all other national heroes? He really was not a great general like Napoleon or Washington; he was not such a skilful statesman as Gladstone or Frederick the Great; but his supremacy expresses itself altogether in his peculiar moral power and in the greatness of his character.

“Washington was a typical American. Napoleon was a typical Frenchman, but Lincoln was a humanitarian as broad as the world. He was bigger than his country—bigger than all the Presidents together.

“We are still too near to his greatness,” Tolstoy concluded, “but after a few centuries more our posterity will find him considerably bigger than we do. His genius is still too strong and too powerful for the common understanding, just as the sun is too hot when its light beams directly on us.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals

I loved this book and this story is the cherry on the sundae.

In a Light Summer Kimono with Irises

In a Light Summer Kimono with Irises, Torii Kotondo

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president. Goodwin demonstrates that Lincoln's political ability was the result of a character that had been forged by experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires.

It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war.

I'd never have read this if not for The Big Read. I am truly grateful. What a magnificent book.

Abraham Lincoln was already at the top of my admired people list. However, I found a lot in this book that gave me a fuller picture of the man himself. Some things were just interesting such as his very strong passions for women so that he could hardly keep his hands off of them. (My goodness!) And his strong passion for Mary Todd. She's been portrayed (justly) as crazy so consistently that most Americans have a distaste for her. However, she and Abe were crazy for each other, even when she was just plain crazy.

Most of what I learned, however, was simply admirable. He was a shrewd judge of character and dealt magnanimously with even his enemies, which often resulted in their becoming his loyal supporters. He was also a shrewd judge of how and when to push measures to achieve his political goals. This applied both to his personal career and to the laws governing the country. I was impressed by how he would often wait to propose measures until the nation's emotional state had been brought along in understanding so that it would be supported.

In many ways this book inspired me personally because of all the warm, personal examples of Lincoln's forgiving nature.

The author was excellent at unfolding the progress of political measures and the people involved so that I really understood everything going on. Considering how much of the book consisted of that sort of thing, it is a real accomplishment. Plus I was riveted, often not waiting for the next week's "assigned reading" but charging ahead. I can't think of another book of this sort where that has happened.

Highly, highly recommended.

The Gold Railway

Die Goldbahn (The Gold Railway), Edward B. Gordon

I just love Edward B. Gordon's paintings and especially those from urban life.

Preparation

Die Vorbereitung (Preparation), Edward B. Gordon

 Since today's quote was about food, let's keep that theme going!

Lagniappe

It is the food of the high places, of the foothills, pine barrens, and slow brown rivers. It is not something done by the great chefs of Atlanta or Birmingham for people who spend more on a table for four than a working class family spends on groceries for a month. It was never intended for everyone, but for people who once set a trotline, or slung a wrench, or rose from a seat in the ciety auditorium to testify during an all-night gospel singing.

Rick Bragg, The Best Cook in the World

As I've mentioned before, this is one of my favorite comfort books.

Notes on Mark: Healing on the Sabbath

Christ healing the man with a withered hand, Byzantine mosaic.

MARK 3:1-6
Jesus enters the synagogue and heals a man's withered hand while the Pharisees move toward final judgment. (Read it here.) Once again it comes down to the nitpicking details the Pharisees labeled holiness. Somehow "healing" just doesn't fall under the "work" label for me (although if I were a doctor or nurse that would be a whole other kettle of beans.) The Pharisees had no such qualms. This is easy to see when you know how stringent the rules were about medical care on the Sabbath.

That also makes it all the easier to see why Jesus' pulling that man to the front, asking that question, and then healing him was such an in-your-face challenge. Gotta love it, don't you? He just never backed down from the good fight. He never quit trying to get them to understand what they were doing that was wrong.

Jesus' opponents take for granted that he is able to cure and they guess, rightly, that the sight of the disabled man will move him to do so. But their only interest is in whether he will again violate their interpretation of sabbath law.

[...]

Far from being intimidated by their scrutiny, Jesus ensures that what he is about to do will be in full public view. The verb for come up, egeiro, can also be translated "rise up," and is the same word used for Jesus' resurrection in 16:6. Mark often uses it in healing stories (1:31; 2:9-12; 5:41; 10:49) to indicate that Jesus is bringing about not only physical cures but a restoration to fullness of life.

[...]

Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark gives us a glimpse of Jesus'' interior reaction: he is angry and deeply grieved at their hardness of heart. "Hardness of heart" signifies a stubborn refusal to be open to God (Jer 11:8; Ezek 3:7; Eph 4:18) ...

At Jesus' word, the man stretches out his crippled hand, and in this very act it is restored. The Pharisees' response to this deed of mercy is swift. Ironically, they answer Jesus' question by their actions: rather than choosing to do good on the sabbath, they choose to do evil and destroy life by conspiring to put him to death. ...

George Montague, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: Gospel of Mark

Jewish rules about healing and the Sabbath.

It was the Sabbath day; all work was forbidden and to heal was work. The Jewish law was definite and detailed about this. Medical attention could be given only if a life was in danger. To take some examples -- a woman in childbirth might be helped on the Sabbath; an infection of the throat might be treated; if a wall fell on anyone, enough might be cleared away to see whether he was dead or alive; if he was alive he might be helped, if he was dead the body must be left until the next day. A fracture could not be attended to. Cold water might no be poured on a sprained hand or foot. A cut finger might be bandaged with a plain bandage but not with ointment. That is to say, at the most an injury could be kept from getting worse; it must not be made better...

Jesus knew that. This man's life was not in the least danger. Physically he would be no worse off if he were left until tomorrow. For Jesus this was a test case, and he met it fairly and squarely. He told the man to rise and to come out of his place and stand where everyone could see him. There were probably two reasons for that. Very likely Jesus wished to make one last effort to waken sympathy for the stricken man by showing everyone his wretchedness. Quite certainly Jesus wished to take the step he was going to take in such a way that no one could possibly fail to see it.

The Gospel of Mark (The Daily Bible Series, rev. ed.)

Possible historical precedents cited by Jesus.

Jesus may allude to the precedent of 1 Macc 2:41, where the Jews temporarily suspended Sabbath observance to permit defensive warfare. This was necessary in order to save life from military attacks on their sacred day of rest. If Israel could sidestep the Sabbath to preserve life, then surely Jesus can heal a man's hand on the same day.

The Gospel of Mark (The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible)

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Sources and Notes Index  

“Brothers don’t shake hands … brothers gotta hug!”

Bruno and Gus, Fort Worth Zoo

The Fort Worth Zoo has a great Facebook feed as you can see from this photo of Bruno and Gus sharing some brotherly love. I love this so much!

Julie and Scott learn that ice cream is good for you, that clutches are optional on Volkswagens, and that Nietzche was not very cheerful.

 We're on a heckuva road trip in episode 336, discussing Little Miss Sunshine on A Good Story is Hard to Find.

We must certainly be in a novel

We must certainly be in a novel; What I like about this novelist is that he takes such trouble about his minor characters.

G.K. Chesterton

As a minor character, I like that too!

Poster for Victorien Sardou`s Gismonda

Poster for Victorien Sardou`s Gismonda
starring Sarah Bernhardt at the
Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris
Alphonse Mucha, 1894
Via WikiArt

There's just something about Mucha.

The Last Lesson of Life

[My father's] den or study was piled high with the stratified layers of about ten or twelve creative amusements; water-colour painting and modelling and photography and stained glass and fretwork and magic langerns and mediaevel illumination. ... He never dreamed of turning any of these plastic talents to any mercentary account, or of using them for anything but his own private pleasure and ours. ... All this time he was known to the world, and even the next-door neighbours, as a very reliable and capatable though rather unambitious business man. It was a very good lession in what is also the last lesson of life; that in everything that matters, the inside is much larger than the outside.

Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton

What a wonderful way to live and one that we seem largely to have forgotten.

Also - the inside is much larger than the outside - did Dr. Who meet G.K. Chesterton and steal this line? Or vice versa?

Little Teddy

Little Teddy, taken by Remo Savisaar

Just the cutest little guy ever!

What is wonderful about childhood

What was wonderful about childhood is that anything in it was a wonder. It was not merely a world full of miracles; it was a miraculous world.

Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton

Absolutely. You see this illustrated as an adult when you have children or grandchildren. It's a wonderful time machine to your own realization about everything being a wonder.

The Water Garden

Childe Hassam, The Water Garden
Metropolitan Museum of Art

The closest I can get to something like this is when I go to the arboretum. This looks like a lovely wild field with all of nature's variety on display.

Sunlight and Shadow

Sunlight and Shadow, Albert Bierstadt, 1862
via WikiPaintings

This also strikes me as very summery. Perhaps it is because when strolling around St. Augustine years ago on a sunny day we would quickly head for anywhere looking like this so we could get a little shade. It looks cool and peaceful. Perhaps there are a few cicadas shrilling away in that tree and a few birds calling or hopping just out of sight looking for insects. I'm going to sit down here for awhile before moving on.

Psalm 42 — Thirsting for God

If in your intense longing for God, you hear the reviling of your enemies, do not give way to fear but know that such a longing bears an immortal fruit, and comfort your soul with hope in God. When you are uplifted by this, and earthly sorrow has been assuaged a little, say Psalm 42.

Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms

This begins Book 2 of the psalms. Psalm 42 and 43 used to be a single hymn until they were separated to be used in the prayer book. They express a longing for restoration by God which is combined by confident trust.

Relief of Psalm 42
Tympanum above the northern side entrance of St. Thomas Church, taken by Siehe Jotquadrat

The most famous image from Psalm 42 is of the thirsting deer and also of deep calling to deep. The first is of an intense longing for God's life-giving waters. The second is the opposite of life-giving waters, being indicative of all the troubles cascading over the psalmist, tumbling him around. But in the midst of this tumbling, the psalmist notes that God still "sends" or "directs" his love. In the midst of this trouble there is a strong sign of God's presence.

Both images call on the nature imagery that I love and which convey truths about God's love and our trust that strike deep at the soul. Here St. Augustine ponders the idea of pouring out one's soul.

42:4 Pouring Out One's Soul

Transcends All Things. Augustine: I look for my God in every bodily creature, whether on earth or in the sky, but I do not find him. I look for his substance in my own soul but do not find him there. Yet still I have pondered on this search for my God and, longing to gaze on the invisible realities of God by understanding them through created things, "I poured out my soul above myself," and now there is nothing left for me to touch, except my God. For there, above my soul, is the home of my God: there he dwells, from there he looks down on me, from there he created me, from there he governs me and takes thought for me, from there he arouses me, calls me, guides me and leads me on, and from there he will lead me to journey's end. (Expositions on the Psalms 42.)

Psalms 1-50 (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture)

An index of psalm posts is here.

Stewed Cabbage and Perfect Validation

My uncle Jimbo is not a gourmet, or an unbiased and veracious critic; he once ate a bologna sandwich sitting on a dead mule, to win a bet, and can out-lie any man I have ever known. But he would tell her, hot tears rolling down his cheeks, that he has not eaten stewed cabbage that fine since his momma was alive. My mother never needed much validation beyond that, no grander praise.

Rick Bragg, The Best Cook in the World

From one of my favorite books which is family memoir, light-hearted history of family cooking, and a loving memory of his mother.

Evoking Summer: Boaters Rowing on the Yerres

Gustave Caillebotte, Boaters Rowing on the Yerres

Those hats. I love them.

Beach Fire

Edward B. Gordon, Beach Fire

Linnets & Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge

Four endearing but rather naughty siblings–Robert, Nan, Timothy, and Betsy– are left to stay with their grandmother while their father is in Egypt with his regiment. “Grandmother said they were insubordinate; Father only thought them high-spirited.” Since the children’s first acts in the book are to run away from grandmother’s house and to “borrow” a pony and cart full of someone’s else’s groceries, I tend to agree with Grandmother. But the children turn out to be charming, nevertheless.

And they don’t stay with Grandmother very long. It’s not much of a spoiler, since the change happens in the second chapter of the book, to tell that the four incorrigible children end up living with their Uncle Ambrose, a Church of England clergyman, former educator, and inveterate bachelor. Uncle Ambrose also claims to dislike children, but he takes his nephews and nieces into his home anyway. And so the adventure begins.

This description is from the review that piqued my interest in the first place, over at Semicolon blog. Definitely go read that review for a top-notch overview.

My brief take is that in many ways it makes me think of E. Nesbit's tales such as The Magic City, The House of Arden, and The Treasure Seekers. Like those, this book takes recognizable fantasy beats and weaves an entirely new and enchanting pattern. 

Don't go by the cover which is appalling. Do read it.

Running Along the Beach

Running along the beach, Joaquín Sorolla, 1908
Via WikiPaintings

I have mentioned before that Joaquin Sorolla is one of my very favorite artists. Like many, I love his seaside paintings for their light and airiness that makes you feel as if you are there.

Great First Line — 1984

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

George Orwell, 1984

It seems funny when you first read it. Upon rereading, you realize just how much it says about how wrong things are and how they are codified into common culture.

Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saintes-Maries

Vincent van Gogh, Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saintes-Maries, 1888

I love these colors and the summery feel of this work.

TV You Might Have Missed #10 — Pokerface

Poker Face is a murder mystery "case-of-the-week" series with each episode adapting the inverted detective story format popularized by Columbo.

Charlie Cale, a former casino worker with an innate ability to detect lies, is on the run from a casino owner following a suspicious death. Along the way, she encounters colorful characters and solves homicides in a variety of settings.

We really love procedural murder mysteries and this one is really entertaining. In each episode, we see the crime being committed, then we back up in time to see how Charlie was involved on the fringes of the victim's life, and the final section has the crime solved and justice served. The justice is sometimes unorthodox but always satisfying. I was always fascinated by how ingeniously Charlie has been included off-screen in the murder we've seen happening.

We were drawn to it because Rian Johnson developed it. Just as he did with Knives Out and The Glass Onion, this show is an homage to classic mystery TV series. 

The series was inspired by Columbo, being referred as a "howcatchem". Johnson also used Magnum, P.I., The Rockford Files, Quantum Leap, Highway to Heaven and The Incredible Hulk as influences for the tone of the series. Johnson was interested in "doing that Columbo or even Quantum Leap thing of having every episode be an anthropological deep dive into a little corner of America that you might not otherwise see." — Wikipedia

As with most Rian Johnson work it is a creative, superfun throwback to TV the way it used to be. 

Season One is streaming on Peacock and Season Two is in the works.

Notes on Mark: About the Sabbath

Jesus and his disciples walk through the corn.

MARK 2:23-28
We looked at this section last time, but this adds more nuance to the whole thing. Recall that Jesus is passing through a field of grain on the Sabbath and the hungry disciples pick and eat grains. The Pharisees are all over this like white on rice. (You can read it here.) 

Here are a few notes that add to our understanding of the nuances of this passage.

The fourth controversy, like the second, involves a meal—but this time it is a meal on the go, the ancient equivalent of fast food. Mark notes several occasions when Jesus and his disciples are so busy ministering to the throngs of people that they have no time even to eat (3:20; 6:31; 8:1).

[...]

In drawing this comparison [between himself and David], Jesus is declaring that the requirements of his messianic mission (here, his disciples' need for nourishment on the road) take precedence over the prescriptions of the law. But he is also saying more than this. Jesus is likening himself to David, and his disciples to David's loyal band of soldiers. David was the "anointed one" who had been chosen by god to lead Israel (1 Sam 16:13), but who spent years being hunted down by Saul before finally taking up his royal throng.  Like David, Jesus is the Lord's anointed one, his Messiah, pursued and persecuted by the leaders of Israel until the day when he will take up his throne. ...

George Montague, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: Gospel of Mark

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"Son of man": the origin of the messianic meaning of this expression is to be found particularly in the prophecy in Dan 7:13, where Daniel, in a prophetic vision, contemplates 'one like a son of man' coming down on the clouds of heaven, who even goes right up to God's throne and is given dominion and glory and royal power over all peoples and nations. This expression appears 69 times in the Synoptic Gospels; Jesus prefers it to other ways of describing the Messiah -- such as Son of David, Messiah, etc. -- thereby avoiding the nationalistic overtones those expressions had in Jewish minds at the time.

The Navarre Bible: St. Mark

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when Abiathar was high priest: The priest who provided David with bread was actually Ahimelech, Abiathar's father (1 Sam 21:1). This apparent discrepancy causes some modern scholars to accuse Jesus of misquoting Scripture, although this conclusion is unnecessary.

Jesus probably mentioned Abiathar instead of Ahimelech to post a warning for the Pharisees. Abiathar is infamous in OT history as the last high priest of his line, who was banished from Jerusalem and the priesthood for opposing Solomon, the son of David and the heir of his kingdom (1 Kings 2:26-27). He thus represents the end of an old order that passes away with the coming of David's royal successor. As Jesus compares himself and the disciples with David and his men, he likewise draws the Pharisees into the story by casting them as figures like Abiathar. The Pharisees, then, represent an old order of covenant leadership that is about to expire, and if they persist in their opposition to Jesus, the new heir of the Davidic kingdom, they will meet the same disastrous fate that befell Abiathar. Jesus' allusion to this OT tradition was a subtle yet strategic way to caution the Pharisees against their antagonism to his ministry.

The Gospel of Mark, The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible

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Sources and Notes Index 

Three Sisters on the Beach

Joaquín Sorolla, Las tres hermanas en la playa

One of my favorite artists, making me feel like it's time to go on vacation!

When Julie and Scott agreed to do this podcast from the hills of Appalachia in the 1910's, some people called them crazy.

 We discuss Christy by Catherine Marshall in episode 335 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. Join us!