I am so excited because I finally remembered where I put three of my children’s birth certificates. I had them in a very safe and logical place, but I totally forgot where that place was. We’ve been looking for the birth certificates off and on for several months. Now, we can go to the Social Security Office and replace the S.S. cards that I have also misplaced. If only I could remember where I put those . . .
Archive | July 2004
Who Is my Father?
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back:
Darth Vader: If you only knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.
Luke: He told me enough. He told me you killed him.
Darth Vader: No. I am your father.
Luke: No. That’s not true. That’s impossible.
Darth Vader: Search your feelings you know it to be true.
Luke: Nooooo. Nooooo.
Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim
(Baker) No more ridlles, no more jests.
No more curses you can’t undo
left by fathers you never knew
No more quests!
No more feelings.
Time to shut the door.
Just . . . no more.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Lady Bracknell: To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness.
I’ve noticed a common theme in several things we’ve watched lately from the movie What a Girl Wants to the musical production Into the Woods that Eldest Daughter performed in this weekend: fathers and sons (or sometimes daughters) losing each other. All the sons can’t seem to find their real fathers. All the fathers seem to have lost or deserted their sons. I may be reading too much into all of this, but maybe we’re all looking for our true Father.
1 John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Clerihew
Edmund Clerihew Bentley was born on this date. This brief bio is from Wikipedia:
E. C. Bentley (July 10, 1875 – March 30, 1956), who is now best remembered as the inventor of the clerihew, was a popular English novelist and humorist of the early twentieth century. Born in London, Bentley worked as a journalist on several newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph. His detective novel, Trent’s Last Case (1913), was much praised, numbering Dorothy L. Sayers among its admirers. The success of the work inspired him, after only 23 years, to write a sequel, Trent’s Own Case(1936).
My random thoughts on E.C. Bentley:
1) If Dorothy Sayers liked his novels, maybe i should add them to my ever-growing list of books to read.
2) Here’s an example of one of his clerihews:
The people of Spain think Cervantes
Equal to half-a-dozen Dantes;
An opinion resented most bitterly
By the people of Italy.
3) Bentley and G.K. Chesterton were “lifelong friends.”
4) Tolkien was said to have been a clerihewer. However, I can’t find any examples on the web. Anyone have a Tolkien clerihew?
5) One more clerihew by Chesterton:
The novels of Jane Austen
Are the ones to get lost in.
I wonder if Labby
Has read Northanger Abbey.
(Labby was somebody Chesterton knew or knew of. Never mind.)
6) Is anyone inspired to write a clerihew? If so, post here. I’m too tired.
What we’re doing
Eldest Daughter is looking for her book–an anthology of Oscar Wilde. She and I agree that Wilde was one strange character, but very funny. The Importance of Being Earnest is still our favorite.
Computer Guru Son is looking for ways to transfer email from one computer to another instead of working on our homeschool co-op website. He’s supposed to be doing the latter.
Dancer Daughter is practicing Jingle Bells on the piano. She wants to take piano lessons this year, learn to play the guitar, and go horseback riding in addition to dance classes three times a week. Maybe we can spring for two out of four.
Manager Daughter (AKA Vice President in Charge of Everything) is cleaning the kitchen. She’s a little late since it’s supposed to be done after breakfast, but she does a good job.
Brown Bear Daughter is teaching Curly Head a card game called Count Off. I don’t think it’s challenging enough to improve their math skills, but at least it keeps them out of trouble. Z-Baby is watching.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any idea where Karate Kid is. He may have gone across the street to play with a friend. I must admit that this sort of thing happens frequently in our home. I can’t seem to keep the whereabouts of eight separate people in my mind all at the same time. The good thing is they usually all show up for meals.
I’m about to go make a meal–lunch, to be exact. Then, I’ll either work on planning the worldview class I’m helping to teach in co-op next year or I may read my book about John and Abigail Adams or I may indulge in a household organization project.
Potato Cannon
Engineer Husband and Karate Kid just got back from Home Depot where they went, not to buy any necessary items for our home, but rather to purchase the materials needed to construct a potato cannon. Now I grew up in a home with one and only one sister. Potato cannons were not an element that figured into my childhood. I’m trying to imagine what you shoot the potatoes at. Squirrels? Fences? People? What kind of velocity are we talking about here? Raising boys–even though we only have two of them–is an educational experience in and of itself, especially with Engineer Husband. I should tell one of his fireworks stories on the blog sometime.
Who said it?
What famous American was born on this day in 1946 and made these statements?
America stands for liberty, for the pursuit of happiness and for the unalienable right for life. This right to life cannot be granted or denied by government because it does not come from government, it comes from the Creator of life.
The momentum of freedom in our world is unmistakable – and it is not carried forward by our power alone. We can trust in that greater power Who guides the unfolding of the years. And in all that is to come, we can know that His purposes are just and true.
Americans are a free people, who know that freedom is the right of every person and the future of every nation. The liberty we prize is not America’s gift to the world; it is God’s gift to humanity
I believe that God has planted in every heart the desire to live in freedom.
The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them.
To those of you who received honours, awards and distinctions, I say well done. And to the C students, I say you, too, can be president of the United States.
When you turn your heart and your life over to Christ, when you accept Christ as the savior, it changes your heart.
Use power to help people. For we are given power not to advance our own purposes nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power and it is to serve people.
Happy Birthday, Mr. President. And may God bless you and God bless America.
Private Enterprise by Angela Thirkell
I finally finished reading Private Enterprise by Angela Thirkell. This book comes before the first one I read by this author, County Chronicle. Both books have similar plots, kind of a gentle soap opera, some domestic entanglements, people getting to know one another, falling in and out of love, that sort of thing. Nothing too exciting happens; she reminds me of Jane Austen in that sense. Ms. Thirkell has a good sense of humor, and her characters are lovable, very English, and slightly provincial and muddle-headed in an endearing way. Thirkell wrote about thirty books. I think one or two a year would be a good way to slow down and realize that who marries whom and how the family members treat one another is as important to the state of the union as who’s in charge of the government. Or maybe those domestic details are rather more important. Some quotes:
“Kate looked at him with the slightly exasperated affection that the most loving of wives may have for the best and most affectionate of husbands. For it is well known that men understand absolutely nothing.”
“Mrs. Brandon in her generous way would have liked to see her son and indeed everyone including the Pope married with large healthy families.”
“I always think,” said Mrs. Dean, . . .”that if people are wicked to their Royalty, there is a kind of curse on them. . . . I mean people who kill Kings and Queens bring bad luck.”
Colin said what about Charles the First.
“That,” said Mrs. Dean firmly, “was entirely Cromwell’s fault and one would not have liked him at all. But we didn’t kill Queen Henrietta Maria and her children.”
“I know what Mother means,” said Jessica. “Look at the French guillotining the King and the Queen and torturing the Dauphin. They’ve never had a decent Government since and serve them jolly well right and I hope they never will.”
Flags
I got this from WORLD magazine’s blog:
“The President has ordered that the flags flying at half-staff, in mourning for the death of Ronald Reagan, be raised today. That would be two days earlier than is customary. President Reagan died on June 5, so normally the flag would be at half-staff until July 5. But the White House decided that it would honor the memory of President Reagan to have the flags flying high on Independence Day.”
It seems approppriate to raise the flag high for Independence Day. I think Ronald Reagan would approve.
Top 100 Spiritually Significant Films
The films come from this list in Christianity Today. I’ve put into boldface type all the ones that I’ve actually seen, and I’ve noted the ones that made my list of 102 Best Movies.
13 Conversations About One Thing, 2001, Jill Sprecher
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968, Stanley Kubrick
The Addiction, 1995, Abel Ferrara
Amadeus, 1984, Milos Forman Sherry’s 102
American Beauty, 1999, Sam Mendes
Andrei Rublev, 1969, Andrei Tarkovsky
The Apostle, 1997, Robert Duvall
Au Hasard Balthazar, 1966, Robert Bresson
Babettes G’stebud (“Babette’s Feast”), 1987, Gabriel Axel
Bad Lieutenant, 1987, Abel Ferrara
Bad ma ra khahad bord (“The Wind Will Carry Us”), 1999, Abbas Kiarostami
The Big Kahuna, 1999, John Swanbeck
Blade Runner, 1982, Ridley Scott
Breaking The Waves, 1996, Lars von Trier
Changing Lanes, 2002, Roger Michell
Chariots of Fire, 1981, Hugh Hudson Sherry’s 102
Code inconnu (“Code Unknown”), 2000, Michael Haneke
Crimes And Misdemeanors, 1989, Woody Allen
Days of Heaven, 1978, Terrence Malick
Dead Man Walking, 1995, Tim Robbins
Dekalog (“The Decalogue”), 1987, Krzysztof Kieslowski
Dersu Uzala, 1975, Akira Kurosawa
Dogma, 1999, Kevin Smith
Dogville, 2003, Lars von Trier
La Dolce vita, 1960, Federico Fellini
The Elephant Man, 1980, David Lynch
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004, Michel Gondry
Fearless, 1993, Peter Weir
Fight Club, 1999, David Fincher
Le Fils (“The Son”), 2002, Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
Fuori dal mondo (“Not of This World”), 1999, Giuseppe Piccioni
Grand Canyon, 1991, Lawrence Kasdan
Groundhog Day, 1993, Harold Ramis
Hell House, 2001, George Ratliff
Henry V, 1989, Kenneth Branagh Sherry’s 102
Der Himmel Uber Berlin (“Wings of Desire”), 1987, Wim Wenders
Ikiru (“To Live”), 1952, Akira Kurosawa
It’s A Wonderful Life, 1946, Frank Capra Sherry’s 102
Jean de Florette, Manon des sources, 1986, Claude Berri
Jesus De Montreal (“Jesus of Montreal”), 1989, Denys Arcand
Jesus Of Nazareth, 1977, Franco Zeffirelli
Le Journal D’un Cure De Campagne (“The Diary of a Country Priest”), 1951, Robert Bresson
Ladri di biciclette (“The Bicycle Thief”), 1948, Vittorio De Sica
The Last Days of Disco, 1998, Whit Stillman
The Last Temptation Of Christ, 1988, Martin Scorsese
Life of Brian, 1979, Terry Jones
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, 2001-2003, Peter Jackson Of course, Sherry’s 102
Ma nuit chez Maud (“My Night At Maud’s”), 1969, Eric Rohmer
Magnolia, 1999, Paul Thomas Anderson
A Man For All Seasons, 1966, Fred Zinnemann Sherry’s 102
The Matrix, 1999, Andy & Larry Wachowski
Mies vailla menneisyytt (“The Man Without A Past”), 2002, Aki Kaurismaki
The Miracle Maker, 2000, Derek W. Hayes & Stanislav Sokolov
The Mission, 1986, Roland Joff?
Nema-ye Nazdik (“Close-Up”), 1990, Abbas Kiarostami
The Night Of The Hunter, 1955, Charles Laughton
Offret?Sacrificatio (“The Sacrifice”), 1986, Andrei Tarkovsky
On The Waterfront, 1954, Elia Kazan
Ordet (“The Word”), 1955, Carl Theodor Dreyer
La Passion De Jeanne D’arc (“The Passion of Joan of Arc”), 1928, C. Dreyer
The Passion Of The Christ, 2004, Mel Gibson
Peter and Paul, 1981, Robert Day
Ponette, 1996, Jacques Doillon
The Prince Of Egypt, 1998, Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells Sherry’s 102
La Promesse, 1996, Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
Punch-Drunk Love, 2002, P.T. Anderson
Roma, citta aperta (“Open City”), 1945, Roberto Rossellini
Sansho Dayu (“Sansho the Bailiff”), 1954, Kenji Mizoguchi
Schindler’s List, 1993, Steven Spielberg
Secrets & Lies, 1996, Mike Leigh
Shadowlands, 1993, Richard Attenborough
The Shawshank Redemption, 1994, Frank Darabont
Signs, 2002, M. Night Shyamalan
The Sixth Sense, 1999, M. Night Shyamalan
Det Sjunde Inseglet (“The Seventh Seal”), 1957, Ingmar Bergman
Smultronstallet (“Wild Strawberries”), 1957, Ingmar Bergman
Solyaris (“Solaris”), 1972, Andrei Tarkovsky
Stalker, 1979, Andrei Tarkovsky
Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, 1977, 1980, 1983, George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Richard Marquand Sherry’s 102
Stevie, 2002, Steve James
The Straight Story, 1999, David Lynch
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, 1927, F.W. Murnau
Sanger fran andra vaningen (“Songs From the Second Floor”), 2000, Roy Andersson
The Sweet Hereafter, 1997, Atom Egoyan
Tender Mercies, 1983, Bruce Beresford
Trois coulers: Bleu, Trzy kolory: Bialy, Trois coulers: Rouge (“Three Colors: Blue, White, Red”), 1993, 1994, 1994, Krzysztof Kieslowski
Tokyo Monogatari (“Tokyo Story”), 1953, Yasujiro Ozu
The Truman Show, 1998, Peter Weir Sherry’s 102
Unforgiven, 1992, Clint Eastwood
Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo (“The Gospel According to Matthew”), 1964, Pier Paolo Pasolini
Vanya on 42nd Street, 1994, Louis Malle
Le Vent souffle o? il veut (“A Man Escaped”), 1956, Robert Bresson
La Vita e bella (“Life is Beautiful”), 1997, Roberto Benigni Sherry’s 102
Vredens dag (“Day of Wrath”), 1943, Carl Theodor Dreyer
Waking Life, 2001, Richard Linklater
Werckmeister Harmonies, 2000, B?la Tarr
Witness, 1985, Peter Weir
The Year Of Living Dangerously, 1982, Peter Weir
Yi yi (“Yi Yi: A One and a Two”), 2000, Edward Yang
Zerkalo (“The Mirror”), 1975, Andrei Tarkovsky