Freddy and Fredericka

Freddy & Fredericka is possibly the best book I read all year. Mark Helprin is an incredible writer, who can craft metaphors, turn phrases and paint word pictures in the most natural way, whose themes vary from the sublime and profound to the comic and ridiculous. I can’t wait to read more by him!

This is the story of the Prince and Princess of Wales (and yes, they seem loosely based on Prince Charles and Lady Diana). Freddy is the laughingstock of Britain, who continually makes a fool of himself but never notices when he’s doing it. For example, when Frederica’s dog gets loose, he chases after it, calling the dog’s unfortunate name, “Fa Khew! Fa Khew!” while the paparazzi’s cameras roll. Fredericka is the darling of the press, beloved for her extravagant wardrobe, plunging necklines and charity causes. In one scene, she delivers a speech which Freddy has written purposely to make her look like a fool, and it has the opposite effect. She delivers the nonsense speech so naturally and passionately that no one cares that it’s about a nonexistent cause: Acute Reticular Self Esteem Syndrome--ARSES, for short—“with not even one documented case!”

Freddy can’t become king until a certain mystical, mythical rite is fulfilled, and so a Merlinish figure appears and sends them off by parachute drop, clothed only in undergarments called hracneets, to conquer the rebellious colony, America. (You can see that we have now entered the world of magical realism, a typical Helprin device.) As the couple tours this vast county, working all sorts of odd jobs (including a hilarious stint at what Chicago-area readers will recognize as Medieval Times Dinner Theater and Tournament), they encounter the real Freddy and the real Fredericka—and fall in love, forming a real marriage. They also develop a love for the real America, a bold country, as unlike the refined England as Freddy and Fredericka are unlike each other, and which holds a similar attraction for them.

Throughout the novel, Helprin makes no apology for puns and cheap jokes. Freddy’s mistress is Lady Boylinghotte; the indecisive presidential candidate that he befriends is Dewey Knott. (The sitting president? President August Self.) There is a Viscount Snatt-Ball and an Archbishop Spatoola. One of Freddy’s advisors is surnamed Psnake, and the Prince and Princess are saddled with the unlikely last name of Moofoomooach for their travels across America. They have arguments over such topics as how many bosoms Fredericka has:

“A bosom?”

“Yes, a bosom.”

“But Freddy, why do you say that? You know I’ve got two.”

This shut Freddy up like a stun grenade. “Two what?” he finally said.

“Two bosoms.”

“No, you don’t. You’ve got one bosom. One, only one.”

“No, I don’t. I’ve got two,” she said proudly…”One here, and one here.”

…”Sorry, Fredericka, but the fact is, and I know it for sure, and would stake my life on it, that you have only one.”

“The h*ll I do!”

“Yes, you’ve got one bosom, two teats (spelled t-e-a-t-s and pronounced tits), and two breasts. And that’s a fact.”

“Oh! So now I’ve got five!”

“Five what?”

“Five bosoms.”

“No, you’ve got only one.”

As I say, he doesn’t shy away from the low-hanging fruits of humor, and it is dialogue like this--the literary equivalent of slapstick—that makes this novel outrageously funny. Yet, with a turn of the page, you can revel in such beautiful images as these:

“All my life I have taken care of falcons, and I will tell you this. The closer to heaven they rise, the happier they get. They understand that when they go very high something changes in the world and in them….”

Having a great deal of jewellery, perhaps more than anyone in the world, Philippa [the Queen Mother] was aware that lucidity and transcendence must be set in a foil that is opaque.

Were there a choir of everyone who has ever lived, its voice would hardly be as complex as that of the surf, which in its trillion-trillion-fold mass encompasses all frequencies, variations and choreographies of water and foam. …When the first wave broke upon the first startled strand, it began the never-ending song of the world.

Although I just finished this book, and many others await me, I have every intention of reading it again, soon. It’s so rich in gems of humor and brilliance—I feel I only began to mine it on a first reading!

God With Us

Now burn, new born to the world,
Doubled-naturèd name,
The heaven-flung, heart-fleshed, maiden-furled
Miracle-in-Mary-of-flame,
Mid-numberèd he in three of the thunder-throne!
Not a dooms-day dazzle in his coming nor dark as he came;
Kind, but royally reclaiming his own;
A released shówer, let flásh to the shíre, not a líghtning of fíre hard-húrled.

~Gerard Manley Hopkins
from "The Wreck of The Deutschland"

May the wonder of the incarnation
fill your hearts and minds this Christmas day!

'Tis the Season

It's that time of year--time for recitals, concerts and shows!

Our string began last week with the Christmas Concert at Blondechick and Bantam14's school. It was a combined effort with the band, the orchestra, the mixed choir, the show choir, the girls' choir, the boys' choir, and the drama club. B14 sang with the boys' and the mixed (or middle school) choir. There were only three boys in the mixed choir--a very tall one, a very short one, and one average size boy. B14 was the tall one, strategically placed next to the short boy, of course. He has never complained about being in the choir--which I expected, since we required him to take one music class and that was his only option--and it was good to see him up there singing!

Blondechick sang beautifully with the girls' and the high school choir--next session she wants to pick up show choir, too, which she made and had to drop because of too many other involvements. (She had to drop Little Shop of Horrors, too, a musical at the public school she auditioned for last spring, and in which she was cast as one of the Doo-Wop trio that sings throughout. Rehearsals are going on now, without her...but at least she got all her Driver's Ed classes in, as of last night, and she got her permit early!)

Next was a Holiday Dance Show and Social which Bantam10 and Chicklet7 were slated to appear in, tap-dancing and jazz-dancing, respectively. C7 started out the year in Ballet, but was growing tired of it; then one week she missed Ballet and took a Jazz class as a make-up, and loved it! Since it was at the same time as B10's Tap class, I was all for switching her. One less place to go each week!

The only problem was that for the Holiday Show, she was a little behind on learning the routine. Then B10 missed a week or two and also felt behind when he returned. The Academy emailed a video link so that their students could practice at home, and I nagged them both until they did.

That led to a great Mom-moment. On the way out of dance class, B10 said earnestly, "Mom, thank you SO MUCH for making me practice! Now I really know the dance!"

Thank you SO MUCH for making me practice? All these years as a mom, and I think that was the first time I've ever heard that combination of words spoken by one of my children!

(Here's another insight, from the same kid. I asked him if he minded being the only boy in his tap class, and he said, "No, girls are human too.")

Anyway, he nailed his "Happy Holidays" routine at the show and was so pleased with himself, and thanks to all our practicing, Chicklet performed to "Jingle Bell Rock" with confidence and relative accuracy. And a festive time was had by all!

Next up is Christmas Eve. We are having a children's choir this year, which somehow I ended up directing, and they are singing The Friendly Beasts"--"Jesus our brother, kind and good/Was humbly born in a stable rude/And the friendly beasts around Him stood/Jesus our brother, kind and good." B10 and C7 have been practicing "I, said the Donkey" and "I, said the Dove" besides memorizing first and last verses. It should be a sweet addition to our 5:00 family-friendly Christmas Eve service.

Fortunately the piano, guitar and cornet teachers did not choose to hold holiday recitals this year...because we all need to practice for our upcoming all-church Soup Supper and Talent Show on New Year's Eve! Blondechick17 and Bantam10 both are doing duets with friends from church, Papa Rooster is singing, and I am going to recite a poem or two. All light-hearted and entertaining fare, of course. And Bantams 14 and 10 need to work up their auditions for our theater group's next show, Disney's Mulan. Auditions are two weeks after Christmas Day!

One other show we attended was a Holiday Ice Show that two of our friends from church were in--they are 10 and 7, good friends of B10 and C7. They were the only ice dancers in the show and they were terrific, doing the "Stray Cat Strut." Papa Rooster tested his budding photography skills against the lighting and action challenges and got some good shots!




They're going to be big stars someday, and you can all say, "Oh, I remember them from Jeanne's blog!" ;)

Julie & Julia

We waited a long time for this movie to come out on DVD--and it ended up being perfect timing for us to watch it yesterday, on our anniversary!

Julie & Julia is two true stories of real women: Julia Child, in 1949, before she was famous, searching for "something to do"; and Julie Powell, in 2002, a young woman without purpose who settled on the project of cooking through Julia Child's 5oo-something recipes in 365 days, and writing a blog about it. (Which became a book and eventually, the movie.)

In both cases, their husbands were their biggest fans, though it required sacrifice on their parts (which reminds me of my own husband, who is the number one fan of this blog and willing for me to neglect other things in order to do it!). It was refreshing to watch a current movie that painted such a positive picture of matrimony. Both marriages were portrayed as fresh, dynamic relationships (not stale and stagnant) with--yes--healthy s*x lives. (These were quick, cute, romantic scenes for the most part, though my teenagers groaned at the thought of Julia Child and her husband in bed--but that was another refreshing aspect of the movie, that it showed romantic attraction in a physically-mismatched, middle-aged couple--not your stock Hollywood image.)

The acting and cinematography were wonderful. Meryl Streep was incredibly perfect as Julia Child--we couldn't think of another actor/actress alive who can so completely lose her own identity in a character. Delightful Amy Adams (the princess from Enchanted) played the younger Julie as a complicated but winsome character, and the two husbands were great in their supporting roles. The 1949 scenes in Paris were a visual treat--every scene had a building, a window, a car that was just a delight to view. And of course, the food scenes made you hungry and curious--how did they eat all that rich food and not gain weight??

I hate cooking. But this movie almost made me want to spend a little more time in the kitchen, and it reminded me how in love I am with my husband. Yes, I recommend it!

Rated PG-13 for strong language (just a couple times) and some sensuality.

Writer/director Nora Ephron also wrote the screenplays for You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and When Harry Met Sally!

Happy 23rd Anniversary to Us!

The very first 45 record I ever bought, when I was in junior high, was this song. Loved the melody, the voice, the guitar, the 7-note trumpet solo, the poetry--and I wondered if I would ever know a love like the song described.

Thirty years later, I do. Thank you, Papa Rooster, for 23 wonderful years. I'm so glad I spent them with you!



I've always loved the last verse especially:

Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you.

Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you.

I'll bring fire in the winters
You'll send showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls and summers
With love on our wings.

Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you.

The book metaphor seems like a good one for us, doesn't it, PR? Looking forward to writing many more chapters with you.....

A Season of Waiting

Waiting. Hoping. Watching for the light to arise in the darkness. Preparing the way of the Lord. Preparing ourselves--having oil in our lamps.

These Advent themes fit my life right now. I'm in a confusing season, with more question marks than answers in view. I'm struggling with questions of what God is calling me to do, beyond the calls of wife, mother, neighbor, church leader, friend--or whether He isn't. I have mixed feelings about working, and mixed feelings about homeschooling. I have more questions than answers right now about education in general, my kids' needs in particular, and my own limitations as a teacher. There are questions about my health which have been addressed by comfortingly negative tests. Yet the symptoms remain.

Answers remain elusive, and I am stuck waiting. Hoping. In darkness, praying for light. Praying for The Light to break through into my restless, questioning heart. Wondering how to prepare my heart for that epiphany. Wondering how best to fill my lamp. Seeking solace in service this season as I shop, wrap, cook, bake, launder, chauffeur, clean, serve. Listening.

And waiting, in the dark.

Off-Beat Movie Recommendation

Found this looking back through my draft file! We watched this movie six months ago....

We just watched a wonderful movie that we probably never would have chosen, except my fabulous mother-in-law lent it to us and insisted we watch it before we return it!


It's called Behind the Mask, which Bantam18 and I do not think was a good title choice, and it was a 1999 made-for-TV movie. It's about estranged fathers and sons.

Yawn.

But as the movie unfolds, it begins to slowly dawn on you what a fine bit of screenwriting this is, what amazing performances the actors are giving and what poignant themes are being so beautifully handled.

Without giving away the plot, let me just mention some of the themes that are developed:

--the deep longing of any man or woman for a father or father figure
--the beauty of all human beings, including the physically and mentally disabled (there is a diverse group of disabled adults portrayed in a touching and tender way; one is a remarkable main character, played by Matthew Fox of Lost)
--a black church is portrayed in an appealing and positive light, as a loving and encouraging force in the lives of the handicapped adults
--faith is portrayed as a positive, healing force
--the tension between relationships (son and wife) vs. career is thoughtfully explored
--marriage is portrayed as a relationship with a certain fragility, requiring investment, but rewardingly worth it
--it's never too late to start over, to admit your whole life was focused on the wrong things, and change course
--forgiveness and reconciliation

Though this would never go on a list of their favorite movies, our four oldest were really drawn into the story in spite of the "made-for-TV" aura that initially underwhelmed them. One of them actually watched it twice. So--something to look for next time you are perusing Netflix for a good family movie!

Church Update

I should be showering, but I have a few minutes here to try for short and sweet! I've already been out this morning, driving the carpool with Bantam14 and Blondechick17 to school, the bus just picked up Chicklet7, and B10 is deep in a book. B4 is in the basement, but I can hear him from here, making motor noises and crashing sounds. I am enjoying my first cup of coffee of the morning--with eggnog in it, one of my favorite holiday treats. Yum!

So the big news at our church is that we have started meeting regularly in the old chapel. This summer a couple of new families joined us--11 more people for a total of nearly 70 "regulars." When everyone happened to be there on the same Sunday once or twice, we all realized that we had outgrown our "upper room."


We were already in the habit of using the chapel for special seasons (like Advent and Holy Week) and feast days (like Pentecost and All Saints'), so it wasn't a huge transition. We used the chapel one Sunday a couple months back for a baptism, I think it was, and the next Sunday stayed there again, and soon we had ourselves a permanent storage room near the chapel instead of upstairs. It just kinda happened!




Being in the chapel is great on an aesthetic level. It has many stained glass windows, beautiful wood trim everywhere, and it has great acoustics for violin solos from our resident music professional. It also presents many challenges, logistically.

First of all, see all that wood? It's acoustically great for the violin--but any baby's cry or toddler's whine also echoes and bounces around the space. Since our congregation is over half children, some Sundays can be quite noisy! We have a sound system now, but sound in general is a challenge in this space.

And see those pews in the foreground, turned to face each other? That's the "choir." Behind that is the rood screen (that tall wooden framed section), and then there is a narrow aisle perpendicular to the main aisle. Beyond that is another choir area with side-facing pews (where our teenagers sit on one side, and our clergy and altar boys on the other), and finally there are pews that face the altar, which is to our backs in this picture. Most of the congregation sits way out there, in the forward-facing pews, which is a long way from the only place we can put our musicians and singers--on the platform up near the altar area. The rood screen serves to further distance them. We have experimented with serving communion at various points along the center aisle--usually at the screen, but during Advent, we're having folks come all the way up to the east-facing altar.

The altar is another logistical challenge--in seasons other than Advent, we use a free-standing one that Father Rooster can stand behind and face the congregation. We have tried this altar in a number of locations, but usually put it on a subplatform of the main altar.

Additional challenges are presented by our Sunday school rooms or lack thereof--one middler age class meets in a hallway, and we really need a room which can keep set up with all of our Godly Play manipulatives.

But we certainly are grateful to have this space--it's inexpensive, we have a good relationship with the Kemper Center, and its beauty makes up for its inconveniences. We sense God's presence among us there every Sunday!

Okay, must go shower, although this will be a different shower than the one I referred to at the beginning of the post--that was last Friday! I decided I MUST have pictures to go with this post. So much for short and sweet!

Lament

I miss writing. I miss quiet hours late at night when I collect my thoughts and put them together in a coherent order, simultaneously keeping friends and family updated on our lives, keeping a family journal and satisfying that urge to order words.

Why can't I find or make that time anymore?

Everything has changed with 2/3 of our kids in school, now. You would think I'd have more time for myself, but you would be wrong! I no longer have much control over my schedule--I have to get up by 7:30 every morning to get Chicklet off on the bus, and even earlier if it's my morning to take the carpool to Blondechick and B14's school. (Thank heaven B18 gets himself off--he's earliest of all, catching a 6:11 bus each morning.) So I'm just too tired to have much creative energy at the end of the day, as I used to have when I could sleep in a bit more.

Also, my older kids have so much homework that they are often still up and underfoot, if not demanding my help, at 10:30 or 11:00 at night, and there's nothing like studying for history tests or solving inequalities to start me yawning!

During the day, you would think I'd be able to get Bantam10 set up with his schoolwork and work nearby on my laptop, and you'd be right. But my theater group job plus church business and relationships generate a lot of emails which consume much of that time, and also performing chores that the kids used to do when they were homeschooled.

And appointments! It seems like every week we have several. Between the family doctor, the orthodontist and the dentist, we always have something, and this week, we had an urgent care visit for stitches (B14 tripped with scissors in one hand and sliced open a finger on his other hand) and Blondechick learned from the oral surgeon that she's going to have her wisdom teeth out over Christmas break. Even my car had several appointments after I was rear-ended in October, with the claims adjustor and a couple of auto body repair places. Oh, and now Blondechick has driver's ed every night for 3 weeks.

Is it any wonder that I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet? Or that Bantam10 is behind in his math book? (Okay, he's ahead in his math book. But he's behind my expectation of where he could/should be!) Or written a long-overdue update on our church?

I miss blogging. Perhaps I should experiment with short and sweet. We'll see what life allows!

Advent is Here

Well, MAYBE I will get a new post up in the next few days--it has been challenging between Seussical, my parents' visit during and after, Thanksgiving with Papa Rooster's parents back in IL, and now playing catch-up and think-ahead this week!

In the meantime, you can go enjoy the Third-Annual Advent Carnival at A Ten O'Clock Scholar!

Yes, Advent is here, as of November 29, this year. We already put up our Advent tree, which is our Christmas tree except with only blue and silver ornaments. On Christmas Eve day, we will take down the blue and silver, and put up the red, gold and multi-colored ornaments of the Christmas season. But during Advent, before bedtime, I can sit in the quiet living room and meditate on the twinkling white lights shining in the darkness.

In the tender mercy of our God, the dayspring on high shall break upon us, to give light to those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1: 78-79)

Lord, grant us your light, that being rid of the darkness of our hearts, we may come to the true light which is Christ.

This is our liturgical compromise between waiting till Christmas Eve to put up our tree--which just feels far too late and the Twelve Days too short--and decorating for Christmas prematurely. This way, we can have our tree and wait for it, too!