on the second hand

second Death Starsecond world warsecond atomic bombsecond frontsecond blitzsecond tower second wonderSecond Templesecond sitesecond kingssecond princesecond armysecond populationsecond citizenssecond history second looksecond chancesecond surgerysecond opinionsecond principlesecond explanationsecond introductionsecond sightsecond beautysecond homesecond cropsecond firesecond stormsecond snowseconds to go second birthsecond thoughtsecond soundsecond tracksecond timesecond lifetimesecond attachmentsecond proposalsecond polesecond noonsecond startsecond sidesecond handsecond choicesecond bestsecond bestiesecond voice … Continue reading on the second hand →

When All You Have Is Your No

Frodo's wrenching cry of "No" at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm opens up a montage I put together of similar cries in movies. Until almost the end, the video features persons who are powerless, except to say No. Near the end I've included a few ironic No's, however, from persons who merely think they are out … Continue reading When All You Have Is Your No →

Rewatching the Lord of the Rings

Recently I rewatched the entire "Lord of the Rings" trilogy with my kids, in the extended editions. That's over 12 hours of movies, but my kids were not bored for a minute. After “Fellowship” my son was gushing about how clearly the story was told; and about how the music made him feel, particularly the … Continue reading Rewatching the Lord of the Rings →

totality times toys

To start this short post, two moments from last week's totality, separated by three minutes: 3:23 pm, moments before totality. That's my son running around. 3:26 pm, the sun's disc just beginning to reemerge And how does one prepare in the weeks before a total eclipse of the sun? So glad you asked. With a … Continue reading totality times toys →

Paradise Regained

If I knew little about "Paradise Lost" before reading it this past summer, I knew nothing about "Paradise Regained". I guessed that it would deal with the Second Coming, but I was off by at least two thousand years. "In the Wilderness," artwork by Ron DiCianni "Paradise Regained" is a short retelling of Jesus' temptation … Continue reading Paradise Regained →

LOTR and Paradise Lost

I've finished "Paradise Lost," and I thought it would be fun to list all the passages that made me think of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." Many things in "Paradise Lost" made me think of Middle-Earth, some because of their resemblance to Tolkien's creations, others because there was only a superficial similarity and strong differences. … Continue reading LOTR and Paradise Lost →

Favorite movie endings

During my convalescence this past winter I watched a lot of movies. I've gotten busy making YouTube playlists of my favorite music and movies. I started one playlist privately just to collect some of my favorite concluding scenes from movies, and I threw in a few scenes from old movies that marked the Intermission break. … Continue reading Favorite movie endings →

The Weaver of Raveloe

I'm re-reading George Eliot's "Silas Marner," almost forty years since first reading it in grade-school. I've just started, so this post won't be a full review. I'm going to share some of the reading experience I've had thus far, both by myself and with my kids, who've shocked me a bit by asking me to … Continue reading The Weaver of Raveloe →

Reading to my kids

I've been reading the Birchbark House series to my kids, before bedtime. I read the series myself a year ago but reading it to them I've experienced these stories through their eyes, and they have been enthralled. We've read to my son practically since he was born and he's always loved it. Even now at … Continue reading Reading to my kids →

Gita and Job, shoutout to JRR

Time again to draw some lines between texts, for fun and maybe more. Texts today: Book of Job, Bhagavad Gita, Lord of the Rings, Gilgamesh Compare – Your hands have formed me and made me,Put me together—then destroyed me!Mind now, it is you who made me like clay,And will return me to the dust!He elevates … Continue reading Gita and Job, shoutout to JRR →