Thursday, June 27, 2019

A Man After My Own Heart



Are RH and I some of the few who love storms?

Granted, we've never been hurt in a tornado and escaped to sunny Destin when Hurricane Matthew neared our home in Ponte Vedra Beach. 

Even the epic ice storm in Nashville of  1994 where we stood with Zack and Defee at the picture window and watched trees in the yard being snapped in two was so awesome (full of awe) that we weren't afraid, only mesmerized by the sight and sounds.

I am so glad that RH shares my love of storms and love of weather, all kinds of weather. We love every seasonal change.

Another man after my own heart is Jessamyn West's Jess, married to the Quaker minister, Eliza. In the movie Friendly Persuasion Jess is played by Gary Cooper and Eliza by Dorothy McGuire and I always pictured these two actors when I read West's Friendly Persuasion and Except for Me and Thee. 

Eliza liked weather herself: sun and a brisk wind on washday, warm weather when her Plymouth Rocks hatched...she liked to hear weather busy doing its duty; sending the windmill around, distributing a leisurely rain once the corn was in, snapping the nails in a hard frost when fall fruits needed a touch of cold for mellowing. But Jess relished weather, it seemed, for its own sake. Hailstones big as pullet eggs cutting the corn to shreds, and Jess in the thick of it gathering up buckets full like diamonds. The wind so strong the log cabin, low as it was, quivered like an old dog beat down to its haunches, and Jess out, hat off, mouth open, gulping down draughts of air like a doctor's prescribed medicine. 
Jessamyn West
Except for Me and Thee
  

I always loved Jess for this. And I love RH for this too!

And speaking of RH, he just yelled in the door to turn on the TV, there's a big storm approaching. Uh oh, five minutes until another front like this one above from the other day reaches us.

Got to go get some pictures and gulp down some rain fresh air--and pray we keep our electricity. RH is madly trying to finish cutting the grass.

He's a man after my own heart. 

20 comments:

  1. I wouldn't say we love storms, but we're certainly fascinated by them! And we're having plenty of them lately - strong thunderstorms just about every day due to the heat and humidity. In fact, as I sit at my kitchen table writing this comment, I can see through the windows that the sky is dark and the wind is strong - which means another storm is coming. We just had one late last night. I saw on my weather app that it's going to be very hot and humid after these storms blow through. I just always hope and pray that our electricity stays on (we've had power outages in the past) and that there's no tornadoes. Living here in IL, tornado watches and warnings are pretty common.

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    1. Here in TN too, Melanie and I'm sure my view on this would change completely if we were ever caught by one. And I remember dreading storms when our fur babies Tex and Milo were frightened by them.

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  2. I read Except for Me and Thee years ago. I remember loving it and now I need to read it again! Along with Friendly Persuasion -- that will go on my TBR list. You always bring back such good book memories:)

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    1. Oh good! Because some books deserve to be revisited!

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  3. I love storms also except when lightning is so close and the forest so dry - although this year everything got so hydrated with all the rain! Never saw that movie.

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    1. TCM channel plays it often and I still love it but as usual, the movie never compares to the book.

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  4. oh and when i was a kid living near Kansas City - the storms were at times, unbelievably frightening and several times I remember going into the basement because of a tornado warning - but one never hit directly near us although I remember looking out of the basement window and seeing our metal lawn chairs being thrown about. But my sister and I had so much fun rollerskating in the basement - fond memories of that.

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    1. That reminds me so much, for some reason, of movies and books taking place in England during the WW II bombings. How the parents would try to entertain the children while they were in the air raid shelters.

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  5. I am NOT a lover of storms at all, never have been. It would be a blessing to not be afraid when stormy weather hits.

    FlowerLady

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    1. I'm so sorry, Rainey! I'm sure the FL storms can really shake Plum Cottage when they hit and you must be frightened.

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  6. One time my husband and I were racing a thunderstorm as we were heading from California to Texas. The thunderstorm came close to us in New Mexico. I remember watching it come down the mountains and I wondered what it would be like to have a cabin close by and watch the storm. I have always been thrilled by storms. As long as I am in a safe shelter I love to watch them.

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    1. That would be an experience, trying to outrun a storm chasing you! And only thrilling if you manage to outrace it. That might just cure me of my love of storms.

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  7. darling sister mine. I love this post.
    I'm a lover of storms and rains. always.
    and you've captured the magic.
    take care. and enjoy the watching of it.
    both of you!
    I'm relaxed. my prayers were answered. no more sounds. bird safely gone.
    it's quiet. and it's what I choose to believe.
    sending you love. always. xo

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    1. I knew as I was writing this post, Tam, that I had one fellow storm lover out there!

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  8. I don't always feel the way you do, but in the safety of my home, I am fascinated. This has come over time for sure! How wonderful that you and your guy enjoy the beauty of the sky and the enlightenment of nature.

    It is a wonder of nature, and the true part I love is lying in bed at night and hearing the rain pounding on the roof and the lightening flashing outside the window. I feel the safety of my home and comfort of hearing and seeing the elements. :)

    Jane x

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    1. That's exactly how I feel, Jane. And please know that you're still in my heart in your loss of your dear Milo. He was special to me and I know how you are still mourning his loss.

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  9. I could almost hear RH hollering over the lawn mower, a nervous excitement in his voice, at both what the weather report is predicting and secretly hoping that a thunderstorm is on its way, yet feeling a tad guilty for doing so, knowing the possible repercussions of such an arrival!

    I love a good thunderstorm, featuring a dazzling 'light show', complete with 'surround sound' IF it's watched from the comfort and safety and interiors of my own home, preferably from my bedroom, under the covers, (for further protection), in the middle of the night (to add to the thriller effect!), resulting in just the right amount of 'scary'. Losing electricity, would be going overboard!

    Happy July, you adorable storm lovers!

    Poppy



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    1. Poppy, the storms must be both ferocious and fascinating up there in the Cretan mountains as you take refuge under the covers. I'm sure that's some 'light show'!

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  10. Oh, how I love this! If I've seen that movie, it has been decades so I will see if Netflix had it on DVD. Is that the film that the song, "if you and I have a guardian angel" came from??

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    1. I don't think so, Nan, but I love that song and now am wondering what movie it was in. Maybe the theme song from Friendly Persuasion is similar to the melody?

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