Robin Hardy's Abbey Lands
The Stories of the Abbey of St. Benedict on the Sea
Random Mutterings
Isaac Brown Goes to Town
Sept. 24, 2026: Isaac Brown is a Gen-Z Music Producer who frequently shares reaction videos to songs he's never heard before. I like his critiques because he's generally positive even when discussing songs he doesn't much like. So I was listening to him critique Don McLean's "American Pie" when he said something that almost made me fall out of my chair. Here's the video, which relevant part begins at about 15:14.
The lyrics he's referencing are:
"Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the bible tells you so
Now do you believe in rock n roll
"And can music save your mortal soul
And can it teach me how to dance real slow?"
At this point Isaac pauses the video to say, “Now, the lyric there is ‘Can music save your mortal soul?’ Now, I’m a Christian, I believe in Jesus; I believe that God sent his son to earth to save us and to die for us because we can’t save ourselves. One thing I truly believe in is that God created music. [1 Samuel 16:23 is flashed on the screen] It is for our soul; it is for when we’re feeling sad, when we’re feeling happy, when we dance, for exercise, for many things, for creativity, for your mind. And I absolutely believe that millions of people have come to Christ through music. [Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16 are shown] Because music is a universal language. Music exists because God exists.”
What a testimony! What makes it even more effective is that Brown ignores McLean's sarcasm, and treats the reference as literal fact. I'm now one of Brown's quarter-million subscribers.
I Was CHEATED!
Sept. 21, 2026: Why didn't I have science classes like this in high school? I was CHEATED, and I'm going to sue somebody. (Click the pic to watch.)
Scarlett's Dress
Sept. 18, 2026: Remember that great scene in Gone With the Wind in which Scarlett makes a dress from window curtains? Below left is the scene where she gets the idea of using the curtains, and at right is the result. Not bad, huh?
Now behold our irrepressible Carol Burnett wearing Bob Mackie's version of this iconic dress in a skit for her show.
Of all cultures in history, our own US of A takes the cake for exuberance, thrift, and parody all rolled up together (click the pic to watch).
Chicken By the Sea
Sept. 15, 2026: —which is a terrible moniker for a famous landmark. Formally, this is the Church by the Sea in Madeira Beach, Florida, built in 1944 by a modest congregation headed by the Rev. Ralph Philip. While no architect is credited with the unusual design, Rev. Philip, a carpenter, did build some interior structures, such as the pulpit and altar fixtures. "The church tower, which was added to the main building in 1947, was originally topped with a 25-foot mast and a beacon that guided Gulf of Mexico sailors back to shore.
"At the time, the building was the tallest in the area and the light stayed lit until all the fishermen out at sea that day came safely back to port. The mast has since been replaced with an illuminated cross that sits atop the chicken’s head."
Lineman at Work
Sept. 12, 2026: Have a look at these guys doing electrical work on high wires while standing on helicopter skids. Not only do they have to work quickly, but the pilot has to keep the chopper relatively stable. Meanwhile, thousands of people are depending on them to keep electricity flowing to homes and businesses, especially in rural areas.
No pressure, right? (click the image to watch)
Lindsay Clancy Is Guilty
Sept. 9, 2026: (I usually like to keep my posts light, but recent news has got me riled up. We’ll revert to happy stuff with the next post.)
We get in trouble as a society when we drift away from a Biblical understanding of good and evil. The truth is, we always have a choice about what we do. Little choices set patterns for our behavior, and explaining away sin as “psychosis” is sleight of hand.
First, demon possession is real, and Jesus addressed it with authority. Therefore, it’s in our power to “resist the devil [so that] he will flee from you.” Clancy testified that she heard a male voice telling her to kill her children, so she did. Remember the UPS driver who dragged a little girl into his van and strangled her? He said much the same thing: “While speaking to investigators, Horner allegedly claimed that an alter-ego he referred to as Zero ‘took over’ and killed the young girl.” His defense team also claimed psychosis: “They told the jury in opening statements that his mother drank while pregnant and alleged that he suffered from multiple mental illnesses during his difficult life that may have played a role in his actions.” (from the same link)
Being a man, Horner was not afforded the same excuse as women who are permitted abortion without guilt, even up to viability (which can be as early as 24 weeks).
We are warned that at the end of time, everything will be laid bare and people will be held accountable for their actions. Only those in the “Lamb’s Book of Life”—who have accepted Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and live by His word—are exempted from this terrible unveiling.
UPDATE Sept. 12, 2026: The lone juror holding out for a first-degree murder charge against Clancy was a black man.
no happy face here
Abby's Monsters
Sept. 6, 2026: I just uploaded the audiobook for Abby's Monsters, Book 2 of the Sammy/Streiker Salmagundi. It should be available in 10 days. Currently, it's $2.99 on Kindle (free with Kindle Unlimited) and all 3 books of the Salmagundi are available on Kindle for $8.97. For sure, I'm not getting rich off of Amazon. But I don't care, because I'm having a blast.
To celebrate, here's the first five minutes. Click play to listen. (ADVISORY: the monsters don't come into it until the last third of the book.)
With a Little Imagination
Sept. 3, 2026: —you'll never get bored.
Again, I have to apologize. For today's Random Mutterings, I wanted to post something artistic and enlightening; instead I go for something clever and funny. So here we are. Click the image to watch.
Aim High!
Mr. Garvey Is Your Substitute Teacher
August 31, 2026: I apologize for the violence of the short video which you are about to watch upon clicking the photo. In my defense, it's not only hysterical, but relatable, given all our experiences with substitute teachers in school, whatever level. So strap on your seatbelt and let's revisit those halcyon days of institutional insanity.
The Behistun Inscription
Credit: Ensie & Matthias
August 28, 2026: The Behistun inscription is an ancient carving in the limestone cliffs above the Kermanshah-Tehran highway in Iran. These carvings were commissioned by the Persian king Darius the Great who ruled from 522–486 BC. It's basically propaganda about his military victories, but as Daniel Kolenda notes, it confirms the historicity of several Old Testament passages mentioning King Darius. Following is a list of those passages:
Darius the Great (Darius I, son of Hystaspes) is mentioned in the Bible primarily in the books of Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah, where his reign (522–486 BC) is noted for supporting the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. [1, 2]
Key Bible Passages (compiled by Google)
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Ezra 4:5, 24: Mentions the opposition the Jews faced during the reigns of Cyrus and Darius, and how work on the house of God in Jerusalem resumed in the second year of Darius's reign. [1, 2]
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Ezra 5:1–17: Prophets Haggai and Zechariah encourage the Jews to build, leading Persian officials to question their authority and write an inquiry letter to King Darius. [1]
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Ezra 6:1–12: Darius orders a search of the royal archives, finds Cyrus's original decree supporting the temple, and issues a new decree funding the construction and threatening punishment for anyone who interferes. [1]
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Ezra 6:13–15: The temple is successfully finished in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
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Haggai 1:1, 15 & 2:10: Records the words of the Lord delivered through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel and Joshua in the second year of Darius.
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Zechariah 1:1, 7 & 7:1: Records the messages and visions given to the prophet Zechariah during the second and fourth years of Darius's reign.
Beyond that, the Inscription acted as a key like the Rosetta Stone, enabling scholars to decipher ancient cuneiform. Decoding these scripts opened up thousands of other Mesopotamian records that corroborated broader biblical history, such as the Babylonian exile and the decrees of Cyrus.
Again, archeology confirms the Biblical account
The Three-Legged Man
August 25, 2026: As you know by now, I love magic acts, but I'm not sure this is magic or technology. Whatever, it's fun. Somehow, Swedish magician Axel Adler has sprouted a third leg. Watch:
But that's not all he can do!
In the Twilight Zone
August 22, 2026: Something funny happened to me a few weeks ago on a Friday. I had been doing chores all day, so by late afternoon, I was exhausted. I fell on the bed without even pulling down the covers.
After some time, I startled up. Sunlight was streaming through the window at 7 o’clock. “I slept through the whole night,” I gasped. Since I usually go to Walmart on Saturday, and I like to get there early, I grabbed my wallet and headed out.
When I arrived back home, I put everything away and sat down to work at the computer. Not too much later, I noticed a darkening of the sky, and checked for thunderclouds. As the sky was clear, I returned to work.
But the darkening persisted, and I began to grow perplexed. Now, the orientation of my building in relation to others in the complex does not permit me to see the complete arc of the sun from morning to evening. So it was a few minutes later that I walked down the sidewalk to look west. And I saw sunset in progress. Which was impossible.
I came back in to look at the computer time and date: 8:46 PM on 8/7/2026—Friday. I hadn’t slept all night, just an hour or two. And I made my Saturday trip to Walmart on Friday evening.
It sounds trivial in the retelling, but it left me completely disoriented—was it midafternoon or morning? What day was today? And I don’t dare nap now. Mostly, I’ve been laughing in disbelief at my own disasso-ciation from reality. I guess I need to touch grass more often.
If Only for This Life Audiobook
August 19, 2026: All righty! If Only for This Life audiobook is now available on Amazon. I gotta tell you, I've been having way too much fun with these audiobooks, though they're a hella lot of work. Amazon's running a special deal on them, which is fine, because my main objective has always been just to get them out.
To celebrate, here's the first chapter. You can either listen here, or download it. As Wix downloads the mp3 and cover separately, here's how to reconnect them.
Meanwhile, I'm working on the audiobook for the sequel, Abby's Monsters—which is even more fun.
Desert Superbloom
On the right, from Instagram, is "Parched Earth," taken by photographer Emily Dickey near the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah in 2019. It showcases ribbons of Purple Mat Flowers (Nama demissum) intertwined with Palmer's Bee Plant (Cleomella palmeriana) for an unforgettable show.
August 16, 2026: An amazing thing happens in the Utah desert after harsh winters of relentless snow and ice. When spring hits, and the conditions are just right, acres are suddenly transformed into a wonderland of color and life. Photographer Tom Till captured this stunning photo featuring Iris reticulata ( Painted Lady, left).
Created by a Master Artist
Serendipity
August 13, 2026: What happens when unrelated things come together to draw your eye, make a statement, or provide an unexpected opportunity? If you're like photographer Marko Popadic, you take a picture, and it boomerangs around the world.
What do you see in this? I see the fragility of life, and the need to make best use of time and opportunity. Sooner than we realize, it all winds down.
You could call it Chataine's Guardian 2.0