Revelations and Reminders from the Castle

I went to the Castle yesterday for continuing ed. I was able to hang around there after the event and visit with old friends. As I drove home, I mused about the trip.

1. Being with people who truly know you and love you anyway is good for the soul. Really good for the soul.
   
2. Along the same lines as #1, being with people who know you well enough to give you a hard time is refreshing.
3. Occasionally being able to be fully authentic and not worry so much about weighing your words or crafting a message is a necessary element of pastoral survival.
   
4. Oh, that's right, politics really are everywhere.
5. Laughter is the best medicine for all that ails.
6. Even an old friend can be full of surprises. I ordered a medium margarita at lunch that, to my surprise, was probably about 24-32 ounces. As we all got ready to leave the restaurant, I protested that I couldn't leave until the margarita was finished. Pastor Kindhearted picked up the margarita glass like a chalice, grabbed a napkin, and proceeded to "common cup" my drink around the table. I haven't laughed so hard in months.
7. I treasure my friends. I really treasure my friends. I didn't realize quite how lonely I am in Jerusalem with so little social life until I once again experienced a social environment. Along the same lines, I really treasure Rab who is perhaps my only close true friend in Jerusalem.
   

A Breeze Blowing from the East

What a great time. What a lovely night. I finally made it to Chicago around 3:15. Southern Wisdom had a meeting in the hotel lobby at 3:30, so I sorted briefcase contents and began this Sunday's sermon in the room (This week's text is a pistol by the way.).

Around 5:00 or so, SW returned and we were free for the night. Heading into downtown, we were faced with surprisingly little traffic. Ahhh...it felt good to head to the city, to drive in traffic, to feel again. Home. There's just something about the city that fills me and makes it easier for me to simply breathe and be in the moment. Call me crazy - I know most people experience this away from the big city. For me, though, it's one of two extremes: the beach or the highrises - the two places I can be and feel fully myself.

We arrived downtown and, because I'm both stubborn and cheap, we circled and circled attempting to find a meter or an empty spot. We finally found one after about 20 minutes of Israelite-like driving around and near our destination. The journey to find our spot made the big city experience a full one. During our circling of roughly 8 or so blocks, we saw:

• two 20-something guys in business suits threaten each other physically for a parking spot
• a handsome 40-something man with a tight, square jaw and a lime green tie who Southern Wisdom was sure would be a fabulous dinner guest
  
• a guy getting arrested while his confused and helpless friends scratched their heads in amazement
• a bus come within inches of my driver's side mirror as it turned into my lane and the adjacent lane
• a couple doing what should only be done in private, and
  a near collision as one car attempted to turn left on an orange (not quite yellow anymore) light.

Like I said earlier, there's nothing like the city.

I took Southern Wisdom to Ed Debevic's. She enjoyed it, although I was a bit disappointed in our fairly tame waiter. Near the end of the meal, he made my day when he apologized for something and SW said, "I thought you were all supposed to be ornery around here." He just smiled and I interjected, "I brought her here for a dose of good ole Chicago charm - she's from the South." At which point, he bellowed to the entire restaurant, "Hey y'all...this lady is from the South. Let's all give her a big 'Howdy y'all!!' and the restaurant patrons obliged loudly and enthusiastically. SW promised her revenge would come later. But she's all words....it never did.

After Ed's, we drove up Michigan Avenue so she could at least experience it by sight (most everything was closed by the time we were done at Ed's). It was full of people and activity and was fun to cruise. Oh my...I just realized that my nearly-40 friend and I just cruised as an activity on a Thursday night. We really need to get out more. Anyway, I digress. After our tour of Michigan Avenue, we headed to Navy Pier.

I'd never been to Navy Pier and I'd heard from many folks that it was just a big ole tourist trap. Yes, it's true we paid $16 for parking. It's true that the place was populated by tourists. It's also true that there were a million shops all selling Chicago wares. But so what? There was also a live band playing outside, a bunch of chairs right along the lake inviting us to sit and talk, a perfect 70 or so degree night, and an absolutely amazing view of the Chicago skyline. We sat and talked for hours, sharing our hearts and worries and fears and wonderments. I'm so lucky to have SW, a trustworthy, intuitive and insightful woman, as a friend. We had an absolutely wonderful time on that tourist trap pier and, in retrospect, neither of us would have chosen any other venue for our re-connecting, hours-long conversation. Life is good.

Windy City, Here I Come!

YAY! Tomorrow, Southern Wisdom arrives in Chicago and I get to see her and spend time with her! I can't wait. She arrives at 2pm, so we should be able to hit all kinds of fun spots. I'm thinking of taking her to Ed Debevic's for dinner - so not a Southern type place. She thought it sounded great. We'll probably also hit good ole Michigan Ave. We won't be able to go to my favorite Chicago breakfast haunt, Oak Tree, because she has a meeting at HQ on Friday am. Oh well, we'll still have a great time reconnecting, laughing, and adventuring.

Tonight, Ozzie and Harriett's kids are staying the night. All four kids are in Denver Court level paradise. It's fun to see them all so jubilant and full of excitement. Rab and I had a great time catching up with O & H when they dropped the kids off - we just wish we'd had more time to talk and commiserate. We really need to plan previous-dwellers-of-Denver-Court reunions more often.

Facebook is dangerous, addicting and wonderful

In the past week, I think I've spent over 6 hours on Facebook. This doesn't include time spent on the myfamily.com site for my graduating class, time spent on MySpace, and time spent with Cafe Mom (yeah...thanks for that, Bluejeangirl!).

In my well spent hours, I have sent and received flowers and other items for my garden, found old friends from The Other Seminary, found out that John and I are wayyyyyy too similar, and learned that there are far too many fun timewasters on Facebook.

I need a life....or at least some friends in the same town.

The View From the Porch

Yesterday was graduation at the Castle. I feel an affinity with the class that graduated because I transferred in at the same time that they began. It was so great to be with them as they reached this milestone. It was also so weird to realize that it has only been a year since I was in the same spot. It feels like a lifetime ago.

Sitting on my old front porch afterward with Rab, it was easy to pretend no time had passed. It was so easy to set aside the congregational life and the grown up pastor responsibilities that are part of my every day life now. I sat on that porch, like I had so many times before, and caught myself expecting to see Mark or the Brink of Disaster or Sally or even PMC or any other myriad of people coming down the Kinder hill any minute. I watched my kids joyfully run around the circle, laughing and connecting with old buddies.

As I reveled in all the happy and warm memories (forgetting the struggles, of course), I leaned into the freedom of that space. Then along came my gaggle of little girls - my buddies. They began picking dandelions and any flower they could and bringing them to me. As my hands overflowed with the growing floral arrangement, little Naomi said, "We're giving you all these flowers because we really love you and really, really miss you." It was the best Mother's Day gift anyone could have given me.

I Feel So, So, So....Cheesy!

That's a play on words, folks.

Today, we met up with some of the Hospitables in the Big Little City. After a Jamba Juice fix, we headed out for a walk under the misty skies and ended up touring the State Capitol. What an amazing building! Rab was practically drooling over all the marble (his dream kitchen includes marble countertops...). The kids, predictably, found their way somewhere other than where we were. After a few minutes of searching, we were pleased to find them on a staircase rather than in some in-session Senate or State Supreme Court meeting room.

What a wonderful fix - surrounded by marble, filled with Jamba Juice and in the company of treasured friends. Life is good.

People in Jerusalem that I just love

1. The sidewalk and driveway clearing wonder boy who lives 2 houses away! I've got him on standby - it snows, he shovels and plows, I pay. Worth every penny.
2. The 3 anonymous passersby who just pushed by van out of the snow pit I discovered - they saw my plight and didn't think twice about popping out of their cars and pushing away. This is a great little place.
3. The after school, calls to see if I need her, does my dishes babysitter. She rocks. Great kid.
4. The new IEP team is coming close - I think we may actually be on the same song sheet now.
5. Oh yeah...and who ever created dog kennels. My carpet thanks you.

Have MDiv, will do airport runs for money

Vibrant Floridian Friend, who works at the Castle, has helped hook me up with airport runs and a continuing Castle email. A way to stay connected and occasional income are both great things. Today, I drove to the airport about 1 1/2 hours away to pick up a potential student. It was a great, clear, crisp autumn day, perfect for a drive.

On the way to the airport, as I listened to cassettes (the 97 Castle Buick has a cassette player!) I had dug out of old boxes, JT got me thinking about this whole ordination imperfection issue. A long, long, long time ago some really rotten stuff happened to me and I went through therapy to deal with it. The therapist and I talked about putting the horrible event into perspective - seeing what happened as one isolated event among many, one brief moment in time in a lifetime of moments. Doing so helped me regain perspective on the big picture of life when the little picture seemed to be monopolizing my conscious thoughts and actions.

Just like the therapy I went through, I had the epiphany that the ordination is but one isolated event, one moment in time. While it matters and is significant, I want to strive to see all the moments I've spent with those unable to be there as also significant. Along the pathway, I've been so blessed with a multitude of holy ground moments and experiences. I can recall

* heart-to-pain (my pain, her loving heart) talks with Southern Wisdom,
* moments of shared pain, yearning, and friendship with Journey Girl,
* times of theological struggle and wrestling with PMC,
* times of hysterical laughter and frivolity with PMC, Mrs. Awesome and the whole Awesome gang
* times of prayer, support, and joy with Seminary Friend,
* moments of shared laughter, responsibility, creativity, and support with the WAS-beens,
* moments of true transparency and accountability with Small Town Girl,
* Solid friendship with Southern Same Name Lady,
* Times of support, encouragement, admonition and growth with treasured profs like the Writer, the Rebel, and Yoda (among others),
* times of prayer, walking, and talking with the Mentor Women,
* moments of desperate phone calls home with so many beloved souls,
* holy ground conversations with the Kindhearteds, the Hospitables, and Ozzie and Harriett
* and the list goes on and on. I have indeed been blessed by an array of shepherds on this journey.

I'm trying to see each of these moments and memories as just as significant as the ordination itself. While most of the above listed friends will not be present on December 31, their roles and past interactions with me are a part of why I will be there at the altar that day. We have shared holy ground - in chapels, in cars, at lunch tables, on telephones, in restaurants, in bars - and those moments are as precious and as true as the moments in which I will have a stole placed upon my shoulders. I am lucky to have had them in my life, at whatever events, moments, and times they were with me. That is what I choose to treasure.

With these musings in my heart, I picked up Will the Future Student. His enthusiasm, hint of anxiety, and excitement were palpable. His questions were similar to the ones I asked only a few short years ago. My answers took me back to that time of life when I was on the other side of the seminary fence. For an hour or so, I was lucky enough to vicariously re-live all that it meant to be just beginning seminary and just beginning the official call process. I shared the joys of life at the Castle and told him about all that he shouldn't miss: Beer and Theology, classes taught by certain professors, sights and scenes in the town. We talked about his concerns over a fundamentalist group on his college campus, about infant Eucharist, and about my upcoming congregational call. The vicariousness may very well have gone both ways as we shared our current dreams.

I feel lucky to have met Will, and I thank God for the gift of helping me glimpse backward before stepping further forward in this call experience. As we drove up to the Martin Luther statue, currently decorated with statue-sized ONE bracelets, Will could barely contain his enthusiasm. And in my head and heart, I clapped for the Castle as they receive this gifted theologian into their midst.

Don't try to explain it, just bow your head

What a precious end to a beautiful day...sitting on the terrace sipping wine, watching the sunset and sitting by the firepit with fantastic, treasured friends Journey Girl and Travelin Man. You know, there's something to be said about the phrase "There's no friend like an old friend."

It's been a day of knowing and being known, of exquisite acceptance of exactly who you are and treasuring all that means. Watching the flames of the fire as they spark, ebb and flow - somehow it's a lot like life: There's the ups and downs, the moments when we glimpe the Feast, and the times when all feels quelled. It's so much easier to be contemplative about life's realities when the stresses are miles away...

After the campfire, Journey Girl and I just talked and talked, relived the day, pondered the joys and the insights and gut feelings of today's experiences. Man, it's gonna be hard to leave all this.

You got to leave your mind open to discover

What a day, what a trip, what a journey. Life is good. So good. Amazing what some time away does for the soul.

I decided to give this calling home schtick one last try this morning as I walked along the upper terrace looking at the reflection of the sunrise. Aaahhhh. It ends up I'll continue calling home - the latest report was more positive than the first two. I told C that if I'd gotten another bummer of a phone report I was seriously considering not checking in again. He said he didn't blame me. What a great guy. Just love him.

This morning, Journey Girl (my hostess and great bud) and I headed out around 9 a.m. to have breakfast with my buddy, Soul Friend, who happened to be in town. We went to Jeanine's - great lil' spot in Montecito. Pretty upscale part of town but a pretty laid back kinda haunt. Good stuff. Ends up Montecito is the place where Oprah, Kenny Loggins, and Rob Lowe have houses. Low income housing kinda deal, you know. Montecito is probably where they do their slummin. Yeah, right.

Breakfast was a great deal - I think we spent about 2 hours at Jeanine's. Some of Soul Friend's buddies came along and we ended up breakfasting and hanging with them too. Then his little brother, Funky Youngest Child, showed up and we had a great time talking with him. It was really fun to watch the sibling interaction thing...cracked me up.

After breakfast/brunch, SF and I went for a walk. I treasure the times when SF and I can steal away some time for conversation. He's one of those friends who just gets me and it's a mutual deal - no pretenses, no explaining, just real and honest talk that is so true that it doesn't even feel as vulnerable as it really is. Our conversation offered a bit of honest pushing toward discovery, a listening that hears both what is said and unsaid, a sharing of struggles and joys, and a few wise insights about it all. As we were talking and walking, I pondered the stories in The Book of Acts where the teacher is the student and the student is the teacher. All lines are blurred, words are spoken and heard, synergy reigns, and collaborative insights emerge. What more can we ask for in life than a friend who simply gets who we are and takes us with our foibles and faults, shortcomings and strengths? Someone once described these types of friendships as Soul Friends - an interesting term meaning someone through whom the Holy Spirit whispers, prods, sustains, and upholds.

Laughing with friends old and new, walking along the Montecito burro, leaving your mind open to discover and ponder - yep, that's good stuff.

One phone call can change it all

This morning, I woke up in a rather gray mood. Not crabby, not sad, just gray. Like the woman in the James Taylor song ("She said move me, move me. I'm locked up inside...She said make me angry or just make me cry, but no more gray mornings..."). There was nothing particularly wrong nor nothing particularly right either. Just a gray, blase day. So I pretty much wasted the morning away on the computer - that tends to be my default gray day activity. Then at 11:30, I took TT to his reading tutor and his vision therapy appointment in LaCrosse, 2.5 hours away. Our weekly 250 mile round trip trek.

I was stunned at TT's reading improvement and thrilled to see him do so well. Yay! Nine sessions into this 45 session endeavor and we're seeing more and more promising results each week.

Just at the end of the session with the reading tutor (as the tutor was telling me he'd rather work with TT unmedicated because he doesn't think he really has ADD...and he's basing this all on today's appointment where TT was really tired from a late bedtime last night and not taking last week's successful and medicated experience into account....don't get me started), my phone rang. Bad timing. I turned it off mid-ring then forgot about it.

Awhile later, as TT was gleefully and proudly making armpit farting noises and entertaining the bevy of kids awaiting their vision therapy appointments (he told me later: "You know, Mommy, it's so great, God gave me the gift of making people laugh." I love that kid!), I checked my voice mail and what do you know?! It was the assistant to the bishop saying he'd like to send my paperwork to a congregation and he anticipates they'll want to interview me next week or the week after. Then he told me about other options down the road in case this one doesn't pan out - I like that he always does this because it prevents me from feeling like the only opportunity for ministry is the one immediately before me.

Looks like I best be dropping off my dry cleaning before I leave for Cali.

The night only got better: on my way home, I received a call from Pastor Hospitable just because he was thinking about me and all the fun he used to have with C and I when he lived here. That made my night. Then, I checked my email and received notes from two faraway friends who I miss so much. I'm so thankful for friends - God has surrounded me with great ones.


Countdown to Buffett: 3 days!!!!!!!
Countdown to Cali: 2 days!!!!!!

The little brother I never had

Wow. My buddy Mark was ordained yesterday. It was an honor watching someone I treasure take the leap into ordained service. Awhile back I told him he was like the little brother I never had. In true little brother fashion, he replied, "You're like the older sister I never wanted." Ha ha. He's also over a foot taller than me, so the term 'little' seems a bit out of place...

Our boys opted out of the trip as soon as they found out the Awesomes kids weren't going to be at the ordination. The boys stayed in the cul-de-sac at home with the Ks, who I'm going to begin calling the Kindhearteds because they are. I love those guys - it was nice to get away and know the boys were in such great hands. There was only one debacle while we were gone and the details of the story vary greatly depending upon who is telling it. What's consistent is that TT had a stick and in some fashion or another went after his brother, some neighborhood kids were witnesses to it all, and that one of our neighbors, Mrs. Nice, got involved and saved the day as she talked to CH afterward. I love this neighborhood - the Nices are always around and are great people but they seldom attend campfires and the social stuff. Just the same, they were there when someone in the neighborhood needed them. That's what I love about this place.

Anyway, back to the ordination. On the way up there, our car played the movie game with The Awesomes using walkie talkies. We started with "A" and then took turns thinking of movies that begin with A until one team is stumped. Then the other team gets a point. Pastor Awesome told C that he'd never lost at the movie game...until he played our car Friday night. Admittedly, as we came up with movie titles, we kept a running written list. Anyway, during a 6+ hour drive, we only made it to K. That's how many movies there are that begin with the letters A-K.

Once we arrived, we stayed at Mark's parsonage Friday night and got to meet his 3-legged, special needs dog, Frankie, who some decided should be renamed Trinity. Frankie is so obviously taken with Mark. It was really cute to see. And it's kind of a trip watching Frankie run. [Addendum 1:50pm: I just told my 10 year old about the dog. He took in a breath, hinted at rolling his eyes and shook his head, saying "You know, Mom, it's just like Mark to get a dog with 3 legs..."]

The ordination was Saturday afternoon. Pastor Awesome delivered a great sermon about sheep and shepherds and who is who. Afterward, it was so awesome to be there and to see so many classmates. It was like no time had passed and we entered into conversations pretty much where we'd left off the last time we'd seen each other. It was bittersweet - sweet because for a moment in time we were all back in that familiar groove and bitter because we once again had to say goodbye, once again knowing it would be awhile before we could experience such liminal time. I hope when CG and Pastor Awesome said they were saving up for the trip to my ordination they meant it. Wouldn't it be cool if two of the most solid friends I made in seminary could be there? It's such a mixed blessing, my decision to be ordained at my home church so far away. But that's another story for another time.

During Mark's ordination, I'd anticipated that the laying on hands part would be difficult for me. After all, there's 1/2 my class up there and me remaining in the pews. Funny enough, though, it was as holy and wonderful as all the other times I've watched. I think part of that is a God thing and part of it is because I seem to have become the official ordination photographer (this is not a complaint - I love doing it!).

It struck me, though, at two other points: When all the pastors gathered at the chancel for a picture afterward and when I saw one particular classmate all pastored up after the service. The whole "Why not me?" feeling set in. In my mind, I heard the echoes of Mark's words to me months ago, "The speed at which one receives a call is NOT a direct reflection on their quality as a pastor." Just the same, it was yet another experience in not following the normal pattern, not always swimming with the fish in the prescribed current...most of the time that's exactly where I want to be. Sometimes, though, it hurts. Sometimes swimming in the current looks like a great place to swim.

Mighty This Love

Peter Mayer has this great song called Mighty This Love. One of my favorite parts is:

This Love is strong enough to be weak,
Brave enough to speak,
these arms are longer than we can believe,
kind enough to lift you off your knees.

It is a prophetic message that I recall time and again. This morning, I listened to the CD this song is on and I paused and really listened to Mighty This Love. I knew I was heading up to the Castle for chapel today. I was doing so with such great trepidation. Yesterday, I was talking with my friend S about my concerns. I didn't want to be seen as the recent grad who just can'’t leave or the hanger-on-er, the person who just can't shake the old roles.

I surfed on the internet until the last possible minute, filled my coffee cup before leaving (another stall tactic), and stopped to talk to a neighborhood mom out with her kids on the new playground. I wanted to go hear my friend, Tim, preach. There was no doubt I wanted to hear him, I just felt weird about going up to the Castle. I had it all planned out -– I'’d slip in late, stand in the narthex, hear the sermon, and quietly slip away before anyone noticed. Ah...but that plan was foiled as I heard the sermon.

Tim preached beautifully, just as I was sure he would. His spirit shone and his words resonated deeply with the many gathered in that space. What I heard was a message about feeling far away while surrounded by others and feeling alone amidst the crowd. Moreover, I heard the resounding message that Christ is with me regardless. Then I realized this community, that I am hesitant to consider my own any longer, is also with me regardless. While on the one hand, I may no longer "“belong,"” I was reminded that I am a loved child of this great and mighty Castle and of our great and mighty God.

I stayed after the service. I purposely hung in the background as much as possible. Yet, people seemed to come out of the woodwork to greet me. It was great to catch up with old friends and treasured people. I ended up having some wonderful conversations with some beautiful souls. And just like in the old days, the conversations ranged from laughter to compassion to discernment to truth telling to reassurance to joy.

Admittedly, some of the conversations (many?) began with me reassuring them that I am in a good space and that I consider myself fortunate to be in a situation where I do not need to accept just any offer that falls in my lap. I got a lot of the furrowed brow, caring and intent eyes, serious look, hand touching my arm greetings that expressed deep interest and concern about how I am doing. I know these looks were meant well and I take them for what they were. Someday when I'm in their position, I hope I remember not to give the same look as I greet someone awaiting call and who is feeling a little weird about being in an old, familiar space. The "“look"” actually makes it weirder instead of better for me...…but I think that ties to my own weirdness about not liking to be vulnerable.

Funny enough, the Bishops from Region 5 are on campus today. I honestly had no idea. It was nice to see and talk with my first Bishop. I was able to give a quick greeting to my current Bishop before someone else came up to talk with him. I'’m sure some think I orchestrated my visit to coincide with the Bishop'’s meeting. But, as I expressed that thought to my friend, B, I quickly followed it up with, "“I need to remember to let go of worrying about what other people might think." If I hadn'’t said it, she would have gently and lovingly reminded me. That's how she is and I treasure her for it.

That reminder was quickly followed with a professor encouraging me to attend his Fall class until I have a call, someone asking me why I lurked in the background and telling me I needed to get over that impulse, and then someone else sharing something nice that someone else had said about me. I needed all this more than I like to admit. And, as long as we're talking about admitting things...it was funny to listen to my internal commentary as I co-Presidented and mothered the community in my head..."Oh good, middlers are talking to juniors....Yes! Seniors are hanging around for coffee and conversation...Thank God! People are being quiet for announcements...Look how the community is bonding!..."

Man, it was great to be back up at the Castle and to remember that sometimes just being me where I'm at in the moment is all that God asks of me.

Yet another reason to stay put

I love the tree in front of our house. It's a kid tree. All the kids love it, climb it, and hang on it. It's the best climbing tree in the neighborhood. And it's in a handy location when us adults hang out on Friday nights and do the campfire thing.

Although tonight, it was too sultry to have a campfire. Instead, we hung out and talked and well...had some adult beverages. It was so cool - our new neighbors invited us to come join them in the front yard. It's a great sign that they are officially part of the neighborhood when new students start inviting unemployed, not-so-recently graduated students to social events. I love this place.

By the way, the kids here do have clear facial features and, no, I was not bombed and shaking when I took the picture. It's a paranoid mom-thing - I didn't want the kids' pictures on the internet.

I think I'm done posting for the day. Four posts in one day seems a bit extreme.

Tweet, tweet

So yesterday, in an effort to avoid packing and boxing, Mark came over to see what was going on. We were talking and laughing when TT came up and asked if we'd help him build a birdhouse. We've had this birdhouse kit on the shelves in the basement since we moved here and it's always something we're going to do later.

I volunteered Mark to help, partly because I'm lazy and partly because he and TT are buds and I thought it would be a fun thing for them to do together. And, besides, it gave Mark another excuse not to pack.

When TT and I went to get the kit in the basement, I whispered to him, "Maybe you should let Mark take it for his new house and then he can think of you every time he feeds the birds." TT responded, "But Mommy, I want to think of Mark everytime I see a bird in it. We need to keep it."

It was about the cutest thing in the world to watch them. TT took the lead and Mark let him. Mark's thumb even got hit by TTs hammer a time or two. For the most part, TT painted the house by himself. Mark and I tried hard not to take over but our perfectionist tendencies got the best of each of us at least once or twice.

Now, the birdhouse is dry and is hanging on our porch light (the suction cups that came with the kit didn't work out, so we improvised). Everytime we see it, we'll think of Mark and miss him. And, man, are we going to miss him.

If John were here

...there would be a campfire tonight. We'd sit around the fire and commisserate about assignments and calls and classes. We'd share stories - some old, some new. We'd pick on each other and laugh together. There would be snacks passed around and chairs brought over to 8B - room enough for all.

I miss my classmates. It's a perfect Midwest summer night for a fire but I just can't bring myself to start one without all my friends here.

Minnesota adventures

My buddy Mark wrote up the adventures of our visit to Minnesota a couple weekends ago. He did such a great job, there's no need for me to type up my own version (yeah - and I'm lazy). Check out the story - it's pretty funny. Just click on the title of this post and the link will take you to his blog.

In typical skdo fashion, I just need to add one comment. The next day, when we were waiting for The Awesomes to arrive, I said "I think I hear them!" with a great deal of excitement in my voice even though I didn't hear them at all. Watching Mark jump up and look out the window was worth the prank. C caught my eye and I began giggling and then my motive was obvious. Mark took it fairly well.

Poor Mark. I figured out while we were on this trip that he's like the younger brother I never had. It's so much fun to bug him.

During the trip, TT had some classic lines. We were driving through the town where Mark had done CPE (the hospital chaplaincy rotation all ELCA seminarians do). TT said with great shock, "Did you have to do mouth-to-mouth?!" We didn't really follow why he would ask that until TT said, "You know...when somebody has a heart attack and you have to do CPE on them." The other great line was when we stopped at a Culvers, ate and then got all buckled into the van to keep travelling. TT remembered that he got a free ice cream with his meal and I was already buried in the back between the portable DVD, the middle row of seats and God knows what else. TT gave Mark the big blue eye treatment (he calls it his Puss in Boots look) and said, "Omega please, Mark, will you go get my ice cream cone? Super Omega please!!!!" Good ole Mark did it and made little Greek TTs day.

Construction, vision, old friends, cats in heat & parenting

The boys and I just returned from La Crosse. Because of construction, the trip took nearly 2 hours more each way than it should have. I am tired of driving!!! We went to La Crosse so TT could have a vision exam and be screened for a vision processing disorder. He came away with reading glasses and a line up of vision therapy appointments. It ends up his eyes process information in their own unique style, have poor stamina, and do not "team" effectively. We'll be driving up to La Crosse weekly for awhile. But if it helps, it is so worth it.

We were able to stay with some great friends, M & A, about an hour North. What a treat for the kids to play with their buddy (M & A's son) and to have a change of scenery. Our friends are so hospitable and it is always so great to see them. They're those rudder type people who seem to steadily go along while the currents of life ebb and flow. I appreciate their style, which is so unlike mine. Our hosts invited, T & B, some other former classmates over. They had just moved a few miles from where we were. What a great surprise! One of their kids had just celebrated his birthday and we were able to do an impromptu birthday party Wednesday night. Yay!

The funniest part of the whole experience was our friends' cat, Vivienne. She is always entertaining anyway (e.g., climbing into kitchen drawers through kitchen cabinets, sitting in baskets on the top of the fridge...). This time, she was in heat. Need I say more? It was an evening full of entertainment and yowling. I had to wonder what TT knew and understood when he said, "Vivi is saying, 'I need a boyfriend!!!!! Give me some babies!!!!!!!! I need a boyfriend!!!!!!'" I guess he heard us talking about how they're going to breed her next year...

The ride home, as I said before, was long. In addition to the construction drama, we only had one Gameboy (well...we thought we only had one until we got home and found the other under a seat!!! Aaarrgh) and both kids wanted to play it. TT had decided very intentionally not to bring his Gameboy. But...then he changed his mind and could not understand why this was not anybody else's fault or problem. Needless to say, for my own sake and for the sake of my sanity, I ended up buying off CH with a new game if he'd let his brother play Gameboy on the way home. TT, of course, needed a game to play and I ended up buying him one too. I can't believe I just spent over $60 on Gameboy games!!! I told C about the whole mess when he got home and he completely understood. Thank you, Jesus! John Rosemond, if you don't like what went down, tough beans! It works for us! (If you don't know who Rosemond is, consider yourself lucky. Yep, that's him in the pic). Our local newspaper blesses us with his column each Sunday, and he gives what I consider to be among the worst parenting advice in print. Scary "traditional parenting" kind of stuff that makes me wonder: (a) if he ever raised his own children - really raised them and was there and engaged and not just a "wait 'til your father gets home" kind of Dad, (b) if he does have children, if his children have any use for him today, and (c) what he would do with a special needs child on a 24/7 basis (I feel empathy for the kid just thinking about this). When I searched google for a pic, I discovered he's got a book called "Parenting by THE BOOK" (caps are not mine) - sounds like some seemingly "Evangelical Christian" stuff. For all I know, he and Dobson are in cahoots. Run away, parents, run away!!!! [Bring on the comments, readers! If my experience is anything like Shana's, I'm sure I'll tick off some stranger for this.]

I suppose if I'm wasting my time ranting on about this guy, it's time to sign off.

Signed,
Proud to be a trust-my-gut Mom