Archive | September, 2010

hammock.

7 Sep
The view upward from the hammock.
The hammock was part of Molly and Lindsay’s day of fun.  Molly is in fifth grade now.  She’s my cousin.  And godchild.  And likes to poke my sides and tickle me under my chin so I make that back-of-the-throat disgusting noise.  I love her lots.
The day together began with Sprocket (my car) needing an oil change.  That was fun.  We waited in like with, like, eighty cars … according to Molly anyways.
We went to a rummage sale at my church.  Also fun.

We ate spinach salads.  Yum.

Decorated cake balls for the party that evening.  The cake balls were PERFECTION.  So perfectly dipped and delicately sprinkled.  They were pieces. of. art.

Then we found the hammock, two trees and cuddled up in the midst of the wind and chill.  This hammock was my bed for a week when I was on a mission trip to Mexico, mixing concrete and passing buckets of the wet goop to cover roofs on houses in the Yucatan.  The hammock is super comfy and super huge enough for many of us to pile into it.  (When I was in Mexico, it was large enough for me to wrap it around myself with some left over.  With stupid innocence to think it would save me from the geckos.  That covered the ceiling.  Every night.)  Molly’s older brother, Sam, came later and joined us in our hammock glory.

pieces of home.

6 Sep
I was in limbo for a week.  I finished in Dawson but wasn’t quite ready to begin classes.  After dropping off my belongings at my new apartment on the Luther Seminary campus, I trekked home for a week of relaxing and time with family and friends … AFTER I took Tuesday and Wednesday to write, proofread, and fret about my approval paper due for candidacy.  (As a senior at seminary, I go through the approval process, where the faculty along with representatives from my home synod must agree and approve me for ordained ministry.  Step one of approval: the dreaded 17-20 page essay.)  After the essay was complete and emailed to the proper people, this is what I enjoyed …
… This is the view and how I (and my short, stubby toes) sat each morning and some evenings, often with a bowl of cereal or a mug of coffee in hand.  A screened-in porch with comfy wicker furniture.  After spending a year in western Minnesota, I appreciate the trees and the rolling hills more than before.  (Though there is something to be said for the open sky as well.)
The view of the old farm where I grew up from my backyard.
… An evening of bananagrams with a few of my own bananas and some of the guys.  Lynn and Kyle added a dimension to the addicting game – instead of yelling,”Peel!” when appropriate, a word or phrase is assigned in its place.  “Frigidaire.”  “The man punted Baxter.”  “Marshmallow.”
… Brunch and a matinee performance of Hairspray at the Fireside Dinner Theater with the ladies – aunts, cousins, grandma, sister and mother.  Very enjoyable.
… Many Target runs with various people.
… An Edgerton High School visit to see an always favorite band director, a wonderful administrative assistant, and, of course, Aunt Peggy.
… A dual birthday part night for sister, Emma, who turned 18, and Grandma Julie.  The most perfect night to be outside for a campfire.  Cousin Sam likes his s’more.

gnome, gnome in Dawson.

6 Sep
To the tune of Home on the Range, this ditty was sung for me during coffee hour on my last Sunday.  I’m not sure who to credit as the author … ?  And not sure about the lawnmower verse?  Check out the link for the embarrassing explanation!

Home, home in Dawson
Where under bridges gnomes play
Where seldom is heard
A discouraging word
And the snow can blow all day.

Gnome, gnome in Dawson
Where Intern Lindsay’s at Grace
Where she’s learned a lot
And become a part
Of the work in God’s holy place.

Gnome, gnome in Dawson
Where Lindsay teaches the kids
They all have great fun
And when they are done
They’ve learned a lot about God.

Gnome, gnome in Dawson
Where a blind girl drives a lawnmower
She drives to the right
And my, what a sight!
She goes in circles some more.

Gnome, gnome in Dawson
It’s time for Lindsay to part
May you enjoy your next year
And with a big tear
We send you love from our heart.

One year ago –

6 Sep

Labor Day, a year ago, the beginning of my time in Dawson.

Last Sunday.

3 Sep
My last Sunday at Grace really was all things wonderful.  I preached my last sermon, was given many kind words, and honored in the best ways possible during coffee hour.  The do-day ladies, with whom I tied quilts every month, made me a quilt.  The congregation as a whole gave me generous gifts, many hugs, and much love as I was sent on my way.
Being honored during the worship service.  Coworkers Keith, Tammy, Emily and Karen in the background.  (Along with the top of Chris’ head.  And Kendall is probably the receiver of my surprised/are-you-kidding-me face.)

Coffee hour was in my honor and included my own gnome story, a song – sung to Home on the Range, and an ode to my time as an intern.  It was a roast in the kindest way possible.  In many ways, it made it even more difficult to leave because it was so wonderful and honoring.  It did however include the revealing of my high school weekend winter occupation … the stripping came up.  (And then I owed the fellowship hall an explanation of what kind of [tobacco] stripping my parents made me do as a child.)
After the congregation members had made their leave, I took the much-talked-about tour of the sanctuary attic.  Keith, the custodian, had been promising me such a field trip for months to visit the bats, but it hadn’t happened.  So, in my pointy Nine West heels, I climbed the ladder to the attic to say that I’d been there, done that, check.  (Pictures still to come.  I know you want to see the sanctuary attic just as much as I did!)  Then the staff and I stood in the main office, none of us quite willing to say the first goodbye.  
Keith was the first to make his leave, giving me a hug, and saying, 
“Goodbye, Sunshine.  
It’s been fun.” 
Slowly but surely, sadly and with tears, the rest of the hugs were given and goodbyes were said.  The staff have become close friends – family in many senses of the word.  
Sad day.

Almost a week later and at home in Edgerton, I still feel displaced (as my wise friend, Justin, calls it).  I’m still sad.  I cried pretty much all of Sunday afternoon, Monday and Tuesday.  I even treated myself to a bit of pity-shopping … which led to the addition of two new cardigans to my wardrobe.  (Opps?)  The added stress of needing to complete and send in my 20 page approval paper helped matters none.  But it will get better.  Time at home is good.  Feelings of displacement will wane.  Back to St.Paul on Monday.  Class on Tuesday.

But for now – I grieve.  I grieve the end of internship and the physical distance friendships and relationships.

Sad day.

My gnome story.

3 Sep

Another part of my send-off during coffee hour included the reading of my very own gnome story.  One should know that the gnomes in Gnome Park in Dawson each have their own story, their own tale about the type of gnome they are and the kind of activities they engage in as gnome people.  In my honor, Kendall wrote a gnome story for me.  I have my own gnome story! My life is now complete.  As the story was shared, I was dressed with a gnome shirt, a gnome cap and a heart on my sleeve.  The story is quite extensive but I will give you the highlights – the ways in which Kendall slyly and lovingly made kind fun of me, my dressing patterns, and creative outlets.  

(a half-page worth of super descriptive characteristics of Dawson and then – )  This is a story of a gnome that lived in this village for only a very short time.  It was the wind from the east that brought this new gnome to live in the village.  But this gnome came to this village on the long road that runs East and West with a very strange wheelbarrow that was loaded high with lots of boxes and books and baking things.  This wheelbarrow had a tag on its front and rear with the name of a place we barely mention in this village – Wisconsin.  The little gnome traveler was tired and weary after having many other adventures and she looked around this village; she stretched and yawned and stretched again and rubbed her eyes.  And she thought and she thought and she thought.  Then she stretched and yawned.  And yawned and stretched.  As she was thinking, she looked around this village and she saw many little people.  They were mingling in the grass near the swimming pool.  They stood so still and so quiet.  This weary and tired little gnome from all her adventures watched these little people and she thought, ‘This village will be just the place for me to stay for a while.  It will be still and it will be quiet.’  And so began the adventures of a new gnome who pushed her strange wheelbarrow piled high mostly with books, and boxes, and baking things with tags on the front and rear from a place that was barely mentioned in the little village.  Now, there are a few things you should know about this new gnome.  She was a very, very curious gnome.  She was not like any of the other gnomes you may have heard about.  First of all, she is young for a gnome – in people years, that is.  This gnome likes to travel about and have adventures because she is still learning about the world and she still has many things to see and things to discover.  Now it is also important to know that gnomes don’t own many things.  They usually give away whatever they have, and they either make or find whatever they have to give.  But this gnome needed a place to store the things that had been piled high – mostly books and boxes and baking things in her wheelbarrow with tags on the front and the rear with a place that was barely mentioned in this village.  So she found her very best gnome cap and set it straight on her head.  She found her nicest cardigan sweater and she set off walking to find a still and quiet place to be.
(the adventure continues with this gnome discovering a church where she plans a party and then prepares to leave after her short stay)
Now as all the villagers stood by the side of the long road that runs east and west from their village they waved goodbye to their new gnome friend. All will be well in this village because as the villagers raised their arms to offer their special gnome farewell, they all noticed that yes, the hearts on their own sleeves had gotten heavier.  But not only heavier, they noticed that the hearts that they wore on their sleeves were much, much, much larger than before this new gnome came into their village with her wheelbarrow with tags on the front and rear of a place that was rarely mentioned, piled high with mainly books, boxes, and baking things.  So they were thankful.  And all will be well, too, in the new adventures of this gnome who likes to travel about because she is still learning about the world and she still has things to see and things to discover.  Yes, all will be well.
And as the gnome preacher left them on that long road that runs east and west through their little village with her wheelbarrow with tags on the front and rear with the name of the place that is rarely mentioned, piled high with mostly books, and boxes, and baking things, all the villagers hoped that the heart the gnome preacher carried on her sleeve had grown larger as well because of their time together.
The end.

Ode to the Intern.

3 Sep

Part of my creative and heartfelt send-off on Sunday at Grace – this ode was written and shared during coffee hour by Chris, the coolest organist I know.
From Edgerton to teachers school to seminary afar
To Dawson and Gnome Town, down Chestnut Street by car
Through the sanctuary, down the hallway, to the basement office; treated like a star.
Farewell to our intern at Grace.

Rally Sunday, Reformation, Confirmation Services in tow
All Saints Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmases in the snow
Through Lent and through Easter, and in summer services your care you show.
Farewell to our intern at Grace.

Making health kits for the needy and involving us all
VBS and creation camp – the kids have a ball
Lets not forget sharing family – Aunt Peggy most of all.
Farewell to our intern at Grace.

To another year of school we must send you right away
Papers and tests and professors every day
We certainly hope you don’t turn prematurely gray.
Farewell to our intern at Grace.

So go with God; his strength he’ll provide
His path he’s laid out for you, it will be quite the ride!
And anytime you need it, your friends will be here with arms open wide.
Farewell to our intern at Grace.

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