Archive | February, 2012

happy leap day!

29 Feb
First, watch this for your astronomy/leap day lesson:

Second, do something abnormal.  [Uh, my life?]  Something crazy.

Me?  Well, I have my first Lenten mid-week service tonight.  We’re talking about what the Bible is.  [It’s a companion to our Sunday morning Lenten Bible study at which we had 26 people on Sunday!  Holy cow!]  So I will eat soup at the supper the precedes the service, lead/preach, and then go home.  Watching the movie Leap Year would be appropriate but I may just unpack and go to bed.  I’ve been gone in St.Paul for the last two nights at a tiring conference, talking confirmation and thinking about possibility.  
But I promise to do something crazy when the moment strikes.  You too.  Go crazy.  Go bananas.  [And then tell me what you do and we’ll compare craziness.]

oscar par-tay!

27 Feb
We walked the red carpet, ate lovely enchiladas, and filled out our own Oscar ballots to guess the winners.  There was costume jewelry, a date in a suit, curly straws, and general merriment.  Here’s a photo summary of the night that was:

the lindsay chronicle.

24 Feb
I’ve been gone for a while now.  These could be my excuses:
. it’s lent.
. work is crazy.
. I’ve been a wee bit lazy.
While those all factor in a bit, the real reason is that I haven’t had much to say.  
Throughout the day, while I drive or while I inevitably chew my fingernails to shreds at my desk, I write blog posts in my head.  I make mental notes of things I want to tell you.  Sometimes I scribble them on scrap paper and make notes on my phone.
No blog posts in my head this past week.  No mental notes or notes of any kind in relation to all things blog.  Huh.
Just as an update of sorts, so I can blog at least something, here’s a taste of the lindsay chronicle [my latest fake paper]:
I had a meeting this morning with a crazy lady.  She wanted to talk to me about the services available for elderly in Steele County.  She was quite loopy and could never quite let me finish a thought or ask a question, but I enjoyed her.  We talked about everything from doodles [the dog] to Alaska to how her son met his wife on an online Christian dating site.  We shook hands as we left the coffee shop but then she stopped, said, “Oh, hey.  I’m a hugger!” and proceeded to hug me after we had known each other for approximately 63 minutes.
Last year, I bought my current salad plates from Urban Outfitters.  At the time, they were out of the blue.  I checked the website today and score!  They had blue ones so I decided I needed them to complete my stack of plates that I love so dearly.  Well, turns out it was free shipping over $50 and without crossing that mark, my $12 total order was going to cost $10 to ship.  Thus, I did exactly what they wanted me to do.  I also bought a scarf, two more plates, and a yellow bird votive candle holder.  Free shipping, baby!
It continues to be proven that I am most productive at doing other things when I have a sermon to write.  Today, after my meeting with the crazy lady and then a board meeting in Austin, I mopped my floors.  Cleaned the kitchen.  Baked cookies for a Sunday Oscar party.  [Are you watching the Oscars?  I printed these off earlier this week for the party.  Cast your vote and play bingo!]  Started to watch The Tree of Life and then stopped because it was weird.  And now, in par with the boredom/avoidance factor, I will be in bed by 10:30.  Sermon tomorrow.
I’m having dinner in Austin tomorrow night with Lori, my pastor friend and mentor of awesome from Dawson, and her family, and then they will come to Red Oak Grove to worship on Sunday.  Sunday is a busy morning of the beginnings of a Bible study during coffee hour [color me nervous – lindsay the two. always afraid of letting people down.], followed by a service at the care center in Blooming.  Sunday night is Oscar night [I still must inflate my red carpet date.*] and then Monday I’m Luther-Seminary-bound for an event on confirmation.  I’m really excited for the conversation to be had and to see lots of friendly CYF faces on campus.
So that’s life.  Maybe this week I’ll have more to report.  Even with my poor record of writing, this month has somehow already become the month with the most blog hits in the history of its existence.  [say what?!]  So yay you for reading [seriously.  thanks!] and boo me for not writing. 
And enough about me.  What’s new with you?
* You’ll see.

I found this on pinterest and honey, I agree.

23 Feb

sew productive.

19 Feb
It was a super productive weekend at the sewing machine in the ROG parsonage this weekend.  [One could say that I was a sewing machine.  Pity laugh?]  The craft room has been a bit neglected lately, but I made up for it this weekend.  Using the clearance cloth napkins I bought at Target last weekend and the pillow forms I found for 60% off at JoAnn’s, I made four throw pillows.  [I did not make the middle one.  I made the others to match … but I did buy the middle one on clearance.]  As I’ve been shopping around for household items, I’ve been grossed out by how expensive throw pillows are and that is why I’ve had none for the last six months.  I figure mine came together for about $9/piece and roughly 15 minutes to sew each.  And then I made a curtain for the upstairs balcony door. 
Saturday was a fun fabric day.  First, Amanda – my new friend from Owatonna who is an intern there this year – and I traveled south to the Calico Hutch.  The Calico Hutch, in Hayward, is what the ladies would call the best quilt shop around.  Amanda was looking to embark on her first quilting project and I have a baby quilt in my future.  [A baby quilt.  Not a baby.  Just to clarify.]  We both found what we were looking for and then had a mini-sewing machine tutorial at the dining room table while eating the new lemon girl scout cookies.  
Yesterday, The Practical Guide to Patchwork arrived in my mailbox from Amazon.  It’s a book by the blogger/quilter at Oh, Fransson [one of the blogs that made me want to learn to quilt in the first place] and I’m in love.  I’ve already learned a few tidbits [when prewashing fabric, take it out of the dryer when it’s still a little damp and iron immediately.  a world of difference!] and while I don’t know if I’ll tackle any of the quilt patterns from the book any time soon, I think it was a sound purchase.  Plus, it’s pretty.  Sometimes I just pick it up to stare at it and pet the cover.
This afternoon the fabrics on my cutting mat met their match.  I dedicated my entire afternoon to the craft room and have 18 quilt squares to show for it.  Two to go and then the sashing will begin.
There is still a pile of more projects in the sewing room.  I want to construct a few of these fabric bins [and have already purchased the supplies] and I still need curtains for one of my bedroom windows.  Maybe a table runner.  And I need to finish my summer quilt.  All in good time, my friends.  All in good time.

long-distance relationships.

18 Feb
You well know that Brentt [hair stylist] and I have been doing things long distance the last couple month.  [The I-call-him-when-I-need-him-sort-of-thing.]
Well, as anyone who has been in a long-distance relationship [with their hair stylist] can attest, it’s hard.  It’s really hard.  I’m beginning to understand why long distance simply doesn’t work [for my head of hair].    It’s hard to find the time to dedicate going to visit him and … well …
I cheated on him.  On Thursday, I had a date [an appointment] with someone else.  It was closer and more convenient.  Don’t give me that look – I wasn’t happy about it either.
I regret it already.
First of all, it wasn’t nearly as welcoming or awesome as Brentt.  I walked in and no one – NO ONE – said a word to me.  So I just sat down in the waiting area and waited for them to acknowledge me.  I was not offered coffee [Apparently every other customer was offered coffee.  I probably wouldn’t have drank it anyways.  Dumb coffee at the stupid salon.] and I was told to take off my coat … but wasn’t directed where to put it.  [When I have dates, err, appointments with Brent, my coat is always whisked away and then he helps me put it back on at the end of our time together.]
And Brentt.  Oh, Brentt.  He’s such a good listener [about the kind of cut I want].  On Thursday, I wasn’t listened to at all.  I told her I liked my hair big.  Five minutes later, she’s telling me that way she’s going to cut my hair will minimize the big-ness of short curly hair.  And Brentt takes the towel and dries the inside of my ears.  sigh  I guess that just a Brentt thing.  Not every [hair stylist to customer] relationship is the same.
New stylist: Do you ever flat iron?
Me: Not anymore.  I like it curly.  I’ve embraced the curls.
Yes, that conversation happened.  And wouldn’t you know, without even asking [Brentt would have asked] she styled my hair straight.  If listening is a key component to relationships, I don’t see this one going any further. 
Sure, I pay Brentt a lot of money to be with me [and play with my hair, dry the inside of my ears and offer me coffee] but I think what you pay for is what you get.  [Ah, the golden rule to every relationship.]  On Thursday, as I paid at the desk with my card, the lady handed back my receipt to sign and I asked, “Can I not add a tip to this?”  Her response? “I could of if you had told me before.”  Awesome.  Well I didn’t know because she never asked … and all I had was a $5 bill in my wallet.  I handed that over and she said, “Thank you.  That’s very generous of you.”
A $5 tip on a $20 crappy haircut?  Only Brentt deserves so much of my affection and appreciation [as shown through money from one customer to her gay hair stylist].  

honey.

16 Feb
I guess it’s my new name.
It’s no Sunshine like Keith, the custodian at Grace in Dawson, would call me, or Sweet Pea like Harry, a congregation member in Dawson.  But I’m pretty sure I’m getting a Honey identity here.
I heard it on Sunday as I was shaking hands.  There is an older gentleman, a man, who along with his wife, is a pillar of the congregation.  He shook my hand on Sunday after worship and said, “Good job, honey.”
Okay.  Fair enough.  I’m used to nicknames.  I didn’t think a whole lot of it.
He called the church today to see if his wife had left Bible study yet.  I answered his question and we began to end the phone conversation.  I’m fairly certain he ended it with a “Thanks, hun.”
I guess Lindsay is just too hard for people.  [That’s what Harry in Dawson told me anyways.  I still remember the first conversation we had.  “What’s your name again?” he asked me.  “Lindsay.”  “I won’t remember that.  I’ll call you Sweet Pea.”]  I will admit I almost prefer Honey over a simple Pastor.  “Good morning, Pastor.”  “Thank you, Pastor.”  “You’re weird, Pastor.”  [Okay.  The last one is made up.]  Too official.  Too formal.  *shiver*  I think it’s a generational thing.
Honey it is.

working girl frustrations.

15 Feb
Work has been frustrating this week.
There.  I said it.
Nothing is really wrong.  It’s not really different than any other week.
It’s just that there is so much to do and it’s not getting done.
It’s not that I’m not working.  I am.  It’s that I want to be able to do things faster and swifter and to be able to cross them off my to-do list at a faster rate because the list keeps growing.  [And not that this is exclusive to ministry.  I’m beginning to think it’s inclusive of all adulthood.]
I feel like tasks take me too long.  I feel like I need longer to process things, especially experiences the first time around.  While I want to work and accomplish what I set out to do, more often than not I feel like my hours in the office look like this.  [Click the link for one of the best Big Bang Theory scenes ever.]
[Why, yes.  I do put my hand on my chin and play Eye of the Tiger at an higher-than-necessary volume.  At least now I will.]
Le sigh.  I know it’s just how it is.  But I know I always get to Thursday afternoon and come to the realization that I could literally work all weekend long and still not accomplish all I should.  I always get to Thursday with an unwritten sermon.  I always get to Thursday and have more things I want to create, incorporate and say for the life of the congregation.  [This week?  A giant alleluia sign or something to “bury” during the children’s sermon on Sunday.]
Oh well.  I certainly love what I do [most days] and feel blessed to be in this time and place.  [Especially when I have confirmation students who tonight begged to stay later than usual.  I consented and sacrificed the first half of Modern Family for such.]  I am expecting a new book in the mail this weekend [The Practical Guide to Patchwork] so I hope to find time to lose myself in the craft room a bit this weekend and know that I will find renewal in that.  We’ll just need to sneak in a sermon too … but really?  That surprises no one.
No one.

*insert curse word of your choosing*

13 Feb
Situation number one:  It’s Saturday.  I’ve done my errands for the day and I’m at home, settling in and doing anything but finishing my sermon for the next day.  There’s a knock on the door and I find my neighbor and her daughter at the door.  [Neutron’s owners.  I love them and think there might be friend potential.  The neighbor at my door, her husband and I totally geeked out after church yesterday about all things Apple and lamenting for faster internet.  We understand each other.]  Rachel, the daughter, is selling Girl Scout cookies.  [Let it begin.]  I invite them into my slightly messy kitchen and they spread the cookie order form out on the counter … right in front of my pint glass that reads “Consumption of alcohol may lead to epic dance parties.”  
*insert curse word of your choosing*  
While the statement may be true, it’s not what parishioners need to see on my counter – let alone a third grader.  [I will make the distinction that the glass was not filled with alcohol.  But still not cool.]
Situation number two:  Now it’s Sunday after church.  Same family.  I see the mom and make some joke apologizing for my appearance on Saturdays.  I always wonder just a little bit when people see me not as “pastor” but instead in sweats with no makeup and crazier than normal hair; I wonder what they think.  I said something about being much more put together on Sundays with makeup and whatnot.  The mom looks at the daughter and say, “Not that women need to wear makeup.  We’re beautiful without makeup.”
*insert curse word of your choosing* while I stick my foot in my mouth.
I totally agree with the mom and it made me realize I should be a bit more careful around young, impressionable girls about makeup/clothes talk.  Reminds me of this article.
Situation number three: My southern Minnesotan family [Paige, Lauren, and jD] and I went to a church gathering in Owatonna last night.  It’s a church that uses space in a Baptist church and a gathering that tries to stay away from what you would even consider church.  As pastors, it’s nice to have a place to worship – actually worship – and not be responsible for leading.  Maybe this could be that place for us?  We walked in [late] to join a group of eight adults sitting around an old oriental rug [it really tied the room together] and coffee table.  A couple is singing songs, a la Indigo Girls.  He looks Amish and she looks bohemian like I’ve always wanted to be.  The gathering continues into an hour discussion on … wisdom?  There were charts.  Diagrams.  Flippant references to Scripture.  And we were missing the beginning of the Grammys.
… get. us. out. of. here.  *insert curse word of your choosing*
Despite the … unconventional? not engaging? … hour of talk about decision making, I kinda sorta want to go back because the people were so incredibly gracious and welcoming.  We were offered tea from the start, and a few people moved so we could sit together.  [Will people move pews in a Lutheran church to accommodate?  Honestly debatable.]  After the gathering was over, they practically swarmed around us, asking us questions and engaging us, telling us again and again that they hoped we’d come back.  Will we go back?  I don’t know.  I wouldn’t mind giving it another go; it could be a fun community to become involved in.  But only if the charts and diagrams end.

#parsonageprojectsaturday

11 Feb
Beginning as a thought on Thursday, I declared today parsonage project saturday.  *throws glitter*
I had a list of projects I hoped to accomplish and now that it is evening, I feel pretty accomplished.  [A little … not a lot.  Please excuse the Friends reference.]  A Valentines-esque wreath hangs on my front door, a fabric basket now organizes Mabel things in the closet, and my bedroom is a little closer to awesome.  [I found the yellow quilt and sham on clearance at Target this morning for $10!  The gray and yellow theme continues to be a work in progress.]
If we delve a bit deeper in to the details, the berries on the wreath are a little too Christmas but I think it works.  [And the decor is put on in a way which can be removed and adapted for the next holiday of choice.]  I’m fairly certain I bought the wrong kind of interfacing for the fabric basket and that caused me to break two needles in its construction.  And the photo of my bed?  It’s now completely strewn with clothes and that’s normally how it stays.  But I also did three loads of laundry, sneezed approximately seventeen times, and bought Girl Scout cookies from the neighbors who stopped by.  I bought napkins on clearance with which to make living room throw pillows, made a chicken/sweet potato dinner, and baked a cookie cheesecake to take to a Grammy’s party [what what] tomorrow night.  Boom.  You’ve been had, Saturday.
*hangs head*  … and now I finish my sermon.
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