Goodbye, MISA.

It’s a dreary, dreary day in northern Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior.  Rainy.  Cold.

Class on the island wrapped up at 3pm this afternoon.  I left with a stack of mixed media journal cards, wrapped up neatly and creatively in pockets, folders, and books I created to keep them in.  My former life as a lover of bookmaking came in handy and impressed my instructor.

[Above: The class work, belonging to each of us, spread out.  As I added mine last, the instructor told me, “I need you to spread out.  Literally and metaphorically.”  Ha.  Mine is at the bottom.]  We bid goodbye as a class.  My classmates and instructor were really great, all in such unique ways.  They were great learning companions for the week.  Susan, a dear calligrapher by trade, gave me a hug as she was leaving and said, “I haven’t said this for about twenty years, but I would go to church to hear you preach.”  Sweet compliment.  I think it’s a gift to be able to challenge people’s perception of what a pastor is and isn’t.

It was a great week.  MISA is such a fun place.  A great community of people, awesome staff, and the coffee is always on.  [And there are always chocolate chip cookies in the cookie jar in each classroom.]  Classrooms were open all night and we were welcome to come and go as we pleased.  I would love to go back again for a class sometime in the future.

As of right now, I just got off the boat.  The cute, bearded captain got Sprocket and I safely back on the mainland.  Now I sit, rain jacket and all, at a coffee shop in Bayfield and wait.  I wait for friend, Sara, so we can begin phase two of continuing education: overnight kayaking.

We leave tomorrow morning and here’s hoping the weather improves.  Otherwise it is going to be a very chilly and wet couple of days.  Potentially miserable.  We go with a group; up to four new friends we will meet tomorrow.  I hope I packed enough warm clothes … I fear I was [now incorrectly] more concerned about sunscreen and sunglasses.

You’ll hear back from me after that adventure.  An adventure it will be.