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Visiting neighbors.

2 Oct

Week and a half blog hiatus?  Check.

I’m back.  With a story.

The day was Monday.  I was in Austin at the library checking out baby name books [Concerned?  Don’t be.  They were for naming my baby confirmation tonight.] and running a couple errands.  I got home with just about 45 minutes left of daylight and Mabel & I needed to go for a walk pronto.

I ran upstairs, changed my clothes, and came downstairs to a knock at the front door.  I answered the door to find my neighbor there.  He’s in upper elementary school and he learned how to ride a bike this summer.  He rode his bike over as his older sister often does too.

L: Hi Alex!  How are you?
A: Hi.  Good.
L: What’s up?
A: Well, Rachel [the older sister] is at dance right now … so … I thought I would come over and visit.

How cute is that?  He thought he would come over for a visit!  I love it.  And so I ended up going for a walk with Mabel and a neighbor on a bike.  We did the cemetery loop, all the while Alex telling me about the types of vines that were on the trees.  Grape vines, wood vines, and one with red leaves he wasn’t quite sure about.  I learned a lot about vines that night.

On a related note, tonight one of the confirmation students was late joining the group.  Sorry, she said.  I was outside talking to Rachel.  She rode her bike here to visit you but I told here you were busy.

I love it.  I love visitors.

Today was not my favorite. But then –

3 Sep

Today was eh.  Office work and some work that I kinda feel shouldn’t be within the realm of pastoral duties.  Work like climbing into a parked semi trailer to take photos of auction items.  [Did I miss that on my job description?]  And this weird work – there’s lots of it.  With the school year beginning [wait.  summer is over?  how did that happen?], church work doubles as it is.  Rally Sunday, confirmation kick-off retreat, annual meeting [ours in in September.  it’s best not to even ask.], schedules, plans, pull-out-my-hair.

So today in the office was not my favorite.  I told Marilyn and Bob-the-treasurer that I was going to cry.  But then –

For confirmation this year, instead of one big informational meeting that half the families can’t make anyways, I’m visiting with each family one-on-one.  Tonight I headed just down the road a mile and a half to visit with my ninja friend, Elly, and her family.  Coming to confirmation this year will also be her younger sister.  They’re just a super warm family and even though I promised them that my visit would only be 15 minutes, I was there for an hour.  We talked about confirmation and then the kids went away while their parents and I talked about all things vintage.  Pyrex, Nancy Drew classics, mason jars.  For a living, they go to auctions, snap up stuff, and then sell it on etsy and ebay.  They showed me their goods and talked about their business.  Super interesting!

They also told me a neighborhood secret.  About three-quarters of a mile from the church is a road.  A secret road.  Okay.  It’s not secret at all but I always just assumed it was private property and only used by farm equipment.  Turns out this access road is fair game.  It’s gravel and dirt but so much more relaxing than walking Mabel on the road.  We found our new walking route and explored it tonight.

On our way back from the [not] secret road, all of a sudden, one of the neighbor kids is sprinting towards me.  He was running just to, you know, chat.  And show me his new wallet.  The neighbor family had been gone for two weeks on a road trip and things were really kinda lonely without them around.  It was weird to walk past their house and not see them outside playing, or see lights on in their house.  So Alex ran to say hi and tell me that the favorite part of his trip was seeing the beach where The Goonies was filmed.  Then his older sister, Rachel, rode her bike down to join us.  Soon the younger brother was there, along with the mom and the dog, and we stood in their driveway for a good 45 minutes catching up on summer.

Now I’m home.  I ate farm-fresh eggs for dinner [thanks to administrative assistant and chicken farmer extraordinaire, Marilyn] and the day will end on a high note by watching Netflix and basting hexagons.  Today was not my favorite … but then it turned out to be quite okay.

I'll be adding to this pile - the weekend's productivity.

I’ll be adding to this pile – the weekend’s productivity.

Where’d you go, Lindsay?

12 Aug

You haven’t posted since last Wednesday, Lindsay.  No Friday Favorites.  No other posts.  Where have you been?

Honestly?

Honestly.

I’ve been hand sewing hexagons and watching The West Wing.

True story.

I checked out a book on English paper piecing hexagons last week from the library.  Hexagons have been on my sewing to-learn list for a while now and I finally decided to tackle them.  One of the best things?  It’s hand sewing so I can do it while watching television.  About that …

I needed a new series to watch on Netflix.  I chose The West Wing.  I chose right.  I’m hooked.  In the past week, I’ve had a hard time distinguishing what political stories are actually facing the country in real life, and which are fictional.

So that’s where I’ve been.  Sewing hexagons and watching meetings in the White House while really liking Danny the press guy.  That’s probably where I’ll be all week too.

[It’s not the only place I’ve been.  I went to the Cities for college friend time on Friday.  I cleaned my bedroom – a room in my house that’s been a disaster all summer.  It’s lovely now.  I ran errands on Saturday morning, timing it deliberately so I could mail a package when the cute, young guy works the post office counter.  Mabel and I went for many meandering walks in this beautiful weather.  I finished another baby quilt.  But the one place I haven’t been?  On my computer.]

IMG_2605

The favorite things I did on Friday.

18 May

I didn’t post any favorites yesterday.  I didn’t even open my computer because I was busy doing some of my favorite things.  Favorite things like what?, asks the chorus.  Favorite things like this:

I slept in until 10.  TEN.  After a couple weeks of roofers waking me up by 7, it was needed.  And you have to love a dog that not only lets you sleep until ten but actually keeps sleeping longer.  Mabel is a sleeping rock star.

I ate breakfast and watched the SERIES finale of The Office.  The Office has been a part of my life for the last nine years.  It’s sad to see it end but it was good.  It was good.

I cleaned.  It’s been a long while since I’ve had a Friday morning/afternoon to be at home and tidy up.  Quite honestly, a Friday at home to clean is one of my favorite things.  I put away the boxes that came back with me from Geep’s and washed my sheets; unloaded the dishwasher and washed dishes.  It was productive.  And awesome.

Mabel and I went for a walk and then it was off to the cities for me.  A bit over a month ago, I got together with three college friends for a game night.  We scheduled a second one for last night and there is now a third on the calendar for June which will take place here in Austin.  I like what we have going on.  Last night we played Settlers: Cities and Knights.  it was at least a three hour game and lots of fun for a Friday night.

photo-92

 

So yesterday was awesome.

4 Feb

[So yesterday was awesome.]  It started out as a regular Sunday with one major difference – I was feeling quite rested and ready after two weeks of vacation.  Bring on worship.

I’m sitting in my office, prepping and talking to the treasurer, when I see out the window a couple from my former life walking up the sidewalk.  Batman was here!  Batman and his wife were here!  [Wondering who Batman is?  Read this.]  It was so fun to see them and chat with them.  A day can’t go wrong when there are Dawson visitors involved!

Fast forward.  Everyone has left church and I’m tidying up a few loose ends before heading out.  Boy Scout dad and two of his kids [also my neighbors and a family who attend ROG] show up; they hold their den meeting at ROG some Sunday afternoons.  One of his kids with him is in the den; the other is his daughter.  Why is his daughter coming to the Boy Scout meeting?  To conduct a science experiment, in which I also participated.

Budding scientist:  Hi Pastor Lindsay.  Do you want to help me with my science project?
PL:  What do I have to do?
Budding Scientist: [whips ziploc bags of cookies from her grocery tote] Try three different cookies and then I’ll ask you some questions.

[Let me get this straight.  You want me to eat three chocolate chip cookies at the point in the day when I’m most hungry after working and running around since 7:30 this morning?]

PL: Um, yeah!

And so I tried cookies A, B, and C.  I ranked them for overall taste and crunch.  [Turns out one had baking power, one had baking soda, and one had neither.]  Most delicious and awesome science project ever.

From there, I went on a hospital call.  Sweet, dear gentleman who normally resides in the care center was in the hospital.  He was pretty weak and he hadn’t had any liquids to drink for at least a day; he tried to talk but with such a dry mouth, it was hard to understand him.  His son was there; he tried to translate for me.  At two different points, the sweet, dear gentleman said things in my general direction.  I looked at the son for translation.  First: He says he likes your scarf.  Second: He says you have a nice coat.  Well, thank you, sweet, dear gentleman.

More day of awesome continued with a trip to the dog park for Ms.Mabel, phone conversations with long lost friends, and velvetta cheese at a Superbowl party.  The only disappointment in this day of awesome was missing out on a date with my bestie, Sara, for the second time due to snow.  Darn snow.  One of these days, Sara and I will reunite and it will be all kinds of awesome.

saturday soliloquy.

4 Aug
Windows are open.  Breeze is blowing.  Life is good.
I wish I could bottle the feeling one gets after exercise.  I feel one-hundred-million-twenty-seven-thousand-and-seventy times better afterwards.  [If you’re keeping track, that’s a lot.]
I finished a quilt top this morning.  Onto a second matchy-matchy one later tonight.  Subtly and not so subtly, one could say they will be like twins … perhaps like their future babies …
This is my absolute current favorite.  Zucchini squash oven roasted.  It’s nearly an every night staple for me.  Throw in some sweet potatoes or some broccoli and I am set for dinner.
I spread grass seed and filled my water softener with salt this afternoon.  I cleaned a clogged shower drain yesterday.  It was gross but I feel very domesticated and home-owner-like.  
Have you checked out Steeples and Stilettos lately?  I’ve been a terribly horrible blog partner but Megan has been posting some really great stuff.  
I’m almost done with my sermon and it’s not even 6pm.  [Who am I?]
I have three weeks of vacation to take before the year is done.  Where should I go and what should I do?  Maybe visit you?  I welcome suggestions.
Mabel and her large mouth says hello.

love this.

2 Nov
I love this.  I will fashion my own on the macbook and print it and frame it myself.
I don’t think I carped the hell out of this diem.  It’s not even 10 and I’m exhausted.  The confirmands and I did make microwave smores.  [score.]  Mabel threw up.  I finished a baby quilt top and now I’m drawn into and addicted to season three of Dawson’s Creek.  Darn it all, Pacey Witter.  
I’ll try and carpe the hell out of tomorrow’s diem.  Promise.
Source: etsy.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

more mabel.

31 Oct
Remember when I warned you that you’d be sorry I ever got a dog because she would be all I would blog about?  Let it begin.
Here’s the latest Mabel update via photo:
Lindsay caved.  She can lay on the couch now.

Sometimes I sleep like this.

The LBW and NIB make lovely pillows for a PD [pastor’s dog].

mabel&i

2 Oct
I’m at Paige’s in Waseca as I type.  We ate burgers with avocado at The Boathouse and now I steal her internet as she watches The Amazing Race.  The show hasn’t started quite yet – 60 Minutes is doing a tribute to Andy Rooney.  He has very impressive eyebrows.  
I left my house to the whining and barking of Mabel.  As my Aunt Kari would put it, she has separation issues.  She does not like it when I leave.  She scratches at the door and then runs to the dining room window, puts her paws on the sill, and watches me walk away.  
It’s true.  When I’m home and in the house, she’ll follow me from room to room.  If she senses that I’ll be there for a while, she plops down on the floor.  Even when I cross from one side of the bedroom to the other, she’ll switch the side of the bed on which she plops depending upon where I am standing.  To the basement to do laundry and upstairs to brush my teeth she follows.
Needless to say, we’ve bonded.  I no longer question if I made a mistake and think we’ll get along swimmingly.  To the point where I have the tiniest degree of anxiety leaving her.  We tried to put her in a crate last night while Aunt Kari, Grandma Julie and I went out for dinner and to Target.  She was in when we left.  She was out when we returned.  Whelp.  As long as she continues to chew nothing, it will be okay that she’s not in there.  Just yipping and barking at the door when I leave.  *pulls on heart strings*

meet mabel.

30 Sep
She’s here!
I received a phone call this morning, asking if I was still interested in Ms.Angel.  Most certainly so, I said. [Maybe not those exact words.]
I went shopping.  Bought what I thought I needed.  I thought I was ready.

She especially loves the green blobby alien toy.  It has a squeeker.  And she always wants me to take it from her but I always don’t want to – it’s wet and slimy. 

We’ve been together for two hours now.
Tell me I haven’t made a mistake.
I know things will be grand.  We just need to figure out each other’s schedules, not bite, and not jump on the furniture.  [So glad I didn’t get a puppy.  I seriously would not have the patience.]  I think it will be okay.  Once we figure things out together.

As for a name, we’re going with Mabel.  Thanks to Mrs.Kimberly for that suggestion!  [Kim called me and asked for more information on the type of dog.  “I’ll think of a name.  I’ll call you back.”  Within twenty minutes, she called.  “I think she needs an old lady name.  Sadie, Harriet, Mabel -” DONE.]  Mabel kinda sounds like Angel too so hopefully the name change will go okay.  
If you’re coming on Sunday for installation, you’ll get to meet Mabel.  I have family coming to stay tomorrow night [Aunt Kari, cousin Molly, and Grandma Julie] so I hope Mabel treats guests well.  It will all be quite interesting …
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