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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.

good week.

28 Aug
Even though it was my last week in Dawson, it was a good one. Let me give you the play-by-play :
Monday: I was treated once again to supper with C. and his family. They have been so wonderful to invite me over many times for supper and games. I built towers out of blocks and C. knocked them over. We ate awesomely decorated cupcakes and played a game about aphids. C.’s little sister seems to finally have adjusted to me. She gave me a hug before I left and jabbered away to me before dinner – super cute. I’m just sad it’s only happening now when I’m leaving!
Tuesday: Hamballs. (See the previous apology letter to the balled food.)
Wednesday: Taste of Grace. An annual pork chop supper in the courtyard at church to benefit the youth mission trip fund. We had a great turn out and the perfect weather to sit outside under a tent and enjoy the food. This was a good night because I got to see many of the youth that I haven’t seen since confirmation – I think I’ve missed them? No, not a question – I really have.
Thursday: My inevitable leaving was a reason to party at Stelter’s on this evening. The whole staff plus Lori (and spouses and children) came out for a delicious dinner and a good time. I should make it be known that it was, in many ways, an evening of worship. We prayed many times (every twenty minutes for fellowship) and worked our way through the hymnal, singing everything from ‘A Mighty Fortress is Our God’ to one that resembled a polka – so polka in the living room we did. There really is no way to explain how much fun we had this evening. Hands down – love, love, LOVE the staff at Grace.
Friday: One more movie night with my new friend, the organist. We worked together for this entire year (aka He began playing hymns as I tried to speak and then just smirked into his organ music as I stopped talking, defeated.) and I continue to kick myself that we didn’t become friends or start hanging out until the last month of my life in Dawson. We watched Up! Classic. (Kevin’s a girl?)
Tonight: I continue to work on my sermon, pack up my last things, and wait for my mother’s arrival later this evening. Though she was just here last weekend, she returns for my last Sunday at Grace. And to hear me be roasted during coffee hour. Not going to lie – I’m nervous.

this week, I’m carried by –

23 Aug
A sleepover with a best friend and her crazy cat.
An out-of-the-blue email from a friend, telling me that he misses me.
A facebook wall post that ends with, “Love you!”
A hug from my favorite five year old girl.
A dinner out, catching up with a friend.
A mom and sister who dealt wonderfully with a crabby daughter/sister while moving.
A staff and community that has become my family away from home.

gnome gnews.

19 Aug

When my friend, Amanda, stopped by for a few nights last week, we – of course – visited the gnome folk at gnome park. There has been some gnew gnome business going on since the last time I was there.
Gladys is back! The old Gladys was presumed gone forever so a new Gladys, complete with her notepad with which to write the gossip column for the Dawson paper, was constructed and placed next to her husband gnome, Harland. You can really tell the difference between the old gnome artist and the new gnome artist. Despite the contrast in colors, shape, and style, I’m just glad Harland has his partner in crime back. (Harland and Gladys, the real life couple, were together constantly and even shared a room together at the care center until the real life Gladys passed away just a few months ago. A for cute couple indeed.)
Other gnew gnomes –
There was a new Harris gnome, next to his wife, Eloise, to replace the one that had been stolen soon after it was first put on display.
The AGP gnome from last year finally made its way to the park to join in all the other gnoman games. He looks like he’s about to run someone down. I knew gnomes were mischievous but he seems downright dangerous. The gnome from this year also found its new home in the park, right next to Gladys and Harland.

here is my rant.

15 Aug
I leave in two weeks.
I don’t want to leave.
I’ve just found friends.
I feel like I’ve only just completely adjusted.
I certainly don’t want to go to class.
This isn’t new. You’ve heard me say it before. But as I returned home from a social evening of sitting around a campfire with people I’m only just beginning to know, I rant again. As I celebrate the fun that was day camp last week and reflect on the productive, fun weekend I had, I rant. I complain. I start to cry. I start to say goodbye to people I’ve gotten to know … except I’m never great at actually saying goodbye. I’ll put it off for as long as possible. “Oh, well, we might see each other again.” Or, “I’ll try to stop back up again.” I’d rather leave ambiguously than with a strict farewell.
Two weeks.
The two-week motto: Little sleep. Much coffee.
These two weeks will go far too fast.
I don’t want to waste my time sleeping.

million + one

12 Aug
The millionth plus one reason to love Dawson –
I was still at church at 6pm this evening. Day camp had concluded but other pastoral duties – the ones I had lapsed on for the beginning portion of the week – still needed attending to, including the choosing of hymns so the bulletin could be printed the following morning. La di da … I’m choosing hymns, hanging out in the main office by myself when Emily comes to get me. Apparently, there are storms. Tornado warnings. I’m oblivious to it all in my ELW-concentrated world. “Come with us,” Emily demanded (in the most caring way possible). Okay.
Dinner, a few beverages (You know. Milk.), and many laughs/hours later, I’m on my way home back to church to retrieve my car and head home. An unexpected good night. I will miss random, unplanned late nights at the Stelter’s.

laughing.

6 Aug
I was reminded of the gift of laughter this week. The power of the belly laugh. The freeing feeling of a giggle. That laugh when you have absolutely no control, tears start forming, and you sound positively ridiculous. I spent time with a new friend a few nights this week and laughing was a staple of the evenings together. At one point, I remember thinking how absolutely hideous we both sounded but that was the best part! Even better – neither of us was able to stop. Watching a movie in some sort of mysterious fast-forward mode when the characters sound like munchkins will do that to you. I have not laughed so hard in a long while. I feel wonderful today; I think the laughing is to thank.

meet Abby.

3 Aug
Abby is my roommate this week. I’m dogsitting for Kendall and Emily as they are off enjoying the landscape, friends, and adventures in Montana for the week.
Abby is a chocolate lab. She’s pretty. And pretty hyper. And pretty in love with her ball. And pretty much will play fetch for as long as you throw the ball.
It’s going pretty well. She ran off on me once. As I followed her down the street, she would look back at me, forgo any obligation to respond to my calling, and continue on her way. She ended up at Wager’s where she had a friendly little growling match with their dogs before I dragged her back by the collar to her kennel.
She sleeps in bed with me. I was told this would happen, that she would sleep at the foot of my bed. That’s how it started – the foot of the bed. I think Abby realizes that I’m a pushover and not her owners so she’s pushing her limits. She lays down on the side of the bed and won’t move to allow me to crawl into bed. I crawl over her and she lets me have the side by the wall. And once my alarm goes off in the morning (and I crawl over her to grab it off the bedside table), there are no snooze possibilities. Abby makes sure I’m up when I’m supposed to be.
It’s a nice change of pace. I can talk to Abby instead of to myself. Games to play. Attention to give and receive. I think Abby will be happy to see her owners return … and get rid of that woman who laughs at her when her ball gets stuck under the china cabinet and squeezes her face affectionately.

back to work.

14 Jul
Often time, returning to work after a vacation is a tough deal. You feel like you need a vacation that follows your initial vacation to recover first. You hate the thought of going back to the mundane, punching the clock, returning to the cubicle, blah, etc. As I said previously, I was ready to go back. Sure, I could have used a few extra hours of sleep, a chance to do laundry, but all in all, Monday morning was okay by me.
We had a staff planning meeting on Monday. Mapping out the next year’s big events, putting dates on the calendar. Eating coffee cake brought by Tammy. Drinking coffee out of a cute carafe. Laughter. Evaluating and creating programming. Subway for lunch. (Dawson has a Subway now! It’s a popular place.) It was a beautiful day so Kendall declared we would ride bikes there instead of drive. (He doesn’t even give me a chance to respond as he announces, “Lindsay and I are biking there.” We are? *shrug* Okay.) Nothing like the two pastors of Grace Lutheran Church cruising down Hwy. 212 on bikes. I won’t be here next year when these events that they are planning happen so that was a little strange. I listened, input dates onto the google calendar, and was content to watch the process unfold with an occasional comment.
Then yesterday was the organist’s birthday, an event that couldn’t be passed by without cake, a late night of fellowship and a hymn sing. An organist near a piano with fellow church dwellers begged for nothing different. Tales about a Kirby vacuum and a few “for hopeless” moments were bonuses. Lemons too.
Now, in writing the previous two paragraphs, I realize it has little to do with the work that I do but the people with whom I work. Maybe that’s what made me okay with coming back. Work hasn’t been disappointing either – productive days of camp planning, stewardship survey compiling, beginning those little paper and project hoops required by seminary to complete internship. Here’s to more work tomorrow!

four-ph of July

5 Jul
“He makes me melt like a popsicle on the four-ph of July,” Darla from Little Rascals
I did not melt on the fourth of July and can’t say I really ran across anyone who wanted to make me melt. (Though I did meet my friend, Kate, in Watertown because she wanted company when she saw Eclipse. I suppose it was a close call – shirtless Jacob would have made me melt if their theater hadn’t been so dastardly cold!)
I also thought about how I missed being in Edgerton for the fourth. Jenni’s annual fourth of July party. Allen’s birthday. Fireworks at Racetrack. Campfires. Those were the best nights, before we all moved away and grew up. Shucks.
I did have a good weekend though. I went to the explosive Fabric Warehouse sale in Willmar and came home with a few new projects to make. (Some of which I have already attempted and, yup, they have failed. Some epically, some not so badly.) I had dinner with a pair of congregation couples. Saturday was a good day.
Sunday I flew solo with worship, presiding at communion for the first time in regular Sunday worship. Now, technically, only ordained pastors are to preside at communion. There are a few outs to this and typically one only needs permission from the bishop of the synod and then all is well and good. We forgot to ask. Oops. Kendall was sure to give some advice regarding presiding at communion illegally, including (but not limited to) standing on top of the altar to avoid the congregation even realizing that I am not ordained (because they would instead be thinking something else) or standing beside the altar so as to avoid the lightning bolts God would send to smite me. I stood behind the altar (as one should) and survived. The entire service actually went off without a hitch. phew. I can do this.
I think I’ve been a bit burned out of late and last night was proof of it – I went to bed at 8pm and woke up at 10am this morning. (There was a brief period of time at 4:30am where I was wide awake … but then dead asleep again shortly.) Further prescription for my burned-out nature – I’m on vacation this week! I’m heading into the Cities today, hopping on a plane with my mother tomorrow morning and flying to Colorado to visit the older brother. Blog posts to resume next week!
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