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a weekend away.

30 Jun
I ran away from Red Oak Grove this weekend.  I ran away to Stillwater.  Mabel came too.  She stayed at a kennel and made many new friends.

It wasn’t an impromptu decision – a girls’ weekend had been on the calendar for many weeks.  Karen, Jenna, and I had plans to go out to eat, explore fun places in the cities, and shop.  Check, check, and check.

I was greeted at the Gieseke B&B by my very own olives.
Karen and I met Jenna at the seminary and I ran into a couple old friends.  [Adam!  So good to see you!]  We went to a giant fabric outlet warehouse and ate at Big Bowl [one of my favorites].  We saw a movie and settled in for the night.  Then today there was a trip to Hunt and Gather, a fabric shop, and an estate sale.  It’s like all of Lindsay’s favorite things crammed into one day!  I bought a crazy yellow wire thing on wheels [how’s that for a description], a really great Spanish bull fighting velvet print [which I bought for the frame and the frame only], and some polka dotted fabric from the outlet warehouse.  It was great fun and full of wonderful, caring conversation.  I’m sad to be back at the parsonage, with Sunday morning looming over my head, but such is life.  boo.
But a small taste of Hunt and Gather.
Babies, anyone?

I wanted every single one of these.  Love me some polka dots.

best best best friend.

21 Jun
I had dinner plans again tonight.  
Last night it was with a group of women in their 60s and 70s.  
Tonight it was with a 6 year old.
If you look way back into the blog archives, you’ll find stories about my Dawson friend, Carter.  Carter was right around 4 when I was the intern at Grace and we struck up a friendship.  His parents were lovely enough to invite me over for dinners and play time throughout my year there.  [Mmm, salmon loaf.]  Luck would have it that Carter’s grandma and grandpa are my neighbors while I’m here at Red Oak Grove!  They live just down the road and since Carter is staying with them this week, they invited me over for dinner.  And legos. 
Carter was super excited to have me come over.  When I responded to the message they left me a few days ago, Carter was jumping up and down on the other end of the phone line.  I have to admit – I was pretty excited too.  We had fun!
I knocked on the door and I could hear him bounce down the stairs.  He swung open the door and gave me a giant hug.  We went on a gator ride and explored the farm.  We played legos and ate homemade pizza and talked about how crazy Pastor Kendall is.  Carter and I explored outside in corn fields and groves of trees.
We even formed a club.  It actually started like this –
I have a club, Carter said.  But you can’t be in it.
He then told me a little bit about his club and his friends in it.  I couldn’t be in it because I don’t live in Dawson.  But don’t worry – then we formed another club and we spent an hour dreaming about what the club would be about.  
You see, the club’s purpose was to collect sticks.  There was a special tree where we would collect them, and another special tree whose bark we would use to write secret club notes.  The club would be mostly for him and his cousins, but I could be an exception.  It would be called the fire club and the process of it all reminded me how fun imagination is.  It was super just to be outside exploring with this creative six year old, making stuff up as we went.  

I might have stayed a bit late because we were having so much fun and that might have led to Carter staying up a little past his bedtime.  I told Carter he could just blame me if his parents found out [Hi, Aaron and Sabrina.  Hope your cruise was awesome!  Don’t hate me for depriving your child of sleep!]  to which Carter said, No!  I would never blame you because you’re my best best best friend.
Aww, shucks.  Here’s to a fun and imaginative Thursday night with my best best best friend.

vacation: post two.

4 Jun
I write from the crazy world of Joe & Amanda – a world filled with laughter, inside jokes, and quoting obscure youtube videos and snl clips.  I arrived around 8pm and we had a lovely dinner of lasagna followed by ice cream with homemade cookie dough [sans eggs] balls.  [Enter ball jokes here.  They ran amok.]  And there was coffee.  J&A sure know how to welcome a friend. 

 You should know that they are very hospitable people and always have been.  It’s even to the point where Joe checks under the guest bed for monsters before we turn in for the night.  He says he scared them away but if they come back, I’m supposed to go get him and he’ll get his monster spray.  Thanks, Joe.

This night in Sioux Falls comes after another lovely day in Dawson.  I worshipped at Grace [with tears in my eyes more than once – for missing the community and for the gift of simply being able to worship] and spent a long coffee hour chatting with Batman and his wife.  I had lunch at Kendall & Emily’s and spent a few hours with Karen and her family.  We went for a walk around Dawson and talked sewing.  Karen passed on an awesome book written by her sister-in-law.  I see summer projects in my future!
The last order of business in Dawson was one more graduation party.  Counting the table I shared with organist Chris at the party, I connected with every one of my wonderful coworkers from internship this day, plus many more awesome congregation members.  There were more hugs.  More come back soon!  More wonderful gnome support.  It’s still hard to leave but I was so thankful for the opportunity to visit, even if so shortly.  There’s no place like gnometown.

vacation: post one.

3 Jun
Vacation is here and it’s wonderful.  [I’m choosing to temporarily not address the fact that a member passed away last night and I have funeral details to figure out for a Saturday funeral.  Eventually, I will have to address it … but it can wait until Monday.] Here’s the play-by-play so far –

I dropped Mabel off at her favorite home-away-from-home and home for the next week – Camp Canine Kennels – and headed for Golden Valley to the wedding of Frank and Kate.  It was super fun to reconnect with seminary friends I hadn’t seen lately both at the church and at the reception that followed at a local park.  Super low key and chill.  [I’m taking notes if I ever get married.  Low key = great.]
Following the wedding and reception, I spent the evening with gal pal, Sara, and her boyfriend, Josh, at their new house.  We ate at a local malt shop in Chaska, chatted with the neighbors, and introduced Josh to Carcassonne, the dorky German boardgame.  [During which he called his meeples “meatballs.”  We let it pass; it was mildly humorous.]  An episode of The Office, overnight oatmeal in the crockpot, and a little local antiquing was all part of the fun and frolic too.  [I bought a window for $12.  Don’t laugh; it’s cool.]  A little shopping at Gander Mountain and Punch pizza rounded out our time together.  It was lovely.

I left Chaska and drove west in lovely weather to the town near and dear to my heart.  I always tear up a little bit when I drive into Dawson; this town and its people have been so good to me.  Two sons of coworkers from my year of internship are graduating from high school and it made a perfect excuse to visit.  The first party was this evening and it was super fun to catch up with so many people. I’m going to attend worship at Grace tomorrow morning and stick around for the second of the two graduation parties.  It’s so great to be here.  I’m spoiled by all the hugs.  [Seriously.  I love seeing these people for so many reasons but one of the big ones is the hugs.  Love it.  Love them.]
We’ll round out leg one of the vacation with an overnight in Sioux Falls tomorrow night [a two hour drive from Dawson] with Joe and Amanda.  They always know how to keep things interesting and keep me laughing; I’m looking forward to it!  It will lead to three different beds in three nights.  One could say some pretty crude jokes about that but really what it means is that I’m blessed to have so many friends in so many different places … and they’re willing to let me sleep over.  Grateful this girl is.

bacca-what?

31 May
Wednesday was baccalaureate for the seniors of the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms.  [I still can’t get over that their mascot is a flower.  I no longer have the privilege of complaining about my high school – the Crimson Tiders.]  This service was held at the Catholic church in Blooming in the evening and all six pastors from the town participated in the service.  
What do you get when four Lutheran pastors, a Baptist minister, and a Catholic priest lead a service together?
First, Lindsay gets ulcers and then we get ice cream at Dairy Queen.
I remember telling Kendall on internship that I don’t do surprises in worship.  I like a clear plan with nearly every word I say scripted.  I like to know where I need to be when and how I will get there.  If these pieces don’t exist, I get anxious.  I need to know what’s going on and my role in it all or palms are sweaty, the voice chokes, and nothing can be in any sort of focus but a nervous one.
The six pastors met beforehand but no one said, “Hey.  Let’s walk through the service together.”  [I suppose I could have been that person.]  No one, as we walked to the back of the sanctuary to lead the graduates in procession, said, “Dudes.  Let’s be strategic about who sits where in the aisle based on role and timing.”  [Okay.  I said it quietly and without the initial dudes.  I could have spoken up.]  [And that’s when Stephanie, aka Heidi, aka a pastor at the big Lutheran church in town, said, “You should blog about this.”  It was all sorts of circus.  Check.]
The service happened.  We processed, prayed and preached.  Songs were sang and Scriptures read.  We high-fived the graduates as they left the church in lines – a high-give gauntlet, if you will.  Survival was the result.  Thanks be to God.
Thanks be to God because the pastor tradition is to get ice cream afterwards.  A fun tradition, say I.  A late night treat that reminded me how thankful I am for companions in ministry.  How awesome is it that I get to be a part of services like this next to a seminary friend with whom I can fist bump before leading the benediction?  [And who begins to eat my ice cream by mistake but I feel comfortable enough sharing germs and saying, “That’s okay.  But keep your own spoon.”] I’d say it’s pretty rare that two seminary classmates – let alone pretty wonderful friends – end up sharing in such ministry right out of school.  And how awesome is it that the two Lutheran pastors at the big church in town are so great?  One – Stephanie/Heidi – is my mentor which basically means we go out for ethnic food or coffee once a month.  [Not a bad deal.]  The other is simply pastorally wonderful.  Neither is crazy or off their rocker.  They can be trusted and approached. Thanks be to God.
So bacca-what?  Bacca-circus.  Bacca-ice cream.  Bacca-awesome.

please, sir –

29 May
– may I have another rhubarb margarita?
aka the farmgirl margarita.
aka deliciousness.
aka this farmgirl’s perfect drink for a monday afternoon.
aka a memorial day treat.
aka the day when we celebrate france.  [I think that’s right.]

I spent memorial day proper hanging out with the peeps in Owatonna.  
We ate grilled food, held a baby, and played bocce ball.  
It was just what the doctor ordered for this tired, stressed and burned out girl who is hanging on by a thread until vacation begins. 
Exactly what I needed.

another world.

29 May
Paige and I went high class last Thursday night.  We wined and dined at the Four Daughters Winery in Spring Valley, MN.  And, boy, were we out of our league.
We had driven past this gem of a place on our way to a meeting at Good Earth Village a week prior.  Intrigued were we and we signed up for their Thursday night tour and dinner.  It wasn’t cheap but we splurged. 
We joined a whole crew of people who apparently do things like this for a living.  You know, expensive dinners of grilled watermelon salads and smelling their wines.  “Tell me more about your barrels.”  “This one time, we flew to DC for the day …”  “When I climbed Kilimanjaro …”  “This lamb is superb.”  “Can you smell the sulfur?”  “Actually, creme fraiche is …”
Except the lady next to me.  When our strawberry soup dessert arrived in front of us, she made some comment about her young son.  “It’s like a smoothie he left out too long.  It’s melted smoothie.”  Thems my kind of people.
It was fun despite the one-upping all through the table and the noses in the air.  And the fact that we all sat at one table and thus they could charge us 20% gratuity.  Don’t worry – we grounded ourselves and lowered our noses once we stopped at Culver’s for ice cream.  [Strawberry soup is not proper dessert in our books.]  It was the perfect escape for this girl after a real crappy and long Thursday of work.  

My, what nice barrels you have.

Because who doesn’t love grilled watermelon and chive blossoms? 

first call reTREAT.

16 May
From Sunday evening to Tuesday afternoon, I lived at Gustavus Adolphus College in St.Peter, MN with ten other first call pastors.*
ca-ray-zee.
We talked about anxiety.  I know what that is.  A speaker came in to present a day of family systems theory.  Interesting stuff.  We all walk around as pseudo-selves, and need to consistently try to differentiate ourselves from that person.  [Psycho babble?  A bit.  But it totally makes sense.]  It was great to know that I am never alone in psycho babble and anxious pastoral stuff.
We ate a lot at the Gustavus cafeteria, though I still marvel at the lack of hard boiled eggs at breakfast, and spent time with the Bishop.  It was all good but also a lot of people time.  I realized I’m an introvert who wants to be invited into conversation but also an introvert who doesn’t want to be put on the spot for conversation.  I’m an introvert that can’t win.
We drank wine, snacked, and stayed up late telling stories.  We turned Lindsay on.
wait.  what?
Ready for a story?  Every year the synod hosts an assembly.  The assembly this year was the same weekend as I had a wedding here at ROG.  Paige, jD, and I couldn’t be together at a synod event for the first time nearly ever.  Tragic, really.  And so, to be connected ever so distantly, Paige named the wi-fi hotspot on her phone Lindsay.  That way, as jD and Paige used internet on their iPads at the assembly, they were connected to Lindsay.  To me.  [aww.]
Some people at the retreat wanted to use me, er, the internet.  And so they asked Paige if I could be turned on.  insert dirty joke and lindsay-the-person blushing.  This used to be a compliment! I exclaimed at one point as it went a bit extreme.
It still is, said Charlie.
Aww.  Thanks, Charlie.

* Pastors in their first three years of ministry are part of a first-call theological education.  That includes various meetings, a monthly colleague group, and a yearly retreat.  It’s quite fun.

baby!

15 Apr
Mom Lauren texted me this photo of baby-Elliot-tummy-time on the quilt I made.

All together now: oh for cute!

new acquisitions.

13 Apr
My local MN family and I have all acquired lots newness in our lives in the last weeks. Allow me to explain.
Paige bought an iPad. Lindsay is jealous. Kindle fire? Check.  iPad? Check.  A smart tv with apps?  Check.  Internet at her house?  Check.  A room decorated in a safari theme? Check.  Paige has it all.
Lindsay purchased a treadmill at the cost of more than a couple iPads. It hasn’t arrived yet but come the 23rd of April it will reside in the awkward empty space between her living room and entry way. She’s excited.  Friends in Montana and Washington recently bought treadmills and they tell her she won’t regret the purchase.  That’s the hope.
And, at the price of infinite iPads, treadmills, and smart tvs, jD and Lauren welcomed their bundle of joy to the world. Elliot Griffin was born on Wednesday. Paige and I went to visit on Thursday night, bringing Chinese food along for the new parents. Adorable doesn’t even begin to set the scene. I was so in awe of the little peanut and his button nose that I didn’t even take any photos. Just imagine one of the cutest babies ever. That’s Elliot. And this is his “Auntie” Lindsay signing off. Good night.
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