there's no place like gnome.

It’s not even 8pm and I’m exhausted.  Like super sleepy.  

And I’ve not much to say.

But I wanted to at least check in.

So hi.

I blogged here today.  Do check it out and read the article.  It’s a well-written, thought-provoking angle that may well alter the way I interact with certain age groups.  

Work is going well.  Busy, busy.  But well.  It’s the children’s program this coming Sunday which means I can do the no-sermon dance.  But I have two next week for the eve and the day so it evens out.

I’ve had an itch to go see a movie lately.  Suggestions?  I know Girl with the Dragon Tattoo comes out next week.  Psyched.

I’m going to try my hand at truffles this weekend, package them all cute like, and give them to my council members as a thank you at the council Christmas party this Sunday evening.

Christmas cards have began to arrive in my mailbox.  I love getting the mail!

And because I’m out of things to say, I’ll let images say a bit more for me.  Meet my “words of wisdom and humor” pinterest board.

People, places, things, and links that are making me ridiculously and incandescently happy as of late:

. the bloggess.  I cannot believe how incredibly funny that woman is.  She is made of awesome and I will buy her book when it comes out.

. feminist Ryan Gosling.  Crazy thing is – thanks to Andy Root [my academic advisor and professor at sem] – I actually know what a few of those mean. [that might be pushing it. correction: I have at least heard the terms/people.] [added: oh man.  there is a typographer ryan gosling too.  this is funny.] [second add: Handmade Ryan Gosling.  Literary Ryan Gosling.  They don’t end!]

. a clean kitchen.

. new snow boots [in brown] so Mabel and I can frolic together.  They will also be good for snowshoeing; who wants to go?

. quoting Lord of the Rings.  [cue my sister rolling her eyes]

. as of noon today all I had done was watch three episodes of Dawson’s Creek and drank coffee.  hello saturday perfection.  [nevermind that blogging now is an attempt to procrastinate sermon prep]

. I plugged in my antenna cable after I finally found it hiding in a box in the basement.  I can now watch HIMYM, Big Bang, and Modern Family.  [no NBC; no Office]

. Josh Groban.  I have a renewed love for the crooner.  He cohosted with Kelly Ripa last week and turns out he’s hilarious.  No words can describe but this and this may help.  I tweeted him and told him he was adorable.  No response.

. [sing] oh christmas cards, oh christmas cards.

. a bedroom that is finally starting to feel like I live here.  new wall color, things hanging on the walls, a proper bedside table, and new curtains.  huzzah!

My age as of yesterday.

It was a good birthday made wonderful by the happy happenstance of location of awesome friends.  Southeastern Minnesota has treated me quite well by the presence of many familiar and friendly faces.  You know these people well – I talk about them all the time!

I had lunch in Rochester with Karen, my pal at the synod office.  I arrived at the synod office after doing a  care center visit and the synod staff present sang happy birthday to me.  For cute.  Karen and I went out and about and had a long pleasant lunch, celebrating my birthday on the day and hers a week earlier.  She gave me a plastic gnome with a mushroom parachute.  More about that later.

In the evening, Mabel and I welcomed Paige, Lauren, and jD for dinner.  Remember that Thai chicken pizza I meant to make last weekend but work got in the way?  It was a group effort and even with four people, it took us longer than the thirty Rachael tells us it should.  In the end, it was worth every matchstick  cucumber and every zested piece of cheese.  [Zested because I don’t own a cheese shredder.  Now – twenty four hours later – I recall that my food processor can shred cheese.  Don’t tell Paige and jD.]  It’s a pizza with plum sauce, bean sprouts, scallions, and peanuts and incredibly delicious.  A definite to-be-made-again recipe.  [Got that, Lynn?  Give it a try!]

Following dinner, things got out of hand.  I had asked jD to bring his electric drill; I needed assistance hanging a heavy mirror in my bedroom.  Done.  We threw the tiny plastic gnome with mushroom parachute down the stairs [“This parachute is a napsack!”], and we watched Modern Family [our show of choice when gathered together], laughing at Phil Dunphy.  We finished off the birthday evening with a lemon cake Lauren made [so good!], many Friends references, and a game of scrabble that lasted us until 1am.

By way of birthdays, I give this one two thumbs up, one high five, seven fist bumps, and one complimentary “balls to you!”  

Here comes year 28; may it be a happy one!

. blog.

. hem a pair and a half of pants.  [a pair and a half?  one pair plus a hem repair on one leg of another]

. clean.

. change my iphone case and protective cover.  [long time coming]

. watch Big Bang.  [I really like Amy F. F.]

. finish decorating my upstairs tree.

. make a move in each of eleven games of Words with Friends.

. give Mabel attention.  [I think she feels neglected because she pooped in the house again AND ran laps around the church like a mad woman.  I think snow is her drug.]

. pay my monthly student loan payment.  [always depressing]
. one word: pinterest.

I guess that’s it.  

Off to the sermon.

I meant to post this yesterday.  You know – on Friday.  But the day got away from me so here is a fun story friday edition on a saturday.

First story.  I went to the Baptist church Christmas tea last week with a car of congregation members.  The program was lovely and then we had coffee/tea/desserts in the basement.  There were super polite – SUPER polite – boys [high school-ish] going table to table, serving the beverages.  One boy stopped at our table, asked if anyone wanted water, and when our table declined his offer, he BOWED and began to walk away.  Until he came back and said this to me: Excuse me, ma’m, might I say that is a very beautiful ring you’re wearing.  *bow*  [Awkward?]

Second story.  I keep a bed pillow on my couch/loveseat.  Mabel uses it like a human.  And she drools.

Third story.  Paige’s house was on the Waseca Christmas house tour.  Friday night was the preview for the home owners and their families, and the committee members.  Paige invited her local family [Lauren, jD, and I] to tour the homes.  Some of the houses were extreme to the awesome and some were extreme to the completely odd.  There were codes to communicate within our family about the atrocities we witnessed.  Lauren would say, “My sister would love that!” and jD would cough if something was hideous.  Lauren’s sister loved a lot of things at certain homes and I think jD came down with something.  There were lanterns in the 1960s pink bathroom tub and the largest Christmas village ever.  Paige has a music room in her Christmas house and so we formed a family band.  I played the accordion.

Fourth.  Paige, jD, and I go everywhere synod-related together, right?  Right.  And so we’re going to send the synod a Christmas card from the three of us.  There was a photo shoot.  Oh yes.  A photo shoot.

Well … first, I have to write my sermon tomorrow during my work day.  But I think it’s completely feasible!   Ideas have been shuffling about my head for a few days; they now need to find their way to the paper.  There are no meetings on the calendar for my Thursday so I hereby declare it an office day of sermon writing and ADVENTure preparing.  With a work-free weekend, I will be happy and –

I will finish decorating my Christmas trees.

I will make this for a dinner.  If only it’s the tiniest bit as delicious as the Thai pizza I had at Moose’s Tooth in Anchorage before flying home in August.  [And while we’re on the subject – remember when I drove to Alaska?  One of the best weeks ever.  I’d do it again at the snap of the fingers.  I think about it all. the. time.]

I will clean the house.

I will figure out how to check out ebooks on my kindle from the Austin Public Library.  [Currently enjoying Little Women for the first time but I’m anxious for something a little faster moving.]

I will begin my Christmas cards and shop etsy-style for gifts.

I may rent a redbox movie.  The Green Lantern, perhaps?

I will finish a batch of cakepops and deliver them to Paige for her house walk tour.  [I should probably drop a business card off with them too?  That means I need a name – help!]

I may make this to keep the backseat of my car Mabel-hair free from this point on.  [It’s pretty disgusting right now.]

I will sleep and veg an appropriate amount, along with a few rounds of cardio and yoga.  

It will be a fantastically wonderful weekend.  I can’t wait.

Things in the life of lindsay are quite lovely these last few days.  

I came home after a day of work yesterday and for the first time in months, I had the energy to do something instead of sit in front of the tv and veg.  It was a good day.  A good night.

There are three different Christmas soap scents in the two bathrooms and at the kitchen sink.  Little things like Bath and Body Works foam soap make me happy.

Big Bang Theory season four on dvd.

Broccoli stir-fry.

Christmas lights on trees. 

A member throwing her arm around my shoulders today and telling me, “You’re doing a good job, kid.”  [I could do without the kid part but I’ll take it.]

The return of the ADVENTure during the Sunday school hour on Sunday.  I love my Advent calendars and the crafting that comes along with the event.

I changed up some liturgy in Sunday’s service to no negative comments.  I’ll take that as a small victory.

I think all those things they say about when-you-exercise-you-feel-better is right on.  I stopped my gym membership [“I want to quit the gym!”  I was Chandler without the screeching.] because the fifteen minute drive one way wasn’t happening; back to the living room with p90x.  It kills in such a wonderful way.

My Christmas cards arrived from my favorite quality paper store, Paper Source.  I love sending and receiving Christmas mail, and can’t wait to put that stack of red envelopes in my mailbox to send out.

Listening to Sermon Brainwave, a podcast on each Sunday’s Bible lessons.  Four of my seminary professors banter back and forth and give me sermon ideas.  It makes me smile.

Once I leave this coffee shop, I’m going to Staples to buy packs and packs of cardstock.  I love paper.

Baby Jesus hasn’t been stolen.  yet.

I put up a Christmas tree tonight.

I’m taking nods from my mother and now have two.  I purchased one at Target today for a good [cheap] price.  It’s going to be my crazy out-there color-coordinated tree.  My second tree – to be put up while watching Elf one of these nights – will be the traditional tree of ornaments from my childhood.

I know, I know.  It’s not even Thanksgiving.  However, I feel great about my decision because I will be gone next weekend [who is going to eat turkey at grandma and grandpa’s?  this girl.] and by the time I would put it up upon returning here, it would easily be December already.  I feel good about this.  Judge me if you want.  [but please don’t.]