cookie success.

28 Jul

Remember how I shared a link to these? They arrived in the mail last Thursday and were a part of my past wkend haiku goal. Success. (I would like to note that the entire haiku was a success. Haiku accomplished … though I think it was only one pot of coffee, not multiple as the plural ‘pots’ suggests. Oh well. Something to work on next weekend.)
To every single person with whom I talk about these cookie cutters, I say this line in awe commingled with indescribable joy : The possibilities are endless!
Seriously. Think of all of the phrases with which to stamp different colored cookies!
I’ll admit, they’re a fair bit of work. They came with a very specific recipe to use and it takes quite the effort to roll it out with the right consistency. But I will also admit the work is worth it. I mailed off a few boxes of the cookies (stamped with names and inside jokes alike), delivered a pair of “Happy Monday” cookies to each of my coworkers, and hope to have more cookie surprises for others soon.
All in all, a delicious buy. More fun is yet to be had.

wkend haiku.

23 Jul
drink pots of coffee.
sermon, sewing, laundry, run.
bake message cookies.

I went to camp.

21 Jul
I never went to camp as a child. I remember bringing the form home every spring from church, stoked about the possibility of going during the summer but camp as a reality for me never came to fruition. (*nudge, nudge* Karen G. *nudge* Fruition!) My first trip to camp was as a counselor while I worked in Stillwater at Trinity. We took 3-6th graders to Bay Lake – a camp on AN ISLAND. We went to camp on an island. It was awesome.
So when Kendall was taking a group of boys to the Boundary Waters for camp and no ladies wanted to attend, I was jealous but was offered a few nights at camp as severance. I accepted. I went to Shores of St.Andrew Bible camp on Monday afternoon for the night. We had eight campers or so attending from Grace this particular week so I would check in on them, say hello, and enjoy the general splendor of a lake. (A foreign idea in and around Dawson.) There were camp songs, mosquitos and pirates stealing tire inner tubes – no element of camp was left untouched. Love it and can’t wait to create it for day camp at Grace in August!

I love fonts.

20 Jul
I love fonts. (More than I love lamp.) The BBC has an article regarding the particular importance of choosing fonts. Amen. My favorite place to download new fonts? The font squirrel. (Because who doesn’t associate the bushy-tailed creatures with typography?) To quote the BBC article —
“Selecting a font is like getting dressed, Ms Strawson says. Just as one chooses an outfit according to the occasion, one decides on a font according to the kind of message you are seeking to convey.”

Four out of five gnomes recommend –

20 Jul
A few commercial products the gnomes and I are enjoying of late. Here are my current endorsements –
POPchips. Not sold yet in smaller towns (er, Dawson?), I stock up on a few bags of these when I’m at a Target. LOVE these and think they’re probably better than popcorn during a movie.
Starbucks has a special summer blend of coffee beans which make PERFECT iced coffees. I typically don’t buy into such ploys about the different types of beans/roasting/etc. that make this one better than the other for this reason or the next but I believe in this coffee. Seriously. Brew it strong. Ice it down. Add a little chocolate almond milk. A little sugar-free flavoring syrup (currently hazelnut). Perfection.
I credit cranberry apple Crystal Light as the drink that has helped me move past my daily Diet Coke addiction. I drink about a pitcher of this a day. Nummy.
Sara got me hooked on The Big Bang Theory. Season two was ordered used on Amazon and is shipping to me as I write. I wait patiently for more Sheldon.
18 Jul

Oh my goodness. Lindsay is going to have so much fun with these.

here we go.

14 Jul
Tonight, following our short and tidy Wednesday evening worship service, I scored a hug and an ‘I love you’ from two different church ladies.
Then I melted into the floor.
More and more lasts are scheduled in my planner.
Last meetings.
Last quilting morning.
Last women’s circle studies.
And people are on top of things.
‘Where do you go next?’
‘When is your last day?’
‘We will miss you.’
Part of me likes to hear that they are interested in what is happening but part of me wishes they would quit bringing it up. I know I’m leaving soon. I know these next six weeks will fly. I know I’m going to start the uncontrollable waterworks at some point in the near future. I know these next weeks will be wonderful and painful at the same time. There’s no stopping the end from arriving, no stopping the lasts from happening … so here we go.

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!

va-cay.

14 Jul

I had a week of vacation and it was good. Kind of like what these guys think of the grass – good.
The main event was a few days in Colorado with my mother, visiting my older brother who recently moved to Fort Collins. This mini-break was sandwiched between nights in the Cities with college friends and Stillwater friends. Wonderful.
My mom and I met up at MSP (She flew in from Madison.) and then enjoyed the wonders of the airport with our three hour waiting game/delay. Board the plane, get off the plane. Here’s a meal voucher, just kidding, time to get on the plane. We stayed in Fort Collins with my brother at his apartment and gave it a feminine touch; we rearranged furniture, cleaned, and shopped for necessary household goods. We spent time in Old Towne, a great touristy, mill-about part of town with restaurants and shops. My brother booked us a tour at the New Belgium Brewery which was, if I do say so, a highlight of the trip. I don’t normally drink beer but the tour was a ton of fun, complete with a slide and costumes! We took a day and drove to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. I’d never before been to the mountains so the drive into 12,000 feet above sea level was quite the sight (and cold). Good trip.

I spent time with Amanda (my college roommate) and drank coffee with Joe (her husband). Along with college friends Kara and Julia, I went to the sculpture gardens in Minneapolis, played Bananagrams, and sat by the pool. Stillwater Sara and I laughed our butts off to The Big Bang Theory on dvd, sampled olive oil, and went to drive-in church. I saw and hugged many former coworkers in Stillwater and learned that a second of the Gieseke clan might be joining me on campus at Luther in the fall. (Between Karen and Adam being possible classmates and most certainly lunch dates, I think God is showing me that moving back to St.Paul won’t be so bad.)
It was a needed and splendid week away from Dawson but I was happy to return. I had a ton of fun but was ready to not live out of a laundry basket or airplane carry-on anymore. I was ready to sleep in a bed and not on a couch. I was ready to … go back to work? There. I said it.

va-cay preview.

8 Jul

We visited Rocky Mountain National Park today, we being my mom, brother, myself, and this little guy. We’ve been enjoying Colorado, the cool temperatures, and the mountains. My mom, brother, and brother’s roommate are currently watching a movie – a movie I consider scary on my wimpy scale – so I’m on the computer. (I don’t do scary, esp. when sleeping somewhere other than the security of my own bed.) My mom and I fly home tomorrow evening and then I’m off to St.Paul/Stillwater for a weekend with friends. More blog to come!
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