Last blog for awhile

Today we leave for Cornerstone! I'm working this morning and early afternoon--we have a staff meeting at 1 pm and since I'm still really new, I need to be there.

We are not quite ready, but we have a way of pulling things together at the last minute. Hopefully we will be able to make some progress tonight and then camp somewhere in Iowa on our way to Bushnell, IL!

It's possible I may be able to blog on our trip--but this is remote camping and I'd have to either get away to a library or something or find a trailer at the grounds that has internet access to bloggers. So........we'll see!

Till next time,


Suzi

Pouring rain

As I sit before I hurry off to work, it is pouring rain. It should be a messy commute--hopefully I will be able to take the parkway all the way and it won't be closed at the low point by the Mississippi River.

The kids had a great time at camp and arrived home safely on Saturday--tired, dirty, but happy. Now we are getting ready for our big excursion to Cornerstone Music Festival. The camper has come through a trial set-up, so we should be good to go--hopefully sometime tomorrow!

Gotta run! (Hope to keep dry!)

Till next time,



Suzi

A fun discovery

Last night as Tim and I were getting ready to set up our camper, I discovered a tape of a former pastor of ours. It was fun to listen to the worship service of ten years ago and remember. The church has since closed (a few years after that pastor had moved to another church), so the memories were very special. We are happy in our new location, but it is fun to see how God has worked in us and others over the course of time.

When we got home, I discovered our former pastor's church online. He has online sermons, so we listened to parts of them. His wife spoke a few Sundays ago, and it was so wonderful to hear her voice again as she shared her testimony. As much as her message touched my heart, I also wished there was a recording of her singing, as she is an amazing musician (mainly piano and voice).

I love how the internet can keep us connected. As our new church develops its identity and website, I know I can keep in touch with those who have ministered to me and my family in the past and see how they continue their ministry with others.

Till next time,


Suzi

It's Friday.........

Our oldest has moved out of the house. Our younger two left for a week of camp on Monday. And now, it is Friday, and though I had (weeks ago) envisioned a nice getaway for Tim and me--perhaps even an overnight or two in a hotel--this week has not turned out to be so.

Ah, well. I still have enjoyed the week with Tim. I started my new job on Monday, and enjoyed dinners with him on each night. Yesterday we had breakfast at an Irish cafe together. Last night, after working hard all day in heat and humidity, I was able to tuck him in as he fell asleep around 9 pm.

Today I do not have a drywall assignment--yet! I'm taking Raven to Petsmart for grooming this morning, I've got to buy a shower gift, make some phone calls, get some keys made, go to the bank and go grocery shopping. Tonight we plan to set up the camper (last night was just too hot) so we can do a test run before we go out of town next week.

Tomorrow afternoon the kids get back from camp. I've missed them but I'm sure they've had a great time. And Tim and I will have plenty of time for solitude as they are growing up far too fast!

Till next time,


Suzi

A day off?

Well, it is almost 8 pm, and I am finally blogging. Tim asked me to help him (I thought at one job) today, and it turned out to be a lot more than that. I left before blogging, thinking I'd be home in a couple of hours. We met for breakfast (because he had started early and I hadn't packed him a lunch) and then I helped him by spotting nails and sweeping the floor at one job.

Then I followed him to a second job where he was to give a bid on drywall work. We then went to a garage in St. Paul. The floor looks clean enough to me, but the supervisors said they needed it cleaner. If Tim had known that, he would have put down some drop cloths, but as it is, I scraped and mopped and scraped and mopped and got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed in 90+ degree heat. It seemed that rather than getting the floor clean, I was only successful in moving the dirt around.

Tim had to leave for the next job, so I spent a couple of hours "cleaning" until I finally gave up. I should have taken the parkway home, but I headed on the freeway and sat in traffic. Thank goodness our Highlander has good air conditioning. I came home, rested a bit, took a shower, then went to Arby's to pick up some supper (too hot and tired to cook).

Hopefully tomorrow I won't have to do too much drywall work as I've got a million things to do before we leave next week for Cornerstone and it is supposed to be my "day off." (Unfortunately, Luke is busy working for Tim's brother today and tomorrow and Mark won't be back from camp till Saturday afternoon!)

Till next time,


Suzi

Off to day three

I'm getting in a quick blog before I leave for my third day of work. Yesterday was a great day--I got to meet two more staff people and learn more about my office responsibilities. I had the special treat of joining my colleagues for lunch down the street, where I heard about the various roles they play at their jobs, and how I can better communicate what we do in the office as well as what's happening in the churches to those in the conference area.

Tim and I enjoyed a nice evening, driving towards a beautiful sunset. We picked up a pie and headed home for a quiet night. Mark and Christina should be enjoying their time at camp, now that it's about midweek--they've made new friends and hopefully are enjoying good weather.

Till next time,


Suzi

Day two

Day one went very well at work--after I got there, at least. After I blogged, I got a phone call from the doctor's office--Christina has strept throat. Tim was still home, so he raced to the pharmacy while the kids packed up. He got home just as we were ready to leave for the bus stop to camp. I took Christina to the doctor on Thursday--so they should have called on Friday with the positive results, but naive me--I figured they would check the test Friday afternoon and let me know so she could start antibiotics over the weekend.

Well, we got one dose in her at least before camp. It rained a bit at the bus stop, but I got Mark and Christina on the bus and I'm sure they'll have a fabulous week.

The first day at work was rather quiet--I spent most of my time researching the conference website and other conference websites of the Evangelical Covenant Church. I didn't have time to blog this morning--but I'll blog more about my second day next time--it was a good one too.

Till next time,


Suzi

Today is the day!

The kids are all packed. Raven and I have walked--my clothes are hanging up, pressed, ready for me to change. Mark and Christina leave for camp today and after I drop them off at the bus stop, I will head off to begin my new job!

I'm excited--not too nervous yet, but maybe I will be once I wake up a bit more. I'm more anxious about making sure the kids have everything they will need for a week and that I get them to the bus before it leaves (don't want to drive them the three hours to camp and miss my first day at work!).

It should be a quiet week--a good one to be working, and yet thinking ahead toward next week. Because in a little over a week, we'll be packing up the whole family and heading to one of our favorite vacation spots--Cornerstone Music Festival!

Till next time,


Suzi

Andy's Garage

Last night we went with our good friends Doug and Lis to Andy's Garage. They knew one of the members of the Fairlanes who sang barbershop/bluegrass/doo wop/gospel style a capella. We had really great burgers and enjoyed watching the street rod cars as they drove down University Avenue in St. Paul. The Minnesota Street Rod Association is having their 32nd annual Back to the Fifties Weekend at the State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, and on Friday and Saturday evenings the fun and fancy cars strut their stuff on University Avenue. We enjoyed good food, great entertainment (the Fairlanes), beautiful weather (outdoor dining) and an exciting environment as we watched street rod vehicles of all types, colors and sizes drive by our outdoor seating area.

We also got to try out our Highlander with more than one or two passengers. We seated six very comfortably. (not as comfortably as the full size van, maybe--but it was more cozy and better on fuel efficiency.)

Thanks Doug and Lis for a wonderful evening. We will have to go back to Andy's Garage some time for their Saturday breakfast buffet!

Till next time,


Suzi

Shopping

Normally I don't like shopping very much. Especially shopping for clothes for myself. Especially in a mall, and especially after looking at price tags and trying on clothes that don't fit. Yuck.

But today I actually enjoyed it. I wasn't in a mall, but in a local discount store. The clothes were priced right, and I didn't have to go traipsing through store after store or walk through the mall only to be disappointed that clothes were too expensive, too big, too small, too "young" looking, too dressy or too casual.

I found some clothes that fit well, that met my 15-year-old daughter's approval, that will be appropriate for the office, and are comfortable. Hopefully, I have enough clothes in my closet for the winter season--usually I'm covered there since my birthday and Christmas come at that time. Now I can stay home from the stores and enjoy my new job in style.

Till next time,


Suzi

Hanging in the hood, or, chatting with neighbors

Today is a beautiful day in the Twin Cities. The sun is shining, but it's not too hot--there is a nice breeze blowing--it's a perfect summer day (even though technically it's still spring till June 21, I think). Raven and I got a bit of a late start on our walk, so by the time we were out several neighbors were working in their yards.

We chatted with Irene, who is working to restore the boulevard area between the sidewalk and the curb. Every year the county dumps loads of salt and sand on the street to make driving safe when the snow and ice come. Unfortunately, the price to pay for safe travel is dead grass along the boulevard. Irene's yard is particularly long, so she has been working for weeks to get grass and other plants to grow.

As we rounded our way toward home, we stopped at the house of a couple I often see walking--we always wave and make a comment about the weather. Today they were out landscaping, so I stopped for a bit of conversation. Funny how I seem to know them, but I never knew their names--George and Henrietta. I learned that they built their house in 1965 after moving from the Fridley, MN tornado neighborhood. They have one son who lives a couple miles away and has four children who attend a Christian school where many of our friends' children attend. Their yard is looking very nice, and they were planning to plant a tree this morning.

My final visit was with Gordy. He and his wife were out working on the boulevard, too. At my job interview on Monday, one of my soon-to-be bosses asked if I knew Gordy, and I said I lived right around the corner from him. Mark, my boss to be, has known Gordy all his life. Gordy and Mark's father were in the nursery roles together at First Covenant Church in downtown Minneapolis. Gordy has been the church organist there for over 50 years, I think (I don't know if he has finally retired or not!).

It's fun to enjoy a stroll and visit with people. In our hurried society, we don't take much time to get to know those around us. I'm glad I had the chance on this beautiful morning.

Till next time,


Suzi

Visiting the vet

Today was time for Raven's visit to the vet. He enjoyed the trip, because he got to ride in the back of our new (used) Toyota Highlander. He loved looking out all the windows and seeing all the sights.

Then we arrived. He knew. He recognized the building--the smells were familiar--and the sounds--well, let's just say that the jackhammering of the curb next to the building did nothing to calm Raven's nerves. Even the promise of a treat didn't coax him out--he definitely had the brakes on.

I pulled on his leash, but he resisted. I pulled on his blanket, and he yelped. Finally I said the word "walk," and he hopped down. I guess he assumed that meant we would be walking far, far away from this place.

So, Raven had his exam--poking and prodding and blood work drawn. We got some heart work preventative and some vitamins. I got the bill and tried not to pass out, only slightly comforted by the fact that, if I don't forget, I can get a $10 rebate on his heartworm pills and a free subscription to a magazine if I complete some paperwork.

Good thing I'm starting a job next week. Doggie doctor bills are no fun!

Till next time,


Suzi

A new job

A little over a week ago, we were at a friend's son's graduation open house. Tim was chatting with our friend Beth, the aunt of the graduate, who is a very close friend and who grew up around the corner from Tim. We've been looking at vehicles (right now I'm driving Tim's old pick up truck), and Tim jokingly (but rather seriously) mentioned to Beth that it might help if I got a job.

Well, Beth had just heard about a job that might suit me very well. It involves web work, office work, and writing. So, I e-mailed our church regional headquarters' office (where the job was located), and I got a reply. I sent my resume, and I got a phone call. Yesterday I got an interview, and today I got a phone call. They would like to hire me!

The job will be part-time, and I'll start next Monday (after I drop Mark and Christina off at the bus stop for camp). This job seems tailor made for me and my gifts--and I'll be working three days a week, 8-4, so I'll be home on those days soon after school, and have two days to get caught up at home.

The people in the office are wonderful and friendly, yet professional and organized. I feel truly blessed (and I haven't even started yet)!

Woo hoo!

Till next time,


Suzi

A Visit to Solomon's Porch

Last night Tim and I joined our book club friends from Plymouth Covenant Church and visited Solomon's Porch. We had just finished reading Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week in the Life of an Experimental Church by Doug Pagitt and others at Solomon's Porch.

The gathering, as they like to call their worship fellowship, meets on Sunday evenings at 5:30 pm. They meet in the upstairs of an older building in a transitional neighborhood in Minneapolis. Seating is in the round, and Pastor Doug (Pagitt) sits on a stool and swivels around as he gives the message to people seated on used couches and arm chairs. The music is wonderful--all written by the Porch musicians. Those in attendance have an opportunity to respond and react to the message, and several people are designated to lead in prayer, readings, and other exercises.

Afterward, Doug took time to talk to our group of 16, to answer questions about what they do, how they do it, why they do what they do. It was an informative time about what it means to live in community. On Tuesday evenings a group meets with Doug and together they come up with the material for the sermon each week. On Wednesdays people gather in someone's home for dinner. Other things are going on during the week, and people are informed via e-mail, the web page or through announcements on Sunday.

When we finished "grilling" Doug, we headed out to an Ecuadorian restaurant about four blocks away, Guayaquil Restaurant. We had delicious food (I had quesadillas) and chatted until 10 pm about the book and the gathering. A great time was had by all.

Till next time,


Suzi

Raven is keeping warm as the air conditioner blows. 

The Living Bible

Today I was thinking about writing about my walk with Raven (again), because it is so rare that Tim joins us on our walks. Tim brought his camera today, so maybe I will post some pictures in the near future. I can't post pictures on this computer for some reason (it must be anti-photo), but I figured out how to do it on the computer in the basement.

But, as I was reading the EPA (Evangelical Press Association) blog (which my friend Doug Trouten writes), I noticed a link to The Writing Life, a blog by writer/editor Terry Whalin. Today's entry is about Ken Taylor, who wrote the paraphrase known as the Living Bible. Ken passed away yesterday, June 10. He was 88 years old.

Ken Taylor and his wife Margaret were raising ten children in the days where there was no other English Bible than the King James version. Ken found that his children had difficulty understanding this version, so he paraphrased it for them. When he had completed the New Testament, he called this work the Living Letters, and looked for a publisher. No one was interested, so he and his wife self-published about 2000 copies. They also founded Tyndale House Publishing. When Billy Graham mentioned the Living Letters from the pulpit, readership increased exponentially. Eventually he produced The Living Bible.

When I was in high school in the mid 1970s, I had a green hard bound copy of the Living Bible as well as the paperback version of The Way. My faith grew as I could read this paraphrase and understand God's word in a fresh way. By that time the Revised Standard Version was also popular and more contemporary than the King James Version, but I could easily read the Living Bible and enjoyed studying God's Word.

I'm thankful for men like Ken Taylor and more recently, for the author/paraphraser of The Message, Eugene Peterson. Who knows how many people will be in the kingdom and learned from God's Word because of these faithful servants who wanted to make God's message understood in their time.

Till next time,


Suzi

A perfect day for leaning on a tree near the Mississippi River 

A test photo 

Caught, and I'm tagged!

This morning on my walk with Raven the sky looked ominous. But, I decided to leave the umbrella at home.

Well, we didn't walk fast enough. The skies opened up with about 10 minutes left in our walk and Raven and I got soaked. Raven didn't seem to mind too much--he just shook himself and the water went every direction off his furry coat. And, when I got home, I just changed into some other clothes, before running off with my daughter to where her ride was waiting to take her to Valley Fair Amusement Park. Hope they don't get wet there (except on the wet rides)--the sun is now shining.

Now, as for being tagged, I have been tagged by Dave at IdeaJoy. Apparently there is a book thing going on in the blogosphere, and I need to answer the following questions:

Number of books I own:

I would have to say hundreds--if you count what my husband Tim owns too. When we were first married we couldn't bear to part with anything with the written word on it. We are getting better--first tossing junk mail, then recycling magazines, and sometimes we even give books away to thrift stores or friends. But it's hard.

Last book I read:
Actually I am in the process of reading Reimagining Spiritual Formation by Doug Pagitt and company at Solomon's Porch.

Five books that mean a lot to me:

I guess I could list five of my favorite books of the Bible, but maybe that would be cheating. I will list five favorite Bible books and then five others. Bible books: Philippians, John, Genesis, Jonah and Ruth.

Other books that have meant a lot to me:

Anything by Francine Rivers, but especially:
A Voice in the Wind and An Echo in the Darkness from her Mark of the Lion series. Another favorite of hers is Redeeming Love. Francine has amazing characters that capture your heart and imagination in every page, and reflect God's power, mercy and love in times of incredible pain and pathos. Warning: make sure you have time to read these--they are page turners!

Other favorite historical Christian authors are Brock and Bodie Thoene. Their characters, whether from mid-twentieth century Israel, the time of Christ, or World War II era Europe, are captivating and inspiring as they wrestle with who Jesus is and how faith plays a central part of their lives in terrible times. A book I enjoyed very much was The Gates of Zion from The Zion Chronicles. More recently I read their new book Third Watch from the AD Chronicles series.

Now, who to tag? These are my picks:

My husband Tim
My friend Theresa
Doug Pagitt
Doug Trouten
and my sister Cheri

Whew! That was fun--thanks again Dave at IdeaJoy for tagging me!

Till next time,


Suzi

Meeting with Poochie

Today is supposed to be the nicest day this week. The days preceding and following have been/will be rainy or stormy.

So, Raven and I were eager to begin our walk. If Raven were a bit more friendly (actually he is very friendly, just very noisy), I'm sure I could get acquainted with a lot of pet owners. We swerved around two dog-walkers as Raven pulled on the leash--almost to the point of choking--and barked and barked.

Finally we encountered Poochie's owner. These are good friends of ours--their son is a close friend to our son Luke. Their second son is graduating tonight from high school--hopefully it will be outside, since the gym is so stuffy and more people can attend an outdoor ceremony.

Poochie always lays down the moment she sees Raven. Raven starts in with his barking chant, sniffing around Poochie. Since we know Poochie's owners, they tolerate this barking, and usually Raven stops after a minute or two. This was the case today, so Barb and I had a nice conversation.

Cocoa came by with her older lady walker. Cocoa is rather aloof, so I try to steer Raven from her when I can. Her owner is nice enough, but we don't really have time for greetings as I struggle to avoid Cocoa each time we meet.

Another lady came walking by as Barb and I continued to chat. She greeted us, then gave this warning: "The killer cat is out!" "Sam?" I asked. "The same," was the reply.

Sam is a fearless cat. It doesn't matter that Raven is four times bigger than Sam, he approaches anyone with back arched. Raven's barking doesn't even seem to phase him--so I just try to steer him away when we go by his house. Today I didn't see Sam, so we escaped a potentially unpleasant encounter.

I love living in a neighborhood where I can chat or wave to other walkers. Though Raven is noisy, I know I have at least one dog-walking friend whom I can greet. And even Sam the cat gives fellow walkers a sense of camaraderie.

Till next time,


Suzi

Stormy morning and random thoughts

At 4 am this morning a storm blew in. When Raven and I went for our walk at 8 am, we encountered lots of down tree branches and other debris scattered here and there.

We were fortunate not to lose our power. Now a couple of guys are here to replace our air conditioner with a more efficient and powerful model. Hopefully it will cool the whole house and Tim will have a comfortable place to come home to at the end of hot days.

Right now, I'm drinking hot chocolate since it's cloudy outside and cool in here. If Tim can drink coffee on hot days, I guess it's okay for me to drink cocoa on cloudy ones.

Till next time,



Suzi

Thunder and lightning, very very frightening....

This morning about 8 am it poured. The wind blew, and then the hail started. Raven and I hovered inside, anxious to go on our walk, but unwilling to face these elements.

We started out anyway, armed with jacket and umbrella. (Well, Raven didn't have a jacket or umbrella--mine is one of those small retractable kind.) It was still raining a bit, but five minutes into our walk the rain stopped and the sun even tried to come out a bit.

Now it's been calm for a couple of hours--but thunder storms may still loom in the forecast. Maybe we can get a hail-damaged vehicle for a good price if this keeps up........

Till next time,


Suzi

Connecting again

As the season for graduation open houses continues, we enjoyed visiting with old friends again this weekend. Many were from our former church, Trinity Covenant, which closed two and a half years ago. It is fun to see how God continues to work in the life of his people and our friends, even though we at times feel "scattered."

I can tell we're getting older, too, as our friends kids are not on only graduating from high school, but some are graduating from college or even getting married. So, it was fun, too, to go to our nephew's fifth birthday party yesterday and remember the days when our kids were little (wasn't it last week?).

Still, I wouldn't trade the old days for what we have now. The kids are more independent and starting to leave home, but they are becoming more like friends and peers than needy children. I enjoy the conversations we can have with them and see a picture of what they will be like when they go off and have families of their own (at least we hope they do!). God is good--through all stages of life.

Till next time,


Suzi

Raining, but not pouring

Today Raven and I walked in the rain. Actually, it was just a sprinkle, so we didn't get soaked, but I had my cell phone ready to call Tim in case we needed him to rescue us from a downpour.

Along the way we met several walkers/runners. The local Catholic school is having a 5/K walk-run fundraiser along Victory Memorial Parkway in our neighborhood. It is a beautiful parkway (actually we call it Victory Memorial Drive)--a memorial for WWI veterans in Hennepin County. Trees line the street--one planted for every soldier who lost their lives in that war (over 500 in Hennepin County alone). At the end of the drive is a park with granite walls and the names of those who died engraved there. There are also markers on the ground near the trees (all along the drive) with individual names and ranks of each soldier. Beautiful Tudor (and other) homes line each side of the drive as well, making it a very pleasant place to be for people and pets.

Lots of people had their pets with them today, as a place we passed was a relief station for the runners/walkers. Raven and I managed to steer away from them and kept barking to a minimum.

Now Raven and I are safely home, dry and happy. The rain can continue, so the grass seed we planted will grow without being watered by me (because I forget this task quite frequently).

Till next time,


Suzi

Good-bye old friend

We have decided to part with our old 1990 Toyota pick-up truck. It is the last stick-shift of our family, and has served us very well for many years. Most recently, it has been Luke's truck--and he has kept it as a "back-up" when he got his newer Dodge Ram. Mark has been driving it lately--his 1989 Pick-up has had multiple problems, so he parked it at Grandma and Grandpa's, and has been having fun tooling around town with the four-speed.

Sadly, on Wednesday night, Mark called Tim and told him the truck had died. The engine just seized up. So, Tim towed him to the dealer. It needs a new engine--so it is finally time to say adios.

It's been a good truck--it pulled our camper one year all the way to southern Illinois and then back through a snowstorm pulling the same camper. The five of us were crammed in the cab for hundreds of miles as Tim negotiated through the falling snow--seeing four-wheel drive vehicles in the ditch as we debated about stopping or continuing. We struggled on and got home with lots of prayer.

Christina wants to take drivers' ed this summer--so we will then have five drivers in the family! Time to get rid of the more unreliable vehicles.

Farewell, good friend--we will probably get another Toyota in your memory!

Till next time,


Suzi

Turning on the air

It is finally warm enough to turn on the air conditioning. Yesterday we hit 80 degrees--the last time that happened was April 18 (weird, I know) according to the weatherman. The last time before that was September. We had a cool August last year and a warm September.

Next week we are getting our a/c replaced. It just doesn't cool to Tim's liking--and it's getting old and not so efficient. Tim works hard in the heat of the day and deserves to come home to a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere. Hopefully the new system will be all he dreamed of.

Meanwhile, I could go all summer long with the windows opened and highs in the 70s. But, we're known here for heat and humidity in July, so I'll look forward to the new a/c system too.

Till next time,


Suzi

The two things I do

There are two things that I do rather consistently. One is walk our dog, Raven, every morning, and the other is blog daily (except Sundays or when I'm on vacation).

This morning on my walk, a woman whom I don't remember seeing before was out working in her yard. She greeted me, saying that she sees me often walking my dog. It was a good feeling to be greeted this way. It's nice to be recognized--to feel that if I wasn't walking each day that my presence would be missed somehow.

It's nice to be noticed in the cyber world, too. Comments and numbers on my blogpatrol make me feel that someone is at least visiting my page, and maybe getting something from it.

Now, I need to work on other areas of my life that are more unnoticed when they are left undone. Cleaning--mowing the lawn, decluttering the house. These are not among the two things I do with regularity. But perhaps they should be. Then I could add to my list--the three or four things I do regularly.

Then again, I've never been much of a list maker.......

Till next time,


Suzi