a Full Day

Egads, but I'm tired. Did the third funeral in one and a half weeks today. They've all gone well, but it does get draining. My secretary firmly believes that these things run in three's, and assures me that we'll get a break now. We'll see - I tend not to buy into these things.

Tomorrow is a big day, confirmation service with 8 students. I'm looking forward to it, yet also will be glad when its over...these things tend to be so labor intensive! Plus there's the strain of needing to make sure everything goes perfectly for the kids' big day. The perk is that there will only be one service, with a potluck to follow, so far less exhausting than a usual Sunday. I'd ordered some really nice metal bookmarks to give to the kids, but of course they were back-ordered, and won't arrive until Monday, one day after I need them. Argh! So I guess I'll have to mail their cards with the bookmarks this week.

The big news in our household is that Lil' Princess now has a Big Girl desk. Since we'll be fixing up my office to become the baby's room, we wanted to be sure to make a fuss over Lil' P too, so that not all the focus is on the baby. She had a tiny desk that worked when she was a toddler, but she's long out-grown it. She decided to give it to the baby, so I bought a really nice desk at Walmart, and RevDad spent many hours today assembling it (what a great dad!!!!). Her room is looking really nice. Now if the rest of the house could be as fixed up!

Memorial Weekend Saturday

It was a good first (unofficial) Saturday of the summer season. I got the flowers planted in the back yard brick planter, with some erstwhile help from Lil' Princess. She enjoyed watching the forms being put in from the back of the church to our back door, for the brand new sidewalk that will be poured this week...she was quite a helper to the guy in charge, holding things and moving things for him. Very nice, patient guy! Between hubby and me, most of the lawn is mowed.

We had lunch AND dinner on the back patio, and I spent time sitting there reading for my sermon while Lil' P played on the swingset. It's nice to finally be able to enjoy the being outside again. I got a ton of phone calls made, and found out I have a funeral on Tuesday. I even got some work done in the kitchen, which really needed it! Still have a ways to go, but a good start.

The only thing that hasn't gotten done on my to-do list for today (besides finishing the kitchen) is the sermon. Ah yes, the ever-present sermon. Any given day, there is one on my mind, but Saturday is crunch time. I read a ton of commentaries, but all that I got out of them was Blah, Blah, Blah. Nothing inspired me. So, I think I'll have to go with my rather dry idea for this rather dry text Sunday. Jesus' prayer for his disciples following the Last Supper...what does it mean for us today? Ummmmm......

Nature, take it our leave it?

The other day I was raking out the leaves and other crud piled up over autumn and winter in the rocks alongside the back of the house. A supposedly simple job was complicated by the fact that a bunch of tumbleweeds had taken up residence there, and had been flattened into large barbed wheels by the heavy snows. So instead of just quickly raking up some leaves and putting them in garbage bags, I got to attempt to wedge large prickly things into bags with leaves falling all over the ground instead of in the bag. Stupid tumbleweeds!

Then I took a tour of the bushes around the yard to survey the damage the rabbits, deer and antelope did stripping the bark during winter. Some may make a comeback, but a few will not survive. Stupid wildlife!

And then, as I took a break and watched Lil' Princess play on the swing set, the absurdity of all that struck. When we moved here, we were a little entranced by the very western-ness, the "Oh give me a home"-ness of this place, watching the tumbleweed roll across the plains, seeing the large herds of antelope and deer grazing around the countryside. And now that very uniqueness is chapping my hide. Is grumpy frustration with the forces of nature around us a common human trait? (or mostly just found in tired pregnant ladies in their late 30's?)

Today the sky is clouded, the wind is whipping, and the temps are dropping. Our little pleasant reprieve of warm sunny weather is over for the moment. BUT the birds are still singing, the tulips are still blooming, and new life is popping up all over. So despite the fact that I have to teach some bored, unruly, spring-fevered teenagers this afternoon, I will find the joy in today! Yes, really!

The Hope of Spring

After a full-on rainy day, it looks like we'll have a sunny one today. I can hear the birds singing for all they're worth. The wind has gone from a hurricane-like force to a light breeze. I think spring in ND is a big tease! I need to go check my bulb garden. The few that had been coming up got pretty battered in the wind. Hopefully the rest will bloom still.

It's a busy week. I've got a member in the hospital, and several with family that are going through some health challenges right now. The confirmation kids need to get going on decorating their stoles, so I need to track done lots of colors of felt before tomorrow (and fabric glue). I'm supposed to be going to SD on Friday through early Sunday, and still need to arrange where I'll be staying. And I really should wrap the baby shower gift!

Today is text study, so I should get some snacks ready. Left-over birthday cake, anyone? Since RevDad has a funeral this morning with his fellow pastor, we'll be a small group. I don't preach this Sunday, but I'll still play hostess. I haven't really examined the texts, so I won't be a whole lot of help there! It's nice to hang out with my peers, though. It's nice to spend time with people who understand your experiences, and have their own stories to tell.

We got an early phone call this morning. RevDad got asked by my people to do the Memorial service message this year. I did it last year, and since I'm the only pastor serving and living in this community, I was worried that this would be my job every year. I'm glad to share! Though hubby is not sure what he's going to say, since last year I borrowed parts of his old Memorial service message. (he's such a generous, nice guy)

Time to get busy. A pretty normal Tuesday.