Branson itself was a real "cultural experience" The time spent with Grandma Mary and Papa Gary was wonderful.
Pictures will follow soon. But I must share a few things I learned in Southern Missouri:
one- I don't want to live there
two- chicken fried steak and buffets offer little to know nutritional value
three- I'm so very very proud of my Grandfather and his service to this country (Korea and Vietnam).
Thank you Papa Gary and thanks to all the Little Bears that Darren and I had the privilege of spending time with this last weekend. Thank you for your selfless sacrifices to our country. We esteem and love you much!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Branson and Call Day Musings
We leave for Branson Mo tomorrow. We are going to meet up with Grandma Mary and Papa Gary. I'm looking forward to spending time with them. I'm also excited about seeing more of Missouri. We have lived here for two years and all I have seen outside of the St. Louis Metro area is what I saw out the passenger seat on our drive from California. Oh Missouri, your green, flat and unpredictably predictable.
It was call day yesterday. If we were not going to Cambridge this fall we would have gotten a vicarage call somewhere in the US. Many are going to Illinois, Iowa, or staying in good Ole Missouri (Oh Missouri).
However many of our friends are going to either coasts, or at the very least they are going to be outside of the midwest which I can say gives me hope (though unwarranted).
I watched the call service on my computer at work. It seemed to me that those Seminary students with military buzz cuts were placed in the Midwest whereas those with a more "hip" or "ragged" coif of hair got to go to the West or East. Darren must start growing out his hair, then maybe we would get Hawaii or something. In truth it does not matter where we go next year. For one we get to spend a year in EUROPE and secondly the point of vicarage is good pastoral and practical instruction for Darren and myself. If that can happen in (ug) MISSOURI, well then so be it and well I'll worry about it next year!
Call day is always emotional, more so for the those being actually called to a full time pastor position. It still boggles my mind that we are here at times and that in three years we too will get our fate handed to us by the powers at be. Ah, I suppose that's life really for anyone.. its just a bit more defined for us. I also must note that in the last two years I have grown to respect and trust the "powers at be" at the Seminary. They are far from perfect but they know that and that is a comforting thing.
Well enough ramble. I need to pack for Branson. Pictures and detailed descriptions to follow.
I googled "Missouri" and I got this:
It was call day yesterday. If we were not going to Cambridge this fall we would have gotten a vicarage call somewhere in the US. Many are going to Illinois, Iowa, or staying in good Ole Missouri (Oh Missouri).
However many of our friends are going to either coasts, or at the very least they are going to be outside of the midwest which I can say gives me hope (though unwarranted).
I watched the call service on my computer at work. It seemed to me that those Seminary students with military buzz cuts were placed in the Midwest whereas those with a more "hip" or "ragged" coif of hair got to go to the West or East. Darren must start growing out his hair, then maybe we would get Hawaii or something. In truth it does not matter where we go next year. For one we get to spend a year in EUROPE and secondly the point of vicarage is good pastoral and practical instruction for Darren and myself. If that can happen in (ug) MISSOURI, well then so be it and well I'll worry about it next year!
Call day is always emotional, more so for the those being actually called to a full time pastor position. It still boggles my mind that we are here at times and that in three years we too will get our fate handed to us by the powers at be. Ah, I suppose that's life really for anyone.. its just a bit more defined for us. I also must note that in the last two years I have grown to respect and trust the "powers at be" at the Seminary. They are far from perfect but they know that and that is a comforting thing.
Well enough ramble. I need to pack for Branson. Pictures and detailed descriptions to follow.
I googled "Missouri" and I got this:
Friday, April 17, 2009
St Louis is nice today. The sunshine is out.
We would like to be in England right now.
We want to go to Scotland and tasty Whiskeys and to all the isles. And to Ireland.
and to Spain and to southern France and to Italy and to Croatia and to Greece and to the Baltics and to Switzerland and to everywhere in Europe and the planet.
We will have a road trip to LA in August. I think we will go to the Grand Canyon. We will probably leave for England in early September-ish. I will be hard for me to be outside of the United State when the Tigers win the World Series. I will need to find a place to watch the games.
We would like to be in England right now.
We want to go to Scotland and tasty Whiskeys and to all the isles. And to Ireland.
and to Spain and to southern France and to Italy and to Croatia and to Greece and to the Baltics and to Switzerland and to everywhere in Europe and the planet.
We will have a road trip to LA in August. I think we will go to the Grand Canyon. We will probably leave for England in early September-ish. I will be hard for me to be outside of the United State when the Tigers win the World Series. I will need to find a place to watch the games.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Opening Day and Chicago (not in that order)
Tonight is not opening day.. BUT the flood gates of the 2009 season doth burst forth and we celebrate the awesome power which is the great American pastime, that is why I made brats and we drank beer. Darren is simultaneously watching a game on ESPN, listening to the Tigers game online and reading baseball prospectus.
This last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Lindsay in Chicago. The Portlander was there for a book conference and I got to crash at her fancy hotel and we got to hang out like old times; sharing clothes, talking about how we rule, eating and drinking fine things and pretty much ruling. It was great fun. I like Chicago, if only the lake were an actual ocean and the climate remained temperate I would say it's the best city ever- but it's not. Although it is very very very awesome.
We leave for Branson next weekend for a fun filled adventure with Grandma Mary and Papa Gary (YESSS!!). We are very excited and can't wait to spend some time with them and see that part of Missouri.
Pray for the Tigers. Thank you.
This last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Lindsay in Chicago. The Portlander was there for a book conference and I got to crash at her fancy hotel and we got to hang out like old times; sharing clothes, talking about how we rule, eating and drinking fine things and pretty much ruling. It was great fun. I like Chicago, if only the lake were an actual ocean and the climate remained temperate I would say it's the best city ever- but it's not. Although it is very very very awesome.
We leave for Branson next weekend for a fun filled adventure with Grandma Mary and Papa Gary (YESSS!!). We are very excited and can't wait to spend some time with them and see that part of Missouri.
Pray for the Tigers. Thank you.
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