Vacation update 2

This week we celebrated Nick's 17th birthday. The rummage sale last Thursday not only helped us get rid of some stuff but developed into trips to Goodwill, the Seventh Day Adventist "Dorcas" thrift center, the County "landfill"to get properly rid of a computer monitor, plus want went into our own garbage container. The screen porch got spiffed up and well used. An old steamer trunk that I bought at a rummage sale last fall (from a family that came from Trondheim) finally got the lift hinges I had planned to give it. More than a few things got cleaned up, sorted, and painted. I was going to replace a light dimmer switch only to find that the wires in the electrical box didn't seem to fit the part I had so I let that project die. Anybody want to give me some basic electrician lessons! The wiper arm fell off the '94 Buick but the used auto parts store had just what I needed. Oh..and I got in a little more family time! We watched several movies with "Sweet Land" and "Chocolate" being on my recommended list.

Its back to work tomorrow. Doing this kind of a vacation for a third week would be tempting. Maybe I will have broken down some overly committed work patterns... and will do a better job of pacing myself but with the memorial services, weddings and additional pastoral and program events coming up this month, it will be a challenge.
I didn't get around to any reading these last two weeks but I am more than satisfied with what I did instead.
For a worship service this past Sunday I went down the street to St Paul Episcopal church for the farewell service of Father Stephen Haptonstahl who has been their interim for two years. I will miss him in our Lenten and Thanksgiving services!

I have my sister and her husband from Arizona coming to the Brainerd area for the 4th as well as my parents from TRF and my brother from Moorhead. Its been a few years since we were all together..

Some future blogs I might get around to: There is a cable TV show called Black Gold, and its supposed to something like the "Deadliest Catch" series. I had some brief time on an oil/gas service or "work over' rig in Colorado back in 1979. It wasn't as dramatic as the TV show makes it but terms like tool pusher, driller, tongs, elevator, are still in my memory. I thought of this when I had to decide whether or not to throw my old plastic hard hat with this recent cleaning binge. The plastic is now so brittle it almost cracks a part just by handling. I noticed it had a Haliburton sticker so I used it to say I was around Dick Chaney's company once. But the deeper part of the oil rig experience was what I discovered about myself in that time. I will say no more for now.
The other future blog topic would be how my mother "integrated" two churches that had been in the habit of seating the men on one side of the sanctuary while the women and children sat on the other. I can still remember that tradition in the little country Lutheran church of Ringo township. My mother's theology wasn't too fancy but in her words "doing it that way was just stupid!"
Grace and peace

Vacation Update

I am thoroughly enjoying these days off.
Monday afternoon I drove up to TRF by way of Park Rapids where I stopped in to see Irene Fisher who seems to be doing fine. In Thief River I spent a few days with my parents, saw my aunt Sharon and uncle Larry, and visited my great uncle Gene who is now in a senior care center. My dad sent me home with a patio table and and a few antiques; grandpa's old groove plane, a shot gun and an old Stevens pump 22 and an iron "wood stove" style waffle iron; besides a few used books I found at a book store. The only other work related matter I did was to sort through a box of older papers I had stored under the desk since January but since I did the sorting out on my parent's mosquito free patio (that's not true here in Brainerd) it didn't seem too much like work! I came home on Friday by way of Moorhead where I saw my brother, Randy.
Since then its been some enjoyable house work, cleaning garage, getting items ready for a rummage sale that Sara is a planning this week. My old chain saw ran long enough for me to cut down and cut up the dead crab apple tree in the back yard. I have some more walking, squirrel feeding, bird watching, yard work, drawer sorting, car cleaning and repair projects to do and a couple of movies to watch yet also. All of this may not seem too exciting but I am loving it!
I close with this from today's Upper Room post:

WHEN DISTRACTING NOISES come, don’t fight against them, do not elbow them out, but accept them and weave them by prayer into the silence. Does the wind rattle the window? Then pray, “So let the wind of the Spirit shake the Christian church into life,” and absorb it into the silent listening. Does a child cry in the street outside? Then pray, “So cries my infant soul, which does not know the breadth of Thy heart,” and absorb it into the silent listening prayer.
- Thomas Kelly The Sanctuary of the Soul
From p. 54 of The Sanctuary of the Soul: Selected Writings of Thomas Kelly edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe. Copyright © 1997 by Upper Room Books

Tim Russert

I will miss Tim Russert's presence and perspective. So much of our news and political commentary today is polarizing, simplistic and egotistical. I tire of radio and TV "talk-news-entertainment"that seems to be more about the interviewer's ability to be snide or "smart alecky" rather than civil and insightful. But when I saw Russert involved in a news program I usually stopped my channel surfing and tuned in. His views and tone would have been helping us in our national conversations through the upcoming presidential elections.
I have not been surprised to hear how his peers have spoken about his ethics and integrity as well as his commitment to family and the various charitable efforts.

Today I head off to Jay Cooke Park to do a wedding and starting on Monday I will be on vacation until the end of the month.

One Year Anniversary

Rory's Rambles started on June 12 , a year ago. Thanks for rambling with me!
Come back! Let me know if you read anything that interests you.

Miscellaneous

I've been a little too busy to get around to the blogging.
Last week it was the Annual Conference session in St Cloud. On Thursday I came back to see Vivian I. in the last days of her life. I do have the need to say goodbye to people. The family had called me in time to have some conversation and prayer and enjoy her wit and humor one last time. A day later would have been too late. Her memorial service is Saturday.
Of course there have been a few graduation open houses to attend.
Now we have been having our Vacation Bible School week with an emphasis on serving others. We have over a hundred children plus another hundred volunteers helping in some way. Betty Jessen does a great minsitry with this! I supervise some of the recreation time and we count on being able to go across the street to Gregory park but the weather has moved us into the church garage a few times or we have spread out the new parachute into an open area in the sanctuary.

Sara is working as checkout clerk at Cub foods in Baxter and Nick just finished a two night performance in a one act play that was done at CLC.
He will start lifeguard training at the YMCA and hopes to get some life guard work.

The church mission/work trip to Rosebud is in mid August.
This Sunday the Rochester Area Girl's Choir will be singing in the worship services!

Oh..and the phone system at the church crashed over a week ago so new phone installation and wiring has also been underway.

The grass needs to be mowed and the mosquitoes use it like bait knowing that someone will have to mow it! Maybe I will get Nick to enter their trap!
Rambling on

I sense that a new spirituality is being born in the church today, flowing from the wounded hearts of the weak and broken who are crying out for friendship. This friendship is also a source of healing for those who answer their cry.
- Jean Vanier Spiritual Journeys
from today's Verse and Voice of Sojourners