I'M BACK!

Over 20 months of silence on the blog, and I'm back. The only excuse I have for not blogging is that I didn't think anyone would miss me! So, back by "popular demand" (well, maybe one or two people said they missed my blog), I'm clicking to catch up.
First, I did finish the calendar for my sister's birthday (January 2007 entries) and I finished two volumes of scrapbooks of the Paris trip with a third in progress. From May 2007 until May 2008 Drew's childhood friend (an adjunct member of the family) Rob Hill lived with us and the two boys worked at Hardees in Sioux City. Drew finished his high school work with flying colors on his GED last June. Our young guitarist now lives in Omaha and is currently looking for work - preferably a job where in can wander in cyberspace.
I didn't have to suffer the pangs of empty nest very long, because I flew the coup. The month long "pulpit supply" position I accepted in August last year, extended to September, then December, through June and now I am officially appointed to serve Early and Odebolt United Methodist Churches part-time. (You understand the term "Part-Time" in ministry is like the word "Retirement" - entirely theoretical and possibly imaginary!) After working at Tuesday Morning for 18 months (which I truly enjoyed) I realized I very much missed having churches to love. So when the call came, I climbed back in the saddle and tally ho!
In the mean time, our home still had unpainted walls and construction paper covered sub-flooring that beckoned to be finished! I embarked on the taming of the room to be my study. Just clearing it out took a week. And then another two and a half months to base coat, paint the walls, the ceiling, hang the chandelier, hang all the prisms on the chandelier (a full afternoon), hang the small chandelier and it's prisms (three hours), lay the in-laid "marble" (vinyl) tile floor, install the be glass shelves in the music box display closet and under the windows, retrieve the antique writing desk from the land of the lost (the basement), assemble the new glass computer desks, and roll out the oriental carpet. The ceiling itself took several weeks. In 2005 I watched Debby Travis on Painted House (HGTV, of course) create the illusion of a "Tray" ceiling by cleverly applying color in three shades. At the time I thought "hmmm. I might want to do that in the study of our new house" (when as yet there was no new house) and downloaded the instructions from the HGTV website. One gallon, 9 quarts of three shades of three different colors, two pounds of painters tape and a month of labor, and the effect was amazing!
Wonderful folks, members of the Odebolt church, owners of a nursery business and and an employee (all were good friends) rallied the forces and took on the landscaping of our home as an Extreme Garden Make-Over project! They collected contributions from members of both churches and after long hours in their own greenhouse and gardens, they worked past dark to transform our un-tameable front hill and "swimmin' hole" into a beautiful landscaped "hanging garden" and picturesque waterfall fed pond. "You work on the house, Pastor, and we'll take care of the gardens and landscaping." Truth is I thoroughly enjoyed working along side of the dynamic trio mesmerized by the metamorphosis of weed-locked slope into the graceful entrance of our home. We don't have curbs on our street, just appeal. Thinking that I had at least two and a half months to finish the living room floor, the kitchen and dining room floor, put moldings back on through all of the house, base coat, paint and floor the family room, the date for the Open-House Blessing was set for Aug.17. But...

There were funerals.
In July I had a wedding, and another wedding in August. Also in July there was the non-scheduled mission trip to Cedar Rapids to help with the flood clean-up. It was the first mission trip I have made - a sad, but gratifying experience reflected in the face of the homeowner we helped.
So John and I and Drew boogied to get the house somewhat reasonably put back together. The Family room was base-coated, color painted, and with the help of my friend Denise, floored in about three weeks - record time for any space in the house including the master closet (which still needs flooring!) Every day for a month I was making and writing invitations ( lost count after 110). Every person who has blessed us, those who worked on the house, family, friends, entire congregations of four churches were invited to celebrate with us. I hired Lorraine, a retired custodian of a former church I served to help me clean house the day before the Open House while our young handy-man construction entrepreneur Mike installed the 51'x41' antique stained glass window showcased in the master bathroom. Carol, who has "historically" baked and decorated our family celebration cakes for Anna's confirmation, Chris's graduation, Drew's baptism, John's 50th birthday etc, made five sheet cakes for the occasion: white, chocolate, marble, carrot and lemon.
Members of the Church where I often did pulpit supply prepared and served the light refreshments of crackers, cheese, summer sausage, fruit kabobs, punch, coffee, and of course, cake. Friends and my mother sent arrangements of flowers which graced the living room, study, and family room. Then people began to arrive. Lots of people. More people than were in the little country church for our wedding. I think there were about 135. Every one seemed to enjoy every one else.
The house was humming with interest and conversation. The house was doing what I hoped it would. Bringing people together. At 7:30 most of us - 70 of us wandered outside to the loaned garden chairs outside while another 20 or so remained in the house by the open casement windows when the "Program" began.". All the painters tape rolled in a ball proved to be a means for folks to get acquainted or to compliment the person sitting beside them. One guest accurately guessed the ball weighed 7 lbs. and was given a house plant as a prize. Two other prizes were given. Awards for appreciation were also given. A pastor friend John Carritt sang. My friend, Shurmaine, also a pastor, gave a lovely brief message and blessed our home. We closed by singing "God Be with You til We Meet Again" as the sky turned coral with the setting sun. It was the end of a perfect day, a wonderful celebration among so many friends.


My friends Albertha and Patrick, and Kerrin, and my mother, all sent flowers.
And the following day I did what I never do....nothing.
except look out on the lawn, and the pond, and remember, treasure the vision of so many loving people, so wonderful the generosity of our friends, and so great the blessings God has bestowed upon us. Y'all come back now, ya hear?