another year....

Well, if you go back and count blog posts, it's obvious that Lindsay writes much more frequently (and her posts are usually longer than mine! I did want to weigh in and reflect on the past year, though - it's been a tough one getting used to a new culture and part of the country, being far from family and friends. I think we're finally settling in, though, and once we can get into a house this spring, I think that will give us a much greater sense of permanence.

My first year at Asbury has been both challenging and rewarding... it usually takes seeing a full 'cycle" of a year at a church to really begin to feel like you have a good grip on how things flow, and this time has not been an exception to that concept. Usually as I start my second year, I'm really beginning to feel as if I'm making some progress, and that is indeed the case here.

I've been pleased to see some growth in the Choir, the restart of our Bell Choir and I've started an adult Praise Team. I've also taken over leadership of the MOB (Methodists on Brass), and am always on the lookout for new ways to include our musically talented congregation in worship.

I was especially pleased with how things went on our Christmas Music Sunday - the video feed come out very nice on this piece, so I post the YouTube link here:

As this year closes, I'm thankful for Lindsay, a fine place to work and serve, and God's blessings and care for us while we awaited the sale of our house. Although it was difficult, we never missed a meal, always were able to pay our bills and even occasionally had a bit of extra $$ for some leisure. God is good!

Ice "Skating"

So Wisconsin has officially broken me in, but not broken me up. Let me explain. There are roads. There is ice. There are cars. The three are a bad combination. I got firsthand knowledge this morning on my way to an appointment across town. While driving the freeway, I tried to slow down for traffic congestion ahead. What happened in actuality is this: sliiiiiiiiiiiiiide... turn... slam into median... turn... wait for that car to hit me... SMASH! God is so good - neither I nor the other driver was hurt, just badly shaken. My car has some pretty ugly damage, his looks like an accordion.

Camry - good car. The rest of the day follows with much rejoicing for safety, hugs from Jonathan, and many, many phone calls: arrange for tow, arrange for auto body, arrange for rental car (but I really don't want to drive anytime soon), talk to my insurance company, talk to his insurance company, talk to Mom and Dad... I'm going to go take a nap. I'm pooped.

Christmas in Wisconsin

I don't know who originally wrote this. Mom sent it to me today and said it was originally for Iowa. Same difference. I love it!

When it's Christmas time in Wisconsin
And the gentle breezes blow,
About seventy miles an hour
And it's fifty-two below.

You can tell you're in Wisconsin
'Cause the snow's up to your butt,
And you take a breath of Christmas air
And your nose hole both freeze shut.

The weather here is wonderful,
So I guess I'll hang around,
I could NEVER leave Wisconsin -
My feet are frozen to the ground!

What the Heck?!

Negative five. NEGATIVE. Wind: 30-40 mph.

Negative 5 + 30mph wind = WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING HERE???!!!

Chicago

So I went shopping in Chicago on Monday for the first time since we've been out here. I went with our senior pastor's wife, Wendy. We had a wonderful time - I managed not to get too flustered by Chicago traffic (which I think is way worse than California - much more aggressive), and we even found a parking space in the first garage we drove into. Our first stop was Macy's to see the windows. They had weird little furry creatures and winged things - a little freaky. The store was enormous - nine floors, I think - and every floor was decorated to the hilt. Beautiful! On one of the escalators, you can see all the floors at once, with all the decor, chandeliers and huge ornaments all over - I felt like I was in a movie! I didn't buy a thing, but I had a blast!

We hit several other stores, but never quite made it to Michigan Avenue (sorry, Danielle). It was so cold, your face felt like it had icicles when you went indoors. The thought of wandering very far in that kind of cold, and not exactly sure which lot we parked in, had absolutely no appeal. Once we did figure out where we parked, we decided to check out this little outdoor area near the garage that had all sorts of German vendors and a gigantic 40 foot Christmas tree. Very European. One stall had hot cocoa - very appealing. We ordered some, and the girl asked if we wanted whipped cream. Well, duh! She grabbed the can and pressed, but nothing happened - it was frozen inside the can! She actually had to go to the "warmer" to get another can - the REFRIGERATOR. Ugh.

Cold Enough for Ya?

So I hear even Malibu got some snow with this storm that's been working its way across the country. Now THAT'S something!

As per our "not normal" winter, we've now had three major storms, winter officially starts two days from now, and we're ahead on our total snowfall from our record-breaking snowfall of last year...

The nice thing is a snow day. We've had a couple of days canceled from work. I still get paid for those! We had one the day after I got back from California - I wasn't sad to sleep in! We had a partial day today, but I have a cold anyway, so no pay. Ick.

I spoke with a friend the other day from California and she was asking about the weather. I commented on how it hadn't been too bad up until that point, with it being around 45. There was a brief pause on the line. Then I heard, "DEGREES?!!" I said, "Yes, degrees." There was another pause. "IN THE DAYTIME?!!" Ah, to be a Californian again...

God is Good - ALL The Time!

Yes, friends, it has been a while since I last posted. Life just kinda gets away from me at times. Honestly, I think I just kept thinking of so many things I wanted to blog about, that the list was so long, I didn't figure I'd have time to sit and write the darn thing. So I'll try to keep them shorter and more frequent. Deal?

Life goes on in this great white tundra. We've actually started acclimating to the weather. Very frightening. Jonathan said when he left for work last Sunday morning around 7:30 how nice it was outside. Then he drove past the bank thermometer and saw it was a toasty 27 degrees... He's not the only one in this house - I actually thought the same thing last night while getting into the car - a very warm 19. Ugh. I actually think it feels warm. I guess that can happen, especially after comparing it to a day with wind. The wind chill factor just about smacks you across the face. Ouch.

I want to take this moment to once again thank Mom and Dad for the very cozy electric blanket they gave us a few years ago. We thank them almost nightly this time of year...!

We are hoping that this week, Thanksgiving week, we will be able to get to Michigan to see Pa and my aunts, uncles and cousins. It's normally a 6+ hour drive for over 300 miles (totally worth it!), but this Wednesday, we'll be traveling with every single other person who owns a car. We'll be leaving early. Our biggest concern is the weather (ah, isn't it ALWAYS?) Ice on the roads for 300 miles just isn't a good idea. Keep us in prayer, as we also just really need a good taste of home and family. It's been so long.

Actually, I drove there myself a couple of times these past several months, most recently just a couple of weeks ago. I had a great time, just me and Pa, and got to hear some great stories about his life that I hadn't heard before. I also had the privilege of being a passenger in the SUV with my cousin, our ringbearer, as the driver. Can that be possible? He did fine, but I though Dale (Dad) was going to pop a vein in his neck...

The peace we have felt with the sale of the house is unlike anything I've felt. God is so good! Although we sold it for significantly less than we were originally hoping, the fact is that we SOLD a house in this economy. It took a full year - to the day - but it sold. We're especially grateful that it sold before the bottom fell out of Wall Street in October. I can't imagine still having it right now. But... even if we did, God has provided this whole time. Would you believe that the job I had at GHC that was supposed to be for two weeks has stretched into a whole YEAR? There was a three week lapse between getting traded to another department which was the ONLY time we had to dip into savings to pay a bill. I hated to pull from savings, telling Jonathan, "This is for rainy days, what if we need it?" To which he replied, "Honey, it's raining!"

After we burned the final mortgage bill, my first thought wasn't, "Let's go shopping!", it was, "Okay, I'll make an appointment for the animals to see the vet, and the truck really needs a new windshield..." Practical. We did, however, treat ourselves to filet mignon at Outback, where the young waiter happily celebrated with us by bringing a sundae. Ahh, simple pleasures!

Mortgage Burning

Well, the moment we've been waiting for since August 27, 2007 has finally arrived. I think the video says it all:



Thanks for your support and prayers - we really appreciate it!

The Sky is Falling!

Brett Favre is retiring - the world is collapsing! Seriously, I think we lost several hours of production in the state yesterday. I'm not sure if any cheese got made. The news was unbelievable. Brett's retirement was covered for over ten minutes - head story, of course - and covered every angle, from the #1 fan St. Vince, to some dubious fans, to the other players, to the press conference the Brett himself did not show up to. Ten minutes. Then the newcasters goes, "...And Huckabee is stepping down - McCain will be the Republican nominee for president. Clinton has won Ohio, we're not sure about Texas yet. And now on to the weather..." Thirty seconds. A minute, tops. Then the weather person was lamenting the fact that it wasn't a dreary day to match the mood of the people of Wisconsin. Geez.

Party at the Pet Clinic!

Well, maybe not really a party - unless you call a bunch of stranded motorists a party. Crazy snowstorms back here. It's been snowing so hard all day that GHC closed down the doctor offices and the admin building early. Some cities were even recalling their snowplows! Jonathan was commenting the other day that the news had said Madison was running out of salt - they hadn't anticipated this much snow. I asked him what the city was going to do? "Oh, they're going to start tossing Christians on the road..." Argh.

The drive home was less than fun - I was particularly proud of myself for not spinning out on the last major turn heading home. And then I headed up the hill - or, tried to head up the hill - where I promptly got stuck in the snow. The four cars that were stuck up on the hill above me should have been a clue. A few good samaritans were directing (and pushing) those of us stupid enough to think we could make it, to the emergency pet clinic's parking lot adjacent to where most people were getting stuck. There were probably about 20 cars there already, and a number of the drivers were headed to the building. (I'm sure the clinic's staff were thrilled with their full, non-animalized lobby.) I had to laugh a bit at the antics of the good samaritans as they tried valiantly to get the attention of the newest driver starting up the hill. Home was just a couple of blocks away, so I decided to hoof it. Uphill. In the storm. No scarf. Short skirt. Big bag. I did bring my snow boots. I thanked the kind people who helped push my car out, and proceeded home. My loving husband greeted me partway, having just barely making it home himself. Surprisingly, I wasn't as cold as I thought I could be - although my hands were frozen solid, and I wasn't sure if I still had a face...

Freakin' COLD!

It was 40 degrees yesterday morning when I woke at 6:30am. Nice. This morning when I woke at 6:30am, it was 22 degrees BELOW ZERO with windchill. 'Nuff said.

Happy Cows Come From California...

...And evidently, they like to visit Wisconsin during the winter. No kidding - saw a California cheese commercial while I was working out at the gym last night. I'm surprised there wasn't a riot. Wisconsonites (that's what they call themselves) take their dairy very seriously. Ban those California cows!

Even on the Capitol's Chirstmas tree (argh!):

Speaking of dairy - I went to the grocery store the other night after work to get a couple gallons of milk (great sale - 2 for $5). Anyway, it was around zero degrees, and we had some wind - it was COLD! I swear I thought I was going to have two gallons of ice cream by the time I got from the store to the car! Things have been freezing like nothing I've experienced before. I've always been very conscious of the fact that you don't leave your take-home food in the car because it will spoil. That's not the case when your car is colder than your refrigerator!

We have an enclosed breezeway between the house and the garage - very nice for muddy boots - and it has been a great place to store extra stuff like cases of water. This week, that all went to heck - you can't drink ice.

I tell Jonathan sometimes that he's full of hot air, but evidently, it doesn't matter when it's 10 below zero outside. We woke up Sunday morning (all five of us sleep in the bedroom), and I opened the curtains to look out on the gorgeous day, only to find we had frosted glass windows - on the INSIDE! The moisture from all of us had gotten trapped behind the blinds and froze on the window!

The other day at work, they were talking about one of the company's core values: Innovation. For some reason, this inspired handing out Pop Rock to every employee. (Beats me, I wasn't at the meeting - one of the perks of being a temp.) Anyway, everyone was pretty excited about them, since most of us haven't eaten them in years, and some of the employees had never eaten them. It was great seeing my boss pop a handful into his mouth for the first time and watch his face as he exclaimed at the experience. (For those of you not familiar with Pop Rocks, they're small sugary candies that have been infused with carbon dioxide and pop and crackle - loudly - in your mouth.) Like everyone else, I was happy to pop a handful or two, which was great - until I did it - and then my phone rang. You can imagine the rest of the story: "Group Health (POP! POP!) Marketing (SNAP!) This is Lindsay (CRACKLE! CRACKLE!) May I help you?" I can only hope the guy on the phone thought we had a bad connection.

Jonathan and I got a couple of Target gift cards for Christmas, so we went shopping tonight. Christmas is done, Valentines are out, Easter's on it's way... But isn't this jumping the gun a bit?

It's been five degrees and below zero all week, guys. Think warm thoughts... Think very warm thoughts...

Still Here...

Okay, so I know we're in "America's Dairyland" (I know 'cuz it says so on the license plates - geez!), but do they seriously need that many cheese snack foods in the vending machine?! I took a good look the other day at lunch in the breakroom and I counted, no kidding, no less than NINE cheese-related items. Out of 20. Good grief.

Some of you know I've been having some minor medical issues since before coming here, and I've been since referred to a urologist here. In the waiting room there were some magazines - normal - one of them was Golf Digest or something - also normal - the top story said, "Hit it Flush Every Time". Argh. Jonathan would be proud.

We've been discovering new businesses - most of them are new to us. But we passed one on the freeway the other day - an accounting firm - named "Boker and Launder". Maybe one of those times to get a less-personal, more creative name.

The midwest is a whole new ballgame - literally. Football is very big here. VERY. For those of you who don't already know (I didn't, until I got here), Madison is home to the University of Wisconsin - a big ten school. The Badgers. The other obvious team - The Packers. The people's team - literally. They're owned by stockholders or something, and not one owner - maybe that's why these fans are so loyal. It's big. Remember how the UW's band chased me down the aisles? Picture the very same grocery store, a Sunday afternoon. Packers are playing - and it's broadcasting over the speakers in the grocery store (no elevator music here, boys). It wasn't the Packer's greatest game ever, but when they got a touchdown, the whole store erupted into cheers and applause. Again, I can't make this stuff up. Actually, I have to admit, it's kinda fun - and I cheered with 'em...

So back to the health issues. I started noticing a few months back that I seemed to be squinting a lot. It became much more noticeable here when I was straining at night to read the street signs to figure out where I was. I went to the eye doctor, and learned I have an astigmatism. It's slight, but WOW! the difference two lenses can make! I didn't think things were blurry before - but they sure seem sharp now! (And I have to admit - they're kinda cute.)

I really love the place I've been temping at. Evidently, the feeling's mutual, because I came on for two weeks at the beginning of November, and I've been there since. Group Health Cooperative is a really fantastic place, run by some really neat people. I don't know how all health insurance companies are run, but I never encountered one like this in California. Here, they actually have complimentary medicine benefits. Yeah, they help pay for massages, and yoga, and the health club, and chiropractic care, and, and, and... They actually believe that pills can't fix everything, and that sometimes your health needs a more holistic approach - this is my kind of insurance company!

Speaking of the gym - Jonathan and I finally joined back up about a month ago. Well, I joined back up - Jonathan just joined. We've been going pretty regularly - I really need to in order to keep my neck injury from flaring back up - and Jonathan is doing an awesome job! He's been keeping track of his progress, and has been making goals for himself, meeting them, and then setting new ones. He's starting to feel the effects of it, and I have a feeling that when he plays his regular basketball game with the guys at church, he's going to start giving them a run for their money!

Weather - ah, you know we can't write this blog without mentioning it - is actually getting colder. Currently, it's 5 degrees. Five. F-I-V-E. I think we'll be seeing our first negatives tonight. Saturday's prediction of a high of 0 - that's zero - the HIGH - make me feel all warm and toasty inside - and inside is exactly where I'll stay, thank you very much. Until the dog needs to pee.

Seriously, the snow is really something else to behold. When the powder is new, and it sparkles like glitter, or the cool angles it makes as it drifts when the wind blows, or how the smallest amount of pure-white snow can stick to the top of a tiny bright-red crabapple... But my favorite is when I'm sitting at a stoplight, and my windows are cold, and the snow flakes are tiny. Then... THEN you can just make out the many different shapes that God has created, and they're there, sitting on your window, just for you.

And don't even get me started on the sunsets...

I'll catch you all later - as soon as I chisel the ice off my windsheild and break open the car door... Hugs and love, Lindsay