This really happened!

Aaron graduated from college and found himself working “part time” jobs often for 18 hours a day with two different sleep times of 3 hours each.  He managed to put his nest egg together and moved to California to pursue acting. 

After living again for a time with part time jobs he finally landed a job with benefits!  Coincidentally he had noticed he’d get a cold/cough about every three months.  So with his new insurance he headed to the doctor.  The doctor listened to his chest and ordered x-rays.  The doctor came in and said there must be a mistake and sent him down to the lab for another set of x-rays.

The doctor called Aaron into the office and asked if he had been abused as a child!  He showed Aaron the X-rays and there were two pins in his lung.  Aaron promptly asked the doctor if this was the latest medical joke!

An appointment was made with the ENT.   Aaron of course called his mother about his abuse!!

He started on medicine.  Later at home he starts coughing and hacks up a rusty pin with a white head.  Aaron’s cogs start turning…one of his jobs in the twin cities was set up and take down of displays…involving using pins with white heads to attach the skirts to the tables.

And the true story ends as he is driving 60mph and coughs up the second pin!

Border Crossing and More

San Diego is also having beautiful weather….it is supposed to be raining according to those who know.  One of our hosts said that San Diego doesn’t have weather.  When a storm is approaching then they say “We have some weather coming!”.  Another told us the three seasons in San Diego are Gloppy, Gloomy and Glorious.  We’ve been treated to Glorious!

We crossed the border into Tijuana, the busiest border crossing in the world.  Many of the crossings are commuters between Tijuana and San Diego.  Many US citizens have chosen to live in Tijuana with the low cost of living and commute to work.

We did a border crossing…of course easy for us…a bus, no luggage, clergy with collars…but we did get out and walk the walk….still took over an hour each way…(no check going into Mexico) but for those that commute between Tijuana and San Diego..it is often 3 hours …talk about a commute!   The wall has gotten bigger and better in the last month – so reminiscent of Israel.


Guard Tower



….no swimming pool use– but I did put my foot in the Pacific Ocean on the beach in Tijuana and put on a jacket in the evening. We had supper in Old Town and were serenaded by 3 mariachi types…(double guitar, guitar, violin) excellent and wonderful food.

Friday for me was a tourist day….a bus trip to Balboa park (second largest public park – Central, NYC is first)…and then to La Jolla where we saw high surf, a few surfers, pelicans, cormorant, and sea lions…and way out 3 whales, lunch and then back to Marriott…

 

In the evening we traveled to Mission San Diego De Alcala…the oldest Mission in the U.S. –started in 1769.  The Lutheran Bishops were invited to hold an Epiphany service there by the  Roman Catholic Bishop – organ and acoustics were great.  A docent after the service did a wonderful job narrating the history….but he went on and on and on…and the Monsignor who had another engagement arrived…..and introduced himself.  (Afterwards I overheard our Presiding Bishop quip….I was never so glad to have a priest show up!) 

Saturday about noon we headed to the USS Midway….with lunch on the ship and tours of the ship that was commissioned 1945 – and decommissioned in 1992.  Amazingly we met a docent (and Lutheran) that saw Mike’s jacket from Okoboji originally from Pocahontas, Iowa and relatives still there.  Then during the tour we met Tony another docent whose wife’s cousins are the Geisingers from Storm Lake.  Indeed a small world and hardly 6 degrees of separation!

Christ has no hands but your hands

Christ has no hands but your hands…..Mike often ends services with this benediction.

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

No hands on earth but your hands,

Yours are the eyes through which

 He looks out with compassion upon the world;

Yours the feet with which

He chooses to go about doing good;

For as He is the Head so we are the members

And we are all one in Christ Jesus.

 I’ve thought of that this fall as Anita was transitioning from this life to eternal life.  The many hands that helped her during this time…  Jay’s hands that comforted and cared for her, her children’s and grandchildren’s, her sisters and others.   Christ’s hands moved through the caregivers at the hospital, nurses, aides, doctors, social worker, and the young woman who considered it a privilege not only to help cook the food but deliver it to Anita.  Those that talked, discussed, perhaps argued about faith with Anita.  Those hands that helped help plan and implement her last ‘concert’ on earth.  The hands that gently prepared her earthly body, the hands that led the mass, and the hands that carefully carried her as her soul soared.

It was hard but I remember and give thanks for all the hands in Anita’s life and transition.

One of Mike’s new hats from Lids at the airport!

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Churchwide

We're just back from Churchwide in Orlando, Florida....high humidity, high prices, and high room numbers!...When we boarded our flight in Minneapolis...the Delta Dame said - we will pre-board those that need extra time because of wheelchairs, walkers, crutches.  We will not pre-board families...This whole plane is full of families!  Oh - and she called us forward - a first for me - and bumped us to first class to put families together....wasn't that too bad?  :)

We were at the Marriott World Center - (where name badges have the employees’ home towns - so they don't all say Orlando! –“ oh you're from Minnesota - you have quite a commute to tend bar” – “well I've lived here for 13 years!”)  The Marriott is a world unto itself...you can't walk anywhere; matter of fact...not even a good hike...CVS was closest and that was 15 min. by cab.  Of course protesters could get to the entrance!  So my Iowa naiveté was shocked with $15 burgers AND our room number had 5 digits - so I had to carry a crib sheet to get to the room!  Can you tell I don't get out much?     

I had crab cakes twice and salmon twice plus food from around the globe at mission encounter events, shrimp cooked before me at a Japanese SteakHouse and it was all good

Worship was glorious.  Mission Encounter fabulous.  There was wonderful music by the Global Mission Band.  Heidi, a youth director told me they were dancing salsa-ish…and Prs Kroona, Sherer,  Mike and Heidi were spotted in the conga line.  We met Karen a missionary to Chile whom we hope to see soon in Chile.

I attended my first churchwide assembly ten years ago in Indianapolis and now my second one …bookends to Mike’s service as bishop.  At both there were protesters – at the first the theme was let us in and at the second, keep them out.

At the first I sat on a bus ride tour with Ione, who was gracious and welcoming to this newbie to the bishops’ spouses “club” and this year our conversations were equally delightful.  Her husband was elected presiding bishop at my first churchwide!  He is great.

Prairie Work

Sunday, May 8^th I broadcast an acre of big bluestem, rye, wheat, and switch grass seed on our prairie restoration.  A strong wind made broadcasting a simple task.  I was reminded of the sower in Matthew with seed landing on rocky soil, the path, and good soil.

Our prairie restoration is now going on 6 years.  The top of the slope had soil removed so the black fertile soil was gone.  On one steep slope we erected an erosion barrier.  Each spring I wait to see what comes up, where there are still bare spots and where unwanted non-native plants are thriving.  The prairie teaches patience, usually an unwanted lesson for me.  The prairie changes subtly from May to June to July to August to September to October.  In addition to native grasses I’m trying to keep native forbs growing…. forbs are the flowers of the prairie.

Loon Lake in August is glorious and frustrating; glorious because so many prairie forbs are in bloom and frustrating because so many weeds are thriving.  Last year I targeted yellow clover and this year there is less….whether it was due to my diligence at chopping down or because it is a bad year for yellow clover is unknown.  This year I have put the white clover in my cross hairs.

 The blooms include black-eyed Susan, purple and yellow coneflower, evening primrose, blue lettuce, maybe prairie ragworts, coreopsis, liatrus and Canadian anemone.  The big bluestem, little bluestem, and Indian grass appears to be thickening. 

This year’s winding path seems especially inviting for me.  Each year we mow a different path to reduce stress on the native prairie plants that come back and so we explore different areas.