Oh the weather outside was frightful. . .

Actually, the weather could have been worse. But whoever was in charge of plowing today deserves a good kick in the rump. The church is out in the country, but directly on a main backroad that leads right into town, to the hospital, and is somewhat well-traveled as a result. When I left to go to the office just before 10 am, with at least an inch of snow on the ground, this road had not been plowed at all. I was doing my best to see and stay within the tracks of those who had already been on the road this morning, praying that no one would be coming in the opposite direction on the blind curves, and basically did a rolling stop to get across the incline at the unregulated intersection of death.

While I was at the office, a plow came by in the same direction I had taken to get to the church. When I left for a meeting at 11:30 am, now with at least 2 inches of snow on the ground - which was actively being covered with a fresh batch of sleet - the side of the road heading into town had still not been plowed at all. I made it down the church hill alright, but started spinning my wheels 3/4 of the way up the next hill. I tried applying gas more slowly - no deal. I tried backing up a little and getting my momentum going from a differing spot. Got stuck in the same place. After more dinking around, a woman from the house at the top of the hill came out to talk to me and told me of a back way to the back way that would take me around this hill but still get me into town - all I had to do was back my car down the hill to catch the other road!

I thanked her, and did just as she instructed. By the time I got around the hill and back onto the road into town (mostly on roads that had also not been plowed), the plow had finally come by in the direction I was heading, and had sanded the road to boot. This made the trip in infinitely easier - but by now it was nearly noon. Nearly noon before a fairly significant road was plowed for the first time!

At least I figured things would be better once I got to Hwy 15 - which is the major 4 lane North-South state highway in this part of the state. Yeah, not so much - it looked like it had been passed by once (on the inner lanes it was debatable whether even that happened).

I mean, I realize PA doesn't have the breadth of equipment and manpower that MN has to deal with such storms, but today was freaking ridiculous. Because they do get enough snow here that they should have a good gameplan for how to handle it, and this was by no means the worst or most snow we've had since I've lived here, so I really don't understand why the plowing situation was so horrendous today.

Alright, that's enough from scrooge for one night. Here's hoping the next round (due to hit Sunday) goes better.

A Day in the Life

Man, today was a long day. For the curious, it went something like this:

Return phone call from message received too late the previous evening - check in with parishioner who just got out of the hospital.

Get picked up by Bob and Carol (parishioners with a truck!), who are gracious enough to help me find, haul, and set up a Christmas tree.

Receive phone call from secretary regarding a parishioner in crisis.

Call said parishioner to find out what's going on. Go to their home to comfort them and pray with them.

Quick stop at the church office, to check in with secretary and discuss everything that needs to be done between now and noon on Christmas eve. Strategize a game plan to get it all accomplished.

On to the local ministerium meeting/Christmas lunch.

Work on the newsletter (this would be one of the things that needs to get sent out before Christmas eve).

Meet with engaged couple for pre-marital counseling.

Bring communion to and visit with couple who are homebound.

Slap together a "report of recent activity" for the council meeting. Return another phone call whose message was received too late previous evening.

Attend council meeting.

And now I'm home, but will probably spend the next couple hours finishing up stuff for the newsletter and proofing the Christmas Eve bulletin, with a break to watch Grey's Anatomy if it's new.

Whew - like I said, a long day. Yesterday was not nearly so hectic, but thanks to a number of random errands I had to run for work, I found myself driving around town with a case of communion wine in my trunk, and my guitar and a rather large camel costume in my back seat (the wise guys have a return engagement in a couple weeks). It's a good thing my lead foot didn't get me in trouble, or I'm sure the officer would have wondered what in the world kind of party I was headed to! :) Some days, this is just a weird gig. . .

Down and Dirty Reviews

Ok, these will be quick, but here's my take on some of the stuff I've been watching and reading of late:

First, a film:

Death at a Funeral
Hilarious dark comedy from Britain. Every pastor should watch this. In fact, every pastor should own this, and watch it to unwind on the day of a funeral with a particularly dysfunctional family. If you've ever had a funeral this nutty - all I can say is, I'm sorry!

Next, some books:

Giving to God: The Bible's Good News about Living a Generous Life by Mark Alan Powell
There was nothing earth-shattering in what Powell had to say here, it's pretty much what I already believe about stewardship, he just says it so much better than I ever could. What I particularly like about his approach is how all-encompassing and how accessible it is. I think it would be a good resource for shattering the paradigms of those who limit their understanding of stewardship to "The money I give to the church." Also nice - each chapter concludes with some good conversation-starting questions, so he clearly intends it to be read and discussed in small groups. I'm thinking about using it with our council this year.

The Good News from North Haven by Michael Lindvall
So I found this little gem at Loome's while I was waiting for them to look over 4 bags of books I was trying to sell. Turned out, they didn't want any of my books, but I still wanted this one, so I came home with more books than I left with - my uncle still gives me crap about that, but I digress. Sort of Woebegone-esque, in this slim volume of short stories we walk through a calendar year with the pastor and congregation of Second Presbyterian Church, in the fictional small town of North Haven, MN (allegedly out west of Mankato). An enjoyable read, and eminently preachable (some of the stories could serve as narrative sermons in themselves).

Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian by Tom Long
This is one of the books in the practicing our faith series, and is full of great insight on worship, preaching, the hunger for authentic God talk, the interweaving of our episodic narrative with God's grand narrative, and the implications of all that for our every day lives. Very accessible and engaging - read it - you won't regret it.

Coming attractions: a discussion of Australia, which I saw on vacation. Lots to talk about and unpack there, requiring more time than I have tonight. Another day. . .

PS - The weather was gorgeous - and more importantly dry - on Saturday, so I'm happy to report, there is now plenty of crisp krumkaker to last through the holidays! Woot.

You Can't Make Lefse on a Rainy Day

The holiday baking began in earnest this week, and after four years of working together to make all our favorite Christmastime treats, Breen, Patrick, and I have it down to a science - we're like a finely tuned cookie- and candy-making machine. :)

One of the things we've learned (through past frustrations) is that Scandihoovian goodies pine for the apparently arid fjords of their native land. They don't care for these humid Pennsylvania winters one bit, and they absolutely refuse to set up properly on precipitation-laden days (thus leading Patrick to coin the new adage, "You can't make lefse on a rainy day.").

The same is true of krumkaker, which was originally on the agenda for tonight. But, as it's been raining here for two days straight, we had to ditch that plan, so we made several batches of peppermint bark and chocolate krinkles instead. These are also quite tasty, and (in the case of the krinkles) infused with childhood memories for both Patrick and I, so it's all good.

But our jones for crisp cardamom-y goodness remains unsated. Perhaps Saturday, if Mother Nature will comply. . .

Bridge Over Troubled Water

The new 35W bridge is beautiful, and it's fantastic that it was completed ahead of schedule, not merely for the sake of Twin Cities traffic flow, but personally, since 35W is the most direct route between my parents' homes. . .

. . .but I still feel kind of weird driving over it, considering why it was built.