The weekend

Back to work and classes today. The first surprise of the day came when I (annie) got up and discovered that on the day I overslept by half an hour, it would be necessary for me to leave at least 15 minutes earlier for work. Hooray for snow! I really do love it though. What a great way to usher in December.

This past weekend was wonderful! We had a relaxing day on Thursday with our neighbors and Steve. (Pictures to follow) It was great to share ovens and cooking and conversation, as well as a delicious meal. We were really blessed. And even though Dan had to do work and I had to do errands like taking care of car stuff and grocery shopping, it was wonderful weekend! We slept in, exercised, decorated the house for Christmas and watched football. I really felt relaxed and loved the time we got to spend with each other. And now I feel ready to work 3 more weeks before Christmas....let's hope that stays with me!

what the world needs now

So maybe we should work on posting more than once a month but maybe it's okay that it has been awhile. Anyway. Life has been full. I think I'm going to start trying to move away from using the word busy because it feels like it leaves very little room for adjustment in life. We are continuing to look for jobs and for where we will settle for the next 3-5 years. It's tempting to try to think longer term, like the next 10 or 20 years but that only makes things more complicated. So we are trying to focus on the not-quite-so-distant future. It is a hard road on which to keep moving. It's easy to get stuck in the mire of doubts, questions, and unsureness or to be waylaid by life as it is right now.

We have, however, had time to experience some wonderful things. Dan and I went to see Over the Rhine and Martin Sexton in the same week. Both were wonderful! I had never heard Over the Rhine so it was all new to me but I really enjoyed myself. Something about their music touched me deeply--it was almost like a healing for my heart. Martin Sexton I had heard before but I really wasn't that much a fan of his music--at least until I heard him in person on Friday. That was amazing! It is crazy that he is so talented! Of course, it probably helped that we were approximately 5 people-rows (we stood) back from the stage. What an experience!

Otherwise, we live. We go to work, classes, do homework, and spend time with people (as much as we can). Life is not bad. Just unsure.

take on me, take me on...

I (Dan) feel like I am living in a constant state of examen. It is good, I suppose, but that is just what we are supposed to say. In all honesty, I am in pain. I am remembering my pain and delving deep into what it means and where it comes from, which is good in the end. It is just that there is no resolve at the moment. No point where all is made known in that proverbial “ah-ha” moment. This week’s journaling exercises flowed from me freely in ways that previous week’s did not. This is mostly because I feel on the verge. Life beckons and the protection that this place has offered is coming to a close. Vulnerability and anxiety are driving up the lane, preparing for their visit. I do not want to be hospitable.

I think the take away from this week is that I was able, through putting fears to paper, to claim God’s promises more. I was able to shout my wants and desires to God. I was able to ask for God’s help, for clarity and a sense of purpose. While each day I feel rudderless in this sea of life, peace and direction are on their way. My hope is that when all the aforementioned visitors arrive for the party, that peace and direction have a prominent role as guests of honor.

recent shots

A nice night-time Wrigley Building view.



Fun while on Wendella Boat trip

Does something seem strange?

can it be true?

Sports Illustrated's Gary Smith, a longtime writer for the mag and known for his ability to effectively chronicle the life and times in the United States of America, recently spent some time in Chicago and with the Chicago Cubs. The Tribune interviewed him. As a life-long fan of the Cubs, I (Dan) was interested to hear what this man had to say.

Here is a exerpt:

"To me, life is all about living it with full passion and zest and with arms wide open. At the same time, understand on one level the meaningless of it, and on the other level, living like it means everything. In a way, that's what sports is all about. Cub fans, to me, have grasped that more than most fan bases. They are totally into it and have invested so much of themselves into it. But they also understand on some level the absurdity of it all. There's a sweet metaphor about life there and how you approach life, and if you could live with the contradiction, live with the paradox."

I like it. Go Cubs.

you say potato, i say you're right

its official, the chicago nighttime skyline is just pretty.

 

being for the benefit of mr. kite

Just a brief update on our life. We've now been back in Chicago for a little over a month and at school and work for a month. It's fall now (hooray!) officially, even though the weather does not give a good testament to that fact. Work has been pretty good for me (anne), though busier than I would like. (I'm a building sub at a high school--for those of you who don't know) I think 4 or 5 classes each day is a great number. Lately I've been doing 7 (with one period for lunch). It kind of helps the day go faster but I would prefer a little more downtime. Oh well. Lots of variety though. I think I've been in every department in the building at least once--except technology and industrial arts--since I've been back this year. Always lovely.

Classes are going well for Dan. He is getting settled into more of a routine with classes, homework, and work and likes what he is learning. He's also been working quite a bit at Chicago River Canoe and Kayak on the weekends, which he has really enjoyed.

Of course, not all weekends have been working weekends. Two weekends ago, we headed up to the Twin Cities because my sister Laura was getting married. A weekend full of festivities, fun, putzy little details and time spent with family and friends ensued. The ceremony was really nice and emotional, albeit a bit too long for my taste. This was probably exacerbated by the fact that I was standing up front, trying not to lock my knees, get dizzy, or fidget too much. We also got to take a detour on the way back through Ripon, WI to drop my other sister, Sharon, back off at college. (she attends Ripon College) It was a fun drive, very pretty and it was neat to see her dorm room and campus.

Otherwise, not much eventful going on. We made it for the Wendella boat tour last weekend...always a good time. Some lovely friends are staying with us the second half of the week and we're hoping to go apple picking on Saturday. Pie, anyone?

Life's been pretty good. We still want to know what is next for us but that will come. And so will pictures of recent events as soon as I'm not at work, or Dan has time to post some. Oh the anticipation!

rich or middle class?

A recent column in Newsweek by Dan Gross brought the issue of what exactly constitutes "middle class" into the idea marketplace. According to Gross, "On Wednesday afternoon, CNBC's unscientific online poll found that (surprise!) only 35 percent of respondents believed an income of $250,000 qualified a household for elite rich status." What I found most interesting about this column, aside from the statistics about the national median income in the U.S. ($50,223 in 2007) and the median income in the richest town in the country, New Canaan, Conn. ($231,138--still less than the aforementioned $250,000 "rich cutoff"), is the idea that "people rate their well-being not so much based on how much they make and consume, but on how much they make and consume compared to their neighbors"

How much do we do that? How much do we compare ourselves to others around us and determine how well we are doing based on how well they are doing? I confess, I find myself doing this more often than I (anne) would like to admit. It sometimes doesn't seem like it's enough to just be able to pay the bills, get the necessities, and still have a little leftover for fun and saving. Sometimes it seems like we should be able to do and have everything that everyone else has as well. But when I do focus on what we have and not on what others have, I have no choice but to conclude that we're doing okay.

Quick parenthetical: When you read this column (and I encourage you to do so), check out some of the comments by other readers. It made me both disgusted at the attitudes held by some people in this country and curious to meet them at the same time.

teachers with guns

Well, as promised, here are some conclusions I (anne marie) have reached after reading the aforeposted article.

As wild as it may sound, I think that the school administrators may have come up with a good solution. It definitely could contribute to creating an atmosphere where students may be deterred from a particular action because of the uncertainty surrounding which of their teachers may be carrying a concealed weapon. I know that I personally would take that into consideration if I were thinking about doing something where a teacher carrying a gun might interfere with my plans.

I think this plan was well-thought out and planned with all the training and testing required of the teachers interested in carrying a weapon.

I do not, however, think it is a solution for every school or school district. This plan was chosen for this particular school a lot due to its location and distance from the sherriff's department. In my time in schools of varying types and locations, I have found that metal detectors often work very well (though they are not a fail-safe solution) as well as cameras and security guards. Though no school security plan is 100% foolproof, I think this school has chosen the one that works the best for them. And more power to them for doing it. I think more schools and districts should spend as much time trying to find the best solution instead the easiest and cheapest.

And as my good friend Forrest always says, that's all I got to say about that.

I found this article on MSN today and found it interesting.

AUSTIN, Texas - Along with normal first-day jitters and excitement, students in this tiny district started school Monday wondering which teachers might be toting firearms.
"It was kind of awkward knowing that some teachers were carrying guns," said Adam Lira, 17, a senior. "I don't feel like they should be, 'cause we already have locked doors and cameras. But I didn't feel threatened by it."

Several parents said they had no idea that employees of the K-12 school were allowed to carry concealed guns on campus until recent publicity about the school board's policy, approved quietly last fall. They said they were upset that the rural community near the Oklahoma border had not been able to give input.

While some parents said they felt their children were safer, others opposed the plan, which appears to be the first of its kind nationwide. "As far as I'm concerned, teachers were trained to educate my children — not carry a gun. Even police officers need years of training in hostage situations," said Traci McKay, whose three children are among the 110 students in the red-brick Harrold school. "I don't want my child looking over her shoulder wondering who's carrying a gun."

But Harrold Superintendent David Thweatt said the board approved the policy in an October open meeting that had been publicized. He said the decision was made after nearly two years of researching the best school security options at the school, which is just off a busy highway and 30 minutes away from the sheriff's office. "When you outlaw guns in a certain area, the only people who follow that are law-abiding citizens, and everybody else ignores it," Thweatt said.

The superintendent said some of the school's 50 employees are carrying weapons, but he wouldn't say how many. When pressed further, he first said that revealing that number might jeopardize school security. He then added that he considered it to be personnel information and not a matter of public record.

Each employee who wants to carry a weapon first must be approved by the board based on his or her personality and reaction to a crisis, Thweatt said. In addition to training required for a state concealed weapons license, they also must be trained to handle crisis intervention and hostage situations.

State education officials said they did not know of any other Texas schools allowing teachers to carry guns. National security experts and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence said they did not know of other U.S. schools with such a policy.

School districts in some states, including Florida and Arizona, have closed loopholes that allowed guns on K-12 campuses. Utah allows concealed weapons at public universities but not at primary or secondary schools.

Thweatt said the board took extra precautions, such as requiring employees to use bullets that will minimize the risk of ricochet, similar to those used by air marshals on planes.
"I can lead them from a fire, tornado and toxic spill; we have plans in place for that. I cannot lead them from an active shooter," Thweatt said. "There are people who are going to think this is extreme, but it's easy to defend."

Judy Priz, who has a third-grade daughter, said that "everyone I've talked to thinks it's great." She said she trusts the teachers with her child's life.
"Look how long it takes the police or anybody else to get here," she told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for a story in its Monday online edition. "If someone wants to come here and harm someone, at least we would have sort of defense."

Gov. Rick Perry has said he supports the policy because "there's a lot of incidents where that would have saved a number of lives."

The Brady Center has spoken out against the plan, saying it may not comply with Texas law, which bans firearms at schools unless carriers have given written permission. If the school board authorizes an employee to carry a gun, then that person must be a peace officer, according to the center.

"It's unfair of us to ask teachers to take on the additional job of being police officers," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign.

Cheryl Mehl, an attorney for the Harrold school district, said the statute the Brady Center cites applies only to security guards, not teachers and other employees. The district has no security guards.

I'm not sure as of right now where I stand in terms of agreeing or disagreeing with the plan put in place by this school but I will try to weigh in once I have pondered more. Your thoughts?

pennies, high school musical, and the right stuff

so it seems like i'm never quite in the right place at the right time. the other day, my sister and I were at the Mall of America, doing some wedding shoe shopping (no, not for me...in case you were unaware, that's already been taken care of. They were shoes for her.) and we happened upon a large crowd of screaming young teens, surrounding what appeared to be a giant yellow box. This caught our interest so we stopped to see what the fuss was all about. It turns out that Office Depot was doing some sort of promotion/event that had to do with two million pennies (apparently contained in the giant yellow box). This didn't seem all that exciting so we weren't sure what everyone was so jazzed about. As it happens, they weren't excited about pennies, they were excited about Vanessa Hudgens who was there to unveil the box and then sign autographs. That we saw.

What we (I) didn't see was a New Kids on the Block performance. I finished work at 4 and on my way out, saw a stage and what appeared to be all the trappings of a performance soon to be happening. So I waited for awhile, thinking it would be cool if it happened around 4:30 or so (the crowds seemed to indicate that it would be sooner, rather than later). However, I soon found out that they weren't going to appear until 5:30 and decided that I just couldn't wait that long. So I went home.

I guess it could be argued that missing the second happening was my own fault, since I chose to leave but I will say that I would much rather have stumbled upon NKOTB than Vanessa Hudgens (no offense to those of you who are rabid fans...).

However, it was the first time I saw a famous person at the Mall of America so it seems that my working there for the past month or so has become worth it after all.

or something like that...

Deer tick? Salt lick? Catholic!

Today was just like any other day as I strolled through the halls of St. Gertrude's Hospital. I was on my way to a patient’s room because she had requested chaplain visits. This is a common activity for me, nothing out of the ordinary yet. As I enter the room and start to speak to the women, all changes. I introduced myself, stating that I am chaplain and that I understood that she has requested visits, which she did. Her first words are, “Are you Catholic?” I respond by stating that I was raised Catholic and that I am a part of the staff here at the hospital that is available for patient needs. She then informs me that she is Catholic, in a tone that ushers forth the following phrase of “and if you ain’t a priest then you ain’t a visitin’ me sonny”. Looking back, I could have actually answered differently.

#1 I was tempted to say that yes I was Catholic. After all, I was raised, baptized, and confirmed in the Catholic faith. I feel that, while there are some areas I don’t fully comply with Catholicism I am far from hostile towards it.

#2 I could have said that I was catholic, meaning in my own understanding that which is universal or ecumenical. But this is not what the women meant by the term and that would have been dishonest and I shied away from that option.

It is fun to note my process in that brief moment. As I was speaking I was wondering if I should just go ahead and say yes to her inquisition. What did it matter if she thought one thing about me? I would be able to speak with her and perhaps even offer counsel. This would run the risk of me being trapped in some sort of theological quandary as I would most likely answer some questions without the foreknowledge of where the Roman Catholic Church stood.

In all I didn’t answer these other ways because I needed to be honest, with her and myself. While I still feel a connection with my Catholic roots, this one set of religious convictions do not fully represent me. I am glad that I was honest, but also hurt that I wasn’t deemed good enough because I wasn’t Catholic. On one level I get it. There is some type of divide between Catholics and Protestants, they are bitter rivals, animosity, blah, blah, blah. I think it can also be seen that I don’t really get it either.

In the end, I did what I could. Well, it is better said that I am happy with what I did. I feel sad that the women felt that I was unfit because I was not Catholic, but what can I do really? I guess if I ain’t a priest then I ain’t a visitin her.

Promised pictures.

At long last, success! The stars are aligned and the blogging gods must be on my side. Fabulous! And now, in no particular order, some pictures from our summer so far.

We headed up to Duluth with our friends, Tim and Heidi (and baby Justin) for the 4th of July weekend. It has a lovely boardwalk/path along the shore of Lake Superior so we took a walk.

And at the Rose Garden, there is nothing like stopping to smell them!

Beautiful flowers, beautiful picture. This is in Duluth as well.

And Gooseberry Falls (farther up along the North Shore). I believe these are the middle falls but I'm not entirely sure.

Here we are, at the upper falls.

My little sister graduated from high school this year and we were able to make it back to Wausau for her party. While there, an unxepected thing happened. We discovered that a Cornish Pixie had made himself at home in her cake...

Minnehaha Falls.

This is Tim and Heidi's baby, Justin. He and I hung out a bit while in Duluth.

Finally, my sister Sharon and my grandma. Aren't they cute?

And that, my friends, is some of what we've been doing. There are more pictures in existance but I am unable to locate the cord I need in order to move them from the camera to the computer so they will have to wait.

"the time has come," the walrus said...

So after multiple false starts, the time has finally come to post something new. This summer seems like it is going extremely fast (it's already half way through july!) but very slowly at the same time. We are indeed in Minnesota and overall, it has been an interesting experience. I JUST found some kind of steady work after numerous disappointments and learning about myself and how I (anne) tend to sabotage myself sometimes. We're glad this opportunity came up because it allows me to stay here for the rest of the summer. The other thing we had been discussing was sending me back to Chicago to just look for full time work there. Which I still need for the fall so if anyone has any leads on anything, please let me know. Dan has been learning a lot through CPE, which is great. It has been tough with several calls during his "on-call" times, but overall a learning experience. It still leaves much uncertainty about our future but we're really hoping things come together more this coming semester.

Our time here hasn't been all worry and learning though...we have managed to get out and explore a little.

Okay...I'll try pictures again another day. I don't know why it's not working for me but I just can't get any of them to be posted. *sigh* Coming soon...I promise.

What we've been up to

Well, it has been more than a month since we last posted and many things have happened since then. The seminary school year is finished so Dan finally has time to relax before CPE starts in a week and a half. I only have 3 days left so it's almost time for me to have my own break before summer work starts. The next major thing to do is packing for the summer...yes, that's right, we're packing up and leaving town for the summer. We will be in sunny Minneapolis, MN while does his CPE. We're looking forward to a change of scenery, time with friends, and the chance to see if chaplaincy is right for Dan. Oh, and I'll be working wherever will hire me. I have an interview with Dunwoody College of Technology right after we get to the Cities for a summer camp program...we're really hoping that it works out. The search for employment in the fall for Anne continues...there have been a few steps in the right direction but nothing definite. Otherwise, life has been pretty good. It's nice to finally be in a pace of life that is a little slower than it was all semester. It makes things a little easier and we like it.

when the hypothetical becomes your friend

so i (dan) have been reading a bit of fun on the side as this semester comes to a close. i am now on book 3 of fun stuff reading, although i havent completely finished one of the three. i'm still counting it, i mean it has allowed my brain to divert from demanded reading. anyways, in one of these books the author posits a list of 23 questions he asks of people he meets in order to determine if he really loves them. i will share #19

your best friend is taking a nap on the floor of your living room. suddenly, you are faced with a bizarre existential problem: this friend is going to die unless you kick the (as hard as you can) in the rib cage. if you don't kick them while they slumber, they will never wake up. however, you can never explain this to your friend; if you later inform them that you did this to save their life, they will also die from that. so you have to kick a sleeping friend in the ribs, and you can't tell them why. since you cannot tell your friend the truth, what excuse will you fabricate to explain this (seemingly inexplicable) attack?

i think i would go with sudden earthworm infestation. everyone knows that there is only one way to kill a hoard of those filthy buggers.

the pandas are coming

life continues to keep us busy. I successfully completed the Shamrock Shuffle on March 30th in 51:59. (Better than any of my training times!). Pictures will be posted soon. I am in the second week of a new job as a building substitute up in Gurnee. This means that I work set hours (8-4), show up each morning not knowing exactly what I will be doing for the day, and often find myself with extra time during the day. (and by extra time, I mostly mean time when we might be working on data entry with no particular time we need to be finished by or on a project where we can watch a movie or something while we work on it). There are 4 other people who do the same job as me and we share a tiny little office. It's not a bad job...just very different from what I was doing before. Dan is still in school and now we are spending more of our [limited] time together talking about what our future will look like post-seminary. It's actually pretty exciting to have so many possibilities in front of us. Our summer in Minnesota is also coming up. We are looking forward to the time we will have around friends we don't see very often and the chance for Dan to learn more about what the future holds through the CPE program. And finally, we're heading up to Carthage on Saturday to see Counting Crows. Woohoo! It should be a good time. :)

Update

Well, Dan is out of town this week which means that I have an abundance of "me time." I think it will be okay...probably even good for me. He is the trip advisor for a university ministries trip to Appalachia so he is off having fun in the mountains. ah yes, my very own mountain man. :) life has been a bit crazy for us lately. Dan is so busy with classes and u-min and I struggle with the fact that work just drains me every day. I'm not sure if that's just part of teaching or if it is my particular situation (not teaching history and in chicago public schools) that makes every day so difficult. I really am looking forward to my official spring break (next week). I'm also glad that I can use this week to work through some of what I've been learning before Dan comes back. That means more of my energy can be used to focus on us. I'm excited for that.

In other news, we're going to be in Minnesota this summer while Dan does his CPE rotation in Shakopee so if anyone knows of a place we can stay or has a job for me while I'm there, we would love to get all that in place as soon as we can. But, I should probably get back to doing lesson plans for next week. *fist pump* yes!

Happy Valentine's Day!

So I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very happy valentine's day. I know not everyone enjoys this day but I personally have always loved it. We got Valentine's from my grandpa yesterday. They were Happy Feet valentines and they came with little tatoos. My grandpa is so cute. I also love my co-workers! One of them made vegan cherry chocolate chip cookies (YUM!)and brought me some. I'm wearing my red shoes and we're watching the Simpsons in class today. It's going to be a good day....I can tell. :)

Contemplations

Midwinter was this week. Technically it is still going on but neither Dan nor I are there anymore...our experience is finished. Overall, it was positive. I cannot speak for everything that Dan learned and thought but I can at least share my own. One thing that really has come to my mind as a result of the time spent here is how I view marginalized groups. It seems like it is rather easy for us to pick out certain groups of people who are marginalized...the poor, the hungry, people living with HIV/AIDS, etc but I feel that there are some people who we miss almost every time. This is not to say that we as christians should not be doing what we can to help these other groups--we are indeed called to help those in need--but what about our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? What about those people within our congregations who need help? What are we doing to help each other? Do we know the needs of the families within our own churches? Do we know if a family is having financial difficulty and needs assistance? What do we know about each other's spiritual growth? Do we sharpen each other? Do we overlook the needs in our smaller communities in order to focus on the needs of the larger community? This is a hard balance to strike. We run the risk of becoming too focused on ourselves and neglecting those around us. But we also run the risk of neglecting the health and needs of our local churches and assuming that everything is okay for everyone. Outreach is great and necessary but how are we caring for each other?

I don't have this entirely thought through and figured out yet but I feel like it has been laid on my heart and I at least wanted to share it.

Life has been continuing at a whirlwind pace around here. Well, sort of a whirlwind. Some of it has been really busy but there are other things moving a little more slowly. Dan is on his break right now so he will not be back in class until the first week of February. He is enjoying his time off, which allows him to do things at a slower pace, but is still trying to keep busy. I've been back at school for a week now and think I am finally readjusted to the whole getting up early for work thing. I didn't realize two weeks off would throw me so much. We've started the call process for the end of seminary which has been really great for us. We've had some deep, fantastic conversations and have gotten to know each other better through the process so far. The thing that is hard about it though is the fact that Dan isn't done with school until next December so even if positions come up now, there is no guarantee they will still be around in a year. It can be frustrating but I suppose that as long as we know this is a possibility, it will make it a little easier. Life is good right now. I like my job, Dan likes his break. We're having fun. :)