Not So Good Neighbours

Paperwork. Full Stop.

Car insurance, orthodontist bills, rent, dental appointments, budget planning...

I'm only smiling for the photo, believe me!

Good Neighbours

She was my early evening visitor on Friday - this photo from my dining room window. I had thought she left when I went to take my bike out for a ride, but as I turned the corner of my apartment building she was waiting to wish me a good ride.

I've also seen her and one of her girlfriends off the side of the trail cheering for me as I run in the Michigan humidity - ugh.

I hope to soon add my chipmunk and hummingbird when they show up for their photo-shoots. The chubby lazy squirrel is begging me to allow him to contribute his mug as well, so he may appear.

On today's bike ride, I saw numerous rabbits including some babies and a number of wild turkeys. Ah, West Michigan, thank you for the wildlife big and small!

Triple Grrr with a Smile

My bike has successfully arrived from Prague via Edinburgh. (long story) Today I picked it up from the bike shop who over the weekend put it all back in to something that looks like a bike. While there I asked about a bike map for the area. There are none. Oh there WAS one, but that was years ago and they no longer exist. Grrr.

Throwing rubbish out in Prague was compartmentalised: plastic, paper, glass, tetra packs, metal, compost and general waste. It became second nature to place things in their separate colour-coded bins to be collected by our big trucked and smelly waste collectors. Outside my apartment is one large brown, throw-everything medal garbage tank. I'm told down the road I can recycle paper and cardboard. Plastic, glass, tin...? Grrr.

My little Honda will only take around 65$ for the little ding to be dinged back into place. I'm very happy for that. The bike shop took more from me for putting my bike back together. Grrr.

BUT, even with the triple-grrr above, I'm extremely happy. I had a wonderful evening bike ride exploring just a bit of my area. Sitting on my patio watched a hummingbird come to taste my hanging flowers, witnessed my chipmunk doing his evening chores and simply sat and enjoyed the beauty of nature around me. I'm happy and content and extremely thankful. (While ignoring the dirty dishes in the sink from Sunday!)

Successful Saturday

All graduation events went amazingly well and was fun. (no festal buffet following, but at least some tasty cookies - I had three - and punch)

Farmer's market has been visited. (leaving with rhubarb, a hanging pot of flowers and extra ding -as in dent- in my car. Boooo)

Bagels mid-way through. (thanks to stealing from another's blog)

Now desperately need to get out of my house!

ZZzzzz...

I'm a dreamer more than a feeler. I mean these terms in a very practical way.

Tomorrow is graduation for nearly 60 students at Calvin Theological Seminary and my role is similar to that of a 'wedding planner'. Making sure students and faculty know where they need to be, when they need to be there and what they should do when they are there. Weeks leading up to tomorrow, I've been preparing floor plans, finding photographers, sorting out details with the event's coordinator at the location and reading through graduate names a million times to be sure all have made their way into the line up and the programme.

It's been also a fun collegial effort as I've been learning who on staff has the answers to which questions - where are the table cloths, who has the list of graduate e-mails, what is procedure for getting details to faculty and so on; whilst regularly checking in with the Vice President of Academic Affairs, to whom I'm the Administrative Assistant - which I still thoroughly enjoy doing.

Being new to Calvin and the American academic world, it's been an interesting education as I learn terminology and procedures for preparing and holding such an event. Which in this context feels quite foreign and makes me quite nostalgic for IBTS.

I don't feel nervous or stressed or actually anything about tomorrow. It's coming, I will appear 2 hours early with my notes and props in hand, with the VPAA we will do the final sorting through details, I will then sit back to enjoy the pomp and circumstance, and then I'll go home and make bagels.

But I know it's affecting me.

Before my opening lecture with the CATS at IBTS, a few days before the Prague Half-Marathon and before presenting my first ever sermon/homily, I've had wacky dreams themed on each of those events.

The same was true for this upcoming graduation. It was a frightening dream where everything that could go wrong did. Half the graduates didn't appear, I left all my notes and information in my office (off site), the guests were all stuck out in the rain and so on... Thankfully, all the events listed above which had odd dreams prior to them went swimmingly, so am hoping the same for tomorrow!!

Mail and Male

Click on the photo below for the zoomed in version and notice to whom it's addressed. (Yes, I did blur out the address, attempting to keep strange people I don't know from knocking on my door. The strange people that I do know are quite enough!)

One of my first letters at my new apartment - Are you serious?!?

Blog Burglar

I'm not a blog reader. I'm a blog snooper. A snooper and a stealer. I regularly peek through a favourite list of web-logs for any ideas, laughs or stories that I can snatch, smile at or retell.

I love the salad for breakfast idea from one of my recently-completed-marathon heroes.

I'm eager to attempt creating my own laundry detergent when I move into my new place.

I regularly return to the hilarious little Luke for a smile on a gloomy day.

I'm not sure if there's an Emily Post Etiquette of the web-log world - Should I leave a 'thank you for letting me snoop' comment each time I enter your world? Should I leave a 'come see my blog when you're in the area' note?

Nonetheless, in the comfort of my cozy pale blue fleece pants and an old Adidas sweatshirt I can enter your world, giggle at your children, share in your creativity and in some moments shed a tear.

So 'thank you' to all of you!

- your friendly Stalker V

Here's the church, Here's the steeple.

10.30 am, this morning found me sitting on the padded pew of a new church for me in Grandville, Michigan.

I agreed with and appreciated the minister's message more than I thought I would. He spoke rather slow which I first found annoying, but then came to the conclusion that as 82% of the congregation were born before 1945, his pace of speaking was appropriate.

As he continued, I also positively realised that his slow speech allowed me to reflect more on what he was saying...and daydream more. (Come on, be honest, you do too!)

The lady (born after 1945) responsible for the children and youth gave a little talk, but could use a little spark under her dupa to be a bit more engaging. Though I was happy to see that had a time focused on the little cherubs.

Next to me, Bill (born before 1945) had a very warm handshake and smiling eyes. It was a pleasant welcome to my first Grandville church visit.

Before exiting the church, I bought some cinnamon rolls to support the youth summer mission trip (the rolls have since vanished). I stood near the minister whilst he greeted parishioners as they left. The poor fellow was chastened by an elderly woman for the sermon not being what she expected and hoped for on Mother's Day.

I've been a part of three amazing and very unique churches - Holland, Michigan; Oak Park, Illinois; and Prague, Czech Republic - which have throughout my Christian journey guided, taught and encouraged me at very significant points. With warmth and thanksgiving I look back on them all and I'm eager to find and participate in another little family. In Grandville there are many!