Local Culture

     Growing up in South Dakota I was privilege to attend several Sioux and Lakota pow wows. Last weekend I googled to see what was going on in the area. I found a Ojibiwa pow wow that was open to the public, so I decided to go. If nothing else it would be a fabulous chance to see a new culture to me and to take some pictures (how can you go wrong). It was fabulous! I didn't stay for it all or get there at the beginning, it began around 1 in the afternoon and my guess is it finished long after I left at 10:30pm, darn Sunday morning preaching gets in the way of late nights on Saturday.
     This is one of the pictures I took, the colors that night were amazing on all of their costumes! It was fun to see and I marked next years on my calendar already.

I challenge and trust the Holy Spirit

    Community. I preach about it all of the time. I talk about it in meetings all of the time. I pray about it frequently. The biblical references for community are seemingly endless. I love the communities that I have been a part of in the past. I have an amazing support system/community scattered all across the United States. I love the church I serve. I love the town I live in.
   I question the Holy Spirit. When listing my preferences for locations to be placed in I was tempted to check the "open to all box" but I knew given where I am at in life it would be best to stay close to family and friends, so I selected all the regions that I knew I would have family or friends within an hour or two at most. The Holy Spirit however apparently disagreed with my thoughts and placed me much further away from family and friends than I ever dreamed, now yes it is true it could have been much much further but none the less I am still a good three plus hours from family and friends.
   I am trying hard to dig into this community I am living in. I go to the library, I work out at the local YMCA, I am a member at the Arboretum, I shop at the same grocery store every Friday, I go to the farmers market, I have tried out the photography club, and I am just not certain where people find friends in a new town. People love people to whom they have a history. I long for friends who I can call up and say "Let's play games and order a pizza" or "Let's go canoeing" or "Lets go for a bike ride" or "Lets go for a walk." Yes, I know I can do these things by myself but I am really missing people to 'hang out' with, I miss being able to call up friends and make plans on a moments notice.
    The church I serve has been great, I have been over to two of their homes for meals and I have been boating with the senior pastor and his family. Photography club was okay, I was easily the youngest one there by a solid twenty-five years. The YMCA is amazing and I am thankful I get to work out there, but I haven't met anyone yet. I have been to cycling class three times and none of the people were repeats. I went to deep water aerobics and once again I was the youngest there by a solid thirty if not forty years. I don't necessarily need people exactly my age but within ten or fifteen years would be welcomed. I am hard pressed to think of joining a club with meetings and groups that sit around talk, that is the last thing I want after work and going to meetings there. I hear the bar scene in town is good if you are into that, but unfortunately I am not really into bar hoping nightly, now I don't mind getting a drink or two but not getting trashed nightly.
     It is an interesting thing to think through and it has in fact made me think through churches and how often times there is an in group and an out group. I can see how it is uncomfortable to walk into a church and join groups when they are already so tight knit. I can see how people just don't want to do it. Moving and attempting to join another community has given me an interesting perspective on life as of lately. I do give thanks for my dog, Dakota, without her I am not certain what state or condition I would be in. Thanks be to God for canine companions. Thanks be to God for the community of friends and family I have at a distance who support me daily. Thanks be to God for house projects and working out that allow me to stay busy and not dwell. Thanks be to God for strangers who talk to me in the grocery store, the library, at the farmers market, at the Y, and in Target. Thanks be to God for the Holy Spirit who continues to move and breath life into me and the whole of creation.

Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run

These are by far my favorite pair of running shoes, I love them so much that I actually bought a second pair of the exact same shoe before they quit making them. I love the way that they fit my feet, I love the colors, I love how light weight they are, and I love the way they mold to my feet. I haven't yet touched my new pair, I don't want to give up my old pair. I have begun to love this running stuff. 

Last night I began to map out my next year in races, I know they come up quickly and I semi-live in a strange place that there are not a ton of runs in the town I live in nor the neighboring towns but there are plenty in the area it is just a drive to get to them. So last night I mapped out some of the races I would like to run over the course of the next year. The problem is that all the long distance runs seem to fall at the same time and I know for certain that I cannot run back to back half marathons or my legs would HATE me. 

Here is my list of what I hope to run:

September 24, 2011: Waite Park 5k although the problem with this one is that it is getting a little close to the October run I am hoping to do..... we'll see how this one plays out...

October 8, 2011: Oktoberfest 10k [I am already signed up for this one]

November 24, 2011: Baxter Turkey Run 5k - I am hopeful that they will be running this one again, the website is currently listed for last year, but I am optimistic that they will still have it

[Here I have a massive break due to living in Northern Minnesota and the harsh winters, but I would love to find something to fill in here.]  

May 19, 2012: Fargo Half Marathon - I ran this one last year and hope to improve my time

May 28, 2012: Bataan Death March - I have promised a friend I would walk this with her here in Brainerd, it is a 20 mile walk. The story goes that the soldiers who actually were forced to march in the Bataan Death march were from Brainerd. I could be nuts being willing to do this one, but what the heck, why not?!

June 9, 2012: Sour Grapes Half and Half - I am going to have to run the 10.55k after what the end of May will look like, the race is here in Brainerd, so I would hate to miss it and it fits in with what my next summer schedule looks like so far.

[Here I am going to need to add a July and August race - but that seems a bit far out to be planning and my guess is the information isn't get out there.]

The goals above mostly for the May/June seem a bit crazy but I want to train and try it. I am excited and scared and nervous. I know my current shoes are on their last breath and the new ones are about to broke in.... I wish I kept better track of how many miles I actually run.

I think it is time to make a new running playlist, I am bored with the old one, any suggestions for music?

What are you doing to challenge yourself? 

Projects.

This picture is mostly for Molita but for everyone else too I suppose. My projects as of lately have been some fun house projects. I've realized I haven't taken many photos of the finished house projects, this is just one picture of a wall in my kitchen.... I know I should probably hang some more stuff on the wall but when it isn't at such a funny angle it doesn't look quite as empty as it is. But this is my orange kitchen wall that I love. I should take some further away pictures for some time. I love being able to paint my walls and hang stuff on them! Both are fabulous, such a change from dorm life.

Crazy few weeks......

Life seems to be moving at mach speed and hardly at all. Life is on one hand settling down and at the same time spinning out of control. The picture above is of my sweet puppy a couple weeks ago as we were swimming at one of the boat launches around Brainerd, I think she looks so funny when she is wet, it is all that funny fur she has going on. Thank God for this little puppy to keep my sanity.

I went to Chicago with a group of youth from the congregation, it was a fabulous trip and an amazing way to get to know all the youth and other adults. The group of youth were outstanding. It was funny to see how some of them reacted to the big city as many of them had never been in a large city such as Chicago.

In projects at the moment I am currently ripping down wallpaper in my bedroom (this project has gotten old fast but  I can't wait to paint the walls). The problem with this particular wallpaper is it is old-ish and it was put up right on top of the dry wall, nothing in between, so I am currently having to look into what I can put on the walls to add a little texture to the walls and I will need to prime the walls really well before I am able to paint the walls whatever color I end up painting it. But I am excited to report that my kitchen and bathroom have both been repainted (pictures to come soon).

In random projects I have also been crocheting a blanket that I am pretty excited about, it is looking fabulous, just taking longer than I anticipated. I have a few books that I would love to finish but I just haven't yet found the time to finish them. Hopefully this winter when yardwork isn't occupying my time I will have a little time to read.

I also have begun to train for the 10k in October that I am excited to run. I need need need to massively get back in shape, it has gotten bad, so that is my other major project.