The Fairday Five…

Exclusively asked for Minnesotans, but fill it out if you go to your state’s fair.

What is your favorite food on a stick? I’m going to have to say Tater Tot Hot Dish on a Stick, introduced last year, was definitely a winner. But I love pickles on a stick.

What is your favorite ride on The Mighty Mid Way? The Ferris Wheel. I’ve gotten hurt on far too many Mid-Way rides in the past ten years to handle anything else.

What is your favorite animal exhibit? I like the fish pond outside the DNR building.

What is your favorite building to explore? The building with all the arts and crafts.

No trip to the MN State Fair is complete without (fill in the blank). The family picture T-Shirt! Ever since these booths where you can have a digital camera picture taken and then burned onto a calendar or t-shirt, our family has gotten a t-shirt. Friends have made various appearances. It’s been awhile since Becky has been in a shirt. But it is the best fair tradition!

And Josh will be visting with King on the NARN at about 4 pm central on Saturday, listen live here.

My ideal off-season…

I like baseball. I’m not as into baseball as Josh, HG, my mom, and a host of others, but I like baseball. I’m also Ms. Seat Finder, as I do have the touch. (Did I tell you about how, sight unseen, I scored *really* good tickets at Minute Made and Camden Yards?)

Anyway, so, my ideal off season for the Twins would include them signing Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, and Justin Morneau. Oh, and Cuddyer if he is due for resigning. (Joe Mauer just resigned last season.)

Get rid of expensive dead weight like Rondell White and replace him with affordable Sammy Sosa, but this wouldn’t make or break my off season like failing to sign the above four would.

If the Twins take post-season seriously, or at least if the Twins management take post-season seriously, then they need to preserve the core stars or risk loosing fans to sit in their brand new stadium.

A deep theological vision…

Josh dropped a glass and cut himself when it shattered. After it had been swept up, and Josh’s cut taken care of, I saw some of his blood on another glass he had in his hand. The blood spot did not look like Jesus or even Mary. It looked like catsup.

Reintegrating a soldier…

As you can tell by lack of posting, we’ve been busy. There is so much to do in reintegrating Josh. We’ve been getting him acclimated to American culture again, getting them exposed to crowds, getting them used to choices like what foods to eat, and things like that. And then you have personal business to take care of, finding a job, finishing some classes, dentist appointments, stuff like that. I think the most time consuming is learning to be a married couple in the same place again. For example, how should the kitchen be organized so we can both use it? How should we spend our money? There are some things, laundry and cleaning for example, that if you want it done a particular way, it’s just best to do it yourself or not complain about the method or timing. And we (meaning Josh) need to get used to a new routine that has changed since he left two years ago. We both need to get used to how the other has changed. And, I have made 95% of the financial decisions by myself for almost two years. So, I am in the process of teaching Josh how I want certain things done and where certain things are kept.

Things are going well. God has been good to both of us. I’m saying this honestly. I know I don’t talk about how the deployment and stuff affect me. I don’t want people to take stuff the wrong way. But things are really going well.

Ecumenical Services…

Josh and I spent last weekend at his mom and step-dad’s ranch. It was a lot of fun. We went to the county fair, which, if you have never been to a rural county fair, was incredible! It was reasonable to look at all of the displays and ask questions like: “Did so and so peel the crabapples before making the jelly?” (Turns out, yes.)

Bill is getting more serious about his wine making and has expanded his repertoire to… well, I’m not sure if I can count them all. He seems to be more of a fan of choke cherry, beet, apple, and raspberry and combinations thereof then his original rhubarb and strawberry. He also made a wheat wine and a carrot wine.

One nice thing about county fairs is the ecumenical worship service. As with most ecumenical services, even in a rural area, things can be, well, interesting. For example, when Josh and I were last in town, the Good Friday message was on racism in the Jim Crow south. This time, however, the local Priest had control. So, there were no heresies and nothing inappropriate was said. But, Josh and I did end up going to the late service at a nearby LCMS church.

I have really come to miss confessing my abundance of sins and receiving absolution every week, and when I don’t get that, I don’t feel as if I have really worshiped. That’s the one thing really missing from the ecumenical service… one would think, or at least I would hope, if you are asked to preach at such an event, one would take the opportunity to deliver the gospel.

But, on a different note… small town worship services… ever notice how everyone knows their assigned part (alto, soprano, etc.) without music? Furthermore, it’s the same alto part regardless of which church you go to? Makes things easy for this alto. Grant it, we sang, “Amazing Grace,” “How Great Thou Art,” and “Just a Closer Walk.” My polite recommendation for those in P and W combos is: print the alto line with the melody line and don’t leave harmony to whatever artistic interpretation feels right at the moment. Your altos will thank you and have an enhanced worship experience. (Difference between congregational worship and pre-service/offering/postlude is when artistic interpretation distracts from the congregational participation.) (By the way, I did learn at the LCMS service there are more then one “assigned harmonies” to “Seek Ye First” and I didn’t know the right one.)

In where I tread into the abortion debate…

I was thinking of original sin recently. And I, for the life of me, can’t think of what started me thinking on these lines apart from God. But, I’m pretty sure it was this sermon on Noah from the R.C. Sproul sermon of the month club. Anyway… one of the side tangents was regarding execution. Dr. Sproul was saying because life is so sacred, it is appropriate for man to exercise the right to take life in payment for a life lost.

So, yesterday, I was struck by a random thought that life is indeed sacred and a precious gift from God. And because God is the maker of life, it is not my place or the place of any man or woman to say when life should end. The choice a woman makes when she ends a human life is not just murder, rather it is the arrogant statement, “I can control when life begins and ends.” Eat of this fruit and you can be like God. And that is the oldest lie in the world.

It is my ardent prayer that God will use me in creation of new life.

So, when you take a road trip…

I recommend listening to book on CD. I also personally recommend Brad Meltzer’s “Book of Fate.” And RC Sproul sermons…

Did I ever tell you about…

Tonya? Barb the Evil Genius comments on how wonderful it is to have friends you’ve known a very long time and can let your guard down around. I’ve been thinking of my first college girl-friend, Tonya. We had a very chance meeting and we’re going to celebrate our tenth friendiversary this September.

The most socially traumatic experience of my college career was when Tonya transferred to Bozeman… but then I met Misty.

So, in 2000, I met this guy named Josh, who I later married. In the long run, it turned out to be the highlight of my summer, but thinking in the short term, it was having Tonya around for a week.

Josh’s mom has a ranch outside of Rapid City. And, in 2005, Tonya married this guy who grew up on a ranch outside of Rapid City not 30 miles from Josh’s mom’s ranch. God must have wanted me and Tonya to be friends.

Here’s to you, Tonya! I raise a Dr. Pepper to your health and happiness!

So about my lack of posting…

I would post in between e-mailing my husband each night. Now I can talk to my husband in person and touch him and have a real conversation with him face to face. So, my internet time has cut down. I like having my husband home. It’s fun.

Women can be dumb…

I mean, they expect you to read their mind and get mad at you when they don’t. And there is no better species for a guilt trip.

And I hereby acknowledge the irony that I am a woman and saying this.

As the book of James says: “Oh be careful little tongue what you say…” and all.

Just checking in...

Mom, Dad, HG, Josh, and I are all OK and did not go to any Twins Games last night. Josh has heard, respectively from Trey-Dogg, Scotty, and Richard. I've heard from Melitta.

Pray for those who lost loved ones, the injured, and those who are performing recovery and reconstruction work.

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