After two years of working on prerequisites I will officially begin the occupational therapy program on the Tuesday after Labor Day. I'm looking forward to getting started. This week my major goal was to finish all the-beginning-of-the-semester-at-a-new-school details. I managed to figure out what books I will need and used a great website http://www5.bigwords.com/ to find the best deals and ordered those. By Friday most of them had been delivered.
I also made two trips to the U of Minn campus. It is only about 20 minutes away by bike from where I live which is convenient. I managed to find my way around the corner of campus where I will be spending most of my time despite the major street through campus being completely torn up due to light rail construction. I was thankful that most new students have not yet arrived so I didn't have to endure any long lines (though I had taken a book along just in case.) I delivered my final prerequisite transcript and my immunizations record, obtained my student ID card, bought the one textbook that was actually cheaper at the campus bookstore than online and went through steps 1 and 2 of a TB test. Along the way I was given a Minnesota Gopher sweatshirt. I accepted it but I'm not sure I can bring myself to actually wear it. I wouldn't have an issue with any other school in the state but as an Iowa Hawkeye, I just can't imagine wearing Gopher colors.
I'm spending the last week of summer with my family in Iowa. Besides not having to get up at 4:15 for a week, I'm looking forward to riding my bike on the quiet country roads in the area.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
One on One with Elizabeth
The day after I returned from the trip to the North Shore, I had the privilege of hosting my niece, Elizabeth (age 9 & 3/4), for a few days. We visited some friends of mine who have horses so she could ride and play with two of their daughters who are about her age, went to the Como Zoo and had a picnic with a cousin and her daughter, and went out for ice cream. She brought her bike and we went for one of the longest rides she's every been on. It was probably about 7.5 miles but she was a trouper. Once we got off the Greenway and she knew we were just a few blocks from home she was like a horse heading to the barn, eager to get off her bike and put her feet up.
Riding horses or the zoo was probably the highlight of the trip for Elizabeth. The highlight for me was doing the every day things with her such as going to the grocery store, cooking and watching the Olympics. Together we made some sweet and sour chicken that she declared to be "Very Good!" I had to agree.
In the midst of all these events, Elizabeth gave me her impressions of the big city. The roads with all the signs and overpasses seemed very complicated. "I don't think I could every drive here. It doesn't make sense." As we got into the car after buying groceries she commented on how the store was full of people speaking other languages and wearing unusual clothing. The next day she told me how she would go to the grocery store with Mommy and find an item on her own. "I didn't do that yesterday. I stayed right next to you." I couldn't help but smile at her uncertainty in the unfamiliar surroundings. In the end she decided she was not a big city girl. That's just fine since she is glad to come visit me wherever I happen to be living. Besides, after all these years I'm still not sure I'm a big city girl either.
Riding horses or the zoo was probably the highlight of the trip for Elizabeth. The highlight for me was doing the every day things with her such as going to the grocery store, cooking and watching the Olympics. Together we made some sweet and sour chicken that she declared to be "Very Good!" I had to agree.
In the midst of all these events, Elizabeth gave me her impressions of the big city. The roads with all the signs and overpasses seemed very complicated. "I don't think I could every drive here. It doesn't make sense." As we got into the car after buying groceries she commented on how the store was full of people speaking other languages and wearing unusual clothing. The next day she told me how she would go to the grocery store with Mommy and find an item on her own. "I didn't do that yesterday. I stayed right next to you." I couldn't help but smile at her uncertainty in the unfamiliar surroundings. In the end she decided she was not a big city girl. That's just fine since she is glad to come visit me wherever I happen to be living. Besides, after all these years I'm still not sure I'm a big city girl either.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The North Shore
I've heard numerous references to the north shore during the two years I've lived in Minnesota. It seems to me that every lake has a north shore but I've learned that THE North Shore is Minnesotan for the north side of Lake Superior from Duluth to the Canadian border. I have been as far up the shore as Two Harbors (27 miles from Duluth) but according to Jan, my housemate, I have not lived unless I've gone at least as far as Grand Marais. So she planned a 4 day trip and off we went to explore THE North Shore and visit some of her friends who live in the area.
As we headed up the shore from Duluth, this girl from the prairie was thinking that all the trees along the road were blocking the view. I learned the beauty of the forest is most easily seen when you get out of the car and walk alongside one of the many rivers that drain into Lake Superior.
Most of our time was spent near Grand Marais. I wasn't sure what to expect since marais is a French word meaning swamp or marsh. But there was no swamp in sight. Instead we found a sleepy little town of 1300 that comes to life during the tourist season nestled on the edge of a harbor.
We arrived on the last day of Fisherman's Picnic, a yearly 4 day festival. Jan wasn't very interested in watching the parade but I was glad for the opportunity to compare this parade with a small town parade on the prairie. For the most part they are the same but there are some differences. Grand Marais ranks high enough to have a Shriner drum and bugle corps. (The school band sounded better.) The sheriff department had not only the usual squad car but also a boat. The Coast Guard also made an appearance. However, there was only one small tractor. After the parade we took a walk out along the pier and returned in time to get a glimpse of the fish tossing contest. I didn't see enough to understand how it worked but that is not something we do in Iowa.
We spent the night with some of Jan's friends and I learned that the North Shore is an area for those with the pioneer spirit. They told of their daughter's family who is homesteading a plot of land that is one mile beyond the end of the electrical grid and running water. They are currently living in a yurt with their two small boys and the husband is working on building a cabin before winter.
On the way home I asked Lorraine, a native of Duluth and soon to be the 3rd person in our household, what the South Shore was like. I was surprised to hear that she likes it better. There is plenty left to see on another trip.
As we headed up the shore from Duluth, this girl from the prairie was thinking that all the trees along the road were blocking the view. I learned the beauty of the forest is most easily seen when you get out of the car and walk alongside one of the many rivers that drain into Lake Superior.
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| The tranquil Temperance River that turns into a waterfall rushing through a deep gorge |
Most of our time was spent near Grand Marais. I wasn't sure what to expect since marais is a French word meaning swamp or marsh. But there was no swamp in sight. Instead we found a sleepy little town of 1300 that comes to life during the tourist season nestled on the edge of a harbor.
We arrived on the last day of Fisherman's Picnic, a yearly 4 day festival. Jan wasn't very interested in watching the parade but I was glad for the opportunity to compare this parade with a small town parade on the prairie. For the most part they are the same but there are some differences. Grand Marais ranks high enough to have a Shriner drum and bugle corps. (The school band sounded better.) The sheriff department had not only the usual squad car but also a boat. The Coast Guard also made an appearance. However, there was only one small tractor. After the parade we took a walk out along the pier and returned in time to get a glimpse of the fish tossing contest. I didn't see enough to understand how it worked but that is not something we do in Iowa.
We spent the night with some of Jan's friends and I learned that the North Shore is an area for those with the pioneer spirit. They told of their daughter's family who is homesteading a plot of land that is one mile beyond the end of the electrical grid and running water. They are currently living in a yurt with their two small boys and the husband is working on building a cabin before winter.
On the way home I asked Lorraine, a native of Duluth and soon to be the 3rd person in our household, what the South Shore was like. I was surprised to hear that she likes it better. There is plenty left to see on another trip.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Poultry judging at the county fair
It's been two years since I've been to a county fair and it is called the Osceola County Livestock Show rather than a fair. This past week I tagged along with some friends whose 15 year old son, Andrew, was showing some chickens. This spring they built a chicken coop and 30 or so chicks which have grown and begun laying eggs. It's been a great project for Andrew and now he had a chance to see how his chickens measured up with those of other 4-Hers in the county.
The judging began at 10:30 and finally finished at 3:00. None of us were expecting it to last quite that long but there were many breeds of chickens and age groups that kept the judge busy the whole time. I learned far more about chickens than I had anticipated. Andrew's 4-H entry was a pair of white egg-laying pullets. They looked very much like twins so it seemed he had a great chance. However the judge explained that his chickens had been laying eggs for a bit too long. Their legs and feet contain the pigment which gives the yolk it's yellow color so once they have been laying eggs for a month or so, they begin to look pale. Because of that, Andrew was 3rd. Once all the classes had been judged individually, the state lineup was decided. Andrew ended up 15th overall. The judge knew he was a first timer and told him he had done well and to be sure and come back next year. All week Andrew had been quite nervous but he had a big smile at the end of the day and I think he will be back next year with a stronger entry and more confidence to answer the judge's questions.
Between the times when Andrew was showing his chickens, I wandered around the rest of the fair. The exhibit buildings were filled with some good work. The baked goods looked wonderful and I thought it a shame that a whole blackberry pie was being wasted by sitting there for a week. The produce looked rather wilted from the heat but it had been judged the first day so it didn't really matter. There was some great food booths including a truck that sold only gluten-free fair food where I bought a bag of chocolate mini-donuts. Over in the horse barn I ran into two other families I know from church whose kids had entered horses. There were far more horses than back home but less livestock. In the swine barn I saw a pen of 3 sows with three early grade school aged children close by. The youngest boy (he looked to be 5 or 6) said all three of them were his and he preceded to kneel down and bury his head in the side of his favorite sow. It was obvious that he loved his pigs.
The judging began at 10:30 and finally finished at 3:00. None of us were expecting it to last quite that long but there were many breeds of chickens and age groups that kept the judge busy the whole time. I learned far more about chickens than I had anticipated. Andrew's 4-H entry was a pair of white egg-laying pullets. They looked very much like twins so it seemed he had a great chance. However the judge explained that his chickens had been laying eggs for a bit too long. Their legs and feet contain the pigment which gives the yolk it's yellow color so once they have been laying eggs for a month or so, they begin to look pale. Because of that, Andrew was 3rd. Once all the classes had been judged individually, the state lineup was decided. Andrew ended up 15th overall. The judge knew he was a first timer and told him he had done well and to be sure and come back next year. All week Andrew had been quite nervous but he had a big smile at the end of the day and I think he will be back next year with a stronger entry and more confidence to answer the judge's questions.
Between the times when Andrew was showing his chickens, I wandered around the rest of the fair. The exhibit buildings were filled with some good work. The baked goods looked wonderful and I thought it a shame that a whole blackberry pie was being wasted by sitting there for a week. The produce looked rather wilted from the heat but it had been judged the first day so it didn't really matter. There was some great food booths including a truck that sold only gluten-free fair food where I bought a bag of chocolate mini-donuts. Over in the horse barn I ran into two other families I know from church whose kids had entered horses. There were far more horses than back home but less livestock. In the swine barn I saw a pen of 3 sows with three early grade school aged children close by. The youngest boy (he looked to be 5 or 6) said all three of them were his and he preceded to kneel down and bury his head in the side of his favorite sow. It was obvious that he loved his pigs.
Friday, July 27, 2012
A Theater, a Field, and God's Sovereignty
I was on my way home from work when I heard the news that 12 people had died during the night as the result of gunshot wounds while sitting in a theater in Aurora, CO. The silver lining seemed to be that the police had first reported 14 dead but had revised the number down to 12. At that point not many details were known and I've done little to try and learn more. It struck too close to home. I can't help but think of 12 families going through what we did last November, the sleepless nights, the tears, the sense that none of what was happening was real, the decisions that had to be made, the questions... I hope they are also experiencing the support of extended family and their community with neighbors who rearrange their refrigerator to help keep all the food people bring, men who come with a bear hug because there are no words, and those who will sit and pray, not trying to give answers. And I know it won't be over for them in a couple of weeks even though the rest of the world will move on.
Petra's story is the only one I've read. She was in the theater that night. A bullet entered through her nose and went up through her brain stopping just before exiting her skull. Nobody survives trauma like that and if they do, they have severe brain damage. But Petra has a tiny "defect" like "a vein through marble" that winds it way through her brain. It so happens that the bullet followed that vein exactly, including its turns so it missed everything vital. Petra's pastor, writing the story, describes it as "God working ahead of time for a particular event in the future. It’s just like the God I follow to plan the route of a bullet through a brain long before Batman ever rises. Twenty-two years before."
It's a wonderful story of God's sovereign grace. But what does that say about the 12 who did die? Where was his preventive grace for them? And, to bring it closer to home, where was it on the afternoon of November 4th in an Iowa field? That question didn't actually come to my mind as I read that story. Instead it gave me comfort. As senseless as any event seems from our perspective, God is in control. He is working things out for the good of those who love him; he is reconciling all things to himself; there will be peace in the end.
One of the things Mom said to me shortly after John died was, "We have always said we believed in God's sovereignty. Now we get to live it." I have not lived it without pain and grief. I cannot pretend to understand. My brother's death still makes no sense. I read Job and the Psalms and I realize that I am not alone in my questions and confusion. I am thankful for God's grace and mercy that enables me trust him much as a child trusts her Daddy even when she doesn't understand what he is doing. I can trust because Jesus promises everything will be all right in the end. If it is not all right, it is not yet the end.
Petra's story is the only one I've read. She was in the theater that night. A bullet entered through her nose and went up through her brain stopping just before exiting her skull. Nobody survives trauma like that and if they do, they have severe brain damage. But Petra has a tiny "defect" like "a vein through marble" that winds it way through her brain. It so happens that the bullet followed that vein exactly, including its turns so it missed everything vital. Petra's pastor, writing the story, describes it as "God working ahead of time for a particular event in the future. It’s just like the God I follow to plan the route of a bullet through a brain long before Batman ever rises. Twenty-two years before."
It's a wonderful story of God's sovereign grace. But what does that say about the 12 who did die? Where was his preventive grace for them? And, to bring it closer to home, where was it on the afternoon of November 4th in an Iowa field? That question didn't actually come to my mind as I read that story. Instead it gave me comfort. As senseless as any event seems from our perspective, God is in control. He is working things out for the good of those who love him; he is reconciling all things to himself; there will be peace in the end.
One of the things Mom said to me shortly after John died was, "We have always said we believed in God's sovereignty. Now we get to live it." I have not lived it without pain and grief. I cannot pretend to understand. My brother's death still makes no sense. I read Job and the Psalms and I realize that I am not alone in my questions and confusion. I am thankful for God's grace and mercy that enables me trust him much as a child trusts her Daddy even when she doesn't understand what he is doing. I can trust because Jesus promises everything will be all right in the end. If it is not all right, it is not yet the end.
Monday, July 16, 2012
I've written a few times about a family in France who adopted me as Aunt Alice over 20 years ago. As most international families, they are scattered around the world and it's been several years since they were all together. Greg is married and lives in Dallas with their 1 year old son. Heather and her husband from Tahiti live in Minot ND. Geoffrey and his bride live in France and Jeremy, the youngest who just received his baccalaureate (i.e. finished French high school) still lives with Mom and Dad in France. All 10 of them gathered for several days of fun at Grandpa's house on the lake. The blessing for me is that Grandpa lives about an hour away from the Twin Cities so I was able to join them for a day.
None of what we did together really makes for a very good story. We just ate too much, took a snooze on the couch, told stories, were completely entertained by a one year old who can't talk, dropped Greg and his family off at the airport, spent several hours at the Mall of America where the main attraction was a few rides in Nickelodeon Universe. Then we ate some more with at least 3 conversations going on at once around the table. It was just an ordinary day (except for Jeremy getting sick from a lack of sleep combined with a Red Bull and too many amusement park rides). Yet I thoroughly enjoyed it and willingly stayed up past my bedtime to make it last a bit longer. Sometimes it's good to just catch up with what is happening in the lives of those we love, to hear where progress has been made and of future plans and dreams. I am currently in a situation where I'm meeting lots of new people and it was wonderful to spend a day with friends with a long history and nothing needs to be explained.
None of what we did together really makes for a very good story. We just ate too much, took a snooze on the couch, told stories, were completely entertained by a one year old who can't talk, dropped Greg and his family off at the airport, spent several hours at the Mall of America where the main attraction was a few rides in Nickelodeon Universe. Then we ate some more with at least 3 conversations going on at once around the table. It was just an ordinary day (except for Jeremy getting sick from a lack of sleep combined with a Red Bull and too many amusement park rides). Yet I thoroughly enjoyed it and willingly stayed up past my bedtime to make it last a bit longer. Sometimes it's good to just catch up with what is happening in the lives of those we love, to hear where progress has been made and of future plans and dreams. I am currently in a situation where I'm meeting lots of new people and it was wonderful to spend a day with friends with a long history and nothing needs to be explained.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Reading to Audrey
For the last couple of months I've been volunteering at a nearby nursing home. I was matched up with Audrey (not her real name), a 97 year old woman who is in bed all the time except for the evening meal. She wasn't very talkative at the beginning. My questions seemed to frustrate her. When I found she played the piano I tried to find out what kind of music she had played but she didn't remember. My question about who her favorite authors were was met with a similar response as if I was making her think too hard. The 2nd or 3rd time I stopped to visit she asked if I would read to her. I was glad to so I started in on a book chosen by her daughter. We are nearing the end of that book and have settled into a routine. I try to get there around 4 on Tuesday afternoon when she is awake after a nap. I ask how she is to which she usually responds, "Oh, about the same." I tell her a bit about my week and she usually remembers what I have told her before. Soon she asks if I'm going to read so I get the book and read until someone comes to get her up for dinner.
Once I thought Audrey had fallen asleep so I stopped reading. Her eyes popped open and she told me she was listening even though her eyes were closed. A few weeks ago she really did fall asleep as there was no response when I reached the end of a chapter. A few minutes later she woke up and felt bad for falling asleep. I asked her what was the last thing she remembered and picked it up from there. That reassured me that she really was listening and understanding. Since she is rather hard of hearing sometimes when we are talking she asks me to repeat something several times. Though she has never stopped me when I'm reading, I've wondered how much she actually understands. That little episode told me that she is at least getting the gist of the story.
This past week she declared that it was too hot to read. She'd fall asleep for sure. It was warmer in her room than usual and we discovered later that the AC had been turned off on her side of the room. Instead of reading we watched a TV game show and then the news together. She always has her TV on mute but her roommate on the other side of the curtain had hers tuned to the same channel so I could hear what was going on and fill in some of the details for Audrey.
Once I thought Audrey had fallen asleep so I stopped reading. Her eyes popped open and she told me she was listening even though her eyes were closed. A few weeks ago she really did fall asleep as there was no response when I reached the end of a chapter. A few minutes later she woke up and felt bad for falling asleep. I asked her what was the last thing she remembered and picked it up from there. That reassured me that she really was listening and understanding. Since she is rather hard of hearing sometimes when we are talking she asks me to repeat something several times. Though she has never stopped me when I'm reading, I've wondered how much she actually understands. That little episode told me that she is at least getting the gist of the story.
This past week she declared that it was too hot to read. She'd fall asleep for sure. It was warmer in her room than usual and we discovered later that the AC had been turned off on her side of the room. Instead of reading we watched a TV game show and then the news together. She always has her TV on mute but her roommate on the other side of the curtain had hers tuned to the same channel so I could hear what was going on and fill in some of the details for Audrey.
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