Pittsburgh

I have arrived! Now if only the rest of my stuff would come. (Please note: don’t use Uhaul to move anything! I have moved 16 times, which is about every two years, and never have I had such a stressful experience trying to get my things anywhere! Half the people I talk to there don’t even know what to tell me. So, I repeat, never use Uhaul!)

Well, Pittsburgh is a little different from where I just came from. Okay, quite a bit different. Up and down hills, around winding roads, cars and traffic lights everywhere. And the roads are so confusing. I’m trying to pay close attention wherever I go so I can learn my away around, but they simply don’t make a lot of sense. Tall skyscrapers, houses piled up together in neighborhoods. Not anything like Upsala, Minnesota. But I’m sure I’ll settle in in time After all, the East is much more my turf.

I admit I am more than a little bit out of my comfort zone. What I wouldn’t give just to go to work today, know what I’m doing and succeed in it. Instead, I’m sitting at a Laundromat not exactly sure how this little world operates and getting perturbed at how much it costs to do laundry. (Washer and dryer are on the top of my list of things to get!) I met more new people yesterday at church and Bible study than I can remember, and that is definitely outside my comfort level. Especially when they start talking about my wedding as if I’m not in the room, making changes when I’ve already settled on everything and the programs are printed. I just managed not to break down into tears. Trying to wrap my mind around a wedding, being a wife, establishing a new home and finding a job is simply not happening. I feel a little lost, going through my to-do list mechanically because it’s what I need to do and feeling quite exhausted. Still waiting for that excitement everyone talks about to set it…

But I am glad my mom is here, giving me something steady and helping me get things done. And it is nice to have Ed come and go from our new place, ready to help and promising me everything will be all right. (Not sure I believe him half the time, but it is nice to hear.) Most of all, I know my God has not left me. He remains unchanging. He will get my stuff to Pittsburgh. He will put together all these pieces. And, I pray, He will give me some excitement over these changes. At least as much excitement as I ever have!

A Stop at Home

It has been wonderful to be home the last few days. I left Minnesota early Tuesday morning, driving through some spots of fierce rain to get to Minneapolis where I picked up my mother at the airport. We then headed southeast towards Indiana. The Midwest is never very fascinating to drive through. I got a bit of offensive driving practice in Chicago, trying to re-hone my skills now that I’m heading back east to a big city. And saw what my mom calls the “graveyard of windmills”. Just north of my parent’s, fields and fields and miles of fields have windmills standing up in them, surely enough to empower the entire state of Indiana. But, apparently, they are hardly ever used. An example of our government at work.

At home I have been busy. Dress fittings, packing up all the wedding gifts and wedding/reception décor and such, cleaning out the attic. I spent a couple of hours up there this morning, throwing stuff away that I shall never use again. I almost cut my box count in half. I mean, there’s just no way to get rid of books. But I sure did throw away a lot of other things! Of course, I think I’ve gained just as much through wedding gifts. So, I haven’t really made any headway.

Otherwise, I’ve just been enjoying time with my family. There’s nothing quite as amusing as grocery shopping with Mom, Caleb and Jenny. I was given a few pointers by Caleb on how to sneak things into the cart so Mom never knows. (Or so he thinks.) Of course, we had great fun washing and waxing my car, followed by Jenny’s car. Jenny was the only one who ended up completely drenched. (Which you can witness on Facebook.) Last night we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows over the fire. Mom, Dad, Jenny and I played Cornhole. (Jenny and I let the old people win.) And Mom made me homemade mocha ice cream. Maybe not a good thing to be eating just before I get married, but I never get home when it’s warm enough for ice cream. So there.

Tomorrow, Mom and I will load my car up to the hilt and drive to Pittsburgh where Ed is counting down the hours. The next chapter. Very exciting…a little scary.

My Minnesota Friends

My time in Minnesota has been short – just over fifteen months. But the Lord has blessed me here in so many ways, something He has reminded me of often over this past week!

On Tuesday, the staff at Camp Lebanon had a potluck to “celebrate” my departure. I have been very blessed to be a part of this ministry and the wonderful team the Lord has brought here. I’m not sure I added to the ministry as much as I received, although I seem to be quite renowned for my efficiency. But I shall never forget the people here. And in case I should ever be tempted to, I have only to pull out the gifts they gave me: ironing board, iron and ironing board cover. An ideal gift. Why? Well, I’m sure there are not many people in this world who have experienced aching fingers from tying ironing board covers on the ironing boards for quilters.

Let me explain: the ironing boards we use are actually very narrow tables, about 18 inches by five feet, placed in special holders Phil made so they are higher than your waist. Each one is padded, but they have to be covered with sheets of cotton. The corners of these have to be tied tightly at each end of the board. And, sometimes, the two corners meet only enough to manage a tiny knot. This has to be done between every quilt retreat – so four or five times each quilt season. And there are around twenty-five of those to do. When you’re finished you have very sore fingers! Something I will remember and smile at every time I take out my ironing board to iron Ed’s shirts. J

Not only have I been very blessed at camp, but I have also been blessed at my church. Because I’m a New Englander by birth, it does take me a year or more to truly warm up. Add that to driving 45 minutes and having to duck out as soon as church is over during the entire summer to get to camp; I am just getting to know the people at church. At yet so many said good-bye and asked if I could send pictures of the wedding. Two families gave Ed and I a gift. And I also spent the afternoon with the Carlsons, a vey special treasure God has given me during my time here, especially as I think ahead of my own marriage.

You see, Mr. and Mrs. Carlson have been married for 60 years. He just turned 84 and she just turned 81. They have three living daughters and I’m not sure how many grandchildren or great-grandchildren. I have seen pictures of their wedding, heard stories of their families (he’s one of eight, she’s one of eleven) and enjoyed their fellowship more than words can express. They have so much wisdom and life is simply the path to Heaven for them. One Sunday afternoon when we spoke of how married couple today have but one goal (happiness) or they’ll split up, Mr. Carlson turned to his wife and asked, “Have you been happy?” Mrs. Carlson shrugged her little shoulders, “Of course. I can’t think of a time when I haven’t been.” And yet I know only their integrity prevented a file for bankruptcy once, they’ve lost one daughter to cancer and now they’re aging bodies are slowing and aching. And yet there’s never been a time when they weren’t happy!

I have also been blessed in the place where I live. It’s a small apartment complex and while everyone living there doesn’t know Christ, they are wonderful neighbors. They stop and chat, shovel snow from the front of my garage and I always enjoy the kids. As I was loading my car, one of the ladies from the other side of the building stopped to ask about my move. She’s older, probably near 80 since she just had her first great-grandchild, and she was quite happy to hear I was getting married. She told me she was going to go find me a gift. I told her she didn’t have to do that, but off she went. And returned with an unopened 14-piece Pyrex set she insisted on giving me. I truly didn’t know what to say, but I will surely think of her every time I use it.

I have wondered often over the past week if I have given even half as much as I have received since coming to Minnesota. I truly doubt it. But I hope the Lord has used me…and will continue to as I pray for those I have met here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Of Preparing, Packing and Pelicans

As I sit on the floor of 95% empty apartment, reality is slowly taking hold. All of my stuff is packed. Most of it is on it’s way to Pittsburgh. Today is my last day at work. I am saying my good-byes. I think surreal would be a good word to describe it.

Lots of preparation over the past few months has gone into getting to this week. Getting boxes from work, calling U-haul a dozen times trying to get everything in order, making sure my things are separated into three categories: going to Pittsburgh, going with me, not leaving my sight because I need it for the wedding. Who knew that a lifetime full of moving every two years would prepare me for this day. Move number 16.

Packing is second nature to me. It’s oddly comforting to sit in a room full of boxes that contain most of my earthly belongings. And I’ve been doing that for two weeks. I started packing a couple of weekends ago and finished this past weekend. It wasn’t a lot of trouble, really. I always enjoy getting rid of things. My stress came in trying to determine if everything would fit in the U-box I had rented. I have a terrible time reading dimensions or distances. I went back and forth for days: yes, it will fit/no, it won’t fit. I thought about it most of Tuesday night after my assistant pastor graciously towed the thing up to my apartment for me. The next morning, several people from camp showed up to help me get it all in. And thanks to Aaron’s years of working at Fed Ex…it all fit!!!! He took it back to St Cloud for me, and it is now on it’s way to Pittsburgh. Relief!

I guess if I had known I would get it packed and shipped so early (so that it will actually get there before or not long after I get to Pittsburgh), I would have planned on leaving Minnesota earlier. But I have my fridge to clean out, more than enough clothes with me and since camp just replaced all the mattresses in the cabins, I hauled a couple over to my apartment to sleep on. My kind of camping: indoor plumbing!

So, everything is headed to Pittsburgh. I received confirmation that my address has been changed by the USPS and my mail is being forwarded to Pittsburgh. And on Tuesday, I start heading that direction myself. Yep, I guess I really am getting married.

But while I’m leaving Minnesota, a whole squadron of pelicans has moved in. I don’t use the word “squadron” because there’s so many of them but because that’s what you call a group of them. And they’ve taken up residence on the beaver dam at camp. It’s pretty amazing to see them all roosted on top of the dam, napping until it’s time to swim or fly off to eat or go to their permanent nests for the evening. There’s about twenty of them, more than I’ve ever seen at once. And while we’ve been enjoying them, I’m not sure what the beavers think. I don’t know if I’d like twenty huge, white birds sitting on my roof, but maybe they’re charging rent!