Done Waiting

About 3 Sundays ago while I was leaving the sanctuary, Andrea told me that she was thinking about me when she wrote her section for the October Bulletin.

That made me a bit nervous. Was there some particular message that I in particular needed to hear?

This Sunday the new Bulletin came out. I read Andrea’s section with more than my usual amount of anticipation.

A Note from Pastor Andrea

October Blessings!!

I have been doing a lot of reflecting this past month on ways in which we can as a church grow as one community. I have been thinking about ways in which we can get involved not only by our giving but also through our talents.

So, I thought that for the month of October we as a church could reflect on the “God Moments” in our lives. First, find a photo from this summer or fall that shows you “God Moment”. It could be a scenery picture, it could be a family photo, a child’s photo, any type of picture that you have taken of something you did or saw. Secondly, I would like for you to write a short blurb explaining your special “God moment”. Bring your photo and blurb to the office and we will display them around the church as a way for us to share with one another not only our talents in photography but also to share the way that we have seen God in our everyday lives!! The question I want you to answer is, “How have I seen God working in my life?”

I think those of you that attended my Sermon Interview a few months back will know why she was thinking about me when she wrote this section of her Note.

As it turns out, it was nothing to worry about. I’ve even offered to help out with this project. I think it is a brilliant idea. I hope people choose to participate.

St. Elmo’s Fire

There was an article about Willy and his running ways in the Boone News Republican on Friday.



Because of the weird way that they printed the article, I couldn’t scan the whole thing in one scan.

For reasons I can’t quite figure out, the Boone News Republican (maybe they are busy getting ready to cover the big nudie bar town meeting tonight) didn’t post this article on their website. So if you combine the scan above with the scan below, you can get the whole article.



Somewhere and someplace, John Parr is smiling.

Growin’ up, you don’t see the writing on the wall
Passin’ by, movin’ straight ahead, you knew it all
But maybe sometime if you feel the pain
You’ll find you’re all alone, everything has changed
Play the game, you know you can’t quit until it’s won
Soldier on, only you can do what must be done
You know in some way you’re a lot like me
You’re just a prisoner and you’re tryin’ to break free

My Saturday (Volume 1)

My big plan for Saturday was to journey down to Des Moines to watch Jen compete in the Des Moines Regatta. I have never been to such an event, so it was going to be a new experience.

I started my day by going to Ames to drop off a roll of real black and white film at Walden Photo. It seems to be more and more difficult to find a place to get real black and white film developed. I think it is down to Walden Photo and Pyle in Ames. I took this roll of film to Walden Photo. We’ll see how that turns out.

While I was downtown I stopped at the Downtown Farmer’s Market briefly to talk to Shannon. She was making soap there. While I was there I picked up a jar of jalapeno jelly. I already have about 6 or 7 jars of jelly that I don’t eat because I don’t eat breakfast, but I have high hopes that I will use this jelly on crackers.

I met Jay back in Boone and we headed down to Des Moines to meet Sara and Derrick for lunch. We ate at the Hessen Haus. It was somewhat of a disappointment. Fortunately, due to the poorness of the Hessen Haus, a plan was hatched for a future FNSC. That is exciting!

After watching Iowa lose to Northwestern, we hopped into the Mustang convertible that was being used as our form of conveyance and went to Prospect Park to watch the Des Moines Regatta.


Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Once we got to the park, we had a brief wait on some rocks for Jen’s team to come up the river.


Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

It didn’t take long for us to see Jen’s boat come around the bend.


Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

Des Moines Regatta - 2008

I’m not going to try to using rowing lingo, but one of the members of the team missed the regatta because before they were supposed to get into the water, their knee was run over by a van. They had a member from the ISU rowing crew sit in with them.

Back in the Saddle

On Thursday night I returned to the movie theater for the first time since I can remember. It has been at least a month, maybe two. Nader and I went to see Burn After Reading. It was the first movie the Coen brothers have made since their Academy Award winner for Best Picture: No Country for Old Men.

I would have to say that it was an extremely large disappointment. The Coen brothers have a history of being kind of hit and miss, but this was quite the miss. I can’t remember this large of a dropoff after a Best Picture win since Clint Eastwood went from Unforgiven (one of the greatest Westerns ever) to A Perfect World (flat out one of the worst movies ever made).

Even though Burn After Reading wasn’t particularly funny or interesting and it was rather depressing that Frances McDormand’s character never got her comeuppance for her shallow behavior, the previews before the movie reminded me of why I love this time of year.

Gone from the movie theaters are the loud, obnoxious, boring and mildly retarded Summer blockbusters. Finally the theaters will start to get interesting and provocative movies. It is the best time of the year to drag yourself off your couch or wherever else you plop yourself when you get home, and plop yourself into a theater seat. It is a season to remind you that people are still trying to infuse art into movies. That there are people out there that are trying to express themselves through movies. That there are people out there still taking risks with movies. That there are still people out there trying to say things with movies. That there are people out there still making movies that matter. Sometimes this is easy to forget when every weekend during the summer is a new comic book movie that complete with a collector’s cup from Burger King.

AKA Movies that aren’t filled with shiny things to entertain the stupid people.

The movie that I’m excited to see this week is The Lucky Ones. It is playing at the Varsity, so I will be making a trip there this week to check out this movie.

Check out the trailer:


VIDEO DELETED

I do have to enjoy The Varsity while it is still around. Rumor has it that they are going to try and close it down by the end of the year.

Happy Birthday Mom!

I thought I would celebrate my Mom’s birthday by posting some pictures of her from the 1970s.


Mom
I think that might be our old milk truck in the background!

Mom
With the best child.

Mom
With the middle child.

Mom
Out at McHose Park.

Mom
Out at the old house on W. 15th Street.

Mom
On King.

Mom
Doing something to a bird.

Mom
On a tractor.

Mom
On W. 15th Street.

Mom
Swanky lawn ornaments, At least I don’t think that is really Quakers.

Mom
Doing Dishes.

Mom
With Grandma Bennett. Perhaps the only known picture in existence of Mom drinking.*

Mom
Christmas with Dad, Carla and Teresa

Mom
With the eldest child.

While I was going through this album I found a picture of our crazy old neighbor lady that wanted to push me down a well. I’ll have to post her picture in the future.

* I also considered: “I’m Teresa – Look at me! I have to force my way into the picture!”

First Meet

Alexis had her first gymnastics meet on Sunday. She totally ripped it up. Just look at all the precious metal she brought back with her from that other side of the state.


Alexis the Gymnast
I don’t know how she can even stand up!

This is how she did:

  • 6th on Floor
  • 3rd on Vault
  • 3rd on Beam
  • 1st on Bars
  • 3rd in All-Around

I’m glad that she got all of this athletic ability from the Bennett side of the family.

Her next meet is in Chow’s gym AKA where Shawn Johnson trains. That should be a pretty incredible experience.

New Sales Record

On Sunday I went down to Hy-Vee Hall to help man the Little White Lye Soap booth at The Women’s Life Expo.


Women's Life Expo>
The Women’s Life Expo

Women's Life Expo
Little White Lye Soap Booth

Before Sunday I had helped Shannon set her 1 day sales record at the Webster City Farmer’s Market.

After 1 day of the Expo, the record still stood.

Then came Sunday. We managed to shatter the record into a trillion pieces. Now I can’t take full credit for the record being shattered. I only talked to a handful of customer’s and none of them actually bought any soap, but I must be bringing something to the team. I have helped break the record twice. It must be something intangible. Something that you can’t quite place a finger on. Because of its ethereal nature, it can’t be replicated. I wish there was a word for it.

For reasons that are not clear to me, this new sales record is also shared with Becky. She wasn’t even in the building. Something to do with merchandising. That is okay, I guess, I can share the glory. As long as my name goes on the Sales Record Plaque first.

Don’t forget that if you are running low on Little White Lye Soap, you can pick some up at the Ames Downtown Farmer’s Market this Saturday. My understanding is that there will be a soapmaking demonstration going on. You’ll regret missing that.

1928

On Saturday night we celebrated Doris’ 80th birthday with a birthday dinner. Not to be mistaken with a birthday party.

It was a good time and it was the first time I had seen Janice and Mary Beth in quite some time.

Janice gave me this cool sticker:


Wildlife Against Palin

I just need to find a good home for it.

Dear, Beloved, Precious

My Aunt Linda is renting out her acreage. This has caused her to get rid of some of the things in the acreage. I benefited from this downsizing by getting a sweet new table.


09-21-08
Aunt Linda

So I got Steve and Jesse together and we drove over to the acreage and picked up the sweet table.


09-21-08
Steve and Jesse

When we got back to Steve’s house he showed me the zucchini that had grown “too large” in his garden and now he is going to allow them to rot.


09-21-08
Too Beaucoup

Apparently Steve feels like when zucchini gets too large the seeds become too hard and Steve doesn’t like hard zucchini seeds. I think this makes him soft.


09-21-08
Whatever Jesse does disappoints Steve

So I bid a fond adieu to Steve and Jesse.


09-21-08
Random picture of Steve’s flowers

I went home to admire my new table.


09-21-08
The Sweetness

I’m very excited about this table. It is going to make an awesome workspace table some day. It will be perfect for painting, matting and cutting. Plus it has a drawer! The drawer is super long.

Yes I know that nobody else is as excited about this table as I am, but those of you that don’t see the greatness of this table can bugger off!