Pigeons: Saluting & Otherwise

Wow. It's been a long time. Here are a few highlights:

1. I finished a 6-week painting job at Theatre Cedar Rapids for "the Producers." It was fantastic. I think the biggest accomplishment in my career to date. Joe & I and my parents, brother & his girlfriend, Jess, Grandparents, & Aunt Mary & Uncle Andy went to see it last night. Fabulous. But a little racy, so take your party pants ready for some action.

2. My friend, Leanna, is about to have a baby any second now. She could be having a baby right now, who knows?! Congrats, Luke and Lee, I'm really excited for your little girl.

3. I was asked to go back to North Dakota to work at the Medora Musical again, and yessirree, I'm a' goin'! Yee Haw!!

4. oh yeah, I'll explain the Nazi pigeons: they were props for "Producers." Dancing, saluting Nazi pigeons. Funny. But so much fun to make. I have postpartum depression, I think. I had to give them over to the actors.

5. The "Otherwise" pigeon? Joe and I needed a vacation. So we planned a trip a few weeks out, and went on a 12 hour drive to Tennessee (near Pigeon Forge). It was A. Ma. Zing. The trip included: Four nights in a cabin in the mountains; hot tubbing; playing pool and air hockey; watching the olympics; more hot tubbing; seeing Smoky Mountains National Park; playing pool; Playing monopoly and getting addicted so that we had to stop at a Wal Mart on our way home and buy it so we could play it that night; and seeing Gatlinburg and taking lots of pictures. It was fun.

6. Joe and I have found a church that we both really really love. the people there are already like a family to us. We've had dinner at people's houses a bunch of times, been out to eat with others, I'm helping lead worship, which is really pretty fun and low-pressure (thank goodness!). But most of all we just love how welcoming the people there are. They don't care who you are, if you're in the building, they want to meet you and shake your hand and welcome you into their family. they are truly wonderful, Christlike people. God's love is so evident, as soon as we walk through the doors. We love it and we have been so blessed.

7. We did buy the orange chair from eighteen centuries ago, I'm sure you were all still dying of suspense. It is now Joe's throne. Right next to his candy jar.

8. I listened to a book on CD (leftover from our road trip) entitled The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and it was, in my opinion, really great. Set in Post-WWII England, it has great characters, written all in letter form (except for a bit when it switches to a diary). I liked it a lot a lot. If you're looking for a book that reads like a classic, but without the heady language, here you are.

And just a personal note: Joe and I are doing really well. He's going to Argentina soon for work for 1-2 weeks, and he's excited about that. I'm helping at the animal shelter in town just a bit, walking dogs, etc... it's pretty fun. So there you have it. You have officially been updated.