Pictures, because people worry about me

Hello, Friends and Family, especially those at a distance.  

We have just gotten back to Minnesota.  Two weekends ago was our last foreseeable journey to the West Coast, at least for now.  Seth is successfully ordained.  He will be installed this Sunday.  This week is Thanksgiving (and I am cooking a whole turkey by myself for the first time). Advent is coming around the corner.  And snow is falling as we speak.  The all-knowing weather people anticipate 6 to 12 inches.   

It's going to be a fun week.  

Now, lest my west coast friends and family worry, none of our neighbors seem to be worried about our coming snowstorm, all though there are allowances being made for scheduled events.  "Weather permitting" has now entered the general vocabulary, and it sounds like it will stay there until spring.  We just went to Costco this past Saturday, so our cupboards are full.  As long as the pipes don't freeze, we should be fine.  

This is the living room, complete with new couch.  

Can you think of a more cozy way to watch snow falling?  

Seriously, I love watching falling snow.  Even in February, when the snow on the ground looks like chunks of funky oreos, and everyone just wants to see grass, I love to watch snow fall.  I just don't like it to stick at that point.  And when watching it from inside a cozy house with a big bay window, how can I go wrong?   The church is across the street, and we don't have to fly anywhere, or be delayed in an airport for 5 extra hours or drive all the way across the state of Minnesota until July at least.  So we're good.  No worries.  

The most popular question I got when we were back west was, "I bet you're going to be glad when this is done, aren't you?"  The answer to that is yes.  There are good reasons for all the processes of ordination.  The church needs to know that her ministers take their callings seriously and are prepared to execute that calling.  All well and good.  Still, we are glad the process is over:  4 years of classes, two internships, three episodes of moving house. two fouled up flights, and a lot of prayer later, we are glad to have a place to put down some roots.  My mom told me, "You look tired, Jenn.  It's time for you to start building your home." 

The second most popular question was, "You have a house, right?" to which I assured everybody that yes, we have a house and promised to post pictures.  It's a parsonage.  The church remodeled it after their last pastor left, and so we walked in to 

a big open floor plan, 

new cabinets

and vinyl that looks remarkably like wood. 

 As you can see, we already have our wall hangings up and books stowed.  In fact, for the first time in several years, we have unpacked all of our books and actually made room for them.  It helps that Seth has an office now to hold all his books from seminary.  That cleared up a bookshelf and a half all in itself.

In addition to an office, we have also gained the following:

 1. a spare room, which we have never had before.  In previous houses, our guests have had to use a) a futon in the Livingroom, b) a futon in the basement/piano desk room, c) a mattress in the tv room (because the futon finally broke), and d) an actual bed in the basement.  Now if you come to visit we can put you on an actual bed in an actual room with a closet, a window, and a door, and it's right across from the bathroom.   I don't think we've ever had all of those things in one place at once before.

 2.  more than one bathroom. In the seven dwellings that Seth and I have had since we got married, we have twice had more than one toilet available to us and our guests. Now we have three to offer, 

one in the main living quarters

 

one by the back door, as is tradition in country houses,

and one downstairs near the two extra bedrooms.  

 This has been an adjustment for our family.  We have had to get used to the fact that we have another option if someone else has gotten to the main bathroom ahead of us.

3.  a lovely deck which is just aching  for a grill and patio set.  We have the grill.  Seth bought it yesterday and brought it home in a blizzard.  The patio set will wait.

 4. and an attached garage.  But I'm not going to post pictures of that.  It's a garage.

The basement is not completely set up yet.  It is still ridden with cardboard and half-assembled furniture.  There's nothing on the walls.  So not pictures of that either.  All in good time.  

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.  Stay warm and dry and remember how much you have been blessed in the past year.