6.29.2009

A Perfect Sunday

Yesterday was perfect.

It began, actually, Saturday night, when, on a whim, we answered a Craigslist ad for a bicycle and drove up to Skokie to check it out. I've been in the market for a bicycle for a little while now, and after getting frustrated with how expensive new bicycles are, I started browsing Craiglist. It turned out that the bike we went to see was absolutely perfect for me. It's a Giant Sedona that was originally purchased a couple years ago but was never ridden. Everything on the bike was in near-perfect condition, the frame size was perfect for my height, and I loved the feel of it as I rode it around the block to test it out. It even came with a brand new helmet! So I now am a proud bike-owner.

Yesterday morning, I awoke to a blissfully breezy and cool morning, a refreshing change from the 95 degree humid days we experienced for much of last week. I went off to our summertime early-morning worship in the woods, and then to church for our two regular Sunday services. It was my week to preach, and despite having severe writer's block last week while working on it, it went over quite well, much better than I would have ever expected.

I left church just before lunchtime, walking outside into the blue sky, the warm (but not too hot!) sun, and the wonderful breeze. Matt and I ate some lunch, watched some of the Cubs game, and then headed out on an inaugural bike ride along the paths near our apartment. We rode what felt like a significant distance (it wasn't), rode through parks we didn't know existed, and stopped for a break at a large park with a gorgeous disc golf course (Matt is excited to try it out someday soon!). On our way home, we grabbed an orange slurpee at a nearby 7-11 (one of my guilty pleasures), and sat under a tree, enjoying the weather and one another's company.

When we got home, we took quick showers and then headed to my parents' house for our traditional Sunday night pizza get-together. My family always had pizza on Sunday nights, and even after all of us kids left home, my parents continued the tradition. Now that Matt and I are in the area, we get together with them every week for pizza and for good family time!

As if my day of good church, bike-riding, and pizza with the family weren't enough, my dad recently purchased a firepit for the deck, and was itching to try it out with all of us. So after pizza, we all went outside into the wonderfully cool evening, sat around the fire, and yes, roasted marshmallows for s'mores. S'mores are one of my other guilty pleasures!

Sundays like this certainly help propel you into good Mondays....

It's been a productive Monday thus far, finalizing plans for our high school day trip into Chicago tomorrow (Yay! The city!!!) and finalizing ordination details. Truth be told, however, that as I finish sending off invitations and look at the various groups of people in my life who are represented by those invitations, I find myself in a "missing people" mood. It's not a bad mood, just a sentimental one. I miss my friends from high school and college and seminary who I don't see that often. I miss my church family from St. Paul, and I miss all of my Trinity friends from internship. I miss the people that I worked with this past fall/winter. It makes me feel so blessed to know what wonderful people have and continue to be a part of my life !

The only other major task for me today has been to start the process of gathering quotes from different car dealerships...yes, Matt and I are in the market for a new car. My trusty (if not quirky) car has finally hit the point where its necessary repairs cost far more than they are worth, given the car's age and mileage. It's exciting to think about a new car, but it's terrible at the same time. We don't exactly have any money to buy a car, and cars are expensive, and it's a pain to have to try to decide what we want, where we want to buy it, and how much we can spend. But in the end, it will be worth it!

I think it's the sugar from the s'mores that has helped me get through today so smoothly (thus far). They have magic powers, I swear...

2 comments:

  1. It's so nice to hear how things are going in your everyday life. Your gift for writing shows up in your regular posts and your sermons. If you'd be interested in catching up face-to-face some time, let me know. (I can't remember if I've said that before or only meant to. Sorry.)

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  2. I'd just recommend that you don't buy a "new" new car. If you buy something that's two or three years old then it's still in great shape but you'll pay a lot less.

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