The World is Our Parish

Our Blog Has Moved to...

2009-06-11T17:31:00.003-05:00

Our blog has moved to this address: http://www.alkula.blogspot.com/ .

Parsonage Connection Retreat This Weekend!

2009-04-26T00:07:00.007-05:00

God be praised for a WONDERFUL retreat this weekend! The Parsonage Connection (PC) met at Camp Comeca for an amazingly relaxing and supportive and FUN PC retreat Friday night and Saturday morning!

The PC is a group of men and women married to United Methodist clergy, currently appointed, on leave or retired. Our retreat focus was understanding the grief journey. We all experience grief throughout our lives. This year, our presentation was about how to heal from grief by understanding the grief journey.

Our presenter was Jacque Amweg, a clinical social worker who has worked at Great Plains Hospice in North Platte for nine years as a bereavement coordinator and social worker. She coordinates bereavement services for the hospice program and facilitates grief support groups and classes.

The information Jacque shared with us was so very illuminating! And, of course, the fellowship was awesome!

Snowbound Today!

2009-04-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

Here's Pastor Charles hard at work, digging us out of a snowbound parsonage. Whoa: That's a lot of snow!

Hip-Hop Dance Routine at Tonight's Basketball Game

2009-02-18T00:50:00.005-05:00

The local dance troupe performed at the halftime of a basketball game in Sidney, Nebraska, tonight. They were great!

Basketball Game Tonight

2009-02-17T23:59:00.004-05:00

It was fun to go to a basketball game tonight at the Sidney High School! What energy was there!

A Snowy Day in Sidney!

2009-02-13T14:32:00.006-05:00

Charles had a real workout this morning clearning our very long driveway at the parsonage!

Praise God for a wonderful husband who is so handy around the house!

This week at the Five-day Academy

2009-02-11T00:05:00.003-05:00

All this week, Charles and Belinda are attending the Five-day Academy for Spiritual Formation at the Benedictine Retreat Center in Schuyler, Nebraska. Schuyler is about six hours east of Sidney.

Please visit the church blog to see what we're doing!

More Visitor Cats Pictures from the Parsonage!

2009-02-02T16:09:00.008-05:00

Both Karl and Dietrick stayed busy at the parsonage this last week, standing guard! After awhile, they would get some "cat naps," of course! They do most everything together. They make a great team!

Charles trimmed their nails... a job that needed to be done, even though they did NOT want to undergo the procedure. Finally it was over, and they got some extra nibbles to make up for the inconvenience!

Karl the Cat is More Aloof!

2009-01-29T01:28:00.005-05:00

Karl the Cat much prefers hanging out ... on a kitchen chair in the breakfast nook, soaking up some sun ... or nuzzled into a corner of the blue chair in the living room.

Dietrick and the Recliner

2009-01-29T01:22:00.004-05:00

Dietrick the Cat loves to hang out ... on, in and under the recliner! It's all good for him!

SPAM in Email Accounts Just Too Much!

2009-01-29T01:16:00.004-05:00

Dietrick the Cat does NOT like having to deal with SPAM in a computer email account! He wonders, "what is a cat to do?" Belinda helped him delete it all!

Brrrrrrrrrr.... It was SO Cold Today!

2009-01-27T00:11:00.002-05:00

Today was a very cold snowy day! It was wonderful to stay inside today!

Visitors to the Parsonage This Week

2009-01-27T00:02:00.002-05:00

We are entertaining Karl and Dietrick Ronge this week at the parsonage. They are most agreeable houseguests! Aren't they cute?!

Leyton Girls Basketball Team Wins Tonight by One Point!

2009-01-25T00:00:00.005-05:00

We had a great time at the basketball tournament at our local high school tonight!

The last game we saw was an action-packed game resulting in the Leyton girls basketball team winning by only one point: Wow!

Basketball Tournament Tonight at the Sidney High School

2009-01-24T23:49:00.007-05:00

What a great time we had tonight! We attended the basketball tournament at our local high school tonight! The first game we saw featured the boys basketball team from Potter-Dix.

We were impressed to see Pastor Terry Tomlinson helping to coach the team to victory! Yea, Terry! Terry is a United Methodist pastor assigned to the Prairie West Church in Potter.

About Our Day in Lincoln, Nebraska!

2009-01-20T20:21:00.015-05:00

After watching the inauguration on TV, we went to Cracker Barrel and enjoyed a fabulous brunch. They had a wonderful fire going in their stone fireplace. It was so cozy, sitting there, relaxing and discussing the events of this day.

Thanks so much to one of the lovely families in our home church who very thoughtfully provided us with a Cracker Barrel gift card. It was a wonderful and thoughtful thing to give us: Thanks so much!

Belinda dropped Charles off at St. Mark's United Methodist Church (UMC) this afternoon, where he is attending the clergy session of the Nebraska Annual Conference of the UMC.

To learn more about the clergy session, you can go to
http://sidneyfirstumc.blogspot.com/2009/01/united-methodist-clergy-session-lincoln.html .

Our Day in Lincoln, Nebraska!

2009-01-20T20:08:00.004-05:00

We arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska, last night. This morning, we woke up, and (like most of the country), we watched the inauguration of our new president on TV. We had fun taking digitial pictures of the proceedings on the TV. It certainly has been a special day in our nation's history.

Four states later and we're home

2009-01-09T20:42:00.005-05:00

Leaving Dumas, TX this morning in the chilly breeze, we continued the journey through north Texas, the Oklahoma panhandle, up through eastern Colorado and then back into Nebraska.

The amazingly strong winds buffeted us all the way home today and it made for an interesting experience to be certain.

Now we're home again and looking forward to getting unpacked and into the excitement of 2009 here in western Nebraska!

Mo's New Home!

2009-01-08T22:26:00.013-05:00

Here is a glimpse of Mo's new apartment in San Angelo, Texas! Belinda and Charles visited with her over the holidays and helped her get unpacked and settled. It looks great! And her car is happily tucked into its new carport home nearby!

Adios, San Angelo!

2009-01-08T22:10:00.004-05:00

We bade adios to Belinda's mother Sheila Hammitt in San Angelo this morning.

Our final morning in west Texas involved last-minute tasks and other chores that helped Mo settle into her new apartment.

Afterwards, it was on the road once more, heading north, towards home. We stopped in Lubbock where rumor had it that a Cracker Barrel was hiding. We eventually found it and enjoyed the ambience of that fine establishment before heading out once more on the road to Nebraska! Tonight we are settled into our hotel in Dumas, Texas: Yee-haw!

Wonderful Wednesday

2009-01-07T18:47:00.004-05:00

Still cool by San Angelo standards, Wednesday presented a breezy window of opportunity in west Texas.

Charles attempted to visit the indian pictographs at Paint Rock, TX (45 minutes east of San Angelo) but he didn't realized the site was closed for the winter.

So rather than repeating yesterday's driving through west Texas, Charles went driving in a different direction, back to Quicksand Golf Course and another challenging round in the windy conditions. He saw more armadillos and successfuly played the difficult course in good order.

After that, Charles went to visit the San Angelo Nature Center. This is a lovely facility dedicated to the wildlife of the Concho Valley and the rest of west Texas.

Belinda and her mother completed most of the tasks on the "to-do" list and have the apartment in good shape.

Tomorrow we head back to Nebraska and say farewell to our Texas sojourn.

Touring on Tuesday

2009-01-06T23:13:00.005-05:00

Belinda and Mo were busy with even more errands today. In the evening, they met with friends of Mo's.

Charles was out this morning seeing more sights and sounds of Texas. First was a stop to visit the monks at Mt. Carmel Hermitage Monastery near Christoval. This wonderful place of prayer and reflection is all one could ask for in such a holy place.

Following that, he journied south to the town of Sonora and the beautiful caverns eight miles west of the town. The Caverns of Sonora are rated among the most beautiful in the world and are certainly worth the effort to get there from the bigger cities of Texas.

Monday in San Angelo

2009-01-05T23:47:00.004-05:00

A chilly day broke over the Concho Valley this morning after last week's warm-spell. We did a lot of hanging of pictures, unpacking and general sorting in Mo's apartment this morning.

In the afternoon, we took the opportunity to take care of a few errands including a visit to the new San Angelo visitor's center. The folks there were really helpful and gave us lots of information to share with Belinda's mother.

This evening we took in the Angelo State University men's and women's basketball games (both against Texas A&M @ Commerce). The local teams won both games and though the crowd was a bit thin (school is still out of term) everyone seemed to enjoy the effort the athletes put forward!

First Sunday in January, Texas-style

2009-01-04T17:16:00.005-05:00

After rather warm temperatures for the first few days in January, today was decidedly cooler! But that didn't stop us from venturing out in search of the Mt. Carmel Hermitage Monastery in Christoval, TX.

Our directions were not the best however and we ended up in the small Texas hill-country town of Menard, where we were blessed with the fellowship of the congregation of the United Methodist Church and its pastor, the Rev. Leigh Gregg. It seemed that everyone there was excited to hear about the visitors from Sidney, NE (the home of Cabella's)!

Following worship, we had lunch with Pastor Leigh at the wonderful Side Oats Cafe` in Menard. What a wonderful time of fellowship and the food, yum! We managed to get in some shopping at the "Country Store" which is always on the "to do" list for travelers to and from San Antonio and San Angelo.

Saturday in San Angelo

2009-01-03T21:24:00.008-05:00

The string of amazing weather continued today with afternoon temps in the upper 70's
and with it there was more errands to run and more sight-seeing to be done!

Charles took in the San Angelo Fine Arts Museum which has a wonderful collection of Texas-inspired art primarily from west Texas. What a neat experience! Afterwards, he visited the Chicken Farm Art Center which has an eclectic assortment of artisans and more to enjoy.

2009 - Day 2

2009-01-02T20:31:00.003-05:00

The warm weather continued today in San Angelo, and we took advantage of it in different ways.

Belinda and her mother, Mo,(aka, Sheila Hammitt), continued the effort at getting Mo settled into her new apartment.

Charles meanwhile continued to enjoy the weather and the opportunity to play another round of golf, thanks to a friend of Mo's who is a member of the Bentwood Country Club.

Capping off the day was a pleasant meal at the Red Lobster, it was back to Mo's apartment and a quiet evening at home.

Happy New Year in San Angelo!

2009-01-01T20:56:00.008-05:00

An amazingly beautiful day greeted the new year here in west Texas!

We took it easy today after the rush leading up to year's end, capping the day with a visit to a local eatery, Hidalgo's. This family-run neighborhood establishment serves up a fantastic assortment of traditional Mexican fare and it made for a tasty start to 2009!

New Year's Eve (evening)

2008-12-31T22:10:00.006-05:00

The highlight of the evening was dinner at the San Angelo landmark, Zentner's Daughter. This place has the best steak, wonderful baked potatoes, warm/moist German chocolate cake! We also saw some of the biggest orders of onion rings which we'll have to go back for! And of course, the Ziegenbock beer was the perfect partner to the meal!

New Year's Eve (daytime)

2008-12-31T17:47:00.004-05:00

The last day of 2008 was clear and just a tad cooler than yesterday here in San Angelo!

More tasks around the apartment to help Mo get settled and then more errands around San Angelo before the festivities of the evening commenced.

Charles took advantage of the nice weather to get in nine holes at the Riverside Golf Course (not as nice as Quicksand GC, but there you are) while Belinda and Mo ran errands and did some window shopping.

Charles also made a brief visit to historic Fort Concho, the Army post that played a major role in the Indian Wars in west Texas.

San Angelo Road Trip, Day 5

2008-12-30T18:57:00.008-05:00

After yesterday's flurry of unpacking and hauling boxes to the storage unit, today was for relaxing and golfing! Belinda and Mo enjoyed the new-found space in Mo's apartment while Charles set out to explore the wilds of the Quicksand Golf Course here in San Angelo.

Belinda and Mo took the opportunity to explore the historic downtown part of San Angelo and sampled the fare at Mesquite Cafe` which was really yummy! Charles joined them after golf and then together we enjoyed the beautiful weather and the wonderful window shopping that San Angelo affords those walking its friendly streets. A real treat was to visit Eggemeyer's General Store and the other stores in the shadow of the Cactus Hotel!

The San Angelo Road Trip, Day 2

2008-12-28T19:00:00.008-05:00

After arriving in San Angelo yesterday, we have enjoyed getting caught up with Mo (Belinda's mother), going to church yesterday at Sierra Vista UMC and today at First UMC (both in San Angelo) and getting to know this lovely west-Texas city. (click on the green links above)

Beautiful Sunset in Colorado

2008-12-27T00:30:00.003-05:00

On our drive south today, we enjoyed a lovely sunset while in Colorado. This photo was taken from our car as it was speeding along the roadway. Its orange glow warmed our hearts, to be sure!

Praise be to God for all sorts of things that warm our hearts!

It was a Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T01:44:00.009-05:00

It was a merry Christmas yesterday! The stockings were hung on the antique organ with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there... AND he did come! Wow!

And all those goodies: Yummy! Praise be to God for wonderful folks who brought such amazing goodies to the parsonage this year!!!

(By the way: No pictures taken of Belinda on Christmas Day came out, so we included one of her doing a little last-minute Christmas present wrapping... isn't she cute?!)

Happy 50th Birthday, Charles!

2008-12-26T01:28:00.011-05:00

Happy 50th birthday to you, Charles James Alkula!
You were a Christmas baby: Your parents' best Christmas present! AND... your wife considers you to be her best Christmas present TOO!!!

Holiday Goodies Delivered to the Parsonage!

2008-12-13T23:50:00.004-05:00

This afternoon, some wonderful homemade holiday goodies were delivered to the parsonage. What a "sweet" way to remember us during this Advent season!

Praise be to God for such thoughtful folks!

Mollie Ronge's Kitties!

2008-12-13T23:18:00.004-05:00

Before we left Camp Norwesca, we enjoyed some quality time with Mollie's kitties. Charles even volunteered to trim their nails before we left.

After the Parade...

2008-12-13T22:03:00.005-05:00

After the Chadron holiday parade, we attended a concert fundraiser at the local coffee shop. Folks from the local college had organized this event to raise money in support of the juvenile diabetes research effort.

The Chadron United Methodist Church's bell choir played some wonderful holiday music. And talented folks from the local high school and college performed.

It was great to get inside, get warm and enjoy the musical offerings of so many talented folks from the local area.... all in support of a good cause!

Praise be to God for people who care about others and who are willing to use their talents in such a meaningful way!

Chadron's 2008 Holiday Parade

2008-12-13T21:51:00.005-05:00

We had SO much fun attending Chadron's holiday parade Friday night!

The main street of Chadron was all "abuzz" with excitement and bright holiday lights. Santa himself even made an appearance!

As you can tell from the pictures, it was cold outside. Thank God for warm scarves, hats and gloves!

Chadron's Job Corps' Holiday Party

2008-12-13T21:29:00.005-05:00

Belinda accompanied Mollie Ronge to the local Job Corps' holiday party on Friday. Awards were presented to the young people involved in the program. There was a special award to the Egging Company in Gurley, who provides them with a lot of raw materials, used in training and certifying welders. Info about Egging Company can be found at http://www.egging.com/.
We were told that the welders they train are in high demand!

There was a wonderful spirit in the gymnasium that had been transported into a large dining room! The Chadron College's Jazz Ensemble provided wonderful music throughout the luncheon. The food was delicious; the mood was festive.

Praise God for this celebration of young people working and training for their futures which made everyone feel so optimistic and hopeful.

Our Getaway to Camp Norwesca!

2008-12-13T21:09:00.011-05:00

We had a great getaway to Camp Norwesca!
We left Thursday afternoon and returned Saturday morning.

Praise God for a warm welcome by Mollie Ronge, the camp director! She invited us to kick back and relax. And so we did just that!

Camp Norwesca has a fabulous stone fireplace! We enjoyed building fires and relaxing by the fireplace!

Some Outdoor Holiday Lights at the Parsonage!

2008-12-02T21:09:00.006-05:00

This afternoon, Pastor Charles put up some outside holiday lights at the parsonage.

Praise God for a church family who provides their pastor and his family such a lovely parsonage!!!

First Day of Advent 2008

2008-12-01T16:56:00.000-05:00

Today marks the first day of Advent 2008!
Our journey begins today!

Praise be to God for the church youth group who made lovely Advent candles, so that members of our church family can use them to pray our way through this season of anticipation and joy!

More Holiday Decorating at the Parsonage!

2008-11-29T01:33:00.005-05:00

We had so much fun today decorating the parsonge for the holidays!

Yea, God!!!

Holiday Decorating at the Parsonage Today!

2008-11-29T01:00:00.013-05:00

This afternoon, Charles put up our tree.

Belinda made cookies: Russian teacakes.
Yum, Yum!

It was fun to decorate the parsonage for the holidays!

Praise be to God for festive days such as this one!

Thanksgiving with Aunt Joyce in Colorado!

2008-11-27T22:50:00.011-05:00

Charles and Belinda traveled to Loveland, Colorado, yesterday to spend Thanksgiving with Charles' Aunt Joyce.

She invited us into her home for a relaxing holiday, complete with great hospitality and delicious food!
Aunt Joyce fed us Wednesday night supper, Thursday morning breakfast and and Thanksgiving lunch. She is an amazing cook and a delightful hostess! AND Aunt Joyce even made us special holiday cookies that we could find by dipping into her lovely Christmas angel cookie jar!

We returned home tonight with great memories and some great leftovers!

Praise be to God for loving and generous Aunt Joyce who invited us into her home and treated us to a very special Thanksgiving holiday celebration!!!

Charles and His Fruitcake!

2008-11-26T01:44:00.005-05:00

Today Charles got his special fruitcake delivered from Claxton, Georgia. It is the world famous Claxton family's fruitcake!

This made Charles one very happy man!

Our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary!

2008-11-24T21:12:00.006-05:00

Praise God for a lovely anniversary celebration!

It was a beautiful day in this corner of the Kingdom. Belinda got a permanent in her hair. Charles worked all the day, getting ready for the church's big annual meeting next week on December 2nd.

We received several lovely anniversary cards in the mail from family, church family and friends!

Tonight Charles surprised Belinda with her favorite flower: A yellow rose! They enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant. All in all, it was a lovely day!

Sidney Snow Day Today!

2008-11-11T12:00:00.011-05:00

We awoke to a lovely sight today: SNOW!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

A Novel Birthday Gift

2008-11-01T00:50:00.005-05:00

Yesterday Marilee Rowan gave Belinda a novel birthday gift. Forget the traditional giving of cards to wish someone a happy birthday. Marilee gave Belinda a birthday tea towel! Brava, Marilee! You might be starting a new tradition!

Praise be to God for dear friends who do things to surprise and delight you!!!

Pastor's Appreciation Sunday at the Church!

2008-10-19T17:56:00.006-05:00

Wow! What a wonderful Sunday it is today!

Charles was surprised with a lovely and delicious cake in honor of Pastor's Appreciation Sunday at the FUMC! (One side was chocolate; the other side was vanilla.) Folks enjoyed sampling the cake between services and then after the 10:00 a.m. service. What was left will be enjoyed as dessert at the Alpha potluck dinner tonight! Yum; yum; yum!

At both services, Charles wore the gorgeous stole that Arlene Christensen crocheted for him. It is blue (Charles' favorite color) with antique white stripes on it.

At the 10:00 a.m. service, Donna Bahr, chair of the Staff/Pastor Parish Relations Committee (S/PPRC) presented Charles with a breath-taking cross framed in a special shadow box. It will be a lasting reminder of his time here at the First United Methodist Church in Sidney, Nebraska.

After church, we enjoyed going out to lunch with some of the church members. All in all, it was a lovely morning at church!

For special folks who take the time to remember their pastor in such a very special way, we give thanks to God! Praise be to God!!!

A Pizza Made Us Smile!

2008-10-16T21:14:00.005-05:00

What a surprise!

In honor of Bosses' Day, we were told that a pizza
would be delivered
to the parsonage tonight!

It arrived right on time at 6:00 p.m.

It was true to its title: A supreme pizza! Yum-yum-yum!

Praise be to God for such thoughtful folks!!!

Pie in the Parsonage!

2008-10-15T20:54:00.010-05:00

Thanks be to God for a loving parishoner who has generously baked Pastor Alkula not one but two pies this month: Pastor's Appreciation Month!

And he was loving enough to share his apple and pumpkin pies with his bride Belinda. What a great fellow!

P.S. They tasted SO good. They were heavenly!!!

Visitor to the Parsonage Today!

2008-10-04T18:02:00.011-05:00

It was a lovely fall day today! The colors of the leaves on the trees are turning. There was a beautiful breeze. And we had Kipper stay with us!

Charles and Kipper enjoyed reading on the deck.
Kipper helped Belinda with some paperwork.

And then Belinda and Kipper spent some time playing in the back garden, which included a visit to Nick the Cat's grave.

What a wonderful day in the neighborhood!

Belinda's Hello from Camp Comeca!

2008-10-02T15:07:00.016-05:00

Greetings from Camp Comeca, just south of Cozad, Nebraska. I am enjoying a 24-hour retreat here.
The Covenant Group West meets here periodically to retreat.

It's such a joy to be here! Folks who have attended an Upper Room-sponsored Five-Day Academy are invited to participate in regional mini-retreats throughout the year following their attendance.

Unfortunately, Charles is not able to attend this one. Tomorrow morning, he is officiating at a funeral of one of our church members back at our home church in Sidney, Nebraska, some three hours west of here.

Grace and peace to all of you who surf at this internet site!

+ Belinda

It's Fall, Y'all!

2008-10-01T23:52:00.010-05:00

Happy fall, y'all...
from the folks in the parsonage of the First United Methodist Church here in Sidney, Nebraska!

Blessings,
Pastor Charles and Belinda

Parsonage Back Yard Visitor Today

2008-09-29T14:38:00.003-05:00

Wow! Belinda looked out the back deck, facing the parsonage's back yard, and look at what she saw... filling the back yard!

The men said that they are checking our gas lines.

NOW... I understand why the fence in the back yard has the two big gates, so huge trucks can have access when needed.

Pastor Charles, Radio DJ

2008-09-12T01:19:00.003-05:00

This afternoon, Pastor Charles recorded "Faith Talk" at our local KSID radio station. It will be aired this coming Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m.

Doesn't he look like a natural?!

New Addition to Parsonage Living Room

2008-09-06T12:07:00.005-05:00

It's a simple thing, but a wonderful thing too. Praise God for ALL the blessings of each and every day!!!

Yesterday Pastor Charles and I visited the rummage sale at the Christ Episcopal Church here in Sidney. I spotted two lovely blue Broyhill chairs in spotless condition for $20 each.

Thanks to a dear parishioner's willingness to loan us her truck, Pastor Charles was able to bring them home to the parsonage this morning.

Don't they look great?!

God is SO good!

A Great Retreat!

2008-08-30T19:33:00.003-05:00

We attended the first meeting of the 2008-09 Covenant Group West on Thursday and Friday at Camp Comeca, just south of Cozad.

The Covenant Group West is comprised of persons who have attended a Five-day Academy for Spiritual Formation and want to continue the growth in spiritual discipline with like-minded persons.

It was a wonderful time of fellowship and learning, and we look forward to our next gathering!

Pastor Charles' Visitor

2008-08-23T17:23:00.004-05:00

Here is Kipper Holmead, who visited Pastor Charles at the church this last week!

Aren't they both so cute?!

Day three in Denver

2008-08-05T22:36:00.003-05:00

We said goodbye to Denver this morning and returned home to Sidney with fond memories of our brief time in the Mile-high City.

On the way back home, we stopped in Loveland, CO (about 45 minutes north of Denver) to visit with Charles' Aunt Joyce. We had a lovely visit and then enjoyed a lunch together at the wonderful restaurant, The Black-eyed Pea.

Then it was on the road and back to life in Sidney. Belinda got right to work and mowed the back yard in the cool of the day. Its good to be home!

Denver Excursion, Day 2

2008-08-05T00:14:00.002-05:00

Day two of the Denver excursion began with a terrific breakfast at the Inn.

Belinda struck out on her own while Charles rested his heel during the morning. She walked all over downtown Denver and saw a lot of cool places on a very warm Colorado day.

In the evening, we saw a terrific baseball game at Coors Field between the Colorado Rockies and the Washington Nationals which the Nats won, 9-5.

Denver Excursion, Day 1

2008-08-03T23:11:00.011-05:00

After a great morning at worship in Sidney, we headed south to Denver and a quick get-away in the big city.

We checked into our B&B downtown and then headed out to our first adventure, a football (soccer) match between the Colorado Rapids (of Major League Soccer) and Everton FC (of the English Premier League). It was a close game, with Everton pulling out a 2-1 win in the 88th minute of play.

In the picture of us at the game: If you look closely (i.e., double-click on the picture and it will enlarge)... you can see the bright orange ear plugs in Belinda's ears. There is a custom of folks blowing really loud horns throughout the game experience, and it was all a bit too much for Belinda's sensibilities, so they were good enough to give her some ear plugs AND change our seats, so we sat behind the horn blowers (instead of right in front of them). Whew! Regardless, we enjoyed the game very much!

Tomorrow is another day, so come back for more.

P.S. If you want to see where we are staying, check out this website for Kay's Room at the Gregory Inn, downtown Denver: http://www.gregoryinn.com/tour/room_kay.html. Pictures above include Belinda in the B&B's parlor and Charles in the dining room, looking through their way-cool telescope. It's a wonderful place to stay!

Visitors to the Parsonage!

2008-07-26T23:02:00.005-05:00

It has been so nice to have Belinda's brother Rob and his son Kyle visiting us in the parsonage this weekend!

They had a great time visiting Mount Rushmore today. They were very impressed with the Crazy Horse monument as well! Folks have been working on it since June 3, 1948.

If you want to see how the work is progressing, look at this cool website:
http://www.crazyhorse.org/carving/face/index.shtml .

A Busy Saturday in Sidney, Nebraska

2008-07-26T14:27:00.005-05:00

First of all, it rained last night. Whew! It was a great soaking rain, the kind we have needed for oh so long! Praise be to God!!!

AND Belinda's brother Rob and his son Kyle arrived last night. They are situating themselves here in Sidney this weekend, so they can take a day-trip up to Mount Rushmore today. It is to be a father-son bonding trip.

AND Pastor Charles was at the church at 6:45 a.m. today -- to see off the church's youth group who are going on a mission trip to St. Louis, Illinois for a week.

AND Belinda was in downtown Sidney at 7:15 a.m. to help with the Ladies Chamber bake sale. Believe it or not, folks were out and about at that time! The downtown businesses opened at 8:00 a.m., and they are having a big sales celebration today, which includes "Thanks with Franks." Folks were treated to free hot dogs and watermelon at lunchtime!

AND our flagship Cabela's store is having their BIG annual summer sale. Folks from around the country flock to this sale each year!

AND today is the first of a series of Saturday Farmers Markets in the front parking lot of our courthouse -- they run throughout the summer months.

SO... we who live here in Sidney, Nebraska, are grateful to the good Lord above for all the blessings of this day and this weekend! Praise be to God!!!

The Cross the UMYF Created

2008-07-22T16:24:00.005-05:00

Wow: What a wonderful cross is the one that the youth group made to take on their mission trip!!!

They leave this coming Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. All are invited to come and see them off!

Pastor Charles at the Parsonage

2008-07-22T11:00:00.007-05:00

Just thought you would like to see Pastor Charles as he left the parsonage this morning.

He is sporting his new clergy shirt which Barb Winter in Gordon, Nebraska, just finished sewing for him. He selected the fabric himself. What a fun look!

What a week it was!

2008-07-20T15:21:00.003-05:00

We made it back to Sidney after our week at Camp Norwesca and what a week it was!!!

Check out the full report of what we took part in at www.sidneyfirstumc.blogspot.com.

Now that we're home in Sidney, we're resting up on this Sunday afternoon, ready for the amazing week that God has in store for us!

Howdy from the Pine Ridge Riders Camp in Nebraska!

2008-07-14T15:08:00.004-05:00

Howdy, partners!

Glad you could stop by for a spell and look at some of our pictures for today!

If you want to check on how things are progressin' this week, please go to this blog: http://www.sidneyfirstumc.blogspot.com/ .

God bless ya real good now, ye hear?!

Pastor Charles and Belinda

The Alkula's at Camp Norwesca

2008-07-13T22:57:00.004-05:00

This week Charles & Belinda are helping at a church camp! Come back each day to see the latest from Camp Norwesca's "Pine Ridge Riders" Camp!!!

Today, we got a glimpse at the nearby state park where we could see Wyoming and South Dakota. We had dinner at a local diner in Chadron with Hannah, the Camp Norwesca's program director and Mollie, the Camp Norwesca Director.

We also got re-aquainted with Mollie's two adorable cats, Karl (Jung) and Dietrich (Bonhoeffer). They have the best view of the comings and goings of camp life and are such good companions for Mollie.

It should be a most interesting week, to be certain!!!

Oh, yes, the news is that Belinda has volunteered to be the laundry lady and do the washing and drying in the air-conditioned building. Can't you tell that she is happy?!

July 4th in Sidney

2008-07-05T21:15:00.004-05:00

We enjoyed a great holiday here in Sidney! We enjoyed a root beer float supplied by the Third Grade class from North Elementary before the town fireworks. The class was raising funds in support of an injured classmate and they did a wonderful job!

Afterwards the fireworks lit the sky above Sidney and then we joined church members for a neighborhood fireworks display.

On the Fourth, we enjoyed a quiet day at home and then enjoyed more local fireworks being set off around the town.

What a great weekend!

San Francisco Trip - Friday

2008-06-22T22:47:00.003-05:00

Our last day in San Francisco began with another visit to Grace Cathedral where we enjoyed a peaceful journey on one of the two labrynths. After a cable car ride to Ghiradelli Square, Belinda sampled one of the famous chocolate sundaes they have. Very, very yummy!!!

We ended the culinary tour with a visit to the famous Fog City Dinner. Really, great food and a nice way to end our time in the city by the bay!

San Francisco Trip - Wednesday

2008-06-22T21:36:00.007-05:00

The focus of Wednesday was a tour of the famous Napa wine country. We left early in the morning, stopping at the Sonoma County visitor's center before making our winery stop at the Kirkland Ranch Winery, very nice wine! It was also fun to look at the Chardonnay Golf Course, actually located in the midst of vineyards!

Next it was the Madonna Estates Winery where we got a closer look at how wine goes from vine to bottle.

After that, it was into the charming town of Sonoma for lunch. We took a break from the bay area cusine and sampled the fare at a charming French-themed cafe`. We also looked at the historical sites in the town square including the mission church.

The final winery of the day was the Viansa Winery which has some of the most beautiful scenery in the area! The wine wasn't bad either!!!

After a full day of touristing, we ended up at Houston's, one of Belinda's favorite places, for a well-deserved meal!

San Francisco Trip - Thursday

2008-06-22T21:36:00.006-05:00

Thursday was given to exploring this amazing city - Charles struck out on his own early in search of churches, bridges, and more. He walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, walked through the Presidio, went to the Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill and also visited the Height-Ashbury and Castro neighborhoods.

We met up for supper and went back on a cable car to the Castro area and had a terrific meal at a real nice Italian place.

San Francisco Trip - Tuesday

2008-06-22T21:35:00.010-05:00

Tuesday was a full day!

We began with an early tour of the former Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay. The setting was amazing and the setting could not have been more somber. We enjoy learning more about the history and are so glad we got to make this trip.

After lunch, we took a 3 1/2 hour bus tour of the major San Francisco sights. We stopped at the oldest mission and the ajacent basillica, saw the city from the hills known as "twin peaks." the Japanese Tea Garden, and our first visit to the Golden Gate Bridge.

What an amazing place this is!

San Francisco Trip - Monday

2008-06-22T21:35:00.009-05:00

We got a slow start (both of us were still tired from yesterday and Charles had a bit of a sore throat) today but got a lot of sight seeing done!

A look around the Union Square area took us to Glide Memorial UMC, one of the most progressive churches anywhere. We got to see the sanctuary and see the social justice ministries in action.

Then it was back to sight seeing, with a walk by Lombard Street (the crooked street) and a bit of tea and coffee at the Norwegian Sailor's Church on Taylor Street.

Then on to Ghiradelli Square to see the chocolate being made, to Pier 39 and the famous sea lions, Charles took in the Aquarium by the Bay and another yummy supper of SF food!

San Francisco Trip - Sunday

2008-06-22T21:34:00.002-05:00

Belinda and I realized a long-time dream of a trip to San Francisco, California this past week. After finishing our duties at Annual Conference in Lincoln we drove south to Kansas City where we caught an evening flight to the west coast.

On Sunday, we started the day at AT&T Park to watch the San Francisco Giants play host to the Oakland Athletics. It was a beautiful park to watch a game in and we both got a bit more sun than we realized.

We went next to Fisherman's Warf where we ate at the famous "Alioto's" restaurant. Great food and the setting was wonderful as well.

Later, we found ourselves riding a cable car and ended up at Grace Cathedral (Episcopal Church) where we attended the beautiful evensong service.

It's Lovely in Lincoln!

2008-06-11T10:07:00.004-05:00

Greetings from Lincoln, Nebraska!

We had a very enjoyable drive to Lincoln yesterday. My wonderful husband took me to supper at Cracker Barrel: Yee-haw!

After we checked into the historic Cornhusker Hotel in downtown Lincoln, we took a stroll. There was a beautiful breeze. It was the perfect summer evening! And then we stumbled across an outdoor jazz concert at the nearby university.

And then we decided to go to the movies.

All in all, it was a perfect date-night!

Tomorrow our church's annual conference begins; it's going to be so much fun!

Praise be to God!

Recently in Sidney

2008-05-26T02:23:00.002-05:00

We've had a busy time of it lately, with visits by Belinda's mother and brother, church activities and much more.

Here are some pictures to give an idea of what we've been up to!

This week in Sidney

2008-05-10T17:46:00.003-05:00

A busy week here in Sidney with severe weather, temps in the upper 70s and low 40s, hospitalizations of church members and more.

We are looking forward to Pentecost/Mother's Day!

More from a May weekend in Sidney

2008-05-04T21:10:00.004-05:00

A beautiful weekend, weather-wise, after the blustery conditions of Thursday and Friday!

Yesterday, Belinda departed on a surprise trip to Texas to see her mother in San Antonio. She hopped aboard the shuttle van here in Sidney and really surprised Mo for her 80th birthday (on Cinco de Mayo).

Charles in the meantime busied himself with getting ready for church the next day. A real treat was the presentation of the cross made by the third grade class, a special memory from this time and place.

Who knows what tomorrow may bring, come back and find out!

Happy May 2nd!

2008-05-02T19:20:00.002-05:00

We woke up this morning to blizzard conditions and throughout the day we continued to marvel that this was May 2nd!

Sunday Praise from 2-18-08

2008-02-18T11:05:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Rilla Draper, for conducting our worship services this morning and delivering a wonderful message about the Sermon on the Mount! And Carrie Reynolds did a wonderful job as our lector this morning: Thanks, Carrie! And our Glori-bells bell choir members were as amazing as always!

The United Methodist Men returned to FUMC with the serving of the Sunday Lenten brunch after the 10:00 a.m. service. Parishoners filled the fellowship hall and enjoyed the pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit compote and juice/coffee/ water... YUMMY! And the fellowship was, of course, appreciated by one and all!

Church Valentine's Dinner - Great Success!

2008-02-14T19:51:00.002-05:00

Wow! Wow!! Wow!!!

The United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF) group did an awesome job preparing a delicious meal on Sunday night, February 10th! Thank you to the youth leaders who helped them orchestrate the menu!! AND thank you, Glori-bells, for your fabulous serving of the meal!!! All 140 of us really, really, really enjoyed the wonderful evening. The fellowship hall was transformed with beautiful decorations and lights. You created a wonderful, festive dining experience for us. We love you!!! And the money raised will support the UMYF mission trip and the Glori-bells expenses.

Praise be to God for this wonderful evening of food, fun and fellowship!!!

Whoosh!

2007-11-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

What a crazy few weeks this has been! We just noticed this morning that it had been several weeks since we entered a blog report so here goes a brief synopsis of the events of November since the previous entry of the 5th...

The week of the 11th - the week began with two great worship services and faith formation classes for all ages at the church. The afternoon was given to putting the final preparations on the Community Thanksgiving Sing that was hosted by FUMC. We had over 300 people turn out to enjoy singing and bells from 10 churches. Afterwards, the FUMC youth hosted a soup supper that by all accounts was the best ever. They raised over $450 for next year's mission project.

The week of the 18th - this past week has been a real push to get a lot done before Thanksgiving. Belinda put in a lot of time to get the newsletter finished before the holiday and the result is a resounding success. Charles in the meanwhile focused on getting the Church Conference report tweaked and polished and is finally done! Next year will be much easier, he promises!!!

Monday was so pleasant with temps in the low 70's! The next day saw the arrival of winter and about an inch of snow and the temps barely reached 30 the rest of the week.

Thanksgiving Day, well, we enjoyed a turkey dinner at home, enjoyed the quiet and watched some of the parades back east. In the evening, we journeyed out and visited with three families in the parish, sampling some of the family life and festivities that makes living in western Nebraska so much fun.

On Friday evening this week, we enjoyed the arrival of Santa in Sidney aboard a old fire engine bedecked with lights. We ran into one of the church members Marge Sabin. She was enjoying all the festivities with her daughter and her grandchildren. The grandchildren really enjoyed shaking hands with Santa! The town tree by the post office was turned on, and then a chili supper was enjoyed at a nearby business establishment.

Praise God for small-town living!!!

Today is clear and cold, 16F when we got up. We hope to get the tree up in the parsonage and get those Christmas cards started! Hope your weekend is enjoyable, wherever you are!

10 years in the making!

2007-11-24T10:48:00.000-05:00

Today marks the tenth year that Belinda and Charles have been married and what an amazing time it has been! We were marveling last night about all the places we've celebrated an anniversary over the years:

Osmond, NE 1998, Iwakuni, Japan 1999 & 2000, Jacksonville, NC 2001 & 2003, Williamsburg, VA 2002, Newquay, Cornwall, UK 2004 & 2005, Vienna, Austria 2006, Sidney, NE 2007.

We have so much to be thankful for over the years. We've had a few speed bumps and like most couples we've had our moments of frustration, but we are blessed that we have each other and are excited about the next ten years!

Yesterday was Another Great Day of Church!

2007-11-05T02:57:00.000-05:00

We had a busy morning at church yesterday. What a great church family we have! To see what is happening at our church, check out the blog at
http://sidneyfirstumc.blogspot.com/.

Afterwards, we were treated to lunch at Perkins. It was fun to relax and get to know some of our church family members a little bit better!

The nap we took this afternoon was fabulous!

The Current Events Bible Study was very interesting last night. A spirited discussion took place! Afterwards we were invited to parishioners' home for coffee, tea and birthday cake. It was an impromptu birthday party. Again, it was so wonderful to be able to relax and enjoy getting to know other church members, hearing some of their stories.

We have been here four months, and we realized today that there is a sweet rhythm that is unfolding here in this parish. God is so good to have brought us here to Sidney! Yea, God!!!

A Week of Birthday Celebrations!

2007-11-03T21:42:00.000-05:00

We have celebrated birthdays this week! Belinda's was on Tuesday, the 30th. The first picture shows the gorgeous flowers that her brother and his wife sent. I just love the autumnal colors! Everytime I look at it, I smile. I so love this time of year! The arrival of the flowers really added a festive feel to the parsonage!

After Bible study on Thursday night, Charles drove 3 hours east, to Camp Comica, where he attended a covenant group meeting of the folks who have attended an "Upper Room" affiliated 5-Day Academy. It is a 24-hour "spiritual renewal academy" meeting they have once a quarter.

This morning, he drove to Ogallala, where he attended a United Methodist Church (UMC) training on church records management. On his way home, he dropped off some paperwork to the UMC pastor located in the nearby village called Chappel.

After about a half-hour reunion at home, we went to two different locations to celebrate the 80th birthday parties of two church members! It was great fun to experience the celebratory atmosphere in honor of Warren Johnson and Eleanor Gordon's birthdays.

Praise God that we get to live in communities where folks make the time to get to know one another and develop long-lasting friendships that stand the test of time!

It's Belinda's Birthday!

2007-10-30T23:17:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful day was Belinda's birthday! Charles went out early and put the "birthday" cover to our mailbox.

Then he made an early run to the store, where he bought beautiful flowers for both inside and outside the house, AND he got a lovely painted ceramic pot with bird houses on it. Belinda really loved it all!

Then the ladies in the Gurley/Dalton Bible Study Group, who agreed to migrate to Sidney for a study and a birthday party, arrived at the parsonage. We had a great time! The fellowship, the study, the tea and pumpkin bread: Everything was "spot on!" They brought some beautiful/fun birthday cards, home-made jelly, Belinda's favorite coffee cake from the Gurley Cafe AND Cadbury's chocolate AND.. "the" most gorgeous rose just picked from the rose bush that very morning!

Afterwards, Belinda gave them a tour of the parsonage. It was a great morning!
Cindy had to leave before the rest, but we did get a picture on the front step of those of us remaining.

You can see the family "birthday bear" on our dining room table. We also have it sing the birthday song to the birthday person.

Then Fed Ex delivered a gorgeous flower arrangement. Belinda's brother and his family sent this spray of autumnal flowers with a beautiful vase. It was a delightful surprise!

In the evening, the "Bad Girls of the Bible" Study Group surprised Belinda with birthday cards, presents and a chocolate cake! Yum, yum, yum! We had a great study and terrific fellowship!

Praise be to God for loving friends who take the time to celebrate the good times with you! It really was a blessed day!

Friday Night Date: Attending Opening Night of "Hello Dolly!"

2007-10-27T01:00:00.000-05:00

Tonight was so much fun! We attended the opening night of "Hello Dolly!" The music, the costumes, the story: It all was wonderful!!! It was great fun to be there!

Praise God for folks who are willing to share their talents with the rest of us... in such a special way!!!

We're Getting Our Annual Physicals Done

2007-10-27T00:52:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year: we're getting our annual physicals done. This means that we had our blood tests done this morning. Charles went in first, and he did well. Belinda tends to be rather apprehensive about it, so Charles was a dear and volunteered to go in with her. He chatted her up, and he kept her mind off what was happening, so before she knew it, Belinda was done. Whew! (In the picture above, Belinda is both smiling and gritting her teeth. It was taken just as the process was beginning.)

Belinda looks tired, because she was. For her, it was early... around 8:30 a.m. Since they had to fast before the test, Charles took Belinda out to breakfast afterwards, as a treat!

Praise be to God for dear spouses who know your concerns and fears and volunteer to help you get through them all... and then celebrate with you when it has all passed!

A long, long week

2007-10-20T18:55:00.001-05:00

What a week this has been (for church life details, see www.sidney-firstumc.blogspot.com)

A week ago today our beloved friend, Nick the Cat, passed away with Belinda and Charles by his side. It has been hard to say goodbye, he was such a part of our lives these past fifteen years.

Sunday we turned our attention to the work of the church and the worship services were really special for us. Many offerings of support for our grief were given. The confirmation class enjoyed a viewing of "Godspell" which tickled them with the "ancient" outfits as much as the message being offered.

Monday was a truly sad ocasion in the life of Sidney when over 700 filled the FUMC sanctuary and chapel for the funeral service of a local Sidney teen who had died the previous Wednesday.

Thursday was another funeral at the church which was for a well-known local businessman. We followed that with the arrival of the India Children's Choir and a delicious supper prepared by the church ladies.

Friday Charles accompanied the choir and their leaders to the mothership of Cabela's and a tour of the store. The choir members were a real hit with the shoppers when then performed two numbers for those in the store. That night a good turnout was on hand for the concert by the wonderful singers from northeast India. It was so nice to see the sanctuary filled with so many people, basking in the warm smiles and wonderful music.

Saturday was a bit slower with the choir taking its leave by 11am and Charles taking advantage of perhaps the last warm day to play a round of golf. Tomorrow the high temp is expected to be around 40F.

We think we are ready for another vacation!

Friday and Saturday's Journey... Farewell, "Nick the Cat"

2007-10-13T17:45:00.000-05:00

We took Nick to see a local veterinarian Friday morning. He said that Nick's heartbeat was muffled, difficult to hear. He ran a blood and urine test. He said that Nick's organs seemed to be shutting down.

Truth is that Nick hit a low health point last weekend. He was having difficulty keeping his food down and had vomited a few times. Throughout last week, Nick had no appetite; he vomited occasionally; and he did not want to drink water.

The veterinarian gave us an antibiotic for Nick to take for the infection he had. We were given some pureed cat food and a dropper for it. Nick just couldn't keep the food and the medicine down. He grew more lethargic. In the end, we just gave him water, dispensed from a dropper.

The three of us had a quiet evening at home. We took turns sitting next to Nick and then holding him. He quacked/meowed at us several times. We could tell he was slipping away. Praise God that He helped us to know that. We spent the evening telling stories about Nick, remembering all kinds of things about our times together.

This morning, we took Nick to see the veterinarian around 9:00 a.m. The doctor said that Nick's eyes were dilated; his heartbeat was barely audible. Charles and I had our hands on Nick as the doctor administered the drug that very, very quickly helped Nick to be released from the confines of this world. In a matter of seconds, Nick was at peace. We were amazed how quickly it happened. The doctor was amazingly supportive and tender towards us. It helped so much!

We brought Nick home. Charles prepared a special place in our back yard for him, directly under the bird feeder. Nick always loved looking out at his friends the birds. He delighted in their activities. He would often quack/meow at them.

Charles wrapped him in a white sheet, and then he placed him into the big box, in which he always stored his Navy "covers"/hats. We collected pictures of Nick, and placed them in zip lock bags, along with a note detailing Nick's name, birth and death dates and... praising God for the gift of Nick in our lives.

Charles placed Nick into the ground. And then he walked over to the rosebush in our back garden and selected a lovely rose, handed it to Belinda, and then she placed it over Nick. We said prayers of Thanksgiving for all the great memories of Nick, and then Charles completed the burial. We placed a special marker over where Nick is buried. It states: Cats Leave Paw Prints on Our Hearts... Loveable Tabby, You Are Always in Our Hearts.

Afterwards, we planted a chrysanthemum next to where Nick is buried. It had a lot of "spent"/dead buds on it and also loads of brand new buds on it. It seemed symbolic: yes, there were so many "dead" buds, but the plant still has so many new buds on it... more life to come. After we buried the plant, we removed all the dead/spent buds. We look forward to the new life that will spring forth from that plant. It is something to which we can look forward!

Nick is gone from this earthly realm, but now he is at rest; he is in a much, much better place! Life changes, rearranges and evolves... Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow... and one of those many blessings was the joy of knowing "Nick the Cat" Alkula!!!

P.S. Nick has started something. We plan to develop all along, up and down that side row of the back yard, i.e., landscape it and plant some special plants in it... come spring! Praise God that we can always look forward to spring!!!

Our "Nick the Cat" Enjoying Being at Home

2007-10-13T17:29:00.000-05:00

This past Tuesday morning, we collected our sweet cat Nick from the wonderful folks at the Coastal Cat Clinic in Jacksonville, North Carolina. We had not seen him since the middle of February, just after we returned from our 3-year tour in England.

It was so good to see him again! His veterinarian, Dr. Crystal Smith, said that she could not tell how much time he had left, but that it was good that Nick was finally going to be home again with his family.

We drove to Raleigh-Durham Airport and caught the direct flight to Denver. Afterwards, we drove home to Sidney, Nebraska. Home... we were all together... home again! Praise be to God!

Here are some pictures of Nick relaxing at home. He really enjoyed himself on Thursday when he was able to hang out and sun himself on the deck. It was a beautiful afternoon, about 72 degrees, with a lovely breeze. We think he was happy to be home with us again. We know that we were very happy to have him back with us again!

Praise God for happy reunions!

At Long Last: Nick the Cat is Home in Sidney, Nebraska!

2007-10-10T01:05:00.001-05:00

Finally, we have our boy "Nick the Cat" home with us here in Sidney, Nebraska. Praise be to God! We spent virtually all day yesterday getting him home.

We got to the Coastal Cat Clinic in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the morning. We were greeted by Annie, whom you can see sitting behind the check-in counter. The next picture shows how we first saw Nick... sitting in his box behind Annie's chair. He has been serving as the official greeter for the clinic for this last year. Praise God for amazing people like Nick's veterinarian Dr. Crystal Smith and her fabulous staff members, one of whom is "St. Annie!" Nick has had THE BEST treatment and loving care this last year. We are forever in their debt for taking such good care of "our boy!"

Thank you so much, Dr. Smith, for getting all the paperwork done so we could fly Nick to his new home in Nebraska!

You can see Nick and his friend Charles at the Raleigh Durham Airport, getting ready to check in!

And you can see Nick in his new kitchen, relaxing on his new cat pad.... well, yes, in his new pad/home!

After all our travels, we should all get one amazing night's sleep!

Thanks be to God!!!

(P.S. You can double-click on any picture, and it will get a LOT larger!)

A Wonderful Saturday at the Storytelling Festival in Tennessee!

2007-10-06T21:37:00.001-05:00

Here we are in front of the Washington County Courthouse, situated in downtown Jonesborough.

This Storytelling Festival started 35 years ago, with some folks sitting on hay bales in front of the courthouse and swapping tales.

Thirty-five years later, we enjoy popping from one large storytelling tent to another. There were five of them this year, dotted all around the town.

The whole town is decorated so beautifully! There are loads of hay bales and gorgeous flowers and scarecrows and all things autumn... all around the town!

Don't let the pictures of folks in the tents fool you! Every tent ... every session... was stuffed to the gills with people. We just had to get there early to get good seats and settle in before all the festivities started.

Belinda loved discovering the doll's house, where children could actually go inside and play!

It's a great experience to see folks relaxing and telling some of their stories and smiling and having fun... why, it really is a good time for all! Yea, God... for such a fun place to be this weekend!

Last Friday, October 5th: North Carolina & Tennessee

2007-10-06T21:14:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday, after Charles finished playing his round of golf at Pinehurst, we drove to the western part of the state of North Carolina, just past Asheville, to a lovely place called Lake Junaluska. We spent the night at the Lambeth Inn there along the lake. It is a hotel at Lake Junaluska, a United Methodist conference and retreat center. We had visited there in February of this year, when the snow was on the ground and the lake was frozen. Now we enjoyed seeing flowers in bloom. It is such a beautiful place to visit!

Just days before, the brand new Bethea Welcome Center had opened. We were so impressed with it! The first picture is their "front desk," over which is hung beautifully decorated old organ pipes. At first, it looked like really pretty pencils, but they are old organ pipes that were donated for this special artistic feature at the center.

Outside we saw a lovely display of fall ornamentation, which really put us in an autumnal mood! We loved our room at the Lambeth Inn. Our room overlooked the lake, and it was great to be able to sleep with the window open, so we could enjoy all that great fresh air. Great sleeping weather!

Friday morning, we visited their amazing cross which overlooks the lake. It is a wonderful place for prayer and reflection!

We drove about two hours to Jonesborough, Tennessee, which is the oldest town in that state. AND ... it is the home of the National Storytelling Festival, which is always over the first full weekend in October each year. We quickly registered and hopped over to our first storytelling tent experience. It was just as wonderful as we had remembered it. It had been four years earlier when we registered for our first festival experience. It seems like there are more people at this year's festival. We guess that word has gotten out about what a fabulous weekend it is!

Jonesborough is a lovely little town. It is so easy to get around. All we have to do is look on the schedule and decide which one of the six tents we should visit.

More to follow...

Thanks be to God for such a wonderful weekend get-away experience!!!

Pinehurst at Last!

2007-10-06T19:59:00.000-05:00

The time had finally come. Charles got to make the golfing pilgrimage that is Pinehurst!

As dawn broke over the Carolina pines, he drove up to the clubhouse at the center of the eight courses that make up this mecca of American golf. With some hope, he went to the starter's desk and asked about the possibility of getting a tee time on one of the courses. He was told that not only were there tee times available, but that he could play Pinehurst No. 2 (the most famous of the eight courses) in 45 minutes!

Well, he jumped at the chance, and after warming up on the driving range, it was time to see what the fuss was all about. He and with another golfer from Chicago set off to face the challange!

Wow: Generous fairways, deep bunkers and some of the most treacherous greens he's ever seen were the order of the day. The course was in fantastic condition, and at the end of the round, Charles was thrilled to claim a 98!

Praise God for such amazing opportunities!!!

We're on our way to the festival!

2007-10-03T20:11:00.000-05:00

We left our home in Sidney at 5:55 A.M.! We stopped at the Rooster Restaurant in a village off I-76, about half an hour before we got to the Denver International Airport. We had SUCH a good breakfast; it really put fuel in our tanks, so we could keep going today. Charles' mother loves chickens. Everything in this restaurant is so cute, complete with chickens on cafe curtains all around the dining room. We'll have to take Mom Alkula there some time.

We parked at USParking, long-term parking for the airport. Thanks, Rilla, for the tip to park there. They are so efficient! The signs guide you into exactly where they want you to park. Shuttle buses are waiting for you to board. A fellow even gave us a slip of paper detailing exactly where we left our car parked. The shuttle bus was comfortable and got us to the airport right away. Most impressive all around!

Once we got to the airport, we were processed through "the process" of getting to and on the plane. Shoes off; laptop out of its case; shuffle, shuffle, shuffle down the security lines! The 3-hour flight went by fairly quickly. And then we emerged into the warmer, more humid climate that is in North Carolina, at this time of year. After the dry air in western Nebraska, this humidity felt quite oppressive!

OF COURSE.... the first stop after getting our rental car.... was to dine at the nearest Cracker Barrel we could find. It was SO GOOD!!! Praise God for all good things... including Cracker Barrel stores and restaurants.

We decided to drive an hour and one-half south of Raleigh, to get to a hotel in Southern Pines, which is a stone's throw from Pinehurst, which is considered to be one of the world's premier golf destinations. The plan is for Belinda to rest tomorrow morning, while Charles gets out around 6:30 A.M. and plays a round of golf somewhere in Pinehurst. His dream realized. Her dream realized. What a great start to the vacation! Afterward, we will be driving toward Jonesborough, Tennessee, where we will enjoy the National Storytelling Festival.

Stay tuned for more info tomorrow.

And, yes, thank you, God, for a wonderful start to our week vacation!!!

A Wonderful Week in Sidney!

2007-09-29T23:58:00.000-05:00

What an amazing week it has been! We had a very stimulating Bible Study last Sunday night with "The Wired Word" group, the group that meets weekly to discuss a current event of the week and relate it to Scripture readings and individuals' life experiences! Tuesday night's "Bad Girls of the Bible" study was a LOT of fun (as always)! Wednesday night's Simpson's Bible Study led to some very insightful and deep discussions about faith. Thursday night's study on The Book of Revelation was awesome; we are really learning a lot as we journey through that part of the Bible!

The church folks have been SO busy with preparing for and running the 4-day Rummage Sale Extravaganza, which concludes Monday, October 1st.

Julie Rowan gave us such a wonderful gift of fall vegetables from her harvest. Belinda arranged them in one of the baskets she bought at the rummage sale. It sits proudly on our breakfast nook table. It makes us smile everytime we see them! It reminds us of this great season/time of the year!

We got the October church newsletter out on Wednesday, and most folks received theirs the next day. Wow! Compliments to the local Post Office staff who do such a great job for all of us!

Belinda stopped by Tom and Vicki Millman's home, where she took a picture of their gorgeous multi-colored rose bush. It is absolutely breath-taking to see!

Charles orchestrated a wedding rehearsal Friday afternoon, and the wedding took place at 5:00 p.m. today in the church sanctuary. The bride was stunning! And, of course, the wedding couple seemed so in love and so perfect for one another.

Belinda mowed the lawn today (Saturday). Whew! It is a two-hour job to get that done!

Tomorrow will be a day of celebration, indeed! Two babies are to be baptized, and five folks are joining the church: Praise be to God!!!