On Weddings and Church Stuff
Yesterday, after... 5? 6? years of being together, Dana and Uriah finally tied the knot! I got all dolled up in a dress and makeup and let my mom have her way with my hair (which turned out awesome, or so people kept telling me) and made it to the ceremony 15 minutes late (apparently my hair wasn't going to be conquered without a fight). Dana and her bridesmaids looked beautiful, Uriah and his groomsmen looked just cool (Pinstripped Zuit Suits, complete with black and white loafers and a floppy hat), and from the 10 minutes I saw, it was a beautiful ceremony.
Reception and Dance were over at a bar right across from Gramma's, so while I was waiting for the dinner to start (Dana and Uriah drove off at about 3:45, and the dinner didn't start until 5), I went over and chatted with Gramma and Aunt Jean - who is up visiting from Tennessee for a few weeks. While there, I found out that a very dear, very old family friend who has almost been like another grandmother to me and my brothers has just been diagnosed with cancer and doesn't have much time left. Hearing this, I decided to go pay her a surprise visit because I haven't seen her in ages and honestly, chatting and catching up with Edith for an hour or so was rather more appealing then spending two hours, by myself, in a room full of people I don't know very well, trying to make small talk (cause the only people I did know were in the wedding party, and everyone else would probably be viying for their attention through out the evening cause, yeah, it was their wedding).
So, I stopped at the reception long enough to drop off their present, give Dana a hug and tell her how beautiful she looked, get a few pictures taken with her, and get another hug from Uriah before I headed across town to the apartment housing where Edith lived.
And I gotta say, while I felt kinda bad copping out on Dana and Uriah, seeing Edith's face light up when she saw me made up for it. She is a dear, sweet old lady who is 95 years old who has been a part of my life through the church since I was wee and small. I used to get a hug from her every Sunday and we've had her over for dinner at my parents house quite a few times over the years. I haven't really gone to church since I moved to St. Cloud, so it has been a long time since I really saw her. I can honestly say that she was about the only thing I really missed when I stopped going to our little family church regularly about three years ago, and stopped altogether when I moved.
So, I dropped by for a surprise visit, still in my dolled up wedding garb cause Edith is totally worth being made to feel special and dress-up worthy. Well, that, and I didn't have anything else to change into, but mostly? I totally wanted Edith to feel special. I brought her flowers, too. Cause she is a very special lady.
Anyway, we ended up chatting for an hour/hour and a half. She asked me about how school was going and asked after my brothers a bit. She also asked how my parents were doing, and how I felt about this whole fiasco that is going on at the church right now. Turns out that two of the patrons have scared away yet another pastor with their inconsideration and delusions of leadership. In fact, it is the same two that pushed my father to pack it up and leave the congregation all together. Neither of them are supposed to really have that much control over the church and the board members, but that doesn't stop them from acting like they do. Very much a "Screw the conference and screw what everyone else wants; we have the most money, which means we can do whatever we want." I guess it got so bad at the last board meeting that two people walked out. Since the "board" consists of maybe six people - two of which being those Same Two Patrons - this really isn't a good thing.
We've tried fighting them, but the church is tiny (as in, *maybe* ten congregation members that attend church regularly, almost all of whom are more than 80 years old), and they and their pig farm really are probably the most prosperous of us. Yet another shining example of People With Money Are the People With Power. The Two Patrons are a father and a son - father owns the pig farm, and continues bailing the son out of the mess of his finances. The son has actually been taken to court several times and lost, but still refuses to pay up. In fact, he still owes my dad something like $800 bucks for services rendered from several years ago still.
Anyway, short version is that the church I grew up in is slowly dying to nothing. Old members die off and there are no new ones to take their place, and the Two Patrons mentioned above are succeeding quite well in tearing what little that remains apart. Even though I'm not really religious anymore, that still hurts a lot. I guess it might be kind of like seeing your beloved childhood home tore down or, worse, standing empty and abandoned and falling to ruin with no one to care for it. I literally grew up in that church, and much of the congregation watched me and my brothers grow up. There are countless hours of running around the balcony playing hide-and-seek, countless potlucks and carry-ins shared with everyone else in the congregation down in the fellowship hall, summers spent looking forward to Vacation Bible School where we released balloons and played Red Rover.
So, yeah. Lots of memories at that church. Both Edith and I are extremely upset at the mess it has become.
We talked about other stuff, too, mostly my school and my family. It was extremely nice to catch up, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to talk to Edith while she was still independent, of sound mind, and as healthy as can be expected when you've recently been diagnosed with cancer. I don't know how much time she has left, but at least I got to see her.
After that I went back to parents house to spend the night. We watched a bunch of Olympic events and Opening Ceremonies, which Dad had recorded on Friday Night. Very impressive.
I went to Coffee Cabin and got an iced Chai Latte last night (medium) and this morning (large) cause even though I am poor I am totally making up for not being able to give them business these last few months cause Coffee Cabin has the Best Chai Lattes *ever* and if they go out of business I will be very very sad.
Also went to Powers Bluff this afternoon for a picnic with Dad. Mmm, deli chicken and fresh fruit. He was up there talking to a guy who is in the process of writing a book about Wisconsin's historical sites.
So YAY talking to Edith and spending time with Parental Units! However, there is lots of boo for me forgetting my allergy meds and spending most of the last 24 hours sneezing and sniffling.
Reception and Dance were over at a bar right across from Gramma's, so while I was waiting for the dinner to start (Dana and Uriah drove off at about 3:45, and the dinner didn't start until 5), I went over and chatted with Gramma and Aunt Jean - who is up visiting from Tennessee for a few weeks. While there, I found out that a very dear, very old family friend who has almost been like another grandmother to me and my brothers has just been diagnosed with cancer and doesn't have much time left. Hearing this, I decided to go pay her a surprise visit because I haven't seen her in ages and honestly, chatting and catching up with Edith for an hour or so was rather more appealing then spending two hours, by myself, in a room full of people I don't know very well, trying to make small talk (cause the only people I did know were in the wedding party, and everyone else would probably be viying for their attention through out the evening cause, yeah, it was their wedding).
So, I stopped at the reception long enough to drop off their present, give Dana a hug and tell her how beautiful she looked, get a few pictures taken with her, and get another hug from Uriah before I headed across town to the apartment housing where Edith lived.
And I gotta say, while I felt kinda bad copping out on Dana and Uriah, seeing Edith's face light up when she saw me made up for it. She is a dear, sweet old lady who is 95 years old who has been a part of my life through the church since I was wee and small. I used to get a hug from her every Sunday and we've had her over for dinner at my parents house quite a few times over the years. I haven't really gone to church since I moved to St. Cloud, so it has been a long time since I really saw her. I can honestly say that she was about the only thing I really missed when I stopped going to our little family church regularly about three years ago, and stopped altogether when I moved.
So, I dropped by for a surprise visit, still in my dolled up wedding garb cause Edith is totally worth being made to feel special and dress-up worthy. Well, that, and I didn't have anything else to change into, but mostly? I totally wanted Edith to feel special. I brought her flowers, too. Cause she is a very special lady.
Anyway, we ended up chatting for an hour/hour and a half. She asked me about how school was going and asked after my brothers a bit. She also asked how my parents were doing, and how I felt about this whole fiasco that is going on at the church right now. Turns out that two of the patrons have scared away yet another pastor with their inconsideration and delusions of leadership. In fact, it is the same two that pushed my father to pack it up and leave the congregation all together. Neither of them are supposed to really have that much control over the church and the board members, but that doesn't stop them from acting like they do. Very much a "Screw the conference and screw what everyone else wants; we have the most money, which means we can do whatever we want." I guess it got so bad at the last board meeting that two people walked out. Since the "board" consists of maybe six people - two of which being those Same Two Patrons - this really isn't a good thing.
We've tried fighting them, but the church is tiny (as in, *maybe* ten congregation members that attend church regularly, almost all of whom are more than 80 years old), and they and their pig farm really are probably the most prosperous of us. Yet another shining example of People With Money Are the People With Power. The Two Patrons are a father and a son - father owns the pig farm, and continues bailing the son out of the mess of his finances. The son has actually been taken to court several times and lost, but still refuses to pay up. In fact, he still owes my dad something like $800 bucks for services rendered from several years ago still.
Anyway, short version is that the church I grew up in is slowly dying to nothing. Old members die off and there are no new ones to take their place, and the Two Patrons mentioned above are succeeding quite well in tearing what little that remains apart. Even though I'm not really religious anymore, that still hurts a lot. I guess it might be kind of like seeing your beloved childhood home tore down or, worse, standing empty and abandoned and falling to ruin with no one to care for it. I literally grew up in that church, and much of the congregation watched me and my brothers grow up. There are countless hours of running around the balcony playing hide-and-seek, countless potlucks and carry-ins shared with everyone else in the congregation down in the fellowship hall, summers spent looking forward to Vacation Bible School where we released balloons and played Red Rover.
So, yeah. Lots of memories at that church. Both Edith and I are extremely upset at the mess it has become.
We talked about other stuff, too, mostly my school and my family. It was extremely nice to catch up, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to talk to Edith while she was still independent, of sound mind, and as healthy as can be expected when you've recently been diagnosed with cancer. I don't know how much time she has left, but at least I got to see her.
After that I went back to parents house to spend the night. We watched a bunch of Olympic events and Opening Ceremonies, which Dad had recorded on Friday Night. Very impressive.
I went to Coffee Cabin and got an iced Chai Latte last night (medium) and this morning (large) cause even though I am poor I am totally making up for not being able to give them business these last few months cause Coffee Cabin has the Best Chai Lattes *ever* and if they go out of business I will be very very sad.
Also went to Powers Bluff this afternoon for a picnic with Dad. Mmm, deli chicken and fresh fruit. He was up there talking to a guy who is in the process of writing a book about Wisconsin's historical sites.
So YAY talking to Edith and spending time with Parental Units! However, there is lots of boo for me forgetting my allergy meds and spending most of the last 24 hours sneezing and sniffling.