Home Improvements

We have been having an absolutely fabulous time enjoying our little house in the desert.  We feel overwhelmed by this wonderful gift and just love being here.  Now, to figure out a way to get here more often.  (:
Each time we are here we are able to make a few more improvements.  This time around we've been pretty busy but have found time to play golf on the fabulous golf course that surrounds our housing complex.  We even purchased a little golf cart to buzz around in!  Now, if our games would improve, that would really be icing on the cake!
The biggest outdoor improvement this time around was painting the patio!  Our entire backyard has been totally transformed thanks to the creative eye of my adorable husband.  He had this great idea for an outer stripe and it just looks amazing.  We have found little bits and bobs on Craig's list.  The adirondack chairs were a steal at $5.00 each.  They are plastic but look like wood and are quite comfortable!  We also added some art in the back nook.  The fire pit (my idea) with rock design (Doug's handy work) is a wonderful accessory to these chilly winter evenings.  We have yet to use it but it looks pretty cool!  
We added a gate to the backyard so have a totally enclosed yard now.  The man who does the work for us always does such a beautiful job.  We are grateful for his handy work.
With the addition of old fashioned rabbit ears we are able to get free network TV!  It's nice to watch the news, morning shows, late night shows, and some of the general junk that's on TV here!  I continue to HATE the commercials for prescription drugs however.  The other indoor improvement is a microwave!  The cart provides added shelf space in our limited space kitchen as well.
The weather has been unseasonably cold with some rain and wind creating a quite a stir.  Even so, the rain in the desert produces snow in the surrounding mountains and the views remain as breath-taking as ever.
And there's still nothing quite like the setting sun over the desert landscape with the mountains in the background.  
I love this little place.  I am truly grateful for our time here.

Friends For A Lifetime

I just spent an amazing weekend in Chicago.  What made it amazing was the way in which I was able to re-connect with friends from across a variety of phases in my life.  The reason for going to Chicago in the first place was to officiate at the wedding of one of my closest friends.  Stacy and I met as freshmen in college.  We were having a water fight in the dorm, as freshmen girls do, and in a moment of fierce competition, Stacy grabbed my shirt and literally tore it off my back! 35 years later and we're still pretty much best friends! One of her four daughters stayed with us in Stockholm when she was on a study abroad program a few years ago.  Stacy came over to Europe during that time and we met up in Rome and subsequently traveled to Sorrento together for a great long weekend. We've weathered many life events with one another, survived living in distant places throughout the years, and forged a bond that is safe, secure and a true source of strength and compassion for one another.  I am very happy for her that she has found this gift of love in Michael and wish them much happiness through the years ahead.
In addition to this college friendship, I re-connected with newer friendships that had been forged in Sweden.  One of my tennis buddies moved to Chicago in August and lives one mile from my friend Stacy, yes, the one from the above paragraph!  What are the odds of that?!  So, I was able to sneak in a morning coffee with her at her new home, chat with her and her husband about their new life in the US and enjoy her two little boys.  It was a surreal moment, connecting on the other side of the pond.  I miss her and her fierce play on the court!
I stayed with our former neighbors in our old neighborhood in Northbrook, a few blocks from the church where Doug was associate pastor.  The house that Doug and I lived in before we moved to Sweden is now torn down so that's a little sad but being back on our street in our old neighborhood was such a delight.  The kids of the family I stayed with were little when we lived next door and we have great memories of playing baseball in the yard and other assorted fun things with them.  The kids are now both out of college.  Neil and Lori, my wonderful hosts, are such a joy to be with.  They create a warm, relaxing atmosphere, show genuine care and concern for our lives and are dear friends even after our being gone almost 15 years.  It does not seem like that long ago that we shared space together on Greenview Lane.  The years truly do fly by.
I enjoyed a wonderful cup of coffee and beautiful conversation with another woman from Northbrook who Lori and I are both close to.  Again, it's amazing to think that their kids are grown up, one getting married next summer.  In fact, he too stayed with us in Stockholm while on a study abroad program in Europe!  This too is an abiding friendship that weathers the years well.  It never seems like time passes with these women.
I met up for an American style breakfast with Jan, a friend who I worked with while doing my internship while in seminary.  This was more than 20 years ago!  This is a friendship that went through a rough patch but a trip that Jan took to Sweden helped us repair and reconnect.  There is no shortage of conversation when we are together and I am always delighted when we can find a slice of time to get caught up.
After the wedding, I ventured downtown to connect with close friends who also used to live in Stockholm.  Rich and Mary Beth lived in Stockholm for 10 years which is a long time for "temporary" folks!  We enjoyed many dinners, game nights, boat rides, and other joyous occasions with them.  We've shared deeply from the joy and tragedy of life and I am so happy that I was able to spend one beautiful night with them in their gorgeous downtown apartment.  Again, it felt like we were sitting in their Stockholm apartment, gabbing away as we always did!  But a glance out the window at the Chicago skyline reminded us that we no longer live in the same city.
Crazy as it seems, just one block from where Rich and Mary Beth live in Chicago reside Vince and Sally, wonderful friends who I met while doing my internship during seminary.  Their children, then in junior high and high school, were part of my youth group and I developed a warm friendship with Vince and Sally.  I then convinced them to join me as adult sponsors of a youth mission trip to Appalachia where the bond of our friendship was forged in steel!  They too have been over to Sweden a couple of times.  We traveled to the homestead of Vince's relatives and Sally was present for my 50th birthday bash.  Their kids are married with children now and we were able to have breakfast with Claire, their daughter, and her 2 year old, Rory and newborn Molly.  What a delight to share in these moments with these dear friends.
Finally, I had lunch with Paul, a young man who I met when he was a freshman in college when I was chaplain at North Park University.  Paul was one of the students that I was closest to during my tenure and I ended up hiring him when he graduated as an assistant in campus ministry.  After one year I left to move to Sweden and he stayed on for 10 more years, continuing the legacy of ministry that we had worked hard at creating while I was there.  We used to eat lunch at Lou Malnati's pizza place, banging out the vision and details for Campus Ministry at North Park so it was appropriate that we ate there once again on my final day in Chicago.  Paul too has visited us in Sweden.  He is a skilled ministry professional, working on technical aspects of producing a worship service with loads of media and creativity at Willow Creek.  We'd love to work with him again one day and have hopes that some how, some way that could happen.
So there ya go...friendships for a lifetime indeed.  Meeting new people is special and keeps life interesting and exciting.  But there is something about friendships that share your long past that touch the soul and keep you rooted.  The above mentioned folks share a special place in my heart because of who they were at a certain time in my life.  The fact that we've been able to keep up through moves, distances, and years is a real tribute to the unique and wonderful place we hold in one another's lives.  These folks know me well and they love me well and their support and care for me is unbridled, as is mine for them.  I can call upon them at any time, from any place and they will answer.  They makes adjustments to my schedule when I am in town for short periods so that we can add a few more shared hours to our life story.  These are friendships forged through the good and the bad, the joy and the sorrow, the laughter and the tears and I am eternally grateful for the place in my life story each of the above represent.  And the reality is that I did not connect with so many others who have meant so much to me through the years.  There is just not enough time to embrace the whole field of folks who have left an impression on our lives from that season of life.
I don't know if we will ever live in Chicago again, but my heart will always have a little spot that is stamped with Chicago.  I am so thankful that our life takes us back to Chicago on a fairly regular basis so that we can keep up with these friendships that represent so many beautiful moments in our life there.

2013 Begins

It's always a little strange to pass from one year to another.  In many ways, it's just an ordinary 24 hours and then in others, matters of significance and worthy of reflection often bubble to the top when we turn to a new calendar year.  At any rate, New Year's Eve offers us an opportunity to enjoy the company of good friends while celebrating the hope and expectation of a new year.
We were quite uncertain about what to do on New Year's Eve as Tanner is a real basket case when it comes to the fireworks.  So when our friends who live south of Stockholm near the water in beautiful Saltsjöbaden invited us to come and join them for the night, we were happy to take them up on it.  It was a rather warm New Year's but very icy and slippery.  We arrived safely and were happy that we didn't have to go anywhere until the next day!  A lovely outdoor fire was burning to welcome us.
Judy was busy preparing dinner for us all while Olle poured drinks.  The table was gorgeous and the company even better.  We enjoyed wonderful conversation and a lovely dinner.  Dessert was a combination of a very healthy and tasty fruit platter alongside of very unhealthy but decadent and delicious mint brownies!  At 9.00, one of our guests, who is Russian, left the table to call his parents in Moscow.  He taught us how to say Happy New Year in Russian and we spent the next several hours perfecting our pronunciation.  By the way, you say С Новым годом.  So yeah, thinking that we perfected our pronunciation is kind of funny, actually.  With Russia firmly planted in the new year, we turned our attention to Stockholm where we were aware of the clock moving towards midnight as the bangs and booms from the fireworks increased as did Tanner's barking!  It was still 100% better than being in the city but he would not step outside for any reason at all!  At midnight we toasted and kissed and wished one another a bright new year.  Some fireworks were slightly visible from the porch but it was also just kind of fun standing outside in the relatively comfortable night air, listening to the sounds of the new year.  We retired around 2.00 a.m. after sharing in a lovely evening of celebration together.

We awoke to a beautiful morning and after coffee and breakfast took the dogs for a lovely walk through the snowy woods.  The melt is on as temperatures have been above freezing for a few days now.  Water was flowing, the ground was soft, the snow mushy.  Still, it was gorgeous and not very cold.  Tanner even found the water appealing on January 1, taking a plunge into the chilly Baltic.  What a crazy labrador that animal is but I must admit, had their been a sauna nearby, I might've been tempted to share in his polar dip.
We are grateful for our friends whose home is a welcome haven of comfort and rest for us.  We always say that their place is like our summer home and obviously, our winter home as well!  So nice to share these moments with good friends.

We eventually made our way home, tidied up around the house a bit, watched some American football and enjoyed the Rose Parade from Pasadena live through our computer.  It is almost the end of the first day of the new year.  It feels good to have enjoyed the holidays and celebrated well over these past few weeks.  It is, of course, with some sadness that normal life beckons us to return to work, routines, and doing a bit more in a day than eating, sleeping, taking walks and watching TV.  All said however, I am thankful for a job that I love and a life that is full.  Happy New Year friends. Let's hope and pray for good things to greet us in the year ahead but also that God's peace and comfort will join us when sorrow prevails.

Year in Review 2012

The last day of 2012 has kind of snuck up on me.  I was thinking that Tuesday was New Year's Eve but alas, Tuesday is New Year's Day!  It's good to take a moment and think back on the events of the year.  It's been a good year in many ways and I feel quite thankful for the graces and blessings that have been ours to enjoy.  We continue to journey beside family members with significant health issues but are grateful for each new day we're given with them and remain hopeful that full healing remains on the horizon.  The fight is not easy but the time we continue to enjoy with each loved one is a treasure.
January began with good friends on a freezing cold night overlooking the city enjoying the fireworks.  We had quite a mild winter last year but the views of our lovely city remained a joy to take in.
Of course, January is easier to swallow when February in California awaits you!  The desert sun was extra memorizing this year as we ended up buying a house at Mission Lakes in Desert Hot Springs, 15 miles away from my parents, on a golf course (Doug's dream), with tennis, swimming, hiking and a fitness center all nearby.  It was crazy and we have no idea how much we'll be able to actually be there but a series of uncanny events unfolded and we felt it was too good of an opportunity pass up.
March brought us back to Sweden where winter was still firmly planted.  We jumped back into church life and prepared for a wonderful Easter celebration.
In April we spent a rainy but joyful week in London at the International Pastors Conference.  This group of colleagues and friends have become extremely important to us in our ministry and we thank God for this rich time of fellowship and learning each year.  I climbed to the top of St. Paul's, we took in two shows, and had a blast just being in London surrounded by English speakers!
In May we took to the high seas, embarking on a Baltic Cruise with the St. Peter's Cruise line.  Stockholm-Tallin, Estonia-St. Petersburg, Russia-Helsinki, Finland-Stockholm.  4 nights, 4 cities.  It was great fun and included all the quirkiness of being on board a Russian cruise ship.  Highlights included sailing on the waters late at night, with the sun just rolling along the horizon as the white nights of the spring and summer were beginning to take shape.
In June we returned to the US to marry a young couple who had met in our church.  She an American, he from Malawi, this was one joyous celebration.  We took a couple of weeks in CA to work on the house as well.
July found us back in Sweden, working on our children's summer program at church and getting out on the boat into the archipelago as much as possible.  The summer was chilly so we didn't swim much and had jackets on most of the time, but still...those long summer days are hard to beat.
Since we had been away during the Swedish midsommar, we went to the summer place of our friends we are usually with and shared in a crayfish party with them!  It was lovely to spend a couple of quiet days away from the city, enjoying the beauty and charm of little Mellösa.
September turned out to be a gorgeous month after a fairly chilly summer so we continued to enjoy being out on the water.  We spent a lovely evening at the island home of our good friends and took in the fantastic views that their place provides.
October took me back to both California and London.  California to see my folks and enjoy our home, London to speak at a women's conference.  I wrote my talks for the conference in our cozy little cove off the master bedroom in our little house.Both were fantastic experiences and I cannot wait for Douglas to enjoy our home in the same way that I was able to then!
In November we celebrated a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with friends from around the world.  We were also very thankful that the US presidential election went the way that it did and we hope and pray that the US can make some progress in the areas where they have been stalled for far too long.
December came and went once again with the fantastic seasons of Advent and Christmas.  Our church services were filled with joy and hope.  We continue to feel so blessed by our church family and of course, very thankful that we get to share our lives with one another. Our dog Tanner continues to bring us joy while providing endless amusing entertainment.
2012 was a very good year in many years.  We have been stretched and challenged in various ways. We have been visited by sorrow and joy.  We have hosted many friends in our home and enjoyed those visits immensely.  We have hope for the future and anticipate the new year with a sense of humble gratitude.  We are grateful that throughout our adventures and our journeys, we feel the love of Christ surrounding us, beckoning us, pushing us along life's fragile and wonderful pathway.

Happy New Year dear Readers! I pray you have a safe New Year's Eve and that the year ahead will be filled with the grace of God in your lives, however the year unfolds.  

Window Dressing

The big department store in downtown Stockholm, NK, decorates their windows every Christmas with a fine tale of the season.  
I love this.  One of my favorite things to do when I lived in Chicago was to venture down to State Street to look at the beautiful windows in the then Marshall Field's department store.  In this respect, the child in me really comes out!
One evening, we were strolling through the city and stopped by for a look.  It was kind of late so the streets were almost empty, thus allowing us to get a good look at the windows, read the commentary and get some good photos!

Yes, that's Pippi Longstockings busy making Pepparkakor!

This year, the windows were a tribute to famous Swedish fairy tales and books.  The details were marvelous and I'm sure my eyes sparkled as I took in the beauty with childlike wonder.

Loved watching the skiers turn the corner!

I may have to walk downtown one more time to have one last look before the windows return to their high fashion state.

Food, Feasting, and Family

One of the sad realities of living overseas is that you miss out on most family gatherings.  The added reality that we are pastors of a church means that we have never spent Christmas with our blood families but rather have been with our church family.  And while we miss family at Christmas we have come to treasure the other "families" that we have forged our way into!  And we do delight in our church family and love to be with them and enjoy the wonderful Christmas days with them.  Over the years we have developed some traditions that have become dear to us.
The first is with our Swiss-American family.  This family has a mom who is Swiss, a dad who is American and three delightful grown up children who we love to be with.  Laughter, joy, meaningful conversation and games are always a part of our gatherings.  They also love Tanner so he often gets to come along!  We have made it a tradition to spend Christmas Eve with them and this year did not disappoint.  They live a bit outside of Stockholm and are surrounded by beauty.  With the incessant snowfall that Stockholm has enjoyed this year, we stepped right into a winter wonderland as we arrived.  There is a huge field in front of their house and Tanner loves to run and frolic in the wide open space.  Their home is a lovely haven of beauty and comfort.  We enjoyed wonderful appetizers of sausage and cheeses, a beautiful ham dinner and I contributed a decadent cheesecake with berries on top for desert.  Cookies, candy, chocolates and other delights surrounded us throughout the evening.  We played A Christmas Carol duel, drawing a word from a hat and in teams, needing to think of a Christmas song with that word and then singing the verse containing the word!  We won't win any Grammy awards but it was great fun laughing our way through the songs of the season.  We spent some time sharing our joys and challenges for the year ahead and all in all, it was a delightful Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day is devoted to our church family.  We began a tradition of having an Open House on Christmas day evening as this is when one can begin to feel a bit lonely.  The day after Christmas, Boxing Day or the Second Day of Christmas as it is known in Sweden, is also a holiday so people don't mind being out in the evening on Christmas.  By doing an Open House, we can also ensure that anyone from church has a place to go on Christmas to get a good meal and enjoy some warm fellowship.  A blizzard began on the Christmas morning and continued throughout the day thus cutting into our party total.  We usually have between 80-100 people and this year is was a modest 50 folks.  We enjoyed the company however and people talked and ate and enjoyed one another's company well into the evening.  I brew up a hot apple cider that is our signature beverage and people love it, most having never tasted it before!  I bake a zillion chocolate chip cookies and make homemade toffee in addition to the variety of dips and appetizers that adorn the table.  Doug fixes up the house, and I'm in charge of the food and we love having this tradition as the centerpiece of Christmas Day.
Last but certainly not least is our Swedish-Ghanian family.  We are also invited to Hannah's turkey feast each year.   Hannah is famous for making what is likely the most delicious turkey in the world and we look forward to the mouth-watering feast that awaits us each year.  Doug has become chief carver at the event and does an awesome job of ensuring that everyone gets a nice slice of the delicious bird.  The food goes fast at this delightful family gathering.  So while we long for family to join us in our traditions here in Sweden, we are not alone in our journey through the Christmas days.  We are grateful for the other "families" that have become an essential part of our life here in Sweden.