The “Church Basement Ladies"... They’re NOT!

The “Church Basement Ladies”... 

they’re NOT!

Ever see a painting that makes you think you could almost walk into it and feel what it’s like?

  Such is the 7th annual re-enactment of the Leonardo da Vinci painting of The Last Supper at Urland Lutheran Church during their Lenten season.  Local men were “morphing” into the twelve disciples from 2000 years ago.  

Behind the scenes...

The idea of being among those “disciples” brought me to the church early that night.

I explained to the men that I was videoing them to show the changes they’d make in their transition to the Biblical characters.  

    James Zebedee - Marc Hernke
    
But since they didn’t know I was coming, I added that I was willing to step out of the room quickly if they needed privacy.  (Keep in mind that I am from a generation that was raised on the virtue of modesty - to some extent anyway - and I probably wouldn’t be comfortable in the Minnesota Vikings locker room!)

Thomas - Curt Beissel

No panic…

But the guys didn’t seem to mind me being there.  Although I began to panic when they loosed their belts... but they were all wearing burmuda shorts under their jeans!  It was still cold here in Minnesota.

And they were kidding around... although they weren’t the Church Basement Ladies!  But laughing like guys do... probably like they did with Jesus.

                     John and Peter - Al Hernke and Dennis Thue

And I was honored to be among such men.

Re-enactment of the Da Vinci painting.

The program is based on the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci back in 1452.  He shows Jesus breaking bread and also warning them that he knows: “One of you will betray me.”

     Each man then tells about his relationship with Christ and wonders aloud... “Is it I Lord?”

Jesus - Aaron Busch

Who would do this?

  Now the dictionary explains that the word “betrayal” means to be disloyal, unfaithful, break faith with, sell out…

  Since we know Judas is the one who does the deed, I was waiting to hear how his character would explain his choice. 
  

In effect he explained that he was trying to force Jesus to take his role as ruler - commander in chief.  He appeared to believe Jesus could do it... but Judas wanted it done now.

And so he “betrayed” him, "sold" him out - later that night.

Am I also Judas?

  And then I pondered about whether I wouldn’t also fit into this category of Judas - of betrayal.  

Because even though I may have followed some of the ten commandments… what about the other times when I disobeyed the command to “love one another”. 

Wasn’t I “betraying” Jesus then?

The only comforting thought I have is that although Judas chose one way of dealing with his betrayal... he had another choice... to change.

And so do we.

 Video - Church Basement Ladies - They're NOT!

http://youtu.be/4zgvgywuK7s

A little boy… and his dream for “someday”!

What do cops do off duty?

 A little boy… 

and his dream for “someday”!

The cold gray skies of winter took a break that afternoon allowing the sun to beam down on the procession of about 17 squad cars with their lights flashing as they traveled along Highway 19... probably spreading concern to oncoming vehicles who immediately pulled over to squat on their side of road... perhaps wondering if they had missed the warning of a huge accident or emergency evacuation.

What it was…

But it was one of the activities that Goodhue County Deputy Tom Wolner explained that cops like to take part in best.   Goodhue County Sheriff Deputies, Cannon Falls Police Officers, State Troopers, along with Red Wing and Prairie Island Police came on their personal time.

They were chauffeuring a young ten year old boy from his school, Burnside Elementary near Red Wing to his home in Cannon Falls where they were honoring him for his efforts to help others suffering from difficulties like his and also to help encourage him in his upcoming surgery resulting from his injuries.

What had happened…

Gage Robinson suffers from “Shaken Baby Syndrome” which he received due to vigorous shaking when he was 10 weeks old.   His mother, Penny, explained that Gage has vision impairment, some responses similar to cerebral palsy, anxiety, OCD tendencies and difficulties because part of his brain died in the shaking.

Penny had been told in the hospital they didn’t think her child would live through the night.  Following this she was informed that he would be a “vegetable”.

Gage is now 10 years old and because of his efforts to improve his situation along with the help of professionals, he is spearheading fundraising and education for the causes and groups that have helped him and others.

But there are problems…

         Gage still has his own problems to deal with.  Later this month he will be having extensive leg surgery.

His therapy is almost a full time job, Penny explained.  Besides physical problems Gage works on his “memory recall”.  

It’s not an option…

And his mother doesn’ t want him to feel sorry for himself.  So when he hits a low time she encourages him by asking, “Now what are we going to do to make this better?”  

Gage also dreams of becoming a police officer.  So members of his family thought he would like to receive police patches to encourage him.

The plan is formed…

This is where former Cannon Falls police officer, now Goodhue County Deputy Mike Ayers comes in.  When he found out about Gage’s situation, he sent out a call to surrounding agencies for the escort and support. 

Deputy Wolner then designed and ordered the "special" badge for Gage, to give him as an honorary deputy.  This was made possible through donations by sheriff's office employees in the Administration, Investigation, Patrol and Dispatch divisions.

The agencies also provided other gifts showing their support and “welcoming him and his mother into our family!”  

Wolner added, “Law Enforcement can be a challenging and rewarding career and participating in details such as this is one of the greatest honors we have. It was a great event and it was truly a humbling experience shared by the participating Agencies!”

For more information go to Facebook page: 

Gage Gives Back.

For video see  below 

or   www.paulrosie.com

  

It's not morbid… when you're among friends!

It's not morbid... 

when you’re among friends!

It doesn’t seem morbid to talk about your own funeral with friends who work for a funeral home. They seem comfortable dealing with this part of life.

Although it might seem like a subject you don’t want to bring up... kind of scary in fact. Sometimes it almost seems like if you don’t think about it... that whoever in the universe is in charge of these things might forget about you... and forget about when your time is up... so why attract his attention?

But it might also be easier to think about these things in a small town where you not only know the funeral director but probably the doctor who assisted you at your birth.

Although I have only lived here a few decades and will always be considered a “newcomer”, folks here have taught me many good things.

What my friend's funeral taught me...

Recently I went to the funeral of a neighbor, Melroy Thompson. Several years ago his wife Cathy and I wrote an article for the newspaper about Mel’s descent into Alzheimers disease.

The reason was to share the ongoing tragic events of this problem so others who may face it would have some warning... some inkling of what might happen... and what to do.

A cowboy...

Mel was a true cowboy. He raised horses. He had loved them since he was a child. He was a member of the local saddle club. You might have seen him in a parade.

I figured that at his funeral they would probably have his saddle in a place of honor. And his horse buddies would be there in their western regalia.

So that morning I dug out my leather fringed jacket and cowboy boots. I felt kind of dumb drawing attention to myself wearing such an outfit but I wanted to honor Mel. And I figured his buddies would be dressed similarly so no one would notice me.

Oh - Oh!

I was finishing getting dressed when I pulled on the jeans and was horrified to note that I had gained a little weight over the winter. As I buttoned the waistband I wondered if I was going to be able to breathe for the next two hours!

But it got worse!!!

Then it got worse when we got to the church and I realized I was the only one dressed in cowboy attire!

But it was after the service and luncheon were over that I got to talking to Donna Anderson. She and her husband Dean assist the director at the funerals.

What would be displayed next to the coffin?

I chuckled and explained that in no way did I want my saddle displayed at my funeral. My saddle is an old worn out synthetic material saddle that has had the leg straps replaced - they don’t match each other - and the stain has worn off in spots and I’ve covered it with permanent black marker - which hasn’t been very permanent!

But my lightweight saddle has come through a lot with me. Back in the years when I had a chronic health condition, I was too weak to lift a leather saddle. This old artificial one worked just fine.

What's wrong with this?

Then I got to thinking... what’s wrong with having my old saddle at my funeral? I guess a funeral is no place to put on “airs”, as they used to say!

A better idea?

But as I was pondering this topic... I think it would be better to replace the saddle with my little old MacBook. It’s gone a lot of places with me. It’s heard a lot of frustration from me. And I’ve learned a lot using it.

Even better?

Actually... as I’m thinking about this... I think it would be even more appropriate to just have an old manure shovel there. I’ve spent a lot of time using that to clean corrals and sheds.

So my question to you is: 
what would you display? 

 We’re having fun fooling around 
with these ideas anyway... right?

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Just yesterday?

Was that just "yesterday"?

How old were you "yesterday"?

Today with the fascination of the country on youth, 

I wondered about the benefits of age.  

In a recent conversation… 

without getting specific… 

my friend was in her 70’s… 

and she added, “But yesterday I was 17.”

We chuckled... and agreed... that was true.

Just nuts?

Now you could say that it sounds like the inmates are running the asylum here and that’s why they thought this concept sounded right.

But the group of women considering the idea of aging consisted of various ages.

And we hadn’t been declared incompetent yet… 

legally at least.

And we knew what was meant by the observation.

Make sure you change now!

Many years ago, the head nurse of a retirement/nursing home facility told me to “take control of your habits when you’re young... because when you’re old you won’t have the determination to do so.”  
In other words, sweet little old ladies were probably sweet to begin with.  And my crabbiness probably wouldn’t get better just because I got older.   

Don’t know if I’ve tackled this idea very well.   Guess part of me likes the idea of having an excuse for being crochety.  

Past years appear…

But it’s fascinating to picture this idea... and I think my friend was right.  

At whatever age I might be... all the previous years seem to be on one photo sheet of paper instead of watching them on a rolling film.

And folks I know all agree that we don’t want the “mind set” we had as teenagers.

Because of all the insights we have learned throughout the years... all the treasured values we have gained... all the wisdom that comes through surviving and knowledge.

Your present age…

Yes, the years may be adding up… 

but really, just yesterday I was young… 

and I remember… 

and can become better because of the understanding and love I have received… 

and that I hope to give.

How “cool” is this?

So when you wonder how old someone is…

 remember that "just yesterday”...

they were your age.

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A better way to foil “car hijackers”!

A better way to foil “car hijackers”!

It only took me two weeks to come up with a better crime scene scenario than I had dealt with in real life.

It came when I was waking up one morning.  (Now how much of our creative work is really done while sleeping?  And how do you convince your boss that you were really working and not just ‘resting your eyes” when sitting at your desk?)

Anyway...  in a recent column I told about the concern I had when my husband Paul and a relative met a stranger in a distant town who was selling a car they had advertised on the internet.  Cash was required.

We’ve heard about the dangerous results that can occur.

But Paul had grinned when we discussed this plan and he figured out that I was considering all sorts of possible criminal behavior.  He asked if I would take a gun along?  I said I’m only comfortable carrying a camera.

But I was too tired to go along anyway and he took off by himself.

Later that night Paul called me from the mall where they were meeting the man with the car.  Paul was sitting in our car with the cash while the others took a test drive.

But he didn’t call back again.

And after another hour or so I was worried and checked the “app” on our iPhone to find out where he - or his phone - was located.

To my surprise, our car was headed south to the Iowa border - not north to Cannon Falls.

Well, I ran the possibilities over in my mind:  if I call and the phone rings, then the kidnappers will know about it and they’ll throw it away and I won’t be able to track him.

If Paul left the phone in the car, the person stealing it will know it’s there and throw it away and I won’t be able to track the car.

Because I couldn’t think of anything else to do... I called Paul.  This could have had bad results. But he answered and explained he had just turned the wrong way on the freeway and couldn’t find the next turn to get home.  And he had stopped to get a bite to eat!

Now it’s a couple of weeks later.   When I woke up I thought of another plan that I think would have been better!

Instead of alerting the criminal stealing the car (or worse) by the ringing on Paul’s cell phone, I could have hit 911 and called the State Patrol.  I could have explained the scenario and asked them to look for Paul’s car on the highway.

Because I was tracking our car on my cell phone “app”, I could have told them right where to look for him.

Then perhaps they could have turned on their flashing lights and pulled Paul’s car over and checked it out!

I guess it’s a reminder to me that it’s better that I don’t try to do everything myself.

And besides... they carry a gun.

Your own TV crime show!

Your own TV crime show!

I don’t need to turn on the TV for a crime show.

I can make up my own way too easy!

The other night my husband Paul was going along with a relative to meet a guy who had advertised his car for sale on the internet.

Because it was going to be at night - in a distant town - they planned to meet at a parking lot at a mall.

Lot of lights there and people.

For safety.

When you are buying a car from a stranger and dealing in cash you had better be careful.  Or if you’re selling one too.

I was too tired to go along but since I was worried I showed Paul how to use his cell phone camera and told him that while he waited in the car as the transaction unfolded he could take lots of pictures through the windshield.

(I didn’t tell him that if I were there I would then hide the camera under the seat if they started shooting.  So they wouldn’t find it in the excitement.  Haven’t seen that on a TV show anyway.)

Also, I didn’t want pictures of the car being sold as much as I wanted pictures of the person or persons selling the car.

You see I had read about people getting killed when they met up with guys who had advertised a car for sale.

Paul grinned as he knew I was thinking about the crime angle and wondered if I would I bring a gun?  But I told him the only weapon I could use would be a camera.

Anyway, it was with some concern that I stayed home and waited to hear what went on.

Over an hour later I was jolted to alert status when my cell phone rang.

It was Paul.  He was sitting in our car safeguarding the cash while the seller and buyer took a test drive.

Just had to wait now.

That’s when it got interesting.

After another hour or so I still hadn’t heard anything back.  Because we have the ability on our iPhones to track them, I clicked on the “app” to find Paul’s phone.

It was heading south toward the Iowa border!

What?

He was supposed to go north to get back home!

Now I had to decide if Paul’s car had been stolen and he was knocked out or worse... or if he had been kidnapped in it!  

So should I call his phone and see if he answers?

If I call and it rings then the kidnappers will know about it and they’ll throw it away and I won’t be able to track him.

If he left it in the car, the person stealing it will know it’s there and throw it away and I won’t be able to track the car.

But while I was still thinking through this scenario I hit the call button and heard it ringing... 

Finally Paul answered and explained that after the car had been bought and the buyer and seller exchanged papers, etc., he had left them.  But he made the wrong turn onto the freeway and had gone south instead of north.  And couldn’t change his route for quite a distance.  Then he had stopped and gotten some food at a Quik Trip.   

The next time I checked his progress on the phone "app" - going on towards midnight - he had stopped at Econo Foods a couple miles from home.  (It was a Wednesday - special discount for seniors!)

The ending to this “crime story” was a lot better than some of the TV crime shows.

Government snoops… or just weird?

Government “snoops” or just weird?

We’ve heard about the government possibly tracking citizens by collecting data on their cell phones.   

But when I was having trouble with my new smart phone, the tech guy I called explained he couldn’t “look in” or “take over” my phone.

I informed him that the internet server guys do this when I’m having a problem with my computer.  Having them take remote control is a wonderful option for me because then they can get my computer back up and running.

And I wondered out loud... “Where are the government snoops when you need them?”

You can see that I’m trying to figure out how to use my first smartphone.  Actually I was quite happy with my old cell phone but my husband needed a new one and he likes techie things.

The problem is he expects me to know how to use them.  And the whole family can tell you that I have a special “touch” when it comes to goofing things up electronically. 

Like cameras and computers.

I was told that my son who is an experienced salesman for National Camera &Video in the twin cities tells customers about his mother’s frustrating experiences with cameras!  So if one works for her it must be good.

And while the Genius Bar tech guy at the Apple store was trying to figure out my problem with my "Mac" he suggested that Apple should run their ideas by me first to see if there are any problems popping up!

So to prevent these frustrating experiences with my new phone, I ordered several books from the library. I hoped to find one that I could understand.

Actually, maybe the local elementary school could have a class where their students help some of the rest of us figure this all out!

Anyway, one Sunday I packed up my latest “Dummies” book and headed to the phone store to have the salesman figure out what I needed to do.  (Actually, it’s comforting to see a real person get confused by the antics of my equipment!)

And quite a while later I headed back home with notes, an updated cell phone and a warning: be sure you turn off your phone so you don’t accidentally press a button and make a phone call.  

OK!

But you realize that this isn’t the end.

Because later that day I got a call from my daughter in Ohio.  She asked, “Did you call Mom?”  Well, I hadn’t called her but my phone had.   

Thinking it was just a glitch, I cleared out all my recent calls.  

The next day I noticed I had only made three calls as I was heading outside with my cross country skis to check the fence lines.   I had seen that some of the electric fencing had been pulled out on the horse pasture.  Probably from the deer not jumping high enough to get over.  

But then my phone rang.  I dug it out and it was from my son in the twin cities.  He asked, “Hi Mom, did you call?” 

I said, No, I’m heading outside right now.  

Well he had just received a call from me.  I thought, “This is really weird.”  

He explained that like my daughter the day before, he had received a call but when he answered there was no one there.

I checked my calls and was grateful that my phone hadn’t called any one else.

I have no clue as to what is going on.

But I think my phone is pretty cool if it gets my kids to call me!

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