My good deed for the day.

So - okay a second post for the day.

I was on my way to pickup Ms. S., my carpool buddie, when I see this at the side of the road.

But it was not just the truck.

It had a gas can on top of it and a woman visibly sobbing and trying to wave down traffic.  Wearing a tank top and jeans - and a jacket DEFINITELY not warm enough for the weather.  About 30 degrees this morning.

I pull over and roll down the window.  Leary - kind of scared actually wondering just what scam I was falling for - cell in hand hovered over Ms. S's phone number - just in case.  She is the only person who would know about where my car was at that moment.

The crying woman came up and said she needed gas and asked could I take her up the road.  I asked if she couldn't get hold of anyone and she said her phone had died and she didn't know any numbers by heart.  She had been standing out there for half and hour - she was shivering so I believed her about that.

Ugh.  My heart was pounding but I told her I would take her to the Super America up the road.  I called Ms. S. to tell her - she laughed, "Okay, then I maybe will blow dry my hair."

As we are driving the woman is searching her pockets.  Uh-oh.  No wallet either.  UGH.  Is it in the car?

no. it is at home.  i am crying because i just had a baby and she is in my room at my sisters and i need my sister to check on her, but i can't call because i don't remember her number and now how will i get home....

in the saddest smallest voice ever.

I felt so bad for feeling bothered or obligated to pick her up.

So, maybe she scammed me for gas.  But I paid the attendant $20 to fill her gas can and got this guy I heard talking in the station about "heading home as he worked all night" to drive her back to her car.

She thanked me and wanted to give me her number but I waived her off.  

And we still made it to work at a fairly decent time.

And now, I will wonder about her for a very long time.

Politics, The Bible, and Your Partner.

I do not think it is any secret that I am a liberal - or that I, along with at least ONE of my Auntie's wishes that Hillary Clinton were president.

But it may be less obvious that I go to church on Sunday and LOVE that this year I am not teaching so that I might participate in our Adult Forum.  I went a few times last year when it was not my "turn" to teach our Sunday School Class and fell in love.

My church is not what you might expect.  I belong to an Evangelical Lutheran Church of America congregation with pastors who were raised up here (North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and  Wisconsin in my opinion are different from the rest of Middle America) and really are like most people I know in real life.  Family men, love the Twins, tolerate the Vikings, and have sensible open minds.  The older pastor recants tales from the farm and growing up there - the younger one quotes popular culture, ex: using "Talladega Nights, the Tale of Ricky Bobby." to relate how following the ADULT Jesus is harder than "Baby Jesus".

They both like to push you to think.

The last Sunday of September they decided to discuss a hot topic in Minnesota; "The Marriage Amendment" that looms come election day.

Well, not exactly.  The pastor, the younger, with a twinkle in his eye said the topic for the day was the types of marriage from the bible.  I found a blog that outlines them too, Unreasonable Faith, so you can read something pretty similar to the handout our pastor gave us.  Well, he didn't have the comment at the end like the blog, but I like that comment ;)

Something he DID say that made me really want to write this post and hopefully change someone's vote November 6th.

What did he say?  He said that during Biblical Times marriage was more "politically and monetarily driven".  Women had NO rights whatsoever when it came to marriage - heck if your brother-in-law would not marry you under Levirate Marriage if your husband died and left you with no son - You became an outcast & a beggar with no rights and no family support.

So why are we making marriage political or biblical?

Our congregation pointed out the word of God said, "Go forth and multiply." But, what about the couples who today cannot, or don't want to, have children?  Are you going to stand up and tell them they can't be married in the church?  They are not worthy of a "biblical" marriage?  And what exactly does "multiply" look like these days?  Isn't adoption a way of multiplying your family too?

I guess what I am hoping to say to you is this; God never said that marriage was between one man and one woman - and there were no other types of marriage.  MEN decided to write the laws of marriage and pretty much made women slaves.  So why NOW when we have given women rights in marriage, and we have set records for divorce in our country, are we saying that no one else can have the right to marry who they love?  Why NOW when we are trying to teach our children to not be bullies are we allowing a few people using the BIBLE for their POLITICAL agenda bully us?

Please think long and hard about who you know in your life and if you want them to be happy, just like you are, before you vote my dear fellow Minnesotans.

Source: theheirtoblair.com via mommylisa on Pinterest

Heard in my kitchen: Regarding the Republicans

This morning T-bone and I were in the kitchen, getting lunches ready, listening to the news when they began showing clips from the RNC in Tampa.

Oh dear, sweet, goofy T-Paw.

We heard what he said and T-bone turns to me:

Apparently since he won't be Vice President he is practicing to be a comedian.

Yeah, in church basements.

Good one Hon. <-Doh! I never get a reaction like that from T-bone, he usually tries to ADD to the joke.  Yeah me. 

*end scene*

Everybody likes a compliment...especially me.

So yesterday I posted my MEme Monday from SupahMommy and MommyBrain, the quote from Abraham Lincoln...

Everybody likes a compliment.

And the responses got me thinking about my Valentine's Day.  You see on Saturday I got a letter from my Neighborhood Co-ordinator at Church, they divide us up by address to coordinate who will serve communion, work the nursery, etc.  I think TOTALLY fair.

I had volunteered to serve coffee.  Seems harmless and simple, right?

not so much.  I AM Lutheran after all.  I should have known this would be complicated.

My coordinator told me she would "remind me" with a mailing.  It arrived on Saturday the 13th for my Sunday the 14th shift...YIKES, I had forgotten. 

I had to arrive at church ONE HOUR before services.  The coffee pot has to heat up for 30-45 minutes. 

It was also a SPECIAL day and we would be having cake to celebrate a member of our congregation becoming a US Citizen.  Ummm, okay.

So - they did not want a collection basket out in case the person would think the money was for them.

But then!  Someone asked where the CARD basket was to give them cards.  Ummm, okay here is one let's put it here...

We get all accomplished except cutting the cake - we decide to do that right after the sermon. 

Church, sermon over.  HOLY BANANAS!  It is ALMOST 9:30 and I have to teach too!!!

Cutting cake, putting out coffee pitchers, folks start rolling in...YIKES they are putting money in the card basket.  My coordinator FREAKS OUT.  Takes the basket away.

I am frantically filling the table with cake from the serving window, people are avoiding the line and coming between me, the serving window and taking cake - of course me practically knocking them over in the process. 

THEN the woman who got US Citizenship comes up and asks me to "pass around" her certificate.  Umm-KAY.  If you want to pass it around, please feel FREE.  And just WHY would you pass around your citizenship papers???

Another idiot asks if we took a picture of the cake.  I laughed.

THEN after we announce WHY the cake...someone still stands up, gets everyone's attention and asks,

"WHO HAS A BIRTHDAY IN FEBRUARY?  Let's all sing "Happy Birthday!"

*cricket, cricket, cricket*  we are LUTHERAN, right?

I make it through.  And actually get a very grateful look and thank you from the coordinator. 

I get dismissed to FINALLY head down to my class and there is my faithful hubby who brought Boo Boo La La to Sunday School for me...he laughs with me, and told me the nicest thing.

"Kari said you were WORKING YOUR BUTT OFF!" 

It was nice that someone noticed.  ;)

Am I too Minnesotan?

Yesterday I had an offsite meeting with a potential new client...which is exciting, but my boss was "joining" me. (that is another story) I needed something that I had not had for weeks and weeks and weeks....coffee.

I pulled into McDonald's. Yes, I did not even go for the good stuff - I felt like I was nine and sneaking coffee in the church basement.

I say into the speaker that I want a skim milk latte, medium. The cheerful sounding woman said "A vanilla lattee?" No, plain. No syrup, just a latte. "No syrup?" like that was weird?

I get to the window to pay and she again says - "You want that with NO SYRUP and NO SWEETNER?" Yes, I say - I am Lutheran...ba dum bum. No reaction from this woman who is not YOUNG by any stretch - maybe 50-ish???? Uh...that was a joke. I say... continued blank stare. Okay, Thank you.

So, am I too Minnesotan? Or was she just dropped in our fair state by aliens?

Garrison Keillor has made a career out of making fun of Scandinavian Lutheran's in our fair state - and I have meet people from FAR AND WIDE who have heard of him and know Lutheran jokes.

To be fair, I am:

Blonde
Norwegian
German
Danish
a mix of a little of 'dis and 'dat
Lutheran
I do say "Uff da" a fair amount
I say "That's different." when I do not want to offend you.

So, was it me? Or maybe it was that she was working the drive through at McDonald's?