We don't ignore you on purpose

It just happens sometimes.

Things have been eventful around here lately, and there's barely been a night in recent memory that we've been without plans of some kind.

During the week I volunteer at the Youth Farm & Market Project at the Lyndale location, not far from our place. I work in the kitchen, helping the head cook get everything started, then working with the kids to help finish the food and serve it. The kids are great, and they know so much about what they're eating -- what they like and don't like (mostly what they like -- which often is everything), what flavors taste like (homemade ranch dressing, anyone?), and what a dish is missing. It's terribly impressive. The kids are exhausting, but it's definitely worth it. I know I'm learning infinite patience from it all.

I'm also working to get dislocated worker benefits applied toward MCTC's baking certificate program starting this fall. There are more hoops to jump through than I care to enumerate, so hopefully it'll all come together and be worth it.

And Noazim (Mount Zion 20s/30s) programming continues to be an ever-present item on my to-do list -- in a good way! We seem to be gaining support from the leadership and clergy, and next week present a proposal for a 20s/30s-specific service to the worship committee. Not only that, but we have a full docket of on-going and holiday-specific events planned, including apple picking for Rosh Hoshana (I love apple picking!), and the planning and organization for it all is like a full-time job some days.

I'm taking a writing class at The Loft right now on freelance writing for newspapers and magazines. We're only four weeks in and I feel behind -- but maybe that's because I missed last week's class to run the Torchlight 5k :) And before that class is even done, I start Lighting Boot Camp at the Minneapolis Photography Center!

Eric's mostly been busy with work and the band, including preparing for a pretty important gig at The Fine Line -- which you should make sure to come to! Tuesday, August 4th @ 7:30 pm. If you work in downtown, just grab some dinner and come over after that! OR, if you live in the suburbs, notice how early it is -- you can get home, change, make the quick drive into the city, and still get home in time to watch the news and get to bed at a decent hour. Check out thecoldopen.com for links to all the details!

Up next (hopefully): Stories from our camping trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota!