Back normal and a few other things

I put the comments back to what I believe is normal. I changed it a little over a month ago because of a spammer and I'm hoping that person has found someone else to pester.

So, here's how a normal parish works. I left my rectory this morning at 7:00 am for 7:30 mass. After mass, we went to the local restaurant for some food and conversation. I get to do this three times a week in three different towns. At the diner, I got two phone calls. The first was my business manager telling me that I needed to pick up some stuff at the bank. The next was the business manager telling me there'd been a death in the town I was eating and they were wondering about arrangements. I finished eating and jumped into my car to find the house of the (now) widow. I visited with her and met some family. I went to another parish to finish filling out some stuff for the banks and then headed back to my rectory.

All in all, a pretty good start to the day. Of course, the fact that the tire for my truck decided to get a sharp piece of metal stuck in it kind of threw a wrench in it. But I got to figure out how to use my jack, which is always a good thing. And I got to drive onto the local car dealership to have them fix the thing and then they'll know who I am when I need to get a new truck. Plus, it could have been worse. I'm heading out tonight to meet a bunch of Winnebago Camper owners tonight as the local town has its WIT rally. I don't know what WIT stands for so don't ask. All I know is that it involves a bunch of people driving their Winnebagos back here where many of them were made. Should make for an interesting weekend with lots of visitors to town as I'm being introduced.

New responsibilities. New Opportunities

I've arrived in Forest City, Iowa and am officially the pastor of six churches. The strange thing is that, even as I type that, I can't help but think about how little has changed. I tend be a creature of habit and I was sort of able to set up a routine before I left Ames that is working (thus far) here in Forest City. We'll see what happens tomorrow when I have mass a half hour away at 7:30...in the morning. Up until the last six weeks in Ames, I was almost never awake at 7:30 in the morning. I have a few scattered reflections thus far.

1. I wonder when it will hit me that I'm really the pastor and not just subbing for Father Huber. This is my home not just a place I'm visiting for a few days.

2. I already miss the college students. I keep thinking about them because we had a death two days before I left. I wish I was there to help process some feelings. I wish I could give Bridget one more hug.

3. I moved way too much stuff. I need to make a list of stuff that a priest should move and stuff a priest shouldn't move so that I'll know that for when I move again in 12 years. Here's a start...

Do move:
Books
Computer
Clothes

Don't move:
Bed linens
Old liturgical furniture
A Bed

...probably the best thing I could do is fill my truck once with the important stuff and, whatever doesn't fit, isn't important. Of course, that just encourages me to get a bigger truck but I'll deal with that when it happens.