I asked for this week off as it’s the Montana Synod Pastors’ Conference and was granted it so… I got to go to Chico Hot Springs with Jon for the conference!

The Good
-not having to commute an hour to work for 5 days!
-living in the most beautiful state in the union and seeing a part of it while driving down
-breakfast at the Park n’ Ponder in Great Falls on Tuesday
-soaking in the pool at Chico which is fed by natural hot springs so it’s a gigantic hot tub
-the food — all gourmet and all made fresh every day
-hanging with friends from the synod and making new ones
-getting to have a normal conversation with our most awesome bishop and being able to joke around
-AWESOME worship by people who KNOW how to do it
-going to Yellowstone on Wednesday afternoon and communing with the bison and elk and geese who were out
-being able to sit by the fire in the lodge and read Joanne Fluke murder mysteries
-dinner with Joe and Jon at Arby’s which was so fun that one forgot they were in a fast food restaurant
-walks in the falling snow while listening to my devotions as well as other podcasts on Panimatushka (my new iPod)

The Bad
-hard mattresses at the resort
-not getting to have a big orange tabby displacing my hips for several days
-missing my kitties

Otherwise, I’m chilling in my study because we have no heat (!!!!) and downloading interesting podcasts for work this week in addition to some Casting Crowns.