Greetings, y’all! It’s been a busy two weeks for Christy and me, including a week of in Illinois attending ELCA conferences, followed by some preaching and reconnecting-with-friends time in Wisconsin.

Sadie has stayed busy with theatre, running spotlight and light boards for Hickory Community Theatre and Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts. This week, Riley is enjoying another week of junior training camp with the Hickory PD.

I directed (and performed in) a production of Caryl Churchill’s Light Shining in Buckinghamshire that was performed in a super cool space, with a super cool cast, in Newton, NC.

Let’s go to the file photos…

On July 4th, we supported some friends performing with Purple Squirrel Musik in Lenoir, NC.

Obligatory fireworks photo from that evening.

Some of the hats worn in Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, which is set during the English Civil War of 1642-1651.

This was our performance space – the Bhakti Barn at AnandaRasa Catawba in Newton, NC. Our opening night featured a severe weather AND tornado warning, but we got in the show and had a wonderful weekend of performances.

Day 1 in Illinois and, of course, we celebrated with some deep dish pizza.

The conferences opened with a gathering of global missionaries…

…including a session moderated by Christy…

…and an all-staff gathering kicked off by Presiding Bishop Curry.

I squeezed in a get-together with some college friends in Evanston, IL, courtesy of the Metra train line.

Did I mention that I had time to kill on the ride back from Evanston?

On (to) Wisconsin! Our first night in Platteville we attended a big band concert in the park.

We did a presentation at Advent Lutheran Church in Madison, which has a gorgeous pollinator garden, as well as an expansive community garden…

…that includes chickens.

Christy preaching at Lutheran Church of Peace in Platteville, WI.

Some Buddhist monks providing a pop of color at O’Hare Airport on our journey back to NC.