Many Hats

I'm working on several different projects right now, most connected with the historic church building which is the home of my congregation. It's on the National Register of Historic Places and was finished in 1888. The architect who designed it only designed two public buildings that are still standing west of the Mississippi River, so it's a distinctive and special building.

Today we had a photo shoot for a guidebook to be distributed to visitors to the building. A crew of eight people with lights, scaffolding and a generator were in the building from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm taking pictures. They started yesterday and will continue shooting for another two days. The pictures are spectacular. As soon as I receive the disk, I'll post some here.

We also had a crew working on the brick facade of the building and we have another group rehearsing a play that opens the first weekend in June. All the time this has been going on, I've been working on a major grant application for more funds to restore the building and keep up with my job as a parish priest.

My niece graduated from high school this week and her graduation party is at my home this weekend. In addition to work "at work" there's a lot going on at home - putting plants in pots, sealing the deck and assembling some new outdoor furniture along with the usual homekeeping work of cleaning and cooking.

It's a busy and productive time, but I frequently have the feeling of venturing into territory where I don't really know what I'm doing with serious consequences for making a mistake. It reminds me of the feeling I get when I'm navigating an unfamiliar city and trying not to get lost. The real problem is not having good information or skill in a particular area and not knowing where to go to get it or time to really learn it. One head can only wear so many hats.