Day 4, captain’s log.

Morale is still high. Especially after the amount of hospitality we’ve experienced. This is the first day we’re not playing a show (the last four days having 6 engagements).

The shows themselves have been tremendous. Great times of song and story and community. Since leaving Omaha we’ve played in Milwaukee, led worship at Blackhawk Church Fitchburg, and entertained a coffee shop in Madison (Crescendo Espresso Bar & Music Cafe).

Here’s a favorite saying thus far on the trip (on Day 1 I posted Craig’s haiku’s… I hope to keep sharing tour jokes). This is one from Brian Claxton:

Making a cake is super simple.
Step 1: preheat the oven
Step 2: eat the cake

I laugh every time we say this or reference it. He started saying this in high school after being baffled by the intricacy of baking in a Martha Stewart episode. You know the one where she way overcomplicates the product? (it’s EVERY one).

I laugh at the joke but I’m also struck that there’s truth in the absurdity. We want everything to be so simple and fast. And that is not life. Reality is not pre-packaged, easy bake, and one-step. It’s quite complex. We’ve been talking about that at our shows as we share our Almanac songs. (That was also a major theme of the Blackhawk Church Fitchburg sermon, as they’re studying Proverbs!)

Hope you’re having a wonderfully rich and intricate day. Sometimes it goes down like a fine wine.

Many thanks to Kevin, Maddie, and Abbie (Wade for hosting!) for the Milwaukee times
John and Corrie Rosensteel, Bret and Lorraine Shillingstad for opportunities at Blackhawk and horseback riding
and Paul and Kate for hosting us at Crescendo!

It’s incredible the amount of kindness and support we’ve received from these people and others we’ve met so far. Helps keep that morale high.

Below is a photo by Kevin in Milwaukee. (We call this picture “Christmas in July”).

Above photo by Christine Myers at Crescendo Espresso Bar & Music Cafe