SPAM MUSEUM!

We have staff retreats about 2 to 3 times a year. These retreat consist of leaving the church...doing something fun, eating lunch somewhere, then having an extensive meeting, usually lasting 3-3.5 hours talking about the calendar( for the next 6 months). Since the SPAM Museum was only 40 minutes away in Austin, MN...Nick suggested we go!!

So off we went... as a staff.. in 2 vans... to the museum... where lots of fun took place, lots of facts were read and experienced. Its nice to hang out with your staff outside of work.. there is almost a whole different side to them when you step out of the office and just enjoy each others company.



After the museum we ate at a place across the street called Jerry's Other Place. Spam was on the menu in different forms. We ordered a couple orders of spam sticks... they we like deep fried spam... the batter was SO delicious, and the spam was not half bad... salty ham... pretty much...
but I would never eat it cold... although you can. After my BLT and strawberry rhubarb pie we all piled in the vans again.. and headed to St. Olaf Church in Austin, where Nick served as pastor before he became bishop of the South Eastern Synod.

We got a tour of their new remodeled church!!! Zumbro is needing some updating, so that tour gave us some great ideas! ;)

We had a productive meeting and talked about events up through next fall! So strange that when people starting talking about anything post August... I knew I was not going to be there. A couple times people turned to me, expecting my involvement(habit), forgetting I was not going to be there after August 16th. :( So sad.... I feel so at home...not being a part of Zumbro's plans for next fall makes me realize how lucky I am to have had such a great experience here.

We then headed back to Zumbro after our long meeting... that day took a lot out of me... but it was a a day that needed to be had.. by all the staff!!