Seewalds 46: Arugula, Rhododendrom, Milkweed, Dandelion, Foxglove, Dogwood, Nasturtium, Rhubarb...

[HerNameIsBuffy]

5 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

It makes me wonder if Zoo knows how fucking unhinged so many of the PP humpers are. I’m a very private person so I would never marry anyone in the spotlight. Not a celebrity, politician, or preacher. I’m a grouchy hermit who likes privacy. 

Me too.  My son is an excellent musician and I've told him for years if he ever became famous he is to tell people he was raised by wolves.  Fans show up on my front lawn and I will turn the hose on them.

[JermajestyDuggar]

Just now, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Me too.  My son is an excellent musician and I've told him for years if he ever became famous he is to tell people he was raised by wolves.  Fans show up on my front lawn and I will turn the hose on them.

I wouldn’t be shocked if my older son became some sort of entertainer. I hope he’s never famous. That sounds mean. I just don’t think fame is all that great and has a lot of negatives. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

33 minutes ago, Mama Mia said:

I could see Jessa managing the boundaries part better than Jinger, I don’t think she cares if her house is a mess, or the kids aren’t all done up, and wouldn’t be afraid to just say no to visitors, or give times she is/isn’t available. I’d think Jinger, as a Pastors wife will be more likely to passively give in to demands, and stress if everything isn’t picture perfect.

Wouldn't Jinger's way per this supposition be what churches want, though?  I doubt being human and setting boundaries is considered a positive quality for these people.  

As Jessa tends to be messy her open floor plan will do her no favors.  I prefer a tidy house, but I'm not naturally organized and if life gets away from me I like being able to keep unexpected visitors corralled in the presentable front of the house.  Especially when the kids were small.  Kitchen and living room and one bathroom fine...some days the rest of the doors were shut for a reason!

[Hera]

11 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Wouldn't Jinger's way per this supposition be what churches want, though?  I doubt being human and setting boundaries is considered a positive quality for these people.  

As Jessa tends to be messy her open floor plan will do her no favors.  I prefer a tidy house, but I'm not naturally organized and if life gets away from me I like being able to keep unexpected visitors corralled in the presentable front of the house.  Especially when the kids were small.  Kitchen and living room and one bathroom fine...some days the rest of the doors were shut for a reason!

Yes, I'd imagine the church people will insist that their pastor's home be fairly accessible. And while they might be tolerant of some messiness like toys out or even dishes in the sink or a load of laundry to be put away visible, straight up filthiness like diapers piled up on the furniture is going to be a problem -- especially if the church actually does own the house!

[Sops2]

Looks like a larger modern church was added on to the older one, with the old one renovated for social congregational space. It is pretty well appointed and definitely looks as if they haven't scrimped on the fittings and furnishings.

Hopefully this space can be used for Ben's pastoral duties

Edited January 13, 2022 by Sops2
Addition

[JermajestyDuggar]

I would never be a pastor’s wife. But if I was, I would much prefer we live about a mile away from the church. That way it would be a quick and easy car trip. Or you could walk if necessary. And it would be far enough that people at church wouldn’t constantly be coming to my house. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by JermajestyDuggar

[HerNameIsBuffy]

6 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I would never be a pastor’s wife. But if I was, I would much prefer we live about a mile away from the church. That way it would be a quick and easy car trip. Or you could walk if necessary. And it would be far enough that people at church wouldn’t constantly be coming to my house. 

I don't even understand people who invite co-workers to their homes for holidays.  For me home is the place I get to be annoyed by people of my own choosing, not random people coming by.

9 minutes ago, Sops2 said:

Looks like a larger modern church was added on to the older one, with the old one renovated for social congregational space. It is pretty well appointed and definitely looks as if they haven't scrimped on the fittings and furnishings.

Hopefully this space can be used for Ben's pastoral duties

Is that the church or their house?

And I personally hope Ben can't perform pastoral duties since those tasks seem to be centered around reinforcing bigotry.  Honestly, regular Duggar snark aside what kind of help can this knucklehead offer anyone?  Even among church people his life experiences aren't exactly relatable.

[Sops2]

It's the church.

And I agree exactly what you say -a knucklehead indeed

[OldFadedStar]

5 hours ago, SassyPants said:

Quoting myself to clarify…I would have never HAD 4 kids if all we could afford was a 2 bedroom house. Ive mentioned before that I am a bit Josie and Alyssa in that noise, clutter and overcrowding really bother me.

I'm here wondering if having a 4 bedroom house with 2 kids is big enough lol. 

Though I live a days drive from all our family so having a guest room is important. I just want to keep the playroom I made for my daughter as is and idk if future kids down the road will want to share a room or if when they are teenagers if that will be enough space for them lol

[SassyPants]

26 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I don't even understand people who invite co-workers to their homes for holidays.  For me home is the place I get to be annoyed by people of my own choosing, not random people coming by.

Is that the church or their house?

And I personally hope Ben can't perform pastoral duties since those tasks seem to be centered around reinforcing bigotry.  Honestly, regular Duggar snark aside what kind of help can this knucklehead offer anyone?  Even among church people his life experiences aren't exactly relatable.

I thought the exact same thing about Ben. What sort of life experiences does he have, and with this being his first real job…This is why many churches and denominations require years of education and service roles in order to be considered fully qualified. 

[feministxtian]

In my very small church, everyone knows where the pastor lives. Big committee meetings are at his house. But, we all respect the boundary of not dropping in. He's available by phone or email almost 24/7, so there's no reason to show up at his door. Now, when the new baby comes, they may have trouble getting out the front door because we'll all be leaving gifts, meals, etc. there. Otherwise, nope. We don't have a "parsonage" on the grounds either. We rent space from a bigger church for now. When we build our space there will probably be housing on the property but it'd be for folks who don't have a home. The building committee is slowly working on ideas and sketches but it may be awhile. We have to raise a certain percentage of the funds and then apply for a loan from the General Conference. 

[Sops2]

Looks like Ben works one day a week.

The website also says that there are no upcoming events.

How long has he been in this post?- he should  have made a bit of a mark by now. The only reason we know he is actually in a job there is that there's a podcast of a sermon to listen to online

[JermajestyDuggar]

10 minutes ago, Sops2 said:

Looks like Ben works one day a week.

The website also says that there are no upcoming events.

How long has he been in this post?- he should  have made a bit of a mark by now. The only reason we know he is actually in a job there is that there's a podcast of a sermon to listen to online

They don’t even have Wednesday service or group meeting? Open one day a week seems like the bare minimum for a church. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

11 minutes ago, Sops2 said:

Looks like Ben works one day a week.

The website also says that there are no upcoming events.

How long has he been in this post?- he should  have made a bit of a mark by now. The only reason we know he is actually in a job there is that there's a podcast of a sermon to listen to online

I'm sure writing sermons is considered working, not sure how much time he'd have to spend on that.  I have been churning out reports based on nonsense since college so I wouldn't think it would be more than 8 hours a week tops, if he has to research, but Idk.

Also, in the Catholic church even when the church is closed you can still schedule meetings with the priests, wedding coordinators, etc. so they do have a staff in the office even when the doors aren't open to the public.

3 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

They don’t even have Wednesday service or group meeting? Open one day a week seems like the bare minimum for a church. 

So funny to read this today as just this morning I drove past this church (as I do everyday on the way to work) and noticed the sign saying "No Wednesday Awana, No Youth Group Thursdays."  My first thought was it was a very innovative way to market to people who don't want their lives consumed by this, then I realized it was just informative due to covid restrictions kicking back up here again.

 

[just_ordinary]

7 hours ago, AprilQuilt said:

yes, this is my dream! Ours is in our hall, in the space under the stairs - we got it plumbed in there as the kitchen is miniscule and we wanted a dishwasher. Goodness knows what the last people did.

When we extend our kitchen I'm insisting on a separate utility room. It would be a total game changer. And maybe we could have a drier too. I've seen posts on here reminiscing about hanging out the washing at Grandma's house like she did in the old country and I'm like, yep, I am the old country, me and my mossy colonial washing line and my radiator rotation system. I'm sure Americans still hang washing on the line, no?

Hanging up washing is still pretty common here as well. Even if you have a dryer. In the summer it’s nice because it just smells so much better and because the clothes just last longer. And it saves still substantial energy costs even with a A+++. You would either dry outside or with a foldable rack inside. 
Additionally, most have their washing machine in the cellar/room were boiler and heating system are placed, the kitchen or bathroom (because the plumbing is already there and with solid concrete/stone walls and floors in every room you cannot just add extra plumbing easily). Extra utility rooms with space for washer/dryer/pantry close to the kitchen are a more recent thing for normal houses. I would love to have one or dabble in some serious pantry porn though.

[Mama Mia]

2 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

They do have walls, right?  If they don't shout their business in the front yard that part should be okay.

This whole thing reminds me of Zsu and how she didn't even want PP's parishioners to live in her neighborhood, can you imagine Zsu trying to keep her shit together with a church full of Gladys Kravitzes on the property?

I don’t know, I’ve mostly lived in homes that are either connected, close together and/or really thin walls. So hearing other people’s business is just always an unfortunate part of life. She said in the video they were installing new insulation throughout - weatherization in great, but I’m sure the added sound barrier is a nice bonus. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

9 minutes ago, just_ordinary said:

Hanging up washing is still pretty common here as well. Even if you have a dryer. In the summer it’s nice because it just smells so much better and because the clothes just last longer. And it saves still substantial energy costs even with a A+++. You would either dry outside or with a foldable rack inside. 
Additionally, most have their washing machine in the cellar/room were boiler and heating system are placed, the kitchen or bathroom (because the plumbing is already there and with solid concrete/stone walls and floors in every room you cannot just add extra plumbing easily). Extra utility rooms with space for washer/dryer/pantry close to the kitchen are a more recent thing for normal houses. I would love to have one or dabble in some serious pantry porn though.

This.  My dryer broke about a month ago and I just got around to getting it fixed last week as it wasn't urgent enough to take a day off work.  It's definitely the appliance I can most do without, it really only sucked for blankets since stair railing and makeshift extra drying rack worked for sheets.

90% of my clothes I dryer rack anyway since they last longer and my furnace is in the laundry room so things dry quickly.  

I love drying sheets outside in the summer since nothing beats the smell.  I was in my 40s before I realized some people consider this to be cheap or a sign of poverty and I was shocked.  I just prefer it.  

5 minutes ago, Mama Mia said:

I don’t know, I’ve mostly lived in homes that are either connected, close together and/or really thin walls. So hearing other people’s business is just always an unfortunate part of life. She said in the video they were installing new insulation throughout - weatherization in great, but I’m sure the added sound barrier is a nice bonus. 

I haven't seen the aerial pics, isn't it a stand alone house on church property?  

10 minutes ago, just_ordinary said:

Extra utility rooms with space for washer/dryer/pantry close to the kitchen are a more recent thing for normal houses.

I've lived in a lot of homes as an adult and every one with a basement had a laundry room and every slab house had the washer dryer in the bathroom, kitchen, or closet.  

Just one of the few reasons I'm such a big fan of basements.

Edited January 13, 2022 by HerNameIsBuffy

[Alisamer]

1 hour ago, Sops2 said:

Looks like Ben works one day a week.

The website also says that there are no upcoming events.

How long has he been in this post?- he should  have made a bit of a mark by now. The only reason we know he is actually in a job there is that there's a podcast of a sermon to listen to online

I wonder if the one day a week thing is Covid related? I've never seen a Baptist church that didn't have SOMETHING on Wednesdays, even if it is just choir practice. And generally the church has at least the secretary there on weekdays during business hours. The pastor might be there during that time, or might be out visiting church members in the hospital, shut ins, etc. There are often weddings and funerals to be planning. And our church also partners occasionally with other churches in town, including those of other denominations, for community events.  

But during the height of Covid, our church was online only, no events. The pastor was still available, and busy, though more by phone and email than in person of course. 

[theotherelise]

I've been in charge up google business profiles in many of my jobs and they are notoriously annoying. If someone prior to you claimed the business and put in information, you have to go through a whole process to regain access. Making changes is sometimes no problem but frequently it takes multiple attempts and verifications.

Moral of the story: never assume the google business site info is 100% accurate. If this is an older church, I could see that information about choir practice or quilt group or whatever would only be shared via the bulletin and not updated on the website.

There is frequently not much accountability for pastors to explain how their time is spent. I think a lot of these theobros spend so much time nitpicking a single word in a letter of Paul, but they never do the work to learn bookkeeping or time management or project management or whatever.

It is just such a commitment to buy/rent to own/remodel the parsonage when you've only just finished your bible college degree and could find it's not a good fit (or they could find you're not a good fit). 

[neuroticcat]

I think the amount of time a pastor spends varies per person. I remember our church interviewing a candidate who claimed he needed to spend twenty hours a week on a sermon, which felt pretty inflated to me. Though some fundamentalist churches put a great emphasis on verse by verse exposition which would theoretically require a lot of study in the original languages.That sort of thing seems like it would appeal to Ben. Perhaps Ben is only on staff/on call one day a week but responsible for administrative or operations type things? Or even youth or children’s ministry? 
 

It never ceases to amaze me that “pastoral responsibilities” often include things like counseling or small business decisions that are never actually taught in seminaries. It may seem strange to us that Ben would be given some sort of role as a very young, sheltered person, but if he wears the title of “pastor” many will likely still seek him out for advice.

As a young woman, my mom started the process for becoming a nun, and she said one main thing that kept her from it was the fact that married parishioners would seek her out for help/advice as a young novice with zero marital experience. 

[AussieKrissy]

7 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Total speculation, also seen on reddit, but could be a rent to own which would have a separate contract not in the public domain.  Otherwise maybe the church is paying for the remodel, they are organizing it and doing the work so they can live there.  

Learned over there today it used to be that Bethany adoption agency tied to the evil Devos family....I'm not a total believer in this, but I'm superstitious enough about bad energy I'd rather live in the Amityville house.

do tell?????????

[HerNameIsBuffy]

1 hour ago, AussieKrissy said:

do tell?????????

I am home and just finished eating so perfect timing for me to go find the link.  Brb

1 minute ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I am home and just finished eating so perfect timing for me to go find the link.  Brb

 

[Mrs. Kravitz]

11 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

They do have walls, right?  If they don't shout their business in the front yard that part should be okay.

This whole thing reminds me of Zsu and how she didn't even want PP's parishioners to live in her neighborhood, can you imagine Zsu trying to keep her shit together with a church full of Gladys Kravitzes on the property?

Hey, I resemble that remark!

[GreenBeans]

10 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

My dryer broke about a month ago and I just got around to getting it fixed last week as it wasn't urgent enough to take a day off work.  It's definitely the appliance I can most do without,

It’s the opposite for me! Until we moved this summer, we had no dryer because there wasn’t enough space in our old apartment. Now that we do, it’s a huge improvement! Having a toddler it feels like we’re doing laundry ALL THE TIME, and having a drying rack inside in winter isn’t great (due to humidity/mold). The clothes come out softer than air-dried, too, plus not having to hang/take down laundry is two steps less in the process and saves time. 
 

Most people here have dryers nowadays, but hanging out laundry is still common here, especially in summer and for people with a house and garden, and it’s definitely not a sign of poverty!

[QuiverFullofBooks]

I guess this is why the Seewalds stayed in the little house for so long. They were waiting to take over this parsonage. How long ago was the shady adoption agency?