What is Lincoln Lutheran Into? Wednesday, January 30, 2013

I’m a couple of hundred pages into the 14th book in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. I’ve been reading this epic fantasy series since 1993 waiting patiently for a new book to come out every few years. Now I’m a little over halfway through the last book, and I’m just a little bit excited to see how everything will end up for these characters that I’ve been with for the last 20 year and 12,000 pages. If you’re into fantasy novels and don’t mind a long book, check out the first book: The Eye of the World.  – Lloyd Sommerer

This week my husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary.  The time has gone by soooo quickly!  I have had a crush on my husband since I was about 10, but he had to wait for me to grow-up, he is still waiting. Words of advice: enjoy every moment of every day, learn from those moments, and always make time for fun and friends!  – Nancy Maul

I can’t get enough jazz & blues music.  Some of my favorite artists are Chris Botti, Darryl White, Diana Krall, Stevie Ray Vaughn, JJ Gray & the Mofro and Eric Clapton.  When I am in the mood to “chill”, that’s what I am listening to. – Stephanie Kuchar

Star Wars-The Clone Wars cartoon. Every Saturday morning, our son William and I sit down to watch this together. We are the only two in the house at that time so we take a break from Saturday chores to watch Yoda and the other characters fight the dark side. I cherish this time with William because I know too soon he will be past the stage of snuggling with me on the couch-and I really enjoy the cartoon-especially the beginning with the great quotes about life. You can learn a lot from the great master Yoda. – Amy Jurgens

What is Lincoln Lutheran Into? Wednesday, January 23, 2013

It is winter, and what better way to enjoy the cold than to watch hockey.  I am into the UNO Mavericks.  You can’t beat the slapping of sticks on the ice, the goal horn blasting when the puck goes into the net, or the sweet sound of the boards rattling after a tremendous body check.  Tickets are cheap and available.  I’ll see you at the rink in Omaha! – Nathan Bassett

Storybird. Anyone can be an author with this interactive story-writing mecca. Storybird.com allows the seasoned writer and beginner alike an opportunity to put their words to print. It also hosts hundreds of different illustrated collections to choose from to visually pair with any story that is ready to print and ship when you are finished. From classroom books to gifts, this is a fun and creative resource! – Mariel Olp

“Once Upon a Time”. The writing is wildly inventive. Last season, for example, we learned how the Genie came to be in the Evil Queen’s mirror, and the method by which Dwarves are named. The show, with it’s juxtaposition of magical “Fairy Tale Land” against modern day “Storybrooke” is dark and sinister, yet somehow hopeful (“good always triumphs over evil”). – Bambi Schmid

My wife and I have been watching Season 2 of Downtown Abbey on DVD.  Season 3 is recording on the DVR, and we’ll start watching that as soon as we’re through with Season 2.  Also, I’ve been interested in the Civil War for years and have read many books on the subject.  Last summer, I had the opportunity to tour the battlefield at Shiloh.  For the last two weeks I’ve been reading a book about that battle.  Having actually seen things like the Sunken Road/Hornet’s Nest, Peach Orchard, and Bloody Pond makes the book seem that much more real.  Now I want to go back and visit it again. – Matt Heibel

Parenthood and Ruzzle. Lately I have been spending time watching Parenthood on Netflix. It follows a family of adult of siblings and how their lives intertwine. I have spent far too much time watching Parenthood but the story line is so easy to connect with and the characters are easy to relate to. I’m an only child so I always find sibling interactions interesting. I also love Ruzzle. I am a word nerd and it’s so much fun trying to come up with a myriad of words from a jumble of letters.  – Lindsey Morris

What is Lincoln Lutheran Into? Wednesday, January 16, 2013

I’m into Bob Dylan’s most recent album, “Tempest”. Bob has riddled and entertained me for the better part of my life with his sometimes elusive, sometimes painfully obvious lyrics. His lyrics deal with what it means to see the world a certain way. According to a NY Times review, “Mr. Dylan has a lot on his mind: women, class, journeys, power, the inscrutable will of God and the omnipresence of death.” I agree. Some critics speculate this could be his last CD. They do so because it shares the same title as the last play written by another author, nicknamed The Great Bard (English nerds know who I’m talking about).  – Joel Stoltenow

I don’t know where it came from, but I have always had a deep love for historical fiction. My very favorite author right now is Beverly Lewis. The focus of her literature is the Amish culture, which has fascinated me for years. I am a voracious reader, and have plowed through more than 15 of her books since the beginning of this school year. Lewis writes often about Amish cooking, (cooking is another love of mine) and this has reignited energy in me to get back into the kitchen and prepare meals instead of ordering out, or heating up a frozen pizza. – Molly Cassidy

Etsy is a website where customers can find/sell antiques and the handmade. My husband purchased me an antique, 3-D, foldout, anatomy print from Etsy for my birthday! Now that is thoughtful! – Jennifer Swenson

I’m into shed hunting, deer sheds that is.  Every year, starting in January and going all the way to late April, whitetail bucks will be shedding their antlers, something done naturally every year.  This begins one of my favorite past times, shed hunting.  – Alex Niederklein

I love the Oscars!  The 2013 Academy Award (Oscar) nominees were unveiled last week.  I always try to make a point to watch as many of the nominated films as I can.  Right now, I have seen nine movies that have been nominated in some capacity.  I plan to try to see Beasts of the Southern Wild, Les Miserable, and Zero Dark Thirty before the winners are announced on February 24th. – Michelle Michl