Miscellany

Today I am feeling... not necessarily inspired to write on my blog, but more driven. It is time. I have written at best sporadically in the past week or so--having a guest and a social life apparently fulfills my needs for social contact, causing me to rely less heavily on the bloggal outpouring of my innermost thoughts. Maybe I only need one funnel or the other? Anyway, I really would like my blog to have some continuity. I am not sure why that is important... partly a sense of duty, I think. If people are coming here, it just seems hospitable that I should give them (you) something to read, even if it's not necessarily inspired. But another part of it is that I want to be consequent. (That's the German word. I can't think of the English one.) I don't want this to be yet another little project that goes to the wayside when I get bored of it, another scalp on the belt of "no follow-up." It's too important for that. So... little thoughts, by Jess.

Water, water everywhere: The river is flooded and the clouds are descending into the streets. The humidity is 4000% and nothing feels dry. I love it! I will take fog over rain any day. It puts a misty haze over Wittenberg that somehow makes it seem that much more medieval.

Get thee to a nunnery! (Or, to cite a German example: "Wie furchtbar! Ich habe mit meinem Bruder geschlafen, und jetzt muss ich ins Kloster!"*) I am going back to my favorite Monastery for their Easter retreat for young adults. It started yesterday, but even arriving today, we'll be there for five days and can really plug into the rhythm of Holy Week and the joy of Easter. I love celebrating Easter at the Petersberg, and this will be my third time, I think. Plus I always love meeting the people, and now even seeing "old friends," other regulars.

*Berlin, Berlin! This is just the best German show (yeah, OK, soap-opera-esque show) ever. So great, in fact, that I ordered the first season on DVD and we had a girls' night and stayed up way too late watching way too many episodes last night. But we just HAD to get to the one where Sven and Lolle kiss for the first time...Ah! The tension! The Spannung! The above quote is from one of the episodes, where Lolle's roommate Rosalie is practicing her lines for an audition.

Gründonnerstag/Maundy Thursday. Today we remember Jesus' command (that's where the word "Maundy" comes from--I don't know why they call it "Green Thursday" in German) to wash each other's feet... the command to serve one another. The exhortation to servant leadership. Serve on, friends!