On Sunday Jenna and I trekked down to Deal, which is right on the English Channel and about 8 miles away from the more well-known Dover.  Cyndy was kind enough to let us stay at her lovely house, which happens to be right on the ocean.  She even stocked her fridge and made up our beds.  That’s pretty spectacular. 

So on Monday Jenna and I hiked along the coast and got up on the infamous white cliffs a bit.  It was suppose to rain the whole time we were there, but it ended up being very amicable and pleasant weather.  I loved being right on the water and I loved not having anything pressing or urgent to do. 

Tomorrow I’m going to the library because now I have an appointment to get my card.  I’ll work much of the day there, then go grocery shopping for Bethany and Ben, who are coming on thursday!  Friendships will ensue. 

And then the BIG trip commences on Sunday, when we fly into Salzburg and eurail it around Austria/Czech Republic for six days.  And then back to Westfield and back to classes for a month.  And then back to America.  But let’s not think about those things!

Another thing that makes going back to America a little easier is Bob Dylan. 

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I like words and I like stringing them together, but I hate the feeling that I get when I do it because mostly it seems very contrived.  I examine books and essays and poems and lyrics and novels and magazine articles and recipes and cereal boxes and I sift through every word very deliberately and meticulously and sometimes I’m awed at the way words can be put together.  Sometimes I like them so much that I lose feeling in my extremities and all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.  And I lament the fact that you have to be a GENIUS to get that sort of reaction from people.  A genius or a very feeling person.

What’s better is when you can read nice words and even make them sound nice.  But that requires a nice voice!  When I read I lisp and sometimes it’s so high pitched and sometimes it’s so low and manly and most times it’s remarkably loud.

On the other hand most of the time I’m content to be a reader and a listener.  Because when you’re creating you don’t always pleasantly lose feeling in  your extremities because you’re laboring so hard over the words.  You can only coax them and caress them out of their hiding places for so long, but sooner or later you have to use your muscles and get those things out, not to mention putting them in a natural and cohesive order.  And by that time, you’re sweaty and tired and miserable and you never want to see those words again, and  you toss them to the world like a person might throw left-overs to their dog and start something new.  But when you’re on the receiving end, it’s not nearly so strenuous.

Anyway, I have a growing list of things that will keep me sane once I set foot back in the old U.S. of A.  And of them is “Michigan,” of course.  I just listened to it last night, for the first time in over forty days, and it was so lovely, I didn’t even want to hear myself breathe.  The most sublime 8-10 minutes in the world is the 1-2 punch of “Redford” to “Vito’s Ordination Song.”  But wait!  I can’t forget about the 1-2 punch at the end of “Seven Swans,” that being “Seven Swans” and “The Transfiguration.”  If there is one thing Sufjan can do better than any other artist out there, it’s end an album well.   Anyway, after “Vito’s Ordination Song” was over I didn’t want to move.  But I had to move, and that was that.

I didn’t go to the University Library today.  It was raining!  I swear I was going to.  Tomorrow?

Sunday we go to Dover.  Cyndy, as generous as she is, made beds and stocked the fridge for us at her house, which she’s letting us stay in.  This house happens to be ON THE OCEAN.  Can you believe that?

Then friends come for a few days.  Then Jenna and I are setting sail for Austria/Czech Republic.  On this trip we’re seeing Salzburg, Vienna, Hallstatt and Prague.  Sounds pretty decent to me.  Glasgow/Edinburgh is the first weekend back from break.  And that is that is that.

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Yesterday I took Miriam, Rebekah and John down to the bus station at 5 in the morning and got back to my bed around 5:45 and slept till 12:00.  I felt very slovenly.  Then I got up and sat on the couch and read Brothers K all day.  I’ve read about 200 pages of that book in just 24 hours, so I feel pretty good about that.  I feel pretty good about that book.  I also feel pretty bad about it.  And pretty sad about it.

Anyway, today I got up at 10:30 (an improvement!) with every intention of going to the University Library to start my papers.  I did no such thing.  But I did go running, and then I did sit on the couch and read more of that book.  Then Yeager and Walda came into the living room and we talked for awhile.  Then I went to Aldi with the intention of buying cheap apples but I accidentally bought really expensive ones and I felt mega-stupid.

Tonight we’re having mini house dinner (pizza and apple crisp, hence the apples.  They’re so expensive, it better be the best apple crisp ever).

Last night I listened to “Seven Swans” finally and felt very happy, bad and sad about that, too, for varying reasons.  That album must be listened to sparingly and with great reverence.  The environment must be right.  I would write more about it, but I think that may be defeating the purpose.  Or trivializing it.  It isn’t for trivializing!  It’s for sitting very still and not talking.
Tomorrow will probably bring more of the same, at any rate.  If I can manage it, I’ll go to University Library.

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Gosh darnit.  I had this huge entry written out, and my stupid computer shut off.  My stupid computer is about to crash.  Next blog entry I’ll probably be writing about how my absured computer crashed.

Good Friday was good.  Preceptor had an awesome book slam.  With just a hymnal.  That’s impressive.  For a few days it was just Toby, Walda, Kevin and I in the house, but Tutor Mosemann and Cyndy came over and made food/gave the food to us.  That was also awesome.  On Friday evening I watched the 3rd of the 4 Part BBC Passion mini-series.  It was all right.  I also watched the LIVE HISTORICAL WEBCAST of Benny Hinn’s London Candlelight Communion Miracle Service.  I’ve decided what we need are individual communion glasses that come sealed with aluminum foil, which you have to peel off.

Holy Saturday.  Q. What did I do Holy Saturday?  A. Went shopping/made scones/did a cool puzzle with Walda. 

Easter Morning.  What a strange Easter morning!  I woke up at 7:30, reckoned I’d be downstairs by myself at 8:30 and maybe listen to a little Sufjan since I abstained for so long.  Well, I get downstairs and all the lights are on, Cyndy and Tutor Mosemann are in the kitchen cooking furiously, Toby and Walda are watching car racing, and it’s snowing outside for the first time of the season.  I was taken aback, but it was awesome.  Soon Julie and John came down and people began arriving for champagne breakfast at church.  That was delicious.  Then we practiced for the Introit choir, which was hilarious because most of us didn’t know what we were singing and had to sight read it basically during the service.  Still sounded all right.  It was a lovely service, consequently.  I love Resurrection.  I helped Cyndy serve tea afterwards.  And then we prepared an incredible Easter dinner for those at Westfield House.  Cyndy and Tutor Mosemann basically made food for about 40 people, and there was only 10 of us.  Plus we all brought side dishes.  It was wonderful.  Then we watched Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” and that was hilariously awkward at points, but I could not feel bad about it because it was Tutor Mosemann’s idea.  I laughed so much.  Then we had dessert.  Then we went on a walk.  Then we watched “Indiana Jones” and Bekah, John and Mim got here!

On Monday my family and I had some scones and explored Cambridge.  We had a lovely evening meal, and to my delight we all sat in the living room till midnight afterwards talking to folks in the house.  I love good conversations like that.  Today we had explore Cambridge part two, and another good meal.  And tomorrow morning, awful early, I’m walking them to the bus stop and they’re taking off.  It was lovely seeing them.  Boy, I love my family.  It’s a good thing they’re in the US, otherwise the US would be losing its appeal.

 And that’s that for the time being.  And once again, I’m thinking about trying to switch plane tickets and come back end of May instead of mid-May.  I need to call American Airlines asap, but apparently it’s a possibility.

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Jenna and I made our trek to Wales on Monday and got back yesterday.  We got to Cardiff Monday afternoon and hung out there for awhile.  We went to the Castle, and that was nice.  Very Welsh.  And then, as we had a couple of hours till our bus left again, we did something we shouldn’t have.  Let me qualify this by saying we were hungry and our funds are LIMITED.  First we went to Starbucks and had some hot beverages because it was cold outside and we were tired of lugging our huge backpacks everywhere.

And then after that, we went to Burger King.  hahahahahaha.  I’m sorry, I haven’t had a Whopper in years and I wanted one so bad!!  It was the best Whopper I have ever had.  And then were like, three Burger Kings in one city block in Cardiff. 

Then we took the bus through the mountains all the way to Brecon, where we found our beautiful bed & breakfast.  The next morning we had the full English breakfast, which was delicious, and then headed out to do some hiking/walking around Brecon Beacon’s national park.  We took the Taff Trail, which basically turned out to be a road, which we walked upon for 7 and a half miles out and 7 and a half miles back.  It was very beautiful.  We would walk right through these little villages with these pretty little houses, but they were virtually ghost-towns.  There was not a soul in sight. 

The highlight would have to be all the sheep.  At one point, Jenna and I passed a huge field of sheep and started conversing with some of them.  We decided to keep walking down the road, but these sheep followed us.  We turned the corner and they were still there.  And not only that, but the rest of the flock was bounding towards us.  We were laughing so hard.  They all stopped in front of us and made very loud noises and I was so happy about it.  Jenna got some of it on video.  Maybe you’ll see it someday.  So, that flock of sheep is our flock, I think.  The babbie lambs are the cutest things I’ve ever seen. 

Here’s another thing about the Taff Trail.  We walked on that thing 7 and a half miles out.  Not once - NOT ONCE - was there a public bathroom anywhere in the vicinity along the trail.  Apparently Welsh people never have to go to the bathroom BUT I DID AND IT SUCKED. 

So Jenna and I arrived back in Brecon, went to Aldi’s, bought a thing of mustard, some bread and a huge block of cheese and sat up in our room and ate it.  We didn’t come anywhere close to finishing the cheese or the mustard, but we kept it despite a lack of refrigeration.  We ended up eating the rest of the cheese last night and neither of us got sick, which we were anticipating.  Hurrah!

Now I’m back in the house and no one’s here.  It’s weird.  Well, a few people are here but they’re upstairs.  So I cleaned the kitchen/common room this morning.  Nothing better to do, you know.  Tonight Tutor Mosemann and Cyndy are making a Maunday Thursday meal for whoever’s around.  So pumped about that.  What am I going to do the next two days?  Beats me.

Best song in the world right now:  Plants and Animals - “Faerie Dance.”  Holy cow it’s SO GOOD. 

I listened to Great Lakes Myth Society this morning while I was cleaning and I remembered that I love Michigan!  It also pumped me up for the Detroit Tastefest/Cityfest(?).  Boy, I hope it’s a good lineup. 

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So I feel like a huge jerk-loser.  Josh gave me his room key before he left a couple days ago because I’ll be staying in his room and Bekah and John will be staying there while they’re visiting.  And what did I do.  I lost it.  I put it in my back pocket this morning and now it’s gone.  Nothing ever falls out of my back pocket.  What’s the deal?  Luckily it’s not a house key, just a room key.  But still.  I feel like a major creep and now tomorrow I have to tell Preceptor that I lost it.  Preceptor’s got a spare, so we can copy it, and I’ll pay for it.  But isn’t amazing how little things like this can absolutely destroy your conscience?  What a miracle it would be if it showed up before tomorrow morning. 

We bought our plane tickets for Scotland tonight.  Scotland.  I like it.

I’m listening to “De Stijl” for the first time in a long time.  This is the pinnacle of “good.” 

I’m now on break for an entire month.  There’s a period of like, 10 days when I’m just going to be sitting here without any visitors and with nothing to do.  Maybe I’ll volunteer to do people’s yard work or something.  That sounds pleasant. 

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Yesterday was a good day.  We had greek, Pericope went well, we sang “My Song is Love Unknown” in Evening Prayer, and we had House Dinner.  House Dinner isn’t house meal.  We go out for House Dinner.  The tutors come too.  Families are welcome.  People dress nicely.  It was a nice time. 

 We all met up at 7:15 in the common room and then walked down together to Henry’s, which was this charming little restaurant on the River Cam.  I think there were about thirty people in all.  At dinner I had the opportunity to engage in conversation with Julie, John, Jenna and Preceptor.  I had the key west cooler, which was impressive looking and tasting.  And we had a massive quantity of appetizers at every table, so that was very welcome.  And my four cheese tortellini wasn’t half bad, either.  And that’s today’s food update. 

Afterwards we all walked back.  I was accompanied by Juliana and her mp3 player, so we blasted the tunes of my grade school/high school years (”Oops I did it again” and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” if you were wondering) and showed Cambridge our really cool hand/arm motions, not to mention are pretty awesome singing voices.  I don’t know if Cambridge appreciated it.

And then we got back to the house and had some tea and coffee and many wonderful deserts.  And we started what is supposedly the world’s hardest jigsaw puzzle.  And I was deliriously happy, I think.  Add Westfield House to the list of things I love, and put it near the top. 

 Here’s what I don’t love:  genitive absolutes. 

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Arif and I went to London yesterday.  Here’s a good story:  we were getting ready to go out the door, and Tutor Mosemann said he needed to speak with me.  And then he walked over and handed me 20 pounds and said it was a gift for our trip.  I was pretty bewildered, but also pretty thankful, because it sure came in handy.  Tutor Mosemann is a very generous person, and he wants to make sure you know it’s because of the gospel.  He’s too much of a sweet, wonderful person to go to Ft. Wayne, but I guess that’s where he’s needed, isn’t it?  I trust him with those ol’ seminarians.  But who could give up a tutoring spot at Westfield?  I also find that bewildering.

Ok, so we went to London and checked out the London Tower.  It was a world heritage site (!!!!).  It was good.  There is carefully mown and tended grass where the moat used to be.  We saw a replica of the axe and head rest they used to execute people, but not the real thing because we didn’t want to pay a ton of money to get in.  We did pay a ton of money to get into St. Paul’s Cathedral, however, and I’d say that was worth it.  Many very beautiful mosaics and frescoes in there.  And plus, you can walk over 450 steps to the top of the dome and look out over London.  That was HARD but cool.  And high.  Inside the cathedral a guy kept coming on over the intercom and saying stuff like “this is a place of prayer primarily” and would say the Lord’s prayer and the benediction, but no one cared because they were all a bunch of tourists.  It was really strange. 

We did a good job on the tube.

We did evensong at Westminster and we came home.  It was fun.

Today most of the pastors of the ELCE and the treasurers were here for a financial seminar.  Jenna and I went to morning prayer and had a good time.  The best part needs a little background:  a few weeks ago I was sitting behind Preceptor in chapel, and at the very end while the seminarian was putting out the candles and everything was quiet, we heard this bird right outside the church window chirping very loudly.  Preceptor had this massive grin on his face and and kept leaning forward, trying to get a look at the bird that was outside our window, eventually getting out of his pew to approach the window and take a look at it.  Today while he was leading morning prayer, I saw him looking out the window again, and then after it was over the first thing he did was announce to the congregation that he was sorry about the little pecking at the window, but it appeared that they had converted their first Lutheran finch.  I just wanted to die with happiness because he was so happy about that finch and he just felt like he had to tell all the pastors in the ELCE about it.  I didn’t hear the pecking at the window at all, but I appreciated that announcement hardcore. 

House Dinner (REAL house dinner, with the tutors and everything) happens on Monday night.  I’m so pumped.

TRAVEL PLANS FOR BREAK:  eurorailing around Czech Republic and Austria.  Stopping in Salzburg, Vienna, Prague and one more place.  Don’t try and stop me.  This is happening. 

I love Danielson, Wilco, the Polyphonic Spree and Fleet Foxes right now.  I love NPR.  I love the trailer for the BBC’s Passion movie that we saw while eating dinner tonight.  For some reason Jesus’ elbows were fastened to the cross and not his hands, and we all laughed at that.  I love that Josh, Aaron and John witnessed Anna Williams cry for the first time ever (?) in her Thomas Aquinas lecture the other day.  She was talking about how the summa ended abruptly because he saw some great vision of God and declared all his work to be straw.  Thomas Aquinas is her theological hero.  I love comparing people’s accents and realizing how tremendously terrible my own voice sounds.  I love discussing converses with Tutor Humann.  I love Cyndy.

I love Greek.  More and more with each passing day.

Those are some things I love right now, but I love a good deal more, you can rest assured.

I missed the Ohio Lutheran jr high youth gathering this spring break, which made me sad.  But oh well.  Stone on top of.

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So the seminarians who went to CUAA like to tell a little story about their first day in Greek class.  The professor said “gentlemen, for the next [x amount of time] Greek is your girlfriend.”  When I first heard this story, I rolled my eyes and said “lame.”  That level of devotion must be completely exaggerated, I thought.  WRONG.  I was wrong. 

Greek, for all intents and purposes, is my boyfriend.  I spend four hours per lesson this stuff.  I have NEVER spent that much time on any class for any normal homework assignment in my entire life, by principle.  And now I find myself obsessing over every little word, every letter, every iota subscript in each translation assignment.  It’s completely absurd.  My relationship with Greek has quickly morphed from casual dating to being pretty much hitched. 

Greek is kind of hard to live with.  It’s very fussy and very exact and very demanding.  One little breathing can change the meaning of a five line sentence.  I tend to be a slightly disorganized person.  Greek is pretty much OCD.  I’m impatient and I like to get things done quickly, but Greek demands my patience and longsuffering.  We are not a good pair at all, but yet we’re getting along rather well.  Account for that.  I can’t.

Today we had our last lecture with Anna Williams.  Tomorrow was supposed to be our last, but she cancelled it so people could catch up with reading.  It was such an abrupt ending, but it was good.  I learned a ton from her.  I may never see her again.  How strange.  Account for that.

And then we had our last lecture with Rex too.  I can’t think of anymore more interesting than learning about the Reformation from a pretty staunch Roman Catholic’s point of view.  Nevermind, I can think of plenty of things more interesting, but this was pretty good.  I learned the Spanish Inquisition isn’t nearly as bad as you’d think, after all!  Take that, Mel Brooks.

Arif, Courtney and I went to evensong was St. John’s tonight.  St. John’s is my favorite.  Then we made some good pizza.  We’re going to Ely tomorrow afternoon to show Arif around.  That’ll be nice.

Our Wales trip is SET.  We’re going to be hiking in Brecon Beacons national park, and they’ve got mountains.  And our new and abridged plans for break:  Milan, Italy; eurail through Austria and Czech Republic; possibly fly from Prague to Dublin and stay there for a day or two; back to England.  Then Scotland the first weekend after break.  Then Lake District.  Then Paris early May?  And that’ll be it. 

I’m almost halfway through my time in Europe.  It’s gone too fast.  Account for that.

While I’ve been here, I’ve met some of the kindest, gentlest, most generous people in the world. 

Going back to the states is going to be hard, but one thing will be good, and that’ll be taking the Amtrak train from Chicago to Detroit and then getting off and seeing my fam.  I think that’s the only thing that gets me through thinking about leaving England.

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