"Slow down, you move too fast..." ~ September 22nd

Slow down, you move too fast.

You got to make the morning last.

Just kicking down the cobble stones.

Looking for fun and feelin' groovy! ~ S&G

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Today was a perfect example of the suprisingly warm days an Indian Summer brings...even in Germany. The fog cleared off of the horizon a bit and the weather was pleasant enough to wear short sleeves. :-)

Tuesdays are market days downtown here in Reutlingen and I absolutely love them. There are so many vendors with fruit, vegetables, flowers, bread, meat, cheese, tea, herbs....the list could go on! I have two stands I always visit: the old-man-and-his-flowers and the couple-who-sells-olives-and-cheese-and-everything-wonderful-in-real-wooden-barrels. Yup. Today the old man's flowers were 2 bunches for 3 euros....so of course I paid the 3 euros! The old man just smiled and laughly spoke to me in thick Schwabisch German as I tried to decide which two bouquets I wanted. Ha, but they all were so beautiful. I settled on one with burgundies and creams, and another with yellows and blues and purples, and he wrapped them in twine and newspapers gave me a friendly "tschuss! schonen Tag" goodbye, as I headed over to my other favorite vendor with the striped awning. This couple has two long rows of half-barrels filled with olives&cheese, tomato&cheese, artichoke hearts&cheese&olives....etc etc...and everything is made with olive oil and a deliciously unidentifiable and unreciprocatable combination of herbs. It tastes so good as a side dish to some dense "brotchen" (rolls) with their hearty wheat and seeds...which is exactly what I had for lunch today! before heading off to class again.

Class itself this afternoon was an hour of comparing our experiences in Berlin and wherever else we went this past weekend. It was really nice to hear people's perspectives and get some insight/advice on places that I plan on going to sometime. But the highlight of the afternoon was when class got out! and four of the guys (+ Hilary) played frisbee on the lawn outside the building...I contentedly sat and read my book, enjoying my spot in the grass and watching the bugs happily look for clover. This last remnant of summer is almost the best part, because it comes by surprise and you appreciate the spontaneous day of warmth more, in my opinion. And appreciate it I did. Simple relaxation and pleasure in God's own creation. A wonderful way to spend an afternoon, for sure.

~E.