i haven't given much thought to what i'm going to write

jen and i arrived later than anticipated fri. night in evanston, il. the whole trip was fairly easy - no problems with weather, traffic, or directions. the only time i was a little frightened was in chicago. the traffic was very fast, and i was not aggressive enough for it. i am grateful for public transportation.

i settled into my room that night, determined to open and empty every box before i went to sleep. i took some pictures of my room but forgot my camera, so maybe i'll show pictures of my awesome decorating skills later. the room is on the third floor, and the women of reba had it nicely prepared for me with a bed, two drawers, a table, and two chairs. i tweaked it a little - like taking down the blue, flowery, frilly curtains in exchange for a simple sage green curtain panel i had brought with me - to make it look more like me. more like home. whatever that is.

we went to church on sunday and had communion, which was really great. it was a calm, slow moment to see the faces of those in my community. we were given the bread and then passed the wine to those behind us. yeah. real wine. i'm not in a baptist church anymore.

after lunch all the apprentices left for a retreat house that reba owns on camp lake in wisconsin. it's beautiful there. we spent the evening hearing one another's life stories in between making and eating dinner, taking the canoe and row boat out on the lake, a short hike, building a fire, making smores...it was a delightful evening, and i could not imagine a better way to get to know those with whom i will be spending a great amount of time. all the other apprentices are younger than me (of course) and are good, honest, vulnerable, thoughtful people. they are already significant figures in my faith formation. i don't quite understand how that could happen so quickly, but it's true. that night i fell asleep (and woke up) to the sound of rain gently falling on the roof and the leaves outside the window.

the next morning, after a breakfast of french toast, fruit, coffee and apple juice, we had a bible study followed by a time of prayer for one another. then, others from reba place drove up to meet us for lunch. i was so happy to see jen's face among them. i ate, played, sat around a talked, walked the trails again...

today i woke up at 6:15 because i was in charge of breakfast. tonight i am in charge of dinner. i'm going to make enchiladas, rice, and beans. hopefully that will be good for everyone. oh! i should also make salsa! just thought about it. also taking jen to the airport today. that will be sad, but i won't think about it now.