Of Quaker Mischief and the Misanthropic Parakeet.

Got back from Gethsemani at 5:30ish last night. It was such an amazing trip. I just got done looking through all the pictures that we've put on Facebook. I sincerely wish we were still there. My friends are such amazing people- and because of the trip I acquired a new one in Aryn! =) I think it makes sense to go through the trip chronologically (though I tried to recap in Merton class today and FAILED, forgetting a major part of the trip =/ Lameness prevails.)

1/29/10
I drove my mom and I here before Spiritual Disciplines, she took my car home so it wouldn't sit up here for the weekend. Put all my stuff my Connie and went to class for a bit. We departed at 10am. The weather was good for travel- cold, but no snow or anything. We got to the Merton Center around 3:30? Between 3:30-4. [This is the part I managed to forget earlier] The guy who works there showed us around. They have a rather extensive collection of Merton-stuff. Books. Dissertations. Pictures. Poems. More books. One of his typewriters. A pair of his boots. <3 One of his cameras. Some of his photographs.

I've fallen hard for Tommy by this point, if not earlier. Then! We listened to a recording of him teaching novices. I enjoy the timbre of his voice. And his laugh. I'm not ashamed, either.

We headed off to Bardstown, which sadly lacks any sign of minstrels or bards- though it is quaint. We had dinner at a place called Kres(s(o's. I think that's how it is spelled. I had their signature pasta dish- with chicken, shrimp, and a cream sauce. It was good.

We made it to the monastery for 7:30 Compline. In the dark. It was really affecting. After that we headed to our house, at Bethany Springs. It was gorgeous. Homey. Tracy, the Hostess, was a doll. We had tea (tea, and more tea!), craisins, and tasty other foods. Katie made cupcakes for Katelynn's birthday (I s'posed to as well, and forgot). Andy, Matt, and I stayed up til around 11 (probably closer to 11:30). Everyone else went to bed before us.

We got up around 2:50am for 3:15...Vigil? (I can't keep track of the order of the names or the exact times, either) It was also in the dark. We didn't go back to sleep before the next office, at 6:15. We had tea instead! I don't really recall everything precisely for the next 2-3 hours of the day... I know we stuck around for awhile, went to the library of the Retreatist wing{?}....went back to the house, the group had breakfast, I showered... we went to the 10:15 office and then had Mass at 10:30[?] before then. The next service was at 2:15. We explored after that. (Sometime before or after we went to the giftshop, got cheese fudge a card...) Took many pictures, found Tommy's grave =( and then headed to the House. (I took a nap...blankets!)We were there til 5:30? and then came home, again, for lasagna dinner. It was pretty good. The bread was tasty. We sang happy birthday to Katelynn. Back to Compline at 7:30, and that was it for the night..for services anyway. We headed back to the House. Some of us watched a Merton movie. Talked. Drank tea. Ate craisins. There was some mediation. I journaled a little. Went to sleep.

1/31/10 I don't think anyone got up to go to 3:15 with Alan. I got up around 6:30? initially. Kate came down shortly after that, so did Katie. We chatted, drank tea. I can't remember if we were up til other people got up, I know I eventually went back to my bed and slept until right before we had to leave. We went to Terce at 10:20, didn't stay for Mass though...and we're on the road to home! I was sad to leave and so were a few others! We got Tbell for lunch (this amuses me very much). Got back to BW around 5:30, none of my family picked up their phones so I rode home with Kate! Thank God they were there! I would have been stranded.

All in all it was a great weekend. I have to go read for class now!