The summer is almost gone, and the temps here are cooler- but here are some ways I've experienced it with friends.... such as a grill party in the park (notice the longer sleeves! Katie, Pri and Miriam are smiling on the front row but believe me, they're cold!)...

with Birthe, hanging out in the Park...

welcoming a new baby, Abby, to the world in Jena and letting her get to know "Aunt Martha"... (you can see she's ready for the Georgia Tech football season all decked out in her bib!)...

some final touches on the apartment, painting a wall in my kitchen and bedroom...

learning to cook curry with special friends...

watching a Bollywood remake of the movie/book "Pride and Prejudice" with a pajama theme!

keeping out the way, when friends Christoph and Johnny light fire to their drinks at the Cafe...

... and having games nights with Ulf and Marlen

misery loves company?

The weirdest thing-- in Germany you sometimes have names of cities that are quite "random" and even negative. This town is called "Elend" (meaning "Misery"-- my friend Doro says that near there is the town "Sorge" (meaning worry!). I saw this during my last little "jaunt" about the region with Anja, an afternoon trip into the nearby Harz Mountains.Having her here this summer was a treat!

Munich Memories

I got to go to Munich for a fun weekend trip and see some friends! Above are me with Antje and Stefan (from Jena), and our friend Daniel, who works for BMW in Munich. These photos prove just how enchanting a couple of days in Bavaria can be...

the May Pole is seen in various cities in the town center...

You can eat raklette with friends. I have a griddle also at home, but usually just do it in the winter time.

Outside a cafe... At brunch on that morning, we listened to live piano music -- very classy!

Views of Summer Fun!

" Fiesta" was the theme of a college -sponsored party at the local Univ. of Applied Sciences, where some students we know study social work.

When the students from Union Univ. (Tenn.) and Oklahoma U. were here, we went bowling which is basically like it is in the States!

One of the visiting students has the last name "Beck" which is also the name of a well-known, northern beer brand-- so we took a photo with this huge, blow-up bottle!

At our final week of a 6-week study of "First Steps" (written by my dad), we had a little dinner together at Jessi's apartment. It was a true treat to see Nick from Texas, who had first believed in me & helped to write the job description that was offered to me, in order to work with university students in Jena and Weimar. He brought a group of students to a nearby city to partner with a church.

I know... it looks like all I do is go to parties--!!! (I love my job!) The three of us all ended up wearing turqouise (me, Birthe, and Anja) when we went to an

outdoor event sponsored by the multiple inter-varsity sports clubs at the Technical University. There were stands to test sports, a sack race, and booths that sold bratwursts, beer or waffles sprinkled with powdered sugar. Notice that it's late June, and we're all wearing long sleeves and even a scarf or two!

These events truly deserve a blog of their own, but time is constraining me at present -- but I've made three important trips to Jena recently (my old "home town")-- and one included a double surprise party-- for my birthday AND a baby shower for Deanna, my colleague. Note the name "Abigail" hanging in back of us... Well... she CAME-- and Anja & I traveled at lightening speed back to be there for the birth and help with the kids (My niece and nephew!) ... I say at lightening speed (about a 2 and 1/2 hour trip)... until a traffic jam on the highway held us up for a VERY long time! But we still made it -- Anja, sitting in the waiting room that Saturday, heard the first cry of Abby. Check out Deanna's diary (see my side menu) for more great shots!

An interesting thing happened right before one of our Jena trips-- the speaker had gotten the date mixed up and couldn't speak at "Extra Cross" worship on campus-- so Anja, our summer intern (and good friend, and seminary student in Texas, etc.) was asked to "fill in" and did a bang-up job. She spoke about serving with your whole heart.

A recent big blessing has been the arrival of Tommy, from Oklahoma Univ. -- shown here after getting his first Germany hair cut! He will be an intern for 2 months, and then is an exchange student at the Techn. Univ. this fall, majoring in anthropology. He's been learning the culture and helping out. Tommy already speaks some German, so that is true talent, even though it's his first time to Western Europe! What summer would be complete without a "Grill Party" (cookout, as we say it in German!). And guess who really DID cook about 2 of the bratwursts??! We grilled in this huge park in my neighborhood. Christoph rode up on his motorcycle but most of the group came on bicycles (see behind Doro's head) which is a very popular mode of transportation in Germany (espec. where it's flat, in the north).

Now aren't you glad you scrolled down this far? Yum! Wish I could send over some of the scent of these babies, wherever YOU are! :-)

Here is the student exchange group from OU with the little Germany gifts which Anja and I gave them at a going- away breakfast.

On Thursday 5 of us went to the train station early in the morning to see them off, and then headed back to mine and Anja's apartment, to be sappy and sad about their leaving... We miss you guys!!

More exchange week fun

Beck's special strawberry shortcake recipe...

Connexxion continued the 2 weeks, with 2 exchange groups of USA university students overlapping (from Tennessee & Oklahoma) ...with fun and games (literally) and lots of laughs and events... here goes for the next round... (all of this a bit late-- sorry!).

Ben admiring the photographic art in the lobby of the Hochschule fuer Bildende Kunste (College of Fine Arts & Media). Where we (here pictured are Anissa & Laurie) also handed out cookies and invitations for the week (at 3 colleges in all!).

And a table with Rob and John at the Institute for Applied Sciences (social work area).

Our group hung out quite often at Eusebia, a friendly cafe just behind the campus.... now we have a weekly Bible discussion group meeting there, too.
Jon, Heather and I actually got this wonderful ice cream in Wolfenbüttel that afternoon... but the pictures I will add in here. It tastes good when you have hot days with no A/C... and even on cooler days w/ 60 -something degree temps (we've had a lot of those this summer!).

Pasta Parties

We had 3 pasta parties in different locations the main week of our exchange... a big thanks to all our great hosts, as well as to those who helped them out in the kitchen, too!

One met outdoors behind a dorm where Ruben lives.

Wolfenbüttel

This amazing array of "fachwerk" (half- timbered) houses is completely in tact, in a town called Wolfenbüttel just about 25 minutes from Braunschweig. WOW! What a great place to hang out and relax with the teams...

Beck's "name sake" beer is brewed in Bremen, about 1 and 1/2 hours from here. And what German city tour would be complete without a visit to a castle or palace!? This one did not disappoint... complete with impressive gate, and scary weaponry, which they let us TRY OUT!!