It seems like the world can not decide what it wants.  It is throwing some of life’s worst at the people I care about the most.  Stuff that you would not wish on anyone.  But it is happening just the same, and all you can do from across the ocean is show your love and support however you know best.  Which never feels like enough. And at the same time there are lots of reasons to rejoice.  Weddings and babies, three that will be making their appearance within weeks of each other this Fall!  Is this the way life works?  Always the best and the worst at once?  I guess it doesn’t matter, it just is.

In other news,  I am desperately trying to catch up with my photos from my recent trip to Berlin.  I am a little overwhelmed with the shear number of digital pics I have filed away on my computer, and it has probably been years since I have actually had anything printed.  I am promising myself to order some prints for framing…after our trip to Paris next weekend, that is!

Speaking of my recent trip to Berlin, one of the perks of my fellowship is attending a reception hosted by Germany’s President.  Now Horst Köhler is not the most well-known of Germany’s leaders (Angie seems to hog the spot light a little), and I certainly had never heard of him before I arrived here.   But if you’re into political geekiness (like I am), the reception was pretty dang cool.  Thanks to the maneuvering skills of mein Schatz, we snapped some pretty decent photos of Horst.  Of course, that is not all we did in Berlin, so you can check out the rest of our photos here.