If I don't make it back....

Tomorrow Julie and I are going on an all-day Lenten retreat at a Carmelite Monastery on Old York Road in Philadelphia. She's given me creedal cheat sheets in case I feel led to read along, as I have to fake it on anything past the The Lord's Prayer.

The monastery has forty-foot tall stone walls all around and is located a few blocks from where I grew up (picture courtesy the monastery's organist's webpage) and it was a place of some intrigue. Whenever we would drive by I'd press my face against the car windows thinking maybe I'd catch a glimpse of a nun swinging herself over the wall in an escape attempt. Needless to say I wasn't brought up Catholic or even Catholic-friendly and so didn't realize how ridiculous this imagining of mine was. Still, I've probably never passed the monastery as an adult without taking a quick peek at those walls. In twelve hours I enter them myself!

Julie's gone on the retreat a number of times (it's usually women-only) and has always been released to my connubial arms at end's day. Still, just in case something happens, y'all know where to look! The kids are going to be with Julie's sister and their cousin and should have a good time.