Le chocolat

The photo isn't really easy to decipher but what you're seeing is a chocolate fountain in a chocolate store (confiserie) in Bayonne, France, on the east end of the cathedral. One of the families at my congregation has such a fountain and every summer when we have a picnic at their house, they pull out a miniature version. It's stupendous and a terrific mess but, oh, so good.

Chocolate makes the world go round. There are a bunch of congregations out there that are going to be spending this Lent watching the French film, 'Chocolat' (if you haven't seen it, do), and then commenting on it. I suspect it's the same idea as the talks that evolved from the film, Babette's Feast.

So why blather about chocolate?

I figured that since it was the eve of el Día de la amistad, Friendship Day as it's called in El Salvador, I would bring some chocolate to our vestry meeting tonight. So I splurged and bought Dove chocolate hearts (a preferred chocolate of GOE readers, which is from where I got the idea). The next person who arrived at vestry brought, unscripted, a half-eaten bag of Hershey's kisses. The next person who arrived, also unscripted, brought chocolate Hershey's almond kisses, and a thermos of decaf French roast coffee.

With all that sugar and caffeine in our systems, vestry was a bit punchy and playful tonight. It was the first night for the newbies on vestry and I told them we weren't always this merry but we always enjoy each other's company and we always pray and work well together.

Beyond the chocolate, however, is the fact that everyone — whether they like it or not — is psyched for the nor'easter that is going to hit us overnight. We all were like a bunch of high school kids, knowing that we don't have to go to school tomorrow. We have a day off, golly gee! And so, the merriment was that giddiness when we know that the world is going to slow down tomorrow and we're simply going to have to deal with snow and lots of it.

It's the first snowstorm of the season and it's about time. I can't really tell how much we're supposed to get — 2 feet? — but I am so excited simply to have snow that it doesn't much matter as long as it gives me that wonderful childhood pleasure, a snow day.