On last Saturdays, we gather for lunch and social interaction at area restaurants. We try to discover restaurants with German cuisine and atmosphere and welcome members' suggestions of suitable venues. These gatherings are informal occasions for exchange of ideas and experiences, where we highlight poetry on varying themes or by featured authors. Thus, our first lunch outing celebrated Goethe's birthday on 28 August. Since we need to make reservations, RSVP and find out time and locations from Sherie Day at: sheriehday@prodigy.net.

For our first poetry lunch in 2007, we gather on Saturday, January 27, at 12:30 in the Cafe Mozart in downtown Washington, at 1331 H St. NW, steps away from the McPherson Square Metro stop. A parking garage with low Saturday rates is two blocks to the West on H Street. Our theme is Liebeslyrik (love poetry). On Saturday, 28 April, at 12:30, we meet in the Cafe Berlin on Capitol Hill, on Massachusetts Ave. close to the Union Station Metro stop. Street parking has been no problem on Saturdays. Our theme for this meeting is "Philosophical Poetry: ethical, moral, social concerns." On Saturday, 30 June, at 12:30, we assemble in the Cafe Europa in downtown Bethesda, Maryland, at the corner of Norfolk Ave and St. Elmo Street. A public parking garage, free on Saturday, is close on St. Elmo in the direction of Old Georgetown Road. The Bethesda Metro stop is within walking distance. Our theme is "Poetry on the Move: journey, travel, wanderlust." On Saturday, 25 August, at 12:30, we hold our traditional celebration of Goethe's birthday, with cake and candles, at the Old Europe on Wisconsin Ave (above Georgetown) in Washington. For this occasion, our theme is "The Useful Goethe," for which we are collecting instances of Goethe being quoted for various purposes in many contexts.