Snow Down Under?

Photo by Charlotte Anne Zalot, OSB

No, I guess there isn't much snow down under, as attested by the fascination that Sr. Clare has had with the 3-4 very wintery days of snow we've had this week! She told me that she had never actually seen snow fall before....and that she was amazed that it fell so silently...unlike rain or sleet or hail. She is prioress of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan (the Good Sams), a very large active community from Australia who follow the Rule of Benedict.

Visiting sisters from the Pacific northwest coast, New Jersey and Oklahoma, also don't see much of it and have enjoyed the winter wonderland effect we've woken up to the past few mornings. Luckily our lakeshore area had a manageable amount and driving hasn't been too bad. Not so for some "south of I-90" towns, who received 10-12" earlier this week. Then this morning, we on the lakeshore got up to 4-5" additional inches overnight! Lots and lots of soft, fluffy snow..but no ice, so everyone's trudging through!

All of this adds up to a week of evenings spent reading, DVD watching, catching up on little projects, and even some exercising in our fitness room...though I also saw a hardy bunch bundled up for a walk down to the lake.

Since such winter weeks just beg for a good book, I'll take the opportunity to "plug" one of my favorite authors: Mary Doria Russell. She's written, and I've read, The Sparrow, Children of God and A Thread of Grace. Her newest book, Dreamers of the Day, is due out in March. I can't wait. Her writing is terrific. You can read about them here at amazon.com.