Last Week of July

It's the last week of July already and we continue to be blessed with beautiful warm summer weather. We often remember in our prayer the people who have been so affected by natural disasters this summer: floods in the midwest, fires in the far west...and nearly everyone by the wars in the Middle East (not a natural disaster at all--totally our own doing).

The Mount library, which has been upended since February (see Feb. 21st entry) is close to being its old self again. Half the floor has been carpeted and all the stacks and furniture have been moved to that half. Hopefully this week the second half will get its carpet and then it can all be put back and become the library we know.

Most of us will get a three-day break from ministry next week as our annual Summer Community Days take place August 6-9. Two of those days will bring Barbara Reid, OP, to us to give four presentations on biblical women--different ones than you'd normally expect: Phoebe, Lydia, Priscilla, etc. Barbara is a scripture scholar.

Summer Community Days always include a recreational outing for the community. This year a trip to the Erie Zoo is being proposed. I have been to our zoo many times and it is a great place--very modern and diverse, well taken care of and enjoyable. Two years ago I even won a county-wide contest to name the three Amur male leopard cubs that were born there. The prizes? A season long zoo pass, a framed colored picture of the cubs, $100 gift cert. to Ricardo's restaurant and three small stuffed animal leopards! Amur leopards are indigenous to Russia so I submitted the three names Vladimir, Vitaly and Viktor--and won!



Isn't this nice? It's the display on the cabinets in our new gathering space outside of chapel. The plate is Thomas' and the candlestick Sister Christine brought back from South Africa.