Behind closed door #4

I admit that I staged this photo a little bit! Well, not really staged it, more cleaned up the closet that you see when you open this door. This used to be the storage area for the holiday decorations used by our sister who ran our Good Grooming room. Door wreathes were hung all over the walls and other paraphernalia filled the space, shared by a vacuum cleaner, complete with multiple attachments.

These days the closet has been taken over by two bird lovers, who tend to a combination of 6 bird feeders in the winter and summer--just different kinds. Luckily my friend's mother works in a garden center, what luck! and she often visits bringing us the cast off or torn open bags that give us a more than steady supply for the many birds that winter-over in Erie.

I especially enjoy the variety of woodpeckers that come out only in the winter. Right up to the feeders they come, chipping away, primarily at the suet bars. Even the cardinals, male and female, come close these months, yet in summer we only see them from afar. The males are truly Norman-Rockwell-ish on the snowy trees.

A year ago we expanded our feeders by adding two in the inner courtyard so that the winter birds could be seen by more sisters. (Truth be told, I was feeling very guilty that we were the only ones getting to enjoy them, as the feeders were right outside our rooms.)

So this closed door continues to hold valuable things, just a different kind. And, yes, I moved the vacuum cleaner and attachments out to get you this shot!

Behind closed door #3

You can tell that the spring longing is getting pretty strong by today's "behind closed doors." It's a door that really is hidden away in the basement and houses, among lots of other things, our summer patio and lawn furniture.

The wooden benches that can be found all around the monastery, next to the sidewalks, can be seen piled high, one set on top of and upside down on the lower ones. The green metal furniture goes on the patio that runs the whole length of the community room/dining room along the back of the house. In the back corner you can even see one of the three umbrellas that go with the oval tables. Out of sight somewhere are two white picnic tables and the two gliders on which many summer evening readers can be found.

Behind a closed door #2

Behind door #2...what was that game show where you had to choose among three doors?

Well, I did not have a key to get behind this interesting door, but luckily it has a window, so I took this shot through it. This is our little-known luxury--a beauty shop. The beautician, who offers everything from a simple hair cut to perms and even wig care, is a dream--excellent cosmetologist and works wonders, at a fair price, too. The room is locked except for Monday's, her day, and even has a bit of a retro feel to it-- 70s or 80s in some parts--but everything that's suppose to work in a certain way works perfectly. Thank you, Stacey. We think you're great.

Ah, ha: It was Monty Hall on "Let's Make a Deal."

Behind a closed door

For the last couple weeks of February and the beginnings of March, I'm presenting a little series, "Behind a closed door." It may not be overly creative or exciting, but more in the genre of "making your own fun" when the days are dark and dreary and the high temperature is 16 (yes, that was our reality last Thursday!). As you will see, I literally opened closed doors and will enjoy sharing the ordinary parts of our home/monastery with you.

For the first entry, here's a closet under a set of stairs--think Harry Potter's room in that marvelous opening of the first movie. Since it's right beside an outside door, it's the perfect place to store a bicycle and golf clubs for the winter. Year ago we had long, large storage areas--one in the garage for about 20 bikes and one on the ground floor for a dozen pairs of cross country skis. Most of them are long gone now, but we still have need of some outdoor sports equipment--and here it is!

From last Thursday, can you see the nest hanging in the tree with its 5" topping of snow?

Spinning off

From September through December 2013 I ran a series here called "Nooks and Crannies." In it I shared a dozen nooks and crannies around Mount St. Benedict that I thought even our most frequent visitors probably miss. It was a lot of fun, especially for those frequent visitors who fessed up that they saw many things for the first time from this grouping.

Then in 2015, from March-August, there were 20 entrees in a series titled "Seldom Seen." Again, I was sharing some behind-the-scenes things from our life that aren't on the first page of most known places.

Now I'm going to start a similar sharing, at least to get us through the rest of February. But today, here are two from 2013 and 2015. Enjoy!

They started out as possible "pets" for our sisters in the infirmary. They are extremely beautiful and cute... but they didn't last too long there. They did learn to talk a little. From what I heard they could say "Be quiet" quite clearly! Now they are in a more private area and doing well--no shhhing needed.

If you've visited our place you may have seen this nook and cranny or you've walked right by it but haven't really seen it. It's tucked away in the corner of a stairway landing, next to a door leading out to our memory garden area. It has good enough light and a steady temperature in both summer and winter to make it an ideal place for keeping many plants healthy and ready for use, especially for the environment in chapel. It is a unique corner, almost a crack in the stairwell.

Ah, ha!

Natural snow measurers.

Getting through "the Febs"

We're continuing to slog our way through "the Febs"--29 days (this year) of an in between time for sure. One day it's dark and dreary and 30 cold degrees. The very next day can be bright with winter sun which takes all the edge off the day before. We always have one day in the 70s or high 60s--the meanest tease there can be! And every other day is a weather mixture of unknown predictability.

This year Lent does not fall in February until its last days (the 26th) which gives us weeks and weeks of ordinary days, a few feasts interspersed and lots of pre-Lent preparation time. (i.e. We're learning new songs in both the monastery schola and handbell choir).

In my more personal choices to get through "the Febs" we have added the excellent British movie The Crown, as our local library has both Seasons One and Two available for borrowing. I saw them both a couple years ago, but am pleasantly surprised how many details and dialogue I don't remember well on this second viewing. Those Brits are such fine actors and the dialogue in these historical fiction dramas is marvelous (think Mash or West Wing as roughly suitable comparisons.)

Add that my friend, Anne, just finished Where the Crawdads Sing; a first novel by a wildlife scientist that just spent 27 weeks on the top of the NY Times best seller list, and she is begging me to read it---there's another getting through "the Febs" option.

Our prioress just came back from a meeting in a small town on the southern border of South Dakota...hmmmm maybe I should re-read Kathleen Norris's Dakota that was another unique and very attractive look at the upper mid-west---where we have a number of Benedictine monasteries and abbeys, BTW. "Go west young monk/young sister" and west they did go: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakotas, Idaho, Oregon, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Arizona...California.

New URL for this blog: ltsgw.blogspot.com

February 2

Here on this Feast of the Presentation (aka Candlemas Day) and Super Soul Sunday...we had a really great Liturgy including songs that we sing only once a year or so, that fit the Presentation theme. The reflections by our presider were terrific and whole prophetic theme that under pines it was very special--the Simeon and Anna story is one of my favorites from the early years.

Here are two images of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple...one in the more traditional mode and one quite contemporary.

New URL for this blog: ltsgw.blogspot.com