How's Lent Going?

 

How's Lent going? Well, it's only been 12 days, but it's coming along pretty well, I'd say.

We have our once-a-year hymns, which are all very nice to include at the beginning of prayer. There are a number of mantra-like verses, which get inside you when they are chanted two or three times over and over.

However, one of the new parts this year is on the dining room tables, I think they are those fast growing bean plants. Many of them are already up (see photo) and to a place that hasn't seen outdoor growth for 4-5 months now, it's really a nice sight. The local weather man told us that March 1 is the meteorological first day of spring. What that means I do not know--but with 3-4 days with a high in the low 50s last week, we are getting teasers of a spring that won't come March 1, I assure you. But it's on its way.

Meanwhile, you may know from reading our website, we lost our Sr. Andrea Friday morning. Helen H. did her usual wonderful job of crafting a display of Andrea for all of us to enjoy and reminisce over. One of the special blessings of community life.

Winter birds

Here in Erie we have winter birds or I guess it would be more proper to say that we have birds that winter with us. They are here in the summer, too. The ones I see most often at our feeders are chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals and woodpeckers. There are a few other kinds, but I'm not as good identifying them as I should be!

It is quite amazing to me that they stay with us, however, I have to remember that we don't get as cold as say the midwest, but with all this snow (we are at 60" now--well below our average through this date, but still a lot) you might think they wouldn't. However, the bird feeders are many in this area so I suspect if they can find suitable shelter, the food might keep them here. Oh, and of course, there is endless fresh lake and creek water.

Winter and the Nuthatch

Once or twice and maybe again, who knows,
the timid nuthatch will come to me
if I stand still, with something good to eat in my hand.
The first time he did it
he landed smack on his belly, as though
the legs wouldn't cooperate. The next time
he was bolder. Then he became absolutely
wild about those walnuts.

But there was a morning I came late and, guess what,
the nuthatch was flying into a stranger's hand.
To speak plainly, I felt betrayed.
I wanted to say: Mister
that nuthatch and I have a relationship.
It took hours of standing in the snow
before he would drop from the tree and trust my fingers.
But I didn't say anything.

Nobody owns the sky or the trees.
Nobody owns the hearts of birds.
Still, being human and partial therefore to my own successes--
though not resentful of others fashioning theirs--

I'll come tomorrow, I believe, quite early.

Mary Oliver

Four of our sisters heading over to our Glinodo

property for some sledding down the big hill. 

(click to enlarge)

Sun brings shadows

 OMG, after two weeks of cold, cold temperatures (everything is relative, but for us "cold temperatures" means 20-25), the sun and warmth (ditto, "warmth" right now means 35!) broke through Sunday and I swear all of Erie was outdoors, squinting and taking in the natural Vitamin D.

For us it meant a walk to the lake at 2:00 pm, well past mid-day. These days sunrise is at 7:00 am and sunset at 6:00 pm...so among other things 2:00 pm brings are long, long shadows on the very white and sparkling snow.

Here are some of my rather ordinary attempts at catching this February phenomenon. For us, it is glorious!

All of our trees have their attached shadows nowadays.

I thought Scholastica's crozier looked quite impressive.

Walking on the Glinodo boardwalk to the lake.

COVID "holidays"

The entry right before this one was predicting that the snowstorm that is still devastating Texas, Louisiana and numerous other central, southern states would hit us as it made its way up to the northeast. Well, that didn't happen. We got 3" Tuesday morning and almost another 3" by evening. We, however, can handle that pretty easily. Oh, BTW, there was no ice involved. That even stops us!

Today we celebrated a COVID Ash Wednesday. Which means that we didn't receive ashes in the normal way. There were ashes available in the chapel all day if anyone wanted to use them, but there was no general reception of ashes. Amazing changes throughout this year.

And, then, in the early afternoon we had our second vaccine shot. The first one came on Jan. 20th, inauguration day; the second one Ash Wednesday and the last one will be March 17 for those who just started today. Being a "congregate" living situation with 82 in the community and a number having already caught the virus, we were able to qualify. I'm calling them the holiday surprises. 

Big storms coming

 time to be sure our birds (and wildlife) are fed--

our resident furry friend who shares the seeds for our birds

and apples for our deer!

By the time February rolls around we have a bad case of "the Febs." As in, "How long is this winter going to last?" Or, "If I don't see trees with leaves on them soon, I'm going to scream!"

Luckily for us February also brings, just 10 days in, the Feast of St. Scholastica, foremother for all Benedictine women, and our legendary founder. We also remember our first prioress here in Erie, who was also a Scholastica: Mother Scholastica Burkhard. The name Scholastica, although not well-known even in Catholic circles, is quite well-known in the monastic world.

Annually, as I’ve often given a tour of the monastery and its grounds to groups of collegians who come for their mid-winter break to offer service in our ministries, I always stop at the statue of St. Scholastica. It holds a prominent place in the large garden area set between the two wings of the monastery. I talk about the statues of women saints that they see, or don’t see, in churches, and the primacy of Mary as often the only one—unless the church is named for a woman. Then I point out the book Scholastica has in her hands, the habit she’s wearing and most distinctly, the crozier she’s holding. Sometimes there’s also a dove. “Those are the clues that you’re looking at Scholastica or perhaps one of the other European Benedictine abbess-saints,” I tell them. Finally, I share with them the beautiful chapel that the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have in Clyde, Missouri, the highlight of which is the group of five Benedictine women saints, set along the main aisle, up amidst the pillars, about 10 feet above the floor. Their golden, sparkling habits and veils are truly gorgeous. Well, worth the trip to this off-the-beaten-path monastery to view.

Super Bowl Sunday

Before taking in the Super Bowl this weekend, we took in a ride around Presque Isle and downtown Erie, along the bayfront. One of the best views was of this Great Lakes freighter, in for repairs over the winter at one of our docks. What a monster ship.

 On the peninsula itself we saw this ice hockey game going on at Waterworks where families love to come for winter activities. We couldn't see from where we were whether they were playing on the frozen pond that is there or if they made their own rink with water on a flat surface near that cabin. I think they were on the pond. Lots of locals were out--despite the 22 degree temps--BTW there was bright sunshine to take the edge off!

Memories of Lenore

When I was growing up my grandmother Pearl was friends with Millie Shaw. Pearl and Millie both played bridge and had a lot of fun with the "girls" they hung around with. Each also had a daughter in the convent---well, sort of. 

My aunt entered the Sisters of St. Joseph after college and stayed there over 50 years, until her death.

Lenore entered the Benedictine community three times--in 1945, but left within a year or so--again in 1948, and left in 1950--and entered for the third and final time in 1978! Most people think the community had to catch up with Lenore, not the other way around. Lenore was a character of the first degree. During the 28 years between her second and third entrances, she taught for a few years in a city public high school--driver's education was her specialty. She would cajole us with story after story of the zany adventures of her friends on the faculty there, as they banded together to cope with the challenges of inner-city teaching in the 60s and 70s. At her large and crowded Irish wake every one of those colleagues (and even some of her former students) came out to pay her tribute and remember their favorite adventure with "Miss Shaw."

Her last ministry was at the Second Harvest Food Bank, which was then administered by one of our sisters who was as much fun as Lenore. They say that working with the two of them was like being part of a comedy routine every day. Her final "job" was as a community driver, about which she'd exclaim, "If I ever doubted I was going to heaven, I don't now. This is my purgatory!" as she'd roll her eyes every day at the peculiarities of doctor's appts. and changing schedules that would send anyone else over the edge. We told her that she was perfect for the job.

Her annual February contribution to community fun was to organize the annual Super Bowl pool--$1.00 a box, with $25 to the winner of each quarter. If you could see into our place this weekend you would view this year's chart: The 19th Annual Lenore Shaw Memorial Super Bowl Pool--that I am proud to organize. Because of  the COVID experience this year we've adapted the pool a little. The four sister-winners this year will get to name a charity of their choice to which we will donate each $25. Seems like a moderation that Lenore would approve of--she was generosity personified.