Erie's Winter Carnival

The fountain in Perry Square is all decked out and

the fish beside it reminds me of the city-wide fish art project of years ago.

A very large bear!

An ice sculpture heart with a heart in it.

 

The pineapple of hospitality.

The universal peace symbol. 

Monday morning we begin reciting the World Peace Prayer at Morning Prayer each day 

that peace may be restored in the country of Ukraine. We have a number of 

Ukrainian immigrants in Erie, along with two of their Christian church congregations.

They're back

 

After many, many weeks have gone by with no sight of our deer population at all, finally, when small areas under the pine trees cleared one day last week, voila, three deer appeared one afternoon and much to my surprise, "settled down" for an hour or so. What a lovely pre-pre-spring sight.

Red Bird Explains Himself

Yes, I was the brilliance floating over the snow
and I was the song in the summer leaves,
but this was only the first trick
I had hold of among my other mythologies,
for I also knew obedience:
bringing sticks to the nest,
food to the young, kisses to my bride.

But don't stop there, stay with me: listen.

If I was the song that entered your heart
then I was the music of your heart,
that you wanted and needed,
and thus wilderness bloomed there,
with all its followers:
gardeners, lovers, people who weep
for the death of rivers.

And this was my true task,
to be the music of the body.
Do you understand? for truly the body needs
a song, a spirit, a soul.
And no less, to make this work,
the soul has need of a body,
and I am both of the earth
and I am of the inexplicable beauty of heaven
where I fly so easily, so welcome, yes,
and this is why I have been sent,
to teach this to your heart.

Mary Oliver

On the other hand, these guys show their best stuff with the snow!

Memorial Super Bowl Party

The 20th Annual Lenore Shaw Memorial Super Pool Contest and Party came off with loads of fun, food and football Sunday night. 

We feasted on Subway sub/wrap trays, Cincinnati chili, salad AND our Super Bowl LVI chocolate and vanilla cupcake football field dessert. Delicious!

Congratulations to Sisters Janet, Peggy and Mary Jane winners of the quarter score contest.

And thanks to you, Lenore, for countless memories of your third-time's-the-charm attempts to join the community. So glad you keep trying and finally made it--for 25 years. We will never forget you and your uniqueness in....well, just about everything!

Winter storm Landon

We joined the working-from-home experience for Thursday and Friday last week as the latest winter storm hit us with a vengeance!

No help from the side entrance sign.

This door to the inner courtyard hasn't been opened in a few weeks.

A couple benches in the backyard.

This is my favorite sculpted drift. It ran along the whole length of the south wall 

of the chapel about 2-3 ft. from its windows.

One of my birds looking at the snow-filled feeder Friday morning!