The Addition

In the late 1980s the community constructed an addition to the east end of our two residence wings. The addition added on 30 rooms in total, five on each of the three floors of both the north and south wings.

Also added on every floor was a porch. Only the front wall of each porch is open, making them really lovely places to sit outside and yet be enough out-of-doors without being in the direct sun.

The one right by my room has benefitted from the care of one of our green-thumbed sisters. It not only boasts a little patio set of table and chairs, but has the healthiest and prettiest plants, as the "open side" has a southern exposure.

I never cease being amazed at the decorative and design talents of so many of our sisters. Usually we see their talents in the chapel environment, but every once and awhile some little corner of the Mount benefits from a type of "makeover" and it always is just------just so right.

If you haven't seen these yet, on our community website are links to the spring/summer MOUNT magazine and a newspaper column by our Sister Mary Lou. Both are great! (Scroll down the news a bit)

June 21-Welcome Summer

"Small Bodies"

It is almost summer. In the pond
the pickerel leap,
and the delicate teal have brought forth
their many charming young,
and the turtle is ravenous.
It is hard sometimes, oh Lord,
to be faithful.
I am more boldly made
than the little ducks, paddling and laughing.
But not so bold
as the turtle
with his greasy mouth.
I know you know everything--
I rely on this.
Still, there are so many small bodies in the world,
for which I am afraid.

Mary Oliver

The Desert Ammas

This year's retreat is going along nicely--weather is cooperating beautifully so everyone can get outside as much as they wish, including for meals on our back patio. The subject matter is interesting: the desert mothers (ammas) of the 4th and 5th centuries. Amazon lists four current books on this subject: The first one, The Desert Mothers by Mary Earle, gives a very quick Q&A on the subject--just scroll down a bit, only takes one minute---it's very good.

The other three are: The Forgotten Desert Mothers by Swan; In the Heart of the Desert by Chryssavgis, Ward, and Ware; and Praying with the Desert Mothers by our own retreat director, Mary Forman.

If you like a little pre-Benedictine monasticism and monastic tales of the desert I think any of the four would be good.

Small town girl in the big city

Just back from a great time in Detroit, Michigan, just 275 miles from the Mount. We attended the final day of the American Catholic Council an organization of groups promoting the tenets of the Vatican Council II--which opened 50 years ago this coming year.

Our Joan Chittister was one of the keynote speakers and brought hope and inspiration to the 2,000 attendees with her presentation titled, "Good Event, Bad Event--Who knows?" She used scripture stories, contemporary tales, and a summary of the major documents of the Council to urge these faithful and long-standing proponents of the Spirit of this Council and Pope John XXIII, to carry on, as "seeds that may or may never see the flower."

Detroit was a major underground railroad site during the days of slavery. Many moved on to Canada after arriving in Detroit--some came back after abolition.

This sign was translated into Spanish and Arabic.

A large park is right downtown. Mostly large cement areas with huge metal art pieces. Beautiful in its own way, I suppose, but give me more grass, flowers and average scale art any day!

A gigantic ferry boat, the Detroit Princess, was docked right by the convention center. That's Canada in the background, right across the Detroit River. The bridge is one of many over to it.

Here's Sister Joan (sorry for the fuzziness) on the large stage area giving her presentation. DVD will be available from either the ACC or Benetvision soon.

Is the spirit a bird?

Pentecost week songs are coming fast and furious. Here's part of "Pulsing Spirit" by Benedictine Delores Dufner of Minnesota.

"Spirit free, unbounded motion,
Beauty's mirror, heart's delight.
Gift abundant all around us,
flood the world with life and light."

Noisy daytime hours at the Mount this week. Landscapers are giving our gardens their annual clean up and clear out. And, workers are giving our famous stained-glass windows a once-over, to minimize the build up of condensation between the windows themselves and the plane glass on their outer side. They're trying some sort of venting system. We'll see!

Funniest double-take at prayer today as I looked up and saw...the outside trees instead of stained-glass. Here's the whole south side. Can you spy the one whose window is out?

They're hopping around all day, but still spend a great deal of time in their "hatching area," near the nest. Three are in this photo. I've named them: A,B,C,and R. "American, Boy Wonder, Christopher and Rockin'."

Great coverage in our local paper for a very sad prayer vigil yesterday for a 14-month old.

On my way to Detroit this weekend for American Catholic Council gathering.

Spirit Week

Lots of activities going on in and around the Mount/in and around the community these days. But I want to mention just two of them. One: Visitors are always a favorite topic of mine and this weekend we had a Seasons of the Spirit retreat with lots of high-energy retreatants who enter into the activities and spirituality experience with such enthusiasm. They are always, always delightful to have around and seem to have a wonderful time whether this is their first retreat or fortieth! Two: Our prioress, Anne, has been faithful to giving tours all week of her robin babies, but on Saturday she found an empty nest when she checked. She heard and then spied the babies in her little garden area, with their parents still supplying worms to them all weekend.

Click to enlarge and look in the very center!

Three: (I know I said two) This is one of every one's favorite liturgical weeks--the week leading up to Pentecost Sunday. We started with our "spirit" songs Saturday and will work our way through the entire repertoire by next weekend. One is just as great as the other and we usually sing them with great....well, spirit! I hope you have found enlivening liturgies in your area, too.

Our Sheraton Hotel on the far left, Bicentennial Tower on the right, Presque Isle Bay behind them and Presque Isle State Park beyond that.

A "Happening"

When I was growing up my mother and dad had this wonderful friend: Sally, who was just eccentric enough to seem delightfully different from all their other friends. One of Sally's greatest lines, whenever she had an experience that the rest of us might say was "interesting," was to announce, "I had a happening"! I have adopted that in my life now, shared it with friends and keep the memory of Sally alive through it!
LTSGW is late today....because I had a happening!

I was just going about my "normal" life Tuesday evening, experiencing what I thought was a slight stomach ache or passing gas (you know the feeling!)...flash forward 12 hours to Wednesday morning, same feeling, but too strange, so we chose a trip to the ER at Saint Vincent Health Center by noon. Flash forward 24 more hours to noon today and I've been out and back home with a laparoscopic appendectomy!

What's going on at the Mount? Who knows? I was busy "having a happening"--Sally would be so proud.

Memorial Day dawned warm and sunny. Spent some time at our Presque Isle State Park with the amazingly tame geese and their goslings and then back to the Mount for a great hamburgers and hot dogs picnic. Fun, fun for sisters and guests!

On our community website: nice Letter to the Editor of our local newspaper from Fr. Jim Gutting, local pastor and supporter of all our endeavors.