So, what's new?!

For the third consecutive time, here's an update on our record snow "experience."

An area map in the Erie paper recently showed the snowfall in the city and in all the townships that surround it, over the record-setting 30 hours that have made us media stars or (in)famous stars for the 60" that was recorded at the airport. The map, however, showed that every few miles had its own total, and the airport's was far and away the most. i.e. we here in northwest Harborcreek, 13 miles east of the airport, had about 30-35" over the same time period.

Don't get me wrong, cleaning off 25 cars on three consecutive days with 12" of new snow each time is enough hard work. Especially with 15-20 degree temps. Our "team" of eight sisters worked in sync with one of our maintenance guys who was driving the truck and plowing. Personally I just kept thinking of it as exercise and help in working off those delicious Christmas cookies that are everywhere!

Things have settled a bit, but the cold temps are keeping the piles and piles of snow around. There are some great photos from our local Erie Times New here. Upper left: Sections and then Photos. Look for "snow"!!

Troupe Rd entrance

The Blessed Mother statue in the inner courtyard. If Sister Veronica was alive she would have covered it with a plastic bag to save it from losing its head!

Lots of our bushes/trees have these large snow blobs caught on their limbs.

The ever-evolving drinking fountain sculpture! See last week's entry--4 days ago!

Yes, it's true!

When you've been on national TV, including The Weather Channel...and received calls, texts, emails from family and friends asking if it's true, Are you all right? and How are you doing?...there's really only one thing to report on: Yes, our airport, the official weather station for the area, did record 60" of snow over December 25-26.

But, as you may know about lake effect snowstorms, the intensity and the amount of snow vary considerably throughout an affected area....so, for example, here in northwestern Harborcreek, right along the lake shore, we received in the neighborhood of 12" each of the three days: Dec. 25-27...but 3-4 miles south of us there was probably a whole different experience, ditto for the City of Erie itself and all of the townships and boroughs surrounding it.

The highlight (or lowlight) of it for me was digging out, cleaning off and re-parking 25 of our cars yesterday. Quite a task as they each had about a foot of snow on them. THEN, doing it exactly the same, all over again today! I couldn't believe it! What a job....all I thought of was that it was exercise and was burning off some of those Christmas cookies that we have in abundance and that are delicious!

I also wished that my Dad had been here for this. He would have enjoyed it tremendously!

The courtyard's drinking fountain.

One day's shoveling outside the back door.

A little bush--totally buried!

Don't miss Sister Valerie's blog www.walkingintheholypresence.blogspot.com for more photos of our "unforgettable Christmas snow". (Sounds like something out of a Walton's episode!)

Report from the Great Lakes!

WOW! We are buried...beautiful, but buried.

Christmas blessings

With gratitude to Robert Frost

Stopping on the road on a snowy evening.

I have tried before but never really been able to capture this--our Peace sign, that we display every Advent and Christmas season, right out front along East Lake Road. But luck was with me this week when I was coming home one night, with no snow or rain falling. I just pulled over, got out and tried a couple shots. This was the best.

"Let there be peace on earth."

Snowy Advent days

At the beginning of this week we find ourselves living in two worlds: one is the beginning of the Third Week of Advent and the other is in a semi-avalanche of nearly 2 feet of snow that has fallen in the last 10 days or so.

So, as I walked down the hall from our chapel to our dining room--the closest thing we have to a cloister walk--I took a photo out every one of the five windows and caught both themes, in the inner courtyard and with the stained glass designs that hang on the windows there every Advent.

Both are, of course, quite beautiful, in their own way!

With a nod to Rube Goldberg

How are you doing now that it's mid-December? Is it a bit frantic for you? Or are you just tired?! Too many events? Shopping weary? Baking and cooking and card sending overwhelming? Welcome hospitality with friends and family, but also a bit too much--already? Are those NFL end-of-the-regular-season games that don't even start until 8:20 pm taking a chunk out of your night's sleep? (Go Steelers!)

Well, do I have a clever, fun and welcome 5 minute relief for you--that will leave you smiling and thinking to yourself, "______ will just love this." (Fill in the blank and send it along).

Click here. (Hang in there for a short ad first)

PS. When I was growing up my Dad was the one who first introduced me to Rube Goldberg. He loved him. Kudos to you, Rube. See what you started!

PPS. A new book, Rube Goldberg's Simple Normal Humdrum School Day, by Jennifer George and illustrated by our Sister Placida's cousin Ed Steckley, has just been published!(There's no such thing as coincidence.)