July 2, 2008

We are into July. The first half of the year just flew by. And the 4th of July is just two days away!

I came across this great story about eagles from At the Edge of Tomorrow, by Tierney Trueman, OSF, Rochester, MN, that I want to share with you.

"The eagle possesses the greatest longevity of its species. It lives for 70 years.
To arrive at this age, at 40 it must make a decision. At 40, its pointed beak curves inward; its claws curve inward and become soft. It cannot grab prey needed for food. Its wings are heavy with its thick feathers. To fly is difficult.
It has two alternatives: die, or face a painful process, which consists of flying to a high mountain near a wall. The eagle begins to peck the wall with its beak until it wears off. Then it must wait for a new beak to grow, with which it begins to pull out the old claws. With the new claws, it pulls out the old feathers.
Free of the weight of the past, it catches the trade winds and begins to live again."

God says: "I have dearly loved you from of old, and still maintain my unfailing care for you. I will build you up again." (Jeremiah 31:3-4)
Come…Am I able to say "yes"?
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Last week, we had the Bloodmobile here for three days. Our goal was 320 units of blood. The actual count received was 241, which is a lot of blood. If we counted in the 39 deferred persons we would have had 300 units. The summer collection is often lower because of people vacationing. But I am pleased with what we got. God bless all those generous people who took time from busy summer schedules to donate this gift of life. I’ll let you know when the next blood drive is.

I, again, plan on going to West Union, MN for the big 4th of July parade (2 p.m.) and the pot luck meal that follows. Our family has been a big part of this event for its entire history of over 20 years. Being a small-town parade, we have lots of tractors and farm machinery—both modern and old time, and a marching band or two, with many other great features. Come and join us.

Kevin has just finished mowing our lawn. It is surprising how fast the weeds can grow even when we haven’t had rain. We do need a good and gentle rain. It’s starting to get pretty dry.

Last night, I spent about 4 1/2 hours sitting with one of our Sisters who is very ill. So I got a few hours of sleep before mid-night and then some extra hours of sleep in the morning. I got some extra reading done during my watch. About mid-way through, Sister decided she wanted to get up. I was glad I was there to keep her from falling until the night nurses got there to assist her into a wheelchair. I took her for a walk down the darkened corridors and after awhile she was ready to go back to bed and to sleep. Many Sisters are keeping watch with Sr. Clara.

Have a safe 4th of July…and of course, safe all other days, too.

Peace and all good.
Sister Mary Lou

June 23, 2008

Oh, so many things fill up a week!

Yesterday we had a great celebration with five of our sisters who were honored for 75 years of service as Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls. Think of it, a total of 350 years of service . Great ladies each one. Four of the five made it both ways down the long center aisle of the Chapel by their own power. It was a slow walk, but they did it! The Mass was followed by a delicious meal and then lots of visiting.

This past weekend was the Little Falls Dam Festival. Two highlights for Saturday were the parade and the fireworks. The parade lined up in our convent parking lot, so it was with great ease we could watch the parade! Our own 96-year-young Sister Justina was the Grand Marshall for the parade. She looked great waving and riding in that little red convertible at the head of the parade. She was surprised to see so many people lining the entire length of the parade route. Because I had to leave early to attend our SFO gathering in Brainerd, I could stay only for the first few minutes of the parade. So I walked through the parking lot checking out the parade entries before it started. The dental office parade float was giving away dental floss and tooth paste—a healthy treat! The weather was perfect for all the weekend festivities. Friday night, the music was furnished by a group called The Roosters. I could hear the music very well in my bedroom—five blocks away! I really enjoyed the fireworks on Saturday night. The kid in me likes the sight and sounds of the "pretty, pretty boom booms."

Yesterday afternoon I attended the Concert in the Park at Maple Island Park. The music was provided by "The Alaska Polka Chips." The old-time music brought out a VERY LARGE crowd of mostly older folks. Again, the weather was perfect. Concerts in the Park are scheduled every Sunday at 3 p.m. all summer.

Last Tuesday evening, Eileen and I attended a presentation of "Godly Women Out of History" at American Lutheran Church in Long Prairie. The ladies, from Trinity Lutheran Church in Cyrus, MN, told about the 13 women who had a Godly influence in American History. We heard from Betsy Ross (1752-1836), Lucy Hayes (1831-1889), Corrie Ten Boom (1892-1983), Maria Von Trapp (1905-1987), and Harriet Tubman (1820-1913).

Last Friday and Saturday the Franciscan Sisters hosted "Faith and Fun with Franciscans." It was a camp-out with 20 girls who completed 6th, 7th and 8th grades from central Minnesota. They camped out and tented in Assisi Park on the south end of our campus. They had a good time and want to come again and for a longer time.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week the Red Cross Bloodmobile will be at the Convent. The first two days, it is from 2 to 8 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pax et Bonum,
Sister Mary Lou