Labor Day 2015

Labor Day, September 7, 2015

Happy Labor Day. God bless and care for all who labor for our personal benefit and for the benefit of the Common Good. I am grateful for my years of labor as an elementary school teacher and principal and the many other things I “labored at.” The easy and good things made me happy and the tough things helped me grow to be a better person.

The following prayer was in our TAU-USA Magazine. I want to share it with you. Dear Lord: So far today, God, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy or grumpy; nasty, selfish or over-indulgent. I’m really glad about that! But in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed and from then on I’m probably going to need all the help I can get. Thank you, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Saturday evening there was a celebration at Holy Spirit Parish in St. Cloud to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of St. Bartolome Parish in Maracay, Venezuela. Eighteen of our Sisters were Missionaries there from 1967 to 1992. Happy Anniversary and thank you for all the good you did at that Mission.

Last Wednesday we invited the CEC teachers for noon lunch. After so many years of their presence, we will miss the teachers and students from that program of the Public High School. I was sad to go down that darkened Ground Floor hallway and see the empty classrooms. The program has moved to one of the Public School’s own buildings. And we have plans to make use of these rooms in coming days and months.

Sister Ruth’s friend, Kevin, from Idaho, is visiting here. He’s such a joy to have around. The other day he was helping Sr. Ruth shuck sweet corn that we’ll have for supper tonight. Both he and Sr. Ruth know so much about horticulture and growing good, nourishing food.

This coming weekend is the Little Falls Arts and Crafts Fair. Today’s newspaper says it should be partly cloudy with high temp from 66 to 73 from Friday to Sunday. Those are good temp. Lack of strong winds would also be very good. We have a number of guests/vendors staying at St. Francis Center for a couple nights. They like to come here because it’s only a few blocks away from their booth—lots better than having to drive 30 or more miles to find a hotel/motel.

I am doing well after my new pacemaker was put in last week. I already have more pep and energy and do not tire so easily. My challenge is to take it easy with my left arm, to not lift more than two pounds for the next 5 weeks and not raise my left arm too high. Thanks to all who kept me in prayer.

Let us pray for students and teachers as they start school tomorrow. My their year be a year of great learning in both academics and life skills.

Sunday, September 13 is International Chocolate Day!

Peace and many blessings, Sr. Mary Lou

Hello September!

How can it be September already? I’m back from our trip to our nephew’s wedding near Denver, CO. The day was perfect for an outdoor wedding in the mountains of Colorado. The temperature was about 75 degrees and overcast with about 4 drops of rain. Andrea and Jon are a very happy couple. She is from the Netherlands and 15 of her family members were here to celebrate with us. Jon is a geologist and has a job there. I went with my brother, Richard and his wife, Louise. Their 50th anniversary was August 28th.

We stopped to visit a couple cousins on our journey. We also took time to look at things at the Murdo Museum, the Badlands National Park, Wall Drug, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, the Old West Museum in Cheyenne WY., the Garden of the Gods and other stops. We saw lots of cattle eating on dry pasture lands in South Dakota, and lots of cattle eating in lush pastures in Kansa, Nebraska and Iowa. I often praised God for the beauty and vastness of creation that I witnessed each day. I’ll share a few pictures.

Meanwhile back here in Little Life went on (just fine without me). On August 27 and 28th there was a Red Cross Blood Drive. They received 219 units of blood, which is 30 units over the goal. God bless you, generous donors.

Four new Franciscan Community Volunteers were Commissioned at our Sunday Mass on August 30th. They are Johnny McCracken from Gap, PA; Kyle Lamb from Avon, MN; Ranya Agcaoili from Kahului, HI and Rebecca Ferrera from Newbury Park, CA. Welcome to you and we wish you well in your volunteer services.

This noon today we invited the CEC staff to lunch so we’d have a chance to see them one more time. The Continuing Education Center classes have been held at St. Francis Center for the past 24 years. The program has now moved to a building that belongs to the Public School district. I’ve always said that the CEC teachers and staff are the best teachers in the District! We will miss the teachers and the students.

Monday is Labor Day. Make it a safe one. Some schools have already started classes and others will start the day after Labor Day. Let us all pray for both teachers and students that it be a profitable year for each one.

Peace and many blessings,

Sister Mary Lou