July 26, 2011

A couple really nice days right now.  Sounds like the weather will be more active this coming night!  Lord, protect us all from violent storms.  Last Saturday morning we got 8/10s of an inch of rain in 25 minutes.  I know some of you got more than that.

Saturday afternoon I went outside to get a bit of fresh air.  Then I saw the pick-up by the Community Gardens and remembered that this was the day for the Community Garden Tour (Sponsored by Grace Covenant Church).  So I went over to talk to Ron.  He gave me a program of places that were on the list.  Two of them were within two blocks of the Motherhouse…and two of them were right here on our campus.  One of them was the Community Gardens that I’ve mentioned before—68 plots cared for by people of the area.  The other was Sister Ruth’s Campus Garden along with the rhubarb patch, orchard, and other things.  Sr. Ruth is a Horticulturalist and knows how to get the best results.

Then I went to Lucy’s home on St. Joseph Street.  There were beautiful annuals, perennials and a vegetable patch…so many colorful flowers in such a small space…and one patch of  “no  mow” grass. 

Next I went to the Barnes’ back yard on 8^th Ave.  The first thing one sees is an arched gate covered with a huge grape vine with lots of grapes.  Then I saw a mix of plants and antiques.  Very nice.

While talking about plants, I stopped to see “Sr. Deb’s Garden.”  Sr. Deb died last year, but she had a beautiful flower garden where she lived in Flensburg.  Last fall several  Sisters and others moved many of the flowers to the field across from the Grotto and put it into two flower patches.  The lilies had mostly been picked and put in chapel, but there were many lovely flowers still blooming in the gardens.

Each month we celebrate a Department.  This month we honor the Music Department.  The Sobania  Family gave us a 15-minute strings concert…the mother on the keyboard and 4 of her children.  What a lovely treat to hear such beautiful music.

The Music Center was started by Sr. Cecilia in 1979.  A typical week included 271 private lessons, 6 music theory lessons, 56 dancers, 30 gymnasts, 6 piano party kids, 5 violin party students and 22 Preschool Arts Kids.  The “party” kids are group lessons.  Students come from Staples, Browerville, Long Prairie, Onamia, Rice and Little Falls.

Sisters Olga and Blasé were playing with some of the kittens one evening after supper.

Last week, Tuesday through Thursday, 28 Directors of Nursing were here for a Nursing Leadership Symposium sponsored by the Aging Service of MN.  The participants came form all parts of Minnesota.

May the Lord continue to care for you. and those you love.
Let us pray for the people of Norway as they mourn the deaths of so many young people.
And let us pray for our own country.

Pax et Bonum,

Sister Mary Lou