What a difference a day makes!

Yesterday the Little Falls high temperature was a record breaking 52 degrees. Today a high of 34 degrees already was in the early a.m. hours. We’ve had .10 inch of rain and now it is snowing…with expected accumulation about 1 to 2 inches. Wind chill of 4 degrees.

After prayer this morning, Sr. Donna told us that today she would be donating her 81st unit of blood. That is a LOT of blood—10 gallons + 1! Thank you, Donna, for your generous gift of life. The Bloodmobile is here today, Thursday and Friday. These first two days from 1 to 7 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This week is National Immigration Week. Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. We are remembering St. Josephine Bakhuta (1869-1947.) She was an ex-slave and Sister, who was kidnapped as a 9 year-old. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 17, 1992, and canonized in 2000, the first native of the Sudan to be so recognized. Let us pray for all those who are enslaved for the “profit” of their “masters.”

Tomorrow at 2 p.m., we are recognizing the Finance Department for their many services to the Sisters—and paying our bills. Thank you, for your many services to us. (I am most grateful I don’t have to figure all those things out.)

On Sunday we celebrate Sr. Justina’s 100 birthdays. It will be a Great Day. I’m sure we will have many guests for Mass (11 a.m.) and the open house from 2 –4 p.m. Congratulations, Sr. Justina.

Retreat starts Monday evening at 7 p.m. until noon of Saturday, the 22nd. It is a long list of people who are signed up to make the retreat. I am one of them.

After our meal for the Sisters ‘ Christmas Party on the 7th, we had a sing-a-long. The funniest song we sang was a new version of “Twelve Days of Christmas”. We sang “The 12 Days of Christmas MN Style”… A Bald Eagle in a Fir tree, 2 red-eyed loons, 3 spring chix, 4 snow ties spinning, 5 woolen scarves, 6 bunnies hopping, 7 mice a-squeaking, 8 kittens purring, 9 wolves a-howling, 10 skunks a-spraying, 11 kids coughing, 12 geese a-honking. And, then, too, did the actions. That song was good for a lot of laughs.

Finally, the HARD 1,000-piece peacock puzzle was finished. It took several weeks. I admire those who were so persistent to finish it. Now they are working on a plate of cookies and that is about as hard. It is great to see Sisters and employees working so diligently to put the puzzles together…a wonderful way to relax.

The Christmas decorations are all packed away for another year. All that is left are the many beautiful poinsettias that will last until Eastertime.

Peace and blessings, Sister Mary Lou