Dear Friends, As usual, we are apologizing for the weather–I mean OUR weather. The forsythia has been fooling around with buds. NO good to warn it that it is ahead of time and watch out; you may get nipped. The little plum tree is flowering outside the refectory, and the flowering pear in the garth is sending its glorious white

We just had an adventure. Of course, adventures are not anything unusual for us. We had a golf cart that is a Godsend for our guest mistress when she has to take food and cleaning supplies to the retreat house. But unfortunately, it bit the dust. So today, a lovely family of friends brought a replacement, a reconditioned cart with a

Dear Friends, We are more. Our dear Sr Jacqui has officially changed her Stability to Santa Rita’s in a lovely ceremony on the first of February. Vicki stood beside her after the homily, and we all went up at the conclusion to give her the Peace. She was delighted that the flowers in the sanctuary were–“the white rose of York”!

Dear Friends, We are having a (sort of) rainy day. Can you imagine. Our climate, when it’s normal, does provide winter rains. The only trouble is that it hasn’t been normal for over a dozen  years.      Do pray for the backbone of the Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed Rosemont Mine, which would be an environmental disaster, needs a permission

November 4, 2013 Dear Friends, If you remember, last year about this time a large flock of sparrows descended upon us and remained until spring; they are back. They congregate around the tree wells filled with water. They and the ravens get along well. The ravens get along well with the dog too. We have two pecan trees, and the

The tomatoes have advanced into whatever paradise God has prepared for fruit and vegetables. Esther has dumped the soil from their pots and picked both the green and red remnants of a  happy season. Never have I lived in such close proximity to the life cycle of a tomato. There they were, seven pots of seven plants climbing their stakes

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013 Dear Friends, The year is winding down toward Advent. More about that later. Yesterday the president fulfilled his office as Mourner in Chief—for the fifth time in a full scale shooting incident. One of the tragedies had been in our beloved Tucson. Yesterday’s was in the DC Navy Yard. Deaths that did not have to be. Hearts

Dear Friends, our landscape gives us a deal of fun at this time of year. No longer beige and brown, no longer the cheerful austerity of what I think of as “God’s bones.” but grass and more grass to the extent of our wondering whether Abel can keep up with it and give us defensive space before he has to