It amazes me, I'm in September and I blinked and it is now November. I am sure everyone has had similar experiences. Where did the time go? So what have I been up to? I feel as if I have just emerged from a "cave". Why, you may ask? As a Novice you are responsible to organize the Founder's day performance or presentation. This year I felt God calling me outside of the box to bring a piece of what He has placed on my heart to the Sisters. I received permission to put up historical prayer stations. I prayed over the theme and then with the help of our community archivist, Sister Caritas, I sifted through 150 years of history. I am sure many can relate that when you only have small blocks of time a day to work on projects it can definitely take up most of your time. Of course I am so grateful for the many helping hands to put up the wonderful stations for the Founder's week, which started on Founder's day and then ran through the next week. This made it possible to come and pray at anytime of day. The hope was to bring glimpses of history to life with pictures and facts and then to blend the history into a theme which led participants through the reflection, response, and prayer. It was wonderful to see how God worked through this whole project and wonderful week. I created a website to try to save paper and now that the project is done I am working on the video for the archives here. Ah, a busy couple of months. What else has happened? The new postulant Michelle, from Texas, was received in September to our community. There was a private ceremony where Michelle received the "Insignia of St. Francis of Assisi, a symbol of her formal witness of being a Postulant in our Community.... The insignia, the tau with the hand of Jesus covering that of Francis, is to remind Michelle of her call to follow Christ with us."
In September, I also began my work with housekeeping. This is part of the Novice rotation where I continually rotate through three departments for the year. Our motherhouse is definitely alot bigger then my apartment or a regular size home. It's amazing the amount of time and work that is put into make sure everything is clean and in order. Those working in housekeeping taught me some tricks of the trade. I will be back with the crew in December. As a Sister you have the opportunity to take music lessons so I decided to try out the violin. I know that this is an interesting choice because as with any instrument it takes alot of time and practice. But I have been enjoying the lessons and look forward to practicing. I don't think I am quite ready for the symphony just yet but maybe by next year. Obviously not, but I am enjoying the journey. Here I am below with my teacher, Sister Marcus. :)
Michelle and I went out kayaking as much as we were able which was alot of fun. Our day is pretty set with work, studies, prayer times, meals, and evening rec/games, so when we have those openings for more active recreation during the day we jump on it. The lake behind our motherhouse is beautiful but it does have alot of seaweed type growth which we skillfully avoid to not get it caught up in our paddles. But as we enter into the Fall the lake begins to clear which means we can cover more area in the kayaks. We have a Bald Eagle nesting in one of the trees on the lake and it is amazing to watch it fly and to see its wingspan overhead.
In October I worked in the kitchen for my Novice rotation. It was fun to be able to cook again since it has definitely been some time. But I will say cooking for one, and then maybe groups of 8 is nothing compared to cooking for a 100+. So I used some pots to cook in that I could probably have climbed into. I have also never chopped and sliced so many vegetables. It was amazing the amount of work that is done in the kitchen everyday and the staff are wonderful. I had alot of fun and learned some new things and skills. I look forward to my next rotation with them which should be in January. A highlight in October, my mom came to visit me right before my Birthday which was wonderful. As I shared a long time ago, I grew up Presbyterian and converted to the Catholic faith in college. So in my immediate family my Sister Kris and I are the only Catholics at this time. So to most of my family Religious Life is foreign as well as understanding the Catholic church as a whole. So I was so happy that my mom was able to come and meet other Sisters here at the motherhouse. The two of us had a chance to go on a Fall photo chase. This means that we drove in hopes of good lighting to take pictures. God blessed us with wonderful timing in Marinette, WI to arrive at this dam right when the sun was breaking through and the setting was beautiful. I am so thankful to Jeri, who recommended the spot. We then drove up to Door county and went up the Door County Coastal Byway. It was mostly overcast at this time but it was so much fun to explore with my mom. The peninsula was really crowded because of Fall festivals that weekend. And one of the best parts was the day my mom was leaving, I had to show her my favorite piece of playground equipment! We did not have anything like this when I was a kid. Check it out on my youtube channel: https://youtu.be/wzgX-fJ0lQQ
Just a few days ago we had our first snow of the season. It was supposed to be an inch but lucky for us it was more. We are looking forward to some more winter fun. Of course not looking forward to any zero degree weather but the more snow the better. And of course with the first snow we had to get out there and do some sledding with our "snow coasters" (I heard this term for the first time). And guess what?! It was Michelle's first time sledding!
Alright, I need to close for now! Please continue to pray for all religious vocations and seminarians. And many Blessings to all of you! Pax et Bonum!
Happy Thanksgiving!
"Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude to God, our Creator and Provider, whose guides and cares for us, and whose love is with us forever. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the changes, to remember that we, too, grow and change from one season of life to another. Thanksgiving is a time of changing seasons, when leaves turn golden in autumn's wake and apples are crisp in the first chill breezes of fall. Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving. As we see the beauty of autumn, let us acknowledge the many blessings which are ours, let us think of our families and friends, and let us give thanks and be grateful for all that God provides." (Author unknown)
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