Home

April 15, 2007

It was so great to be back at Holy Resurrection Monastery. I got a nice welcome from Fr. Nicholas, Fr. Basil and the newly "monked" Br. John. There was also a good friend of ours there and we all got to share road stories. This morning I was able to attend Divine Liturgy in familiar surroundings and that was amazingly comforting.

The bad weather followed me all the way to California with the wind and dust blowing on the Mohave. It even rained!!

Looking back on the time spent in Llano I find that I miss it terribly. I worry that I spent too much time at my cousins' house. I know that Sylvia was just recovering from knee replacement surgery and was on her feet too much seeing to my well-being. She sent me home with special home-made breads for the monks, brownies, a dinner for the road and nice cards for everyone. Don spent so much time ferrying me around that beautiful hill country that used up time I know he could have been using to help care for Sylvia. I learned from the folks I met in llano how caring and looking out for each other can be a way of life. Thank you for your wonderful example of what being each other's neighbor really means.




I'm home now in Bakersfield and had a wonderful reception from all my neighbors who were very impressed I was able tmake such a trip by myself. I felt I got such a special welcome home from these great friends and then it was all capped off by a spectacular sunset that surpassed anything I'd seen in three weeks. Even the palm trees took on a special glow. The big news in our 'hood is that wild critters are ignoring the gates and invading our space. A mountain lion has been spotted twice near our housing community and a neighbor found a rattlesnake in his backyard. This obviously will call for bringing out the local militia and driving the misguided critters way back to the far country where they belong! The mountain lion especially concerns me. It is time to turn these predators into "good" snakes and mountain lions!

I've already had the longest shower of my life! After three weeks of navy showers I used every drop of hot water in the tank--it felt fantastic. Now I get to see if I can sleep in a bed that isn't swaying back and forth in the wind.