End of October, 2013

I thought I would add a little color to this blog.  After all it is fall and the trees are turning colors.  We have had a number of heavy frosts here but so far no snow, not even flurries.  Of course the farmers want more nice weather.  Evidently there is a rather good crop of corn in this area and, while many seem to have their beans out now, there is still a lot of corn out in the fields.  Being from a farm I know how they feel.

Another week has passed and I continue to enjoy my work here in Norfolk.  The Sisters are very good to me and I enjoy working with them.  The nursing home personnel are also very friendly and I find myself getting attached to some of the residents.  Like this morning I visited many of the patients, probably most of those who were awake.  Three of those I visited were 100 or more years old.  All three of them seem to have good use of their minds yet and can carry on a conversation.  One of them who is quite poorly just grabbed hold of my hand with both her hands and didn't want me to leave.  I told her "God loves you very much" and her response was "I love God too."  

On Thursday of this past week Father Tom Greisen took me out to dinner.  He has an assignment in the Archdiocese as "servant priest."   He goes around throughtout the diocese to visit the priests, listen to them and tries to help them.  He spent most of last week in the this part of the archdiocese.  It was very good to see him again  We had a nice dinner at a restaurant and then it was my bed time.

I still get up every morning about 4:30 AM.  Use that early morning time for prayer while having a good cup of coffee and then I go over to pray morning prayer with the Sisters, followed by Mass for the Sisters at 7:00 AM and then at the nursing home at 9:30 AM.

f

Two pictures of fall taken from the back door of my

house.  The sidewalk and steps you see lead to

and from my house and the Monastery.  You can click

on the picture to enlarge it.

Just today I received an e-mail from Paul Moser.  I had not had contact with him for a long time.  A few weeks ago he visited his sister Eva and her husband in Salisbury and I asked Lillian to send me his e-mail.  So I wrote to him and today I got a return with a lot of news in it.  He and I were classmates all through grade school and he is also 80 years old this year. Of course he is also a cousin.  His grandmother (Eva Reichert) and my grandfather (Matthew Reichert) were brother and sister, and his grandfather (Keida Moser) and my grandmother (Frances Moser Reichert) were brother and sister.  To quote a brief part of his e-mail:

I spent 2 1/2 years in college, 4 1/2 years as a Navy  pilot, 6 years as an air traffic controller, 23 years as a pilot for Pan American Airlines and 10 years as a  flight engineer for United Airlines.

 I have 5 children, 14 grandchildren and one great grand-daughter..

He said his oldest sister, Eulalia, is 94 years old and lives with her daughter in Illinois. 

It was so good to hear from him.

Hope you are all well.  Have a blessed feast of All Saints on Friday and remember all the faithful departed on Saturday.