Is spring here already???

Suddenly the last few days we have had very spring like weather. Even at this moment the temperature is right up around 70 degrees. It feels wonderful and the snow is almost all gone but we know that winter weather will be back.

This picture was taken on Wednesday afternoon,
February 16, 2011.

This afternoon, Thursday, February 17, practically all the snow is gone. Now the rivers and streams are rising with some flooding and of course there is lots of mud.

Some of the Bibles being prepared to be put in guest house rooms.

A project the oblates of Conception Abbey have recently taken on is to put a bible in each room of our guest houses. So far we have been able to put a hard bound bible in each room of Marian Hall. We are now working to put one in each room of St. Benedict Hall. We are very grateful to our oblates for taking on this project and, as always, appreciate their prayers and generosity.

Last week on the feast of St. Scholastica, February 10, we enjoying having the Sisters from Clyde Monastery here with us for vespers and dinner. For some pictures of this event, go to the top of this blog and click on the link to "Conception Abbey" web site, and then on the top of that page click on "photo gallery." New photos are added to this site rather frequently.

Ice and Snow bless the Lord

Snow on February 1, 2011

This picture was taken during the snow and the wind on Tuesday. Winds were from about 25 to 45 mph.

The Liturgy of the Hours for ordinary time on Sunday of Week I, has us pray the Canticle from the book of Daniel, chapter 3. It's a song of praise as all people and all creation sing to God in praise. Here is just a part of it:

Dew and rain, bless the Lord. Frost and chill, bless the Lord. Ice and snow, bless the Lord. Nights and days, bless the Lord. Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

This winter since Christmas has just about had all of these. This present week we had ice on Monday morning and off and on throughout the day, and continuing through the night. Then on Tuesday the snow came and the winds came and the winds blew hard throughout the day and most of the night. And so many people were snowed in for a day or two. Even yet the highway department is working to open all the roads. A number of places they had managed to open one lane but now are opening the other lane or lanes. Even Interstate 70 was closed Tuesday evening and throughout the night from Kansas City to St. Louis.

Let us continue to praise the Lord with what he sends us.

It was difficult to staff our Health Care Center those first three days of the week but due to the cooperation and good spirit of our staff we managed to have someone here all the time. Our head nurse, Ronda Noble, R.N., stayed here from Sunday evening until Wednesday noon. Tuesday night we had three nurses spending the night and one on duty. Thanks to them for their sacrifices and willingness to fill in as needed.

I have mentioned before how I have bird feeders outside the sun porch in the Health Center.
Among birds coming to eat are cardinals. They are indeed beautful birds. You can see one in this picture in the tree patiently waiting to get to one of the feeders.

More birds, especially finches, trying to eat on the day of the snow storm.

Brother Cyprian has been home most of this week as his mother died last week at the age of 91. His father is still living and he indicated they had been married almost 69 years.

I couldn't help but include this picture taken at my grandparents home. My Dad and Mother (both now deceased) are seated in the buggy. My oldest brother Raymond (now deceased) is seated on the floor of the buggy and my mother is holding my second oldest brother, Harold (still living and 84 years old). They evidently had gone to my grandparents for the day which was about ten miles from where we lived. Due to muddy roads they went by horse and buggy. I remember the buggy but never remembering traveling that far in it.

To enlarge any of the pictures just click on them.

God bless all of you and keep warm.

Fr. Kenneth, O.S.B.