Back from Mississippi (or is that Iowa?)

I arrived back in Atlanta at 3:00 Wednesday afternoon.

After the week spent with the International Lay Cistercian meeting (you can read all about the week here), I spent several days at Our Lady of the Mississippi, a community of Trappistines on a bluff near the Mississippi River.

I stayed in their guest house. I cooked for myself -- one day I had macaroni and cheese and stewed rhubarb! I prayed with the community -- they have a beautiful liturgy, beautifully sung.

One day Sr. Myra took me all over their property. In the woods we saw a mine of Spain, an open pit, which was the opening to a lead mine dug by Spaniards in the 18th century. These pits are found all over the bluffs along the Mississippi. We also saw a fawn in the field, a tiny creature whose mother was nowhere near.

The weather was pleasant and breezy. Now I am back in the still oppressive heat. But the fans are on in church.