Here Comes Summer

The calendar announces, “Two weeks until summer”, but I’m sure it’s already here.  The early rising sun peaks in my window at six a.m., beckoning me to go for a morning walk.  The birds are chirping in the leafy trees.  Squirrels and chipmunks are jet-propelled as they scamper from tree to tree and best of all, we are having our first outdoor barbecue of the season at noon today!  Pull on the well-worn straw hats, slap on some sunscreen, don’t forget your sunglasses.  Head toward the beautiful, enclosed garden, lured by the sizzling aroma of burgers on the grill.  We’ve been waiting for this summer ritual for months.

Last year, whenever a barbecue sign was posted, it always ended with, “in the dining room”. Rain prevented our backyard party every time.  Today will be different; yesterday’s sunny hours said so.

This morning, here I am, preparing to head for our first summer cookout.  I pull back the curtains and survey my kingdom.  What’s this I see? Heavy clouds fill the sky.  I run to check the sign.  There I read the fatal words, “in the dining room”.  Foiled again.  Guess I’ll have to wait until summer begins.

-Sister Jean Moylan, csj

Summer Reading for Lazy Days

Summer Reading for Lazy Days 

Have you decided that you deserve a break this summer from reading intellectual textbooks, reports, and dense papers?  If so, let me recommend an enjoyable series of light mystery stories written by Ashley Weaver.  Murder at Brightwell is the first of a series of seven books.  The protagonists are a wealthy couple who, especially the wife, become interested in solving murders while working through the marital conflicts stemming from their personalities and histories.  The plots are surprisingly complicated and the development, or not, of marital bliss keeps you hoping that the couple will have success both as amateur detectives and marital partners.   

There is another series of three mystery novels by the same author which I found entertaining.  The main character is a young woman whose family consists of persons who are loyal to England but sometimes on the wrong side of the law. However, family members have skills that become valuable to the British Government in England during WWII.  Once again, a mix of patriotism, romance, and unusual skills result in enjoyable hours of entertainment.   

The Ashley Weaver novels are available in public libraries but can also be accessed for reading on your iPad using the readily available APP Libby.  Library staff will facilitate your acquiring and using this APP. I suggest that these books, whether in print or on your IPad are delightful companions when you are lounging at the beach, loafing in the backyard, or awake in the small hours of the night.  

-Sister Pat McKeon , csj

Image: Anna Hamilton/Unsplash

Happy Mother's Day

A Salute to Mothers

This year, Mother's Day in North America is Sunday, May 12th. It’s a day set aside to honor our mothers, living and deceased.  If you had a loving mother and an attentive, supportive father, you won the lottery!

Daiga Ellaby/Unsplash

When we hear the word “mother”, the words loving, caring, consoling, and self-sacrificing come to mind.  Although much has been written by experts on the art of mothering, there is no perfect textbook on the subject.  Usually, basic mothering techniques have been handed down from mothers to daughters throughout the generations but sometimes it is a trial-and-error process.

From the outset, mothering is challenging work.  Recently, there has been a barrage of articles from mothers who seldom speak about the challenges of pregnancy. They refer to the nine months of gestation that often entails constant fatigue, sore feet, nausea and even anxiety. However, these symptoms are sprinkled with strands of hope and love. Indeed, childbirth itself is a searing experience as women bring new life into the world.

As each infant grows, he/she has a unique experience of mother as she nurses and nurtures her little one through childhood, adolescence, post- secondary education, entrance into the workforce, and eventually marriage. Throughout all these stages, mother has worried about her children, endured sleepless nights, and early mornings while always being attentive to the joys and sorrows of young people growing up in an increasingly complex world.

Along with raising children, many mothers work outside the home to help make a living and provide children with life’s necessities, including food, shelter, clothing, and school activities. After a long day at work, there are meals to prepare, homework to supervise and ensure that all is well with each little person.

Mothers are the enduring thread that runs through each person’s life and memories.  Although often taken for granted during childhood - adults, especially when they have their own children, look back and realize the self-sacrifice, generosity, and love that a mother lavishes on her children.  She is a constant reference throughout life, generously available for assistance, advice, love, and friendship.

Mother, on your special day, put your feet up and let your loved ones pamper you!

-Sister Jean Moylan, csj

Images: Diana Polekhina/Unsplash;

International Workers Day

  “The dignity of labour depends not on what you do, but on how you do it.”

~ Edwin Osgood Grower

In many countries, International Workers Day is celebrated on May 1st, to acknowledge the contributions of workers, their gains, and struggles. In the United States and Canada, Labour Day, the first Monday of September, marks this observance. However, the first of May is better known to the Sisters of St. Joseph, as the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955.  

We Sisters mark May 1st by recognizing the everyday contributions made by our staff whose daily work positively impacts our lives and ministries. On the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, our London staff are invited to join us in the chapel as an occasion to express our gratitude to the entire staff and for our Annual Staff Service Awards. This year, fourteen employees ranging (in intervals of five- year periods), from 10 years to 30 years of service will be honoured. It is a festive occasion with family and friends invited to attend. A moving part of the ceremony centres on each award recipient being personally thanked by one of the Sisters and presented with a gift to mark the occasion. The generous years of each recipient`s service is acknowledged by warm applause from all present. Following the ceremony, an informal reception is held in the dining room.

Amid the enjoyment of refreshments, Sisters circulate among the employees to express their personal thanks and deep appreciation on a one-to-one basis. Our annual service award celebration is an excellent opportunity to offer gratitude and appreciation to the dedicated employees of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada.

-Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ

IMAGE: John Salvino/Unsplash

World Book and Copyright Day

“World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. The first World Book Day was celebrated on 23 April in 1995 and continues to be recognized on that day.” -Wikipedia

Books are magic carpets that transport us to new places where we can experience life and meet new folks. Mary Schmich, award winning journalist, observes that, “Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.”

Prolific, South African writer, Helen Exley, cautions us that books are powerful catalysts that can shift our thinking. She warns, “Books can be dangerous. She gives notice that, the best ones should be labeled “This could change your life.”

American novelist, Joyce Carol Oates, asserts that books offer us a chance to walk in someone else’s shoes. She verbalizes that, “Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.”

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”

— Charles William Eliot

Personally, as a self-proclaimed reading addict, I strongly agree with historical writer, Taylor Jenkins Reid, in her belief that, “…a good book should be either the entry point inward, to learn about yourself, or a door outward, to open you up to new worlds.”

Today, to celebrate World Book Day, I invite and challenge you to share, with a friend or colleague, a book you discovered as a delightful or informative read.

-Nancy Wales, csj

Images: Unsplash/Susan Q Yin/Jaredd Craig