This past month, I've been doing a bit of cooking here, filling in as needed.  

I've done some baking. too, and, yesterday, I served a spice cake for Sr. Mary Ruth's birthday.  

Although I enjoy cooking, I'm glad that my three day stint is almost over.  It takes some energy planning and preparing meals and doing the dishes and cleanup afterward.

This morning, as I was preparing a family favorite for our entree, Sr. Mary Ruth passed through the kitchen, making a comment about a “cooking pumpkin.”  
 
She saw that I was wearing my jack-o-lantern costume which I’d made with my mom in grade school.
 
She teased that she didn’t smell roasted pumpkin.  I responded that I was a roasting pumpkin, as I was now very warm with my sweater, costume, and apron over my jumper.  Need I mention that I was working with the stove and oven?
 
Later, a nurse from our infirmary stopped through as well.  I decided to show her my costume, as I thought we had talked about it recently.  I took off my apron and she took my picture.
 
This afternoon, having finished cleaning up and doing dishes, I took a look at the photos she had sent me.  I noticed that my costume looked wrinkled.  I hadn’t taken the time to iron it this year, and thought it would be good enough.  
 
Before heading over to St. Gerard’s (our nursing home across the street) to help with trick-or-treaters this evening, I may try and see if I can’t get it pressed.
 
Before that, though, I should get my numbers changed…
 
I am leading Office this week, and thought I was being really on top of things by putting the new numbers up before morning Mass.  I thought I was ahead of the game!
 
However, this afternoon, when I had time to breathe and think, I realized that tonight we begin the celebration of All Saints with Evening Prayer I.
 
The numbers I posted are wrong and will have to be changed!
 
So much for working ahead and being well-prepared!

​Happy All Hallows Eve!

This afternoon, I received a phone call from someone who works here, asking if I could take care of cleanup after supper again this evening.  

I really don't mind KP duty, and told her as much.  She said I didn't have to do dishes if I didn't want to, but I figured I'd might as well. There was no sense in leaving dirty dishes sit overnight for someone else to have to deal with in the morning.  

This isn't my first time helping in this capacity since moving back to Hankinson, but I kind of enjoy running the dishwasher.  It’s kind of fun in its own way.  
 
So after supper, I put things away in the dining room and wiped off the counters before proceeding to the dish room.  

Doing dishes here brings me back to my days as a postulant, under the watchful eye and instructional supervision of Sr. Sara Marie.  She taught me pretty much everything I know about running this wonderful piece of equipment, about how to put the plates in the right way so that no space is lost, how to wipe down the counters afterwards to make sure the stainless-steel stays looking nice and untarnished, and more!  
 
I was glad for this thorough instruction again this evening, as I did the dishes by myself.  
 
All those times of doing dishes with her and the other Sisters during my “initial formation” served me well.
 
I’m not saying that I did a perfect job, though…
 
For one thing, I forgot to put the dish and spoon fsed for ice through the dishwasher!!
 
It will be seed for tomorrow.  
 
At least the sink and drain are cleaned, the counters are wiped, towels are taken to the tunnel for laundering, and the dishwasher is turned off and airing out.
 
I hope I did a satisfactory job.   

Recent circumstances in our chapel here made me think of the gospel passage of the “Greeks” who came to the apostles, wanting to see Jesus - and - of Zacchaeus climbing a sycamore tree to this end...
 
As I unpacked last week, I happily removed the pair of binoculars from a suitcase, realizing that they could come in handy for me here in my new home.  
 
In fact, they could come in handy in chapel!
 
The chapel where we pray our common prayers is very large, and I sit quite far away from the tabernacle.  Actually, the sanctuary and space in front of the high altar is large, so anywhere one sits in the pews is at a distance.
 
During the week, we have simple exposition every day, in which the tabernacle is open and Jesus is visible.  
 
However, with my limited vision and the distance, I can’t really see Him.  I can’t distinguish or make out the form inside.  (From where I sit, I had thought I was simply seeing the ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament.)
 
Having been told that Jesus is actually visible in a special pyx (the exact term escapes me now), I had been wondering about this.  However, I couldn’t just walk up close during this time of prayer together, so my lack of clarity and curiosity remained.
 
Now, though, with my binoculars which had been given me when I was gardening in Grand Forks, I was prepared to finally see Jesus at this time of prayer.  
 
I brought them to chapel in the morning, and was able to see clearly where Jesus was visible in the tabernacle.  This was really neat!
 
I’m still faced with a dilemma, though.
 
I’d love to be able to use the binoculars to look at Him in adoration, but I don’t want to distract others or draw attention to myself.  (I don’t want to look silly, either, I must say.)  Maybe, I sound silly writing this!
 
I guess that maybe I should learn a lesson from Zacchaeus, though, who didn’t let any pride stop him and found salvation for his house that day.
 
What a gift we have as Catholics, especially in places where there is frequent or perpetual Eucharistic adoration.  We can see, can have an audience with our King, without any special appointment.  Even if we can’t see Him, we can still visit and spend time with Him!  
 
What a gift!

It’s been a most unusual summer (and year, for that matter).  
 
I find myself, now, trying to settle in to new surroundings and a new routine.
 
I spent the day yesterday unpacking suitcases of items I just brought back from Grand Forks to our provincial house in Hankinson.  
 
I was surprised and almost embarrassed by how much “stuff” I’ve accumulated over my fourteen years there.   
 
I try to live simply, and take my vow of poverty seriously but, somehow, time marches on, and with it comes any number of items.  
 
Some things I had forgotten I even had.  They sat quietly on my bookshelf while the hours, days, weeks, months, and years passed by.
 
The strangest item I found on my shelf was a big saw! Rather than bring it with to Hankinson, I offered it to our maintenance man in Grand Forks.  I had been gifted it several years ago by one of our apartment residents for the purpose of “butchering” pumpkins.  
I have since learned an easier technique of using a hammer to push the back of the knife down into the hard flesh of these orange cucurbits.
 
Anyway, yesterday as I unpacked and put things away, St. Francis’ example of poverty was in the back of my mind.  
 
I tossed some useless items, brought unneeded notebooks down to the common office supplies area, etc.  I’ll have to do more sorting, organizing, and tossing, though, in the days to come.  
 
Satisfied with yesterday’s progress and having other things on my mind, I haven’t done any more of this today.
 
I have been thinking, though, of Sister Rebecca, whose birthday was today, and remembering the chocolate zucchini cakes I used to make for the double celebration of her birth and Order’s founder.  
 
As I write this, I am grateful for the many blessings that surround me, for community, family, friends, faith, and the wondrous fall afternoon outdoors, to name a few.  I’m also very pleased with the new arrangement of the room here, which is so cozy and homey.