Summertime!

June brings big transitions for a mission sister. This week I've given my students finals, attended graduation, and sent my delightful charges on their way. I've tended my beans, squash, and tomatoes in the garden, and done my best to defend them against the rabbits. Last night I packed up a lot of my stuff, today I packed up my classroom, and this evening I headed back for the monastery for the summer- at least for a good portion of it. All this packing is tough: I had to think about packing for a short camping trip, a visit home to my family, a retreat I'm helping lead, a three week college course I'll be taking later in the summer, and then of course the everyday stuff I'll need for living at the monastery again for a while. While the moving part can be stressful, I'm looking forward to some time to soak up the monastic pace again, to reconnect with sisters I haven't seen in a while, and to be part of the bigger community. While I'm here, I likely will be giving tours, answering the phone, doing dishes, working in the bakery, driving elder sisters to their appointments, and helping lead prayer now and again. Phew! Never a dull moment!