BENEDICTINE MONASTERY STAY

MOUNT SAINT BENEDICT CHAPEL

Voice journal August 30, 2016
6:39 AM

As I played this recording, I was caught off guard. I expected to hear my voice talking but instead I heard the voices of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie at Mount Saint Benedict singing psalms a Capella at morning worship. And memories came flooding back. It was my first visit to the monastery in Erie Pennsylvania. My plan was to use it as a base for exploration. But the next morning - this morning - I decided to go through the day with the sisters and start with morning worship at 6:30 AM. As I sat in the chapel, I was overcome with emotion while listening to them that first morning, and it all flooded back while listening to the beauty of their voices on the recording. That morning, I envisioned the sisters sitting there morning after morning, year after year after year after year starting their day this way - in beautiful song and praise and thanks... and I was overcome with the beauty of it all. The simplicity and soulfulness of it was profound. During this visit, I felt something special take place within myself.... This was the first of many visits, as I found myself called back time and again to make retreat there with the sisters. Each time, my soul became filled and it was so good to connect with different women visiting on retreat. In my later visits, I participated in some of their ministries in the community where they are loved and respected.

Hospitality is a way of life for Benedictines. They often hold formal retreats or welcome travelers or those wishing to pursue a private personal retreat. The rooms are simple and small and share a bath. Meals are taken 3 times a day in the cafeteria and prayer is held 3 times a day in the chapel. There is a suggested donation offering per night stay. To learn more about guest accommodations and hospitality at Mount Saint Benedict, CLICK HERE.

To listen to the voices of the sisters in song, CLICK HERE.

CREATING LIGHT WITHIN MYSELF

ADVENTURE ALONG THE SEA

When living so firmly and presently in each moment, growth and changes aren’t always noticeable or immediately felt. But as I leave each place that has been home for days or months, and stand in the doorway and look back remembering myself when I entered that space, the growth and changes become boldly apparent. 

The past winter spent in Maine at the artist retreat was quite solitary. The days are so short and the darkness stretched for what seemed like forever. Like the trees gathered outside my windows, my roots stretched downward and inward to find sustenance deep within myself. Winter is a quiet season, but incredible life & change happen below the surface & in the stillness. We all need to learn to quiet ourselves and allow for the growth and rebirth waiting to come, if we have faith and hope. I joined the Y in order to have contact with others and move my body when the snow, and especially ice, made it difficult to hike or snow shoe. I began crafting rituals to ground myself and to create light within… Music was always playing. Each morning I greeted the day with a Morning Ritual Meditation on Insight Timer and then a yoga session. Each evening after returning from my daily hikes down to the sea, at Camden Hills State Park or Birch Point in Owl's Head, I would take long leisurely bubble baths by candle light. Candles were everywhere, and I lit them all every evening creating a magical ambiance you can only enjoy in the darkness. Each clear night I would go out into the endless dark space that surrounded me, and gaze up at the the millions of stars above that I could never see in the city lights. It was breathtaking, and magical and I felt connected to something so much larger than myself and this world. There are riches to be found in stillness & solitude... if we dig deep. This ended up being a very spiritual and profound winter… on my final morning, I awoke to discover sea fog had shrouded the landscape. I walked down to the ocean and did my meditation by the foggy sea. When I returned to my artist retreat apartment, I went into each room and gave heartfelt thanks for my time spent there. As I stood in the doorway, I placed my hand on the wall and left my good thoughts, creative energy & intentions for the next person who would call the space home. The final time I cross the threshold, I place my hand on the door frame and remember all the happiness, creativity  and changes that happened within the walls and give my heartfelt and profound thanks and gratitude for the place, the people, the possibilities and opportunities. This is my leaving ritual...

From Maine, I drove to Erie Pennsylvania to spend Easter at the Benedictine Sisters of Erie (Mount Saint Benedict Monastery). Hospitality, meeting each guest with a prayer, a greeting of peace and a good meal is a Benedictine rule. This monastery has a guest wing with simple rooms to welcome travelers and those on retreat. While here at the monastery, I immerse myself in the routine and spirit of this place beginning with the bells ringing at 6:25 in the morning calling the sisters to morning praise. My heart feels grounded and wiser after being on retreat here...

From there I stopped in my hometown of Westerville, Ohio for quick visits with friends before heading south to Tybee Island, Georgia outside Savannah. I’ve been in the tropical setting 3 days & memories of winter are quickly fading!

 SUMMER OF LOVE AT THE BEACH

MOUNTAIN SUNSET ABSTRACT

MOUNTAINS AND SEA

Find these (and more) long exposure fine art photography prints HERE IN MY SHOP.

STEPPING INTO LIFE

SEASON OF CHANGE

Recently I passed a milestone..... 500 days with home being wherever my feet were that day. It has been that long since I sold my condo and life served up a great adventure. Amelia Earhart, explorer extraordinaire, once said "When life offers a great adventure, you don't refuse it." So when life presented an opportunity, I decided instead of doing the safe thing, to embrace the situation and see what might unfold. So far, my feet have been in the Adirondacks and Finger Lakes regions of New York, a monastery in Pennsylvania, the Massachusetts coast, various points in Maine, New Brunswick Canada, Nova Scotia Canada and back to Ohio. Parts of myself have been left scattered along the way, and I've taken and kept little bits of all those places and people with me. I've kept the journey and the growth and changes that have happened pretty close to my heart. But I feel it's now time to begin sharing the writings and voice journals I've been making during this time of journey. I'm not sure where to begin with them all, so I'll just begin with my thoughts at the beginning of this year and go from there.

I walked out of 2017 giving thanks for such a beautiful year so well lived. My heart was brimming and overflowing with happiness, gratitude, and love. All the people & moments from this past year are wonderfully stitched into my heart and soul. I’m bringing that tapestry into 2018 with a hopeful spirit. I won’t have a word of the year which I will have forgotten six months later, or resolutions that really don’t matter. Instead, I’ll do more of what worked and improve upon that… Yoga every morning, meditation every day, keeping kindness in my heart, living simply but richly, living fully in each wild wonderful riotously beautiful moment, loving deeply and nurturing friendships. My mind will stay open to possibilities and I’ll continue to say yes to life. When I’m in new uncharted territory or fearful or uncertain about the situation, instead of running away I’ll turn and take a step toward it to see what might happen.  I’ll create every day and seek inspiration everywhere. Each morning I will greet the day with a thankful heart for this gift and adventure that if life.

SETTLING

For 8 1/2 months I've been living my dream from my 20s and being a gypsy. It's been exhilarating an life changing. And surprisingly, I've found it hard to blog about because it's been a very personal life changing experience. My inner and outer world has become so much bigger by traveling so many miles, meeting so many amazing new people and having to rely on just myself in many new ways. I've gained inner strength and resiliency and made many new friends. I didn't know if I could do this, but I guess the only thing to do when one is unsure, is to try & in the process grow. We can do many things if we just take action and take the first step. That first step propelled me thousands of miles and has created wonderful memories and relationships. But ironically, as much as I love the wandering and adventure, I find myself longing for the very simple joys of  the spring ritual of planting flowers in pots, having my own constant work space, feeding my birds and walking the same paths each day. I always found new joys in those everyday ordinary surroundings. In many ways, I appreciate those things even more now. But some simple rituals remain... coffee in the morning and tea in the evening, meditation, yoga, a late day walk someplace... and I realize that home is a place I carry inside.

Follow my travels on Instagram HERE and HERE! 

Find art prints from my travels in my ETSY SHOP and my SOCIETY6 SHOP.

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WANDERERS and THOSE WHO INSPIRE

Early in the morning two days ago, I left my art retreat in South Thomaston (Rockland), Maine, and drove 4 hours to the Canadian Border at St Stephen New Brunswick. From there it was an hour drive to St John, New Brunswick and the ferry across the Bay of Fundy to Digby, Nova Scotia. It was wonderful even though drizzling and moody, and much better than driving all the way around the Bay of Fundy.

I decided to stay at The Harbourview Inn in Smith's Cove at the suggestion of a friend. The rooms were cozy and the Inn was in the country with quiet surroundings and lovely open views. It was a short walk to the cove, which I heard was a good spot to find sea glass. I didn't have any luck. I did have a chance to meet a fabulous couple, Andrew and Ursula, from Switzerland who had also been on the ferry and were staying at the Inn. We went to dinner in Digby where they told me of their planned adventure. They were heading next to Halifax and then on to Newfoundland to see the icebergs. After a week exploring they planned to journey to Labrador and slowly wind their way to Quebec City from the North. They would then travel to Montreal and across Canada and then on to Alaska. Once their epic sojourn was done, they would drive back to Florida. I was intrigued, inspired and excited! I had always wanted to go to Newfoundland and Labrador! And I loved their adventurous spirits. 

The next morning we had breakfast together at the inn and I enjoyed listening to their stories philosophies. Andrew commented that people say they would like to have an adventure or travel, but he said people are afraid to get out of their comfort zones - which he called a rut. They both have had so many out of the ordinary experiences and travels. Andrew talked about having gone on a freighter and gave me sites to find information on such adventures. We parted ways and I left feeling so happy to have met them. While wandering and traveling you take a little bit of every person you meet with you, and leave a little bit of yourself behind with  people and in places... It is these chance meetings with fellow nomads that inspire me. A society of kindred spirits roaming and adventuring...