Week three is past. The two sisters who were away in Australia (or New Zealand) came back Wednesday afternoon. The stories were wonderful. Lots of snakes, weird birds, fun, tons of rain (it’s winter over there). I walked around the neighborhood a bit. There’s a great little grocery store a block away. I’ll take a photo of it next week and post it. Strauss organic ice cream – yum! All the delicious chocolates you could want. A place to visit and look, not purchase and eat!
Speaking of eating, convent food is…um, interesting. They are masters at consuming leftovers. Honestly, they put the rest of us to shame. Lunch is basically the leftovers from several meals. It leads to some “creative” (shall we say) combinations.
I’m more accustomed to some of the rituals and traditions of the house, but even so, it’s always very clear to me that I’m in a “convent” and not a hotel or just hanging out with friends. Anyway, here’s this week’s top ways to know you’re living in a convent.
1. When you’re greeted at the door with the announcement that evening prayer will be at 5:30 instead of 6:30pm.
2. When it’s 5:49am and you’re taken the fastest shower you’ve ever had in your life.
3. When you feel something tickling your arm, see that it’s an ant, and your immediate impulse is to flick it off not kill it. (This especially indicates that you’re living in a Franciscan convent!)
4. When someone has just gotten off a 14? 18 hour? flight from Australia and that person is on tap to prepare dinner for the community in 2 hours — and does it cheerfully. (Yes, the meal was delicious.)
5. When it’s 6:28am and you’re rushing to get downstairs because you’re almost LATE for prayer.
6. When you’re changing the linens on your bed and wish you’d paid more attention to your grandmother when she showed you how to make hospital corners with the sheets.
7. When it’s 7:30am and still during the great silence, and you’re about to leave the house until next week, and someone bows to you instead of saying goodbye.