Saint Mary the Virgin

This week, Br. Robert Leo was on vacation in the Poconos, PA, and Br. Josép was on vacation in Cottekill, NY. Br. Josép was house and pet-sitting at the house of friends of the community just a half hour drive away from the monastery as he has done for several years. It is his tradition to invite groups of Brothers to come and visit him and the dogs for lunch (the cat usually remains out of sight when there are visitors).

Luncheons in Cottekill at Br. Josép's invitation. From top left, clockwise: the sun room; Bros. Bruno, Francis, Rob, Ephrem and Josép enjoying the meal in the sun room: a few days later, it was the turn of friend Dave Coppola, Br. Bernard, postulant Jeff and Br. Jacob; Lucy was on her best behavior throughout; some of the home cooking delicacies on offer; the koi pond in the garden.

But jus in case, you thought it all sounds like hard work, he also knows how to take it easy. Oh, and he's really good with dogs; attentionate, loving and firm at the same time.

Dogs and rest. From top left, clockwise: Br. Josép and Molly (two pictures); Br. Josép not making much progress on his reading (two pictures); Br. Josép with Lucy.

This past week, our electrician has installed two more electric vehicle charging stations in the monks' parking lot to accommodate our expanding fleet of EV's. The new OHC corporation car will be an EV for the principal use of the Superior.

This Friday evening and Saturday, we celebrated our Blessed Mother, Saint Mary the Virgin in style.

Celebrating St Mary the Virgin. From top left, clockwise: our electrician installing two new EV charging stations; statue of the holy Mother and Child in St Augustine church (details; 2 pictures); just above that statue, a stained glass window depicting Jesus crowning Mary in heaven; the refectory part of the feast (four pictures, including one of Bros. John and David patiently waiting for the festive meal).

And on the blooming front, we noticed a lot of different mushrooms coming up.

The blooming report. From top left, clockwise: Russula (?) mushrooms a.k.a. brittlegills; an amanite species (flavoconia or jacksoonii ?); view of the monastery from the driveway; Pluteus (?) mushrooms a.k.a. deer mushroom; Hackberry tree and its paraiste Hackberry petiole gall (at first I thought the hackberry fruit was strangely positioned but it is not its fruit).

Peace and every good to you.

Quiet days of August

These past two weeks, a lot of cleaning and repairing has been taking place in the guesthouse while we are without guests for the month of August. August is a good time for monks to go on vacation or family visits. This Sunday, Br. Ephrem is preaching and teaching at Bethesda Episcopal Church, in Saratoga Springs, NY.

On the last Sunday of July, Br. Randy organized one of his popular "Jazz Classes" in the St Augustine meeting room. We gather for an evening of enjoying a playlist curated by Br. Randy (with input from Br. John). We enjoy drinks and snacks and commenting on what we are hearing. This "class" focused on Cool jazz.

Cool jazz emerged in the late 1940s and hit its stride during the 1950s and 1960s, defined by a relaxed tempo, lighter tone, and sophisticated arrangements. Key artists of this style include: Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Bill Evans.

Jazz class. From top left, clockwise: saxophonist Gerry Mulligan; a resident buck near the enclosure; Br. Randy and Joshua Reinke, of NYC on the last week of his aspirant visit; Bros. Bruno, Raphael, Josép and Randy enjoying popcorn and jazz; trumpetist Miles Davis; Bros. John, Daniel and Bruno listening to cool jazz; the back of St Augustine church in the rising sun.

Br. Bernard took a week of vacation in Manhattan by the grace of friends who lent him their apartment while they were on their own summer vacation. Another generous friend treated him to a Metropolitan Museum pass. He took in a lot of exhibitions at the Met over four daily visits...

He visited the 9/11 Museum. He used to live near the World Trade Center when living in NYC (1998-2004). It took him 25 years to gather his courage and face this emotional experience. The museum is well worth visiting but intense. He also attended Evensong at the Cathedral of St John the Divine.

Br. Bernard's Manhattan vacation 1. From top left, clockwise: Central Park west: a mural art installatioon at the 9/11 museum; Jean Arp sculpture: The Visitation attributed to Meister Heinrich of Constance; "The Grief of the Pasha" by Jean-Léon Gérôme; "Bashi-Bazouk" by the same French painter; the Reservoir in Central Park looking west; Alberto Giacometti sculptures shown in the Temple of Dendur (two pictures).

 Br. Bernard's Manhattan vacation 2. From top left, clockwise: Axel Salto Royal Copenhagen stoneware; Richard Orpen self-portrait; Br. Bernard in front of the Cathedral of St John the Divine: Paul Cézanne "Laurette in a green robe"; evensong at St John the Divine; Willem de Kooning "Landscape at Stanton Street"; Osman Hamdi Bey "Man meditating of the Q'uran"

This past Tuesday, nine of us went on an excursion to the Center for Bioregional Living in Ellensville, NY. We got a tour of the premises that are managed along the precepts of permaculture. Andrew Faust was an enthusiastic and highly informative guide. Helped for fun by his goat sidekick, Jack.

 

Learning about permaculture. From top left, clockwise: Andrew Faust, permaculture designer with ovine friend Jack; Andrew showing us one of the permaculture buildings on his property; Andrew second from left and Bros. Raphael, Will, Bernard, Jacob, John, Daniel, postulant Jeff and Br. Josép: tomato sandwich with heirloom tomato from Br. Jacob's vegetable garden: Jack the goat "weeding."

We hope you are enjoying the graces of the season.

Peace and every good to you.

The church piano arrival

This week, Joshua Reinke continue his one-month aspirant visit.

On Tuesday, our long-awaited electronic piano for the church arrived. Thank you to all our generous donors. We collected enough to upgrade to an even better piano than we had set our sight on. This one sounds lovely. For the moment, it will live in the side aisle when not in use, but we may decide to store it in the unused church entrance between uses. Br. Ephrem enthusiastically tried the new instrument with Br. Raphael turning the music pages and Br. Jacob snapping the pictures.

The new electric piano. From top left, clockwise: Br. Ephrem trying the new piano: Br. Raphael turning the music pages for Br. Ephrem in the side aisle, just off the chancel: Bros. Ephrem and Raphael enjoying the sound of the piano: the ambulatory (red brick wrap-around) the chancel and belltower of St Augustine's churh in rhe rising sun; the new piano in its current storage space.

We have decided to assign the cleaning of each of the four cars we own to a different monk. Br. Raphael thoroughly cleaned our silver Prius plug-in hybrid car. It is a joy to enter a clean car for a ride. Thank you, Brothers for your cleaning.

Br. Raphael doing an inside cleaning of our Prius plug-in hybrid car (3 pictures). Bottom picture: through and ambulatory arch, the arches of our enclosure porches.

This weekend, Br. Jacob's interfaith group of transmen called G*d Talk met in person at the monastery. They have been meeting monthly on Zoom for two years. This was the first time they were together in the same place. Their ages range from 21 to 73 and besides NYC and locals, guys came from Massachussetts, Maryland, Oklahoma, Colorado and California. Along with one they picked up at our Guesthouse who just happened to be on retreat with us this weekend. All in all there were 11 of them and they greatly appreciated gathering in a safe welcoming place to share on their journeys with G*d.

Peace and every blessing to you.