Checking in Early

Hello there! It turns out the retreat center where I'm staying has wireless internet (and I brought my laptop to work on a reflection for my novice director), so I thought I'd check in with my friends in the blogosphere a bit earlier than expected.

The trip to Scotland was great - whirlwind but great. Next time, as everyone kept telling me, I need to come for at least a week. I looked upon my weekend trip as a chance to visit our community in Scotland, rather than to see much of the country itself.

I was the recipient of wonderful CSJP hospitality. I stayed with one community of Sisters - who were so kind as to arrange a Saturday evening get together with friends and associates in my honor. I had a great time and enjoyed trying to keep up with the Glaswegian accents! One of the Sisters I'm living with in London (who is originally from Scotland) had given me a few tips and even a book to brush up on my Scottish vocabulary! It was still a bit of a challenge. ;)

Earlier on Saturday the other community of Sisters from the area whisked me away for a day trip to New Lanark (an 18th Century Cotton Mill Village and World Heritage Site) and the Clyde Valley. The country side was beautiful, particularly with all of the fall colors. We also visited a pair of Highland Cows named Wallace and Bruce! All in all, it was a wonderful community visit and gave me a taste of Scotland - and a desire to go back.

It was also neat to see the town of "Greenock" on various street signs. My grandmother, was born in Greenock, Scotland in 1908. Her parents were from Northern Ireland, but the story goes that her father was working for a spell in Scotland when she was born.