Family in Feast and Feria

A week late...but still I wanted to write it down.

My apologies to those who are water-logged in Texas and other areas, but I'm rejoicing today because we have a beautiful, all-day soft rain from Tropical Depression Barry. We had a dry May and my lawn and gardens were crying out for nourishment! This weather makes me so happy! My thoughts keep turning to this section from the Canticle from Daniel comes to mind (also this post from September):

Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.

When I used to pray the Divine Office on a regular basis, I never liked this Canticle. Now it's one of my favorites.

Last weekend we spent in Altoona, Pennsylvania, visiting my mother-in-law. Once I was packed, I had a marvellous time. My mil spoils me, doing the cooking, allowing me to rest and nap while visiting.

One of our highlights of the trip was visiting Shaver's Creek, Penn State's nature center. The main highlight was The Raptor Center. This place nurses raptors back to health, but some can't return to nature, so they take care of them here. There are eagles, hawks, vultures, and owls in various breeds to visit. Inside they have various snakes, turtles, birds, even a see-through bee hive to view. It's a small center, but delightful, appealing to all ages.

We're beginners in birding. I bought Sibley's Birding Basics to help me build my identification skill, so I can help my son. I also saw Birdsong Identiflyer that I'm adding to our wishlist for Christmas.

Earlier in the weekend we visited the family graves, planted flowers, and prayed for the family departed. I was so impressed on how many people were there at the cemeteries (we visited two), all tending to the graves. I don't see much of that where we live. Seeing the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy in action (Bury the dead and pray for the dead) is a tender lesson for our son.

We attended the small parade on Memorial Day. It touched my heart to see these veterans. They were so thankful for people to be there, and I was thankful for their sacrifice.

May God bless our country.