The building project progressed very quickly through the framing stage. The roof is now on, many of the windows are in, the mechanical and electrical systems are being installed, and the insides are finally beginning to dry out, now that the rain has stopped. We are pleased with the progress and are praying for the dry weather to last until all windows and doors are in place!
The weather has been a challenge for the workers. Apart from regular flooding from the rain, the 35 m.p.h. winds we had a few weeks ago tore off some of the tar paper on the roof and much of the “home wrap” on the wooden sides. We have seen some quite daring feats of workers on the roof in freezing weather and framers balancing on high beams in the rain. We daily pray to the angels for their protection!
We would like to thank our many generous benefactors for their donations, which have allowed us to keep up with costs so far. The bar diagram gives an idea of the financial status at the moment. We still have a fair way to go, but we are confident that Our Good Father, Saint Joseph, is taking care of this very necessary project. May God bless you all and reward your generosity a hundredfold, in this life and in the next.
Apart from the building project, we have had a very joyful Christmastide, interrupted for 8 days, from
December 30 – January 6th, by our annual retreat, preached this year by Rev. Fr. Joseph Wood, who commented on the Psalms and gave us a new appreciation for the texts we pray so often in the Divine Office.
We are now engaged in all our usual winter occupations, catching up on all the mending, repairs and
maintenance that we cannot get to in the summer. We also have Sisters working on articles for sale: leather missal covers, the new year’s sauerkraut, a new selection of holy cards in honor of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus … Planning is also a great part of our winter work. We are working on next year’s garden plan hoping to experiment with various planting methods and dates in order to use the hoop house most effectively. We have discovered a severe drawback in our “tarp experiment”. Tarps control the weeds and heat up the soil wonderfully … but they are also a preferred habitat for mice! From their tarp hotel these have ventured boldly into the row of beets, under cover of the protective piles of pine needles, and have made a maze of galleries in and around many of those 5lb beauties! It was a bumper crop, so we probably won’t run short, but mice-catching once again becomes a sport.
In the coop all is well, despite ominous coyote tracks in the snow around the duck house on several days. The holes dug under the fence were filled with rocks, which seems to have done the trick. The chickens have a new “regime”- two of the rooster Ceasar’s sons have been kept so that there be three roosters for the flock, which is meant to be good for the group dynamic. Pharao and Trumpet are doing well so far! We will see how they fare as they mature and vie more seriously with their father. Ideally, we want them to keep the hens in line, make them feel safer, and thus promote their egg production. The hibernating bees seem to still be alive so we have good hopes they will survive this winter, thanks to better insulation. Deo Gratias!
After this update on Carmel news, we assure you of our grateful prayers for all your generous support in so many domains. May Our Lord and His Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, guide, guard and keep you all in Their love this year.
Yours most gratefully in Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
The Carmelites