Thank you all for your prayers!

I was able to make it to the retreat. We go to the Abbey of Gethsemane in Trappist, Kentucky. I have gone for a number of years now and it is always a peaceful, restful, silent retreat. I felt so awful on Thursday I really didn't know if I could make it. My good friend Sally, who was also going, talked me into it. She pointed out that Mary could drive the whole way (6.5 hours)...and she did. And that I could rest all the way down and the entire time there. As Sally put it, there is no better place to rest. It's completely silent. There are no interruptions. And all your meals are prepared for you :-). Sally's arguments and the fact that my oldest daughter was driving from Atlanta to meet us there, and my daughter Mary was coming for the first time, tipped the scales in favor of going.

Anne's drive was a little shorter than ours, but only by a half hour or so. She has come with me to this retreat for many years and didn't want to miss it. I think it was strange for her though to be coming alone from an entirely different route. She discovered that northern Georgia is a very beautiful drive. She described passing Abraham Lincoln's birthplace which we had visited together a few years ago, in spite of it being the opposite direction from our way back to Michigan. And she mentioned how strange it felt to be turning right into the monastery drive instead of our usual left. It was wonderful to see her. I miss her so much.

Mary enjoyed the retreat too which I was very happy about. She wants to come again next year. I love these little trips with my daughters..

Well, believe it or not, I'm still sick even after a restful time at the Abbey. Before I left I went to the doctor who described what I have as an "influenza-like illness." She told be it could last 7-14 days. So..I'm on day 10 and feeling much better than last week but still tired, scratchy throat, headachy, you know.....dragging. I did have a flu shot. Probably would have been much worse if I had not.

Anyway....hope to start writing more here soon. Stay well.....