People Met = 12+
We did not eat at the convent today, but I’ve been remiss in not describing the experience. We each had our own napkin and ring holder with our name. For silent meals the napkins were placed in advance where we were to sit at a table. This occurred at breakfast and lunch. The silence was broken by prayers before and after, along with the ringing of bells by the Sisters heading up each table. At lunch one Sister read a thought-provoking passage while all others listened. The suppers we attended involved the same bell ringing and prayers, but we grabbed our own napkins and determined where we would sit and talk with others.
There are three categories of women at the Convent. In addition to the Sisters were the Oblates who lived “off campus.” They had yearly vows similar to the Sisters but had one foot in the “real world.” The Postulants were Sisters in training. One Postulant, Nike Spillson, had an appointment with a foot doctor and insisted I come with her to get my left foot checked. Dr. David Zink concluded the problem was due to over pronation and recommended an arch support. The doc was an amiable man and kind as well. There was no charge for the visit. Well, that did not sit well with Nike, who intended to pay for the visit; she paid for my arch supports instead.
Postulants Karina and Nike
For lunch we hooked up with Ruth and Bill Morley. This connection was made by Gayle and Chip Jahn; Chip being the guy I may partner with for our scratch & sniff road kill calendar. Gayle and Ruth are sisters. Ruth is an endurance athlete who has run 50 marathons, bicycled across the country, and walked one of the long distance European trails. Ruth and Bill also traveled extensively in connection with Bill’s position at Proctor & Gamble.
Ruth and Bill Morley
After a delicious lunch of chicken and pea soups prepared by Bill we sat and chatted for awhile about community and travels. Late afternoon we went to Graeter’s for ice cream. Ruth and Bill declared to workers Sue and Tina that we were walking 5,000 miles across the country. Customer Katie overheard and later came to our table to ask for our card.
Sue and Tina
I gave a talk at Northern Kentucky University in the evening. The connection with Jeff Iker, Coordinator of New Student Orientation, was made on our behalf by Joe Halter, his counterpart at the University of Colorado, Denver. The audience was small, but that allows for more informality and intimacy and I had fun with everyone. Jeff was very warm and hospitable to us throughout. He even gave us T-shirts and a stuffed NKU mascot.
Ally, Jeff, Erin and Kuy at Northern Kentucky University
