Some triumphs

We've been here a year ... I ought to have some profound thoughts about the nature of change, or about reinventing yourself. It has been interesting that, as I anticipated, people are taking me more seriously now that I'm on the East Coast - I mean peers, like people at the press association. At the convention, after chatting briefly with the news editor at Catholic News Service, she invited me down to lunch, so I went down on Friday when I was done at the monastery and had lunch with she and another editor. The offices are in the impressive and extensive United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's offices about a mile from the monastery. It's interesting - I'm the same person I was prior to coming here, but coming from Wyoming, I was shunted off to the side; now, coming from the Cathedral Foundation/Catholic Review, I'm taken seriously. Go figure. But, I feel vindicated because I knew this would be the case.

Once again, had a great visit to the monastery - was able to deliver the excellent book, Art and Architecture of the Holy Land Franciscan Monastery - and our latest newsletter. I just took hold of the newsletter, shooting it and writing it myself. It's actually more efficient than hiring freelancers and then supervising them, and it is less costly for the monastery, too. But I was most gratified that the newsletter came out looking so wonderful, and the friars are so pleased. Now, if the new St. Anthony collection is successful ... mailing just went out this week. I'm taking a risk and offering a back end premium of Holy Oil that is unusual. We may be able to distinguish ourselves from all the others that send premiums. Or, it will be an abject failure and we'll try something else.

Some observations

Took off on my walk this morning before it started to drizzle - although since its so warm, it wouldn't matter at all if it drizzled or rained - and walked through an area that is an older, heavily-wooded residential area. It was wonderful - the birds, the bunnies, all the herbs, blooming shrubs, (roses are in bloom now) - it is marvelous. It really resonates with me. In no way do I want to go back to a place that is barren - sage brush flats and antelope. Every morning, the birds just sing and sing - cardinals, mockingbirds, some sort of eastern songbird. It is delightful.

Apparently, the people around here don't appreciate the beauty, as I got tired of walking past trash, and I've started carrying a grocery-store trash bag with me and picking up trash. I pick up between two and three bags per walk, taking the full bags to the public trash cans and dumping them and starting over, and bringing the final one home. Frank thinks I'm crazy, but at least I feel better about myself and the area where I walk every day is cleaner. I think it has to do with the anonmous nature of city living. In a real bit of irony, there city of Baltimore is cleaning up the medians along Highway 40 through the ghetto to downtown - there's a big sign about beautification of the pedestrain safety islands - and immediately the trash started accumulating around it, before the city even managed to get back in and plant the trees. What a joke. I KNOW that Cheyenne wasn't trashed like this.