Near Griswold, Iowa, Creighton University’s retreat center
I gave my friend Janis a ride so she could complete her 3-day silent spiritual retreat. I got to room next to her but we spoke nary a word! She was able to converse only with her spiritual director. Mass was offered every day in a beautiful chapel set in the woods. I walked 5 miles twice and 2 & 1/2 miles on my easy day. Thankful for pain-free walking in such as beautiful spot.
I also spent three evenings with my brother Charly. He lives in a care facility in Griswold, 10 minutes east of the retreat center. We took a walk & had ice cream in Griswold Wednesday. Thursday we shared pizza on the deck of Aunt Betty Jean & Steve’s porch near Cumberland before watching Elvis at the Atlas Cinema in Atlantic. Friday meant walking around the Red Oak Square, getting a pop at the Pool Hall, shopping at Hardware Hank, and eating at our favorite restaurant: The Bucksnort. Charly loves to get out and see his old friends in Red Oak.This labyrinth in rural Griswold was modeled on the one in Chartres, France. One enters and circles around and around on a narrow path which requires good balance until one finally reaches the center, where one is to wait for a message before exiting the same way. I found getting to the center long and hard, but the way out seemed easy and short! I’d do it again, just to see what I would hear the next time. So peaceful in these woods just up from the East Nishnabotna River. I hope to stay again for my kind of retreat that involves hiking, Charly, reading, and lots of quiet time. I felt so alone and content to be so. One day, I decided to pop in to the chapel before a hike and was surprised by eight or more young adults in meditation and six candles burning bright. It’s a busy place but with plenty of room. The administrator said she hoped I’d come again. She and I and I think even God would be pleased with my retreat and especially my “Camp Charly.”
Recently retired from an Iowa high school, I was a French & English teacher, now seeking adventure and meaning through walking, learning, listening, and being thankful for the joy that is life. I love faith that leads to greater understanding, love and service, friends that encourage, and family. I hope my blog will inspire, inform, and delight my readers. Beauty is all around us, if we take the time to notice it. I know I don’t have to be in France to blog; it’s just that France has stolen my heart.
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