Holy Trinity Monastery

Today we visited the Holy Trinity Monastery, called a desert oasis.  We had heard that they were having a Festival of the Arts.  The Monastery is located in St. Davis, a predominantly Mormon community in the middle of the desert.  In 1974 it became home to the Holy Trinity Monastery, a Benedictine spiritual community.   The physical setting of the monastery is 132 acres sitting next to the San Pedro River.  Many call it a 'spiritual refuge' with it's wandering peacocks, a bird sanctuary, and an Oriental garden, and the Stations of the Cross through the woods.

The occupants of this monastery is seven monks and one nun in her late 60's. They share the property with up to 70 lay people, including live-in volunteers who help the monks bake wonderful breads for sale in their bakery, the pecan bread is really good.  They also have a book and gift shop.  I was reading some of October schedule.  The calendar included  Overeaters Anonymous had their annual two day retreat with 54 in attendance, a wedding with 120 guests, Santa Cruz Lutheran Church came for a two day retreat led by their pastor, and a weekend of two different Yoga groups who met at the monastery. One group was led by Guy Atchley and the other group was led by Guru Ravi Khalsa. Interesting.

 

Next month,  associates and RV volunteers will begin the annual pecan harvest by shaking the trees and collecting the nuts that fall on the ground.  Then starts the sorting and washing of the nuts.  The nuts will be sold at the  monastery or bake into yummy bread with cranberries and sold in their bakery.

The weather today was just perfect for attending an out of doors fair.  In total, there had to be about 40 or so craft booths offering everything from jewelry to paintings, hand carved items, homemade candles, stoneware and some beautiful gourd art.   When you got tired and needed some refreshments, these were available too.   Shredded beef, BBQ, pasta dinner, which filled the air with a heavenly garlic smell, sesame chicken  and the usual hamburgs, chili dogs and so much more.  All in all we had a lovely walk around the grounds and enjoyed the afternoon.

 

Thank you Thank you Thank you

WOW

 

Thank you   Thank you    Thank you

 

With the last entry I was of course a little dissapointed that this mistake had been made.  But now, after receiving so many emails and comments I feel uplifted , for I have received an award from each of you.  You guys have made my week.    So out of this unfortunate situation,  and  I'm sitting on top of the pile.  Thanks for your understanding comments.  I just love you guys.       Dawn

 

Currently in Benson, Arizona

Thanks, But no Thanks

Thanks you so much for the comments offering congratulations and the emails.  While I really would have loved to win this, I feel I cannot accept it.  This morning I received this email :

 

Dawn...

 

Due to an error on my part, I inadvertently allowed a 'private' journal into the "Travel" category.  If this person had not won, your journal would have.  So, to be fair, I hope you will first of all accept my apology for this error, and do Chris and I the honor of accepting the award for "Best Travel Journal."  Now, while I am not going to take away the award that was given to the journal "Welcome to my Travels" (as it was  not her fault, but mine), I would hope that you will accept my apology along with the award for "Best Travel Journal" as the true winner of this accolade.  Had the other journal not been in this category you would have been the original winner.

 

Again.. I apologize sincerely for this error.

 

Jackie

 

Please go here: 2006 VIVI AWARD JOURNAL  and read the latest entry.  I have also added your name to the list of winners.

 

 This is a copy of the email I sent to Jackie.

 

Jackie,

 

While I really would have loved to win this, I feel I cannot accept it.

 

After reading Jeannette's, Welcome to my Travels,  journal, which I enjoyed reading, but it is not  by any standard a travel journal and for me to take second place is not a fair  adjustament.   I read the journal back a month and there were four entries on the plane and car museum, two entries on her cat's birthday, a color test, and an entry on her work and Jane and a doctors note.  A travel journal tells of places visited and hopefully of interest to others.

 

I do accept your apology and appreciate all the hard work you have done, but I just can't accept second place to a non travel journal.       Dawn

More of Texas

 

Friday,   November 3, 2006

 

   We are leaving Kerrville TX. this morning and going to Fort Stockton, TX.   There is not really much to see in Fort Stockton, so we will probably on stay over night and continue on to the El Paso area tomorrow. 

 

We are still on I-10, where the speed limit is 80 mph.   The trucks are really hauling out here.  Nothing in sight except the road and the high plains of Texas.  I am writing this as we travel along today, but can't enter it until we stop somewhere tonight.

 

Texas is one big state and will never run out of land to build on.   This I-10 is 884 miles long.  The Texans say "Everything is bigger in Texas," who am I to argue with that?  Can't prove it by me. LOL

As we left today, we are almost half way across the state.

 

Yesterday we spent in Fredricksburg, TX, a town of lakes and hills and more.  A cute tourist town with a history of German immigrants.  They have a nice historic district with many small shops and lots of bakeries and restaurants.  What to do, what to buy?    Oh my!

 

I really love Texas.  Never had we seen so many people have true pride in their state.  The Texas flag is flown everywhere along  with the US flag.  This is a good thing.  They sure talk funny here, but they say the sweetest things.  I could live in Texas.  Although I don't think that I would ever become fanatical about Texas chili or barbecue.   Being from Massachusetts, where we don't serve either.  Seeing that Texas has so much more than the food, I would be willing to try more often.    Have a good week-end.    Dawn

Columbus, Texas

The past two days we have been in Columbus, Texas.  Columbus is the largest city in Colorado County, Texas.  It is sixty-five miles west of Huston, on a small rise south and west of a lazy horseshoe bend in the Colorado River.  In 2003, it had an estimated population of 3,905.  It is also know as the City of Live Oaks.

 

One doesn't have to look to far to see many beautiful old oak trees.  Their shapes are absolutely intriguing.  I could hardly stop taking pictures of them.   I won't bore you with them all, but can't resist showing you two of them.

 

This small town is proud of their past with many historic buildings well care for.  They have what they call 'talking houses'.  You know the old saying, 'If this house could talk', well they found a way to make them talk.  How did they do that, you ask?  They have selected nine houses and equipped them with radio transmitters operating on specified AM frequencies.  The  transmitter broadcasts a pre-recorded message about that house.  In front of these nine houses, these is a sign outside which tells you what station to turn  your radio to.  Did I forget to you that this is a driving tour in your own car?

 

We enjoyed this charming little town with a treasure-trove of Victorian and turn of the century homes.

Livingston, Texas

 

We are still in Livingston Texas.  We had planned on leaving last Wednesday, but it was  raining so hard, we'll stay a little longer.   The October Fest is over and we had a great time.  The motto this year was "Harvesting Knowledge From A Gathering of Friends."  It was a fun week with tons of things to do.  Lunches, dinners,  seminars, crafts, tours, nightly entertainment, games, vendors  and of course Bingo. 

 

While we were here we met a bloggers from the Isle of Man, England.  They are an adventurous couple touring the US in their small motorcoach that  was shipped over from England.  I  think  they were here for 9 months total.  They have a daughter working in Canada, so they skipped up there too.  If you would like to check out their blog, here it is, but there is no where to leave a comment.

 

 

 

 http://www.manxsnails.co.uk/rsbloggSept.html      or

 

RSBlogg  

 

If the weather is good, we will be leaving here this coming Monday for the San Antonio, TX. area.  I have been lucky having WiFi all the time that we have been here.  You never know When we will get it again.  Gosh, I hope we have it Nov. 2nd to vote.

Happy Haloween

Thanks to Missie at: http://journals.aol.com/chat2missie/missies-magical-creations/ for the lovely Halloween Graphic.

 

I have selected two Haloween cards for you.

Which one do you like best?

 

http://www.banjobunny.com/pages/view.php?CardID=2480

 or

 

http://www.banjobunny.com/pages/view.php?CardID=2499

 

Have a happyday.