Mother's Day Trip to Kansas City - Day One

On the way from United B to C at O'Hare

I have not been on the road for a couple of months but that is coming to an end.  I just began a trip to Kansas City to spend Mother's Day with my Mom and sisters.  I left Rochester on a 6:00 am flight through Chicago and arrived in Kansas City on time at 9:30.  I drove up to Clyde MO to the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration monastery to visit with Sr. Paula.  I had a great visit with her as I always do.  We have been friends and spiritual companions for more than 30 years beginning in San Diego.

Culinary innovation

While I had shared many meals with her, I had never experienced what I had at the retirement facility on the grounds of the monastery.  The menu for dinner (the noon meal) is shown below.  Yes, it does say "Revamped Apple Crisp."  When I asked Paula what that meant, she replied simply, "We had apples crisp yesterday."  Apparently, "revamped" is the new word for leftovers.  The only revamping I sanoticed  was that the leftover apple crisp was placed in a large bowl and then smothered in Dream Whip.

Sr. Paula is celebrating her 60th Jubilee this year.  She is in good health again after a bout of illnesses and up to all her old tricks.  She continues to read and reflect and bring her own style of plain spoken sophistication to matters spiritual and ecclesial.  

Old and new in the Heartland.

As I was driving in to Clyde I saw a scene that caught my eye.  On the way out, I pulled the car over and took several shots of an "old school" windmill used to pump water for livestock and three of the modern wind turbines that generate electricity.  I thought it a nice commentary on a land out of time and modern at the same time.

I drove down to Kansas City and stopped at Panera to get dinner for Mom.  It is one of her favorite spots although she didn't feel like going out.  We visited and ate our dinner and then watched Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwick in "There's Always Tomorrow" on Turner Classic Movies.