No Noddin' in Nodaway County!

There was no sleeping late for me this weekend at Conception Abbey located in Nodaway County in Northeast Missouri.
The bell for morning prayers broke the early morning stillness yesterday and today and called the monks to their second set of prayers for the day at 7:45 am (my first set of prayers).
I had trouble falling asleep both nights for some reason, and feel tired but renewed in spirit. Maybe it was those numerous windmills surrounding the monastery, perhaps being fueled by the winds of the monks' ceaseless praying!
One of the great things about a retreat is that one's spirit can find refreshment while one's body resists.
I'm ready for the next leg of my journey, to Corpus Christi (for another retreat) and then on to Hawaii to be reunited with Karol and our kids and grandkids.
Karol told me yesterday that the teenaged roosters are learning to crow. By the time of my arrival in Hilo on Wednesday, perhaps they will greet me with a few crows or more.
I may crow as well, at being back with family for a few short weeks before I head back to Kansas City in mid-August. I'll be doing fundraising for DeLaSalle from Hawaii and hoping not to miss a beat so that when I return we can finish our capital campaign and begin building for the future!

"Cattails" in our Rain Garden!

That's right, those are cattails, and they are flourishing in the rain garden by our back entrance to the school.
Thanks to Kate Corwin for helping us plant this rain garden two years ago. It is now a sustaining eco-system, demonstrating again how our revitalized property will be transformed into an active learning center for our students as we prepare to break ground for the new addition next spring.
There's a roof project first, and then the final fundraising, but it's really beginning to look up along Troost!

DeLaSalle's New Look Begins to Emerge!

It's going to be great!
We are totally committed to making DeLaSalle look every part an institution of dignity and learning in the heart of the urban core.
Who would have thought that DeLaSalle would be a catalyst for mid-Troost revitalization?!
But you haven't seen the half of it, Friends!
Thanks to the City of Kansas City, sidewalks and curbs around the Manheim and Troost intersection, bordering the southwest section of the DeLaSalle campus, are being replaced and beautified.
Next, the roof on the entire Forest facility will be completely replaced and modernized. No more leaks!
Then..... well, let me leave you waiting for the best of all. Coming soon!!!
The New DeLaSalle!!

Rainbow Fleeting, As Seen From Troost

I was hurrying about doing last minute errands tonight, before I leave town tomorrow, and lo, in the eastern sky, reflecting the stupendous western sunset, was a rainbow.
I stopped in the Auto Zone parking lot at 58th and Troost and shot this picture as the 'bow was fading.
How gorgeous!

Guess Who Came To My Officehood Today?

That's right, President Obama, who is still just across the street right now!
The thrill of seeing the President of the United States never grows old. I remember seeing President Johnson in 1966, and I was as excited this afternoon as I was then!

Midnight at DeLaSalle

There's not much to see at DeLaSalle at midnight.
It's quiet and dark and rather peaceful.
A tow truck was idling next to Henry's, and the driver waved at me. It was Brian Grandison, son of the proprietor of Henry's and father of a recent DeLaSalle graduate. I suppose he was expecting one more tow before he called it a night.
I moved quickly around the building shooting photos. As I left, a couple of fellows were walking down Troost and a few cars went by. It's interesting that a city seems to be awake even when it's midnight.

Glorious Dusk

It was a glorious dusk downtown tonight, before the rain fell.
I had been sick over the long weekend so my nights (and a few days) were spent bedside.
But good health returned and I felt well enough to pound a couple of hours of proposals out at my downtown office this evening.
It's amazing how much illness can affect us. I felt so good to not be tired and out of bed that I didn't mind working a little longer.
I feel great, and blessed to be alive!