Thursday (St Justin Martyr)

Home now after eight days in the Chicago area and at Nashotah House. There was supposed to have been a visit to St Paul, MN to see our daughter and her family. However, on the way north on Wednesday (the 24th), I was getting text messages from my sisters that my mother's health had taken a decidedly negative turn, and on the morning of Ascension Day, the phone call came with the news that she had died. She was 91, substantially into dementia, and had metastatic melanoma that we had decided not to treat, so we knew this wasn't terribly far away, and were glad that the end came as quickly for her as it did. Because of the impending holiday, and the difficulty in coordinating the lives of the six surviving siblings and their families, it turned out to be better to bury her sooner than later, so the funeral was Saturday, with three generations of her descendants present. We did indeed get to see our Minnesota daughter, but it was with them coming to us rather than us going to them. So, on Monday, it was off to Nashotah, according to plan. Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday were spent with the Board of Directors in sometimes difficult but ultimately fruitful meetings. Wednesday was devoted to activities geared toward alumni, of which I am one. This morning was commencement, at which it was again my joyful privilege to preside at the celebration of the Eucharist. We left after lunch and arrived home, gratefully, just before 8:00.