Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Recently I participated in a water walk around Lake Monona.   The walk was lead by Grandmother Josephine Mandami, Anishinawbe, who helped us to pray our way around the lake while carrying water from the lake some of its water. We asked Creator to send the Spirit and let the Spirit of the Water bless us. Then the walk, not a stroll, began.   Less than half way around the 13 mile lake I realized that I wasn't going to make it at the clip we were going, and I joined others on the trolley provided by the walk organizers.    I had lost track of my walking partner, but he had the courtesy to check on me, the sister.    And so at one of the trolley stops the driver received a phone call.   "Joan," he announced to all.   "Joan, the nun, is she on the bus?" Up until   then I was just an anonymous rider.   The passengers were delighted, however, to know that they had their own "nun on the bus". I was grateful to be identified with th...

Gardening is my ongoing teacher.   Putting my hands in the soil, smelling the depth and beauty of earth makes my heart sing.   I have enjoyed raised bed gardening as well.   This year this garden is teaching me about tenacity and willingness.   You see I have two nasty weeds that have tried to ‘wheedle’ their way in beside the beets, the mustard greens, the cabbages, the artichokes.   One weed has a broad pervasive root system.   It likes to spread.   The other goes deep deep down and I have yet to find its end!   These weeds teach me about how hard it is to change and to let go.   Really I can be quite stubborn about changing my habits, my ways of perceiving a situation or an event.   These weeds are inviting me to look at the earth all around them and not to be solely belligerent about their growth.   I am excited because this week I am returning to the Mound for our annual Community Days.   It will be so wond...