Daily Life in the USA – Welcome to Cambodia, and…..

More old friends

Today six of us alumni from the former St. Thomas Seminary met for lunch at Kingfish in Louisville. I really appreciate these gatherings. For two decades or so, my return from Hong Kong or Cambodia would be the opportunity to get together with good friends. Today it was noted this is the last time we would celebrate my return from mission in Asia.

These people are important. If it were not for my family and friends, I would not have returned from Cambodia. Life would be much simpler and easier living in Cambodia than it will be here in the United States.

A Welcome Visitor

Don Stosberg, an old friend from St. Thomas Seminary, drove from Frankfort today for a visit. We had a good sandwich at a picnic table on the old St. Joseph Orphanage grounds while we caught up on our doings over a half century. (Demonstrably, I’m NOT a good selfie photographer!)

Biking Indiana

Sunday I took a bike ride in Indiana where they have some wonderful biking and walking trails. The photo shows the Big Four pedestrian bridge on the right. Now closed to traffic, it is busy, especially on weekends, with many bikers and walkers, including whole families, enjoying the sunshine and beautiful views of both sides of the Ohio River.

Angela Merici H.S. Reunion

Yesterday the Angela Merici Class of 1975 had their 50-year reunion. It was held at Incarnation Church and was a fun and joyous event. I felt honored to be invited because I spent thirteen years at A.M. and was one of the teachers of these women in their senior year.

It was an evening of really joyful meeting with old friends after many years.

Slowly, slowly…

I’m slowly accumulating the things I need for living in Nazareth Home and Louisville. Some items are major, like an e-bike for getting around. Others are more utilitarian like a toilet brush. Today I got a wooden executive-type filing cabinet. I was going to get the usual metal two- or four-drawer file cabinet but my sister saw the wooden unit above in a consignment shop and took me to see it. The price in such a shop drops regularly according to how long it stays in the shop. The nice wooden cabinet had been marked at $100 but was in the bargain room when I saw it, and I was able to get it for $20. My sister Mary and her husband Mike picked it up today and brought it to me. Thanks! Now all the papers on the couch can be filed away!

My Hong Kong flag

Last week my sister Jane surprised me with a framed flag of Hong Kong from the colonial era. I was living in Hong Kong in 1997 when Britain ceded control of their Hong Kong colony to China. Remembering what had happened at Tiananmen Square, thousands and thousands of Hong Kongers were fleeing to any place that would take them. The bishop asked those of us from the missionary groups to stay, to try to provide an element of stability and reassurance to a frightened people. On one of my trips home, I brought this flag and Jane had it in her basement and decided my return to Kentucky was the time to return the flag to me.

Nazareth Home

Independent Living

At Nazareth Home Clifton, seven of us priests abide in the Independent Living building on the right called Cedar Hall (for some unknown reason, since there is no wood in the building except some of the furniture). The building on the left is the main administration building, and between them is a lobby or large gathering space that can be used for family or other gatherings. The lobby is basically a bridge between the two buildings. It has a door that is almost never used because it requires an electronic fob to unlock it where the outside door to Cedar Hall has a keypad for punching in a security code that unlocks the door.

Rolling Again

Mike Davis is unloading my new bicycle at my home. Mike spent all day negotiating with the bike shop, waiting for the bike to be assembled, checking it out (and discovering a bad taillight), and then delivering it to Nazareth Home. Thank you, Mike! The bike is a dream!

Grounded

I’ve been pretty much “confined to base” the last few days. Because of early macular degeneration I decided not to start driving again because I would have to stop driving sometime in the future and it may be good just to make a complete break now. That is one of the reasons I got an e-bike (in addition to just liking to ride!).

But the bike I got, picked out and delivered by my dear brothers and sisters and cousins, turned out to be a bit too big in the frame so Thursday it went back to the store and my brother-in-law (a really SERIOUS bike rider, read three 14,000-foot Rocky Mountain peaks in one day) picked out another one that I loved in a test ride. I can’t wait for it to be delivered tomorrow!

Finding my way

Fr. Jerry Eiffler’s sister died and he presided at her funeral today at Holy Spirit Church in Louisville. Jerry and I are friends and live close by so I attended.

The church is only 2.5 miles from Nazareth Home Clifton where I live and I biked over there, the first time I’ve used my bicycle for a “churchy” event. It was also the first time I wore the black suit I had made in Cambodia shortly before departing. Not to attract too much attention, I put my suit coat in my backpack and wore a windbreaker.