Perhaps the title for this post should read: Better Late Than Never!  Enjoy this post about our Independence Day celebrations... Perhaps some of our long-time blog followers will recall the rather wet day we had on the 4th of July last year, complete with damp charcoal briquettes that delayed our grilling efforts, and a rain-drenched hike in the afternoon. This year was not quite so drizzly, though we did have a misty rain all morning which drove Sr. Cecilia Maria and Christie under the carport to grill our traditional hotdogs and hamburgers. Sister Mary Andrea and Sr. Frances Marie, however, braved the weather to make a spectacular harvest of homegrown blackberries – over 5 cups from our little plot of brambles!

At noon, we were treated to a homemade peppermint ice cream cake, a real collaborative affair. One nun made the crust from chocolate mint cookies, another filled it up with vanilla ice cream, patriotic sprinkles, and crushed peppermints, and finally a third sister added the finishing touch – a peppermint rendition of Old Glory.

After such a cloudy morning, we were delighted to find the sky clear and the air breezy in the afternoon, perfect for some outdoor recreation.

We started with toasting some s’mores over the last embers of the morning’s grilling endeavors.

Then we dug out an ancient badminton net a tried very hard to keep the birdie bouncing back and forth, with mixed success.

After a while, Sr. Cecilia Maria decided it would be easier to conquer a giant slice of watermelon than to overcome our lackluster lawn game skills, and the rest of us gladly followed suit.

As we concluded our day of joy and of prayer for our nation, all the nuns joined in singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic, with its rousing chorus of “glory, glory, hallelujah.” May God’s truth indeed march on in America, and may He continue to bless our country from His bountiful goodness!