Our President.

Sigh.

Sunrise on the Hudson

Sunrise on the Hudson
Originally uploaded by grbecca

Our school staff went to the Holy Cross Monastery on the Hudson River for a three-day retreat, which was lovely. The brothers were gracious and hospitable, the food was simple yet excellent, and the grounds were peaceful. It was such a restful retreat...there was lots of time to just sit under trees, skip rocks on the river, and chat...and since the brothers observe silence from 9 PM to 9 AM, we did too. It was really a gift to have that time of silence...we did all of the talking and singing we needed to during the 12 "speaking" hours, and enjoyed the richness of the silence the rest of the time. And probably all slept more than we would have if we could have stayed up half the night catching up.

Only once...

My only trip to Lake Michigan this summer (gasp!)
Originally uploaded by grbecca

I can't believe I only made it to Lake Michigan once this summer. And it was a short, rainy trip. The water felt great though...especially compared to the saltiness of the Jersey Shore. I just can't get used to it...I don't like the salty taste in my mouth or the dryness of salty skin after getting out of the water. However, I do acknowledge that the waves are stronger and more consistent in the ocean, which is fun.