Dear Friends, Family, and Fellow Carmelites,

The magician’s words, “Now you see it, now you don’t” were appropriate for how quickly this summer disappeared! In April winter turned into summer with little spring and this week we plunged from summer into winter. We had record lows and experienced our first hard frost. Now we are back in the 80’s. There is a saying in Oklahoma which is very true of the current weather pattern, ‘If you don’t like the weather – wait five minutes!” It seems this adage was true for much of our country this summer. We especially prayed for those areas hit by tornadoes, floods and terrible fires.

With fall we are hoping for cooler temperatures and rain. Fall also brings an awareness that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. November is also the month of All Souls when we remember all those who have gone before us. We invite you to send us the names of your departed friends and loved ones so that they might be remembered in prayer during the month.

Heaven has been depicted in various ways in the movies and most of us have our own idea what it will or will not be. . .some may even wonder if they or others will ever ‘make it’ to eternal bliss. Thankfully, God’s love is infinite and so is his mercy. The story below is not true but it does show the power of faith and the hope of eternal life.

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. As she was getting her things ‘in order,’ she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and in which outfit she wished to be buried. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. ‘There’s one more thing,’ she said excitedly. . .

At the funeral as people walked by the young woman’s casket they saw the cloak she was wearing and a fork placed in her right hand. Over and over the Pastor heard the question, ‘What’s with the fork?’ And over and over he smiled. During his message the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. . “This is very important,” the young woman had said. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” Puzzled I asked, “Why?” He related the young woman’s response. “My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement.” ‘In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork

‘It was my favorite part because I knew something better was coming…something wonderful and with substance, like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie!’ “So, I just want people to see me in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ‘What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork . . . the best is yet to come.”

This young woman had a better grasp of heaven than many people twice her age, including myself. She KNEW that something better was coming. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. So just remember…keep your fork! (Source Unknown)

God invites all of us to the great heavenly banquet where ‘no eye has seen what God has in store for those who love him.’

This past summer our only significant rain was in May so we experienced another year of severe drought. Water rationing proved tricky as we struggled to keep outdoor vegetation alive and our foundation from cracking. We accomplished this feat with lots of hand watering and soaker hoses. Despite the drought our gardens and orchards produced many fruits and vegetables unlike last year when everything literally shriveled on the vine.

The entire state felt the effects of the drought. We had many days of over 100 degree temperatures and, although fountain.jpgtheywere fewer than last year, the heat still caused problems. The one which affected our lake also plagued bodies of water throughout the country. As the temperature increased the water evaporated and became hotter. This resulted in ourlake becoming covered in blue-green algae which also depleted oxygen from the water. This, combined with the heat, caused many of our fish to die. To combat the toxic algae, it was necessary to treat the lake several times with a chemical. Then, twopumps were placed in the lake. One pump is underwater and the other has a small fountain, and both keep the water circulating. We also had the lake restocked. The last few years has also taken a toll on trees around the area. It is sad to see so many trees distressed and dying. We had to remove a number of our trees thissummer as well. The recent cold snap did act as a catalyst in starting some trees to turn but we will probably not have the beautiful foliage to which we are accustomed.fox.jpg

In September we had a new and unwelcome guest visit . . .a red fox. While it was beautiful, we were less than thrilled with its presence since we have chickens, cats and small dogs. We finally trapped it using, of all things, chicken nuggets! Our workers took the fox to a ‘land far, far away’ where it can hopefully live without so much human contact. Our animals were happy with the move also!

On October 11th, the Church began its celebration of the Year of Faith. It marks the 50th anniversary of Second Vatican II and the 30th anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For those of you who might be interested, the following website gives a history and events for the upcoming year: http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html

Sr. Donna will be having surgery in a few weeks. We are hoping this will be her last surgery for a LONG time. She appreciates your continued prayers for her recovery. Again remember to send us the names of your departed loved ones to be remembered during the month of November. We wish all of you a blessed Thanksgiving.