My Summer Holidays

Valerie and I have just completed our summer holiday, and, as wonderful as it was, it is good to be back at my work  in the parish.

Holidays are such an important part of the rhythm of the year. In the midst of our daily responsibilities, both at home and professionally, it is important to our health and well being to be able to look forward to and to enjoy the experience of holiday rest.

I began my summer holiday this year by hosting a priest colleague from Kingston, Ontario. We offered them good old Newfoundland hospitality, and they were very impressed by the experience and the province. We visited Trinity, Bonavista, Port Rexton, Conception Bay North, and of course St.John's. They got to experience Newfoundland theatre in Trinity, see the Puffins in Bonavista, beach fire in Port  Rexton, and the Masterless Men on George Street. They loved it.

After we put them on the plane back to Ontario, Valerie and I visited her dad and his wife in Twillingate. They showed us around all the beautiful communities, feasted on lobster, and even had some duet music happening.

After Twillingate, and because we have had no summer for at least the last two years, we had decided to try a trip down south in July (to guarantee at least some degree of summer). As it turned out, we could have stayed home and gotten just as much sun as we did down south! The trip was certainly very relaxing.

Beach and Ocean

For both Valerie and I, our garden is also a place of peace and rest and holiday. We put a lot of work into our garden, which we enjoy doing; but we also simply enjoy being "in" our garden.

Herb Garden

Green House cherry tomatos

beans

Cucumber, Green Pepper, Lettuce

Hostas 

Arbour 

Holidays are certainly about rest and relaxation, but can also be about spending time with family and friends. And although we had family time going on throughout our holiday, the last weekend we put a little push on. Andrew, our youngest, has been working on the mainland during the summer. So the best we could do with him was have some "FaceTime" on the iPhone. Victoria and Valerie had a "mother and daughter" weekend and got their nails done. Matthew and I spent the weekend golfing in Gander - which included the "Head Hunter" triple hamburger from Jungle Jims!

It has been a wonderful holiday, for which I am very thankful.

And I pray that I have been granted the rest and re-creation that is required to continue to love and serve the community in the power of the Holy Spirit.