Tuesday 6th August

Still got my headache, but I think it is a bit better than it was.   It is bearable if I keep still, which is what I've been doing today.

Camp Allen is a lovely place, it is set in 950 acres of pine forest.  There is an Equestrian Centre there, two lakes, swimming pools and tennis courts.   If it hadn't been so intensely hot it would have been nice to walk around the gardens.

The main Conference Centre.

One of the accommodation blocks.  I am having problems transferring the pictures.  I will have to take the desk top back to Staples.   I had made an appointment last week to go this morning, but my headache was too bad.

We had all our meals and sessions in a small dining room.   There were quite a few groups meeting, not just Episcopal women.

This was the theme of the Retreat.    The sessions on Scripture, Community of God, and Hospitality were led by women priests from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma.  

Province VII of the Episcopal Church covers Oklahoma, West Texas, Arkansas, West Kansas, West Louisiana, and West Missouri.

On Saturday evening we had an ice cream social and saw a film 'Babette's Feast'.  I would probably not have got into it if I had been watching it by myself, it was set in Jutland in the last century, but Deborah kept pausing the film to discuss points raised in it, so we were all very engaged with it, and it was very enjoyable.

Deborah is leading a similar sort of event next month in Amarillo, which is in the far north of Texas,  and like Shawnee is situated on the east/west interstate 40, so it would be a very straight forward, four hour drive to get there.  I am thinking about it, they are all such nice people.   It is on Benedictine Spirituality which I have had instruction on from Brother Michael, but there is always something new to learn.

Episcopal women seem to be very well travelled, I had some interesting conversations with some who had travelled round the British Isles, Scotland and Ireland.

Someone said there are six English women in her church, if I wanted to move there (to San Angelo, Texas) I would be welcomed there with open arms, and there are some nice retirement places to rent.  It was nice of her to suggest it but I wouldn't move from Oklahoma to Texas, it is way, way, too hot.