Just as it starts to slow down a bit with groups staying longer times and larger groups staying over that amount of time, the weekends at Menucha have picked up with fury. I was told this would happen. I was told that I would start to have one or two slower days in the week but up to seven groups might show up for the weekends. Plus we have other events these days.

I welcomed a group last night. I will welcome two more groups tonight. There will be a personal retreat happening as well on site and a group left this morning that I welcomed on Tuesday. On a rare day so far when there were no groups on site on Tuesday, the staff made coffee and I had to smile with the note. I took a deep breath and thought again for umpteenth time this week about how lucky I am to be here.

In addition, Sunday is the day of our great big wonderful fundraising dinner. So far (and hopefully our last numbers for the kitchen’s sake) 110 people will be coming on Sunday at 5:30 pm to gather at the Terrace and start to fill their wine glasses (with wine, water or sparkling apple cider). They will sit at tables under a great big tent in front of our main building and eat plates of salmon or gumbo and will listen as we talk about Menucha. We will ask them to contribute to this magical place.

I blogged about new rhythms the other day and it is wonderful to get to know these new paces. The staff is starting to talk about, yearn for, and appreciate when it is quiet around here even though are goals are to fill these spaces with community building throughout the year.

In addition, I have added so many prayers for our earth each day, lamenting climate change as we pray that there are no new fires this season. I have added so many observations of strong winds (they tell me these are breezes compared to what is coming). I have thought about so many of our natural landscapes and prayed over the river as I walk . I have welcomed so many sunrises these days while thinking about what is happening in our world.

Today Menucha is almost in a buzzing state. The grounds crew is polishing, mowing, watering, washing. The housekeeping crew is buffering, cleaning, changing things over. Our development director is getting flowers ready, fielding last minute additions and calls. Our chef and assistant chef are getting amped and starting to prep the food that can be prepped. I am fielding other spaces and answering questions. You get the picture. It is both exhilarating and anxiety producing although this team is amazing and I am glad to be in it. I keep thinking through the things I will say and how the evening will flow.

And each morning there is new light…

And all shall be well.