Susan Boyle – what a special lady.

With her God given talent Susan bought tears to the eyes of many of us with her show stopping performance.  How fabulous that an everyday ordinary person can stir the emotions in such a way.  I read where she has already bought a leather jacket, had a makeover and her hair dyed. I was rather hoping she would stay just as she is – why should the best things in life have to come gift-wrapped? A voice like that needs no extra garnish – its for real!

The age-old lesson – don’t judge a book by its cover (except GNAGB!)

‘Til next time…

Hello!

Have just returned from spending Easter in New Zealand, a place I have never been to before. It began as a weekend trip for my husband and son to cheer on their favourite Rugby team who were playing at Invercargill, a small town located at the bottom of South Island. However, when I kindly invited myself along it stretched into an Easter-long motoring break around the island.

I can confidently report that there are no convents and monasteries taking in tourists for overnight stays in the South Island of New Zealand.  However, I did find a very tiny convent in Arrowtown,  established by Mary MacKillop in the late 19^th century the and home to four sisters.  The convent has been beautifully restored by the local people and is now a walk-in monument. Upon her arrival in the town Mary wrote “Such an entry as we made into the pretty town! Father Keenan and Father O’Donnell leading the way in the former’s buggy - the four of us in a large double buggy driven by Mr Murray, followed by the other buggies and riders.”Mary MacKillop October 1897

Arrowtown in itself is well worth a visit.  It is one of the prettiest little villages in the country with a rustic main street lined with old wooden buildings occupied by cosy cafes and art and craft shops and, when we were there it seem the whole settlement was engulfed in a blaze of autumn leaves.  The scenery in this country is reminiscent of the best of Scotland and Switzerland and there seemed to be an eye-popping surprise around every corner.

Food and wine are taken very seriously here and we indulged in succulent Canterbury lamb and fishing basket fresh Akaroa salmon. We ‘passed’ on the deer, the ostrich and the beer flavoured ice-cream.  A special treat were the Bluff oysters.  Bluff is one of the southernmost towns in the country and for a few months from March each year these little (quite large, actually) beauties come into season here - a delicious salty, creamy textured, meaty treat. And of course we had to try the famous Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs and New Zealand’s rich, fruity Pinot Noirs.

The only sad part of the story to report is that our footy team lost!

‘Til next time….

Hello!

We have just added some new accommodation to the Good Night and God Bless website, including two excellent convent/monasteries in Rome and a great holiday motel run by the De La Salle Brothers in the resort town of Narooma, south of Sydney.

One of the convents in Rome is close to The Vatican and the other near the Colosseum. And there is plenty to do in Narooma from whale watching and wine tasting to surfing and scuba diving or just lying around on one of Australia’s most picturesque sandy beaches. The De La Salle Brother’s motel is  ideal  for a week-end getaway and you can even take the family pet.

 Many of the convents and monasteries discussed in the book are run by the hospitable Benedictine Order.  In doing some research I was amazed to discover that a medal of St Benedict, the founder of Benedictine monasticism found its way to the International Space Station in 2008. According to the website 

http://www.osb.org/new/0704new.html 

‘Station Commander Peggy Whitson, of the International’s Space Station’s Expedition 16 is the daughter of a cousin of Sister Mary Ethel Burley OSB (Mount St Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas). Last summer when Sister Mary Ethel was visiting her family, she gave Peggy a medal of Saint Benedict to take with her on the six-month assignment to the space station.’

Log onto the link to see a taped holiday message from Astronaut Whitson and her colleagues.

Next month is going to be very exciting for all of us at GNAGB. Good Night and God Bless will be released in the USA and Canada.  Paulist Press in New Jersey are publishing the guide through their Hidden Spring imprint which specialises in non-fiction with a spiritual twist. The book will be available in the general bookstores, Christian bookshops and online from Paulist Press and of course, amazon.com

‘Til next time….