Yarn Along

My tunisian crochet blanket is progressing rather slowly.  I'd better pick up the pace if I'm going to finish by Christmas.  In fact, I'd really like to have it done by the beginning of Advent, so that I can spend Advent thinking about Advent rather than worrying about Christmas.  That's the goal this year; we'll see how it goes.

I've been really enjoying Voices from an Early American Convent.  The main body of the book is a set of letters from a group of Ursuline nuns who came to New Orleans to found a convent here.  While Ursulines are generally teachers, they were originally brought to the area to run a hospital, and ended up working with orphans and "loose women" as well.  Their convent still stands and is generally accepted to be the oldest building in the Mississippi valley.  Their schools are still operating in the city, although they are no longer staffed by nuns.  It's been interesting to read about the founders of a convent not far from where we live, and of which my husband's aunt was a member.  I highly recommend the book (which is available from Amazon here).  Although the editorial remarks take an annoyingly feminist perspective, the words of these brave missionary nuns are edifying.  I'm rather in awe of these women;  if I were a French Ursuline nun, I would have stayed in France.

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