Mauri and Sherry

Posted by Sherry on June 16, 2008

We’ve settled in now and are meeting interesting people from all over, but mostly Britain. Twelve people from Traverse City, Michigan, make up the biggest group. The rest of us came in ones and twos. There’s a mother/son here from Salem, Oregon! Before we arrived I had mused the possible irony of traveling all the way to Scotland to live in community with a bunch of Americans. But it turns out to be a nice mix. Our days are structured and we are each part of a task team. I’m a Puffin; Mauri’s an Otter. The work is minimal, since it spreads over the 50 or so of us, and has a wonderful camaraderie feel to it. Yesterday as I dried scalding-hot dishes (what was the point; they would dry on their own in a moment?) I realized how silly I must look with that broad grin on my face. I stopped myself short of whistling.

One highlight will remain the “Big Sing.” Three women taught us new songs by lah-ing the melody line by line and part by part, then putting it together with the words. It was quite wonderful! I’ve tried to stop regretting I didn’t take my camera, but a whole day later I haven’t succeeded.

Worship services are meaningful and also very structured. The acoustics in the Abbey chapel are exceptional, as one might imagine with all those hard surfaces, so the singing is also exceptional, as one might imagine with all those uninhibited voices. Sunday’s sermon was memorable in enough ways that Mauri has already started quoting from it. After morning worship we took a walk toward town. You can hardly take an outdoor picture without sheep or rock walls in it, they’re both so prevalent. And the obvious: water, since we’re on a tiny island. Oh, and something else is in every picture: wind! We’re finally learning to prepare ourselves for the blast to avoid the shock of it. We’re near the summer solstice so daylight lasts until after 10 and comes back by around 5. I can’t vouch for the return time, since I’m not looking outside at that ungodly hour.

I’ll save more stories for another time. Here are some pictures we took on our walk yesterday.

An ancient nunnery.

Posed, of course, though we’re doing our share of resting and remembering (squint at the carving on the bench for that to make sense).

Former somethings everywhere you look.

The long view of the Abbey chapel where worship services are held.

A little closer view.

Mauri thinks this bench doesn’t look very comfortable. We might be tempted to post more pictures of this remarkable space.

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