 This was my sole foray into painting and with water colours. Lady with Potatoes. I was almost proud of it and hung it in an old frame in the book binding room. A lady came into the book binding room, and with a plum in the mouth, said "I've seen the original of that in Holland." |
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 Mt. St. Mary’s, Greenmeadows. Sun. 7th June ‘70 Dear Mum & Dad, Enclosed is a letter from Brs. Wooller and Benton. Last Thursday we had a Sociology exam, & it went alright. I have to have a History Essay up by tomorrow & I have hardly started it! However, somehow one always manages to get things up in time… somehow. This morning I cooked the pudding. It was supposed to be apple with sponge on top! After putting all the ingredients together someone said, “Quick, put it in the oven straight away after adding Baking Powder, or it won’t rise.” There was much panic and commotion as everyone (i.e. me) rushed round trying to do everything at once, but at last everything was neatly put in the oven. 10 minutes later I discovered ½ of the ingredients sitting in a pot on top of the oven. I had forgotten to put them in the mix! So after a few quick decisions, I took everything out of the oven, & poured the stuff I had left out on top of the pudding. It all came out right (& I covered the burnt bits with icing sugar). A good cook’s got to be ruthless. You asked about trying to get the Youth interested in the Legion. I haven’t really got any ideas. However, I have a Theory about Youth Clubs, & that is that they have to keep fading out and being set up again, because the people who first set it up have grown out of it, and the next lot of youth want to do something good themselves so they start another one. So I’d say (even though it’s nothing to do with your question), that if the local youth club keeps flopping out, and being started up again it’s a sign of life. It’s not that youth aren’t interested in the Legion, it’s just that they’re at the age when they like to do something by themselves. That’s the way I feel anyhow - & I think it’s fair enough. Last Friday we had a Conge. It was really a free day, so I went for a “walk” with Brs. MacManus & Morrissey. It started to rain when we got to the Eskdale turnoff. So we decided it was time to go back to Napier. We were soaking wet, but eventually got a ride to Napier & walked home from there. But it was a very good day out nonetheless. Fr. Bourke has been up here on Visitation for the last week. Last Thursday the Superior General of the Redemptorists was travelling up to Auckland and stayed the night here. Last Wednesday about 70 Librarians came out to see our Library, and Book-Binding Room. After 3 Mt. librarians showed them around the Library, Br. Aitken and myself had to demonstrate how to bind books. I bluffed my way through the night. One man asked me how to sew periodicals, so I showed him how to make a pad! Another lady asked me how to bind music so I showed her how to use the guillotine!! However, I think they went away very satisfied. Well, I can’t think of any more news. I think I might write to Aunty Ethel sometime! This last week, the weather has been very mild, but it’s a bit colder today. Love from Bruce |