Sweet dreams

I had thought about posting something about my writing today, but I will let that wait until later -- maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe ... 

My friend Debbie Kinder sent me this poem from today's Writer's Almanac, and I thought I would share it with you instead.

Bad News About My Vocation
by Ron Koertge

I remember how the upper crust in my hometown
pronounced it -- care-a-mel. Which is correct, I guess,
but to everybody else it was carmel.
Which led to the misconception about the order
of Carmelites.
I imagined they served God by heating sugar
to about 170 C, then adding milk and butter
and vanilla essence while they listened
to the radio.
I thought I could do that. I could wear the white
shirt and pants. I knew I couldn’t be good
but I might be a good candy maker.
So imagine my chagrin when I learned about
the vows of poverty and toil enjoined
by these particular friars.
I also crossed off my list the Marshmellowites
and the Applepieites, two other orders I
was thinking of joining.

 When I joined the Carmelites, Dan Slater -- husband of the woman who owned the bookstore where I worked when in high school and college -- told me he had heard of a rival outfit -- the Chocolites.

Although the Carmelite friars did not make candy, some communities of nuns and monks do so as a way to earn a living. The Brigittine monks of Amity, Oregon are such a group. The Brigittines -- monks and nuns -- were founded in 1344 by St. Birgitta (Bridget) of Sweden. Today the community in Oregon, founded in 1976, is the only house of the monks left in the world. At one time,  as I recall, they were in contact with the Discalced Carmelites about finding a place to make a foundation in the States. In case you want to try their confections, click here.