A Day Out in Connecticut

Dear Diary,

E and I spent a wonderful day in Connecticut. It was an amazing kaleidoscope of experience and it is hard to know where to begin! We began with a wonderful train ride on the Essex Steam train. Afterwards, we toured the eccentric castle of actor William Gillette, who first portrayed Sherlock Holmes on the stage early in the 20th century.

Then it was on to the Abbey of Regina Laudis for, what turned out to be, the highlight of the day. The Prioress of the abbey is Delores Hart. In the late 50's and early 60's she was a very successful actress staring with Elvis Presley, Montgomery Clift and other Hollywood notables. She was even nominated for a Tony award for a Broadway performance. Then in 1963 she gave it all up to to become a Benedictine nun. E's mother, who is in assisted living in Iowa, had read her biography and, knowing we were visiting Connecticut wondered if it would be possible to visit her. The nuns at Regina Laudis lead cloistered lives and Mother Delores even more so, shunning the notoriety of her book and a 2012 HBO documentary of her life. We thought it highly unlikely that we would be able to meet her let alone make a photograph of her!

E wrote to Mother Delores and, surprisingly, she called and told us she would be happy to meet with us. She even allowed me to make a photograph of her and E so E could send it to her mother. She was an wonderfully kind and gentle soul and I felt honored to have met her. She even gave me permission to make a few photographs on the grounds, which is usually not allowed.

Now, after all that, you are probably wondering why I would choose this image of the two sheep at the abbey as my image of the day. It really summarized the wonderful day for me, my icon of the experience. The exquisite late day light, the two "friends" hanging out together and the tranquil atmosphere we both loved on the abbey grounds all combined in this photograph. Although I loved the train ride and the visit to the castle, I won't be returning there. We plan, however, to return for a weekend retreat to this serene place. These two sheep really were my "moment of common enchantment" on a day that was full of wonder and excitement.