Music in the Mountains
St Thomas Retreat 2009
FRIDAY
4:00 pm Check In Peterkin
5:30-7:00 Dinner Virginia House
8:00 Welcome and Family Activities Chilton
9:00 Compline Chilton
Bonfire Upper Pavilion
SATURDAY
8:00 am Breakfast Tucker Dining Room
9:00 Morning Prayer Meade
Hike to the Cross and/or
Visit the New Labyrinth (contemplative)
Noon Devotions at Noon Meade
12:30 pm Lunch Tucker Dining Room
1:30 Free time/music rehearsal
Camp tour Virginia House lobby
3:00 Hayride Virginia House lawn
Quiet Prayer time with harp music (adults only)
4:30 Social Time Peterkin Porch
5:30 Dinner Tucker Dining Room
7:00 Evening Prayer Meade
8:00 Square Dance Lower Pavilion
SUNDAY
8:00 am Breakfast Tucker Dining Room
Free time/pack/visit bookstore
10:00 Eucharist Shrine
11:30 Pack and load cars
12:30 pm Lunch Tucker Dining Room
Depart in Peace
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Take A Break From Northern VA
Each spring, for as along as our kids can remember, the Hargroves have headed to Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs for the annual Parish Retreat. We look forward to the weekend each year for many reasons.
We are unplugged. Yes, it is wonderful that the cell phone doesn’t work so well and that there is no internet or TV. The hand-held games stay in the car if we brought them for the ride. The kids investigate the streams, catch newts in the pond, play ball, run and swing at the playground. We all hike, dance and go for a hayride. We look at spring budding, fossils on the mountain, wisteria blooming, streams of running water as the winter snows melt.
We have time to chat. How often do you really sit after a meal and chat with other adults? Or sit on a porch, watching the kids play and the flowers bloom? Or catch up with a friend after the kids are asleep? We do all that.
The kids can be kids. The kids often leave the dining room and go up to the playground. The older ones take the little ones. We don’t worry about our kids when we are at Shrine Mont like we do in Northern Virginia. The small town atmosphere allows them to roam, much like we did as kids. Each year we give them a little more leeway to explore the grounds.
We don’t do chores. There’s no laundry, yard work or cooking. Similar to a vacation with your family except that when you go to the dining room the meal is ready and we are all together. No menus, no fussy kids. We enjoy the community and fellowship time, so often ignored in Northern VA.
We don’t get stuck in traffic (once you get out of Northern VA). Most of us park the car on Friday and get back in it on Sunday. Wow! It feels great to walk to meals, the bookstore, the playground and the candy store.
These are just some of the great things that come to mind. If you haven’t been to Shrine Mont, please consider coming just once. Most of us can’t stop going. It is truly an amazing place.
We are unplugged. Yes, it is wonderful that the cell phone doesn’t work so well and that there is no internet or TV. The hand-held games stay in the car if we brought them for the ride. The kids investigate the streams, catch newts in the pond, play ball, run and swing at the playground. We all hike, dance and go for a hayride. We look at spring budding, fossils on the mountain, wisteria blooming, streams of running water as the winter snows melt.
We have time to chat. How often do you really sit after a meal and chat with other adults? Or sit on a porch, watching the kids play and the flowers bloom? Or catch up with a friend after the kids are asleep? We do all that.
The kids can be kids. The kids often leave the dining room and go up to the playground. The older ones take the little ones. We don’t worry about our kids when we are at Shrine Mont like we do in Northern Virginia. The small town atmosphere allows them to roam, much like we did as kids. Each year we give them a little more leeway to explore the grounds.
We don’t do chores. There’s no laundry, yard work or cooking. Similar to a vacation with your family except that when you go to the dining room the meal is ready and we are all together. No menus, no fussy kids. We enjoy the community and fellowship time, so often ignored in Northern VA.
We don’t get stuck in traffic (once you get out of Northern VA). Most of us park the car on Friday and get back in it on Sunday. Wow! It feels great to walk to meals, the bookstore, the playground and the candy store.
These are just some of the great things that come to mind. If you haven’t been to Shrine Mont, please consider coming just once. Most of us can’t stop going. It is truly an amazing place.
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