CELEBRATE the Abbey Hill!!

I have been to a lot of beautiful places.  Two of my favorites are Victoria, Canada and on the Mediterranean in Spain.  But my two very favorite places are Three Creeks, which I wrote about earlier this month, and The Mount Angel Abbey which is a Benedictine Monastery.

The Abbey has been a source of calm and peace for many years for me.  When Max was at his most difficult stage, I would get a sitter once in a while, and go up to the Abbey.  I would go to the beautiful library, check out a book, browse their gift shop, go into the retreat house and sit read and pray for hours.  It was my mini retreat to keep me sane. 

For years, the Abbey was my destination for walks.  It is just outside the town of Mt. Angel.  I would park my car at my mom's or sister's and just start walking.  Up and up.  It is quite the climb, and a good workout. 

Last summer, while recovering from surgery and chemo, I drove up there, looked around the gift shop, prayed in the church, talked to a few monks, and sat in the retreat house drinking hot chocolate and just enjoyed the peace.  I remember being a bit sad.  I thought I would never be able to walk the beautiful path up the long and high hill ever again.  I am happy to say I was wrong.  I have been finally exercising and Bailey and I decided to try the hill out.  I warned her I would be lucky to make it half way up. 

So we started up

Made it to the first Stations of the Cross.

There are fourteen of them.

Got half way up and thought I could go a little more

This is me sitting about 3/4 of the way up.  My mouth looked like that because I was breathing a little hard. 
After about a three minute break I felt like the Little Engine that could.

I MADE IT!!

It is so beautiful up there.  I use to take aerobics in this building when I was 20yrs old.

I decided to say hi to Mary on our way back down.

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We walked around town after getting down from the hill.  I walked for an hour and felt like I accomplished something big.  My "digestion" held out, my stomach muscles must be healing, and I am building stamina so........Hurray for Konnie!!