As summer winds down we tend to cram activities into the month of August. Schools are preparing to reopen, the days are getting shorter and we know what the months ahead will bring. Summer cabins, summer festivals and summer fun are still present, but planning begins for autumn activities.
One of my summer memories is spending a week each August at the Veterans’ Camp at Big Island on Lake Minnetonka. Big Island had many sleeping cabins, community restrooms and shower rooms, and a lodge where meals served three times a day sent an aroma through the campgrounds that alerted us to what was on the menu. Then the bell sounded, calling us to eat.
At dawn we set out to fish, sometimes before breakfast. We rarely caught anything, but the mist on the lake and the sunrise were worth waking up to see. The smell of minnows and earthworms lingered on our T-shirts and hands until we landed ashore in time for breakfast. After breakfast, we leisurely prepared for the beach by slathering Coppertone suntan lotion on our bodies. Between the smell of the suntan lotion and the baby oil, we could tell who was ahead of us on the path to the beach. The sounds of music on shore and from boats filled the air; joyful screams and splashing water sounded the alarm to fun, and occasionally the nagging of a sibling to share a towel or to move farther away turned heads and rolled eyes.
After lunch, we had a quiet time, when we sat in our cabins for an hour or two. Do you remember the rule that you could not swim until one hour after eating? I figured out that it was also to keep us out of the sun at the hottest time of the day, protecting us from terrible sunburn. After the midday break, we returned to the beach until it was time for the dinner bell to ring. One of the older children stayed with us as the adults disappeared to prepare for dinner. Many evening activities took us to the lodge or around campfires. It was a fun and relaxing week.
We still have lots to look forward to in August. The Minnesota State Fair is not far away, that “Great Minnesota Get-Together.” It has been one of my favorite events to end summer vacations, and it still is today.
In addition, many summer and fall festivals will be held in the coming months, so there is plenty of food and fun yet to be shared. The smell of deep-fried food, barbecue and mini donuts can lure us to where the sound of music and carnival rides fill the air. Check out the Fall Festival Guide in this edition of The Catholic Spirit and make summer and fall festivals at our parishes part of your Archdiocesan Passport Adventure and pilgrimages this summer.
Pilgrimages are more popular than ever today. The Camino de Santiago in Spain hosts thousands of pilgrims each year, as does Rome, particularly during this Jubilee Year with its theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”
Many of us have on our bucket list to make a pilgrimage to a holy site. But for some, it might be too intimidating or expensive. Why not plan a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, or the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis? They are official pilgrimage sites for this Jubilee Year.
There are other pilgrimage sites around Minnesota and throughout the country. I make a pilgrimage once or twice a week in Minneapolis by walking from St. Olaf to the grotto at Our Lady of Lourdes. I make this a time of prayer, exercise and renewal. Now, with a renovated Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis it will be an even easier walk. Check out what might be close to you and make your own pilgrimage.
Enjoy the month of August. Revel in the sunshine, the heat and summer fun. There still is time to do what is on our summer lists. “May Jesus, Mary and Joseph be with you on your way,” as my mother always used to say!
