Shamrocks and Baskets

This is exciting! I didn't know our trip to the Grotto would include
side trips. I wasn't able to take the trip to Duwamish when you and
Anita went last time and I was so sorry to miss it. The town looks very
picturesque and the inn delightful!

Heather, I have a slight problem--no wig, no costume! Since our banquet
will take place in the Abbey (which I consider home) I'd feel so much
more comfortable if I could simply wear my usual brown robe and sandals.
I am a pilgrim at heart, but it's a merry heart eager to join new and
old friends for a splendid time. It will be good to check up on Oreo and
Tookey--and to tell the truth, Tookey is terrified of wigs!

Did I mention the baskets in my other posts? I don't know how I forgot
but I'm sure I did. Well, I have a passion for baskets and they're
scattered all over the place in my clover-leaf suite. :-) Small ones
with flat backs cling to the walls and spill trails of ivy onto my floor.
A huge white wicker, standing in an archway, contains bird of paradise
and I discovered a tiny one with purple violets hidden beneath my bed
when I reached for my shoes this morning! I've never understood why
violets are so shy, they're such lovely flowers! Oh, I found a treasure
trove of books alongside the couch, and noticed that the little baskets
on tables and bureaus change contents all the time! There's a tiny round
one with a cover on my nightstand that remains a mystery. It's woven out
of green grass, (you can still smell the green) smooth and pliable, and
there's something alive inside--I've heard faint rustlings.

Speaking of mysteries, one room is still empty and I haven't seen my
guide since she brought me here.