Saturday, February 28, 2015

Fastest February on Record

Last day of February, and it is still cold... 21 degrees today.  That's an improvement. Many days this month were in the single digits, day after day.  And bouts of snow.  Nothing compared to the snow in New England, but still a battering for our area.

I spent the first two weeks getting ready to go to California.  On Feb.19, I boarded a plane at BWI and spent six hours wedged between two enormous young businessmen.  Landed at LAX and was disoriented by the change in climate, not to mention the three hour time difference. 

I attended the Conference on the Future of the Catholic Literary Imagination, which was held on the campus of USC, and sponsored by the Center for Advanced Catholic Studies there.  It was a delightful conference in so many ways.

The campus is beautiful, first of all.  And the weather was sunny, breezy, and 73 degrees most of the time.  Here are some campus photos, taken by myself and my poet friend Angela Alaimo O'Donnell ( who has a much more sophisticated camera than I do )



I stayed in a small motel about five minutes walking distance from the campus:  The Vagabond Inn!

I wasn't sure about this place, but it was fine:  very clean, ( wonderful hot shower!) , quiet, and friendly, and much cheaper than the Radisson that the Conference recommended.

 
an old fashioned, but refurbished, motel:
 
 
the street scene on Figueroa Street:
 
 
but oh, the flowers along the way to the campus!
 
 
The Catholic Center on campus, where many of the events were held, has a marvelous church/chapel:
 
 



 
and decorated for Mass on the First Sunday of Lent:
 
 
 
 
more on this whole conference later.  I have notes I want to share.
 

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