Nunsense Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 [quote name='Antigonos' timestamp='1317217413' post='2311633'] To bring it back on topic, you can purchase soap here that has za'atar or olive oil in it... By the way, since this evening is Erev Rosh Hashanah, may all phatmassers be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year. I will write this blessing also in Hebrew, but it might not come through. חתימה טובה לשנה של בריאות, אושר ופרנסה. [/quote] How is this in topic for the thread of bathing customs in religious life?
i<3franciscans Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 I have enjoyed reading everything though!
IgnatiusofLoyola Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) [quote name='HopefulBride' timestamp='1317064416' post='2310538'] I visited a carmel in the US where the nuns had their bathrooms in suite. They explained why (I think it but I have forgotten) I don't think it is a matter of luxury. [/quote] As usual, I'm behind in my reading on Phatmass. If I remember correctly (and I may not be) I thought there was an active Community in the U.S. that decided to have an en-suite bathroom for each cell, so that if a Sister got sick (a cold or the flu, etc) she would be less likely to pass it on to the rest of the community. The work of the Sisters was "spread so thin" that even one Sister getting sick caused a difficulty. If I remember this incorrectly, someone please help me. I've enjoyed reading this thread, and wish that others had contributed their experiences. I don't necessarily why I would expect this, but I expect that bathing practices would differ between active communities and cloistered, and between U.S. and European communities. In the U.S., people in secular life who work with others tend to shower every day--it's standard custom, at least in my experience. I have no idea how this would translate to active Sisters. (Since I have never been in discernment.) Also, my gut feel is that in the U.S., taking baths (as opposed to showers) is less common. So, if a U.S. person says they bathe every day, they usually mean a shower. Part of this is that in many (most?) homes and apartments in the U.S. (and hotels) the bathtubs are VERY small--not deep enough for a good soak. (Can you tell I LOVE to take baths?) So bathtubs are used for bathing babies, but as people get older they take showers. Many college dorms don't even have a bathtub, so it wouldn't suprise me if some convents (especially newer ones) were the same. When I was working, I used to take a shower every morning (and yes, it took only 5 minutes), but then in the evening I would take a bath to relax. But, in my house, one of the bathrooms has a "non-standard" deeper tub, while the other bathroom has the "standard" U.S. tub which is only 14 inches deep. While we are talking about baths, for those still in secular life in the U.S., I strongly recommend the wonderful soaps of the cloistered Dominican nuns of Summit, NJ. And, every soap is packaged with prayer! (Yes, I tend to post about these soaps whenever I have a chance, and no, the nuns are obviously not paying me--in money or in soap!) The nuns' Web site is [url="http://www.monialesop.org/"]www.monialesop.org/[/url] and there is a link to the Gift Shop. The nuns have now set up a brand new blog just for their soaps! (But, I confess, I haven't visited it, yet.) If nothing else, since I can't add my own experiences to this thread, since there are so many posts about experiences in Carmelite communities, the Dominicans needed a mention! I'd love to hear the bathing customs of others who may have in the past been in ANY community, active or cloistered. As to concerns raised that the subject of bathing customs in the end is unimportant in discernment--I agree, and I doubt that ANY woman on VS who is discerning would base her decision primarily on bathing customs. But, personally, I find the various customs interesting. Edited September 28, 2011 by IgnatiusofLoyola
IgnatiusofLoyola Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) Duplicate post Edited September 28, 2011 by IgnatiusofLoyola
IgnatiusofLoyola Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 [quote name='Antigonos' timestamp='1317217413' post='2311633'] To bring it back on topic, you can purchase soap here that has za'atar or olive oil in it... By the way, since this evening is Erev Rosh Hashanah, may all phatmassers be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year. I will write this blessing also in Hebrew, but it might not come through. חתימה טובה לשנה של בריאות, אושר ופרנסה. [/quote] [quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1317217607' post='2311634'] How is this in topic for the thread of bathing customs in religious life? [/quote] Za'tar is (or is derived from hyssop) so relates back to earlier posts. (Please correct me if I have the definition of za'tar wrong.) I thought the greeting for the Jewish New Year was very thoughtful. A Jewish friend gave me a similar greeting yesterday, and I was touched. And, no, the greeting had nothing to do with bathing customs in religious Communities, but neither did the humorous short "detour" about whether DominicanSoul is a Carmelite at heart or the cute pictures of cats. Some of us (including myself) are not Carmelites at heart, but it does not mean that we do not respect and care for our Carmelite sisters (both in the secular and religious) sense. My understanding is that God loves members of other religous Orders as well as Carmelites--and even secular people, too. BTW--Since the new Phatmass set-up was begun, I gained back the ability to "multiquote" (Yay!) but for whatever reason, I'm having a hard time with emoticons. I never memorized the Codes, so I haven't been using emoticons very much. As a result, I had no emoticon to show that this post was not meant to be overly serious or a correction. (Nunsense--I think (hope) you know how much I love you.)
maximillion Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 How I LOVE this thread!!!!! Okay, to whomever it was who asked if I got used to the 25cm of hot water in the bottom of the tub - well, you get used to anything eventually. What was harder was the thin curtain round the bath and the proximity of the next bather........sounds, warts and all. Managing a voluminous habit on one small kitchen chair when one undressed, then the towel ( far too small ) then the clean voluminous habit, all the time one's damp body kept getting entangled in the dratted curtains. I was for pulling them down and us bathing au pleine air so to speak. Right, so at the risk of doing a total here's the next question. Personal Products.....Sanitary Protection. We had washable re-usable terry cotton nappy (diaper) type things. Terribly bulky, uncomfortable and not really all the absorbent. Had we not been enclosed and able to manage this situation I Don't know what we would have done. I dread to think of the cost of providing all those Nashies with SP......... What is/are other's experiences?
faithcecelia Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 The postulant mistress at one community I aspired with made me laugh. I asked her what we were allowed, and she said there were both towels and tampons in the cupboard and we helped ourselves. I told her I had been afraid of using the huge towels my mothet had always used and she looked me straight in the eye and said 'No, they were far, far worse!!' (like Max mentioned). She then told me that she had entered as a young divorcee and after about 4 months her postulant mistress asked if she was okay because she was never asking for towels. Turned out she had taken at least 2yrs supply of tampons with her! That sparked community discussion which led to them being allowable! At Q it was easy - a selection of various types were available in the bathrooms for you to help yourself as you needed them.
Aya Sophia Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 Ok, if there ever [u]was[/u] one guy following this thread he's gone now!
TeresaBenedicta Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 Just SP's. Which is an adjustment for me, as I've mostly only ever used the alternative.
faithcecelia Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 Im hoping to introcuce NH to the wonder of the Mooncup!
LaPetiteSoeur Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 [quote name='Antigonos' timestamp='1317217413' post='2311633'] To bring it back on topic, you can purchase soap here that has za'atar or olive oil in it... By the way, since this evening is Erev Rosh Hashanah, may all phatmassers be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year. I will write this blessing also in Hebrew, but it might not come through. חתימה טובה לשנה של בריאות, אושר ופרנסה. [/quote] Thanks for the blessing! I miss living in a place where Rosh Hashanah was more heavily celebrated.
juchu Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 [quote name='Antigonos' timestamp='1317217413' post='2311633'] חתימה טובה לשנה של בריאות, אושר ופרנסה. [/quote] [size=5]! שנה טובה ומתוקה[/size] [size="4"][size=4]I really would like to learn ivrit.... My old testament hebrew is quite good, but [i]one day[/i] I really would like to learn ivrit and travel to Israel... *dreams* [/size] [/size]
Antigonos Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 I don't know how to send a PM. Juchu, if you can read Biblical Hebrew, anyone in Israel could understand you -- although you'd sound like a time traveler from Shakepeare's time in the 21st century! Back to the "regularly scheduled programming": life in the convent sounds a lot like nursing school dorm life [without the prayers, except maybe right before exams when we prayed [i]endlessly[/i] ] back in the Sixties. We had to queue for showers, keep curfew, had uniform inspection weekly, could only use the pay phones for outgoing calls between certain hours [other times were kept for incoming calls] and no calls could be longer than 10 minutes... we could have visitors in the ground floor "parlor" which had open cubicles for a tiny amount of privacy, but the house mother made sure that everyone's feet were on the ground all the time...
brandelynmarie Posted September 28, 2011 Author Posted September 28, 2011 [quote name='i<3franciscans' timestamp='1317222917' post='2311682'] I have enjoyed reading everything though! [/quote] Just a reminder my dear VSers, it's ok to go off topic in this thread. I am enjoying it all so much .
brandelynmarie Posted September 28, 2011 Author Posted September 28, 2011 Heavens to betsy! I go away for 8 hours (to sleep!) & I come back to all of this . [quote name='Antigonos' timestamp='1317217413' post='2311633'] To bring it back on topic, you can purchase soap here that has za'atar or olive oil in it... By the way, since this evening is Erev Rosh Hashanah, may all phatmassers be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year. I will write this blessing also in Hebrew, but it might not come through. חתימה טובה לשנה של בריאות, אושר ופרנסה. [/quote] Thank you for the blessing! [quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1317217607' post='2311634'] How is this in topic for the thread of bathing customs in religious life? [/quote] Well, it all started with my Psalm quote about hyssop . [quote name='maximillion' timestamp='1317230126' post='2311740'] How I LOVE this thread!!!!! Okay, to whomever it was who asked if I got used to the 25cm of hot water in the bottom of the tub - well, you get used to anything eventually. What was harder was the thin curtain round the bath and the proximity of the next bather........sounds, warts and all. Managing a voluminous habit on one small kitchen chair when one undressed, then the towel ( far too small ) then the clean voluminous habit, all the time one's damp body kept getting entangled in the dratted curtains. I was for pulling them down and us bathing au pleine air so to speak. Right, so at the risk of doing a total here's the next question. Personal Products.....Sanitary Protection. We had washable re-usable terry cotton nappy (diaper) type things. Terribly bulky, uncomfortable and not really all the absorbent. Had we not been enclosed and able to manage this situation I Don't know what we would have done. I dread to think of the cost of providing all those Nashies with SP......... What is/are other's experiences? [/quote] Max, it was me wondering about the 25cm of hot water.
brandelynmarie Posted September 28, 2011 Author Posted September 28, 2011 [quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' timestamp='1317227627' post='2311720'] I'm having a hard time with emoticons. I never memorized the Codes, so I haven't been using emoticons very much. As a result, I had no emoticon to show that this post was not meant to be overly serious or a correction. (Nunsense--I think (hope) you know how much I love you.) [/quote] I have a theory that the little critters move around in the list on their own & sometimes they disappear! But that is just a theory... [quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1317230989' post='2311748'] The postulant mistress at one community I aspired with made me laugh. I asked her what we were allowed, and she said there were both towels and tampons in the cupboard and we helped ourselves. I told her I had been afraid of using the huge towels my mothet had always used and she looked me straight in the eye and said 'No, they were far, far worse!!' (like Max mentioned). She then told me that she had entered as a young divorcee and after about 4 months her postulant mistress asked if she was okay because she was never asking for towels. Turned out she had taken at least 2yrs supply of tampons with her! That sparked community discussion which led to them being allowable! At Q it was easy - a selection of various types were available in the bathrooms for you to help yourself as you needed them. [/quote] I am [u]relieved[/u] to hear all of this since I need to use both for several days. (Must make note of bringing a 2 year supply of tampons, lol.) [quote name='Aya Sophia' timestamp='1317231230' post='2311749'] Ok, if there ever [u]was[/u] one guy following this thread he's gone now! [/quote] I almost said my dear [b]sisters [/b]above instead of my dear VSers, but thought better of it since their may have been that one guy following it. Oh my! [quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1317231689' post='2311754'] Im hoping to introcuce NH to the wonder of the Mooncup! [/quote] I have heard of these...do they work well?
faithcecelia Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 [quote name='brandelynmarie' timestamp='1317238552' post='2311803'] I have heard of these...do they work well? [/quote] Yes, very well. They do take a bit of getting used to, but I've used one for about 8yrs now and love it!
brandelynmarie Posted September 28, 2011 Author Posted September 28, 2011 Hmmm ...washable & reusable....maybe I should give it a go .
OnlySunshine Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) [quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1317231689' post='2311754'] Im hoping to introcuce NH to the wonder of the Mooncup! [/quote] That's actually quite a good idea. It would save money in the long run since you sanitize it and it is reusable. As for me, I'm hopeful that the community I eventually enter (God-willing) will be sensitive to the fact that I cannot use conventional tampons. I usually by stuff by Natracare. Pads don't seem to pose a problem anymore, but tampons do. Edited September 28, 2011 by MaterMisericordiae
OnlySunshine Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 This reminds me of the VERY old thread from 2009: [url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/93433-unusual-personal-hygiene-practices/"]Unusual Personal Hygiene Practices[/url]
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