Machines are ever more plentiful and useful, but something more important, more spiritual, is being lost One of the greatest influences of the Industrial Revolution on society was perhaps its ability to mechanize our lives. In a materialistic world, which adores speed, it seems only natural that matter and speed come together … Read more
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Passing undulating rows of grapevines on either side of a steep driveway lined with cypress trees, the scene reminded me of a picture calendar I had seen of Tuscany, Italy. However, as I crested the hill, nothing I had ever seen before could match what I beheld atop this mountain. I was … Read more
The attendance of Queen Elizabeth at last year’s Kentucky Derby was her first and it was truly a memorable event. The track workers at Churchill Downs took etiquette classes in preparation for her Majesty’s arrival while the executive chef planned a sumptuous meal fit for a queen. Her presence at the Run … Read more
Gratitude, it has been said, is the most fragile of virtues. This virtue’s feebleness was nowhere more apparent than in the treatment given to American soldiers returning from the Vietnam War. They were sometimes spat upon at airports by fringe groups of hippies. Times have changed. American soldiers returning from the Middle … Read more
It was the most memorable Veterans Day of my life. As many recognized the sacrifices made by the living I paid my respects to someone who sacrificed it all. His name was Sgt. Daniel Shaw of West Seneca N.Y. I was doing home visits with the pilgrim statue of our Lady of … Read more
As the number of carriage companies in America grows, so do the number of Horse-Drawn Funerals. That such a thing exists in a post-industrial nation like the United States represents another paradox that can be found only in America. A funny thing happened to me recently. While driving down the road minding … Read more
It is not every day that one meets a veteran of World War II much less one who was present during the historic battle for Iwo Jima. But I knew something was different about Norbert Arnold as he approached me during a presentation about Fatima at his cousin’s home in St. Mary’s, … Read more
The Wanamaker is not only the world’s largest organ, it is also the largest musical instrument on earth. Moreau Claude, an organist from Paris, appreciates such things. After all, he has a beautiful organ in his own home and has studied under Marcel Dupre. For his 70th birthday, his daughter bought him … Read more
It must have been a sight to see. Our guide seemed delighted retelling the story of a man so awed by the ornate, seventeenth-century gilded carriage that he could not resist the urge. He just had to sit in it. When he stepped over the small security barrier, the alarms sounded; his … Read more
VISIT LONGWOOD GARDENS ON THE WEB The facts are staggering. Here you will find the greatest and the most in nearly every conceivable category: 1,050 acres of gardens containing exquisite flowers and majestic trees, twenty different outdoor gardens, twenty indoor gardens in four acres of heated greenhouses, and a total of 11,000 … Read more