Only in America…

Only in America... 2

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

Longwood Gardens, “A little piece of heaven”

Longwood Gardens, “A little piece of heaven”

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

Tallyho!

Tallyho! 2

It was a cool, crisp morning as I drove down a Pennsylvania back road on the way to my first fox hunt. The sky was clear and blue, and the bright sunshine illuminating the frost-covered field brought an agreeable white freshness to the landscape. The sights along the way were what one … Read more

Trooping the Colors at Brown University

Trooping the Colors at Brown University 5

There is something about toy soldiers that brings out the boy in every man. Before toys became genderless and pacifistic, the toy soldier was the mainstay of countless boyhood games. How many boys marched their soldiers into battle, staged mock wars, and dreamed of military glory! Indeed, how many military careers were … Read more

Gone with the Wind?

Gone with the Wind? 1

“Sunday morning’s Mass was absolutely magical for me,” said Cindy Lambert, an office manager in New Orleans who portrays a nun in Civil War reenactments. “In all the years we have [reenacted], this is the first time we had a Latin Mass with Gregorian Chant. Many folks were awestruck by the beauty … Read more

“Icon of the Heavenly Jerusalem”

“Icon of the Heavenly Jerusalem” 2

Priests, Architects, members of liturgical councils and parishioners gathered in Mundelein, Illinois to discuss how a Church will look in 2010. What most people want is beauty! Building a Domus Dei “I was in awe. In every direction I looked, I saw images that reminded me that I was standing at the … Read more

The Third Place

The informal gathering place provides a way for many Americans to survive their hectic daily lives. Ladies have their tearooms, but many men have found a solution also. Years ago, I had the chance to visit Italy. I loved my stay there and had an amusing experience in the airport the day … Read more

Tea Rooms

What impressed me were the details, those little touches that created an ambience and put me at ease. Here was a calm spot away from the crowded fast-food places, where one is not an anonymous person dashing down a meal. “Take your time,” my waitress said as she removed my plate, leaving … Read more

“Bodies Revealed” – A Cruel Mockery

"Bodies Revealed" – A Cruel Mockery

There was a time when skinning a person alive was considered the ultimate barbarity. Today, skinning a person dead is considered “educational.” It is not without dismay that we have, for some time now, seen the news of exhibits of actual human bodies in varying degrees of decomposition put on display in … Read more