Finding something magical and wonderful everyday

St Clair Family Memorial - Rosslyn Chapel a photo by litlesam on Flickr.

I am a traveler.  I have found in my later years that there is a bit of the nomad in my spirit.  I don't really want to move away and live somewhere foreign.  But I am nomadic in nature and want to see, visit, and explore as many places as possible.  I never know where my travels will lead me and sometimes I am surprised at where I end up.  Three years ago my partner Mark and I took a journey to Scotland to visit a friend of ours name Sue.  She invited us to her home in the hills of Penicuik.  We were unfamiliar with the area, but we knew it was near Edinburgh which fascinated us.  Sue picked us up at the airport and took us to her home.  It was a beautiful estate with gardens, hills, wild animals, and two poodles.  We visited in January, which is not the best time to visit Scotland.  Scotland is cold and rainy most of the year, but January can be the worst.  We brought warm coats, and warm night wear for our visit.  Our first day at Sue's home she took us on a tour of the ground and we noticed a church off in the distance.  It was covered in scaffolding and under repair.  We asked her about the church and she told us it was "the" Rosslyn chapel of the Da Vinci Code fame.  What?  This was the church of The Holy Grail from the novel?  She told us yes it was that same church.  We were shocked.  We had no idea this church was near her home.  What a wonderful surprise.  It was walking distance from her home.  I love unplanned surprises like this.  We should have researched a little more and been prepared for this, but finding it by surprise was much more fun.

Being a Christian and raised in a conservative Christian Church seeing the church made famous by the Da Vinci Code was perplexing to say the least.  Being a traveler and exploring cultures and history this was a true find.  How does one separate the two.  Do I look at this chapel with its history and legends as just that, legends?  Or do I go explore the chapel hoping for some mind bogging experience.  I am a skeptic.  I have many beliefs that have been in my mind since childhood.  But this was no accident.  I was here completely unaware for a reason.  Is this the actual location where the descendants of Jesus survived.  Are the St. Clairs who still claim ownership of the property the true descendants of Mary Magdalene and Jesus?  There are so many questions without any answers.  But I did see the chapel.  And I saw the memorial and grave of The St. Clair family at Rosslyn.  It was an experience that I will never forget. 

I have been to many other places that have spiritual significance to many religions.  I have been to Fatima where the the legend of the Holy Mothers appearance is significant.  I have been to Machu Picchu where the Inca created a spiritual hiding place.  I have visited the locations of where my ancestors left Europe and immigrated to the United States.  All of these places have their importance and their mark on my history and my beliefs. 

But my friend Sue lives in a beautiful home in the hills of Penicuik where she sees the Rosslyn Chapel from her window everyday.  Its common place for her.  Does that make it any less special, or magical, or spiritual?  I don't know.  I worked in Washington DC for ten years.  I walked past the Capitol Building everyday on my way to work.  It became just another building I saw daily.  But to tourist on the visitors bus its magical and wonderful to see see the Capitol for the first time.  I look at my life each day and try to find something special.    I want to experience a Rosslyn Chapel everyday.  Some days its difficult to find that special moment.  But if I take time, reflect on my blessings, and forget about my problems, there is a Rosslyn Chapel in my horizon everyday.  Its my job to find it.

A long journey from 8th grade English

Larry and Mark at Tintern Abbey a photo by litlesam on Flickr.

 When Mark, Katie, and I started to plan this trip to Ireland and to Wales we all talked about places we each wanted to see. I knew my must see location would be Tintern Abbey. I studied Wordsworth in high school, and unlike most school kids, was fascinated with his poetry. I had read his poem “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798.” many times and have always wanted to see the location that inspiried this piece of work. Wordsworth talks in the poem of how he carried the vision with him and when he is in a busy city, or in a hectic crowd, the memory brings him back to a day of peace. I wanted to see this place that caused him to write: "In which the heavy and the weary weight. Of all this unintelligble world, is lightened..."

Today Tintern Abbey is somewhat restored. You can walk amoung the ruins. You can walk by the shore of the River Wye. And yes, even being there with friends and other visitors, I was able to understand why this place was important to Wordsworth. Its been a long journey from 8th grade English class in 1964 to Tintern Abbey 2011. But it was worth the journey.

Familarity

Interesting carving on a building in Atlanta (3) a photo by litlesam on Flickr.

I love the city of Atlanta.  I lived in Atlanta in the mid 1970's.  I was in my early twenties and had lived all of my life to that point in a small rural town of less than 10,000.  Suddenly finding myself in a big city like Atlanta was pure culture shock.  I had to learn to live in the big city much like the kid who is thrown into the lake and has to learn to swim.  It was exciting, thrilling and yet terrifying all at the same time.   I have returned to Atlanta many times since that period in the 1970's.   Like me, Atlanta has grown and changed over the years.  When I walk down the streets  that  I was so familiar with in the 1970's today, it is at times difficult recognize where I am.  Huge skyscrapers now reach up to the sky where small shops and theaters once stood.  I saw this carving on an old building on Peachtree Street near Five Points.  The carving was one that I have walked past many times and has always caught my attention. The eyes and the expression always stop me when I walk past this building.   There was a small movie theatre next to this building in 1974.  I went to see a really bad movie at this theatre.  The movies title was Bug.  It was one of the later movies in the career of William Castle.  William Castle was the king of gimmicks and promotion for his movies.  His movies were never great, but this one was really bad.  The story was about mutant cock roaches released on the earth by a massive earthquake.  The theatre is long gone.  The entire area around the building has changed.  But this carving which I have always loved still exits.  And so does the memory of a really bad film.   Familiarity exists even when everything has changed.  And at times it brings back to mind a really bad movie. 

April 1977 Mom turns 50. Its a Mohole Party

April 1977 Mom turns 50. Its a Mohole Party a photo by litlesam on Flickr.

Happy Birthday Mom. "They" say time heals all wounds, but "they" are wrong. I don't think you ever get over losing your mother. Its natural and you expect to outlive your parents. But I don't think you ever stop missing them.

We celebrated my Mom's 50th birthday in a bizarre way.  We made a strange cake for her.  We bought those little sugar letters for decorations.  Instead of spelling out words like Happy Birthday we just put the entire card of letters on top of the cake in alphabetical order.  We made dinner for Mom also.  We made tacos for her.  She never had tasted taco's before.  It was 1977 and taco's had not yet become a mainstream family dinner.  She was not sure about them.  I remember we showed her how to put the seasoned hamburger into the crispy taco shell.  She loved them at first bite.  At 50 she had found something new that she liked. 

We made paper hats for everyone one to wear.  They had no design or description.  We called it a Mohole party.  I can't explain why, but at the time it seemed like a fun thing to do.  We laughed the entire evening.  Weird cakes, taco's and strange hats.  There was no alcohol at the party but you would have thought we were all under the influence.  It was one of the most fun parties I have ever attended.

We lost Mom way too early.  She died at the age of 70 just twenty years from the time this photo was taken.  I am now 58 and realizing just how young Mom was in this photo. That young man in the photo is me.  I was 25.  It was another lifetime.  I was married.  I would have two children just a few years later.  Looking back I hardly recognize  that person in the photo.  But there is no question who Mom was.  She was the grand matriarch.  She ruled the family with a strong but loving arm.

I wish Mom was still here today. I wish she could know the man I am today.  I wish she could have watched my girls grow into beautiful and strong young women.  I wish she could have met my husband Mark.  I know he would have loved to laugh and to sing with her in harmony.  I wish she could have met Danielle's partner Andrea.  And I wish she could be here to hold Katie and give her big hugs right now, that she needs so much.

I miss you Mom.  But I know you are watching over us and talking to Jesus about us in your heavenly home.  We will all be together again some day in the future.  And the love just keeps on growing.

The Class of 1970 had its dreams

Group photo - Class of 1970 40 year reunion a photo by litlesam on Flickr.

My high school class had its 40th reunion last year. I have heard many people talk about high school reunions over the years. Some say they would never go back to a reunion. Others go and have a wonderful time. I have enjoyed my high school reunions very much. This past year my high school class seems to have reconnected on many levels. Many of us have become contacts on Facebook. We have been able to share good times, felt bad for each other in sad times. We have sent prayers to each other when our families have been sick or have had problems. It has been a wonderful experience. Our reunion last October seemed to culminate all of this into a big party where we were able to celebrate who we are now, who we were then, and to be around to see who we become in the future.

We are all now approaching sixty much faster than we want to admit. We all realized that waiting five or ten years to have another reunion is just too long. So we have had a couple of mini reunions since  that have proved to be even more fun and more meaningful than the big party last October.

A group of us got together this evening at our classmates Laura's home for a pot luck dinner, some beer and wine and lots of conversation. We talked about husband and wives, ex's, children, grandchildren, teachers, parents who are getting older and frail, the events of 9/11, retirement, and jobs. Its been wonderful to reconnect and look at the roads we all have taken and been amazed at how those roads have kind of brought us back together.

The class of 70 had its dreams. Today we have our realities. But there is a bond of love and friendship now that many of us had thought we left behind back when we moved that tassel on our graduation caps so many years ago. I am so thankful for these friends today. We are comfort for each other now when many of us need it the most

I love you guys.

In Bondage

Day 170 0f 365 days - Or should that be day 1 0070 of 365 days a photo by litlesam on Flickr.

In 1962 I was ten years old. Every Saturday my mother would give me a quarter so that I could go to the Saturday matinee at the State Theatre in my little home town of Havre de Grace. Before the feature they always showed previews of coming attractions. I will never forget one Saturday afternoon in 1962. The previews started to play and the announcer said "You will not want to miss Dr. No, first in a series of James Bond films." For some reason the words first in a series caught this ten year olds attention. I had never heard of James Bond, Ian Fleming, or Sean Connery. But with this one announcement they all entered my life.

I was so excited. I was going to be able to see the FIRST in a series. I waited for two weeks for the film to open. I waited in line as usual with the quarter held tight in my hand for my admission. This was an event I was not going to miss.  They dimmed the lights in the movie theater, and closed the curtains covering the movie screen. This was always a big production at the State Theater. After showing the previews and a cartoon, they would close the curtains and the theater would go completely dark. Then the curtains would open as the movie started. I sat there as the curtains opened and the now familiar guitar riff of the James Bond theme entered my consciousness for the very first time.

I sat through the movie and never blinked an eye. I was totally captivated. From the images of Ursula Andress walking out of the sea in the bikini with the big knife strapped on her hip, to the images of Sean Connery in all his shirtless glory, this ten year old was mesmerized. I remember I stayed and watched the movie twice that day. Back then once you paid your admission you could stay and watch the movie as many times as you wanted. I could not leave. I had to see it one more time.

Since that day I have been in Bondage to the Bond films. Now almost 50 years later I still wait in anticipation for each new Bond movie. I have read all of Ian Flemings books. I have the entire movie series on DVD. I have the soundtracks and its not unusual to find them playing in my car CD player on any given day. The picture of me here is one that I had fun setting up. Its me with the Wii that my daughters gave me for Christmas in 2009. I have a Wii gun that I can use to do battle with Bond and wipe out the bad guys. I am like that ten year old kid all over again.

1962, first in a series! I never thought then that in November 2012 when I will turn sixty I will be first in line when the next Bond opens. Its almost like they have planned them all just for me.

Identity crisis solved

Just like me - German and Irish - St. Patricks Day Parade Baltimore Maryland a photo by litlesam on Flickr.

I enjoy researching family history. I have spent many hours working on family trees. I pay a monthly fee to use the Ancestry.com web site. For some reason its all very important to me. I have heard many stories told to me over the years about family history. My mother loved to talk about the family and share stories that had been told to her. My research has challenged some of the stories that were told to her, but that also adds to the mystery and fascination with tracing ancestors.

This week I will be celebrating St. Patricks Day. Part of my fathers family immigrated to the United States from Ireland in the 1840's. I celebrated St. David's on March 1 for the other half of my fathers family. They immigrated from Wales and met the Irish half of my family right here in Maryland.

My mothers family immigrated from Germany in the late 1840's. They immigrated from the Hessen area of Bavaria. The patriarch Peter Christian Roth was in the Bavarian Army and brought his family to the United States after he was released from the military.

I was at the St.Patricks Day Parade in Baltimore on Sunday. I saw this beautiful daschund at the parade dressed in green shamrocks. This is me. A German wrapped in shamrocks.

I am going to Ireland and Wales next month. Mark and I are taking my daughter Katie with us as part of her 30th birthday celebration. Mark also has Irish roots to his family. It will be great fun visiting the homeland of our ancestors.