50 YEARS - 1968 to 2018 - Yes, some regrets; but, many joys!
What do you use as a reference for a 50th anniversary? I think of my paternal grandparents' Golden Wedding Anniversary. I also think of my parents' Golden Wedding Anniversary. As a participant in those celebrations, I viewed 50 years as a long, long, long time. On those occasions, as I listened to family stories, I sensed that the history of our family, of our rural county in Northwest Ohio, had come full circle. (I had no conception of the history of our universe then!)
Our Class of 1968 - most of us came to the Pontifical College Josephinum in 1956. Our class was identified by the expected year of our ordination - 1968. Our perspectives for these last 50 years are unique for each one of us.
What we, Joss Class of 1968, are celebrating this Fall are those blessings, graces, and gifts we have received and those blessings, graces, and gifts we have given to others. Consider these past 50 years as a pathway. You know what a pathway is like. It's never straight; it's uneven in some locations; it has steep inclines and declines; it's hemmed in by brush through some stretches; it's also marked by vibrant birds and brilliant flowers along the way. Yes, we are celebrating the Golden Jubilees of our classmates who were ordained in 1968. We are also celebrating the diverse lay vocations of the rest of us who tilled in our Lord's Vineyard.
Those of us who attended our last class reunion on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in 2016 achieved consensus that we celebrate our 2018 reunion in Ohio. The remaining question was whether we would spend our entire time at the Josephinum and in the Columbus area or we would split our time between activities in the Northern Ohio area and the annual reunion day at the Josephinum. Mike Heydinger, a master at organizing reunions of all kinds, made his pitch and he accepted the baton. We have an exciting schedule for our class reunion in September.
We are arriving in Sandusky, Ohio, on September 23. After we have checked in at our hotel of choice, we will gather together around 5:00 pm and enjoy a clam bake dinner around 6:00 pm. Depending on the weather, Mike will have the location pinpointed.
Monday, September 24, will be spent around the Sandusky area. In the morning we will first go to the Lake Erie Maritime Museum. From there we will venture to Fireland's Winery for a tour, wine tasting, and lunch. In the afternoon we will head over to the Merry-Go-Round Museum located in the transformed 1920's era Post Office in downtown Sandusky. Subsequently, following the "obligatory" group picture at the Boy with the Boot fountain area, we will assemble at St. Peter and Paul's Church for our concelebrated class Liturgy. Fr. Frank Kehres is handling these arrangements. We will then cap our day with dinner at the Landmark Restaurant.
Tuesday will be spent in the Cleveland area. We'll have a few choices to choose among: a scenic train ride through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park; East Ninth Street Pier featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Cod, Museum of Science; University Circle area where Cleveland Art Museum, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and Crawford Automobile Museum are located. Lunch will be at Great Lakes Brewing Company and dinner will be up the Hill to Little Italy at La Trattoria. (Mike says Presti's Bakery is nearby with the best baked goods and desserts.)
On Wednesday, September 26, we will convoy to Amish Country located in the Northeastern part of Ohio. We will arrive at Mrs Yoder's for lunch; travel to Heini's Cheese to sample their delights; visit the Behalt, site of the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center, which illustrates the history of the Anabaptist movement from its origins to the present day; and stop at the Yoder Homestead to get an inside look and tour of an authentic Amish homestead and their operation. After dinner at the Berlin Farmstead Restaurant we will return to Sandusky.
September 27 will be the peak of our reunion. We will drive down to the Josephinum where we will join in Alumni Day festivities. Highlights for this day include a campus tour, concelebrated Liturgy in the restored St. Turibius Chapel with seminary community and alumni, formal lunch and awards presentation, various afternoon activities, and celebratory dinner for the Class of 1968 and the Class of 1993 hosted by Fr. John Allen, PCJ'S Director of Development.
One last thought: what is our destination for our class reunion in 2020?
This concludes our 50th Anniversary Reunion. If some of you wish to hang out in the Columbus area for another day or two, that opportunity exists. In the meantime, if you have other specific questions, email Mike Heydinger at Mheydinger@huronhs.com or call him at 419-357-6245.
Monday, August 20, 2018
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Dave Wampach's Tribute to Bill Rall
On the occasion of Bill Rall's death Don Wampach's son, Dave, wrote a moving tribute to Bill Rall. He not only posted it to Facebook but also shared it with Bill's family. Dave's tribute is so articulate and inspiring, I am taking the liberty to also share it in our class blog for those who happen to peruse these enshrined pages:
May 20, 2018
This weekend I learned of the passing of Bill Rall.
Closing with much gratitude to Dave Wampach.
May 20, 2018
This weekend I learned of the passing of Bill Rall.
That name might not mean much to most of you, but he was a father, grandfather and seminary classmate of my dad’s.
Bill was a high school teacher, later counselor and deacon, and spent most of his life in Crestline, Ohio, a little town halfway between Columbus and Cleveland.
Bill was a high school teacher, later counselor and deacon, and spent most of his life in Crestline, Ohio, a little town halfway between Columbus and Cleveland.
These
men, these classmates of my dad, came from little towns in Illinois,
Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania came to The Pontifical College Josephinum in
Columbus, in the mid 1950s as teenagers trying to figure out if they
should become priests. Most of them did not, but almost all of them
spent their adult lives devoted to the Church.
These men - Mike Heydinger, Tom Meyer, Bill, among others - became like the uncles on my dad’s side of the family, the spiritual and masculine role models for me to follow. Their kids and Donna and I grew up together even though we lived in different states.
This morning, I had to proclaim the first reading at Mass, the Acts of the Apostles passage about the apostles speaking in tongues, and going into the world. I’ve lectured for 28 years, and before today, I’ve never gotten choked up on the altar. All I think about were my dad, Tom, Mike, and especially Bill leaving the Josephinum, receiving those tongues of fire, and proclaiming the Gospel in their own way.
Bill was a kind and patient man, a loving husband and father, and a true servant to God and his people. I wish I had spent more time with him as I got older. May his years of physical pain be behind him, and may God reward his humble servant who spread the word, the best way he could.
These men - Mike Heydinger, Tom Meyer, Bill, among others - became like the uncles on my dad’s side of the family, the spiritual and masculine role models for me to follow. Their kids and Donna and I grew up together even though we lived in different states.
This morning, I had to proclaim the first reading at Mass, the Acts of the Apostles passage about the apostles speaking in tongues, and going into the world. I’ve lectured for 28 years, and before today, I’ve never gotten choked up on the altar. All I think about were my dad, Tom, Mike, and especially Bill leaving the Josephinum, receiving those tongues of fire, and proclaiming the Gospel in their own way.
Bill was a kind and patient man, a loving husband and father, and a true servant to God and his people. I wish I had spent more time with him as I got older. May his years of physical pain be behind him, and may God reward his humble servant who spread the word, the best way he could.
Bill Rall Died May 18, 2018
It was with sadness that we heard from Fr. Frank Kehres on May 19 that one of our beloved classmates, Bill Rall, died at his home in the care of his family on the previous day. We knew for several years that Bill was dealing with serious heart and lung disease. Approximately two years ago Bill was hospitalized for a heart valve replacement only to undergo unexpected aneurysm surgery. Over a period of months he recovered well from that surgery.
Deacon Bill Rall was ordained as a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Diocese of Toledo in 1976. As I recall, he was among the first Permanent Deacons in the diocese and, remarkably, he served for 42 years in his home parish, St. Joseph's, in Crestline, Ohio. I recall meeting up with Bill and Carol while they were staying in Toledo during his Diaconate formation. I had an enjoyable visit with them. I also recall several summer reunions at the Josephinum when the Heydinger's, Rall's, Wampach's, Langhals', Meyer's, Driscoll's and others were gathered together, uproariously laughing as we shared stories about our pranks in the seminary including tricks on Bill. At this sad time, united in one Spirit, we all extend our love to Carol and the Rall children.
In addition to Bill and Carol's family, friends, colleagues, and parishioners, several members of our "Joss family" also attended Bill's wake and/or funeral. These included Tom and Kathy Dechant, Fr. Ger Knueven, Don and Betty Wampach, Bob and Annette Meyer, Scott and Angie Karg Meyer, and Fr. Frank Kehres. Also attending the wake was Deacon Thomas R. Dubois, MPS, who is Executive Director of NADD, National Association of Diaconate Directors, and whose headquarters is at the Josephinum.
We know Bill's spirit now rejoices with the saints in heaven!
Deacon Bill Rall was ordained as a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Diocese of Toledo in 1976. As I recall, he was among the first Permanent Deacons in the diocese and, remarkably, he served for 42 years in his home parish, St. Joseph's, in Crestline, Ohio. I recall meeting up with Bill and Carol while they were staying in Toledo during his Diaconate formation. I had an enjoyable visit with them. I also recall several summer reunions at the Josephinum when the Heydinger's, Rall's, Wampach's, Langhals', Meyer's, Driscoll's and others were gathered together, uproariously laughing as we shared stories about our pranks in the seminary including tricks on Bill. At this sad time, united in one Spirit, we all extend our love to Carol and the Rall children.
In addition to Bill and Carol's family, friends, colleagues, and parishioners, several members of our "Joss family" also attended Bill's wake and/or funeral. These included Tom and Kathy Dechant, Fr. Ger Knueven, Don and Betty Wampach, Bob and Annette Meyer, Scott and Angie Karg Meyer, and Fr. Frank Kehres. Also attending the wake was Deacon Thomas R. Dubois, MPS, who is Executive Director of NADD, National Association of Diaconate Directors, and whose headquarters is at the Josephinum.
We know Bill's spirit now rejoices with the saints in heaven!
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Lautermilch Poetry in The Comstock Review
Last Fall (2017) Steve Lautermilch informed me that two of his works of poetry were published in the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of The Comstock Review. They are titled "Carboniferous" and "Rhymes of the Way."
Steve has been writing and reading his poetry for many years now. Last Thanksgiving he sent to Chris and me one of his printed poems on the back of which he wrote, "May the season to come and the new year be rich with thanks and joy." Living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, his soul is nurtured by the loving sun and the frolicking ocean waters. He gifts us all.
The Comstock Review is a publication of distinction. Beginning as a workshop for local poets when the Comstock Writers' Group was incorporated in 1986, it has become a very respected journal for poetry in the United States. As articulated on its website, The Comstock Review continues "...to host the best work from poets throughout the English-speaking world. "
We congratulate Steve on this recognition and we thank him for his poetry. We are proud that he is a member of our Joss Class of 1968.
Steve has been writing and reading his poetry for many years now. Last Thanksgiving he sent to Chris and me one of his printed poems on the back of which he wrote, "May the season to come and the new year be rich with thanks and joy." Living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, his soul is nurtured by the loving sun and the frolicking ocean waters. He gifts us all.
The Comstock Review is a publication of distinction. Beginning as a workshop for local poets when the Comstock Writers' Group was incorporated in 1986, it has become a very respected journal for poetry in the United States. As articulated on its website, The Comstock Review continues "...to host the best work from poets throughout the English-speaking world. "
We congratulate Steve on this recognition and we thank him for his poetry. We are proud that he is a member of our Joss Class of 1968.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Journey through History
In June, 2017, Chris and I traveled to Poland with a tour group coordinated and directed by Fr. Roch Drozdzik, a native of Poland and a priest of the Raleigh Catholic Diocese in North Carolina. This opportunity came to our attention a year earlier and quickly captured Chris' interest in light of her Polish ancestry.
Our travels throughout Poland illustrated the stories of this country's history over multiple centuries to the current day; evidenced the spirit, pride, and resilience of the Polish people in the face of many adversities; and highlighted the cultural and ecological evolution of this area of Central/Eastern Europe.
We arrived in Gdansk on June 20 and soon were standing on the doorsteps of the Lenin Shipyards. Before us was a towering memorial to the shipyard workers who died during their resistance to Communist control in 1970. A decade later the Solidarity Movement was established as the first, independent trade union in a Soviet-bloc country. Soviet control of the government disintegrated in 1989 and Lech Walesa became the first popularly elected president of Poland in 1990.
On June 22 our tour group went to Westerplatte, a military site on the north side of Gdansk located on a small peninsula jetting out into the Baltic Sea. Chris and I learned that at this location, on September 1, 1939, the Germans fired the first shots of WW II. A small Polish garrison valiantly withstood the German Wehrmacht for a week. We walked through the ruins and the cemetery of this impressive memorial, realizing that our parents' generation fought in all the ensuing battles of this monster war.
Subsequently, our tour bus took us to Malbork Castle which served as the headquarters of the Order of Teutonic Knights during the Middle Ages. Construction of this Gothic castle began in the 13th century. It was severely damaged during the last phase of WW II; however, it now stands in the 21st century as an intricate and majestic restoration of its original design and character. Malbork Castle was one of several destinations on our tour listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
While in Gdansk, we discovered this city to be at the crossroads of ancient and contemporary amber trade routes and several of us climbed to the top of the tower of St. Mary's Basilica, whose construction began in the 14th century and which is regarded as one of the three largest brick churches in the world.
On June 23 we headed to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Here we witnessed the "heart and soul" of the Polish people as narrated in its history, governance, and culture. Its meager origins dating to the beginning of the 2nd millennium, Warsaw rose to be a city of prominence. Yet, with massive devastation inflicted by the Nazis, Warsaw scarcely existed at the end of 1944. In the course of our sightseeing around Warsaw, we saw the site of the Jewish Ghetto (1940-43), read about the Ghetto Uprising (April-May 1943), visited the memorial to the Warsaw Uprising (August-October 1944), and witnessed Changing of the Guard at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier. We admired the total rebuild of this city to its original plan and beauty. In my mind one structure that epitomized the recovery of Warsaw is the Royal Castle. Obliterated in 1944, its reconstruction started in 1971 and it was reopened to the public on August 31, 1984. This restoration of the castle to its original grandeur resulted from the foresight, pennies, and volunteer labor of Poles at home and abroad.
On Sunday, June 25, we left Warsaw for the mountain resort of Zakopane. Along the way we stopped at the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Czestochowa. Its history as a monastery and fortress dating back to the 14th century, we encountered multitudes of pilgrims spilling out within this confined space. Here we celebrated our Liturgy in a small chapel and also viewed the unique icon of the Black Madonna in the Chapel of the Mother of God.
Zakopane is located in the southernmost part of Poland, nestled at the base of the Tatra Mountains. This mountain range provides the border between Poland and Slovakia. On June 26 we ascended the mountain via gondola to the summit of Mount Kasprowy Wierch. Here, while Chris stayed close to the gondola station, I walked a path on the crest of the mountain, sometimes climbing over rock formations to proceed farther. As I looked to my right, I peered into Slovakia; as I looked to my left, I peered into Poland. At one point I met up with Fr. Roch on the path. As we stood around a boundary marker, we had our picture taken - one foot in Slovakia and one foot in Poland.
On the following day we took an excursion into the heart of the Tatra Mountains National Park to see Lake Morskie Oko. The sight of this lake among the surrounding mountains was stunning. More unique was our access to this lake site. We went up the mountain for four miles in a two-horse drawn wagon; then we walked the remaining 1.3 miles to reach the lake lodge. Of course, we reversed this distance in the same manner as we descended the mountain. What really impressed me were the large numbers of young families and other groups traversing this entire distance on foot.
On June 28, as we journeyed to Krakow, our day included two stops of international significance. The first was Wadowice, the birthplace of St. (Pope) John Paul II. We walked through his original home which was now transformed into a high-tech museum. We gained a greater intimacy with Karol Wojtyla's life including his family, his love for the Polish people, his courage in the face of Communism, his devoted service to the youth of the world, and his committed shepherding of the Catholic Church.
The second stop consisted in a disturbing look into a period of diametrically opposite human behavior - Auschwitz! Called a concentration camp, a labor camp, or a detention facility, what it was were gas chambers, furnaces, crematoria, execution walls, separation, starvation, and deprivation. Chris and I somberly walked through the barracks, respectfully stepped across the outdoor spaces used for roll call, sadly viewed those personal belongings removed from the detainees, and prayerfully looked into the solitary cell where St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar, was starved and killed by lethal injection. A large picture that haunted Chris and me after we left Auschwitz was that of a boy who held the hands of his two younger brothers as they walked into the concentration camp.
Our spirits were lifted on the afternoon of June 29 when we were entertained by a Polish dance troupe while we ate lunch at Halit Restaurant in Wieliczka. This troupe incorporated several individuals from our tour group into their dance routines. Chris was one of these participants. After lunch we all walked over to the Wieliczka Salt Mine where we descended 380 wooden steps into an enormous subterranean mine. Underground salt extraction in this locale began in the 13th century and continued into the middle of the 20th century. What captured our attention as we spent a couple hours passing through this mine's corridors, shafts, chambers, and chapels were innumerable, delicately sculpted salt artifacts, statues, and bas-reliefs of religious significance. These artistic works were amazing. The crown jewel of this mine was the Chapel of St. Kinga where even Pope John Paul II, while still Cardinal, celebrated Mass.
We spent two full days, June 29 and 30, in Krakow. This city is known for its well-preserved medieval core and Jewish quarter. Its old town – ringed by Planty Park and remnants of the city’s medieval walls – is centered on the stately, expansive Rynek Glówny (market square). This plaza is the site of the Cloth Hall, a Renaissance-era trading outpost; and St. Mary’s Basilica, a 14th-century Gothic church. Chris and I heard the bugler play the hejnal, a traditional Trumpet Call, from the tower of St. Mary's Basilica. We purchased Christmas gifts for our daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren at the Cloth Hall. Chris finally found a shop off the beaten path in Krakow where she bought some beautiful Polish yarn; I went with her to ensure she would not become lost. I enjoyed an ice cream cone at Wawel Castle, the Polish version of Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, while Chris wandered the grounds taking pictures. Krakow was spared destruction by the Nazis because Hitler envisioned this city to become the site of the General Command for his intended German Empire.
We completed our journey through history on July 1 when we flew out of Karkow back to Charlotte, NC.
Our travels throughout Poland illustrated the stories of this country's history over multiple centuries to the current day; evidenced the spirit, pride, and resilience of the Polish people in the face of many adversities; and highlighted the cultural and ecological evolution of this area of Central/Eastern Europe.
We arrived in Gdansk on June 20 and soon were standing on the doorsteps of the Lenin Shipyards. Before us was a towering memorial to the shipyard workers who died during their resistance to Communist control in 1970. A decade later the Solidarity Movement was established as the first, independent trade union in a Soviet-bloc country. Soviet control of the government disintegrated in 1989 and Lech Walesa became the first popularly elected president of Poland in 1990.
On June 22 our tour group went to Westerplatte, a military site on the north side of Gdansk located on a small peninsula jetting out into the Baltic Sea. Chris and I learned that at this location, on September 1, 1939, the Germans fired the first shots of WW II. A small Polish garrison valiantly withstood the German Wehrmacht for a week. We walked through the ruins and the cemetery of this impressive memorial, realizing that our parents' generation fought in all the ensuing battles of this monster war.
Subsequently, our tour bus took us to Malbork Castle which served as the headquarters of the Order of Teutonic Knights during the Middle Ages. Construction of this Gothic castle began in the 13th century. It was severely damaged during the last phase of WW II; however, it now stands in the 21st century as an intricate and majestic restoration of its original design and character. Malbork Castle was one of several destinations on our tour listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
 |
| Malbork Castle: Variations in the tone and shade of brick portray the destruction and restoration of this Castle. |
While in Gdansk, we discovered this city to be at the crossroads of ancient and contemporary amber trade routes and several of us climbed to the top of the tower of St. Mary's Basilica, whose construction began in the 14th century and which is regarded as one of the three largest brick churches in the world.
On June 23 we headed to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Here we witnessed the "heart and soul" of the Polish people as narrated in its history, governance, and culture. Its meager origins dating to the beginning of the 2nd millennium, Warsaw rose to be a city of prominence. Yet, with massive devastation inflicted by the Nazis, Warsaw scarcely existed at the end of 1944. In the course of our sightseeing around Warsaw, we saw the site of the Jewish Ghetto (1940-43), read about the Ghetto Uprising (April-May 1943), visited the memorial to the Warsaw Uprising (August-October 1944), and witnessed Changing of the Guard at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier. We admired the total rebuild of this city to its original plan and beauty. In my mind one structure that epitomized the recovery of Warsaw is the Royal Castle. Obliterated in 1944, its reconstruction started in 1971 and it was reopened to the public on August 31, 1984. This restoration of the castle to its original grandeur resulted from the foresight, pennies, and volunteer labor of Poles at home and abroad.
On Sunday, June 25, we left Warsaw for the mountain resort of Zakopane. Along the way we stopped at the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Czestochowa. Its history as a monastery and fortress dating back to the 14th century, we encountered multitudes of pilgrims spilling out within this confined space. Here we celebrated our Liturgy in a small chapel and also viewed the unique icon of the Black Madonna in the Chapel of the Mother of God.
Zakopane is located in the southernmost part of Poland, nestled at the base of the Tatra Mountains. This mountain range provides the border between Poland and Slovakia. On June 26 we ascended the mountain via gondola to the summit of Mount Kasprowy Wierch. Here, while Chris stayed close to the gondola station, I walked a path on the crest of the mountain, sometimes climbing over rock formations to proceed farther. As I looked to my right, I peered into Slovakia; as I looked to my left, I peered into Poland. At one point I met up with Fr. Roch on the path. As we stood around a boundary marker, we had our picture taken - one foot in Slovakia and one foot in Poland.
 |
| Hiking along the summit of Mount Kasprowy Wierch in the Tatra Mountains. Slovakia to the right; Poland to the left. |
On the following day we took an excursion into the heart of the Tatra Mountains National Park to see Lake Morskie Oko. The sight of this lake among the surrounding mountains was stunning. More unique was our access to this lake site. We went up the mountain for four miles in a two-horse drawn wagon; then we walked the remaining 1.3 miles to reach the lake lodge. Of course, we reversed this distance in the same manner as we descended the mountain. What really impressed me were the large numbers of young families and other groups traversing this entire distance on foot.
On June 28, as we journeyed to Krakow, our day included two stops of international significance. The first was Wadowice, the birthplace of St. (Pope) John Paul II. We walked through his original home which was now transformed into a high-tech museum. We gained a greater intimacy with Karol Wojtyla's life including his family, his love for the Polish people, his courage in the face of Communism, his devoted service to the youth of the world, and his committed shepherding of the Catholic Church.
The second stop consisted in a disturbing look into a period of diametrically opposite human behavior - Auschwitz! Called a concentration camp, a labor camp, or a detention facility, what it was were gas chambers, furnaces, crematoria, execution walls, separation, starvation, and deprivation. Chris and I somberly walked through the barracks, respectfully stepped across the outdoor spaces used for roll call, sadly viewed those personal belongings removed from the detainees, and prayerfully looked into the solitary cell where St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar, was starved and killed by lethal injection. A large picture that haunted Chris and me after we left Auschwitz was that of a boy who held the hands of his two younger brothers as they walked into the concentration camp.
Our spirits were lifted on the afternoon of June 29 when we were entertained by a Polish dance troupe while we ate lunch at Halit Restaurant in Wieliczka. This troupe incorporated several individuals from our tour group into their dance routines. Chris was one of these participants. After lunch we all walked over to the Wieliczka Salt Mine where we descended 380 wooden steps into an enormous subterranean mine. Underground salt extraction in this locale began in the 13th century and continued into the middle of the 20th century. What captured our attention as we spent a couple hours passing through this mine's corridors, shafts, chambers, and chapels were innumerable, delicately sculpted salt artifacts, statues, and bas-reliefs of religious significance. These artistic works were amazing. The crown jewel of this mine was the Chapel of St. Kinga where even Pope John Paul II, while still Cardinal, celebrated Mass.
 |
| Altar of Sacrifice positioned in the center of the Sanctuary in Chapel of St. Kinga within Wieliczka Salt Mine |
We spent two full days, June 29 and 30, in Krakow. This city is known for its well-preserved medieval core and Jewish quarter. Its old town – ringed by Planty Park and remnants of the city’s medieval walls – is centered on the stately, expansive Rynek Glówny (market square). This plaza is the site of the Cloth Hall, a Renaissance-era trading outpost; and St. Mary’s Basilica, a 14th-century Gothic church. Chris and I heard the bugler play the hejnal, a traditional Trumpet Call, from the tower of St. Mary's Basilica. We purchased Christmas gifts for our daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren at the Cloth Hall. Chris finally found a shop off the beaten path in Krakow where she bought some beautiful Polish yarn; I went with her to ensure she would not become lost. I enjoyed an ice cream cone at Wawel Castle, the Polish version of Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, while Chris wandered the grounds taking pictures. Krakow was spared destruction by the Nazis because Hitler envisioned this city to become the site of the General Command for his intended German Empire.
We completed our journey through history on July 1 when we flew out of Karkow back to Charlotte, NC.
Friday, August 18, 2017
Hageman's in Chapel Hill
Norm and Linda Hageman were traveling across country from Kansas City, MO, to Hilton Head Island, SC, during the first week of July. En route, they stopped and stayed at our house in Chapel Hill - "the southern side of heaven" - for two nights. They arrived in the early evening of July 6th. On July 7th Chris and I took them to Durham where we walked around the American Tobacco Campus and had lunch at Tyler's Restaurant & Taproom. At Tyler's Norm enjoyed a locally crafted brew as is his custom. (Formerly, the American Tobacco Campus was the site of those major tobacco mills, e.g., Lucky Strike, that drove the Durham economy. Now, with the original buildings having been restored and rehabilitated, the beautifully landscaped and thriving campus is the location of small businesses, professional offices, and non-profits.)
During the afternoon we ventured to Raleigh. First, we showed Norm and Linda the site of the new diocesan Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral. This was also the first time for Chris and me to see it in its Romanesque Revival grandeur. Our collective comment was that the cathedral "is huge." (The cathedral was just dedicated within this past month.) We also drove around downtown Raleigh to view the rising skyline of North Carolina's capital city.
For dinner we returned to Chapel Hill to dine at the 411 West Italian Cafe on Franklin Street. Our meals were delicious.
Norm and Linda left for Hilton Head on Saturday morning, July 8th, where they were meeting the rest of their family for a week "at the beach." Chris and I truly enjoyed hosting the Hageman's.
 |
| Norm, Linda, & Tom @ ATC |
During the afternoon we ventured to Raleigh. First, we showed Norm and Linda the site of the new diocesan Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral. This was also the first time for Chris and me to see it in its Romanesque Revival grandeur. Our collective comment was that the cathedral "is huge." (The cathedral was just dedicated within this past month.) We also drove around downtown Raleigh to view the rising skyline of North Carolina's capital city.
For dinner we returned to Chapel Hill to dine at the 411 West Italian Cafe on Franklin Street. Our meals were delicious.
Norm and Linda left for Hilton Head on Saturday morning, July 8th, where they were meeting the rest of their family for a week "at the beach." Chris and I truly enjoyed hosting the Hageman's.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Wampach's in the Rockies
In addition to frequent excursions to Fort Worth, Texas, to see their young grandson and to Door County, Wisconsin, for get-aways, this summer Don and Betty Wampach ventured to our neighboring country north of us. They thoroughly enjoyed an 8-day trip to the Canadian Rockies. Don wrote, "We spent 8 fabulous days in the Canadian Rockies. Two were on the Rocky
Mountaineer from Vancouver to Jasper. While not the Swiss Alps, they
are best we have on this side of the pond. Still: WOW. Walked on the
Columbia Ice Fields - 826 feet deep ice, spread out over the equivalent
of Paris twice.
Yes, further testimony to the importance of loving and caring for our Mother Earth!
Yes, further testimony to the importance of loving and caring for our Mother Earth!
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