Posts Tagged ‘george’

And The Winning Ticket Number Is

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013

I (Steve) remember when growing up my father would talk about having “The Winning Ticket” to the Irish Sweepstakes (but he never did).  The Irish Sweepstakes was the world’s largest lottery done once a year to raise monies for a local hospital in Dublin. Since the hospital was a catholic hospital, priests were asked to smuggle tickets out of Ireland to the United States because NO one would check a priest going thru customs for smuggled goods.  The tickets were then sold in the States, and you bragged if you had a ticket. Every year my grandmother would have one for my father, but alas never a winner.  

Now for the story to come full circle; the hotel we stayed in while in Dublin was directly across the street from the buildings that use to house that old hospital.  

And now you know the rest of my story.

As Time Goes By

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

It has been rather busy since returning to San Diego; a Pfizer convention, guests for 8 days,Steve’s dad needing him on the Fourth and him not being home, etc,  so it has just been the last couple of days that we have been unpacking, and sorting our souvenirs and small gifts.  And our memories.  They are not so easy to put back on the shelf.  Do we want to?  What do I miss the most?

What I miss is rediscovering my husband in so many little ways. In Montalcino we got to play “house”.  Shop, cook, wash dishes, and delight in the discoveries we made each day. Read books, watch movies on the computer between toastincinqueterra1us in bed on “movie night.”  No distractions, settled in, drinking wine, making new friends, being of small service, and sharing the immense sense of marvel.  Boy did we fight too! 

Trying not to fall into old patterns and roles, still hurting from failures, and sometimes thinking the only thing we had in common was the kids. Choosing to love, remembering how to love, loving from the head when the heart forgot how. Vowing to change and be different, and making progress . OK, too deep.

I loved having company come.  How honored I was to have someone come so far to share this.  And we were only too eager to share what we had found.  

Cooking Italian style, lots of Jug wine and cheese on a terrace with a million dollar view. Scarves, market day, Duomo’s, Easter week, 8 of Maggio, church bells, finding the small treasures of a small town, great ravioli, poppy fields,  crunchy underwear, shutters thrown open to greet each new day! 

And how humbled I felt that some dear people would read my frequent ranting on my travel blog and let me share this all with them from afar. Thank you.

pietaI was blown away by the faith  of Christians through the many centuries who went on crusades, spent lifetimes building Abbey’s, Cathedrals, walled-cities, who dedicated their lives to sculpting masterpiece, painting ceilings, writing music that glorified God. Sure ,there was greed and self-interest, but you could tell there were hearts who swelled with the love of their Lord to dedicate their lives to doing what they thought was His will. That faith really reached through the centuries and grabbed my heart. 

I confess my “walk” with the Lord has been a little distant of late, maybe less intimate, because of the enormity of expressions of others that make my meager efforts to serve seem so meager.  Why would the God that inspires the Pieta, want to listen to my jibber jabber ( but He does, so i’m working on this).

But WAKE UP Italy and the rest of Europe!  How sad to see the catherals locked and shut down.  Meager attendance, Easter habits, faith as an old persons’ panacea.  They are not smarter because they have put their faith on a shelf.  They are missing the Glory, the faith-dimension that is the only thing that makes this world make any sense. 

Thank you Jesus, for Father Piernino, Giovani, Miranda, Juonpaulo, the monks of St. Antimo and those who still burn brightly. We pray for revival.

So much for the rawness of 3a.m. self-examinations.

Omaha Beach

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

You can’t imagine how moving this special location is until you witness it first hand. It is quite a stirring memorial to the thousands of young people who gave their lives on June 6, 1944, and in the ensuing days.  normandycrossesThe photos, testimonies, and mementos of those who served really came alive in the museum presentation and on the field of green that over looks the Omaha Beach.  While 3 of our parents served in this war, they were fortunate to serve in other locals: Barbara in Washington D.C., George in Africa and Brazil, and Joe went to China.  War is different now in so many ways…Steve was in Vietnam…and that was different too.  Unlike most other countries, service in our military is honored; it is not just a job but a commitment.  But the risks are great.  We were taken with the fact that the crosses we saw represented young people who gave up their futures so that others could have one.  And so many loved ones left behind to grow old without them.

anticipation II

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

blahAs things are coming together and a lifetime of wishes and dreams are about to come to fruition, we were notified that BOTH our Dads are facing a health crisis. George got blood work back that indicated the kidneys are getting tired and on Sunday we are being interviewed by Hospice. And Joe, didn’t let us know that he was in the Hospital since Monday. They have drained his chest cavity and loosened stuff in his lungs, but they have found a mass in his lungs and will find out more next week.   Are   we facing the beginning of the end x2??  How does this impact a trip of a lifetime??? this calls for a big shot of wisdom…back to the knees.