Category: Travel

Happy Independence Day

Two of my fondest memories of living on the East Coast involve the 4th of July. Moving from California to Maryland to attend Johns Hopkins in the crazy hot month of August, I came too late that first year. But when July came around again, one of my friends had the idea that we should all head to Washington D.C. to see the fireworks.

Sitting on the Mall that night, I had no idea what I was in for. When the first fireworks were sent up, they were pretty good, especially with the Washington Monument and the Capital as the backdrop. But these fireworks went on and on and on, getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Never in my life had I seen such a display. It was awe-inspiring.

Inspiration Mind Travel

Where Do You Go To Escape?

Sometime tonight, one of my coworkers and her family will be arriving at the Grand Tetons. To say that I’m envious would be a gross understatement. I’ve only been there once, but it was one of those epic trips that I will be dreaming about the rest of my life.

Whenever I’m having a tough day, I easily close my eyes and remember my first glimpse of this mountain range, which seemed to rise out of nowhere, as we traveled down from Yellowstone. It certainly is one of the most beautiful spots in the United States.

Italy Main Course Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews Travel

Tuscan White Bean Soup

I was out to lunch the other day with a college student, and he mentioned that he wanted me to get another bean soup recipe up. So, this one is for him, and I’m pretty sure he’ll like it. I trust you will too.

For centuries, the people of Tuscany have loved beans. In fact, they have the unfortunate nickname of bean eaters. Tuscan bean varieties vary by geographic area, and some towns are known for their particular type. That’s one of the things I love most about Italy. Each place usually has many things unique to them. If you see something you like, you have to get it then, because you probably won’t see it elsewhere. I always use this as an excuse for going back. Sorry for the deviation 🙂 Here’s the recipe…

Catholic Church Inspiration Italy Spirit Travel

Gabriel’s Message

I broke the news to a group of college students last night. Nine months from today, we’ll be celebrating Christmas. That’s right. Today’s the Feast of the Annunciation, the moment humanity learned of Emmanuel, God with us.

You may recall that the image above, the Cortona Annunciation by Fra Angelico is one of my all time favorites. I’ve had the chance to see it several times in the Museo Diocesano, and each and every time, the vibrancy and beauty of this great artist’s masterpiece leaves me stunned.

Inspiration Spirit Travel

Reconnecting

Every few years, one of my childhood friends makes a trip to Washington DC for her job. Usually, I take the train down and we catch up over dinner. This year, she came in a day early and we had the chance to spend the day together.

It was really great to reconnect. We lucked out because it was sunny and unusually warm for early February. Last year at this time we were still recovering from back to back blizzards. We had lunch at the Good Stuff Eatery, owned by Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn.

Next we headed to the National Botanical Gardens, just down the mall from the Capital. Then it was on to find the Impressionist Paintings at the National Gallery of Art. It’s been some time since I was last there, and it seemed as though there were many, many new paintings. If you love art and haven’t been here lately, it’s worth the trip.

diabetes Inspiration Travel type II diabetes Vegetarian

Oh My

Post author By seedthrower1
Post date 12/22/2010
No Comments on Oh My

It’s always fun to visit a new place. I really enjoyed my time in Mississippi, although I only saw a small portion of the state. One thing struck me during my brief time there, however and it involves food. Mississippi has the highest obesity rate in the country, with over 33% of the population considered obese.

Those who read this blog on a regular basis know that where there’s obesity, Type II diabetes is right there too. So it should come as no surprise that 14.9% of the state’s population have been diagnosed with this illness. Only West Virginia has a higher incidence of diabetes, but not by much.

These sad numbers came to life for me by two incidents that took place while I was visiting.

Catholic Church Italy Travel

Another Adventure

A priest friend of mine and I had to scrap our initial itinerary for an Italy trip we were planning for next summer. With the dollar as weak as it is right now, the trip was just too expensive.

I’m being cautious about it because, when I brought my last group over, some people traveling with me were just overwhelmed by the costs. It made for a stressful trip and took away a lot of the enjoyment I usually get from visiting my second favorite country.

So yesterday, it was back to the drawing board. We’re going to shave off three or four days (sorry Milan, Padua and Venice), and go back to a pretty standard trip I have done many times.

Landing in Pisa, we travel a short distance and stay for a few days in Florence. Personally, Florence is one of my all time favorite cities. Just amazing.

Inspiration Italy Mind Travel

Don’t Stop Dreaming

Where’s your happy place? When I’m having a tough day, I close my eyes and think about Tuscany. Over the last twenty years, I’ve had the great blessing to visit this wonderful part of Italy many times. If I were rich, I’d have an apartment in Florence overlooking the Piazza della Signoria. Almost always noisy and crowded with tourists, I’d love to set my alarm to go off in the middle of the night.

Catholic Church Inspiration Italy Prayer Spirit Travel

St. Francis of Assisi

Ten years ago today, my family and I were celebrating the Jubilee Year in the Umbrian town of Assisi. October 4th is the feast day of St. Francis, and there is an ancient tradition of celebrating the vigil of his death with prayer. It’s known as the Transitus of St. Francis.

Those two days in Assisi were some of the most memorable of all my travels in Italy. Almost 800 years after his death, I hope this little video gives you some insight into this holy man of God.

Inspiration Mind Travel

The Weekend Is Here

I took a shopping trip into Baltimore today, trying to get some things for the three-day weekend. First, I wanted to get the ingredients for the Carrot Oatmeal cookies I was going to make. I found the recipe on-line, and since I love oatmeal cookies, I thought this would be the perfect way to try something new and use up a bunch of carrots I bought last weekend.