A Brief Description of the Virginia Trip

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In the course of my trip to Virginia, I met with five different figures from the blog-world (well, considering the presence of another small one--six). It is perhaps significant that two and a half of these meetings were initiated at a Church, one and a half at a bookstore (one was at a bookstore in a church, hence the half), and one in a Museum (Natural History to be precise.)

It seems that this sums up the motions of my life--God, Books, and Fossils. I met with Tom of Disputations, Kathy the Carmelite, Therese (who has no blog, but who frequents many and provides innumerable cogent comments), Peony Moss and Child (an utter delight, wonderful in every way), and Father JIm of Dappled Things (I went to Mass regularly at his Church).

Every one of these meetings was a blessing. Three were pretty much as expected, two people were totally unexpected. Since Fr. Jim has posted pictures of himself on his blog, there were no surprises to be had there. And Tom was exactly as I had pictured him, a wonderful surprise in itself. Ms. Moss was almost exactly as I expected, and her son was one of the great highlights of my trip. We spent the better part of two hours taking him through the various exhibits and I enjoyed myself tremendously. (Especially lovely was when we joined my family for lunch and Samuel was so forthcoming about sharing his food--he has learned very, very well.)

Therese was a complete surprise, and that has more to do with my prejudices with regard to the name than with Therese. (I know a great many hispanic and Philippino ladies by the name of Therese). And Kathy was a surprise to me. I guess because I had formulated no notion of what exactly I expected.

Each meeting was wonderful beyond words, illuminating, and worth everything all parties had to go through for the meetings to occur. I hope that all those I met were as rewarded as I was through the meetings.

Therese very generously gave me a book. It is this book that I am taking around with me as I drag my carcass through the various cities I am about to visit. It is R. Garrigou-Lagrange's Christian Perfection and Contemplation I've read about a hundred and twenty pages, understood perhaps as much as ten percent of it, and am bewildered and mystified as to why anyone would regard the life of a mystic as a "problem." But as Therese noted, given that it is a study of the mystical life according to the traditions of St. John of the Cross and St. Thomas Aquinas, it is the perfect gift from a Dominican to a Carmelite.

My thanks to everyone I met for taking the time and trouble to meet with me. I can't tell you how much it added to the trip and how much I enjoyed each meeting. Now, someday, we shall all have to meet in one place--oh say the Natural History Museum Paleontological wing, and I can give you a general tour and analysis of the invertebrate life in the fossil hall. I can provide minimal insights into the vertebrates--but I think we'd all have a great time. Thanks once again for the fantastic experience.

Now, T.S.--I'm going to be in Cleveland Thursday--want to run up from your abode? Just kidding--won't have time to even visit the Natural History museum there (They have a great Dunkleosteus(or here--fierce Devonian Fish) or my usual Polka Barn hangouts or even Stan Hywet Hall. Oh well, it is, after all, a business trip.

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POLKA ROCKS!

The best time I ever had at a wedding in my life was my cousin Sandie Hynoski's wedding to Garry Koshinski in 1968.

What a gigantic blast!

The polka is so simple to learn: left, right, left--right, left, right. Stomp, stomp stomp--stomp, stomp, stomp. The tiniest child or the most sloshed uncle Stosh can do it all evening with ease!

Great exercise! Not intimidating like today's dances, which are either uncomfortably sexual or too technically complicated to learn quickly in public.

And it was WONDERFULLY REWARDING to meet you, too, Steven! Well worth the effort! :-)

Stan Hywet Hall! You stir up such memories. Before I became a Milwaukean, I grew up in Akron, and Stan Hywet was, if not a haunt really, at least an often-visited treasure. My sibs who are still in Akron highly recommend the Inventure Museum, but I've never been there, it was built after I moved away.

Let me know if you ever wander through Milwaukee.

Wish we hadn't missed you. If Samuel had been around I'm sure Davey would have enjoyed getting to meet him. But Davey and I were sick earlier in the week and then we went North for the holiday.

Steven,

It was a real pleasure to have you with us in the Old Dominion and a delight to have been able to meet you and breakfast with you. Come back soon.

we enjoyed meeting you too! Hambet really liked you and Samuel, and not just because Samuel put up with his mooching....

Count me in on the next Natural History Museum tour! It's my second most favorite museum on the mall (the space museum is, of course, my favorite!).

I can say that Steven is every bit as delightful and engaging in person as he is on his blog! It was worth one of the worst DC pouring rain traffic logged drives I have had in a long time! (Unfortunately, you have to be from DC to appreciate the magnitude of this compliment!)

that sounds cool, meeting fellow bloggers...

Meeting fellow bloggers *is* cool. And by tricking me into meeting him in a church bookstore, Steven gave me the chance to do my wife's Christmas shopping for me.

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This page contains a single entry by Steven Riddle published on December 3, 2003 8:54 AM.

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