Coburg, Deutschland - 33 Years Later

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain

Veste Coburg

The year was 1980.  At only sixteen years old, I had yet to fly on a plane, and had only seen parts of the Midwest.  I found myself awestruck and forever changed upon my arrival to Coburg Germany, a fairytale land dating back to 1056.  From the incredible medieval "Veste Coburg" castle looming large over the town and the ancient half-timbered buildings, the lovely people and culture, to displays of art and music steeped in history, my senses were electrified.  And almost ever since, my husband has had to hear about this repeatedly.  With this in mind, I was a bit trepidatious returning thirty three years later with my husband in tow.  I hoped his introduction to Coburg would be every bit as rich and beautiful as it had been in my sixteen year old eyes.  The Coburg of 2013 did not disappoint.  My husband can now relate to my deep feelings for this wonderful fairyland.  Mission accomplished!

Prince Albert von Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the husband of Queen Victoria stands tall with the Stadthaus behind

 

The 15th Century Marktplatz (2013)

Market day 1980 with my fellow classmates Rosie and Amy!

Below is the school we attended (all boys, no wonder we teenage girls were such a hit!)

The current Gynasium Ernestinum 

The "Ernst" in 1980 

The Spital Gate - part of the fortifications in 1331

The neo-Baroque Rathaus or Town Hall 

The Hofapotheke -above far right(Apothecary) has been operating for 470 years!

The Ehrenburg Castle viewed from the Hofgarten

Schloss Ehrenburg (taken in 1980)

During the Diet in Augsburg in 1530, Martin Luther hid out in the Coburg castle.  He wrote letters and manuscripts here that remain important Luther monuments.  As a life long Lutheran, this really brought my religion to life.

In 1980 the cannons were still on display

Veste Coburg - A Mighty Fortress

No trip to Coburg is complete without enjoying an "Original Coburger Rostbratwurste," a pinecone roasted brat served on a fresh baked hard roll.  Kevin was delighted!

If you're going to travel to the area, be sure to check out all the castles.  Below is Schloss Hohenstein dating back to the early 1300s.  It is a lovely hotel, has wonderful grounds, views, and restaurant.

In summary, I'll leave you with this thought.  If ever given the opportunity to "leave one's corner of Earth," as Mark Twain wrote, embrace it! Experiencing a culture different than your own broadens your understanding of all people and other ways of life, and as a sixteen year old, developed a confidence in myself.  Encourage your loved ones to do the same. The benefits are truly priceless, and leave the traveler forever touched.  I am eternally grateful for having experienced Coburg and its lovely people in 1980, and am blessed to have travel continually expand my corner of Earth.

A Quick Trip North

Notre Dame's Gilded Dome

Over the years I have found myself in South Bend, Indiana only a handful of times. Finding our nest empty again after the children's very short visit, and with our eldest choosing to spend the next three years there,  I decided to make a quick visit north on this beautiful day. I was happy to find the travel time less than three hours - much better than the seventeen plus to Tufts!  (Close enough for future lunches with the daughter, yay!)


After arriving on the Notre Dame campus, I googled "campus map" and was pleased to find a mobile app for that which made my self guided tour a breeze.



June must be the height of the blooming season because the flowers, shrubs, and trees were gorgeous. (Note to daughter: six months from now it will NOT look like this!). This serene green space surrounding the gothic styled buildings makes it easy to see why the "Domers" we all know and love seem to revere this place.



                                           




The Law School is centrally located, with easy access to all the different areas of campus.

 

The happening area seems to be southeast of the main entrance right next to the IU Medical School Building.  This lively area is full of shops, restaurants, and people.

Eddy St. area for food and shopping

Seems like our daughter should feel right at home as I discovered that ND campus vehicles look very similar to our little "Jumbo." 

"Fighting Irish"

"Jumbo"

I'm really glad I made the quick trip North as I found  the people there friendly and helpful allowing me to accomplish my tasks of the day very efficiently.  It will be a nice place to visit for e next few years for sure.  Congrats Sarah for choosing Notre Dame for law school.  Job well done.

The Month of May - An Indianapolis Favorite

For those of us born and raised in Indianapolis, the entire month of May has a special excitement because of The Indianapolis 500, "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." This is true for the entire community, not just those die hard race fans. Indianapolis plays host to thousands of visitors, starting with the Mini Marathon and its thirty-thousand participants, Qualification weekends, Pole Day, Carb Day, the 500 Festival Parade,  and finally the race itself Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.  It truly is a great time to visit the city, with the trees and flowers in full bloom, the fields freshly plowed, and the grass thick and green.

     These days additional anticipation is felt in our house because May brings our children home from college.  With their return comes many loads of laundry to be washed, the refrigerator to be filled, cars to be juggled between drivers, but best of all, conversation and laughter to fill these sometimes too quiet walls. 

     This May had us heading east for Tufts University 2013 Graduation.  Tufts proved to us over the last four years that it is a class act and for graduation weekend they did not disappoint.  While it seems hard to believe that Sarah has completed her undergraduate studies, we are thrilled with the education and  experience afforded to her by the Tufts community.  We have enjoyed watching her stretch her limits both academically and athletically and transform into the incredibly accomplished independent young woman that she is today.  We rest easy knowing she has a great foundation for what this world has in store for her.  Yes, we are proud parents, but she has earned that distinction with hard work and dedication.  She is blessed that not only her parents were there to cheer her on, but also her grandparents.

Proud Papa (even color coordinated for the ceremony!)

Some of the many flags representing students from around the world

   

Thanks for the memories Tufts University!

Prior to the festivities in Boston, we found ourselves on the banks of the Schuylkill River in the great city of Philadelphia watching Eric compete in the Florida Tech Men's Novice Eight boat at the Dad Vail Regatta.  Seeing Eric in action working hard with his teammates really made us admire all the effort he has applied to learn this sport and excel.  The atmosphere having 125 schools and their colorful fan support really made the weekend delightful.  We look forward to attending Eric's competitions for the next few years.

Hope your May brings you lots of laughter and enjoyment!  Now we are ready to enjoy Race Weekend 2013!

"Rowed" Trip

Leaving Kevin in charge of the "farm," I headed south for Oak Ridge, TN, the home the the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association's Regatta where the Florida Institute of Technology Crew team would be for the weekend.  Since I hadn't seen my boy since early March, I decided a six hour car ride to watch him row was in order, especially since I had not yet seen him compete.  When I did see him, I had to do a double-take.  He now dons a full red beard even though he has dark brown hair.  It's hard for my brain to process that one!

If you ever get the chance to attend a rowing competition, I highly recommend it.  My friend described it as "Majestically Nordic" as teams propel their boats head to head from the start line 2000 meters to the finish, as fast and smoothly as they can manage. Watching the boats from a distance, it seems like they are just gliding along without a care in the world, but in reality it is an athletic and engineering feat to have the entire crew in sync.  It is quite exciting to watch, even though the boat color and oar blade design are really all the details you can make out from the sidelines.   These athletes are so powerful, and fun to watch!

The sunshine was fabulous, and another bonus to the weekend was seeing Sarah's bff Barbara who rows for my alma mater, PURDUE, who was the loudest and proudest team there.  Their "Boiler Up!" resonated through out the valley anytime one of the Purdue boats was in a race.

Barbara in stroke seat for Purdue

The one disappointment of the weekend for Eric was that his beloved dog Derby did not ride along to TN with us.  I decided it would be too much, especially since I was a newby to the whole rowing competition thing.  Good thing we didn't have her to worry about as we ran from the 1000m to the  2000m finish and then back to the starting line, several times over!  Needless to say, we got our exercise.  When I returned home, Derby started "crying" out loud.  I realized then that she could smell Eric on my clothing since I had given him a great big hug before heading home.  Here is the funny video I shot of Derby:

The next competition is Dad Vail in Philadelphia Mother's Day weekend.  Good Luck!

Graduation Reflections

2009 High School Graduation

     Four short years ago for a few crazy months in the spring I felt our family was living a sitcom scenario. With the conclusion of my first born's senior year of high school came a Senior Spring Break trip, the college decision, the final high school prom complete with a million pictures, a slew of AP exams, senior track season, senior awards and appreciation banquets, final exams, graduation gifts to make and purchase, parties to host and attend, and at long last, Graduation - all jam packed into just a few insane weeks. Let me digress...the previous fall, my husband had the brilliant idea of hosting a Kentucky Derby Day theme party for a few hundred of our closest friends. We had months to brainstorm invitation, decoration, food, and music ideas and we came up with a spectacular plan. The ONE factor we neglected to consider, mainly because we were totally naive of "The Senior Crunch," was that the Derby is always run on the first Saturday in May. 

Derby Party with Sarah, Tom, and Tom's mom

That's right, smack in the middle of The Senior Crunch. Just to throw a further twist in the sitcom scenario, just a week prior the Derby party, my HORSE (of course) accidentally rearranged my face with his metal shoe....on prom day just a few hours before a dozen seniors and their parents arrived at our house for their ever important prom photo shoot. Somehow we all survived and have great the memories stored away in our minds.

Sarah representing Tufts University in the Heptathlon

      What seems like a really fast forward we have arrived at college graduation. While this time around we are further removed from the daily stress of The Senior Crunch, we know it is still present complete with another senior track season, law school decision, senior honors thesis to write and defend, final papers and exams, cap and gown orders to complete, apartment to pack up and sublet, and finally the graduation ceremony itself.
Once again, we support our eldest with these life transitions the best we can. Just as four years ago the excitement of high school graduation and becoming a college coed was lessened with knowing her closest friends would no longer be a part of her daily life, she faces the same excitement for her next adventure, but again is saddened to say farewell to the dear friends, and educators from her years at school.

Joey driving the "Boilermaker Special" in  Purdue's Reamer Club

Lauren in India

     Four years ago we adults were certain this wonderful group of seniors would excel in the undergraduate environment. It's hard to grasp what this group has accomplished in four short years by embracing their education and opportunities.  They have soared!

Joey with the World's Largest Drum in
Dublin' St Patricks Day Parade

 Not only have they followed their passions, participated in athletics and music, been leaders on their campuses, graduated with honors, and been positive role models for the younger students, but they have done so much more.  They have started their own businesses, worked on fundraisers, touched lives of many children both here at home and in countries all over the globe,  started a non profit organization to benefit schools in Tanzania, won awards at an international business competition, harvested thousands of acres of crops, stretched themselves outside their comfort zones and reaped the benefits.

Barbara in Tanzania

Kellie with her Camp T kids

Barbara on Purdue Crew

Tom Harvesting Hay

The one who can only be referred to as "Purdue Pete"
while in costume!

 As they begin their graduate programs, or careers in business and teaching, they will begin to leave their marks on "the real world" with which really they already have a great start!

 With graduation this time around, this group knows that their special friendships do last the test of time and distance.  I hope that makes this transition that much easier.  Our seat belts are fastened for the ride the next few years will bring. We are so very proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck seniors, we love you!

Tom -West Lafayette Snow Removal, Inc.

Claire in Honduras

The Group of Forever Friends