Bonfire built in center of Meskel Square In Ethiopia, the word meskel has a triple meaning. It refers to a beautiful yellow daisy that blooms in September. Flying into Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, fields of the golden flowers were visible from the air. On a spiritual level, meskel means cross in Ge’ez, the ancient language… Read more »
Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma Alabama This is the third of a three part series on a road trip through the South where we explored the three Cs – Civil War, Civil Rights, and Southern Charm. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s gave meaning to rights won 100 years before in the Civil War. Despite… Read more »
Official T-shirt of the 2015 Tour After arriving at the nearest subway station, we approached the Bobby Dodd Stadium by foot. It was early. Very early. Summer showers had cleared the air providing a respite from the Atlanta summer heat. A steady stream of fellow earlybirds walked quickly with us, as if the music were… Read more »
Masoni Temple’s large auditorium where Plays of Initiation are held Two highways skirt the edges of McAlester, Oklahoma, 100 miles north of Paris, and few travelers slow down except as required by stoplights. Yet, this town of 18,000 inhabitants owns a surprising history full of railroad construction, Indian Territory rights, coal mines, Masonic presence, Italian… Read more »
Inside Liefie li Vine Restaurant in Winnsboro, Texas Over the last seven years, I have written of “things to do” in Paris, Mt. Pleasant, Sulphur Springs, Greenville and other close-by communities. A few eating suggestions were included but now I have discovered some new eateries of note – all within driving distance for lunch or… Read more »
In front of church in Antigua, ,Guatemala School event in Chimazat, Guatemala I’ve never been in the Peace Corps. It was tempting but my oldest brother beat me to it, getting posted to Ecuador in 1973. A niece joined in 2004, our son in 2006, another niece in 2008, and the first niece again in… Read more »
Trinity Episcopal ChurchGarden District of New Orleans Millions of revelers flow through New Orleans for Mardi Gras at Lent’s beginning but far fewer join festivities when the penitential season ends at Easter. Yet at the Pasqual celebration, weather is better, gardens fuller and a different kind of hat rules – the Easter bonnet. It was… Read more »
Paine Grande Mountain Lodge It was not our intent to stay in hostels on our trip to the magnificent Torres del Paine National Park in the Patagonia area of Southern Chile. We had only heard of the beauty of the setting and challenging hikes. A four day, private tour was booked which included food, lodging,… Read more »
Brad Graff, King of Gemini XXIV Parade Queen of Gemini Parade The idea of joining 1.5 million revelers in New Orleans for Mardi Gras made this slightly claustrophobic traveler nervous. However, experiencing similar parades in Shreveport with more locals than tourists was appealing. I just wasn’t prepared to be caught up in the bead mania…. Read more »
It is the world’s biggest sports event – viewed by hundreds of millions around the world every four years. The Super Bowl doesn’t come close. World Cup play means the Dallas Morning News has real soccer coverage. It’s also the best opportunity to meet other soccer lovers in bars around the world. The World Cup… Read more »
Mary with statue of John Lennon in Havana, Cuba park
Mary riding camel in Jordan desert
Mary Surrounded by Hmong women selling their wares in Sapa, Vietnam
Mary on glacier in southern New Zealand