family

A Plethora of Mail

/ esteban / 4 Comments

 

I have been very blessed of late for receiving several pieces of mail from home.  I can’t thank everyone enough for sending me mail and for incurring the not insignificant costs to do so.  I really, really appreciate it!

 

From my friend Maria H., currently studying at Stanford, I received a postcard of the California Redwoods.  Maria spent a year in China, learning Chinese and writing a really compelling blog of her experiences there.  She has a natural style that I wish my blog would come close to.  Someday perhaps!

 

A sizable box came from my sister.  Meant as a birthday shipment, it actually arrived in time for Easter, taking a month to come from Oklahoma.  That seems to be par for the course right now.  What did I get?  Stuff that I really, really appreciate:  two packages of plain white t-shirts, sunscreen, insect repellent, a new polo shirt, and most likely the only bag of Fritos in Papua New Guinea.  Nothing earth shattering, but as good as any comfort food.

 

Matthew and Tracy Pepper, of Santa Fe,  not only sent me a piece of New Mexico sky, but also a St. Patrick’s Day card.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the only one in Papua New Guinea as well.  It’s not a well known holiday.  I’m guessing that the Irish never spent much time here.  Too far from the Guinness factory probably.

 

Speaking of my birthday, I also received a wonderful card from my aunt Joanne.  Of course, no mailing from my aunt comes without one or two newspaper clippings to help you keep on top of all the doings in Tulsa.

 

The doings of my friends Abigail and Timothy Thomas also arrived in the form of their mission newsletter. The Thomases and their young daughter Amelia are serving as FOCUS missionaries at the University of Pittsburgh.  Abigail was a student of the St. Philip Neri Newman Center at the University of Tulsa while I was campus minister.  I am certainly very proud of the outreach that they are doing to the college students there.

 

Most recently, I received a box from my wonderful friends Linda and Jeff Nielsen.  You may know Jeff as “Captain Jeff”, host of SQPN’s Catholic Weekend show.  They sent me two things that I’ve been really craving – CDs of recent SQPN podcasts and a box of chocolate covered coffee beans.    Because of the dearth of internet here on the north coast of PNG, I have been unable to download any SQPN podcasts for 4 months.  One episode could easily take 5-6 hours to download.  Just not possible when my access is limited to 3 hours every Friday morning.   The chocolate coffee beans are a really nice touch!  They became a favorite of mine when I visited the Nielsen’s house outside of Atlanta on several SQPN working trips.    These are also quite possibly the only of their kind in Papua New Guinea.

 

I know that a post about the mail I receive isn’t the most compelling type of blogging but it is a highlight of my day when something makes it all the way to this little outpost on the north coast of PNG.

American Patriots

/ esteban / 2 Comments

My sister Stacey has had a interest in our family’s genealogy for some time.  She was fortunate to have spent some time with my grandfather looking over the materials that he and my grandmother had pulled together over the years.

She recently obtained some information that links us to John Barlow of Kent, Connecticut, a private soldier who served in the Connecticut Militia during the American Revolution.

We don’t know too much about John, other than this regarding his service:

JOHN BARLOW, of Kent, Connecticut, enlisted on May 7, 1777, as a Private in Captain Albert Chapman’s Company of Colonel Heman Swift’s 7th Regiment of Connecticut Militia.

He was subsequently in Captain Comstock Albert Chapman’s Company of Colonel Heman Swift’s 7th Regiment of Connecticut Militia. He was subsequently in Captain Comstock’s Company of Colonel Swift’s 2nd Connecticut Regiment, Captain Cogswell’s Company of Colonel Moseley’s Connecticut Regiment, Captain Chamberlain’s Company of Colonel Swift’s 2nd Regiment, Captain Manning’s Company of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment, and in Colonel Hinman’s 4th Connecticut Regiment.

Washington rallying the troops at the Battle of Monmouth

He was in the Battles of Germantown and Monmouth, served in one campaign in 1775 and all of 1776.  

He applied for a pension, application no. S37732, on April 22, 1818, in Litchfield County, Connecticut. 

John Barlow was born on March 5, 1748, at Kent and was the son of Joseph and Phebe Barlow.   He married first Anna Caswell on May 27, 1770, second Temperance Branch on January 25, 1773, and third Lucy Hatch. He had eleven children.  He died on September 19, 1833, at Kent and was buried there in the Kent Hollow Cemetery.         

Yes, he had three wives over the years, which probably wasn’t all that uncommon in those days.

With no depiction of John Barlow available from internet searches, I was able to find a picture of the cemetery in which he is buried and his headstone.

Perhaps someday I’ll be able to visit there and see it for myself.

According to my grandfather, we’re also related to William Alexander, who styled himself Lord Stirling, before joining the cause of the American Revolution.  He served as a brigadier general directly under General George Washington’s command.

Much more is known about General Alexander, which you can read about in this Wikipedia article.

He is thought to have been present at the Battles of Long Island, Trenton, Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth.

Thus both of these American patriots in my family would have served together.  One the lowly private and the other the privileged officer and gentleman.  I wonder if they knew each other.

 

 

 

7 Quick Takes Friday – July 6th

/ esteban / 1 Comment

— 1 —

Holy Moly it’s July already.  Only about 12 weeks left of summer here in Oklahoma.  Oh sure, we complain about the heat, but I know that everyone here secretly loves the heat and loathes the cold.

— 2 —

Have I mentioned the Catholic New Media Conference lately?  Plans are really coming together for our best one yet.  You should come.  Really.  Click that link and find out about it.

 

 

— 3 —

Independence Day was very enjoyable.  You can read about it here if you like.  Topped it off with a trip to the Tulsa Drillers minor league baseball game last night.  My brother and my good friends Jeff, Jim and Bryan were all there in spite of the 95+ degree temps.

— 4 —

Fr. Stanley Francis Rother

Sainthood cause for Oklahoma’s Fr. Stanley Rother has advanced a little bit.  An official relator has been appointed by the Vatican to explore the issue of his martyrdom.  I blogged about it here.  It would be a tremendous thing for Oklahoma and Guatemala if he should ever be canonized.  I hope I live to see that day.  Excitement is also building here amongst our Native American population for the canonization of Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha this October.

 

— 5 —

Squirrels.  Once again my nemeses caused damage to my house, this time chewing through the coax cables for my internet service.  Really?  They actually like that stuff? They should go get real jobs.

— 6 —

My first college band director passed away yesterday.  Paul A. Montemurro, called “Prof” by his students, was one of a kind.  Italian by ancestry, you were one moment his little “gagutz” (an endearing term we later learned means idiot), and the next the object of an emotional tirade.

Even so, you loved this bigger than life man as only true band geeks can understand.  I don’t know if I would have been half as successful in college if it hadn’t been the band community that formed around his bands at Oklahoma State University in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

Rest in peace, Prof!

— 7 —

Ordination of John Grant by Bishop Edward Slattery

Blessing and congratulations to Fr. John Grant, a former Newman Center student of mine who was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Tulsa last weekend.

It was a joy to be there and to share the occasion with so many friends.

(photo source:  Diocese of Tulsa)

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Independence Day – Oklahoma Style

/ esteban / 2 Comments

I was very lucky to spend this Independence Day with my brother Kevin, Oklahoma style.

After an All-American breakfast at the local Village Inn, we headed over to Tulsa’s outstanding Gilcrease Museum for their “Spend a George to Spend The Fourth with George” event. ($1 admission)

Gilcrease is extremely fortunate to be hosting the Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon traveling exhibit.  More than 100 original objects belonging to George Washington.

The exhibition is presented in 11 sections, ranging from Washington’s youth to his final days. In addition to Washington’s dentures, paintings, books, maps, and objects such as surveying equipment, Revolutionary War armaments, tools used by slaves, and presidential table settings are among the artifacts featured in the exhibition. Mrs. Washington is represented by original jewelry, pieces of her china, silver, and glassware, and reproductions of her gold wedding dress and purple satin slippers.

Three life-size models of George Washington were assembled from a two-year forensic study where computer scientists, art historians, 18th-century garment experts, and a forensic scientist used technology and research from primary sources to measure and analyze portraits, sculpture, and Washington’s dentures and clothing. The project employed proprietary age-progression and regression techniques to create three depictions of Washington as a teenaged surveyor, commander-in-chief atop a white horse, and as the first president taking the oath of office. These lifelike wax figures, with real human hair that was implanted one strand at a time, are embedded in realistic settings – one even with animation – that re-create scenes in the woodsy Ohio Valley territory, wintry Valley Forge, and on the balcony of Federal Hall.

The three life-size models of GW were outstanding!  Truly the stuff of CSI, it was amazing to stand face to face with Washington, depicted as a 19 year old surveyor, 45 year old general and the 57 year old first president.   The photo above gives a hint of their likenesses.

You can find more photos from the exhibit here.  It was a great way to start our observance of Independence Day!

 

Next, Kevin and I drove over to our college alma mater – Oklahoma State University.  Our first stop in town was the famous “Eskimo Joes” – the iconic college restaurant/bar that is a must stop for anyone visiting Stillwater.

I can’t count all the visits I’ve made to EJ’s over the years and the wonderful times that I spent time with friends there.

We arrived shortly before the early closing time, but as always they were gracious and welcoming and we were served my favorites, Joe’s Special Burgers and cheese fries!

After this late lunch, it was time to wander the OSU campus and see all the new projects.  Quite a bit is going on when it comes to new construction,  including major renovations to the equally iconic Student Union.    The north side redesign has been completed, including this awesome new plaza between the Student Union and the Classroom Building.

The campus was almost completely empty as we walked around, but I could still feel the ghosts of my past and the excitements that I experienced during my time there.

Once back in Tulsa, Kevin and I watched the Independence Day celebrations from Washington and New York on TV.  This inspired us to head to Oklahoma’s favorite ice cream shop – Braum’s (they were inexplicably out of several flavors) and then to drive around town like crazy paparazzi, watching area fireworks displays from expressway bridges and parking lots.  We caught glimpses of the shows from Southern Hills Country Club and the city’s FreedomFest show over the Arkansas River.

We topped it off by watching “Independence Day” on TV before calling it a very fun day!