Pre-Labor Day Trip to The Capital and Maryland (With Pictures)

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Thank you, Lord, for all laborers and workers, especially those working for Your Glory!

Yesterday after Sunday Mass and lunch, my wife and I traveled to Washington, DC/Maryland. Our young adult daughter Tintin decided to stay home. Our primary purpose why we went to the above-mentioned place/s? To see/visit our young adult son Andrew who currently works in The Capital but recently moved to neighboring Maryland. A recipient of that Jury Duty Survey Question form, he needs to it fill out. That's why we decided to see him personally.

We encountered downpour along the way, while still on the roads in Hampton Roads. Then, again it rained cats and dogs as we were getting closer to the border between Washington, DC and Maryland in the evening. The downpour continued even when we arrived at Andrew's place. Thanks to God, we're good.
My wife and I didn't know or expect that Andrew and three of his fellow tenants in the house (they're renting) that they were busy cooking, preparing dinner. For all of us!

After cooking, they invited us to join them. We expressed our thanks for inviting us to their table that night. We had a good time, sipping table wine as we shared the food on the table. One of Andrew's fellow tenants, a graduate student at CUA (Catholic University of America), Dennis, cooked pork chops. Andrew cooked fried asparagus. Elizabeth, their co-tenant, did cook white rice. Kevin, another doctoral student at Catholic University of America just helped them out set the table, etc. And, he and I started conversation while the three busy were in the kitchen. My wife joined them, too, because we brought frozen home-made egg rolls for them.

I got the honor of leading a prayer asking God's blessing before we partook the food on the table. Same thing when we're done eating, a prayer of thanks. We had an animated/lively conversation at the table, after eating. We had a great time at the table, talking and discussing a whole lot of topics last night, up to the time when it's past bedtime.

September 3rd, Labor Day. A pleasant good morning, at Andrew's where we spent the night. By eleven, in the morning, we bid goodbye and expressed our sincere thanks, especially to Elizabeth, and Dennis, and Andrew, for their warm hospitality. I didn't see Kevin when we left them. Probably he may still be asleep in his room. Anyway, I'd say that I enjoyed Dennis's fried tender pork chop and Andrew's fried asparagus. What a "communal" living can do to these fantastic people! It can turn them into chefs!

From Andrew's my wife and I decided to visit the Basilica and National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception where we had "brunch" and attended daily Mass at 1210 pm. While there, we took a couple of pictures after Mass. We also paid a visit to Poor Clare's chapel, prior to going back home to Hampton Roads. We arrived home safe and sound. Thank you, Lord. And thank you, Jesus! St. Gregory the Great, pray for us! (He is the patron saints of teachers.)

My dear folks and friends, enjoy the photos below which I took on our trip to and from DC and Maryland.

Well, this is all for now. Until next time around. Take care and Have a wonderful day, everyone! May God bless us all, always!-chris a. quilpa, 03September2012

Getting Together, After Church

I woke up early at a few minutes past 4:00 o'clock this morning to use the restroom. My wife was in her slumber. I couldn't get back to sleep anymore, after praying the rosary silently. I was "nibbling" (or munching) probably ten pieces of that Ritz crackers (A Hint of Salt), while I was on the 'net, trying to find out what's the latest Philippine and world news, via Manila Bulletin online, and researching about Nora Aunor (who is currently there, after eight years of living in California, to do a TV series and a historical movie on the life of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the Philippines' first president, per news reports.)

Preparing to go to church, I took a bath-shower after using the restroom, at around 8:00 o'clock. I didn't wake my wife yet who was still in bed. I thought of waking her up thirty minutes after. After getting dressed, I woke her up so she could prepare herself for the Sunday Mass. No, she decided not to take a shower, this time, the fact that she feels like she has some symptoms of the colds. She took the initiative to go wake up our two young adult kids in their respective room. That way they're also gonna be prepared for the church.

At 9:00 o'clock, we left the house for the 9:30 AM Sunday Mass in our parish. My wife and I were scheduled to do the Cup as Extraordinary Ministers for Holy Communion. Father David Cupps, our parish priest/pastor of clustered parishes, officiated the Mass, with the assistance of a visiting seminarian by the name of Danny Cogut  who delivered the homily. But before the homily, Fr. David announced to the congregation that today is the last day of Bro. Danny. (Revealing to us that his mom is Filipino/Filipino American (FilAm) he, therefore, considers himself half-Filipino. That's what he said to us when I asked him if he's a FilAm because of his looks. Yes, we had a chance to talk with him when we attended a reception in his honor, at the start of summer, one Sunday morning after Mass. We learned that he's with us for the duration of summer, to gain more church life experience. He also mentioned that his family, they reside in northern Virginia. But Bro. Danny goes to Baltimore  for his seminary studies.) Anyway, after the Mass, my wife and I brought all the cups, vases and pitcher used during the Mass to the sacristy for washing. While waiting for Fr. David at the sacristy, my wife and I talked and finally decided to give something, a check of $50, as our gift, to Bro. Danny who was, then, with us in the sacristy. While busy washing, we didn't notice that Fr. David came to the sacristy, afterwards, and changed his church attire and then left to go to another church. He's got a tight schedule, especially on Sundays, I observed. After washing those cups and vases, I handed Bro. Danny our gift check. We wished him good luck and that we'd pray for him as he continues his seminary school life.

Outside, at the facade of the church building, were our two children and my sis-in-law, and our friends, the Rileys, Mike, Myrna and their son Tony, our son's friend and former classmate in elementary. They were waiting for us. Now, we exchanged pleasantries. I asked how's their daughter and their son-in-law doing. They're doing well, they said. (Their daughter, Jenny, gave birth to baby girl Emily a week or two ago.) Myrna was inviting us to have lunch in their house. But, then, we finally decided to have luncheon together in a Chinese restaurant. That's what we did---another get-together for us friends.

We had a good time and had a lively conversation while finishing up our food/dessert at that Chinese or Mongolian Buffet Restaurant. Food was good and so was the get-together of our two families.

We thought we'd be the one to pay for the lunch, as originally planned. But, surprisingly, Mike did it for all of us. And, with that gesture of his generosity, we thanked him, and his family. I said to him, "I owe you one, Mike." He said, "no, Chris." Well, I thanked him, again, as we shook hands while walking to our cars in the parking lot. Likewise, I thanked Myrna and Tony for their generosity, too. They're such our close good friends. We're thankful to God for having them.