Here Come the Irish!

 “Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” Jim Bishop 

I must agree! Cooler weather is on its way, Denny and I celebrated 55 years of marriage, and I was blessed with another birthday, making it 76. With all of that and our continued good health, I am  grateful and very excited once again for the new season before us.

Another highlight of this beautiful Autumn season was that we went to South Bend for a Notre Dame football game. It had been 17 years since we last visited the campus and this time our son Jeff and our grandson Oliver joined us. 

Oliver is 16 years old and a Junior in high school. He is beginning to think about where he may want to go to college, and Papa was more than happy to show him his Alma Mater.

We are very lucky to have a friend who marshals at the home games and knows all the treasures that the campus has to offers. Colleen spent the day with us on Friday and made sure we didn’t miss a thing - there are so many changes that have happened since we were last there. 

 As you’ll see in the pictures, it’s a beautiful campus, it’s emotional,  it’s spiritual, and it’s filled with an energy that I wish I could bottle and live every day of my life.  I feel so lucky and honored that Denny brought Notre Dame into our lives to be enjoyed over the years.  

 The weather was perfect. Cool 60- degree days made it delightful to walk about town and all throughout the campus. We visited the Notre Dame Cemetery, which was beautiful, and saw Knute Rockne's grave. It used to be at a near-by cemetery in South Bend, but the family decided this year, to have Knute's, along with his wife's and their son’s graves moved to the campus.  

The campus was alive as ever with its Golden Dome, the Sacred Heart Basilica, and touchdown Jesus. 

One of the sites that was new to us was the "Cross in the woods" and the bench where you can sit and see the Golden Dome and the Basilica from the other side of the St. Joseph Lake.

One of my favorite settings is the Grotto.  The Grotto is a quiet sacred spot, where you can say a prayer, light a candle or just sit and reflect.

The locker room was off limits, but photos were available with a re-creation of the locker room. 

Since it was a game day weekend, we didn't get to go onto the field like you can when there is no game, but we did get to walk down the tunnel that the players run out of. 

The ambiance at the stadium is always wonderful on game day. The game against Northern Illinois was exciting, however, the final score was not in our favor.  

Game day weekends are a lot of fun and everyone in the town seems to be a Notre Dame fan. Most of the staff in the South Bend restaurants and pubs wear Notre Dame shirts or hats.  

If you get the chance to see the campus, don't miss an opportunity to experience the tradition, beauty and magic of Notre Dame. 

 We will definitely be back and are  looking forward to getting our other two grandsons there.