June 2, 2015
Day One: Our Spiritual Road Trip Continues
This is the second post in the series recapping my road trip to the Fifth Annual Afterlife Awareness Conference in Norfolk, Virginia. Soon I’ll be off to the 2018 Afterlife Awareness Conference. But ah, it’s nice to remember these road trip adventures! So…
On the road again after our encounter with Blessed Mary and Dr. Tom Dooley at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, Donna and I headed for Cleveland Heights, Ohio and a unique restaurant called Tommy’s. One of the keys to successful spiritual traveling is doing some specific pre-planning without letting that pre-planning get in the way of your experiences. Our pre-planning led us to Tommy’s, but the experience we had there was uniquely our own.
I discovered Tommy’s by doing a Yelp! search for healthy dining in Cleveland. The reviews were 4-star and featured an array of food that would please any spiritual traveler’s pallet: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Carnivore. It seemed to be a good mix of diner plus health food faire. When I checked Tommy’s website (http://tommyscoventry.com), I became even more intrigued. I discovered that soon after Tommy’s opened as a small soda fountain in 1972, Rolling Stone magazine voted it “Best Milkshake East of the Mississippi.” Hmmm… The Yelp! reviews are still raving about their shakes and if they do a great shake, they probably do a great malt! Vanilla malts are a particular favorite of mine, so Tommy’s became a key stopping point on our road trip itinerary.
The first indication that Tommy’s was an inspired destination choice presented itself when we parked my Toyota Prius. I was fiddling with the parking meter when Donna exclaimed, “Look, Mary, an angel!”
The first indication that Tommy’s was an inspired destination choice presented itself when we parked my Toyota Prius. I was fiddling with the parking meter when Donna exclaimed, “Look, Mary, an angel!” It turns out that Tommy’s is on Coventry Street and one of the features of that district is the wrought iron railings and figures that surround little plots of flowers and trees. Most of the figures are of people doing a variety of things from reading a book to playing an instrument. But our figure was a beautiful angel. Was it a chance encounter or a sign? Both Donna and I believe it was a sign!
Tommy’s menu did not disappoint. The luncheon selections were organized under titles like Tofu & Tempeh and Veggie Burgers and Other Vegetarian Options. We made our selections from Escarole Potato Pies & Spinach Pies. Donna chose the DB, a spinach pie with mushrooms, veggies and sesame sauce and I had the Capetown, a spinach pie with cheese, raisins and mushrooms. Both were delicious and unlike any spinach pie that either of us had ever had. We are used to the filo wrapped pies featured at Greek-owned restaurants in Chicago. The spinach pies at Tommy’s were covered with something like a cross between a flaky pie crust and a pita pocket. It was different and yummy, as were the unusual mix of ingredients. And of course, I had my vanilla malt. Yum!
The meal fed our bodies. It was the rest of our experience, however, that fed our souls. Tommy’s is filled with local artwork. One section features the collage art created by the owner’s wife, Cindy, a self-trained artist who creates her Paradise Collages using a variety of materials, which come together like a magical puzzle. I immediately gravitated to one called B.V. M. for Blessed Virgin Mary. And here was indication number two that we were in the right place at the right time. My namesake, my Mary, was right there in Tommy’s blessing our trip again.
More synchronicities! I spotted this collage of the Blessed Virgin Mother by Artist Cindy Fello, wife of Tommy’s owner. The collage, entitled BVM is one of her Paradise Collages. The pilgrimage that began at Mary’s grotto continued here.
The pilgrimage that began at Mary’s grotto continued here. My ties to Mary are strong. After my bother was born, mom was told she couldn’t have any more children. She and my dad started to say rosaries and promised that if they had a little girl she would be named Mary. It worked! The little girl who was born is me. The BVM collage is now tucked into a safe place in my car and will soon have a place of honor in my home.
Of course, I bought the B.V.M. collage and as I write this I am looking deep into its magical, mystical motif. There are four Marys set amid a richly jeweled tapestry: Mary the thoughtful, Mary who pleads on our behalf, Mary the proud and regal and Mary the merciful and kind. And there is another angel! I didn’t notice it until now, but we even had a second angel blessing our trip! This angel holds a golden heart offering it to the Marys and—I think—to us. Four Marys and two Angels! That’s six blessings on our spiritual travels within the space of an hour and a half. Sweet!
Blessed Mary and the Angels blessed our road trip and Mary’s collage continues to bless me. She in her four glorious personas hangs in a place of honor in the section of my study devoted to prayer and spiritual inspiration.
Resources:
Tommy’s Restaurant (http://tommyscoventry.com):In addition to exploring their menu, be sure to check out these interesting links: “Tommy’s Tales” where owner Tommy Fello remembers some of the interesting people who have passed through his restaurant’s doors, people like Renee (Granny) Horrocks who created the quilt of unique Tommy’s t-shirts that now has a place of honor on the wall; “People of the Menu” where you can find out why so many of the sandwiches at Tommy’s have names like Ruth, Delaney, Becky and Uncle Gay.
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