The total solar eclipse that occurred this past Monday, April 8, 2024, is a phenomenon the world is still buzzing about. On August 21, 2017, northeastern Ohio was able to see 80% of the total eclipse. The next one? It will happen on September 14, 2099, with the path of totality over northeast Ohio. Unless I travel outside of Ohio, Monday’s eclipse will be the last I will see in my lifetime. Hmm…sure is something to think about…
This post is one I’m writing as a time capsule if you will. There are certain pieces of history that I want to capture in my own words. Perhaps my grandkids will be interested in reading my thoughts about it someday.
For months the media has been reminding us about this rare event. I wanted to celebrate it in style, so I found a unique place that landed in the path of totality.
The Willoughby House is a restored landmark country estate in Willoughby, Ohio. It was commissioned by Julia French Boyce and completed in 1902. In 1953 it served as The Andrews School for Girls, and in 1986, it served as an assisted living facility. In June of 2022, brothers Michael and Paul Neundorfer purchased it and beautifully restored it to create an inn, restaurant, and event space.
Here we were,122 years after it was built, sitting on the lawn of this remarkable structure, celebrating this atmospheric marvel. I can picture the families from a previous century gathering like we did Monday, but living in a completely different century. Mindblowing.
The ladies that would have gathered on the lawn would have been wearing corsets, long skirts, and gloves. Gentlemen would have mostly worn suits, often accompanied by a dapper hat. Theodore Roosevelt was President, and Gulliver’s Travels was one of the most popular movies during 1902.
Class divides were prominent between aristocrats and people born into the lower class. Many worked as tradesmen, factory workers, and shopkeepers. American aviator Charles Lindbergh was born in 1902, and actor Will Geer who portrayed Grandpa in the American Drama Series, “The Waltons” in the 1970s, Margaret Hamilton, and novelist John Steinbeck.
Sitting back and thinking about the grand scheme of things, the experience was incredible. The natural phenomenon, unable to be untouched and uninterrupted by humans, puts into perspective how small we are in the universe no matter what century we live in. For me, it was a surreal moment, soaking in the feeling of time and space.
I hope you got to experience part of the eclipse where you live. We experienced the moment with our best friends while meeting new friends, drinking homemade Moonshine, and eating MoonPies and Sunchips! It was a perfect day and cheers to those who may be reading this in 2099!
