A personal note from Kathryn & Sybren
- Kathryn van der Pol
- Oct 19
- 5 min read
You are receiving this special edition of Happenings on the Way to Heaven from Kathryn and Sybren van der Pol. In addition to my regular subscribers, folks who used to receive our newsletters when we owned our business in Houston are included.
Since we sold our business in 2021, we have been restoring and rebuilding our lives, kind of like an old car that needed a major overhaul.
First, our current business is called Texas Heritage Center. It includes a small, beautiful RV retreat and tiny homes. Check it out at TexasHeritage.net.
Next, Texas Heritage Center is the headquarters for Ready2Roll Cycling, an organized 11-week training series that runs from late January to April. The purpose is to help people who have a passion for bike riding to do long distance rides such as the Texas MS-150 or who just want to ride on beautiful country roads, meet like-minded active people, and get in better shape. When we had our business in Houston, you may recall how much Sybren and I enjoyed bike rides. That is one thing that hasn’t changed. You can visit our website here: www.Ready2RollCycling.com.
Texas Heritage Center also hosts other unique events. On November 1, Sybren and I are hosting a charity ride called Pedaling for Veterans. It leaves out of Wallis Columbus Hall in Wallis, Texas, and all proceeds support Tunnels 2 Towers Foundation. We are blessed to have NRG Energy as our primary sponsor.
We also host events in our home. This Thursday, we are pleased to have Texas historian Blake Pfeffer, author of Shouts from the Republic, speak about the Texas Republic and the cost of freedom. He will be speaking at 5:30 on October 23. If you would like to come, we still have a few seats available, please email me at Kathryn@TexasHeritage.net. You can read more about it on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/TexasHeritageEventCenter
Our home is not a typical space.
It began its life as a grocery store in the 1970s that belonged to an elderly man. For some time after his death, the building stood abandoned, until Matt Taormina bought it and transformed it into the Chappell Chill, a popular destination for motorcyclists. In 2016, the building suffered damage in a major flood and was sold to a building contractor, and we bought it from him.
We were drawn to the land because of the 6000-foot carport, a perfect spot to park our two buses and RV. Since we acquired the property we call Happy Meadows, it has become a beautiful, if somewhat eccentric, rustic center of Texas Americana. The open concept of the building is ideal for hosting classes, movies, lectures, and parties, and we enjoy doing all of the above. Gardening and butterflies are also a passion, so my wee farm, including chickens, keeps me moving. Yesterday, I harvested some late season Crimson Sweet watermelons, and they tasted terrific. At sunset, we enjoy sitting on the back porch and watch God’s daily sky painting.
Many of you may recall that I was also working with a group of fine people to start a charter school. Sybren and I are proud (and relieved) that Heritage Classical Academy opened in August. The school is located on 34th Street where Lutheran High North Academy once was. It is near the Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA. http://www.heritageed.org
As a public charter school, all students can enroll, and there is no tuition. We are the first school in Texas to be a member of the Barney Charter School Initiative, a project of Hillsdale College. This year we opened with about 60 students, two sections of kindergarten and one section of first grade. Next year we will add second grade, and this process will continue until we reach full capacity at 8th grade.
The school is classical, meaning we emphasize the tried and true. It is not a religious school, but character education in virtues such as Gratitude, Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Self-Control drive much of our choices in literature, art, and history. The school motto, Sapientia et Virtus—Latin for “Wisdom and Virtue”—captures the essence of our educational philosophy. Heritage Classical Academy believes that education is about far more than academic achievement. True education cultivates both the intellect and the heart.
You may be hearing from me from time to time when we have events that involve the school community.
Since I moved to Washington county, in addition to gardening, I have taken up my pen. I started a column in the local newspaper that ran every Sunday for a year. Now, I do this same column on the internet. Happenings on the Way to Heaven is published from May to December, usually on a weekly basis. Sometimes, if I am interviewing someone, my essays take longer to write and produce.
They are usually about history told from a personal perspective. I don’t discuss politics overtly, but I do quote the Bible. I have written about Chester Nimitz, George Mason, the attack on the USS Liberty, and the Romanovs. Yes, I have a personal connection to a certain jewelry box that belonged to the last surviving Romanov! Lately, I have focused on religious persecution. I also have an essay-in-progress that is about trees. So, it’s a mixture.
The name Happenings on the Way to Heaven came from a dear friend and customer named Tillie Weir. She was what I liked to call a “back door” customer. When her Cadillac Fleetwood needed service, she would park near the building, walk through the shop, and come into the service office from the back door. It never occurred to her that it was only for employees, and I never had the heart to tell her.
Tillie was a writer and published a column by the same name as mine about her faith journey. She started writing in her 70s after her husband passed away. She had been a bookkeeper for the family business, and one day, she felt a strong leading to tell people about the Lord. She discussed it with her boss and with his blessing enclosed her “Happenings” with the company invoices. I never asked her if people paid more promptly once “Happenings” came out. I think I will have to ask her about this one day. Hopefully, we both end up upstairs in the same place.
After she retired, Tillie kept on writing.
She kept a gigantic copier in the middle of her living room to reproduce her essays. Once when it broke, Sybren drove over to the house to repair it. She printed and mailed over 600 essays every month until she passed away in her 90s. When ours arrived at the shop, at least four people read it from top to bottom.
We did some fun things with our customers over the years, and one of those things was we started a monthly writer’s group. Every month, Tillie would come and read one of her Happenings. When she became too old to drive at night, I went and picked her up. When she died, her children asked me if I would like to keep her extra copies. I did. I have boxes of her essays. They are all wonderful, and I have plenty to share! Just ask.
What fond memories!
Well, that’s my update! Explore the links. I encourage you to read some of my past essays.
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Thank you for reading. If you have any comments you would like to share, email me at Kathryn@TexasHeritage.net. God bless you.
