Hooray For The Red, White and Blue!

It was the first non-rain 4th of July in Washington DC for a few years and we decided to spend it with a few of our closest friends:

We were joined by Erin, Danny's girlfriend, fresh from her semester abroad in New Zealand and friend Natalie. Both are interns at Do The Write Thing this summer. Very fun to have two DC novices to share the 4th with.

Dan and I started the day at the National Archives where "George Washington" and "Thomas Jefferson" read the Declaration of Independence. The end of the program is a great rendition of God Bless America with thousands of people singing. Yes, I got very misty eyed.

The picture of the man to the left of the podium is actually a screen image of the man who led the singing. He had a FABULOUS voice.

We were also part of the throng on Constitution Avenue watching the parade. The best? No doubt about it, the representatives of every branch of the military followed by the Continental Fife and Drum Corp.

A Shakespearean Rant

I am not trying to scare anyone but this is the cover of the playbill from the play we went to the other night:


OK, King Lear is perhaps my favorite play by Shakespeare. The weird thing is that I have only seen it once, the film version done in the 60s starring Paul Scofield. I was in college at BYU and saw it for extra credit when I was taking my Shakespeare class. Anyway, I felt like I had been hit by a truck when that film ended. I have read it again several times but the thing is just so dark, so emotionally difficult that it just isn't staged all that much. HOWEVER, last summer I saw that the Shakespeare Theater Company here in DC was staging it this summer and was really excited. Dan gave me tickets for my birthday and off Dan, Josh and I went.

Why is it that directors feel they must "put their own stamp" on Shakespeare? Why must they think they have to improve something that is arguably perfect already? This director decided to set his play in modern day Russia, full of Russian thugs with knives, automatic weapons, fur coats, modern music, vodka, and lots of cigarette smoking. I can't remember ever seeing nudity in Shakespeare before. I am certainly glad I was not sitting in the first row. I was so busy watching what the director was doing that I missed the play. It is amazing to me that the play I saw so long ago and had so profound a reaction to could have so many laughs in it now.

Sorry, I just had to get it off my chest. Apparently I am very much in the minority, the critics here liked it. I am parochial, I guess. I prefer to think that I am just a real fan of the Bard.

The (Nearly) Annual Pilgrimage

You can't be in D.C., call yourself an American and not make the trek to Mount Vernon. Of course, that's just my opinion. I know I have a couple of kids who may not agree 100% with me (being Thomas Jefferson fans) but for me, there was no one in American history who comes close to George Washington. So, the yearly drive to Mount Vernon is a must.


Washington once said that there is no place on earth he would rather be than Mount Vernon. With a view like this who could disagree? Of course, the man had spent most of his life away from his home fighting the Brits AND Congress and no place is more peaceful even with thousands of tourists wandering around.

Honestly, I love this place. If I was rich and powerful and could have my way I would be one of the members of the Mount Vernon Ladies Society. There is one Vice Regent from every state and one Regent in the Society and they run everything. MV is not owned by the government. It was purchased in 1853 or so by a group of ladies who thought that it was insane that the home of Washington had fallen into such disrepair. Since then the Society has done a really fabulous job. They have purchased several hundred surrounding acres, restablished the working plantation, worked to control development on the Maryland side of the Potomac so that the view from MV would stay much the same as in Washington's day, had really excellent museums built on site. They have done an impressive job. I know, I know. I'm a little nuts on this point.

Besides, there is a lane there that is bordered by magnolia trees - an ENTIRE lane!

A Golf Course Called Stonewall

In my opinion all golf courses should have a Civil War cannon in front of the pro shop.


For Father's Day, Dan wanted nothing so much as a round of golf - anywhere he could get a tee time. He was lucky and found a public course in Gainesville VA called Stonewall Golf Club at Manassas. Yep, the same place you think of when you think of Stonewall Jackson (if, of course, you ever think about Stonewall Jackson). Wow, this was a beautiful course, not in the La Quita style but in an east coast golf course style.



And yes, being the loving wife, I drove the cart for all 18 holes. Of course, I did have my Kindle with me. I'm not completely crazy.

Saturday at the Western Shore

It isn't a good picture of the map of the area but you can get the idea. Drive south from DC to the Western Shore of Maryland and you will eventually get to St. Mary's City. It isn't much of a city, not to say that it isn't charming but it is quite small. The thing is it was settled quite some time ago - 375 years - to be exact. We know this because Saturday was the celebration and we decided to go. So off we went and made a wonderful discovery. We lived here for almost 24 years and never knew that there was an Amish settlement there. We happened on a great farmer's market and bought sweet corn right from the field and the best tomatoes I've ever had.


Look through the stand and you can see the horses that pulled the wagon that hauled the corn, beans, tomatoes, squash . . sounds like a Sesame Street song!


The thing is, this was the best part of the trip. The weather held until we actually got the St. Mary's whereupon the wrath of God was unloosed and I think half of the Chesapeake Bay was dumped on us. No photos, too much rain, lightening and black, black clouds to take any. How in the world did the people who settled there 375 years ago make it?

Good Times, Old Friends

The kids won't believe that these boys actually belong to Marianna and Ivan Ducic, some of our dearest friends in Virginia. Daniel is 11 and Tony is 8 (go ahead, fall over Aby!). It was a fun Sunday afternoon watching the boys play soccer and being amazed at how incredibly fast time flies. We haven't seen Danny and Tony for several years since every summer they are gone to Croatia to stay with family. so we were amazed with the change!

It's Only Fair Play

Well, we went south for a few days so it was only right that we go north for at least one day. Amish country in Pennsylvania is really only a couple hours drive through the beautiful green countryside of Maryland into Pennsylvania to the area just east of Lancaster. Lots of horses, buggies, apple deserts, home canned items and quilts, quilts, quilts! I hope the kids remember some of the trips we took there when they were young - Strasbourg Railroad, Dutch Blitz? Anyway, Dan had a good time eating his way through it all!


Parking lot at the grocery store in Leola, PA. I am not kidding, cars out in front, buggies on the side.


One of our favorite stores in Bird-in-Hand, PA, seriously that's the real name. This store goes on forever full of all kinds of stuff. Look closely through the buggy windows - yep, it's Dan.


Quilt store in Intercourse, PA. Nope, not kidding. This place is just wonderful, gazillions of quilts for sale, fabric, books, lots of extras and a "quilt museum" to boot.




This was the most amazing quilt I've ever seen. It was hanging in the display area - definitely not for sale. It has won numerous national awards and it is certainly clear why. Even Dan was impressed and that says something. He is not a real fan but was a good sport.

Last, but not least. the farms are beautiful. If you look super closely you can see a man, a wagon and a team of horses working. The Amish use no motors, electricity or anything that is part of a modern world. And we think that the Church makes demands on us.