White House Christmas Tour

UNION STATION




The Capitol is right next to the Botanic Gardens

BOTANIC GARDENS


Opossum Opartment
Fairy Flat
Critter Condo




(I didn't know that cacao pods grow on the trunks rather than the branches.)

9 Dec 2011

Today we went with a small group of people from our community to see the White House — plus, a couple of other sites in D.C. The weather was beautiful. Nippy in the morning, but warming to a very pleasant day later on.

I hadn't been in the White House since I was 17 years old, and it was interesting that the rooms seemed smaller than I remembered. :-) Of course, my experience with houses was very limited the first time I was there, so I'm sure everything seemed enormous compared to what I knew then.

The security is significantly different as well, and, there aren't as many rooms open for viewing. (I remember getting to see the kitchen pantry and, at 17, was awed by how big it was! At that point in my life, I'd never seen anything like it.)

Of course, every room we saw today was beautiful!! Lots of the decorations were made from paper or felt, and most of the trees were decorated in just one color - usually gold or silver, with clear, crystal-like ornaments as well. Most of the rooms also had some representation of the family dog, Bo, among the decorations. Mostly, those were made from paper, but the one I liked best was made with buttons.

We enjoyed hearing a high school chorus from Orlando, FL singing Christmas Carols near the back foyer. (I guess they have several different groups perform each day.)

When we finished our tour of the White House, we went to Union Station and ate at the food court and did a tiny bit of shopping. We also got to see an electric train exhibit that was temporarily on display.

After that we had a wonderful time at the U.S. Botanic Gardens. The holiday displays were gorgeous! And, they also had trains. Lots of Thomas the engine as well as some adorable little "bug" trains. There was a delightfully playful exhibit of fantasy houses (made for fairies or for various animals) — all made from natural materials. They also had larger displays of famous D.C. landmarks, made-to-scale, from natural materials. They were amazing! We didn't have a lot of time there, but enjoyed every minute of it.

Thanksgiving 2011

All these cutie pies!!

Our thanks giving tree

Three generations, Abby, Amanda and Sherril

Me and the twins (just a few days before their first birthday)

26 Nov 2011

We had a great time visiting family over the Thanksgiving holiday! We drove to NC on Wednesday, the 23rd - in time to wish Susy a "Happy Birthday!" And, we also got to see Laura and Travis and their family that day.

We spent most of Thanksgiving Day at John and Amanda's and enjoyed a wonderfully delicious meal that John cooked up for us. Amanda's parents were also there and we had a nice visit with them. That evening, a few of us joined Susy and Todd at Todd's parents' house for a plethora of pie! Oh my!! Chocolate, pecan, pumpkin, apple, cherry, etc. etc. Yum. Yum. It was great to see everyone there.

Friday morning I met up with Heather at her place. We planned to go browsing in some of the vintage clothing stores in Raleigh, but, discovered that they've all closed. :-( So, instead, we spent time in some of the shops in downtown Cary and enjoyed lunch at Serendipity. That afternoon, Heather, Mark and I met up with Bob, Sophia, Holly, Lucy and Lily and went to see The Muppet Movie. Then, we all went back to Heather and Mark's place and ate popcorn and pizza. What fun!

Saturday was our Crenshaw family celebration - since most of our kids had dinner with in-laws on Thanksgiving Day. And, we got to skype with Bob and Maria and Isabelle and Bobby. Unfortunately, we missed out on talking to Ryann.

I made a large Thanksgiving "Tree" that we hung on Susy and Todd's entertainment unit and everyone wrote something they were thankful for on a leaf and we let the grandkids tape the leaves to the tree. Included among the many things our family expressed gratitude for was:
God
Jesus
home
family
little girls
seasons
Benadryl
computers
gravy
health
the earth
babies
nursery,
and whales.

We and the Chabo's attended church in the Fuquay Ward Sunday morning and then drove to our respective homes. Already looking forward to the next visit! (Though, its likely to be a few months before we get back to NC since Bob and I are going to Ohio for Christmas.)

The Battle of Ball's Bluff

22 October 2011

We enjoyed a beautiful fall day in Leesburg, VA (the next town over from us) watching a reenactment of the Civil War Battle of Ball's Bluff. This is the only Civil War battlefield site where the reenactment can take place on the actual site of the battle.

The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of (Union) Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's operations in Northern Virginia.

While a minor engagement in comparison with the battles that would take place in years to follow, it was the second largest battle of the Eastern Theater in 1861, and in its aftermath had repercussions in the Union Army's chain of command structure and raised separation of powers issues under the United States Constitution during the war.

This was the only Civil War battle in which a sitting U.S. Senator was killed. Senator Edward Baker, a close friend of Abraham Lincoln, was a lawyer, a politician and a military leader who, like Lincoln, had served as a U.S. Representative from the state of Illinois. Baker was also a colonel in the U.S. Army and had served as such in the Mexican-American War. In 1851, Baker moved from Illinois to California to seek his fortune, and, later, landed in Oregon. In 1860, he returned to Washington D.C. as a U.S. Senator from Oregon. At the time of his death he had been in the process of resigning his position in the Senate so that he could serve full time in the Army. And, though Baker didn't live to know of it, Lincoln had already signed orders for him to be commissioned as a U.S. Army general. His death shocked official Washington and led to the formation of the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.

Among other notables who fought in this battle were: two grandsons of Paul Revere, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. who later (in 1902) became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Hooray for Fitness!!

10 October 2011

Since Labor Day (so, about five weeks) Bob and I have been making better and healthier choices about what and how much we eat. I've also increased my exercise and activity level. Its amazing how quickly your energy improves once you start exercising regularly! (again) I'm participating in a one-hour yoga class twice a week and use an aerobic workout video at home other days. Plus, we're spending a couple of hours square dancing, twice a month, with a few other couples in our neighborhood.

I slowed down so much after my cancer treatments (Apr - Jul 2008), my accident (Nov 2008), and during all those months of physical therapy (following my March 2009 surgery), that it really took a long time until I was ready to push myself. Feels good to be this physically active again!! (Of course, the fact that we moved four times between Aug 2008 and Oct 2010 may have factored into that, too!)

Even though Bob hasn't quite started on an exercise program (except for the square dancing) he's dropped a few pounds and made significant improvements in his blood sugar levels. And, I've lost a few pounds as well.

So, here's to good eating, exercise and good health!!!

Although its not what it once was, I'm grateful we still have the strength and stamina we have and I hope I never take it for granted again.