Yankees!

This year commemorates the start of the Civil War 150 years ago.  The area is rich in history and we have become interested in learning more about this terrible time in our nation's history.  I was never very interested in Civil War History as it seemed so far away in time and distance from my life.

I got an idea of the continuing relevance and strong feelings and traditions the summer before last, when Tom and I went to Branson Missouri during the 4th  of July weekend.  We decided to go to the Dolly Parton Dixie Stampede Dinner Theatre http://www.dixiestampede.com/

It was so much fun, but we were shocked to learn that we would choose whether to be Yankees or Confederates and be seated on opposites sides of the arena-huh!? There were feats of skills between the two "teams" and we cheered on the Yankee side of course.  I thought the Civil War was so long ago that it was not so relevant anymore- wrong.  In retrospect, I think it is important to remember this time and be proud of the people who fought and worked so hard for needed change.

Well, my sister Mary Beth and husband Bob came for a visit in May to celebrate her 60th birthday- imagine that.  We are all Yankees, the Thouvenels and the Drydens- born and bred in the Pacific Northwest.  My brother in law is a retired high school history teacher and my sister a voracious reader and also a retired teacher and principal. Both are very much interested in American History.

Mary Beth is four years older than I am and we have a special bond (as I do with all three of my sisters for the different reasons and seasons they have influenced my life).  We socialized a lot together back in the 70's and 80's in Portland with our first spouses.  We know each other pretty well, I would say.  Because she is four years older, I missed out on riding on her coattails of popularity at Redmond High School- how unfair! 

The anticipation of having more visitors was exciting- the weather was just starting to improve and  I was looking forward to my first Spring here.  I worked feverishly on the planned itinerary to make sure it would be a memorable visit.  The highlight of the trip was to be a trip to NPR (National Public Radio)studios in D C- well as my son-in law would say: Fail!!


The first day here we went to The Old Ebbit Grill for dinner, a walk to the White House and a moonlight trip to The Lincoln Memorial. I never get tired of the sight of the Lincoln Memorial- so awe inspiring. 

The next day was our trip to Arlington Cemetery. The weather was nice and we enjoyed the Lee House which I love to see when we make trips into DC. I have come to love General Lee- he has the dearest, saddest eyes and he was conflicted about slavery.  He is revered here and it has been fun getting to know more about him.

The next day was MB's birthday and we had an awesome day planned. Okay, I screwed up the plans for NPR and the much anticipated tour.  Somehow I cannot seem to get the concept that  National Public Radio and my local NPR affiliate are not one and the same.......I hauled these two poor Yankee visitors from the beaver state almost to the end of the red line train after the "helper" at the Metro station didn't know where or what NPR was .  It turned out we were really close, but then took a ridiculous detour to WMAU and were politely informed that we were in the wrong place- they were trying not to laugh at us but it was surely embarrassing.....sorry about that Mary Beth.  I vow to get there one day and will probably have to drag Tom there in your place. 

The rest of the day went smoothly except for putting up with the insufferable Metro workers who Mary Beth says must have some sort of seasonal affective disorder from being in dark cavernous spaces most of the day.  She thinks better lighting would make them less cranky.....

We took a quick tour of the museum at Ford's Theatre before heading out for day one of our Tourmobile tour of the Orange and Green lines. We lucked out and had great drivers/tour guides.  We made a stop at the National Cathedral -beautiful and chock full of school groups.

We ran to In style Nails when we returned home and got french pedicures-awesome and our feet were killing us by the way. 

We ended the big birthday day at LaPorta's Restaurant-delicious! http://www.laportas.net/


The next day was drizzly and grey and the tourists seemed to be growing exponentially along the mall.
We attempted to take a tour of The Capitol Building .  It began to rain and then pour on us- an omen I think.  A pleasant intern was posted outside by the screening area handing our red umbrellas to borrow while waiting. The screening process is stringent and MB had to chuck her empty water bottle.  I was delayed getting in  as the European tourists in front of me had nail scissors in their bag-sigh...I felt and looked like a drowned rat and after seeing the hoards of middle school kids waiting for their tour- we decided to peruse the  museum displays and forgo the tour. 

We went to The Library of Congress, The Air and Space Museum and The National Museum of the American Indian.  We had a tasty lunch at the Mitsitam restaurant at the museum.  I have one more Groupon- so Tom and I will soon be returning for another delicious meal- a not to be missed experience.

We especially enjoyed the collection of Civil War photos at the Library of Congress. The pictures were heartbreaking to see so many young, innocent soldiers and their families fighting in that terrible war.

No trip to our neck of the woods would be complete without a visit to my favorite- Mount Vernon!  The weather was great and we enjoyed the day.

That night, we went to Eamon's Restaurant http://eamonnsdublinchipper.com/ in Old Town Alexandria- this was on Bob's wish list and since he was such a good sport we tried it out. The fish and chips were very good and we should have stopped there. We decided to try out a dessert sampler of a deep fried Mars bars and dough balls. How to describe the effect on the digestive tracts of four 50 plus Yankees.... Oh my, the fried delights sunk down in our stomachs and we were queasy from the overload of grease and sugar. It was worth it though and now I can cross  deep fried candy bars off my bucket list  : )

Our last day in DC was spent at The National museums of Natural and American History. The grand finale was a matinee of Liberty Smith at the Ford's theatre.  A delightful treat- thanks Mary and Bob!

The last day of the visit was spent in Gettysburg PA. I will write about that in a separate blog as this one is getting rather long and I want to include lots of pictures.

We had a great visit and enjoyed the good company, delicious meals and the fun of exploring here in DC Metro.

April Showers

April showers do bring May flowers among other things: unexpected visitors, another holiday in Virginia and a new volunteer experience. 

Rain...we get a lot of rain here it seems. It is probably more normal than not, but after living nearly 20 years in Arizona, the rain seems a bit persistent and excessive! It is becoming more beautiful here everyday with the lovely azaleas and dogwoods in bloom.  The humidity is low right now and we are enjoying the more temperate days while we can. 

My son Ryan, daughter in law Amanda and sweet Grandson moved to Houston Texas and are getting settled in their new home . I hope to make a quick trip there in the near future. 

Easter was spent at Mount Vernon with our friends Kari and JR. The day was pleasant, the food good and the company great. I did feel a little homesick that day and missed my family and  familiar church in Mesa.





The squirrel(s) were out in force on Easter Sunday!

Kari and JR


My brother in law Robert made an unexpected trip to Maryland to visit his folks after his Dad had surgery to repair his broken hip. He arrived the sane evening as Tom's brother Len arrived in town for a business trip.  We all had dinner together in Bethesda that night and enjoyed a great meal.  Wow, it seems I comment on food frequently, but we have really enjoyed some great restaurants here and it is fun to collect Groupons to use at new places.  A week later we met Robert in Georgetown for dinner at The Guards .  I am so glad Tom is skilled at parallel parking as it is a skill you must have here!  I haven't had to parallel park since moving to Mesa- plenty of wide open spaces there to accommodate the gas hogging trucks and SUVs!  Finding and paying for parking is a nuisance, but a reality here.  Robert took us to the Old Stone House, from pre-revolutionary days and within walking distance of the restaurant,

Tom and Bro in law Robert

We tried to get a cupcake at Georgetown Cupcakes- aka DC Cupcakes, but they had just closed and believe it or not there was a police officer supervising the closing of the store, that is how big a crowd it draws.

My eyes are closed and my shirt is buttoned unevenly- perhaps due to the vodka tonic I enjoyed at The Guards!

We settled for frozen yogurt and said goodbye- we will be seeing more of Robert in the near future as he sees to the transition of his Dad from extended care rehab back to home.  We will be making some sightseeing trips together and he is an expert guide as he has lived in the area previously.   



I found an opportunity to utilize my massage therapy skills shortly after the new year began.  I will be giving chair massage to returning vets from Iraq and Afghanistan at The Mologne House on the Walter Reed campus. The Mologne house is a transition house where the soldiers continue to get rehab after being released from acute care at Walter Reed hospital. After an application process, background check and the purchase of new malpractice insurance and a new chair I was ready to go.  The volunteers give chair massage to family and soldiers alike. It was a great experience and I am gratified to be of service to those who have sacrificed and served our country. The organization I am working under is CAUSE- please see the following link:
http://cause-usa.org/main/index.cfm

Tom and I made two April trips downtown to the Library of Congress-http://www.loc.gov/index.html
we enjoyed a concert of Pershings own Army Band and will be returning to see the new Civil War pictorial exhibit  in the near future.  We also visited the National Aquarium, but I wouldn't recommend it as a must see.

We were scheduled to attend an Army Strong marriage weekend in Virginia Beach on the last weekend in April, but it was cancelled at the last minute. Due to a lack of interest?!  Well, I was interested and thought it would make for an entertaining blog. We decided to make the best of the situation and treated ourselves to sushi, a movie and and yoga class and a trip to The Pentagon Mall. Would you believe that we got scolded for taking pictures at the mall?  Unbelievable, since you can freely take pictures of most things on the capital mall....including the White House exterior.

The weekend ended with a rousing church service at our new big box church and for the first time ever, I actually raised my hand up during a praise song!  Me, a reserved Lutheran- ha ha.   The pastor is so enthusiastic and sincere, you can't help but get enthused too!  My Mom celebrated her 85th birthday and was feted at her local Lutheran church with a surprise coffee hour reception  that two of my sisters  put together.  Happy Birthday Mom- I was with you there in spirit- love you!

Mom and Dad with their favorite!


Well, the news these days is food for thought as we are living right in the middle of the breaking news and increased security. In a way it makes me want to run back to Arizona, but that is a silly notion.  It probably will be safer here than most places and it comes with the territory of having this chance to experience our year in DC Metro.                                                                                                  

Spring Break ,Cherry Blossoms and Tourists

When I made plans with daughter Holly and her husband Ryne to visit us the last week in March- I had no idea that the activity level in the area would explode, seemingly overnight.  During the fall and winter months, the museums have been easy to access and relatively uncrowded.  Since this is our first year here, every month and season provides a new education in living in the DC Metro area.

Their visit coincided with the National Cherry Blossom Festival and Spring Break school trips.  I began to get an inkling of the busy-ness of Cherry Blossom week while having my hair done a few days before their arrival.  My stylist was describing her husband's dread of the impending crowds around the National Mall since he works for the National Park Police.   Ugh, I began to get an uneasy feeling while we talked.  I am not a fan of huge crowds-enough said.

Everyday was action packed and we saw a remarkable amount of monuments, museums and other curiosities. H and R had made a wish list of things they would like to see and many, but not all objectives were achieved.

View from the Lee House at Arlington Cemetery

The kids arrived  on a Monday morning after an all nighter red-eye flight with a layover.  They were tired and the first day was devoted to rest and recuperation from the flight and the previous day's work. That night, Tom drove us to downtown DC and we saw the Vietnam Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. Believe it or not, I hadn't had a close-up look at the Lincoln Memorial and it was truly awe inspiring.  The few groups of school kids present were respectful and well behaved,  but as the week went by the behavior and demeanor of the tweens and middle school kids deteriorated at a steady rate!

On Tuesday we took the Metro to Arlington Cemetery and we broke out the mittens and hats.  I had just packed them up the week prior, but we were having a cold snap- darn it! 

That night we returned downtown on the Metro to have dinner at Old Ebbit Grill after Tom and Ryne explored the International Spy Museum. The restaurant is a five minute walk to a spectacular view of the back of the White House and it is always fun to see it at different times of the day and year and speculate what is going on inside.

On Wednesday morning,
I cracked the whip and we hustled down to the Metro station for a day of fun downtown via the Old Town Trolley Tours.  We got a two day pass and took the first informative loop around the mall.  I had never seen the trolleys so busy and we were hard pressed to find a seat at several stops. We were just across the street from Fords Theatre and were in the right place at the right time for the next tour group in the museum. I hadn't seen the museum portion of the theatre which is operated by the National Park Services. The museum is a must see and free to the public.

After the tour we had lunch at the Lincoln Waffle House across the street. It was a fun little greasy spoon and the food was acceptable.

Not Zagat rated, but they take debit cards!

We enjoyed the Madame Tussuad's Wax Museum- a great deal (of fun)with the help of Groupons!

We headed to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  Holly and I were pooped, so we took an extended break at the food court while Ryne explored the exhibits. The museum was crowded, but doable since we went later in the day for the special extended hours.

We headed home in anticipation of the next day's outing and a second day on the Trolley Tour.

H and R took the green-line trolley to Georgetown to see The National Cathedral and pick up their on-line order from Georgetown (DC) Cupcakes. 

Holly was in Nirvana and thrilled to see the famed cupcake store in person.  We later had lunch at Ollie's Trolley- and guess what. cash only...... I have found that many casual dining places in the downtown area accept cash only- perhaps something to do with the beef about the District of Columbia's tax debate?

After a hearty lunch and our sugar fix- we headed to The National Museum of Natural History and The National Museum of American History  http://www.mnh.si.edu/.

The trolley loop took forever and we decided to stop at the Jefferson Memorial.  It was raining  and later the rain turned to freezing rain....The memorial was crammed full of shrieking wound- up middle school kids that had clamored off of the six Peter Pan buses parked outside the memorial.  My pictures are not good due to the darkness of the day and the darkening of my mood. By this time, it was Thursday and  probably the 4th of 5th day of the school kid's tours. The kids had lost it and apparently their chaperone's had given up. I was appalled at the lack of respect displayed at the beautiful venue. These kids nowadays....

We finally made it to The American History and Natural History museums which are adjacent to one another.  Holly and I made a bee-line to the First Ladies Inaugural Gowns and we stopped dead in our tracks when we saw the lines. The darn tour buses were one step ahead of us, so we just had to grin and bear it. I have to confess I went home before Holly and Ryne, as I was fading fast and getting a bit of sensory overload.  It gave me the opportunity to make a delicious (if I do say so) vegetarian Indian meal that I learned to cook in a great class from the good old Plum Center last month.

 It was fun to see Holly and Ryne experience everything and I took note that Holly was very interested in the human experience of the exhibits and Ryne more typically interested in the artifacts.   Holly has a tender heart and I know she was touched  by the Holocaust museum and exhibits on slavery. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War and it is a great time to be here- right in the heart of the matter.  I am looking forward to touring battlefields and see more of the Virginia and Pennsylvania countryside.

On Friday, I took the day off to catch up on laundry and rest. We had been going full tilt for days and I just couldn't take one more day downtown with the hoards.  Tom took the afternoon off and joined Ryne for a tour of The Bureau of Printing and Engraving, while Holly toured the Holocaust Museum.

Saturday was Mom and daughter day.  I traded Holly a massage for a color and cut. We walked to the handy nail salon and got French manicures and pedicures. Tom and Ryne toured the NRA museum and enjoyed the Hollywood weapons display. To each his own. 

Our last day together was spent at my favorite, Mount Vernon Estate.  Every time I go I get the chance to see more of the museum exhibits and this was my third time to tour the mansion. The weather was greatly improved and it was a beautiful day to walk around the grounds near the Potomac river. Tom had to join us a little later in the day when the parking lots cleared out. Unfortunately, Mt. Vernon is not easily accessible by public transportation- until the tour mobile from Arlington Cemetery start in May. 

I never get tired of George's place and we will have Easter Brunch there with Kari and JR. 

It was a busy week with lots of good food, fun and family time.  The weather was pretty obnoxious except for a day or two, but in spite of that, a good time was had by all. 

Holly and Ryne- it was great to have you here, love you guys!