Oh The Places You Will Go

I am finally rested up from our trip to Washington, DC. Whew! Wrangling two buses of middle school students for a week is tough. Overall, though, they were pretty well behaved. I was especially proud of them for maintaining absolute silence during the changing of the guard and wreath laying ceremony at Arlington Ceremony. Who would have thought so many teens could be so still for so long? It was an event filled week with a lot of walking and sight seeing. There is history on every corner of DC and so much to do that you can’t do it all in one week. I absolutely loved the city and all of its history and politics. I hope to go back in the next year or two and see the sights I missed this time. It sounds very hokey, but I truly feel like a better American because I’ve visited our nation’s capitol and learned so much more about my government. Most of the museums in town are free, so you can come and go as you like. There is tight security in each building and you can speed up your entrance into these buildings by leaving bags at home. I recommend carrying only money, an ID and sunglasses. Otherwise, you’ll spend a lot of time trying to get through the metal detectors. Also, no gum is allowed at many of the facilities, so you’re better off to do without it. For those of you interested in visiting, here is my assessment of the tourist spots there:

Washington monument-Visible from EVERY corner in DC. Make the trip to the top of the monument for a great view, but pick up your free tickets for the elevator ride at the beginning of the day. That way you can visit something else nearby (Treasury Dept. or Holocaust Museum) while you wait for your designated tour time and don’t waste your “waiting” time. Also, they give out only so many tickets per day.

Lincoln memorial-Check this out at night. It’s beautiful then. Ditto for the Jefferson Memorial. The other war memorials are fabulous and should be seen, but I recommend seeing them at night too. They are just so much more impressive in the evening, especially the Korean War memorial.

Capitol building-Very cool building. The tour is very interesting.

White House- I would have been disappointed if I had stood in line with 20,000 tourists in the hot summer sun to see this one. You get to see only a few rooms. It was much more fun taking pictures in front of the White House and learning lots of great facts about the building and its operations/history from our tour guide. I highly recommend tour guides. They really do enhance the visit. We did see the presidential dogs being walked on the lawn and Dick Cheney’s motorcade while we were standing there. That was kind of fun.

Library of Congress-Do not miss this building. It is probably one of the most beautiful buildings in the country, if not the world (on the inside) and most folks don’t know that because you just don’t hear about this building. It’s free. Take advantage of it.

National Archives-Many of the exhibits are interesting but you should go just to see the original copies of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, Emancipation Proclamation and Magna Carta.

Franklin Roosevelt memorial-Would have been only slightly interesting without the tour guide. The guide made it very interesting.

Arlington Cemetery-A must visit place. Learning about the intense training and precision required for the changing of the guard before you go makes it so much more interesting. As you stand on the steps and face the tomb of the unknown, sit on the far right for the ceremony. This is the best seat in the house for watching the fascinating movements of the soldiers. The ceremony is very impressive, and the cemetery is striking. If you have small children, do not visit during a time when they are likely to be tired or cranky. Some parts of the cemetery require silence.

Smithsonians-Fascinating places that hold everything from Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers to Lincoln’s stove pipe hat. There are several, and you will want to spend plenty of time in each. Allow a minimum of one day for this. You may want two or more days if you are a museum/history buff and like to take your time.

National Holocaust Museum-My favorite stop of the trip. The permanent exhibit at this museum is well thought out and highly effective. It’s a fabulous exhibit. My 14 year old daughter and her friends truly enjoyed this museum. It’s a heavy subject, but you emerge from the building having learned an incredible amount of information. Even if you think you know all there is to know about the Holocaust, you will be surprised at how much you will learn at this facility. If you have limited time in DC, put this one near the top of your “must see” list.

Ford Theater-the place where Lincoln was shot. There is a museum below the theater that holds the pillow he died upon and other artifacts from the assassination. The bed in which he died can be viewed at the boarding house across the street. I did not get to visit the theater, but others in my party did and said it was VERY interesting. I hope to visit it the next time I’m there.

Also, make a point to drive by: the Kennedy Center, Embassy Row, the Watergate Hotel and the Washington Cathedral. Whatever you choose to see, just go, go, go to DC. It’s a fascinating place.

Goodbye Uncle Bill

We buried my Uncle Bill yesterday, and words can’t express how sad I am about his passing. My dad comes from a very large family, so I have lots of aunts and uncles, but Uncle Bill was my favorite uncle. He spent a lot of time laughing. He used humor to relieve stress and dissolve anger. He always had some kind of corny joke to tell, and I always fell for them. He loved it when you teased him back, so our relationship was full of taunts and practical jokes. In fact, the last time I saw him we were cutting up on the back row of Miller Funeral Home just before my Uncle Raymond’s funeral last fall. Only he could make me laugh during a funeral.

He loved the guitar and spent his younger years playing in bands in local honky-tonks. My aunt Katherine tamed his wild ways and stood by him for 56 years, raising 4 great kids and a passel of grandkids. He called her “that old woman” and said it with such love that it was never an insult, just an affectionate nick name. He loved so many people that everyone knew him as “Uncle Bill”, even those who weren’t related to him. I think the whole population of his hometown turned out at the church for his visitation. Near the end of visitation a transformer blew outside the church, putting the whole church in darkness. I can’t help but think he had a hand in that. One last practical joke.

He was always doing a good deed for someone, never asking for payment, never seeking praise. Just doing what he thought was the right thing to do. He found religion somewhat late in life. His relationship with God began when he was doing volunteer mechanic work on a church bus, and a little boy invited him in for services. Eventually, his music playing moved from bars to barnyard bands. In his later years, he often played and sang in church, always singing the old hymns and always calling his selection of the day, “the preacher’s favorite” no matter what song it was. He often cried while he sang, a sign of his heartfelt faith. He burned many a gallon of gasoline driving to nursing homes to sing for old folks. He spent hundreds of hours fishing with buddies and kids. I never saw him angry, never heard him say a bad word about anyone and never heard him use bad language. He was a special man, and I will miss him.

We buried him on a hill in a small 250 year old church cemetery, overlooking rolling farmland and woods. I like to image that he’s strolling over rolling hills in heaven, laughing with family long gone before him and pulling a prank or two on those around him. “Hey, Peter! Have you ever seen a catfish? You have? Well, how was he holding the pole?” Goodbye Uncle Bill. I will miss you. We will ALL miss you.

The Party's Over

Whew! What a difference a day (and a good night’s sleep) makes. I’m feeling better now, and wasn’t “Grey’s Anatomy” good? I’m back to caring, and I’m very excited. I leave tomorrow for a week in Washington, DC with my daughter and her classmates. I’ve never been to our nation’s capital before, and I can’t wait to see the monuments and memorials. I think every American should visit DC at least once. I’m just sorry it took me so many years to get there. I’m worried about the bus ride, though. Buses make me terribly nauseous. I’m hoping Dramamine and sleep will get me there with a calm stomach. Just in case, I’m taking my own sick bags. Actually, my husband bought extra gallon sized baggies today just for that purpose. Nothing says love like buying your spouse barf bags. DC here we come!

It's my party

Okay, this is going to sound mean, but I’m going to say it anyway. I’m just too tired to care about anyone else’s problems today. Do you hear that? I just don’t care about your ailments, your troubled children or your fractured family. I’m pooped, worn out, in need of rest and have a bad attitude. I’m sure I’ll feel differently tomorrow after I’ve had a good night’s sleep, but today I JUST DON’T CARE! I’m not mad. I’m not upset. I just don’t have the energy to burp. I’m a pretty positive person and the problem with that is that people don’t know how to deal with me when I’m not sunny. Here comes the whine with this cheese…..

Everybody else in my family can have a bad day and get away with stomping around and venting his problems, but heaven forbid I have a bad day. “What’s wrong with you?” “Don’t take it out on me,” they say. Yet, I’m expected to listen to their rants and ravings or take their abuse when the world doesn’t turn their way. Why isn’t mom allowed to sulk? Why doesn’t she get a pity party every now and then? Well, I want one and I’m going to take it. Don’t bring me any of your worries. I have my own. Don’t tell me about your overbearing daughter-in-law or your tax bill. I don’t want to hear it. Don’t ask me to solve a problem for you. I’m all out of ideas. Don’t ask me for any sympathy. I can’t muster up any. Don’t ask me for my opinion because I’ll give it to you, and you probably won’t like it.

I’m making sandwiches for dinner, curling up in my recliner and getting lost in the beautiful, wonderful, gratuitous smut called “Grey’s Anatomy”. I’ll be over it by tomorrow, but in the meantime, it’s my party and I’ll pout if I want to.

Poor Britney

The Britney Spears head shaving incident is disturbing for many reasons. It’s troubling that just about every American knows about Spears’ haircut but many don’t know what happened in Iraq over the weekend. What does say about us as a nation?

It’s also sad that this woman is obviously self destructing in front of our eyes, and no one seems to be able to stop it. This has been coming for some time. Her attempts at marriage, motherhood and independence are all signs of her dissatisfaction with her life and her cravings for love. Where is her family in all of this mess? I can guarantee you that no matter how rich, famous or old I was, my mother would not hesitate to come to my house and jerk a knot in my tail for being photographed in public without my underwear or for partying all night while my babies were at home. She would also do whatever it took to get my head on straight and get me the help that I needed. She’s not afraid of a little “tough love”. She certainly wouldn’t tell me what I wanted to hear just to stay on my gravy train.

Perhaps the most repulsive part of this drama is the public’s glee at having a front row seat to Spears’ self destruction. Why on earth do we enjoy building celebrities up, pushing them to the edge with adulation and then watching them slide into addiction or death because they can’t handle our intense scrutiny? We’ve done it for years. Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson…the list goes on and on of the people who smothered in the gilded cage we forced them into. It makes me sad that we’ve become so mean spirited. I wish the world would just leave Britney alone. She needs to get better, and she’s a huge influence on young girls. They will notice how she handles herself in the months to come.

Fly!

Yea for the Dixie Chicks and their sweep of the Grammy awards! It’s not that I’m a big fan of their music. It’s a First Amendment thing for me. Here’s hoping the Toby Keiths and Rush Limbaughs of the world eventually learn that the First Amendment applies to ALL U.S. citizens, even those who don’t think the same way they do.

By the way, can you name the five tenants of the First Amendment? Shame on you if you can’t. Go to www.firstamendmentcenter.org to learn them. Fly!

Oh my aching back(side)

After a weekend skiing trip with a group of teenagers from church, I’m feeling very old today. I’ve chaperoned dozens of teenage outings and trips, but this is the first time I’ve come home with the feeling that I’m getting too old for this stuff. I have bruises on my backside, my left palm and my right arm. I also have a blister on each foot. My tailbone hurts something fierce, especially when I get out of a chair, and I feel a little stiff all over.

If I weren’t such a failure at skiing, I’m might not hurt so badly. However, the two tumbles I took while ice skating were the source of my sore fanny. I need to start thinking less about keeping up with the young folks and more about risk management.

What’s bothering me more than my aches and pains is the realization that I am not as young as I used to be and that I WILL get old, just like everyone else. I’ve been in denial about that for soooo long. For some reason, I thought I would be immune to the effects of aging or could at least delay them longer than most. When did this foolish notion start, and how did I become so delusional to think that I would be any different than the rest of the world? I don’t know. People often tell me I don’t look my age, and that just feeds my delusion. It’s a wonderful compliment, but it’s leading me down a dangerous path.

I want to be someone who accepts age with grace and gratitude for the wisdom age brings. I want to be a woman who is comfortable in her skin, regardless of how wrinkled that skin becomes, but I’m afraid I won’t. I’m afraid that I won’t always remember that age has more to do with attitude than it does appearance…that it’s not the type of activities you do that keep you young, it’s the decision to keep moving and learning. My burning backside will be a week long reminder of this lesson I so badly need to learn.