Things that make me cry...

My fellow Americans,

I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.

Upon learning this news, Nancy and I had to decide whether as private citizens we would keep this a private matter or whether we would make this news known in a public way.

In the past, Nancy suffered from breast cancer and I had cancer surgeries. We found through our open disclosures we were able to raise public awareness. We were happy that as a result many more people underwent testing. They were treated in early stages and able to return to normal, healthy lives.

So now we feel it is important to share it with you. In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. Perhaps it will encourage a clear understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it.

At the moment, I feel just fine. I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this earth doing the things I have always done. I will continue to share life's journey with my beloved Nancy and my family. I plan to enjoy the great outdoors and stay in touch with my friends and supporters.

Unfortunately, as Alzheimer's disease progresses, the family often bears a heavy burden. I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience. When the time comes, I am confident that with your help she will face it with faith and courage.

In closing, let me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your president. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you.
Sincerely,
Ronald Reagan

The Twelve Days of Thanksgiving - Day Three

Today is the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.

 

Today I am grateful for freedom and democracy..and for beautiful words full of meaning.

 

Gratitude Month - Lincoln

I was fortunate to see a sneak preview of the movie Lincoln a few weeks ago, and it is fabulous.   Daniel Day-Lewis will be nominated if not win an Oscar for this performance, it is that good.

 

Very loosely based on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin, the film Lincoln tells the condensed story of the passing of the 13th Amendment and of the last months of Lincoln's life.

 

I was struck by several things when I saw this movie.   1.  The language used back in the day was really quite beautiful.  I wish we spoke more eloquently in today's day and age.   But we really do seem to be doomed to become idiots of the age of technology, as has been reported in the news lately.  2.   Party politics was just as rife with conflict then as it is now.  Except back then the Republicans were actually much more socially conscious of their duties towards "the least among us" than they seem to be now.   3.   And Abraham Lincoln was a man of great principle.   It is said that towards the end of his presidency that he became so stooped over from the weight of the mantle of the office that he could barely stand upright.

 

He wasn't perfect by any means.   He was sometimes cold to his wife.   Loving to his youngest son, but at the expense of his older son.   Willing to make back yard deals with politicians in order to move forward on his agenda.   Conflicted enough to possibly delay the end of  a war that had killed hundreds of thousands by a few days so that he could try to pass an amendment.  

But he was also a man of great warmth and humor.  Quick witted.  A great story teller.  And a man with a passionate belief in the equality of man.

You see Lincoln knew that he had to do something about the issue of the slaves.   He knew that as a war powers act the Emancipation Proclamation would not hold up once the war was over.   But with every fiber of his being, he knew that the enslavement of man was wrong.   He worked tirelessly in the last months of his life to ensure that the freedom of all men would be constitutionally mandated.  And thus the 13th Amendment was passed in Congress in January of 1865 and ratified by the States in December of that same year.  Lincoln was of course assassinated in April of 1865, so it is a tragedy he didn't get to live very long to see the fruits of his labor.

Doris Kearns Goodwin called Lincoln 'sexy' on the Colbert Report last week.   I have to admit I can see where she is coming from.   Freedom definitely is sexy.  ;)

Side Note:  All of this inane talk of seceding from the union since the last election has really gotten me riled up.  

I leave you with the language of this beautiful piece of American history.  Read it aloud if you can, savor each word.   Pure poetry I tell you.

The Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.



Gratitude Month - Voting

 

 

 

Here is a brief history of the right to vote in case you were wondering.

 

The 14th Amendment (1868) basically states that all persons born in the United States are citizens and as such are guaranteed certain rights and privileges, one of which is the right to vote. However, this of course did not stop discrimination by race or gender. 
 

The 15th Amendment (1870) states that No citizen could be denied the right to vote 'based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.'  
 

Still no vote for women or for many of the freed slaves either...due to Jim Crow laws. Some of which were that you had to pass a literacy test in order to vote (most of the free slaves were illiterate). Grandfather Clauses stating that if your Grandfather had the right to vote, then you had the right to vote…this of course discriminated against the freed slaves who's grandfathers obviously didn't have the right to vote. And Poll Taxes, which discriminated against the poor.  
 

The 19th Amendment (1920) states that 'No citizen shall be abridged of their right to vote based on sex.'   

Yay for women voters finally!  
 

The 24th Amendment (1964) states that 'No poll tax is allowed or failure to pay any other tax shall prevent a person from voting.'   
 

Can you believe we had to wait 94 years for that one? 
 

The 26th Amendment (1971) states that 'All persons 18 or older shall not be abridged of their right to vote.' 
 

This was of course due to the fact that we were sending our soldiers out to fight and die in war by the time they were 18, but yet they didn't even have the right to vote until they were 21. 
 

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 - 'Applied a nationwide prohibition against the denial or abridgment of the right to vote on the literacy tests on a nationwide basis.'
 

Again 95 years?

 

For the many who came before us who did not have the right to vote, and the many who came before who fought for the right to vote, we should honor their memory by exercising our right today! 

 

“The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men. ”
― Lyndon B. Johnson 

Gratitude Post - Religion

 

Today I am grateful for the influence of religion in my life.   And by that I mean actual religion, not just spirituality, because I have met many spiritual people who had nothing to do with organized religion.   I too have had many spiritual experiences outside the realm of traditional religion, but traditional religion has also brought me much joy throughout the years.  

 

It may be hard to understand considering the pre-conceived  notions most people have about my chosen religion, but believe me when I say, that I find and have found beauty in many different religions.   In Utah alone I have visited and communed with the congregants of the Hindu Temple, the Hare Krishna Temple, the Jewish Synagogue, the Greek Orthodox, the Catholic Community,  the Buddhists, etc.   I have loved every second of it, and if I am very honest I have felt more welcome in their arms than I have in the arms of my own congregations on occasion - I am talking about you Congregation Kol Ami.

 

And I expect from everyone, but don't always get, the kind of consideration and love that I so gladly give my fellow faithful, in return.   It boggles my mind really.   What I have found is that most religions at their core really just teach love.   Be kind to others.   You know the Golden Rule and all.   Yet, so many people (not religions, the people within the religions) spend their time spewing hatred and intolerance.  It shouldn't matter if my idea of the Trinity doesn't match yours, am I a good person?  Are you?   Enough said. 

 

And again, if I am being honest, I don't always understand or personally agree with some of the positions taken by my church.   However, at the core of my religion, is the idea of free agency.   And contrary to popular thought, I am allowed to make my own decisions.   I think if you know me at all, you would know that I would never belong to a church that didn't allow me to have an opinion or to make up my own mind about something.  In fact, it is encouraged in my church for EVERYONE to study it out, pray about it, and find the truth for themselves.

 

So having said that, I am now going to talk about the 2nd most taboo topic in any polite conversation....no not sports.....politics.

 

Let me blunt, I would be very disappointed to find out that anyone voted for a candidate because he was a certain religion or against a candidate because he was a certain religion.   That is not what this country is about.   And the fact that we are still having this debate in the year 2012 is kind of sad to me.   You would think after John F. Kennedy's troubles with being Roman Catholic, we would have learned our lesson.  But no.  I believe both candidates are good men.  In fact, I who voted for President Obama in the last election, have waffled back and forth because I really believe sincerely that each man would do good for our country but in different ways.   I just urge you to really search your mind for the issues that are important to you, and then decide who best represents your interests on those issues.  Please don't make it a religious issue, or a race issue, or any of the other small trivial issues that clog up the importance of electing the leader of the greatest nation on earth.  Yes that sounded extremely cocky, but whatever.  

 

I leave you with two things.

 

A quote from John F. Kennedy -

 

"I hope that no American will waste his franchise and throw away his vote by voting either for me or against me solely on account of my religious affiliation.  It is not relevant."

 

And...

 

This link to an article that might help you debunk any pre-conceived ideas you might had about the Mormon faith.  And as always if you did have any questions and wanted to ask me, I am more than happy to answer what I can.  I welcome thoughtful and respectful conversation.   I promise I won't send the cute little missionaries to your house.  (unless you wanted me to)

 

12 myths about Mormons — From caffeine to the Bible to birth control

Setting the record straight about LDS beliefs on Christ, polygamy, politics, temples and more

By Peggy Fletcher Stack

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Nov 01 2012 11:29 am • Last Updated Nov 02 2012 05:31 pm

 

 

 

 



“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” ~ Tennyson

Hooray for the Olympics!   I hope you all plan to watch the opening ceremonies tonight.  

Here are a few thoughts I have been having about the Olympics today.

First...To dip or not to dip?   That is the question.   Honestly, even Olympic historians cannot agree on why in 1908 the flag bearer for the United States Olympic team refused to dip the flag as he passed by the King of England.   Most say it was because he was of Irish descent and he was trying to make a political gesture.   For whatever reason, it CAN be agreed upon that in subsequent games the flag was dipped.  But not always.  Obviously not in 1936...because of Hitler and all...but sometimes...in other years...who knows?  Anyway, it is not necessarily an American tradition as some have been erroneously saying.   My two cents....the Olympic games are not the right venue to get your political message across.   Also, it is just good manners to acknowledge and honor your host.    So I for one would not be offended to see some flag dipping tonight.  Also, I am now craving some chips and dip.  

Second...did you know that in years past there were literature competitions as part of the Olympics.   With Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals being awarded in things like poetry, art, architecture...right along with wrestling, rowing, and soccer?   I didn't know that, and I consider myself to be somewhat of an Olympics expert.  :)

Here is the Gold Winning poem from the 1948 London Games, by Finnish poet Aale Maria Tynni’s.

 “Laurel of Hellas” 

Laurel of Hellas noble-born,

most celebrated tree,

gazing to your lofty crown

the mind must dazzled be.

Third...I am not a big Michael Phelps fan.  Sorry.  Ryan Lochte...now that is another story.

Fourth...I will cheer for another country in some cases.   I am not so USA patriotic that there isn't room in my heart for a few other people.  Case in point...Roger Federer.   I hope he wins a gold.   Love him.

Fifth...I wasn't sure I liked the official London 2012 song by Muse (and I LOVE Muse) until I saw it set to this video, now its growing on me.

Finally...I am sad I will miss all of the games since I will be in the Netherlands starting tomorrow for 14 days and then in Denmark and Sweden for 4 more days.   I hope you will all double your efforts to watch every little sport (and yes that means trampolining too) to make up for my absence.



Gratitude Month - Suffrage

Today I am grateful for the right to vote. Suffrage...the legal AND civil right to vote is something that is easy to take for granted in this country. But it wasn't that long ago that women, black people, people without property, etc. were denied that right. Not only do we have the right to vote in this country, but we are able to exercise that right without fear.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said..."Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting".

So having said all that, I am sad to report that I was not able to vote today. But only because there was no election in my district. I guess everyone is running un-opposed. But yay for voting!!

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” ~ John Adams

"The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men" ~ LBJ

Sundance 09

So Sundance 09 was a great year for film, celebrity watching, family visits, live music, and curly hair.

Curly hair you ask? Well you see my cute cousin Alisa came out for this year's festival and she got invited to a private premier party for a SlamDance film and she invited me as her plus 1(Slam Dance is a competing festival during Sundance, but who's complaining a party is a party, right?). I decided that I needed to have curly hair for this party, so I sweetly asked my sister Kate to come and curl my hair. I gotta say that the curly hair was a hit. I was chatted up several very attractive men and I like to think it was the hair, but it could have also been the open bars. Whatever, I digress. Guess what else? Yes you guessed it; Paris Hilton was at the same party. No I didn't talk to her; I didn't even make eye contact, because seriously why would I want to? But I WAS at a party with Paris Hilton, and in Sundance celebrity terms this makes me a rock star. Thank you Park City!

Here are a few more random pics from Sundance and some movie reviews. Enjoy!

Here I am trying to get Sherri to take my picture from what I have decided is my good side. Yah, don't ask, I mostly just look like a dork.

My new obsession if you couldn't tell is taking self portraits. You know...when you hold the camera yourself and point and shoot. This one amuses me; it is artistic in that it is "loosely" framed.

Two tiny specs in front of the Egyptian. Thanks to Brock the security guard for taking our picture, but not for his inability to use the zoom on the camera.

And now for the reviews...

Amreeka

This is a sweet movie about the struggles of one Palestinian family after they immigrate to the United States. I give this movie 3 out of 5 stars.

It Might Get Loud

A documentary about the evolution of the electric guitar and its influence on the musical careers of Jack White from the White Stripe, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and The Edge from U2. 4 Stars.

Mary and Max

A claymation movie about the unique pen pal relationship between an 8 year old Australian girl and an overweight 44 year old Manhattan man with aspergers syndrome. 3 1/2 stars.

Lulu and Jimi

This movie is awful, stay far away from it.

Tibet in Song

This is a film documenting the journey one Tibetan man took to capture Tibetan folk songs and in the process also the story of how he was imprisoned and tortured for 6 years by the Chinese government in Tibet. 4 stars.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

One woman on a quest to understand a painful breakup and the psyche of man decides to interview a series of men about their experience with women and ultimately capturing their fears and vulnerabilities on tape. 2 1/2 stars.

The Maid

The story of a live-in Maid in Chile who has the emotional maturity of a 12 year old and who starts to feel jealous when her employers try to hire someone to help her out around the house. This one also won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize. 2 1/2 Stars.

We Live in Public

A documentary mostly about a crazy Dot Com millionaire named Josh Harris, but also about the intrusiveness of technology in our every day lives and the concept of privacy in the modern age. This one won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize. 4 1/2 stars.

I also went to an "evening" with Steven Soderbergh, he is the Director of the Ocean's Movies (11, 12, 13), Kafka, Out of Sight, Traffic, etc. - he is one of my favorite directors. I was really excited to attend this event because I thought he would spend 2 hours just talking to us. Instead he used us as a test audience of sorts and screened one of his latest films. It is still a work in progress so there were things that were obviously wrong, but even with all of that, I really didn't like it. It is called the Girlfriend Experience and it is structured a little like Out of Sight in that it is non-linear. But unlike Out of Sight, this movie lacks any chemistry. I would hope that once he finishes editing it, it will be better. But I do not have high hopes. What I DID like though, was that he spent time talking about his process and how he makes movies. It was fascinating.

Anyhoo, that is my Sundance wrap up. I missed all of you who couldn't share it with me. And just to prove I am not vain, here is a hideous picture of me with my cute cousin. (I deliberately picked the one with my eyes closed because it amuses me).

A Few of my Favorite Things...the Politics Edition

I have said it before, but I will say it again, I am a nut for politics. I also like to collect things. Naturally then, I like to collect political things. My collection is getting to be respectable, and there are many things that I love in my collection, for this post I will feature a few. And if anyone wants to part with anything that might do my little collection justice, be comforted in the thought that I am an equal opportunity collector. I would probably even accept a Bo Gritz item.

Welcome to my collection...

These are a few of the pins I have started to collect, most of these come from very kind family members. But I am working on adding to it with my own additions.

I love this one, and it's huge so it photographed ok. Some of the smaller ones did not photograph well at all, but I would love for you to see some of them. For instance I have a pin from the Nixon/Lodge campaign (upper left hand corner) which has one of those pictures that if you look at it from one angle it is Nixon and from another angle it's Lodge. Brilliant! Also, I saw one just like it - with my own two eyes - on display in the Nixon Library museum.

I purchased this one for myself when I was in Washington D.C. last month. It is a good collectable because it has both Obama and Biden's pictures plus the date of the Inauguration. You want to try to get a date if at all possible. That is why some of my Olympic pins are more valuable then others. Oh dear, now I have done it. You are getting a good picture of just how geeky I am. I guess I could confess now that I also collect coins. Seriously, what a nerd. :)

This picture is blurry unfortunately. Once again proof that I need to take a photography class if I want to continue taking pictures of my collections. Anyhoo, my sweet, sweet brother bought this for me on his National Jamboree Boy Scout trip back East. I love it because it is my first representation from the Democratic Party.

Did I mention how hard it is to take pictures of items that reflect light? Any hints from anyone out there on how to combat that?

This is one of my more recent items. I loves it. 'Jenny Lou Who' sent this to me from Dallas. It is a commemorative spoon from the 6th Floor Museum, which of course is on the site of the Texas School Book Depository, the building from which John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Very, very cool of Jenny to send this to me and when I opened the package, I could not be stopped from exclaiming aloud - deeelightful.

This bumper sticker is just amusing to me.

And finally we have George Bush 41 and 43. One a cat toy and one a bobble head. Classic! President George H. W. Bush the cat toy was given to me years ago by my best friend from High School. I used to bring it out only on Christmas, but now it has permanent residence in my collection.

President George W. Bush the bobble head came to me very recently under very sad circumstances. It belonged to my friend Joe at work and I have coveted him for a few years now, I would always like to bargain with Joe by saying - "I will make you a pumpkin roll...if... you will give me the bobble head". He never relented. Well...last week we had some lay offs at work, and unfortunately sweet Joe was one of them. When I came into work the next day, Bobble Head Bush was sitting on my desk. Awwww.

2008 - The Highlights

January

I stood in line in the freezing cold AND turned down big money (someone reeeaaalllly wanted my ticket) to see Bono and pals at Sundance. It was worth every frost bitten toe. I love the smell of Sundance in the air, can you smell what Robert Redford is cooking?

February

I did some traveling this month, truth be told I am not sure where I was and when, it was all a blur there for a while. But the one thing that February does to make the little cockles of my heart happy is that it brings awards season. I admit that I cry during the Academy Awards, I can’t help it I just get so excited. This is also the reason I rarely attend an Oscar party, people don’t need to be watching the show with a big baby.

March

I decided to hit up the Grand Ole Opry when I was in Nashville. And for an alternative music lover such as myself, I was more than pleasantly surprised to have a super good time. Note to self, next time you sit next to someone connected to famous people pretend like you know who they are talking about and try to get back stage. I have missed the opportunity now twice to meet famous bands on the cusp of stardom – Maroon 5 and Lady Antebellum. Also note to self, quit being a snob.

Through my involvement with the Salt Lake Film Center I had the opportunity to see Jane Goodall speak. This was maybe one of the highlights of my life - to see a living legend, someone who has contributed so much to the world and our understanding of not only our animal friends but our human friends as well. Her research was instrumental in the redefinition of what it means to be human. Goodness gracious, to have that kind of impact on the world is awe inspiring.

April

This was the month that I learned that In N’ Out Burger is good people not just good burgers. I don’t know why this shocked me so much, but when I was on a business trip in California I went to In N’ Out and forgot my money, and they gave me the food anyway. Huh? People still trust people in this world…AND in Southern California no less? For this they have my loyalty. Plus they make a mighty tasty burger.

May

I spontaneously decided that even though I would be traveling to the Happiest Place on Earth in November, that I needed to be there in May too. My cutest niece Delaney was there as well and I was proven wrong about taking small children to Disneyland. I have always thought that 7 was the perfect age to take them for the first time, because they are too young and short (generally speaking, not Delaney) to really enjoy the Park. Also, they need so much supervision. But Delaney was a delight to be around. She was such a good little girl, and she made much of the trip even more magical than it already was.

David Beckham – I saw David Beckham with his shirt off. Enough said.

June

Scottish Festival – My favorite festival is in June. And while I missed seeing up anyone’s kilt this year, it was still a grand time.

Also, my cute brother got his Eagle Scout award, and I was so proud of him.

July

July was a month of highs and lows. We had our annual Sibling Holiday on the 4th of July and it was so much fun. I think I even refrained from forcing everyone to watch School House Rocks this year. You are welcome everyone!

The low would have to be moving in the heat of the summer up 3 flights of stairs. I think my movers, and by movers I mean my family, were about to kill me.

August

August brought the Olympics, a series of events that I anticipate with bated breath. So I guess I must confess that…I also cry during the Olympics. Hmm…maybe should invest in some pharmaceuticals to help with this problem.

September

September is all about me because it is the month of my birth. Other than that, there isn’t really anything to be excited about for this month. Sigh.

October

My Aunt came to visit in October and we had a really great time. We did some things in Salt Lake City that I have either never done before or hadn’t done in a long time. One of my favorites was attending the weekly Tabernacle Choir Broadcast. They are amazing. Obviously we all know how beautiful they sound from their recordings, but there is nothing like seeing them live and in the Tabernacle. It just isn’t the same in the Conference Center.

November

The highlight of November can be summed up in two words – Barack Obama. I cannot wait to see what he can do with this office. And as much as I also liked John McCain, I really think the world needed for us to make this decision.

Oh and lest I forget, November was a banner month because I got to go back to Disneyland. It was a great trip. I wish that I could visit the house that Walt built every month.

December

I took a quickie trip to D.C. to visit my friend Matt in December. He is moving to China in like 2 days and I knew that if I didn’t go now it would be a very long time until I saw him again. Matt is one of my dearest friends – and I don’t say that lightly as I really don’t like that many people. Just kidding. We had a great time hanging out, and did I mention that I LOVE D.C.? I wish I could go there every month as well. Geez…I really need to work on amassing that personal fortune or marrying one.

And finally a word on News Years Resolutions…in my opinion they don’t work. Seriously, it would be nice if we could all lose that extra weight, save more money, be kinder to the environment, and increase our spiritual awareness, blah, blah, blah. I take a different approach these days to resolutions. I only make one a year, and I try to make it achievable. For instance 2 years ago, my resolution was to always take coupons when I went to the store – silly I know, but it was all part of my desire to be careful with my money. Last year my goal was to read 3 books a month. Done and done. See? Now I feel a sense of satisfaction in accomplishing a 12 month goal, instead of like a failure when I forget to work on my goals by January 4th. I haven’t decided on my goal for this year yet though, does anyone have any suggestions? And you are not allowed to say “Quit drinking Diet Coke” – you know who you are!!

Here is to a happy and healthy 2009!

Washington D.C.

I just got back from a whistle stop tour of our Nation's Capitol. Just kidding it wasn't a whistle stop tour, just a quick trip. I thought 'Whistle Stop' seemed apropos considering its political nature. Anyway, I went to visit one of my very favorite people and as an added bonus he just happens to live in one of my favorite cities.

Last time I was in D.C. the Washington Monument was closed for renovation. This time there were two things holding me back - 1. the impossibly long line of grubby school children waiting for a tour, and 2. the bitingly bitter cold wind. I could swear that the monument looked like it was swaying, and there is not enough money on this green earth to get me into a 555 foot swaying obelisk of marble and granite.

It looks pretty majestic in the cloudy sky though, doesn't it?

United States Capitol Building

One of the sites I was most excited to see was the new World War II Memorial. It was not there last time I visited. It is between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, and I think it is very nice. Having Grandfathers that served on both sides of the conflict and hearing their stories (or not hearing as the case may be - there were just some things they would not talk about) made the monument even more special to me.

View of Lincoln Memorial from World War II Memorial

The monument is surrounded by smaller pillars representing each state and territory.

Freedom's Wall - 4,000 gold stars commemorating the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives in the war (and a duck).

The American Red Cross building - I just thought it looked festive.

This is as close as my zoom could get to the White House. It is also festive. Whilst I was standing there I saw Marine 1 or 2 land and take off. I could not see who was in it, but judging by the amount of Secret Service surrounding the perimeter, I am going to guess it was someone important. Maybe Mr. President himself. By they way, did you see the clip of him on the news, where the Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at him? I don't know why, and I suppose it is inappropriate of me, but it is amusing to me. Plus, President Bush handled it very well.

The National Tree - I wasn't too enamored with this tree. The way they have it draped with lights leaves something to be desired and it doesn't even look like a tree anymore. But the whole site surrounding the tree is quaint and sweet, so oh well.

The have a tree from every state. Most of the decorations are done by elementary school children from that state. Ours were puzzling.

What is that? A naked mole rat? It doesn't exactly scream Christmas to me. But maybe I am crazy.

Me, the tree, and the White House. There is also one with Matt as well, and he is a cutie. I, on the other hand look like I am posing for my mug shot, so it shall not be posted on this site.

Matt's house. It is very nice and old. With creaky wooden stairs, and radiators. I like it.

We went to Georgetown and did some Christmas shopping. Well, I watched Matt do some Christmas shopping. This is the canal in the Georgetown area.

This is a festive Mall in the Georgetown area where we were stalked by some carolers dressed in Victorian era costumes. They were all cute and quaint until they kept following us everywhere.

The National Cathedral

The Rose Window in the National Cathedral

We went to the National Cathedral for a Christmas Concert. It was soooo beautiful, and just dripping with Holiday spirit. I loved it.

I tried to capture the beautiful colors that the stained glass windows reflect on the walls of the cathedral, but I couldn't quite do it justice. Take my word for it, it was spectacular.

I also visited the American History Museum at the Smithsonian. I was delighted to see that the Star Spangled Banner is back and also to see one of the 5 or 6 hand written (by Lincoln) copies of the Gettysburg Address (the Smithsonian has the Bliss copy). Wow.

And I went to the Corcoran Gallery to see an exhibit of Richard Avedon photography. It was called 'Portraits of Power'. It featured many important political figures of the past several decades and it was riveting. His style is very raw and not necessarily flattering but at the same time inviting and fascinating. He captures what he calls his "subjects in crisis, embattled by their engagement with the world" My favorite was of course Ronald Reagan.

(Image borrowed from the Internet)

Plus we had some food, saw a good movie, spent time people watching, had some good laughs, and good conversation. So I say two days well spent.

Christmas Scripture, Song, and Story.

Scripture - Luke 1:30-31

Song - I Heard the Bells

Story - The Other Wise Man