Magic Shoes, More Planes and A Very Special Kitchen

So! Where were we?

Oh yes, I was telling you about our Labor Day Weekend in Washington DC. Then vacation ended, (pre)school started, computer died....but we're back in business! Old Mac is sitting in a box...new Mac is purring happily next to me, like a warm fuzzy kitten. A kitten named Benicio. Who cost us $3,000. Who has not betrayed me...yet.

ANYWAY! Labor Day weekend we had big plans for Sunday - up early, into the car and headed towards the mall (the National Mall, not a shopping mall), off to revisit the various monuments we had seen before, and perhaps add in a couple new ones. But there was one problem. No place to park.

We drove around and around and around, and every parking spot was taken. It really didn't look like there were a whole lot of people out and about, but there sure were a lot of cars. Did I mention my husband is not a patient man? The tension rose with every turn.

"THIS IS *#&@$^%# RIDICULOUS!!!!"

Trying to lighten up the situation, I tried making jokes - like how every since Ted Kennedy died, we Bay Staters get no respect. That got a little smile. Then, since we love our movie quotes, I took one from one of our favorite movies, Drop Dead Gorgeous...

"You'd think they'd have the parking lot of America to go along with the Mall of America!"

Slightly out of context, but it got me a laugh. And finally, he decided to drop mother and daughter off outside the Museum of Natural History, drive back to the hotel to drop off the car and walk back (the four blocks - did I mention that? An hour of looking for a parking spot and we could have just walked....) and catch up with us later. It would give him time to cool off, time to cheer up my now grumpy daughter and my give my ears a break for the muttering of swears under someone's breathe.

So, we walked around and to cheer up my daughter, I gave her my camera. We have twenty-seven pictures of this pigeon...

...a few of this shadow, in various poses...

...clouds in the sky, several pairs of feet that have no idea they were being photographed, a rock, a car (one that had FOUND a parking spot), and an occasional diamond in the rough like this one, which I think is actually kind of neat!

We walked next door to a sculpture garden, and I let her take of her shoes and dip her feet into the water near the fountain.

Within twenty minutes, Steve had returned, in a much better mood, and we headed into the Museum of Natural History.

There's a lot of neat stuff here. A statue from Easter Island (which every kid wanted their picture taken with, as they asked "Dum-dum" to give them some "Gum-gum" (thank you, Night at the Museum), a whole lot of dinosaur bones, a whole lot of stuffed animals. Stuffed like in a taxidermy kind of way, I mean.

A big rock called the Hope Diamond.

We had a good time, but my four year old was getting a bit cranky. Then we lost Daddy, whose cell phone died. Oh, it was fun. And apparently, all my fault.

So we stopped for a snack and a drink, then, refreshed and relaxed, headed over to the Museum of American History, which I had never been to before. The very first thing we headed towards was something to cheer up our daughter....

"Daddy? Can we buy them?"

Nice try. I asked that about the Hope Diamond and next thing I knew he was no where to be found.

This place had something for everyone - Ruby Slippers for our munchkin, Star Wars prop for Steve...

And while Steve took our little one into the gift shop, I got to spend some quality time with an exhibit that made me do this...

Ta da!

Yes, Julia Child's kitchen!

I remember thinking, "Oh WOW! This will make for a GREAT blog when I get back!" A few days later, I wasn't so enthusiastic about blogging, because A.) My photos didn't come out all that well, thanks to the plexiglass and the fact that I only know the basics about using my husband's camera, and B.) Someone beat me to it, with a wonderful post about her visit to Julia's Kitchen! Make sure you take a moment to pop on over to Always Order Dessert to read about Alejandra's visit to Washington, and while you're at it, fall in love with her blog like I did a while back. Thank you, Google gods! Who knew that a search for healthy homemade bagels wold lead me to such a great blog.

Anyway, after shoving several people out of my way (if Ted Kennedy were still here, I probably would have been in there tinkering with all those gadgets...no respect, I tell ya...)

Here's the view from the other side....

I had not yet seen Julie & Julia - although we did have a girls' night out last weekend and I finally got to see it (loved it, too!) but Julia has always been a favorite of mine, even before I started cooking. My mom was into the cooking shows, long before the invention of Food Network, and I happily watched along with her. It was nice to see an old friend receive the honor of being acknowledged as such an important part of our history. This stop was definitely all mine!

Last stop of the day was at the National Air & Space Museum.

You-know-who has a thing for planes! This was my third time here, and mother and daughter were both getting a bit cranky, tired, hungry while husband skipped around the museum....To alleviate the stress, I once again gave Grace my camera.

I have no idea who this lady is...

But thank you for playing along! I just love friendly people...

Later, Grace modeled her new shoes for us.

"Click. Click. Click. There's no place like home..."

The next morning, we loaded up the car, said goodbye to the (not so) Cowardly Lions in front of the hotel and bid adieu to Washington DC

She wore those slippers all the way back to Massachusetts!

Farewell for now, Washington! We'll be back, I'm sure!

A Monumental City - Part I

We spent this past Labor Day weekend in a place we've visited often, Washington, D.C.

As you probably already know, we like road trips and lucky for us Washington is a 7 to 8 hour ride (including bathroom breaks and other stops), which makes it a pretty good weekend getaway for us.  We love Washington.  We're both history buffs, both love architecture and public art, and we both love the fact that all the museums, including the National Zoo, are FREE!   Our first time there, we thought the Smithsonian was one big museum...it's actually several, including the Air & Space Museum, The Museum of Natural History and the Museum of American History, all walking distance from the big strip of grass and reflecting pool known as the National Mall.

We've been there four times now, and still have not seen everything!  I've never actually been into the Holocaust Museum, nor have we been to the zoo or even the Law Enforcement Memorial, where names of police officers killed in the line of duty, including someone my family knew, are engraved.  Little by little, we're checking those sights off our list.  Funny though, even though we revisited a few places we had already seen, I actually didn't take many photos this time, so some of what you are about to see was from our previous trips.

Arlington National Cemetery is across the river, and it is definitely a must-see, in my opinion.  Rows upon rows of white markers, the Tomb of The Unknowns, the changing of the guard - all of these will leave an impression on you.   Between rows of soldiers laid to rest are a few other memorials, such as a memorial to the Challenger astronauts, and one to those who died when their helicopters crashed during an attempt rescue the hostages in Iran just before Reagan was elected.   Only thing is, I feel weird taking pictures there.  I take pictures at a lot of cemeteries - after all, genealogy is a hobby of mine and I feel photos are less intrusive than rubbings, but somehow at Arlington it feels wrong.   Like I'm capitalizing on those who lay there.

One of the most memorable scenes in American military history is depicted near the entrance to Arlington, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial....

The scale of it was surprisingly large to us....I never thought it was this big!

Back in D.C., one of the landmarks you refer to often to figure out where you are is the Washington Monument.  Beyond it is the U.S. Capital, another important point of reference when you're strolling around (which, of course, I have no picture of....fortunately, we'll probably be going there again!)

You can barely see it here, but between the Washington Memorial and the reflecting pond that leads up to the Lincoln Memorial is the World War II Memorial.

As far as war memorials go, it is the most recent one built in Washington.  I have mixed feelings about it.  On one hand, do I say what I truly feel about it? Or will that come off as being unpatriotic?  

I don't hate it, but perhaps because my dad and uncles served during World War II, I'm more particular about what I think it should have been.   And of course, did I build it? Nope. Did I pay for it? Nope.  Do I make a living designing these things or know anything at all about art?  Except for "knowing what I like", no, I really don't know squat.  I will say this - I am grateful and happy that something was built while there were still World War II veterans alive and able to visit it.  And the sheer scale of it - it's huge - is by all means appropriate.

This is one side - the structure in the middle represents the Atlantic side of the war, and there is a smaller monument for every state...

 

This is the Pacific half...

And we all know by now, my Dad served in the China-Burma-India theater, and that slab of stone is what represents it.  I kind of feel that each theater, each battle, deserves it's own memorial.  One that tells the story, tells you how many soldiers died, how many civilians.  But I guess that would be tough to do.  It would probably take up the whole mall, and then some, to give each story it's due.  One thing that did touch me, was those three kids there.  Their grandparents were from Burma originally, and it was touching to see their reaction to seeing the name "Burma" - a country they had never visited and probably never will - carved into stone.  They were so excited to see it!  "Here it is! Here it is!" they shouted as they ran over to it, smiles on their faces as bright as the sunshine.

Anyway, despite the sheer size of the monument, I was a little disappointed.  Its very cold and gray.  

Not that I wanted some neon fiberglass structure, but this monument is actually what some would consider fascist architecture.  It's very generic-looking, and completely symmetrical.  It's something Hitler would have commissioned, and that bothers me.  Also when you compare it to some of the other war memorials, well...you'll see exactly what I mean...

For example, one of the monuments that surprised me the most was this one - the Korean War Memorial.  As you approach it, it sort of peeks out of a cluster of trees, and you're not exactly sure what exactly you're walking towards.

The closer you get, ghost-like statues of soldiers appear.

Alongside them is a granite wall, with faces of lost soldiers etched in them as if each one was taken from a photograph.  It's eerie to walk by, look each one in the eye, then see your own reflection on the gleaming stone.

As the sun sets, the soldiers become even more ghost-like in appearance.  To the naked eye, they actually seem to glow a little bit more than they do in this photo...

It's truly haunting.  And I think that's what a war memorial should be.

The other well-known war memorial is, of course, the Vietnam Memorial.  If you're as old as I am, you might recall that this design was met with a huge amount of criticism when first chosen.  People thought it was too boring.  A wall, with thousands of names engraved on it?  What the heck is that?  People probably thought the statue of three soldiers would be the main attraction.

It is a beautiful piece of art.

On our first approach several years ago, we might have thought the same thing...but only for a moment.

It starts out kind of like the war did.  A few inches high, a few names etched in stone. 

At this point, you still hear idle chatter among those people visiting it for the first time.  But as you make your way along the wall, it grows higher.  As the years pass, there are more and more names added to it.

And chances are, you will come across someone who was there, or someone who lost a son, a brother, a father, uncle, or cousin.

You realize that while they are simply names etched in stone to you, other people come here to remember someone who died.

Tucked safely into ziploc bags or pocket protectors are fliers telling you that today would have been someone's birthday, or that someone was killed in action 3o-something years ago today.  Faces to go with those names, and the heartache of realizing that somewhere out here in the real world, someone misses this person.

We met someone here a couple years ago, looked for the name of his army buddy, Charles E. Hosking, Jr. who was killed in Vietnam.  It was the first time this veteran had been to the wall, visiting here with his son,  and he really wanted to find his friend's name and take a picture for his scrapbook.  Come to find out, they were originally from Gloucester, MA, so we chatted about home, and he told us about his friend.  One of the things that always bothered me about my visits to the wall, was that I would try to memorize names, so I could somehow honor them in my own way.  But since I have no real connection to anyone who died there - my cousins all came home, safe and sound, thank goodness - by the time we walk away I have usually forgotten.  

But here's what I can tell you about Charles E. Hosking, Jr.  His nickname was "Snake".  He swore a lot, and was a real hell-raiser, according to his friend.  He died when he threw himself on a grenade that had been launched into a foxhole.  He was the only one who had died that day in that foxhole, having given his life to save his brothers in arms.   His name is the last one, fifth row down, on the section to the left.

My husband took that photo three years ago and emailed it to the veteran's son.  And three years later, I visited Charles "Snake" Hosking Jr. at the wall.  In honor of him, and in honor of his friend.  I may have never known you, but I will never forget your sacrifice.

And even here, as you leave the wall, and the names begin to dwindle, you are still deeply affected.  Even here, it is still silent as you pass by.  What started out being criticized as an impersonal monument is perhaps one of the most touching of all.

Another tribute to the Vietnam War is the Nurse's statue.  I've been by here a few times, and often flowers are tucked into the statue by those who have passed by.

 As you head back to the mall to catch the sunset, you look at the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Memorial in a different light.

You realize what we as a nation have sacrificed, but also how far we've come.  No matter what your political views are, or what you feel about the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the various social issues that tend to divide us, you walk away with a sense of pride.   And the feeling that whatever difficult times may lie ahead, we can overcome them.  

Columbus, OH - From A to Z

Ah, where were we?

Oh yes! Vacation - it seems like it was so long ago!  But I never did tell you about the rest of our trip.

Second stop was Columbus, OH.  We didn't really set out and explore the city all that much.  It was kind of more like a drive-by tour, but one thing I did notice was that Columbus looked like a pretty clean, cool, kinda happening place.   It does have some nice architecture, maybe not to the extent that Cleveland does, but Columbus is nothing to sneeze at.  It's just that Cleveland has a bit more architectural charm, thanks to the old buildings, bridges and factories.  

I have no idea what this area was, but apparently the entire block is being restored as a combination of residential and retail/office space.   I think it'll be nice when it's all done, and I like how they uncovered the cobblestone streets, although as much as I like the look of them, I can't stand walking on them.  I also like how they let each building keep its own characteristics - very reminiscent of the older cities we love, like our own Worcester.

 

My husband took this picture - I have no idea why, but it's a cool building and I like the little arch-thingy.  

This was an nice area - I think they call it "Short North" or something.  There were a couple nice outdoor cafe's - I loved the flower boxes at this one.

Then there was this neat little portion of the street filled with interesting little shops and restaurants.  We were here in the late afternoon, and it looked like we caught a lull between office hours and the evening dinner crowd, as people were just starting to filter in to this area.

I bet it would look nice at night, all lit up, too!

We drove around a bit, and us girls waited in the car while hubby went and snapped a few photos for his collection.  Having been with someone so keenly interested in architecture, I've trained myself to look for little things I might not have noticed before, like the detail on this building.

 

I snapped this because it looked like they were actual gargoyles, meaning part of a water drainage system, as opposed to just decorative touches, known technically as "grotesques".

THAT little tidbit of info was something that I actually taught my husband!  And I don't even have a degree in architecture!  But I do watch a lot of educational television.

Not that that's a good replacement for a decent education! 

Somewhat out of place was this corner in the center of the city.  It seemed kind of strange to have this electronic marquis in an area filled with classical architecture.  I wondered what it was about this particular corner that made it so special it had to beckon you from afar with flashing neon.

And then, I saw the light...

The beautiful pink and orange glow of a steaming styrofoam cup of coffee!

I suddenly felt just a wee bit homesick!   It was the first Dunkin Donuts I had seen in three days.

Earlier in the day we visited the Columbus Zoo.

Here's my little cutie, ready for a day of walking in the hot sun....

Like her mom and dad, she's an animal lover.  And I think she's got a bit of her dad's artistic flair, because she gravitates towards public art.

Or maybe not. Maybe it's just fun to climb on big, stone polar bear sculptures.

Personally, I liked looking at the bears with a pulse.  These two were orphaned grizzly bears form Alaska - their mother had been attacking people and dogs and was consequently killed.  They had actually been sleeping peacefully until some idiot started pounding on the thick plexiglass that enclosed them.

Kinda dumb, but I have to admit I got some good pictures of the bears!

This big guy was in the neighboring pen, licking his chops, wondering if said idiot was going to meander this way and try that crap with him.

Sheesh! And I though I needed a manicure!  I loved this bear - he looked old, but pretty happy in his habitat.

The big news at the zoo this summer is the new baby...

Aaaaaw! Cute widdle baby ewephant!  She was born in March, and was extremely active this day, running to catch up with mom.

Then she posed for pictures with the children.

Well, not really....

We loved the statues at the zoo, and the best part was that they actually encourage kids to climb on them.  

Which she did.

All of them.

Every...single...one.

Until it was time to go check out downtown Columbus, then head out to dinner and back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

Daddy skipped all the way to the parking lot, because the next day was his special day...