Florida Fun

There has been a great deal of fun since my last long-ago post.  With so much to cover, I nonetheless feel it my happy duty as my mother's daughter to dedicate one entire entry to Disneyworld! 

My first trip to Florida!  Pure magic.  How could it not be, exploring Tom Sawyer's Island with these glorious people: 

Screaming with terrified glee on my favorite ride of all time - the Tower of Terror

Discovering the beauty and the slower pace of the Animal Kingdom theme park (where Dad and I finally went on safari)!

Having a spooky time at the Haunted Mansion, another all-time favorite

Chilling with Captain Dad Sparrow:

Smiling in a happy stupor after the all-you-can-eat German buffet at Epcot:

Have I mentioned yet that Mom and Dad are so much fun?

Not to mention Sarah

And to cap it all off, here's the view from our hotel room in the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  At dawn and dusk, we saw giraffes, zebras, and ostriches. 

Other highlights included eating dinner inside the Cinderella Castle (where we met the Disney princesses, and Dad recommended that Belle read World War Z); eating German food at Epcot; eating Moroccan food at Epcot; listening to the barbershop quartet croon away in Main Street USA; experiencing the amount of water that hits you when you sit in the front of the raft on Splash Mountain; and being giddy with Mom at our early entry into the Magic Kingdom (think Peter Pan ride twice in 10 minutes).

Of all the fun places in the world I plan on returning to, Disneyworld is top.  The perfect place to go in February!

National Treasure

On September 13, 2011, I attended a lecture by David McCullough.  I was awestruck before the lecture even began.  I stepped through metal detectors and into a quiet marble hall - the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center, after hours.  There is something magical about historical places at night.

Congressmen and their staff, CEOs, and lucky randoms like me were treated to Mr. McCullough's insights on the Constitution, education in America, and lessons from history.  As anyone who has read his books can attest, Mr. McCullough is brilliant!  As he spoke, I could picture the entire contents of the Library of Congress neatly tucked inside his brain, from which he could pluck out a historical letter or cite a law at a moment's notice.  When senators posed questions to him he answered with confidence and wisdom.  He seemed a rare mixture of scholar, author, patriot, and... grandpa.  In my eyes, a national treasure.

Being a bookworm, I sat up straighter when the subject turned to reading.  Mr. McCullough stressed that parents have a greater responsibility than schoolteachers to teach the importance of reading.

"What books do you take to heart?  What books do you take heart from?"

His questions resounded with me.  It's true that I love vampire romances and could devour Louis L'Amour whole.  (And there's nothing wrong with that).  But what books have I taken to heart in the last year?  Certainly Mr. McCullough's own masterpiece, John Adams.  Others read in 2011 that still linger with me: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Yearling, The Road, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Cold Mountain, The March, The Old Testament (the latter lingers longest since it is a work in progress). 

I have never been known for good recall, so I will never have anything close to the Library of Congress tucked into my brain.  But some stories you just can't shake.  They leave an imprint and become more than just the words of strangers.  I know what it means to take  masterpieces to heart, and take heart from them. 

Mr. McCullough just puts it so perfectly. 

Clip from his September 12th lecture at the National Archives.
http://fora.tv/2011/09/13/David_McCullough_The_Constitutional_Convention_of_1787#fullprogram

December in D.C.

Have you ever been to D.C. in December?  It is one of my favorite months here.  To start things off right, there is the Scottish Christmas parade in Alexandria.  Here is a picture of a man smiling cheekily that I couldn't resist capturing:

Kilt-sporting men and women from cities across the nation amass in Old Town and march around, then congregate for a good-natured musical stand-off in Market Square.  I admit that I love bagpipes!  They set my Scottish blood pulsing.

One Sabbath morning early in the month my roommates and I visited Arlington National Cemetary.  The day before, 90,000 wreaths had been laid on the graves of soldiers, many of them killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Since 1992 a man from Maine has supplied wreaths to the cemetary to honor fallen soldiers.  Volunteers transport them to Arlington and place them upon the graves.  It was moving to see the wreaths lying so green and beautiful in the early morning light.

Arlington National Cemetary

View of D.C. from Robert E. Lee's home

One Thursday after work I hopped on the metro for an evening downtown.  My main destination was the U.S. Botanical Garden.  The holiday exhibit there included a gorgeous array of poinsettas, wreaths, trees, model trains and historical buildings constructed from natural materials (imagine a miniature U.S. Capitol of willow, tobacco, etc).  The gardens normally close at 5pm but the exhibit had extended hours and it was magical to step out of the dark night and into a warm, humid greenhouse with glowing Christmas lights, fragrant flowers, and live music.  

Woody Castle, at the Botanical Gardens

Now to depart from the D.C. theme of this post and give a little nod to the most Christmasy state ever, the Evergreen State.  My brief time in Seattle was, as always, so good for the soul!  My mom's resplendant meals, PNB's Nutcracker, our cozy house in the forest, people I adore.  There's no place like home!  

Christmas Morning!

Back to D.C., and the most exquisite wedding!

Nelson and Mary Ann Claros

Happy December.

It's a Jolly Holiday

I've been in the Christmas spirit since November 25th (for adjective-laden details, see my last post).  Since then there has been the Messiah at the Lincoln Center, decorating the house with my dear roommates, singing "What Child is This" with AM at the McLean Music Fireside, and watching A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theatre.  Tonight, it's a community production of It's a Wonderful Life. 

Surprisingly, the cheer has not fled as I've entered my work building every day.  I have a sparkly silver tree with white lights and olivewood ornaments sitting on my desk.  All of my coworkers exclaim over it, and I have to admit it is very cheery!  But something that cheered my heart the most occurred last week. 

One of my company's best traditions is to provide a holiday party for the Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed Hospital.  The party is funded by donations from my fellow coworkers.  I had tallied the piles of donations and the total came to $19,965.  Impressive as that was, it just didn't seem right to be $35 short of $20K!  So I took it to my boss and she agreed that we should try for a little more.  All it took was one cheery email from my boss' boss to the 6th floor, asking if we could make the threshold, and coworkers popped by the rest of the day, opening their wallets and writing checks!  Yes, I had to keep tallying and re-tallying, but my holiday mood soared with each addition.  We ended up collecting far more than $35 - several hundred more! 

I think of the sacrifices of the servicemen and women at Walter Reed and around the world and I know that our donation is a small thing.  But... it is something.  It shows our gratitude for what they have given us.

This verse from "In the Bleak Midwinter" by Christina Rossetti captures my thoughts on giving.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

NYC: Adorned & Adored

I expected NYC to be adorned in glitter and classy decor thanks to all of the fun movies that have been filmed there during the holidays.  I wasn't disappointed!   

It's so easy to delight in the ambiance of the city, especially on a pretty and mild winter night.  Candy canes hang on eaves, wreaths adorn windows, snowflake lights glow above busy streets. O Come All Ye Faithful rings from a saxophone in Central Park.  Silver angels line the path to Rockefeller Plaza, ice skaters glide around merrily, and the sheer hugeness of the Christmas tree - green and unadorned at that point - brings an earthiness to the glitter.  The window displays on 5th Avenue are sheer glamour: each window its own fanciful little kingdom that I can admire from the sidewalk but never enter (and never comprehend).  Who am I to grasp NY fashion?  I have fun trying, though.  

'Teacher's Pet' window at Bergdorf Goodman. (credit: Ricky Zehavi/Bergdorf Goodman)

 That's all I have to say on NYC adorned.  As for adored, let me mention the cuisine. To begin with, there were two trips to Levain Bakery.  Please imagine the best chocolate chip cookie in the world, still warm, gooey but not too gooey, oh my goodness!  Worth the walk to 74th Street many times over.  

 At Josh M's recommendation, we dined on Japanese ramen at Totto on 52nd Street.  Getting a table took a little effort, as our first attempt was thwarted by a crowd that snaked down the sidewalk.  Next day we still waited a bit, but boy was it worth it, especially seeing the satisfied look in Josh D's eyes as he devoured the ramen with practiced skill.  And as we were eating, Ann Marie exclaimed that baby Jack was squirming around happily in her tummy. "He likes the food of his ancestors."

Another reason I adore NYC is the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  One evening Laureen and I walked across the park to the glorious glowing Met.  I adore this outing because with every visit I either see something new or I see a familiar artifact in a different way.  This time, it was the Joan of Arc painting by Jules Bastien-Lepage.  It hangs in a prominent place on the second floor hallway, and Joan looks real enough to walk right out of her vision and into the hall.  Perhaps it's lifelike art like this that inspired the writers of Night at the Museum.  


This doesn't do it justice - the colors are too dull here and her eyes don't look haunted enough - but you get the idea.

 A final highlight was attending an exquisite performance of the Messiah at the Lincoln Center. This was a treat that I especially adored because my dear friend Tim sang in the chorus!  It was a glorious ending to Thanksgiving weekend in NYC. 

Thankful

Celebrating Thanksgiving in NYC definitely kindles the holiday spirit!  After flying into JFK bright and early on Thanksgiving morning, I emerged from the subway to see a crowd gathered at the end of 64th St, where the famous Macy's parade was frolicking down Central Park West, a stone's throw from Sarah's apartment!

Soon I was perched happily at Sarah's window, gazing down upon the marching bands, costumed dancers, and of course, the floats!  I loved the muscled Spiderman, but my favorite had to be old-school Snoopy.

Because I am what I am (lazy), I only took one picture of the parade, but it's an important one, because it's Santa (yes he is the rotund float, not the real deal at the parade's culmination).

Our Thanksgiving feast was sumptuous, and consisted of a turkey from Zabar's that Tim carved to perfection; mountains of buttery mashed potatoes by Amber; gourmet stuffing by Tim; cranberry relish with orange and ginger by Laureen; green beans by Sarah that tasted so good I forgot they were a vegetable; yam and apple casserole by me (not as good as Grandma's, but passable); and 4 dozen golden rolls by AM.

After we could move from the table, we took a stroll through Central Park.  Twilight was falling and the park was filled with beautiful people, all in a holiday mood--ice skating, picture-taking, enjoying.



Pie time!  There was pecan pie from Zabar's, and 3 homemade pies by AM: apple-pumpkin, chocolate mousse, and my personal favorite--banana cream.  Perfection.  

When we each shared something we were thankful for, I realized how hard it was to choose one thing.  I've been so blessed, how could I possibly choose?  But, shimmering at the top of the list was gratitude for my sisters.

My BFF's at the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland

Sister Kira hoisting baby Jeffrey in the Uintas

Happy Thanksgiving!

Starstruck

Last weekend I treated myself to a NYC birthday blowout: back-to-back Broadway shows starring Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman.  Friday night was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Saturday, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway. There was something very surreal about watching Harry Potter and Wolverine singing and dancing before my very eyes! 

I was impressed, enchanted, swept away.  The only sorrow was switching seats with Sarah at intermission during Hugh.  We had two single seats - orchestra row A and mezzanie row H - with the master plan of halving the total cost and switching at intermission.  The plan worked beautifully until, sitting in the mezzanine for the second half, I saw Hugh advance toward Sarah and give her a mighty high-five. Jealousy may have made me scream just a little.  But, who can really begrudge a high-five from Hugh?  I cannot be that shallow!  It's just that I've been a little starstruck by the man since I saw him in London in 1999.  He was Curly in Oklahoma and I'm pretty sure the Thompsons had to peel me away from that theatre. 

  

The weekend held other delights: Central Park ablaze in autumn glory, prettier than a postcard.  Meeting my lovely roommate there for a twilight stroll.  Caribbean cuisine in Brooklyn with friends that I adore.  Russian restaurant with friends that I adore.  Seeing the lovely Lamb ladies--twice!  Making all of my train and bus connections with flair (i.e. in the nick of time).  And, listening to Sarah speak in the Manhattan 2nd ward on a topic that she truly cherishes--family history.  Some weekends are just larger than life.