Obama and The Nissan Pavilon

In Northern Virginia there is an events venue that is in our county, Prince William. It is called the Nissan Pavilion and it hosts a lot of rock bands and country and western singers. Well, yesterday it was the place to be to see Obama and hear him kick off his presidential campaign. Did we go? No. We were still on paint detail at our daughter's house. But we saw evidence of the rally at 8:00 A.M. in the morning as we drove towards Fairfax County and our daughter's home. Police cruisers were on the roadways and traffic was being diverted. And when we stopped at Loewe's to get more satin silver door pulls the saleslady told Jack that the reason for the road madness was that Obama was going to speak at 6:00 P.M. at the Nissan Pavilon and people were starting to show up already. So all day we kept speculating whether this was just a wild urban legend that someone had started or if Obama was really going to Nissan. At 6:00 P.M. we turned on the local news at our daughter's house (Yes, we were still painting aand hanging kitchen doors.) and discovered that Obama was indeed speaking at the Nissan Pavilion! What we found amazing is the fact that people were heading to the Nissan Pavilion in the early morning and he was not due to speak until the early evening. Well, I guess he can draw a crowd better than a rock star because we have never encountered this much early traffic at Nissan for the likes of the Dave Matthews Band.

We Are Lucky!

We are lucky. Northern Virginia got both severe winds and several possible tornadoes but we were spared any major damage. Just upturned rod iron patio chairs and flower pots. But many trees came down and one person died in Northern Virginia as a result of the wind. And nearly half a million people lost power either at home or at work. Our power was out for about two hours. On the way home from our daughter's house we saw lots of intersections without traffic lights and a caravan of power trucks racing down the roads to repair lines. It took us a long, long time to get home. All commuters in the D.C. metro area experienced a bad day yesterday. But I'm looking at my window right now and the sun is shining and my two magnolia trees have burst into blossom. When the work pace slows down around here I'll post pictures of what's in bloom in my yard. Would you believe that I was tucked in bed at 7:30 last night!

We Are Pooped!

For the last two days we old retired folks have been putting in eight hour days at our daughter Jenn's home. We are redoing the kitchen cupboards. Monday they got sanded. Today they got two coats of primer paint. Tomorrow they get two? coats of paint. Thursday we finish what hasn't gotten done and Friday we install the new hardware. Saturday I'm taking a work break. I feel like I'm on one of those decorator shows on HGTV. But I haven't seen one HGTV show that has a crawling baby and a cat under foot while a project is being done. Baby Jack Aidan seems to be taking it all in stride. He is just very curious as to what we are doing in his house. Mr. Merlin the Cat got put away in an upstairs bedroom to keep his little paws out of the paint. Our daughter Jennifer is the program manager of this operation. First comes the painting. Then the new counter tops and sink will be installed by a kitchen supply company. Then the floor people arrive to install new hardwood flooring. So you guessed it. The program manager not only has a three step program but deadlines for each step. So we need to get to bed at a decent hour to hit the road again tomorrow. So much for listening to McCain, Clinton and Obama tonight. Oh, and VA is under a tornado warning tonight! So hold on to your bedcaps, it may turn into a dark and stormy night.

June Birthday Party in Neighborhood

Sunday night at six the neighbors headed to Dickie's patio with food, wine and gifts. Jack and I headed over too because we had been told that it was a surprise birthday celebration for Dickie's husband Scott. Well, little did I know that it was also a surprise birthday celebration for yours truly! What a nice summer evening we all had at Dickie and Scott's house! Thank you neighbors for making this a special birthday celebration for both Scott and I. By the way Scott's birthday is on June 2 and mine is on June 5. I won't give our ages. I will just say for myself that I was born the day before D-Day actually occurred. So if you want to know my age, go find your history book.

June 2, 1956 - June 2, 2008

Happy Anniversary to Carl and Esther. My second brother Carl and his wife Esther have been married for 52 years. They tied the knot at the Catholic Church in Burketsville, Ohio on June 2, 1956. Esther grew up in Ansonia, Ohio which is in Darke County near Greenville, Ohio, the county seat. Esther's father had fought in Germany in World War I. Carl and Esther met before he joined the Air Force in 1951. In the Air Force Carl became a plane navigator in the planes that do refueling missions in the air. I don't remember where Carl began his Air Force stint but he ended it at a post in New Mexico in 1955. So when Carl returned to Russia, Ohio he proposed to Esther and they planned their wedding for June 2, 1956. Well, again my sister Mary and I were chosen to be in the wedding party. Mary Ellen is standing next to Esther's sister Lucille and I am standing next to Carl and my eldest brother Paul. I remember that the girls were in spring rainbow colors: Mary, yellow, Lucille, lilac and myself in pink. We carried white carnations and we had little flat hats with veils that matched the color of our dresses. Esther wore a very beautiful lace gown with high color and fingertip sleeves. I think her dress was something of a take off on Princess Grace's wedding dress. If you are old enough, you can remember the beautiful lace gown that Grace Kelly wore in April of 1956 to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco. My two brothers each wore a tux that had a white sport coat and a pink carnation. Hmmmm....that makes me think of that old Marty Robbins country hit that goes like this: a white sport coat and a pink carnation, I'm all dressed up for the dance. This wedding was another all day affair. Wedding mass followed by photos and breakfast. Then lunch for a few chosen guests which was followed by driving around in the decorated wedding cars blowing horns in the neighboring towns. Then wedding supper and dance for literally hundreds followed by midnight lunch. I think the wedding couple left on their honeymoon around midnight heading towards Indianapolis, IN to begin their wedding trip to Roswell, New Mexico where Carl had been stationed in the Air Force. I remember in particular three things about this wedding. First, it was very, very cold. Not a typical June day in Ohio. Second, I had a great time at the evening dance because I got to dance with some boys! And third, when Carl and Esther returned from their honeymoon they each had one very well tanned arm. Why? Because this was before the advent of air-conditioning in cars.So they each had spent a week with one arm hanging out the open car window on the long drive to New Mexico and back. Well, time has passed and Carl and Esther now have four grown children who are all married and live near Russia, Ohio or Bradford, Ohio. They also have sixteen grandchildren and one great grandchild. They have truly been blessed with a long and happy marriage. So I wish them Happy Anniversary!

U.S. Botanical Garden

Last Sunday we went to D.C. for the Ride to the Wall and we got to see the new National Garden near the U.S. Capitol Building. Behind the National Garden and across the street from the U.S. Capitol grounds is the U.S. Botanical Garden. The glass enclosed part of the building has been totally redone in the last ten years. It has a tropical jungle room and a southwest desert room. The main building is used for seasonal exhibitions of plants or art and it has free public restrooms that are easily accessible to tourists. All the Smithsonian buildings require you to stop in line for a purse and bag search. Not so at the Botanical Garden building. You can breeze right into the building and restrooms here and we did. Afterwords we took in the sights in the tropical room and the desert room. The orchids growing on a wire along the glass ceiling were very pretty. Outside there are tables where you can have a drink or bite to eat. And a new exhibit showcased green ideas for living like having vegetation on your roof. The mayor of Chicago has had success doing this in downtown Chicago. Maybe I should start to grow vegetables on my roof. I don't think the homeowners' association would approve this venture. Besides I would probaly fall off the roof while pulling a weed out of the vegetable patch up there. Click on photos for closeups.

Baby Jack's Resume

Jack Aidan take that toy out of your mouth and tell us what you have learned this past week. Say I have finally learned how to crawl and I have discovered that I have a tongue.

Mommy Karras was so helpful to you that you had absolutely no need to crawl to anything because she was your delivery person who brought everything to you. And since you hated tummy time she never put you on your tummy. Grandma on the other hand thought a little tummy time was needed even if you were not crazy about the idea so you finally learned how to get up on your hands and knees to rock and push yourself backwards. Well reverse motion is better than no motion. You even learned to go in a circle in that fashion. Then your Daddy got involved in the crawling process and decided to tempt you to get up on your hands and knees and move forwards. He used that old Pavlov's dog trick and enticed you with food. He put your very favorite brand of baby cookie in front of your face and let you see it, smell it and hunger for it. Well, lo and behold, you got up on your hands and knees and headed straight to the cookie using forward motion all the way. And it is amazing what you can accomplish in one week. Yesterday you came to Grandma's house and crawled all over her family room carpet. What a thrill for Grandma. Now we all need to baby proof our homes. There is a baby on the loose!

And this past Tuesday when Grandma was at your house she thought you were gagging on something because you sat real still with your little tongue going in and out of your mouth. When I asked if you were OK or choking on something, your mommy replied that you were just discovering another body part. And sure enough we had fun watching you stick out your tongue and lower your eyes to see it. Pretty soon everyone was making like a monkey and sticking out their tongues too. What a hoot! You would watch us do it and then you would do it. Next thing we had you going la la la la with your tongue wagging in the air. Your resume can now say crawls and wags tongue and makes people smile.

Happy Birthday Mary Ellen

These white roses that symbolize purity and loyalty are for my older sister, Mary Ellen Thobe who will be celebrating her 70'th birthday this weekend with her husband, her three daughters and their spouses and five grandchildren. Congratulations Mary! Make sure you make a wish before you blow out those 70 candles.

Bullies in the Bird World

See the milkcan painted black. Years ago it resided in my father's milkhouse in Ohio and was used to hold milk from the three electric milkers that we used to milk the cows. My husbands's relatives in Missouri were more progressive dairy farmers and had done away with the milk cans and moved on to milk transported through milk lines to a large chilled holding tank in their milkhouse. But every day the milk trucks would roll in Ohio and Missouri to pick up the milk for processing at the milk plant. Today this milkcan holds our birdseed. And my dear husband can go out twice a day to refill the birdfeeders on that shepherd's hook. And who is eating us slowly out of house and home? The darn grackles. I don't mind so much that they eat but that they scare away all the other birds. In my humble opinion they are the bullies in the bird world.

The Full Nest

A little Carolina Chickadee is sitting on five off white speckled eggs in a bluebird box that is attached to a rod iron rose arbor on the side of my house. It looks like the nest is made of grass, moss and cotton balls. Cotton balls! Where could they have come from----someone's trash? I can keep an eye on her comings and goings from my library window. Has anyone noticed that the birds are not waking us up at 2:00 A.M. these days with their courtship songs? Like we humans most of the birds have settled down to concentrate on parenthood with all its demands.

A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose

A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose
A Baby Is A Baby Is A Baby
May 24, 2008

Photo Time at the National Garden

We went a little crazy taking photos at the National Garden in D.C. yesterday. The earth globes were part of a Green Earth promotion. Click on the photos for more detail.

Ride to the Wall

This morning Jack, Jeanine and I drove to the Vienna Metro stop and took the subway to get to downtown D.C. to watch The Rolling Thunder Ride to the Wall. We decided to get off the metro close to the U.S. Capitol Building and the Native American Museum. This turned out to be an excellent idea because we had enough time to take in the new National Garden which is three acres of flowers and ponds near the existing U.S. Botanical Garden and to have a light picnic on the lawn near Third Street S.W. (I'll post photos of the gardens tomorrow.)

The Rolling Thunder Riders gathered at the Pentagon parking lot and then rode together in procession across Arlington Memorial Bridge and into D.C. The riders motored east on Constitution Avenue to the U.S. Capitol, then turned onto Third Street to head back west on Independence Avenue to parking near the Lincoln Memorial. There was going to be a ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial at 1:30 P.M. The first string of riders left the Pentagon parking lot at noon and reached our location on Third Street near the capitol at 12:15 P.M. The line of riders went on and on and on and on to infinity it seemed. We could hear them before we could see any of them. The sound of all the motorcyclists revving up their engines really does sound like rolling thunder before a spring storm. We stood and watched till l:00 P.M. and the procession of riders passing us still had not ended when we left. Of course, we brought our cameras and took lots of photos. Some I will post here.

There were motorcycles of every color, make and design. Many riders had flags attached to the back such as the American flag, the black POW-MIA flag, military flags and personal flags with photos. We saw a large contingent of Canadian cyclists flying their red maple leaf flag.We saw some old Indian motorcycles with fringes and we saw some three wheel motorcycles that looked like large tricycles. One fellow had attached the fins of a '57 Chevy Bel Air to his motorcycle! Over 60 percent of the riders looked liked senior citizens with their grey hair and beards. There were a few young drivers and a few women cyclists One cyclist pulled a bamboo style cage on an attached flatbed. The cage was about the size of a dog cage for a Labrador dog. And in the cage was a very old man kneeling with his hands behind his back some of the time. Can you imagine a senior citizen kneeling like this for close to two hours? Later in the procession there was an empty cage with a sign attached that read:

RESERVED FOR HANOI JANE!

Click on photos to read the signs and to see the older veteran with the long grey beard in the cage.

Just listed to our local NBC Evening News and they reported that some 750,00 veterans participated today in this event. They also reported that President Bush greeted the heads of Rolling Thunder at the White House this morning. Apparently the Rolling Thunder leaders presented President Bush with a Rolling Thunder vest. I think maybe Bush flew over the crowd in the presidential helicopter because there were two copters flying very low over the capitol grounds.

The Rolling Thunder Riders Are Here

Jack and I were on interstate #66 and local roads #29, #50, etc yesterday going from and to Haymarket and we must have seen over 200 motorcycles that you could tell were apart of the 2008 Ride to the Wall for all American Veterans. Most motorcycles had two riders and some were pulling behind them motorcycle carriers with their belongings. And almost all had American flags attached to their motorcycles. Many of the men and women were wearing Rolling Thunder jackets and hats or else stars and stripes bandannas. Some of these folks have been on the road since May 14 since they are coming all the way from points in the far west like California, New Mexico, Colorado. I guess those that travel far meet up each night in a planned rest stop city. I imagine the double riders allow for the drivers to take breaks. This year around half a million people are expected for this four day event. Last night they apparently had a candlelight ride to the wall. Sunday will be the big day when all the Rolling Thunder riders will gather in the Pentagon parking lot in Arlington and ride together to The Wall. If you are like me and you would like to learn more about Rolling Thunder, click on these websites below.

The is the site of the Fairfax Chapter of Rolling Thunder. It has a long but very good video of the Rolling Thunder 2005 Ride to The Wall.

video on the left side of the page that you can watch under History.
http://www.dwcllcsolutions.com/rop//


The is the site of the National Rolling Thunder Organization. And it also
has a video that you can watch. Video not as long. Good shots of D.C. and the riders going across the bridges with capitol in background.
http://www.rollingthundermotorcyclerally.com/history.html

Remember our veterans both alive and dead this Memorial (Decoration)
Day. And our deceased family members and friends.

The Empty Nest

This morning the bluebird parents were still feeding the six baby bluebirds in the white bluebird house on the right of the swing arbor. This afternoon I noticed no bluebirds bringing food (worms) to the bluebird house so I opened up the house and discovered that the babies had flown away. One year I was lucky enough to get to watch the first flights. What a scarry endeavor that was. It was like watching a World War I fighter pilot going down after being hit. I found myself screaming at them: "Pull up, pull up, you are going to crash!" Meanwhile the bluebird parents were screetching their little bird heads off at their fledging babies: "Chirp, chirp, chirp! You can do it. Go up, go up, go up! Chirp, chirp, chirp!" I now will have to remove the nest and wash out the house with dishsoap and water and let it air dry in the sun. Then it will be ready for a new family of bluebirds. And as they say on that TV show if only walls could talk, we would have quite a bluebird story.