Travel America -Venture Northward

You can imagine our surprise when we woke up to howling wind and temps in the 40s. It was the last day of school for the CT kids, so we decided to drive around and venture northward a little more. Brandon was still angling for a trip to Maine (for authentic lobster), so we pondered driving through Massachusetts into southern Maine, and back through the southern sections of New Hampshire and Vermont. We thought about visiting Salem and/or investigating more American history in Boston with Paul Revere, the Boston Tea Party, etc. In the search, we noticed Plymouth MA and decided to go there first and wing the rest of the plans.
The drive through eastern CT and into MA was beautiful, hilly countryside. As you can imagine, we filled the time with music (REM, Indigo Girls, Imagine Dragons, Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, and Front Line Assembly). However, we kept the sunroof closed since it was too chilly outside.
Plymouth was a quaint, classic New England kind of town. The water was stunning and the anchored yachts were impressive. We strolled down the boardwalk to read about Plymouth Rock and then got to see it. I nearly laughed out loud as I was expecting something like this…

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…but instead I saw this…

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Yes, the information said it was probably at least three times larger (Zoolander anyone?) at the time of the Mayflower landing (if it really landed at the Rock, which seems debatable at best since the rock wasn’t mentioned in historical accounts until 100 years after the landing). Even three times larger would be nowhere near the picture I had in my mind. So, we moved on to see the Mayflower. I wasn’t surprised that it was a replica, but the kids somehow expected the original ship to still be sitting there in the water. I guess we all had our surprises that day, but enjoyed the experience nonetheless.

 
We ended up having an awesome lunch at the Lobster Shack, right there on the water (but inside because it was so windy and cool). On the way back to the car, we stopped at the Visitor’s Center (one of the best things you can do in any touristy town) and had a delightful time talking to the elderly couple running the center. They told us lots about the area and played a memory game with the kids. We had one final surprise before we got back to the car…one little shop was purportedly selling Harry Potter’s famous butterbeer. Of course the boys had to buy some (so the tourist trap worked).

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There were other things to do there, but we felt complete with the experience. We decided that the lunch lobster came out of the same water as our proposed Maine spot an hour north and collectively decided against the driving loop that would put us back at Deejay’s pretty late. Instead, we drove back along the coast and through Ocean Spray and past cranberry bogs. Then we kept going through Rhode Island…my new dream home state. (How could it not be? It’s known as the ocean state!) It really was beautiful, driving over more stunning bridges than I could count (but there were, of course, tolls).

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We got back to CT in time to celebrate the last day of school with a cookout and playtime in the yard with the kids. And since we didn’t make it to Vermont, we did the next best thing and went to Ben & Jerry’s for dessert.  :)

 

Reflections: Thom had fun messing with some other Plymouth tourists, telling them “welcome to Georgia” after he took a picture for them; he also loved going over the scenic bridges. Elizabeth enjoyed the Visitor Center games (probably because she was better at it than her brothers), and appreciated the delicious cookout complete with grilled asparagus. Alexander had a foodie day, unable to decide whether the stuffed shrimp at lunch was better than the scrumptious scoop at Ben & Jerry’s. Brandon was, of course, excited to have real lobster (there’s no convincing him that other restaurant lobster is real)…but he was also tickled to imagine our forefathers (or relatives) passing down a lie about Plymouth Rock (and, as he said, that’s not something you learn in school).

Travel America -On the Road Again

Our time in DC was over, and it was time to hit the road to travel America a little more. We headed out of Virginia and through DC, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey before hitting our first stop in Philadelphia. We enjoyed traveling through the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel and went over quite a few beautiful, old bridges. We also discovered that the northeast is the land of toll roads. (I knew there would be tolls, but was spoiled by my days of the 50 cent toll on Georgia 400…the New Jersey tolls were in the $4 – $12 range.)

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Our first adventure in Philly was, of course, the Philly Cheesesteak experience. My friend Tricia had given us advance notice that we had to experience Pat’s King of Steaks AND Geno’s Steaks. (Pat’s claims to have created the cheesesteak, and Geno’s claims to have added cheese and therefore, perfected it.) So, we navigated what seemed like days of tightly packed one-way streets filled with housing, cars parked on both sides of the streets, and pedestrians haphazardly crossing the road. We found the locations and then circled a few blocks in search of a minivan-sized parallel spot (thank goodness Thom was driving). We were shocked by the chilly temps when we got out, but that’s what hoodies are for (except Thom, who laughed at the rest of us packing hoodies.) Although we were hungry, we certainly weren’t going to eat twice, so we decided on a divide-and-conquer style of trying the two places. The girls went to Geno’s and the guys went to Pat’s and we ended up with a variety of provolone, whiz, and wit (with onions). Thankfully it wasn’t crowded (midweek and school was still in), so we didn’t have a line and could figure out how to order correctly. (I understand these places are a lot like the Varsity when busy; if you aren’t ready to belt out your order, then you’re sent to the back of the line.) Geno’s had lots of indoor seating, but we didn’t want to bring a competitor’s food inside. Pat’s had lots of outside covered seating, so we sat on the backside of the restaurant to eat together.

 

Geno’s had one line for fries and drinks, with a separate line for steaks. While there were lots of specialty sandwiches (with lots of different toppings), we went with the classics. Elizabeth ordered “whiz wit” and I ordered “provolone wit” – plus we got fries (which came with a fork stuck in the fries), a coke, and a birch beer. Over at Pat’s, the guys could order everything at once; Thom ordered a provolone, Alexander ordered a provolone wit, and Brandon ordered a whiz wit – plus they got cokes and cheese fries.
At a glance, Pat’s sandwich looked more like a classic cheesesteak. The meat was thinner/chopped and the sandwich was served open. Geno’s steak was thicker and the sandwich came wrapped up. Both breads were delicious, but Geno’s bread had that extra soft, melt in your mouth feeling. The onions were virtually the same (soft and sweet), and the provolone and cheese whiz was pretty much the same at both places. I didn’t think I would like something “fake” like cheese whiz (and I normally make my cheesesteaks with provolone), but I was obviously wrong. The whiz mixed in with the onions and meat and bread to make something magical. While all the sandwiches were great, I have to say I would go for Geno’s whiz wit if I ever went back (so Elizabeth’s sandwich won). Of course, there were some differing opinions…Thom’s not an onion person (but he did say ours with onions were good) and I think he just can’t admit fake cheese was better than real cheese. The fries were all fine, with Pat’s being a little better. Also, everyone liked the birch beer (and it was a great compliment to the heavy sandwiches).

 

With full bellies, we navigated out of the inner city and headed into the touristy area of Philly. We went down to Independence Hall and walked off lunch a little before heading to the Liberty Bell. It was intriguing to see this piece of history and learn how it’s been a symbol of freedom for many groups of people throughout the years. It was a little difficult to take a good picture with the bell, because of the crowds and because of the lighting, (it was in front of a large glass window, so it was back-lit). Still, this was a worthy stop as we continued the journey of getting up close to American history.

 

 

From Philly, we headed towards our final destination, Glastonbury CT. We marveled at all the industry in New Jersey (when we weren’t counting out dollar bills for tolls), and laughed about the NJ logo “The Garden State” since our limited view featured nothing but smoke stacks, industrial buildings, and ship yards. Some of the industry was intriguing, like a huge complex with railroad cars stacked higher than you could count and for as far as the eye could see. (The quick pic I got doesn’t really do this justice.) The most exciting part of the drive came right after we passed the NYC skyline. Waze directed us off the interstate and right towards NYC, and Thom lost his mind temporarily (I believe his words were “I’ll jump out of this car if we end up on New York city streets” and I believe he was fairly serious about it in that moment.) After a few minutes of serious stress, we saw that the GPS was taking us along the New Jersey coastline (to avoid highway traffic). That stretch of road was absolutely beautiful, and was peppered with exciting views of the NYC skyline.

 

 

The day was filled with more fun in the car, including books, video games, and the phone version of Life. We enjoyed lots of tunes again, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, PTX, Slow Children at Play, the Singles soundtrack, Enya, and the Allstate orchestra disc. We rolled into Connecticut in time for dinner, and met Deejay for some “New England food”, which turned out to be an awesome pizza place. (I only think of Clam Chowder when I hear New England food, but it turns out that, in addition to seafood, there’s some awesome pizza and buffalo chicken up there…and the guys combined forces with a bacon scallop pizza.)  Lizzy’s favorite thing about the place was a car parked out front featuring a tag that said “Das Vhip”.

Reflections: Elizabeth loved having real cheesesteaks, but she was most impacted by the drive. She felt like she would always remember listening to her Allstate orchestra CD (and her favorite writer/conductor, Brian Balmages) while driving through the mountains at sunset. Thom couldn’t settle on a favorite moment as he enjoyed lunch, dinner, and the liberty bell, but he was most excited about seeing Deejay. Alexander loved the food experiences, as you might expect from a teenage boy. Brandon thought the Liberty Bell was amazing and really embraced it as a symbol of freedom.

 

 

 

Travel America – Washington DC (Day 3)

Even though we were 600 miles north of home, the weather was much the same–hot and muggy. Since driving and parking had been successful (and cheaper) the day before, we decided to just drive into the city for the day. We made use of my iPhone map and its walking option. It conveniently had the name of most buildings so that when we saw something cool, we could figure out what it was (like the Smithsonian Castle).

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We started the day with Elizabeth’s museum choice, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I was a bit surprised that this was Elizabeth’s choice, so we didn’t really plan ahead for the visit. This meant that we couldn’t get passes to the permanent exhibit, which I understand has artifacts and personal stories. However, we still spent hours going through the special exhibits and feel like it was still a solid representation of the events and people. We first went through Daniel’s Story, which was a child’s perspective of the events (through his diary and some artifacts) from a time of normalcy up through the time his family was captured. It was sombering and educational, with near silence among everyone around us. After that, we walked through an extensive exhibit on Collaboration & Complicity in the Holocaust. This exhibit was rough, no doubt about it, as there was story after story of neighbors and friends who allowed (or brought about) attacks and capture in the face of fear. Thankfully, there were a few stories of brave people who stood up for their Jewish friends and neighbors, helping them in various ways. I spent individual time with each of the kids at various points in this exhibit and they all echoed thoughts that mirrored my own. How could these people have known how far it would go? What would I do in a similar situation? Would I really help someone else’s family if it meant risking my own? Would I have the strength to endure such hardships and capture? Why is there so much fear? This museum was not only educational, it was humbling.  As you can imagine, I couldn’t find it in me to take any pictures there, so all I have is the building and memories.

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Although it seemed odd at first to be out in the shiny, happy town bustling with people, we had a decent walk to lunch back at L’Enfant Plaza mall. Along the way, we had to keep reigning the kids in (especially Brandon) as they had a tendency to want to run ahead (with no fear of crowds, strangers, or getting lost). Everyone enjoyed choosing their own options for lunch, and we had a good laugh about how we’d dashed through that place two days ago looking for our tour.

 

For the afternoon, we went to Alexander’s museum choice, the National Air & Space Museum. It was fun reading about the Wright Flyer and marveling at how advanced flight is today in a relatively short amount of time. We enjoyed seeing all the WWI and WWII aircraft, especially the models of aircraft carriers. (Which caused the kids to remind me that we had been on an aircraft carrier a few years back, the USS Yorktown.  That’s probably the most memorable trip we took with Cub Scouts, and comes up surprisingly often, but I digress…) The guys were all intrigued by the exhibit featuring drones (or more appropriately, unmanned aerial vehicles), with the Predator being especially interesting. Of course, I couldn’t get enough of the space exhibits. We got to walk through a space capsule (Thom really should have taken a picture of Alex folding up into that thing), touch moon rocks, and read about the entire progression of the space program. I could’ve stayed in that area for days, but the natives finally got restless. So, I sent them off on their own adventures. Brandon and Elizabeth were dying to get in the flight simulator, and Thom and Alexander headed off to the Dark Universe planetarium show (aka spooky space bits narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson). We had one final thing to marvel at…the variety of world money in the museum donation boxes, then we were off to buy astronaut ice cream and pressed pennies.  :)

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We actually got back at a decent time and had a little picnic dinner at the hotel, then finished with some pool time. The pool felt great but the temps had cooled down and some wind moved in, so it was a chilly exit from the pool. We did laundry (with lots of quarters) and got ready to leave the next morning.

 

Reflections: Thom liked the Dark Universe show and had fond memories of the whole museum as he recalled visiting a bunch with his dad as a kid (especially seeing the Skyhawk and all the Navy models). Alexander was shocked by how tight the space capsule was, and was intrigued by the planetarium show as well. Elizabeth really absorbed emotions from the Holocaust Museum, finding it so sad that so many people (including children) suffered in this way; but on the flip side, she also loved being the gunner in the simulator (how’s that for a dichotomy?). Brandon loved being a pilot in the simulator and giving orders to the gunner (Lizzy)…although Lizzy said no one gave her orders.

Travel America – Washington DC (Day 2)

Our second day in the DC area was a little slower pace than the first day. After some of those delicious hotel waffles, we headed out for Thom’s tour of Virginia and Maryland. He showed us his old homes in Burke, Lorton, and North Beach. We’ve been on similar “tour of homes” before here in Georgia, and it always makes an impact on the kids—giving them an appreciation for their life, with consistent schools, friends, and community. After the tour, we had lunch at Ledo Pizza, which was a pizza place Thom worked at as a teenager, where he learned to toss pizzas.  (He didn’t work at this location, but the location he worked at was closed.) Side note – if you ever make it to one of the many locations, you HAVE to check out the Buffalo Chicken & Cheese Waffle Fries! Of course the pizza is also fantastic. We thought we’d go walk on the beach after lunch, but the tourist-driven town of North Beach charged money to access the beach, so we took a picture and moved on.

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As we headed back towards DC, we decided to try parking in town instead of taking transit. We figured it would save time as well as cost less (since we spent about $35 for all five of us to head in and out of the city the day before). We ended up parking under the International Trade Center for $22 and had the added fun of going through car security (opening up the doors, running mirrors under the car, etc.). The actual parking deck was a little nerve-wrecking (yet somewhat comical) as the ceiling was only inches higher than the car. While looking for a spot, we were sure the car was going to scrape at any moment…but it didn’t! Alex was slightly annoyed as we walked out, since he couldn’t stand up straight, but the other two were oblivious and were just happy to follow pigeons around the parking deck.

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For the afternoon, we went to Brandon’s museum choice, the National Museum of Natural History. They had late hours that day, so we still had plenty of time to explore. When Brandon chose this museum, I was sure that it was because of the dinosaur exhibit. However, when we got in there and started walking around, he made it clear that he chose this museum because they had the Hope Diamond. I’m not sure how he knew about the diamond and was genuinely surprised that he would be interested in it. Sadly, the diamond was off exhibit (along with the fossil exhibit), so that to-do didn’t get checked off. However, the dinosaur exhibit and gem & mineral exhibit were also both on his list, and we all enjoyed both of them. We all enjoyed Alex’s favorite exhibit area, the Ocean Hall, and couldn’t believe the size of some of the replicas—especially the 45 foot long Right Whale. Lizzy’s favorite area was the Ancient Egypt exhibit, where she was intrigued by the mummies.

 

Reflections: For Thom, the first half of the day held the most impact. He recalled the difficulties he encountered as a teenager and remembered the moment when it changed in Maryland, as he decided that he wanted to spend his life with me. He said it showed him how he’s been victorious despite the circumstances of his youth. It was a lighter note for the kids, as Alex really enjoyed the luminous objects at the museum (both in the ocean exhibit and the mineral exhibit), Brandon was intrigued by the recreated T-Rex skull, and Lizzy found interest in skeletons—noting how many similarities there were between humans and animals.

Travel America – Washington DC (Day 1)

We spent three full days visiting Washington DC, which is really a drop in the bucket. It would’ve taken two weeks to visit everything that sounded interesting to us (and probably a whole summer to just touch on everything DC has to offer). I had scheduled an all-day bus tour for the first day (thanks to Groupon), so we could see the top monuments and get a feel for what we might want to do the following days. It turned out that our first adventure was with getting around DC. Thom & I have used MARTA and other public transportation here & there, so we felt reasonably comfortable with using DC’s rail, METRO. We’ve also gotten around plenty of big cities, so we were pretty confident about finding everything. (You see where this is going, right?) We got METRO information from the hotel desk and left “in plenty of time” to get to our 9:00am tour. Only, we had to wait a few minutes on the hotel shuttle to the train station, we had to purchase and load five cards ($2 per card plus a minimum $8 balance), and the trains were running slowly (several tracks were under maintenance). The increasing worry that we wouldn’t make the tour on time was pushed aside as we laughed about how much fun the kids were having on the novelty of mass transit.

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We did get off at the correct spot with 15 minutes to spare (well, we were supposed to be there 15 minutes early, but never mind that…), and then discovered that L’Enfant Plaza isn’t magically right in front of L’Enfant Plaza station. Let’s just say we walked to one end of the block and then another in search of the grassy plaza on the tour receipt picture before asking a city police officer for directions…and then hoofing it down a few blocks and through a mall to find the right place. Of course, it was 9:05 when we got to the right place and our bus was outta sight. Thankfully, the DC Trails company also runs an off & on tour and the driver was happy to take us to meet our bus. Luckily, we didn’t miss a stop on our tour because the bus had taken longer to get to the Capitol due to several festivals and construction. (It seemed like every building in DC was under renovations.)

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After visiting the out-of-session, under construction Capitol, we saw the White House. We had tried to get a tour of the White House, but were declined due to the number of requests; it was still cool to see the outside of the building. (It was interesting to see the masses of people, right along with us, trying to take a good picture past the crowds and guards and fences.)

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From there, we went to the World War II Memorial. This was the most stunning memorial in DC, both in scope and design. Giant columns representing each state surround a reflecting pool and fountains, and one giant side of the memorial has a reflecting pool under a wall of stars representing the 400,000+ men and women who died in the war. On top of all that, this memorial is within clear site of the Washington Monument on one side and the Lincoln Memorial on the other side. Our tour guide recommended coming back at night, as it’s even more magnificent under the nighttime lighting (but sadly, we never made it back).

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Then we visited one of the newest memorials, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. While the stone statue of MLK, Jr. was magnificent, the best part of the memorial was the abundance of quotes carved in stone throughout the area. The layout was more like a garden path, where you wandered from one discovery to the next. It’s hard to explain what it was like to soak up the words he spoke, that fit today’s world just as much as a time gone by. (As a note, this memorial might be a nightmare for families with little children, as they would easily wander out of sight and there were many ways in and out of the memorial.)

 

From there we followed a natural flow to the Lincoln Memorial, and paused to reflect at the 40th step where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. It was amazing to see the statue of Lincoln up close, as it was bigger than we even imagined. It was interesting to hear the kids pair these two memorials as well, noting that both leaders strived for equality.

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I didn’t think we’d linger long at the FDR memorial, since we’ve studied him quite a bit with visits to Warm Springs. We laughed about how we’d already driven by the memorial FDR wanted (about the size of a desk), and about how you have no control over things like that once you’ve passed from this world. However, this was another wandering discovery of a memorial (similar to the MLK, Jr Memorial), also filled with engraved quotes. We talked about his famous quote (“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself…”) and his other quotes that interestingly stir around that same theme. The kids had their own deep discussion about how fear is a big problem in our society now—with terror attacks coming from a place of fear and our responses and laws coming from a fear of more attacks. Little did I know that days later we would be hearing about another attack on fellow Americans because of fear and hate.

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The Korean War Memorial really struck home with us. With so much of our history education focused on wars we were “actively” involved in, this is the first war that stood out. The kids marveled at the fact that we went to aid another country and got involved in a war that didn’t affect us directly. The steel statues of soldiers made you immediately feel the intensity of war, and the wall of faces and war scenes made it feel all too real. On the positive side, the lower walls listing the countries of our allies gave a sense of belonging to something bigger than our country.

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At the next stop, the Vietnam War Memorial, I discovered just how little the kids knew about this war. The major frame of reference they had was from Forrest Gump, and it seems they didn’t really understand the meanings behind the war scenes in that movie. We stood aside and talked about it briefly, but we didn’t stay at this memorial long…mainly because I think the sheer volume of names on that seemingly endless wall represented way too much strife and sadness to ponder for a long time.

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While we only drove past the Pentagon, it was amazing to see how large that structure is (and to hear how many people work there). It was our first moment of reflection on the 9/11 attacks, learning how fortunate it was that the area struck was under construction (so way less people were injured or killed than could have been). It was also surprising to hear that nearly a third of the building was damaged, and it was sombering to know that nearly 200 people died there that day. It was unbelievable to hear how that plane was going 529 miles per hour, made a gash 30 yards wide and 10 yards deep, and caused a fire that burned for 36 hours.

On the heels of that story, we pulled into Arlington Cemetery. Our guide took us off the bus on a four-mile walk to visit the gravesites of the most decorated soldier, the Kennedys (including the Eternal Flame), and the Challenger pilot (there was a Challenger memorial for the other astronauts, but they apparently never found any evidence of anyone but the pilot). We discovered why people leave coins on the gravestones—a penny means you were related or a friend, a nickel means you went through training together, a dime means you served together, and a quarter means you were with this person when they died. Then we went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was amazing to learn about the Old Guard and all they do…not just guarding the Tomb 24/7, but also performing a host of duties in and out of Arlington (an average of 16 ceremonies per day). We were lucky enough to watch the changing of the guard, see two wreath-laying ceremonies, and witness the weapon and uniform inspection.

 

Our final stop was at the Marine Corps War Memorial (also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial). We learned that the flag on this memorial is one of seven that have presidential proclamations requiring that the flag fly 24/7. This memorial really wrapped up the themes of the day: war, dedication, unity, and freedom.

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So, as you can tell, this day-long tour provided an unbelievable wealth of information. Although we cracked up over our tour guide’s accent (such as “infiny” for infantry and “libry” for liberty), he was a great and friendly guide. I can’t say enough good things about the DC Trails tour and highly recommend it for anyone visiting DC. (It would certainly be worth full price, but don’t forget to check Groupon or other discount sites.)

We got back to the hotel just ahead of a heavy rainstorm, and jaunted out for dinner. We not only enjoyed some amazing Indian food, but also had fun recounting the day. When we got back to the room and discovered Forrest Gump was on TV, we had to laugh—so many moments through the day we had referenced that movie…”remember when Jenny ran through the water at the Mall?”, “remember when Forrest spoke at the war rally?”, etc.

Reflections: Lizzy was most amazed by the Lincoln Memorial and how MLK, Jr. had spoken on the steps there. Brandon liked the tour bus as a whole—especially the trivia questions the guide would give along the way. Alex felt the most impact by Arlington and the Vietnam Memorial, as he said it was amazing to experience a little of what people have gone through for our country. Thom’s reflection was a little different, as he was taken aback when we went past the Evening Star building. It was like the past flooded in, reminding him of his times living in the DC area as a teenager when his dad got the head engineer job in that building but how it led to lots of moving around. All the moves led to Thom living with his grandpa in Griffin for a time, which led to him meeting my cousin, which led to him eventually meeting me. It brought things full circle and gave him the perspective to appreciate a trying time in life because it led to the amazing life we have.

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Travel America – Hit the Road

It’s been almost eight years since our last road trip, and I’ve been itching to hit the road again ever since. After much debate, we decided to visit our nation’s capitol and see what we could of the northeast. Over the last few months, we amassed gift cards, maps, Groupon deals, and reservations. Between end-of-school and beginning-of-summer activities, we got packed and ready to go. Of course, you know what they say about the best-laid plans…

 

We had a great plan to leave from marching band kickoff, pick up Thom (who would be home from work), and hit the road Friday night. However, Thom’s employer had other plans—they scheduled a late job that ended up falling apart in most every way.  Let’s just say it included equipment that wouldn’t fit through a door, electrical outlets that weren’t powered, and some ensuing chaos. He finally made it home and we hit the road when we should’ve been hitting the pillow.

 

Luckily, our first stop was my parents’ place in Sky Valley and they had everything ready for us to just roll into the bed. The next morning came way too early, but we enjoyed a mountain breakfast before heading out. We headed along the Nantahala River first, into Cherokee NC, and just had to take a picture with one of the (many) kitschy painted black bears. We chose a patriotic bear since that seemed to fit the theme of our trip.

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From Cherokee, we hit the beginning of the Blue Ridge Parkway. While we only took the BRP from Cherokee to Asheville, it was an amazing drive. There were more scenic overlooks than we could count, with each one seemingly more beautiful than the last. We did count sixteen tunnels along the way, which was a surprising bonus. We saw wild turkeys along the side of the road, a multitude of birds soaring at great heights, and tons of colorful blooms (including mountain laurel, rhododendron, and an unknown misty blue flower). It was the perfect day with a mix of sun and clouds (except for one brief shower) and temps in the upper 60s. We rode with the sunroof open and the windows down, enjoying the nice breeze and the smells of the mountain.

 

After Asheville, we got serious about getting to our final destination and hopped off the BRP and onto the big roads. Eastern North Carolina was, unfortunately, just as I recalled—filled with construction. As we entered Virginia, everyone was intrigued by the signs “speed is enforced by aircraft,” and we wondered how the aircraft would pull you over.  ;)  The only unusual site in Virginia was a giant cigarette in front of the Marlboro plant.  We had a few mishaps finding a good dinner spot (one place had bad reviews in the location near us, and another placed was closed two hours before the posted closing time)…so we landed at the predictable but good Olive Garden.

 

From there it was smooth sailing to our hotel, where we promptly unpacked and rested up for the first phase of our adventure. It was a great first day (or day plus) of our travels, with everyone enjoying the time in the car through sightseeing, reading, coloring (Lizzy), movies (Brandon), and music. As always, our music was varied and included Nine Inch Nails, Journey, Soul Coughing, Foo Fighters, Front 242, Jim Croce, Michael Jackson, and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin.

Reflections: While you obviously have my perspective, I wanted to share the takeaways from the rest of the fam. Here’s everyone else’s fav memories from the day–Brandon loved our roadside picnic towards the end of the BRP, Lizzy loved the magnitude of the overlooks, Alex enjoyed going through the tunnels (especially when one car in our “line” set their car alarm off each time to hear the echos), and Thom felt like he would forever see the mountain views and feel the windows down when listening to Pretty Hate Machine in the future (it was just one of those moments that will forever be with you).

42 Will Do

As I get older, birthdays become less of a spectacle and more like every other day. However, I try to fight that by embracing the day with some fun things that I enjoy but rarely get around to doing. (In all fairness, I sometimes spread the fun out a little because life is busy and I can’t just give myself a whole day of freedom.) I bought a game for myself (Carcassonne—thanks for introducing me to it Cathy), have been milking all those free birthday offers (Chick-fil-a frosted coffee has been the best one), will enjoy some meals and fun with family and friends, and I’ll write. Yes, I know, I write all the time for my job and various volunteer roles…but I mean write for me, for fun.

Since I’m turning 42 today, it only seems appropriate to embrace my geeky love of that number. Yes, I am officially the age of the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything” so that must mean I have arrived at something meaningful. Of course, just like in the book, I’m no closer to understanding the Question.

42 is a great number but not because it’s 101010 in binary, and not because light hitting water at 42 degrees causes a rainbow (although that is pretty cool to know). It’s a great number because it’s where I am. I like what Douglas Adams said about the choice of the number 42—“42 will do.” I’m not jealous of the years gone by, nor am I rushing on to the next phase of life. I am content in where I am and will try to embrace each day that I’ve been given.

My sweet hubby commented today that I’ve been his “answer” for decades, and that’s incredibly touching. I try to be an answer (not “the” answer) for many people in many situations…often not knowing their question. If I’m a light in the world or a smile on a face for even just a fraction of the people I encounter, then that delights me more than I can express. God has blessed me with so much; it would be a waste to keep it all to myself.

To all those in my life, from those I see daily to those that I only talk to through social media, thanks for being a part of my life, on my birthday and otherwise. Here’s hoping I have at least another 42 with you!

Heather 1974i

I’ve come a long way!  :)

I Love My Church

Growing up, my family celebrated Valentine’s Day on a grander scale than just romantic love. The girls gave cards and candy to the boys and vice versa–from grandparents to cousins and everyone in between. It was never anything grand, but just a token of the love we had for one another. I’ve embraced that mentality across the board as I try to celebrate all the different loves I have in life. I love my husband, my children, my family, my friends, and my cats…all in different ways of course. I love time in nature–from a long walk along the ocean to a wandering hike through the forest. Most importantly, I love God for all these things that He’s blessed me with.

One of the loves that I’m particularly thankful for in this season of life is love for my church. Those who know me best know that I don’t say that flippantly. I’ve always felt church is important, but it’s been a long time since I could really say that I love my church. I’ve been on a church journey (teasingly called church shopping by my family) for several years now and been happy with our current spot, but it was really just this past month that I truly felt the love.love my church

In the Beginning

We had a church home that I loved for many years and felt like my children and I spiritually grew up there. But a day came when several programs we were involved in were simultaneously cancelled, seemingly without much consideration of those who were pouring their hearts and time into the programs. Well, like any relationship gone south, it was hard to recover and feel like it was still a church home…so the journey began.

Wandering the Desert

We visited lots of churches and quickly grew tired of the search. So, we settled on a place that seemed like a good possibility for that new home. At first I didn’t get involved (beyond attending) as I was leery of putting my heart and soul in again. Of course, there’s always a push (and need) for volunteers, so I ended up helping make the Lord’s Supper bread each month. (I still think this is one of the coolest things this church did, praying over the bread as we made it and experiencing the Lord’s Supper each week.) However, it wasn’t long before my kids started complaining that while church was fun, they weren’t learning anything. So, I volunteered to work in the kids area to see what was happening. Sure enough, despite the fact that a sheet of paper came home each week explaining what the kids learned, college kids were paid to lead the rooms and did nothing but talk to one another while the kids played. I brought my concern to the director and suggested that we should either stop sending the papers home or start teaching the lessons. No kidding–she informed me that there were lots of other churches around if I didn’t like it there.  And we were back on the church hunt…

After more of the tiring church visits, we ended up at a nearby church where several of our friends had landed from our original church home.  I purposely stayed away from volunteering, but ironically ended up getting a job at the church preschool. That ended up being the longest year of my life. The director, let’s just say, didn’t come across as a good Christian woman and ran that preschool with some fairly despicable (and probably illegal) practices. Most of the preschool workers had stopped attending church there because the director was also in charge of Sunday’s children’s programming. The one person who had the guts to go to the pastor about the situation was then slandered and fired. Needless to say that I quickly moved on from this church.

My Piece of Promised Land

Begrudgingly, we entered the church journey once more. When we arrived at our new church home, I immediately felt like it was our new church family. However, I let my experiences from the past hold me at bay…simply attending each Sunday. However, it wasn’t long before my spirit answered the volunteer call, and we all became involved in the church. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my heart was still guarded–waiting for what might go wrong this time. But in just the last month, events unfolded where I realized my input was actually desired and valued. I suddenly discovered that I was home, where I am part of something and not just a number or a slot in the volunteer schedule. I can’t even describe the joy that tumbled out of me and the release of emotions from years of pent up sadness. Thankfully, I can look back with clarity and see the lessons learned from my journey. Hopefully my children have learned some positive lessons about not settling for mediocrity, about persevering through difficult times, and about answered prayers. While I know my church and its people are far from perfect, I love that they’re constantly seeking to be closer to God. And on top of all that, I’m overjoyed to confidently say that I love my church. I pray that anyone out there on a similar journey can hold on tight and enjoy the ride–and ultimately find the place that God has for you.

A New Year Leads to New Stuff

January is a month of renewal, resolutions, and generally crummy weather. After a month of extreme decorating, fevered shopping, abundant entertaining, and essential family time–our houses and our bodies feel like a tornado went through town. The extremes between the two months and the beginning of a new year lead us to resolutions because it’s the only thing that makes sense to take back control of our lives. With that in mind, let’s look at the positive ways the new year leads to new stuff.

christmas-xmas-gifts-presents

 

 

 I Love It, But Where Will I Put It?

Regardless of which December holiday you celebrate, you most likely received gifts from family and friends. If you have children, you may have more new items than old! While it’s a joy and blessing to receive gifts, January has come and now it’s time to find a place for the new stuff. As you find homes for the new, you inevitably find a lot of cleaning and organizing that needs to be done along the way. Don’t be overwhelmed! All you need is an organized plan of attack. Grab some boxes (or whatever else you can find) and divide items out by which room they go in. Put each box in its appropriate room and then tackle rooms one by one.

 

But Every Room in this House is a Hot Mess!

So, you’re ready to put items away and you discover that there’s no room, it’s unorganized, or the dust is one inch thick. Don’t despair, and don’t give up on your healthy resolutions to just curl up in the fetal position on the sofa with candy! Just take things one room at a time…however long it takes. I’m gonna date myself here and reference the television show, Clean Sweep. Hopefully you won’t need to do this outside on tarps, but the idea is the same–sort all that room’s stuff into keep, trash, and give. Be realistic about what to keep. Those jeans from middle school that are six sizes smaller are only making you feel bad about yourself; and that three-year-old sweater you’ve never worn might actually be appreciated by someone else.

Once you sorted it all out, find a place for your give items (maybe some large boxes in the basement), and throw away the trash. Now clean the room to whatever level you want/need. I don’t have a lot of time for deep cleaning throughout the year, so I do it all at once–dust, clean windows, vacuum hidden crevices, wipe down the walls, touch up paint, and replace light bulbs. If you’re happy with just wiping down the dust and running the vacuum, that’s cool too. Now you’re ready to move the new items in and mark one room as done! Repeat as necessary.

 

Time to Update?

As I go through each room, I often find that something needs repairing or updating. I make note of these items as I clean, but I don’t let it derail me from the task at hand. When I’m done with all the rooms, or just need a change, I’ll fix the things I can and shop for the replacement items needed. (This is when gift cards are the bomb!) You may be thinking it’s ridiculous to even consider shopping when your original problem was having more stuff come into the house. However, a trip to the Container Store can help you improve organization (especially if you have a smaller house with lots of people, like me).

Also, you have to replace torn sheets, lifeless pillows, and grungy towels at some time, and the best time actually is January. White sales have been around forever, well since John Wanamaker created this sales event in 1878. Of course, a lot has changed since then. The original white sale was specifically for white bed linens because business was slow. Today’s white sales include most home goods. While it’s smart for retailers in a month of dreadful sales, it’s also smart for you since some of these things simply need replacing from time to time. (And why not do it when it’s on sale???)

 

So, the new year leads to new stuff–and we can celebrate that. The crummy weather has kept you inside and on track. I hope you come through January with a home that is cleaner and more organized. Good luck on any other resolutions and have an outstanding 2016!

 

(This blog article was originally written for PillowCubes – head on over there if you’d like to freshen up your home with some new pillows!)

 

 

 

Another Christmas Shot to Heck

IMG_1419This is what my grandpa used to say each year at the end of Christmas day. (Actually, he used to say this at the end of every significant day or event, but we’re talking about Christmas right now.) As a kid, I hated when he said this, as it marked the end of a magical day. As a teen, I thought it was hysterical because it annoyed my younger siblings. As I got older, I started realizing what he meant.

So much focus goes into Christmas that it’s hard to avoid the crash when it’s all over. In some ways, the preparations start right after Christmas–as we buy discounted lights, decorations, and such during the post-Christmas sales. Then there’s the occasional “perfect” gifts that you find throughout the year that get stashed aside for Christmas. As October arrives, the stores start up the spectacle of trees, lights, and toys. Once we roll into November, the Christmas rush is in full force. In some ways, poor Thanksgiving has just become a brief pause in the fever-pitch of shopping–a time to fill up and plan those Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases.  By December, the pressure is on to have a decorated house and wrapped gifts and a calendar full of holiday happenings.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy browsing the sale ads on Thanksgiving, love decorating the house, and enjoy the fun activities centered around Christmas. I just think we fail to savor the moment. But how can we change things and do something different?

Here’s how we savored Christmas time this year:

  1. Ignored Christmas sales of any sort before Thanksgiving. We did make a list of wishes before then (to help out the grandparents).
  2. Spent Thanksgiving with family being thankful (and yes, eating plenty of food). No, we didn’t step out for any “deals” that night, but we did review the ads together and put our Christmas shopping lists together (everything from gifts to food items needed for the season).
  3. Enjoyed Black Friday shopping with family, and only bought what was on the list.  On Cyber Monday, I only searched for needed items.
  4. The house decorating began after Thanksgiving (and honestly took a few days to complete).
  5. We made a plan to do something “Christmasy” every day of December. Some of these were small things like wrapping presents or making Christmas cards. Others were already planned things like a variety of concerts through my kids’ musical groups.
  6. We committed to doing things for others–from serving at church to buying presents for the school Angel Trees.
  7. Although we read the Night Before Christmas, we also read the Bible. Remembering that we’re celebrating the birth of our Savior tends to humble us all and remind us to be thankful.
  8. Made time for family on Christmas (and a few days before and after) by taking off work. This was a tough one for me, since I’m self-employed. I can easily take the time off…I just don’t get paid. This time off means I’ll have to work some long hours at the beginning of the year, but it’s worth every moment.

While this year still left me with a little sadness that it was all over, I didn’t feel like I had survived a hurricane that had finally blown through. I’ll still think of my grandpa’s saying and smile, but I’m thankful to have savored the Christmas season all the way to the new year.

Here’s wishing you all the best in 2016!