Mount Vernon--Design Challenge 2010

Hello,

For those of you who were concerned that I would be lonely after Tom, Gareth, and Dalen left, fear not! Tom and the boys got on the road on Saturday about 12:30, and I met my sister, her husband and one of their daughters at Union Station about 2:00. My other niece is in Europe on the same trip that Dalen took two years ago with the Indiana Music Ambassadors. She is having a great time so we have to make sure her sister has a great time while she is here.

It is still HOT here and very humid--not a lot of fun to be outside so on Sunday we went to the Smithsonian. All of us went through the U.S. History Museum. It was my third time to be there, and I think the last for the summer. I originally thought that one day-long trip would be enough, but then I saw a few new things when I went with my family, and this time I checked out a few things in more depth that I had only glanced at before. It is nice to be able to go back to things more than once. Still, I think that is enough. They also went to the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum, but I chose to take care of a few other things instead. It worked out really well.

Today we went to Mount Vernon. It is still ridiculously HOT, but we survived. Thank goodness it is supposed to cool off by Wednesday. Traci and I had been to Mount Vernon as children, but we really didn't remember much about it so it was fun to go back, and it was something on my list that I wanted to see. It is amazing how much influence HGTV and all of the design shows have had on us. First, Traci and I pretty much decided how we would "modernize" the house. It is a nice size house, but it needs to have the kitchen moved inside and we decided on 3 bathrooms. Also, I think George might have been a bit colorblind. He got to choose the paint colors in most of the house and let me say that only a man could have picked them. I know these shades were impressive for the times and showed his wealth but yuck! I normally like green, and I have quite a bit of it in my house. However, I would never pick the shades that he had! The only room that Martha got to decorate was their bedroom and the walls were white with a light blue trim--very different from the rest of the house. The porch facing the Potomac, though, stays just as it is. Although we felt like we were melting as we walked around, sitting on the porch with the breeze and the view were heavenly.

The other problem I had with his design was he placed the wash house and clothes-drying yard between the smokehouse and the stable. Which way would you like the breeze to blow? Which would you prefer your clothes to smell like? My other question is why is the blacksmith's shop at the opposite end of the yard from the stables? Wouldn't most of the work the blacksmiths be doing deal with things for the horses and carriages? I am sure he had his reasons, but they don't seem obvious to me. Yet, when you see what it took to keep Mount Vernon working- plus the four additional farms surrounding it and the Distillery and Grist Mill- it is amazing he also found the time to win a war and be president. Just think what he could have accomplished with our technology!

I would post pictures, but we were in such a hurry to catch our train that I ran off without my camera. I think Traci's family got some good shots. I promise to post pictures soon!

Tami