Presidents Madison and Monroe are pleased to make your acquaintance

Hello,

President James Monroe (number 5) lived just 2 1/2 miles from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, but it could have been a world away. Quick, think of everything you know about James Monroe! I'll wait....Oh, done already? That is exactly the problem. We know all about the other founding fathers-Washington, Adam, Jefferson, and Madison, but then things get a little fuzzy. Monroe was their "go to" guy. There is a famous portrait of George Washington crossing the Delaware River and there is a guy standing behind him holding a flag. Forget for a moment all the historical inaccuracies in the picture, but the guy holding the flag is James Monroe. He survived Valley Forge with Washington, also. Thomas Jefferson was the president when the Louisiana Purchase was made, but who was the guy in France actually talking to Napoleon--that's right-James Monroe. He held a lot of government positions besides being president. Anyway, it is the same case with their homes. At Monticello there is a very nice visitor's center with a museum, theater and gift shop; timed tickets for the tours; and lots of people everywhere. Go two miles down the road and there is a little gift store that also sells tickets for the house tour and there are a few people wandering around. The difference is night and day. Why??? Good question. I have to admit, I don't teach my students a lot about Monroe (I did buy a book about him so maybe that will change). The original political parties that formed around Jefferson and Hamilton during President Washington's administration had weakened to the point where there really weren't any when Monroe was president (Jackson would divide people and the parties would make a comeback), and it was called the "Era of Good Feelings". He was able to get some treaties with European powers that helped to define our borders, but Monroe's Secretary of State John Quincy Adams usually gets the credit for those. Adams even gets the credit for the Monroe Doctrine--you would think that Monroe would at least get the credit for something with his name on it! Anyway, while his house is very nice, it is nothing like Mount Vernon or Monticello. It is bigger than most houses were at that time but then again most houses of the period were smaller than our two car garages today so that isn't saying much. I think I am going to have to look into Monroe a bit more; I am curious to know more about him.

After leaving Monroe's humble abode, it was time to visit President Madison's home, Montpelier. He lives about an hour away. O.k. it is probably less than that, but I am including the time I spent lost in Charlottesville. Uuuugggg! Madison has the big, impressive house on a hill with a state of the art visitor's center like Jefferson, but because it is a bit off the beaten path and he isn't as famous as Jefferson the crowd was more like it was at Monroe's house. Madison is probably most famous for marrying Dolley, but the Constitution should be his claim to fame because without him we probably wouldn't have one and the country would have collapsed under the Articles of Confederation and we would be back calling Queen Elizabeth our leader. Maybe that is a bit of an overstatement, but you get the point. Anyway, he has a lovely home and they are still doing archaeological work on the outbuildings such as the slave quarters. In fact, anyone can take an "excavation vacation" and help them! It looked interesting, but it was over 100 degrees and I was glad I was just visiting!

After leaving Madison's home I left the Blue Ridge all together and drove across the state to Virginia Beach. It wasn't too far or difficult. I have never been there and there is nothing in this world that a trip to the beach can't make better. I got there just after dark, but I still got some sand between my toes before calling it a day. aaahhhhhhh.

I spent this morning on the beach, but then it was time to get back to DC. I have to admit I was nervous at the thought of driving in DC traffic, but I got home before rush hour and in spite of missing my exit so I was pretty proud of myself. It is good to be "home"!

Tami

Greetings from Charlottesville, Virginia!

Hello,




It is supposed to be close to 100 degrees in DC everyday for the next few days so I decided maybe it would be a little cooler in the mountains and I should go visit Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello. Yeah, good idea, too bad it didn't work. It was still about 100 degrees, but I like to think that it wasn't as humid.


Monticello is about 2 -2 1/2 hours from DC so I decided to rent a car and stay for a couple of days. A friend of mine from school is going to be driving out to DC next week to stay with me, and she offered me the use of her car, but I thought this might work better. I am driving a Volkswagon Beetle! It is black and doesn't have the flower in it, but it is still cute and it drives really nice. I haven't driven in over a month, and I haven't really missed it.


I have always wanted to see Monticello, and it was one of the first things that went on my "to do" list when I got the grant. There is no way we could ever bring students here because it is too far from DC. Jefferson was a self-taught architect who actually built two houses here. The first one was partially torn down after he went to Europe as the first U.S. ambassador to France, saw their architecture for himself, and decided to make changes to his own home. It was supposed to be this wondrous house, and I have seen pictures of Monticello, or "little mountain", but I never really understood what made it so great. The pictures don't do it justice.

When my sister and I went to Mount Vernon, George Washington's house, we had fun redesigning it for more modern tastes. I don't think we would have to do that with Jefferson's home. Granted, Jefferson built his home later than Washington did, but still he "finished" it by 1809. This house has the cathedral ceilings, skylights, and wall colors that work in 2010 (except maybe for the yellow in the dining room. I don't mind it, but it is pretty strong). The layout also works well; although, now that I think about it, I am not sure where we would put the kitchen. It was pretty easy to move one in at Mount Vernon.


There was also a garden tour of the grounds that I know my husband would have LOVED! The second picture is for him--a golden rain tree. You are welcome, honey! It was HOT walking around the gardens, but the guide was very personable and knowledgeable so it interesting even as I was sweating.

I was still there when they closed so that was the perfect excuse to go cool off at the hotel! President James Monroe lived in the neighborhood so I am going to visit him tomorrow!



Think cool thoughts,
Tami

Red Line Adventures

Quick! What does The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and a Woolly Mammoth have in common? (Hint: check the title of this post) That's right--both of them are on the Red Metro line!!

The Basilica is farther north so let's start there and work our way south back into downtown DC.

The Basilica is located on the grounds of Catholic University which I am sure is a great school. The campus is beautiful, but the neighborhood seems a bit rough. The Metro stop is just across the street so it isn't too bad. It is the second largest Roman Catholic church in the Unites States. It is not a parish church or a cathedral, but it does offer mass multiple times everyday. Because it is not a parish church, the only other sacrament offered is Reconciliation. Sorry, no weddings or funerals. Although, a wedding in this place would be pretty spectacular. The tour was pretty amazing, but I recommend buying the guide book. It is probably the best $3.50 I have spent since I have been here. (I won't tell you how much more I have spent because my husband might be reading...Hi, honey!) Besides the main church, or as they call it the Upper Church, there is a second church in the basement--which is actually not below ground but at street level. Then there are multiple chapels and oratories--which are chapels without alters so mass isn't offered in them. (I never knew that before) Each of these spaces is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and decorated to express some aspect of her unique relationship with those who sponsored it. For instance, there is an oratory dedicated to Mary, Queen of Ireland that is done in shades of green marble with an alabaster window depicting scenes of Catholics living the faith in the face of the English persecution. There is a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe done with a fabulous mosaic. The amount of mosaic in this church is amazing. For all of its dedication to Mary, the Christ in Majesty mosaic behind the main alter of the upper church emphasises who it is that is central to the faith--Jesus Christ.

Now that we have toured the church, it is time to get back on the Red Line Metro and head back towards downtown and the Woolly Mammoth. This is a theater that does a lot of new, cutting edge or avant garde theater. Tonight was the opening night of a more mainstream piece that is a one man version of the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy as filmed by Peter Jackson performed in about 70 minutes by Charles Ross. I have a friend who saw the show in Toronto when Ross first started it, and she really liked it so I felt lucky to find out about this production. What makes it even better is new shows at the Woolly Mammoth are called "Pay what you can" shows. For the first few shows the audience pays whatever they want for their tickets. The lady I spoke to at the box office said usually people pay between $5.00 and $10.00, but she has had people pay with change out of their pockets also. You just have to be there when the box office opens two hours before the show and usually a line starts forming about an hour before that. Thank goodness the line was inside the theater lobby or I probably would have melted. I got there about 5:30 and the line moved quickly. It was a really good show, but you definitely have to know the story, or better yet, know the movies. There were people in the audience who hadn't read the books or seen the films and I am sure they were hopelessly lost. Ross plays it for laughs and some of the jokes everyone could have gotten.

Well, that was my day on the red line. I got home about 10:00, it is still really hot and sticky, and now I am going to bed.

Good night,

Tami

Happy 4th of July!!

Hello!

This has been a very successful 4th of July because I have achieved the "Big 3"--Sunburned, Sweaty, and Sleepy (it has been a LONG day!).

It started out this morning with the parade. I had a seat on the marble curb in front of the National Archive. Since it was just me I was able to find a spot in the front. It was hot and sunny without a cloud in the sky and the parade was 2 hours long (and that marble curb was hard!)--hence the sunburned and sweaty parts. There were a lot of marching bands from around the country--Ohio, Washington state, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Connecticut-- Who do I have to talk to about getting an Indiana band in next year--Mr. Klee? Mr. Beuter? I would agree to help chaperon if necessary. I am all about helping out whenever I can :)

After the parade ended I had some time to kill so I went to the Newseum. It is a museum dedicated to the first amendment--especially freedom of the press. This is where George Stephanopoulos does his Sunday morning news show for ABC. I even got to tour the studio where they film it. Don't get too excited; it is very small.

As it was getting closer to the evening I had a decision to make--The Navy band was going to start a concert down by the Washington Monument at 6:00 and then after that the fireworks were going to be shot off over the reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial at 9:15. However, The Capitol 4th show that you see on TV was being held at the Capitol (duh) which is at the other end of The Mall. I could watch the Navy show until the Capitol show started at 8, go watch the Capitol show, and then watch the fireworks being shot off from behind the Washington Monument or try to make it back over there. That seemed like too much work because by this time I was also starting to get tired (the third "S"--sleepy). I decided to stay at the Washington Monument. The Navy concert was great and the fireworks were AMAZING. I swear some of them were 3D because one would light up and then another one would come from the center of it which came closer, and then another one came out of that one which was closer, and then another one and another one. It was incredible! The show only lasted about 20 minutes, but every one of those fireworks was huge and filled the entire sky. It was overwhelming.

Once the show was over it was time to try to get home (it sounds so easy, right?). I need to find a t-shirt that says "I survived the Metro on the 4th of July" because it was crazy! The good news is I did make it home safe and sound and in one sunburned, sweaty, sleepy piece and it was sooooooo worth it!!!

Happy 4th!
Tami

A Top 10 List Not Created By David Letterman

The Top 10 Reasons The Portrait Gallery Is My Favorite Place in DC (so far)...

10. There is a Metro stop on the corner of the building--very convenient.
9. It doesn't open until 11:00 a.m. so I don't have to be an early riser to get there, and it doesn't close until 7:00 p.m. so it can be my last stop of the day.

8. It is actually two museums--The Museum of American Art and The Portrait Gallery in the same building.
7. Because it is part of the Smithsonian, it is free and I can go as often as I like. (which is a lot!)
6. There is a little something for everyone-portraits, paintings, landscapes, modern art, sculpture, folk art...
5. They are currently running an exhibit of Norman Rockwell pieces that are owned by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas (That's right! They like my museum enough to lend their own private art to it!!) There is also an exhibit by an Iowa artist who returned to her hometown of Maquoketa (where is that, mom?), put up signs around town that she would paint a portrait of anyone who would come for a setting, and then put together the exhibit of her community.
4. As part of the Rockwell exhibit opening this weekend they had the Air Force Jazz band play hits from the 1940's in the atrium.
3. The Atrium is fabulous!
2. It's sense of history--this building was one of the first constructed after the White House and Capitol. It used to house the Patent Office, and to get a patent an inventor had to bring a working model of the invention to the office for display. The public got to see the latest and greatest technology of their day. It is also where President Lincoln held his second inaugural ball. Plus, Walt Whitman worked as a nurse in this building while it was a hospital during the Civil War.
1. It is awesome!!

In case you need one more reason...Because it is! That's why!

I didn't even mention the free WiFi (which is harder to find in this town than I thought it would be), the behind the scenes tour showing how they restore art, and the building itself it a beautiful example of Greek Revival architecture--columns and all! :)

Last but not least, the CBS program Sunday Morning will have a feature on the Rockwell exhibit this Sunday morning. My sister and I were there while they were filming the segment. We didn't get to see anyone, but we were only allowed to see a few of the sculptures right outside of the gallery if we promised to be quiet. I can't wait to see what they filmed!

Ladies Day

Hello,

My sister and her husband wanted to take a Segway tour while they were here (so do I, as a matter of fact), but their daughter wasn't old enough. So, while they did their thing, my niece and I got to hang out together. She wanted to go to the aquarium so that is where we went. As we were heading that way we found the Woodrow Wilson Memorial. I didn't even know there was one! She was a good sport and walked through it with me. There was even a short video about his life that she watched with me. What a good kid! The National Aquarium is in the basement of the Commerce Department building, and unlike the Smithsonian Museums, it is not a free to tour. I thought it was a bit disappointing, but my niece liked it--especially the toads (yuck!) and they did have piranhas, which are her favorite, so it was all good.

After that we met up with her parents and went out to the Twilight Tattoo at Fort McNair. First, no one received any souvenirs in permanent ink upon their skin. This was an opportunity to see a program put on by the U.S. Army. There was The Old guard Fife and Drum Corps and the Army Drill Team plus a review of the Army throughout American History. Being on a military base and watching the Old Guard--3rd Infantry Division which was founded by George Washington himself was pretty impressive. This is the unit, stationed at Fort Myer which is attached to Arlington National cemetery, that does all of the funerals there. The Army band that plays for the president and ceremonial events is also stationed there. For once it was not too hot, the sky was blue, we were close to the river where we could see sailboats, and it was a lovely evening.

Today we got to see the Old Guard again because we went to Arlington National Cemetery. The weather was beautiful for a second day in a row. One of the things I specifically wrote about in my Lilly proposal was wanting the opportunity to reflect on how it must have felt to be Mrs. Robert E. Lee and stand on her front porch at Arlington and be able to see the men working to finish the Capitol dome when her husband was fighting against the government that it housed. It means even more to be there after reading One Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert M. Poole. You wouldn't think that reading a book about a cemetery would be very interesting, but it is a great book and an engaging story. Thanks, mom for giving it to me! :)

After that is was time to put my sister and her family on the train for home, and I am once again on my own. After having so much company it is going to be very quiet around here!

Tami

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