Women's Suffrage

Over the past few years, I've been increasingly discouraged by the apathy directed toward our election process. I've heard many statements like "What does my vote matter," or "I don't have time".

Recently, I completed an extensive documentation dossier for a historical marker that my DAR chapter is placing near the site of the Occoquan Workhouse. (I've added some informational links below, in case you don't know about the significance of the Workhouse and the "Night of Terror".) While I was reading first-hand accounts, books about the period, and watching the incredible movie Iron Jawed Angels, I gained a new respect for our democratic process. Most importantly, my new argument to those who remain apathetic points to the struggle these women went through to provide the right to vote. Even if you don't care for the politics, appreciate that we, as citizens, can participate in the process.

I found myself even wondering if I could do what these women did...

The Workhouse's wooden structure is long gone, but the former Lorton prison has been reclaimed as an Art Center. An area has been designated for a Women's Suffrage museum, and that's where our marker will be placed. A temporary museum exists today, in a building across the lawn from the future site.

Informational links:
http://www.sewallbelmont.org/ : "The Sewall-Belmont House and Museum is the headquarters of the historic National Woman's Party and was the Washington home of its founder and Equal Rights Amendment author Alice Paul."

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/suffrage1900/a/suffrage_brutal.htm : References the email often circulated around Election Day. "The point of the email: it took a lot of sacrifice to win the vote for women, and so women today should honor their sacrifice by taking our right to vote seriously, and actually getting to the polls."

http://www.lortonarts.org/the_workhouse.htm : The History of the Lorton complex and its current transformation.

http://www.hbo.com/films/ironjawedangels/ : The HBO site for Iron Jawed Angels. The movie "recounts for a contemporary audience a key chapter in U.S. history: in this case, the struggle of suffragists who fought for the passage of the 19th Amendment. Focusing on the two defiant women, Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O'Connor), the film shows how these activists broke from the mainstream women's-rights movement and created a more radical wing, daring to push the boundaries of political protest to secure women's voting rights in 1920."

Leaving St. Lucia...

We were almost ready for an 11 AM transfer to the airport. Knowing we were running short on cash, we got some more St. Lucia currency for the airport departure fee, and put it with the tickets and passports.

When we arrived at the airport, we hopped out of the van, collected the luggage, and got in line to check in at the airport counter. (Note that this entire airport had a “Carnival” feel, with plywood booths, and minimal décor.) After various conflicting reports, we were able to establish that the alcohol we purchased had to be in the checked baggage. I kept the passports to get us checked in for the flight while Darrin went to claim the duty free alcohol we purchased, so we could check it with the rest of our bags.

As I was at the counter, I discovered that I had most of the departure fee, but Darrin had the rest of our cash with him, so I ended up being short on the tax by a couple dollars. The attendant waved it off, since there were others in a long line that he wanted to check in. While another attendant was checking bags, I explained that one couldn’t be checked yet, since my husband was retrieving some duty free items. She printed the tag and stuck it to her hip and told me to find her when the bag was ready. I went off in search of Darrin…
Meanwhile, Darrin (after a false start of trying to enter the doors with the big, scary “DO NOT ENTER” sign) was making his way through the “Exit St. Lucia” security process, without his passport. After making it through the first hurdle (the big guys checking passports), he was admitted to the baggage checking area. Carrying the bag that the bottles were to be packed in, he explained (again) his intent to retrieve duty free goods, and he was directed to the person standing behind him where he proceeded to explain (again) his intent. He was directed to place the bag on the conveyor and proceed through the metal detector area – three feet away. After several attempts to navigate the metal detector, having removed his rings, watch, belt buckle, glasses, wallet and anything else he could think of, he made it through the metal detector successfully, where he collected the bag, and got to explain (again) that he needed to pick up duty free items. In a moment of extreme irony (for some), the security guard said if she’d known his intent, he wouldn’t have gone through the metal detector search. He was then led through a secured door to the disembarking area, on the other side of the wall, (where he’d attempted to go originally). He had to explain (again) that he was picking up duty free purchases. The security guard disappeared through a door, and reappeared a few minutes later without the items from another door asking another guard (in a loud voice) about where the Duty Free goods were kept. Darrin, fearing the worst for our purchases) was not amused. The second official disappeared through the same door as the first, but reappeared a few minutes later from the same door, mercifully with the purchases.
About then, I had just walked straight through the “DO NOT ENTER” door, sending several officials into apoplexy, when I informed them that I was waiting on my husband who was right THERE. At this point it looked like Darrin had it under control. When we caught up with each other, we quickly exited the area to avoid further consternation among the local security guards.
THEN, with purchases in hand, we went around the corner (remember, this was NOT a big airport) to pack the bag, ensuring that all bottles were well wrapped in dirty laundry. A well-meaning passerby pointed out that we’d need to check that bag, since liquids were not allowed to be carried on the plane. We thanked him for his advice, continued to pack the bag as we’d planned, and proceeded to find the attendant who still had the printed baggage tag attached to her hip.

OK. So we were all set to actually leave the country. We headed back into the security area, this time with BOTH passports and a real desire to go home. At least we knew how our airports worked! After passing through security (again for Darrin), we settled in for a short wait to board the plane.
We were waiting for the plane, when Holly Lynne realized she hadn’t purchased a spoon from St. Lucia to add to her collection. Darrin went after something to drink, and in search of a spoon. The search for the drink was immediately successful, but the spoon, not so. I was watching from across the waiting area, and spotted what I thought was a spoon in the window display. Communicating with finger-pointing, Darrin was able to locate the spoon I saw. We needed one for his sister too, so he ended up asking the store attendant where the rest were hidden. Mission accomplished.

We watched as the American Airlines twin prop landed, and incoming passengers disembark. After a short wait, our flight was called. As our rows were called, we had to go through another bag inspection, which was primarily job security for this small island. We then proceeded to the tarmac to stand in a line to board the plane.

After standing in line for quite some time, we were informed that they were having engine difficulties, and were assessing the airplane before boarding passengers. So we all trotted back inside where we sat anxiously for a few minutes, waiting for an update. When the update came, it was to inform us that we would be delayed several hours. A maintenance crew had to be flown in from San Juan. Several updates came in, including putting us up for another night in St. Lucia. We picked up a game of cards with some fellow passengers, and continued to wait. When the flight attendants informed us they were putting us up in hotels for the night, several other passengers declared their frustration with the situation, and told the attendants that they had to work the next day! (Fortunately, this was only Wednesday, and we’d decided to take the rest of the week off!)
Finally, a decision was made to reroute another incoming plane back to San Juan as our flight. We never did see the arrival of the mechanics. So after an eight hour ordeal, with no meals (beyond the convenience store), we were called to board the plane. At this point, we again provided job security for the local economy by allowing the security guards to re-check our carryon bags. Like anything had changed…
On the tarmac, many passengers wondered if we’d actually get off the island this time, and whether this plane would make it to San Juan. Fortunately, boarding and the subsequent flight were uneventful.

Landing in San Juan was another story. Many passengers were understandably ruffled, and passed this frustration onto the airline employees who were working past normal operating hours to ensure that the passengers were taken care of for the evening. American Airlines put us up at the San Juan Airport Best Western and provided vouchers for dinner and breakfast. Due to the hour of our arrival, the hotel was all we saw of San Juan that night.

Catching up...

So I've slacked off the blog a LOT recently... All sorts of projects seem to get in the way.

Tons of things have been going on around here -- keeping up with SAR, DAR, Girl Scouts, C.A.R. (National Convention this weekend!), and proving lots more supplemental ancestors through SAR. A couple big projects have been keeping me busy, but the dance card isn't nearly full.

A couple recent projects du jour have involved finishing up scrapbooks. Just put some finishing touches on the France scrapbook and though it's nearly two years late, our wedding trip scrapbook was just finished up last night. I actually DO have a bumper pool table in the living room downstairs!! (I hadn't seen it for months!)

The next post will be our Leaving St. Lucia saga that was really only funny in retrospect. Enjoy.

xoxox
hlms

Part Deux...

(Sorry for having to do this in a couple installments... Jetlag was just not agreeing with me at 11 PM last night!)

Day 6: Met Mom & Dad for breakfast at 7:30 and headed down to the buses for Hotel des Invalides. We had a military band lead us into the main courtyard for a short homage ceremony for the veterans who furthered freedom and liberty in the US and France. Military band played French and American National anthems with an amazing resonance in the courtyard that sent chills through everyone. Jacques (the main coordinator) introduced Dad who gave the homage. Not that I'm biased, but my favorite part was a group of people whispering if Dad was the head of the SAR. We got a tour inside the current (and active) part of the chapel - amazing! Went to the Tomb/Crypt side of the church (the original chapel) where Napoleon and others were buried. Napoleon's tomb was observed from the top - from a huge balcony structure built into the first floor of the church. Everything was very elaborate.

Went to Picpus Cemetery for a Wreath Laying. This will be a running theme. Apparently, visits to Picpus require a reservation, so we had the entire cemetery in peace and quiet. La Fayette's grave is next to the mass graves where La Fayette's wife's family was buried after being guillotined during the French Revolution. Story says that George Washington appealed to the Revolutionaries for the life of La Fayette's wife. (Can't validate that, but it sounds good, right?) Chapel right outside Picpus had the names of those in the Mass Graves. Amazing.

Sit-down lunch at the Visitor's Center. The courses kept coming... Quiche, Salad, Chicken, ice cream and sherbert dessert... and good wine too!

Next was Vincennes - the Army and Navy arvhices with a Keep tower from the eral of Charles V and Louis (enter number here). The doors at the end of our tour were from where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were held before their executions. For our archives visit, several interesting items were pulled out that related to the time of the American Revolution. Maps of troop movements, naval records and inventories, La Fayette's birth certificate, personal papers of John Paul Jones.

Now to the rockstar part... our police escorts! We had several of these to get us through Paris... usually at rush hour! How cool is that?! So we were a little late getting out of Vincennes, so the police helped us get to Place du Rochambeau where were were scheduled to meet the mayor of the 16eme arrondisement for a wreath laying ceremony. We made it there - some exciting times, and very ballsy motorcycles later. Wreath Laying was nice - celebrating the assistance of the Compte Rochambeau's assistance. Escort got us back to the hotel where we changed for our next evening reception - the Musee Jacquemart Andre. Reception was given by the Instituit de France. It was in a beautiful (former) home that had been turned into a museum of works collected from throughout Europe. The works were moved to the countryside during WWII and saved from destruction. Rembrandt work Pilgrims at Emmaus hangs there and is never loaned out. Very powerful painting.

Day 7: Treaty of Paris celebration day. Breakfast before heading to Palais du Luxembourg for lectures. One in english and two in french with a translator. The two in French were very hard for the translator, and unfortunately, many people were lost along the way. Watching the actions of the French professor and then hearing the words from the translator was very tiring. Lunch reception at the Palais - Cocktail reception. Yummy finger sandwiches (tomato, mozz & basil) and desserts (chocolate covered pineapple, chocolate mousse and wafers) and wine.

Naval Museum tour - interesting models and details. Cutaway models were cool. Scuba and sailing exhibits was interesting. We had our picture taken at the Eiffel Tower. Walked over to Benjamin Franklin statue/park and laid another set of wreaths. Discovered that Dad lost his glasses. Another Police escort back to the hotel.

Eternal Flame Lighting @ Arc de Triomphe. We *walked* a block down the Champs Elysees and through the circle around the Arc. Traffic was stopped to get our marching group across, led by our flags - US, France, SAR, DAR and Washington's. Ceremony was neat - the eternal flame was dimmed and then the turn of a copper ring opened the valve again to set it blazing. More Wreaths, La Marseillaise and Star Spangled Banner were played by the military band, huge receiving line. We signed the guest book, then it was back to the hotel.

Police escort to Versailles -- This is becoming a pretty cool theme at this point! Gorgeous gate that is even more beautiful and gold than I remembered! Dad worked on names for introductions, as he was the M.C. for the gala event. We walked through apartments twice. Dinner was at the Grand Trianon - a side palace at Versailles. DAR picture taken. Champagne reception -- noted that it was Taittinger. Had duck for the first time. Sounds so much better as 'canard'... not so much as Daffy or Donald. Couldn't hear the Ambassaor's speech, but it went for a long while.

Day 8: WWI Homage day. Breakfast before LONG bus ride to Escadrille La Fayette memorial honoring WWI pilots. Life expectancy of a pilot in WWI was 3-4 weeks. Technology was 'barely there'. Laid set of Wreaths then visited crypt under memorial. Amazing Stained Glass!! (KC, you'd really be awed!!) Airplanes in each window. Crypt being restored - built in 1928 with little restoration since. French and American effort to restore. Two French buried there with 38 Americans.

Huge Lunch at a restaurant that could've doubled for a disco. Chateau Something. Did I mention lunch was HUGE? Salmon and shrimp (with heads AND legs - Mom thought the eyes weren't real...), Turkey and mushroom gravy, potatoes, zuchinni, and amazing Rhubarb pie! We had a very fun table. The George and Kristen Jones ate with us and we became fast friends. Oh dear, the jokes abounded - as they always do when there's testosterone in the room... Water with Gas, the oddly engineered Men's bathroom with a huge window.

Went to Bois Belleau - Very large monument at Chateau Thierry. Rembering Army division with Marine Attaches. Chapel and Cemetery - Wall of the missing - Lyman Harper's great-uncle listed among them. 250 unknown graves. Gorgeous Stained Glass.

Reims Cathedral was amazing. After staring down a would-be pickpocket behind my dad outside the cathedral, we saw a slideshow that gave some history - and pictures of the destruction from WWI and WWII bombings. Some stained glass from the 1200's survived. One window (champagne window) was recreated in 1954 from documentation - and replicated exactly as it was before WWII.

Taittinger Caves (cellars) - Long, very cold tour of cellars given by Taittinger himself. A very quiet man, but obviously very knowledgeable and very rich. (Check out your local champagne seller for Taittinger next time!) Old wine, long process - 2 fermentations. 1st makes non-bubble wine. 2nd adds yeast to make CO2, and bottles are turned in quarter-turns two times a week for 6 weeks. When the're ready to cork, the neck of the bottle is frozen to ice-in the sediment. Bottle is then uncapped and ejects ice and sediment. Tasting room - bought glasses.

Champagne Reception at Taittinger home was amazing!!! Gorgeous home - we had the reception in what looked like the "barn" - though it was obviously a reception hall... Beautiful flowers, lots of candleabras made with magnum (or bigger!) bottles.

Day 9: DAR/SAR Meetings. Across the street at Concorde Chapel. At the SAR meeting, the guys got their medals. Darrin got his first medal presented by the PG. Information given about W3R route markings. At the DAR meeting, I applied to become a member of the France chapter.

Went souvenir shopping - in boutiques next to the hotel. Walked all around the Arc de Triomphe - found the TnT (Trash 'n' Trinkets) shop, went to McDonalds for lunch. Interesting menu - mostly the same, but had "Croque McDo" and "Australian" burger.

Saint Denis Cathedral - Had a mass there for the preservation of peace. Flags entered first, wreaths laid while we waited. Processed to crypt, saw tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and others. Beautiful service in French and Latin. Recognized many of the words / musical phrases from the Requiems we've sung at church. Long line at gift shop. Another police escort back to the hotel so we could get ready for the big to-do! We had about an hour to get ready...

Police escort (again) to Hotel de la Ville - City Hall - Opulence isn't even the word for this place. Champagne Reception -- Taittinger, of course -- before going into main reception hall. Great dinner. Darrin and I had put together the songs for the dancing -- and there were people on the floor the entire time! (Thanks Jamie!!)

Day 10: Transfer back to Hotel de la Paix. Wasn't about to pay the 250 euros a night for Concorde when Hotel de la Paix was so awesome! Experienced the Paris Metro. Purchased carnets of tickets - made our lives much easier. Waited around the Eiffel Tower - in the hopes that Heather got my email before I left. Sadly, we didn't get to see her, and I haven't had a chance to catch up with her yet. Wakled to Trocadero Metro, bought souvenirs and prints. Went shopping with Mom and Dad while Trice did his own shopping at Galleries Lafayette and Au Printemps.

Lunch - Nice place with (thankfully) English menus. I'm still amazed at how bad the translations are on many menus. Good business opportunity here -- translating brochures to what they REALLY mean to say vice literally translating. Had a ham and cheese baguette. Met up with Trice at Saint Chappelle... The giards closed the gate at 5 or before, and they were supposed to close at 6. VERY upset about that. Bummed, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at a recommended italian place. We got good food, but bad service. Back to the hotel to set wake-up call for Burgundy!!

Day 11: Burgundy! Tour guide (Olivier) arrived early at hotel. Headed to Burgundy, stopped for Breakfast along the way. Saw lots of castles, Wall of castle that inspired Versailles, sunflower plantings, lots of signs along the way. Learned a lot about appelations of wine, the regions, and the affects of the soil. Rained a little on the way there and on the way back, but gorgeous for getting out and taking pictures. 1st stop was in Beaune- I'd been there during my study in Dijon. At Domaine Mussy, got a great personal tour of family producer's cellars. 2001 good year to drink now, 2004 a good year to drink in 1-2 years, 2005 a great year in 10-15-20 years. Suggested to buy a case that is good, let the taste "close", and it will repoen eventually. Must open and continue to try them -- hence the case purchase. *shh* We tried a grape off the vine.

Lunch at La Concorde then a walking tour of Beaune. Medieval Hospital - Hotel Dieu. Small streets, old-style wine presses, upscale TNT store. Beaune is a formerly fortified city. Went through Marche de Vins - with little tasting cups. Not very good wine, in our opinions. Little explanation, Mostly red wines, nice setting though.

Traveled to Clos de Vougeot castle - saw vineyards of most expensive wines in the world. Headed back to hotel in Traffic. Felt like being on 66 back home...

Had to stop to get money out, and heard a horrible crunch in the street. A motorcyclist had been hit! He could get up though, so it was just damage to the car and motorcycle. Dinner at Auberge de Venis again -- where we had dinner our night after Normandy!

Day 12: The flights home were pretty uneventful -- the 7 hour layover at Heathrow was VERY excessive, but what can one do?! Fortunately, we had things to do like take buses from terminal to terminal and go through security again (I swore they were going to take Mom's new Chanel perfume). All baggage and passengers again arrived in one piece -- including the two bottles of champagne and the bottle of wine!

EDIT: Pictures are up at http://picasaweb.google.com/mckinleyschmidt

xoxox
hlms

The Paris Trip....

Oh goodness, I'm just going to put the entire travel log here and expand on it when I get time...

Day 1: Flight on British Airways. All luggage passed the weight test (Shocking, since the only thing left in the house was the kitchen sink!) Watched Made of Honor and Kung Fu Panda. Darrin watched Ironman... At least I got my requisite 'chick flick' in, but that doesn't let Darrin off the hook. :o)

Day 2: Still flying. . . Layover at Heathrow. All family members and luggage arrived at CDG in one piece, if only a little sore from sitting so long... The 'puddle-jumper' flight's engine didn't sound so good, so we were very happy to be back on the ground. Took a van to Hotel de la Paix in Montparnasse. The taxi driver cut off someone on a motorcycle, who raced up and whacked (broke) the taxi driver's side view mirror. Made it to the hotel in one piece... a little rattled, but discovering that DC doesn't have the monopoly on road rage. Can't say enough good things about our hotel! Though the hotel breakfast is a little pricey, the rooms are adequate for travelers who are just looking for bed and shower necessities. The staff is wonderful - and they're not snobby about speaking English. (My rusty French got better as the week went on -- I'm sure the Parisians are grateful...)

We freshened up and walked about Paris. Mom, Dad and Darrin hadn't been there before, so this was a nice orientation. Walked through the Luxembourg gardens. Walked through St. Sulpice, where an exhibit actually walks through the Da Vinci Code description of the Rose Line. Dinner was at the Great Canadian - standard pub stuff, but it was close by. We barely made the boat at Pont Neuf for a ride up and down the Seine. Sunset on the boat. Took the long way home... Really, nearly 30 blocks out of the way.

Day 3: Normandy Trip. Can't rave enough about Paris-Trip.com for the ease of booking, and quality of the tour guides. Nicholas started our Tour at Caen Peace Memorial Museum. Saw artifacts like a copy of Einstein's letter to Roosevelt about the Germans' nuclear abilities and Roosevelt's return letter. Typhoon aircraft. Helmets, 1st aid kit, bullets, comfort items of American, British and German forces. Wedding gown made from a parachute. Movie of WWII events, centering on D-Day. Stopped at panoramic view of Normandy beaches. Lunch at Arromanches (Hotel Normandie). Mom had her first (?!) Croque Monsieur... y'know, with ham and cheese and all melted inside and outside...

We went to the American Cemetery... Where we saw flowers from the SAR laid at the main sculpture. Over 9300 graves marked with crosses and Stars of David. Went to Omaha Beach - MUCH wider than I expected. Hadn't thought much about the tactical side of D-Day, but since obstructions prevented landing at high tide, the beach area was significantly increased. Went to Pont du Hoc - where rangers climbed the rock cliffs to take out the big guns that could reach the beach. Still huge craters from the bombs.

Day 4: City Tour, Le Bourget, Moulin Rouge. After a petit dejuner of mini baguettes, croissants and pain au chocolate, we were picked up for our "City Tour". The van only made three stops (Notre Dame, Trocadero - to view the Eiffel Tower- and Sacre Coeur), but we saw many sites. the Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon's recycled cannons, the Louvre, Sorbonne, Obelisk, Place de la Concorde, Opera, etc.

After the tour, we headed out to lunch. Nothing exciting there, but we had some thoughts up our sleeve. Dad (who is a docent at the DC Air and Space Museum) wouldn't stop asking about getting to Le Bourget - the field where Charles Lindbergh landed from his Atlantic Crossing. (For more explanation, ask Dad.) It also happens to be where the French Air and Space museum is housed! After seeing where this place was -- and finding out that it's a Military airfield, I'd told Dad that we couldn't go. After lunch, we took a walk to the Train Station (Since that sounded like a good idea). I had to bite my tongue, lip and feign interest in a subway map when Dad said "I guess I can't go to Le Bourget" -- Darrin was off buying tickets. Quite a surprise for Dad, and apparently an interesting time. Not a good area of town to be lost in... Mom and I went shopping, but found crepes and a pseudo-diet-coke instead.

Moulin Rouge -- Much smaller venue than I expected. A very colorful, slightly odd show. Was a bit upset with the quality of the performances - sloppy moves, particularly on the ensemble numbers. Guess that isn't the point.

Day 5: Transfer to Concorde Lafayette. Trice packed his passport, which made checking in exciting. Met Cousin Russ and his wife Laura! (I had to go halfway around the world to meet my cousin!) Found the post office, had lunch (quiche) at Le Touring on Rue de la Grande Armee. Walking back, we got caught mid-crosswalk and had an excellent view of 8 lanes of Paris traffic with no lane markings and no accidents. Reception where we met our host families -- 3-4 guests to a French host. Darrin and I were with Jacques' daughters Catherine and Laure. Wow was that a fantastic time! Dinner was melon, quiche, salad, and homemade chocolate mousse with raspberries and blackberries! Laure drove us back to the hotel after dinner and coffee.

Facebook world

Man, this Facebook world keeps getting smaller. People I know from completely different organizations know each other in another way... And finding people from a hundred years past (ok, what feels like it) and catching up like it's yesterday. Whoa.

So we had our first (very small) open house last weekend. All went well, and we had some great company. Rain and busy beginning-of-summer schedules kept a few people away, but the house is definitely in shape to entertain more frequently now! Not to mention that Darrin's 1st anniversary gift was a very cool-looking grill! (I think he'd love to become the next Alton or Bobby).

So on a little "forced" time off next week, I'll be heading to WV with Mom to look up some more old relatives and find out where they're residing now. (Read: running around courthouses and cemeteries in the hopes that the graves are properly marked.) Kvetch moment: really wish the relatives hadn't jumped the Ohio River so much... WV doesn't charge $16.50 for each record copy. OH does. Ick. However, this trip won't be nearly as bad as the $300+ at one courthouse while doing Darrin's genealogy work...

So to all, have a happy summer, and Darrin and I hope to see you soon!

xoxox
hlms

Ah, the excitement!

I've GOT to quit blinking! Almost Memorial Day now, through the worst of allergy season, and onto "end of year" activities for Scouts, DAR and most importantly, almost our first anniversary!!

Lots of stuff has been going on at our house - Darrin's learning the art of lawn and house maintenance, including the excitement of a flood in the basement after the recent downpours. "Add it to the list" has been a very common term!

I've been working my tail end off (and Darrin's too!) trying to get our house into "home" mode... and I think we're almost there. When you have a new house, the little things like a clean kitchen or a new tablecloth can get your heart racing... this time it was dining room chairs! And a huge cabinet. And a new light for the dining room. All sorts of new projects to poke at...

Prince Caspian was great - the first movie we've seen in the theater since Harry Potter. Hopefully we'll be doing a little more of that once all the tax returns and our refunds are in the bank.

Hopefully this summer won't pass without visiting with friends! We'll be in town most of the summer (except for C.A.R. Mid-Southern in Williamsburg and a trip or two to Newport News). Our next big trip is planned for Labor Day week -- Mom, Dad, Trice, Darrin and I are going to France with the SAR!

xoxox
hlms

Time Flies

Holy Smokes! How did we get to Valentine's Day already?? The time since I last blogged has been pretty eventful, and I'll try to catch up here... and I'll try to be better at blogging more often!

July and August were pretty quiet around the condo, since Darrin was off to Germany and Hawaii for work. I know I know - enter sob story here explaining why *I* couldn't go!

In August, I went with Mom to WV to do a little more genealogy hunting -- and we went to Charleston to the Cultural Center. Wow, did they have some good stuff! I just wish I knew everything I was looking for!

The Virginia DAR Board of Management was held in Lynchburg, so Darrin and I had a quick overnight jaunt down there for that.

In September, I was only able to attend District V's Fall Muster -- Work started kicking my butt with a new, yet slightly awesome, assignment. I'm still on that assignment, but the awesomeness has started to wane...

September brought a very exciting prospect... We signed a contract on a house on September 9th, and it was ratified the next week! We decided on closing October 9th, since I just couldn't BEAR to spend that much money on our birthday! Happy Birthday to us! Four days after we settled on the house, we were knocking holes in the walls! We added cable outlets to the house, and patched up the walls pretty well - if you ask us!




October brought our Birthday and Yorktown Day celebrations, as well as the SAR Public Safety awards banquet. Nothing overly eventful, but we did get to spend part of the weekend in Newport News visiting Fred and Sandi. We had our wedding album back by then, and were able to take it down to show it off.

November brought our actual move-in to the house on November 9th. We hired movers to handle the piano and other big things. Things started out late, the estimate was so off, and the movers were so frustratingly slow that Darrin and I finally told them to leave.

Two weeks after moving in, we hosted Thanksgiving... and invited Margretta and Daniel over. We joked that the Pilgrims weren't unpacked either! We thoroughly enjoyed the company and the food, but there's an eventful story from our "First Thanksgiving". Darrin tried a yummy apple dumpling recipe - that was super easy to make! He put it in a square pan, and filled the sugar sauce to the brim of the pan. As the dumplings puffed up, they pushed some of the sauce onto the oven coils, starting a billow of smoke to come out of the oven. Darrin came to the rescue by throwing salt at the fire. While it worked, I'll admit I was standing there thinking "and what is THAT going to do?"... So the apple dumplings were saved, and we all enjoyed the rest of the events of the evening.

So then came Christmas. We had a great time when Fred and Sandi came to visit us -- though we hadn't really gotten the guest room entirely together. The Lessons and Carols service went well (I'm even the reader on the recording!!). Christmas was a bugger though -- Darrin doesn't want to take Christmas vacations, and I'm all about spending it with family. OK, so here's the thing -- I hated leaving, but I'd already taken the time off of work. So I left with Mom and Dad to WV for a couple days, but then the rest of the week, I stayed home working on house stuff. Darrin was supposed to come home early those days, but that didn't quite happen.

The call came that Saturday that we needed to be in Ohio - pronto. Darrin's mom was in the hospital, and the outlook was bleak. I tried to do what I could, helping out, shopping, distracting the girls, whatever I could to give Darrin time with his mom. I thought things were going well, but was totally upset when Darrin's sister directed a backhanded comment at me. I was bummed to because James, his mom, Darrin and I were supposed to do something for New Years -- and I had to cancel because of the trip. *sigh* Best laid plans...

On January 10th, we got the call that his mom had passed away. While everyone was sad, we all know it's a relief from pain for her. Cancer in any form is devastating, but this was just awful.

Since then, we've been working on more house stuff. My goal right now is to get pictures on the walls so we can sit on the chairs that are currently hosting the pictures. Diplomas went up last weekend, so I can open the closets without clunking the corner of one. We also have all of the Christmas Trees down, and can finally move in our house without running into a box or three!

So that gets us to today rather quickly.

xoxox

hlms