DC Pictures

enjoy.

Why I am kinda tired

In 7 days...

Washington DC:

• Lincoln Memorial - I read every word
• Washington Monument
• Jefferson Memorial
• FDR Memorial
• Vietnam Memorial
• Korean War Memorial
• WWII Memorial
• US Capitol
• random secret alcove on Capitol grounds with ultra secret rainforest view
• Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
• Supreme Court
• National Archives
• White House
• Folger Shakespeare Library
• Smithsonians
• The Castle
• Museum of American HIstory
• Museum of Natural History
• National Gallery of Art
• indoor waterfall
• Air and Space Museum
• Freer Gallery of Art
• Peacock Room
• Hirshorn Sculpture Garden
• National Sculpture Garden
• Old Post Office Tower
• Smithsonian Folklife Festival
• Colombian boat-making, net-weaving, drum, xylophone, guitar and harp-making, authentic music, dancing and singing, somewhat understandable Spanish
• Rhythm and Blues Q&A with Fred Wesley, a top-notch trombonist
• Peace Corps 50th birthday, displays of projects around the world, West African food
• limeade
• The Merchant of Venice set in 1920's New York
• Library of Congress
• rode the Metro
• Japanese Cherry Trees

Alexandria:

• Thai food - delicious curry
• Alexandria's birthday celebration
• fireworks
• community orchestra - 1812 overture, Harry Potter theme, ET theme, and more
• really cute kids - Moema, Mila, Luna, and George
• Alexandria Torpedo Factory - converted into a huge mall of artist studios
• really weird sculpture/waterfall/stone face thing
• the tiniest lighthouse ever
• swimming with really cute kids
• watched Sherlock - if you haven't, do it!
• survived a couple of really really crazy thunderstorms
• went to the singles ward that PBS just happened to be filming (with permission from SLC) for "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly" that will air in August - I might be famous!

Roadtrip to Palmyra:

• Smith Family Log Cabin
• Smith Family plank house
• Sacred Grove
• Martin Harris Farm
• Gradin Printing Press
• Alvin Smith's grave
• Hill Cumorah Visitor's Center - air conditioning and more
• Hill Cumorah - the climb
• Hill Cumorah Pagent - complete with waterfalls, earthquakes, lava, and explosions of fire

For next time:

• Arlington National Cemetery
• Tomb of the Unknown
• Iwo Jima Memorial
• Bureau of Engraving and Printing
• National Museum of African Art
• National Zoo
• National Aquarium
• Georgetown University
• National Geographic Museum
• Get a library of congress library card
• Voice of America Studio - what is that? I just found it on the map.

This blog post made possible by Celia - the bestest aunt ever!

Chains

I recently read a children's book that I really really loved and I thought I'd write about it. So here.

It is called "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is the story of a young slave girl who is owned by a Tory family in New York right at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. It was quite an eye-opening story as most of my reading about slavery talked about cotton fields and such down South. It drew a different perspective especially surrounding the events of the beginning of the war including the Declaration of Independence. It touched on some of the apparent hypocrisy of the Patriots who declared their own independence from the oppressive British, but refused to extend the same independence to the blacks.

The writing is very good. I'm not very eloquent in expressing why I like someone's writing, but the book just drew me in and I couldn't stop reading it. Disclaimer: the book does not sugar-coat much of anything. There is violence in this book. However, it is not written in a gruesome or graphic manner. I still wholeheartedly recommend this book. That actually might be why.

I am a firm believer in accuracy in historical fiction. I also believe that there is a balance between raising children under a rock with no exposure to hard things and throwing them to the wolves. Of course we have to be careful and protect our children, but I don't think no allowing them to see or read anything that involves violence or hard topics is the answer. Of course I have no children now, but I think I would like my children to read this book if they would like to. There is my rant, and my own book review.