Ryan and I go to DC every couple of months. We drive up to the first (well, the last, really) Metro stop in Virginia, park, and ride the train in. Parking in DC completely sucks and the train is fun (as long as it's not rush hour). We usually wind up at the Smithsonian stop... sometimes we hang out at various branches of that well-known and remarkable institution. Sometimes we visit other museums (the Holocaust Museum is one of our destinations of choice). Sometimes we traipse from monument to monument. Last spring we went to see the cherry blossoms. If you've never seen them, and you have the opportunity to do so, you should. The city is awash in pink and white flowering trees and it's to-die-for gorgeous. As they line the tidal basin on the way out to the Jefferson Memorial, we walked through throngs of people and under a canopy of sweet blossoms to see Mr. Jefferson. Instead of walking back the way we came, though, we opted to completely circle the basin, which took us past the FDR Memorial. Although it's been there for ten years, I'd somehow never seen it. It's amazing, powerful, inspirational, and sadly, so relevant, given the condition of the world today. It immediately became my favorite memorial.
Anyway, below are a few pictures from that day... and we'll be heading up next month to see the blossoms again...
20 comments:
You post amazingly well for a woman who thinks she has no material, inspiration, or inclination.
Love the pictures.
Postponed my mental health day until tomorrow. I should be stark, raving mad by then!
Loved the pictures Diane!
love the pictures !
re blog material- maybe Diane you
are just trying too hard.
when ever i get like this ( and it happens very often) i usually just get myself back to basics by doing a post answering a few basic questions. some examples- why do i blog ? who do i blog for? am i aiming for feedback ? discussion ? or to keep a family record of life ? am i reliant on others reading my blog to validate its existance ( or my existance)- could I live without it ? do i want to? am i letting others influence my writing ? etc, etc........I find it helps a great deal in restoring purpose so to speak.........it might work for you too xxx
And I'm totally going to take Lisa's questions and try to answer them, only I'm substituting the word 'breathe' for 'blog'!
and yes, we are ALL wise and stupid all at once, which is what makes us and this ( our world) so challenging and interesting.......
when you are totally as wise as you can be, you dont wake up in the morning becasue there is no longer any need too
Lisa xxx
lets have coffee and chardonnay x
Cherry blossom time is the best. It's like snow without discomfort. Lovely... And the FDR memorial is one of my favorites, too. Love the shiny-kneed statue with the cape and the dog. The whole thing is very moving and dignified, and like a museum without walls.
great pics. we keep trying to make it to DC in the spring, but plans always fall apart. *sigh* someday........
Diane, never worry about not being able to blog or write, for you do that so effortlessly - This is a lovely piece, and I have never been fortunate enough to see that art and those statues - I found them very moving, thank you. BTW, the blossom is just as you said it would be, and outstrips our meagre British cousins by a Virginia mile! Beautiful, I know I overuse that word... but it's true, just as you are true to you. Beauty is truth, as someone wonderful once said... xox
Beautiful photographs. I can completely understand how stunning the blooming trees must be.;)
I have been to DC twice; Once in the snow storm of the century and once in something like 110 degrees of heat.;) Despite the extremes in weather, I enjoyed each and every trip.;)
Wow! Really cool!
(no, really cool. I see you both have jackets on!)
And all those flowers!
Must be a treat to be able to just cruise up to DC on a jaunt!
(and, while this isn't any of my business, that fact has never stopped me before, so...
Walking on Alligators, by Susan Shaughnessy, and The Comedy Bible, by Judy Carter. Both great reads for getting those words of yours back onto the paper...
or, well, screen...
wherever, eh?)
We went in 9th grade and it was during the Cherry Blossom Festival and they are beautiful!
First, you need to stop beginning your posts with, "I have nothing to write about", because, once you start writing,we would never be the wiser because all of your posts, whether they be thoughtful, insightful, hilarious, silly, funny, true, angry, short and sweet or long and deep are ALL wonderful because they are coming from your heart! And we don't care if it is the most brilliant or aw-inspiring post you've ever written...we want to hear from YOU!
You'll never be president if you don't get past this, so know that we faithful "followers" just like to hear your addled ramblings.
DIANE FOR PRESIDENT!!!!
It always brings a little smile to my face when you claim to be devoid of inspiration!
Sherri,
I appreciate your confidence in me, truly, but if I'm ever to be President, they'll have to change a pretty major law... I wasn't born in this country. It's why I never bothered running in the past, you know ;)... XO
OUR COUNTRY ONCE CONDONED SLAVERY, AND NOW WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT!
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE...ANYTHING!
I love the pictures. My brother live in MD so I have been to DC several times. My favorite monument is the Korean War. It might be that my dad was in that war and I saw what it did to him. I really want to see WWII one.
Lovely photos my Diane!!
What smiles you and Ryan possess!!!
Perfection!
I lived in the DC area for over a year after high school and I spent every spare moment there. I. Love. History. (My dad was a history teacher, go figure.) Now I get to visit my brother in Gloucester and I dig taking the kids up to DC. You are so lucky.
Of course I've got some pretty spectacular stuff here in Bend...!
The Smithsonian...aah! I was there in 1968. I remember seeing John Glenn's small (very) "capsule", in which he had space-hopped. Very impressed! I bet there are a few more impressive items these days. ;-)
I loved walking around the basin. And the FDR Memorial was beautiful. They had the water turned off at the fountains, though. I would like to see it in all of it's glory. :)
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