worth/value

That Inaugural hat!

Watched part of Ms. Franklin's service this morning prior to hopping on Metro to go to DC to attend the viewing at the Capitol of McCain.

The glamour and charisma of this singer are captured in those awesome red silk heels. 

I checked a couple of weather sources and they both said we were due to have massive storms. 

Library of Congress

But, no. It was blazing sun AND the outside line took three hours. 

Lots of time to observe the crowd~reminded me of Walt Whitman's poem I Hear America Singing. There were lots of Naval personnel, Vietnam vets, babies in strollers (although, I had a leetle judgement for those parents putting their children out in this heat for hours), people in wheelchairs, office drones, tourists, and locals.

Enjoyed chatting with people, the Red Cross handed out water, and my nice neighbor shared his umbrella.  By the time I got to the entrance, I counted 17 bodies out/down from the heat. Ya just don't mess around with this humidity.

Supreme Court

I will be curious to read the final visitor tally~I got in line around 12:30 and exited around 5:30.  It's supposed to be open until 8 p.m., but am guessing with people getting off work at 5 and joining the line, it will go on much longer.

Each loop of the line brought us closer to the dome. 

The elegant card the family gave out as we signed guest books. 

It was a poignant afternoon of watching people who disagree politically come together to honour a Senator. And again~whatever one's beliefs are, it was moving to be part of a national pageant and a day of history. 

Rest in peace~two people who influenced all of us.

against gravity, against dreams

Another Day

Craig Morgan Teicher

It should be difficult,
always difficult, rising
from bed each morning,
against gravity, against

dreams, which weigh
like the forgotten names
of remembered faces.
But some days it’s

easy, nothing, to rise,
to feed, to work, to
commit the small graces
that add up to love,

to family, to memory,
finally to life, or
what one would choose
to remember of it, not

those other leaden
mornings when sleep
is so far preferable
to pulling over one’s

head the wet shirt
of one’s identity again,
the self one had been
honing or fleeing

all these years,
one’s fine, blessed
self, one’s only,
which another day fills.

Not sure why my sleep has been so wonky this week~sure that the roofers bashing about (yes, still) don't help. A little verklempt today as it's the two year mark of losing Bogart. I'm almost ready to get a new pet, but none of the places I'm looking allow pets. Maybe next year~I'll get a real job and a real place to live.

Christmas, 2012~snuggled on our new blanket.

we're havin' a heat wave

So, the smart thing to do is to stay inside and have quiet watery projects. 

Sweetest little toes!

Just gave notice at my current address~here's to a new lily pad.

joy of living

Been reading all the responses to the recent death of Senator McCain~and while one may not have agreed with him politically, it is clear that he was respected for his attitude of service and his ability to admit his errors. This poem has been posted with a photo of him while serving in Vietnam~good words.

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. 

Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. 

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. 

Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. 

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. 

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. 

Show respect to all people and grovel to none. 

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and the joy of living. 

If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. 

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of vision. 

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.

 Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

~Chief Tecumseh

hazy summer haiku

Super humid today. 

Many doors closing~personally and professionally~but that means that the right ones will open soon, no? 

singing of crickets

with cicada counterpoint

summer sultriness

This flower is bigger than my head!

bucketing through the summer

Beautiful yards that I enjoy on my walks. 

At the end of May, I printed out this list from Pinterest~today's root beer floats brings me to checking half of the list off. Good thing I still have almost four weeks to squeeze a few more summery activities.

the unfinished work

The weather is just perfect for flanuese activities right now.

I know that I have 9250 photos of this~but it's just hard to resist snaping a few when you're walking down the Mall.

Almost full moon rising. 

A visit with Mr. Lincoln is one of the best political palate cleansers I know.

And in unrelated news~I have found my next project for my Littles!!!!!!!!!!!!!

an August koan

If I never had a summer break, am I allowed back-to-school supplies? 

The answer is~of course, silly. Those metallic pencils needed to come home with me today!

And since my broccoli/rice fritters did not remotely resemble these, I stole the photo from the internet. They were still delicious. Off to hear the last summer jazz at the National Sculpture Gardens. Happy weekend all y'all!

O Romeo, you're kinda annoying

I won tickets to see this production~fabulous way to wrap up this teaching term! 

Invited an ESL colleague to go and we jaunted off to have tapas at the elegant La Tasca (conveniently across from the Aveda school~maybe this is the 'hood where I ought to be flat-hunting?). 

Hope someone gets a giggle when they visit this particular stall. 

Not so pretty, but the airiest and crunchiest eggplants with a delectable bleu cheese dipping sauce. I am in love with Spanish cheeses.

Lousy photos to show this modern space~gorgeous little theatre. 

Gettin' ma Kulture on

I know that my shutter-bug colleague is making some people very happy with People Photos~yes, that would be the SoCal readership.

The actors were stellar, the set was incredible, and as usual~I felt much sadder when Mercutio is offed than when the impetuous love birds keel over. 

Walked home in the coolness with the crickets singing me a lullaby.