Lincoln Memorial And WWII Memorial

Last week we drove in to town to see the America Remembrance COVID flags art display next to the Washington Monument. It was a simply beautiful day. So we continued our morning walk towards the WWII Memorial. We have been there many times before. The fountain was gushing and it was rather busy compared to the last many months. There was an honor flight group touring the spot. From there, we followed the path by the reflecting pool toward the Lincoln Memorial. The ducks were enjoying the water - a perfect place to stay. When we walked up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial we decided to walk around the monument on all four sides. It was a very interesting view from the rear and the sides - especially when we faced the Washington Monument and the Capitol beyond. On the way back to the car we checked out the tidal basin a bit and the annual flower garden. We hadn’t been on that side of the mall for a while. It was very pleasant indeed. 

I Flunked the Hearing Test

Both my mom and dad wore hearing aids. I’ve been asking my husband to repeat himself much too often. When I had my annual doctor appointment I learned that my ears were perfectly clear. So that meant only one thing. I needed to finally get a hearing test. We live right across the street from Hearing Associates of Northern Virginia. Since we are all about convenience, we thought this would be a great place to start. Our insurance has some hearing benefits, but nothing to speak of. So I scheduled an appointment, went through all the tests - ears were clean, and test results showed moderate to severe hearing loss - especially at the higher frequencies. So I saw hearing aids in my future. We discussed the options - in the ear, behind the ear, etc. I went home with an Oticon brochure and things to think about. Since I don’t know anything about hearing aids, I researched whatever was out there including Lively - an all on line experience. I even took another hearing test on Lively and it compared - followed by an immediate phone call from them trying to sell me their product. Since I made up my mind about sticking with the place across the street, I studied up on Oticon More. There are very expensive so I decided on the mid range level 2. All the while I was emailing the audiologist back and forth trying to make up my mind. So the hearing aids were ordered and an appointment was made for a fitting. They are behind the ear, silver, rechargeable, and stream to my phone. Stay tuned - another life changing experience. 

Pfizer Booster

It was such a harrowing time a year ago. The anticipation of getting COVID vaccines was paramount for both my husband and myself. Because of age, my husband got his first - through our doctor’s office. A month later I got mine at the Health department. We both needed to have appointments, and things were pretty organized given the state of things. Now it’s been over six months and it’s time to get a booster. Things are different now than then - people are tired of hearing about it, and for our part, we follow the guidelines. Being in health care gives us a different perspective. Seeing the exhausted workforce makes us feel sad. Last week we stopped at the Giant pharmacy to get our flu shots. While we were there we took home the paperwork to fill in the forms to get the covid vaccine. It would save time, and the person who gave us the shots said morning would be the best time. So this morning, rather than take our morning walk, we drove over to Giant with our paperwork and vaccine cards. There was one person in front of us. We were attended to, got a number, and did a bit of grocery shopping. When the number came up, we got back in line. The same person who gave us the flu shot last week gave us the covid vaccines today. It feels odd to become friends with the pharmacy staff. Anyway, it was an uneventful outing. And that’s how it should be. 

52Frames My Daily Routine

There is one thing we do every day. We take morning walks - in the park, in the neighborhood, to the city and all points beyond. So to meet the 52Frames photo challenge this week, I wanted to get a photo of us walking. I was thinking primarily of shadows with interesting backgrounds or sidewalks. Then it also occurred to me that there is one thing that we do when we walk - we always hold hands. Photos from the neighborhood park were okay. Then the cloudy days and rain came and we were out of commission to take photos for a couple of days, but we still walked. Last Friday we drove in to town because we wanted to see the flag art display tribute to the 670,000+ COVID victims set up around the Washington Monument. So we parked by the tidal basin and started out morning walk - to the flags, then to the WW2 Memorial, up the reflecting pool path to the Lincoln Memorial (for the first time we actually walked around the monument), then a little walk around the tidal basin before we returned to our car. It was a simply beautiful day and there were more tourists around than there has been for many months. In the end I selected an image of us holding hands that I had taken in the park earlier in the week. Sometimes the best photos are right in the neighborhood. But it’s nice to have the option to see what else might work. 

Capitol Building in the Perfect Light

We lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years. Since we moved to northern Virginia we still take morning walks at least once a week in the city. We still like to visit the old neighborhood. It also gives me an opportunity to take photos for the weekly 52frames challenge. There is usually something in town that can be used for a given subject matter. One of the most photographed places is the Capitol building. I have so many pictures of the place at all times of the day, all seasons of the year, and during celebrations and remembrances. When the visitor center was being built I had the opportunity to see it firsthand - twice - because I worked in the infrastructure services at the library of Congress. The groundbreaking to create the tunnel connecting the library to the Capitol was one of the first events I attended. Thereafter, I walked through it frequently on breaks in the afternoon - and saw all the crowds coming to visit. The other day was bright with blue skies, and not a soul was in sight. And the Capitol looked stunning on the beautiful morning walk. 

In America: Remember Flags on the National Mall

For a lot of reasons we weren’t able to take a ride to town until yesterday. Between doctor appointments and bad weather, Friday was a simply wonderful day to finally get out snd back in to our routine. So rather than park on the national mall, we thought stopping at the tidal basin would be better. We wanted to see the flag installation by the Washington monument. The “In America: Remember” art project was overwhelming. The over 660,000 white flags were impressive - and devastating at the same time. Luckily for us, none of our family have died from covid, but we know of several friends, etc who have had it. One is a high school classmate - in ICU, ventilated with a collapsed lung - who has been in the hospital for over a month. We are planning to get booster shots soon. Our lives have been affected by the pandemic like everyone else. My husband and I spent years in health care and can’t believe how it has been upended. How it will recover is yet to be seen. While we were there, several thousand more flags were being added. So as we walked through the grounds, it reminded us how lucky we have been, but know this is far from over. 

Miniature Roses

We have a lot of green house plants. It is very green, so we got a miniature rose plant from Giant several weeks ago to add a bit of drama. The blooms lasted for over a week. Then the plant started looking sad. So my husband took it upon himself to nurture this plant. He has been bringing it over to the west facing window every day from the console table, and making sure it’s getting enough water. Apparently these little plants stop flowering in September. Now, after all the loving care it has received, several buds appeared and now they are all back in bloom - and there is one more in the making.  So I took some photos of the roses - each one is a little different dusty rose color than the next. We used to get cut flowers every week or two and put them in the wall vase and the console vase to add more color. This little rose plant replaced that option and has surprised us both. After these blooms fade we are going to try and keep it going. The results for my husband’s efforts were stunning!