Cedar Knoll Beats Out Indigo Landing

It was an opportunity to go to a different place for lunch because a third party was involved. My husband does not care for either Cedar Knoll Inn or Indigo Landing. Both are located in Alexandria along the George Washington Parkway and both have great views of the river. Because it was two to one, he was outnumbered. We looked up the menus for both places and decided that Cedar Knoll would meet the need- for this outing. And, it was such a beautiful day, we were in the mood for a scenic drive along the Parkway. Since we lunched at Cedar Knoll, and enjoyed the view from our table, we stopped by Indigo Landing on our return trip home. We pulled in to the parking lot and walked out to the riverfront. From our vantage point we could see the Washington Monument, the Capitol Building, the Library of Congress, and Reagan Airport. This place always reminds us of Pieces of Eight in Milwaukee. My husband never liked it there either. Regardless, it is a great view from the dining room or on the patio, and the menu is essentially seafood. We have always lived close to water of some kind.... Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Michigan, and now the Potomac/Anacostia Rivers. It makes for a more interesting feel and a great drive along whatever waterway it happens to be. I'm not sure when I will get back to either one of these places, but it will definitely take a third party to make it happen.

The Calm Before the Storm at Nationals Park

After lunch we thought it might be fun to see the activity in the neighborhood around the stadium before the big game tonight between the Nationals and the Cardinals. Earlier in the week, it was a nightmare dealing with the two afternoon game times as parking, and street congestion was worse than usual. Today, the streets are mysteriously quiet. It's as if everyone didn't even bother going to work, or left early only to return for the action. We have a few family members who are season ticket holders who would not miss any of these games for the world. I was surprised we did not hear the roar after the big win last night. But as soon as the game was over, the city sounds returned. The sirens, and car noises seemed even louder than usual. There were plenty of parking spots when we got home this afternoon. Soon the hoards in red will begin their ritual walk from the neighborhood and metro stop to the landmark that is only a few blocks away. I used to wonder why people would want to live so close to any stadium. In Milwaukee, I would re route my drive home after work whenever there was a Brewers game to avoid the mess. I suppose if you are a fan, it's a great thing. For everyone else, it's something you could do without. But in spite of all this, I do hope they win.

Happy 93 Years Young Dad

Our House is on Frontline

We were watching the Frontline program "The Choice 2012" this week. During one of the segments there was a flyover video of the Capitol and surrounding area looking towards Virginia. And wouldn't you know we could see our house from this view! We're always on the look out for these shots. Usually they are too close in, or show the Capitol towards the Washington Monument. My husband didn't notice it, but rewound the DVR to see for himself. The only thing that comes close to this is when our daughter in law had a tour of the Capitol dome with a Congressperson. It was a horribly rainy day, but she was still able to get some photos of our and their house from that perspective. I can't say our house in Milwaukee ever got this kind of attention. But it can easily be seen on the google maps. But somehow, it's just not the same.

Hill Rag Wall Art and LITDigital Art Ad

As usual, we are always interested to see what will be on the Hill Rag cover. I love the art, and we hang the current issue in the TV room. I'm still hoping one of these days, something of mine might grace the cover. It seems the closest thing I will get to having anything in the community periodical is an ad that I place myself! I love sketching and drawing on my IPad, and am very interested in doing not only pet portraits, but gardens, or houses, or who knows what. I have an Etsy shop called LITDigitalPaintings and my own website called LoisTavaf.com or LIT Digital Art and Such. I'm glad I enjoy what I do because it is really hard to market a product! And I'm glad I still have a day job. I'm not sure if I would have even started something like this in Wisconsin. But having the IPad reignited my interest in drawing, and it's a great hobby. Two of my pieces are on display at the Library- in fact someone stopped me today to say how much he liked them. Two more are on exhibit at the Clara Barton National Historic Site. I was a winner in The New Yorker Eustace Tilley contest this year. And I'm working on another children's book. It's a treat to hear positive feedback, and I really appreciate it!

Maryland Country Roads

We took a day trip to Antietam. The best part is getting off the freeway and on to the side streets. We tried out the new Apple maps, and the app worked well for this occasion. We passed through Boonsboro, and Middletown. Main Street, USA looks the same in all these towns. I lived on Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. If you can get past all the hanging electrical, cable, and phone lines, wires and poles, the scenery is delightful. My husband always says he could never live in places like these. He much prefers the urban life style, with all the aggravations and opportunities. I think the internet has made it much easier to exist in an isolated place. Regardless, the winding roads, crisp autumn air, hills, pumpkins, and farm houses reminded me a lot of Wisconsin. I tend to agree that these are probably not the places for me either. But it all started in little towns like this, and there is something to be said about that.

Antietam Battlefield

After we visited the Pry Field Hospital and General McClellan's headquarters, featuring the Alexander Gardner photographs of the aftermath, we headed toward Antietam battlefield. We had been here many years ago during the hot days of summer. I was a member of the Milwaukee Civil War Round Table for about fifteen years, and we visited Washington and vicinity many times over the years in search of history. I was most interested in the social aspects of the Civil War time period, and being in the nursing profession, and my husband a surgeon, the medical care was also appealing to learn about. Our interest this trip was simply to take a driving trip through the countryside with no particular destination in mind. The scenery reminded us of Wisconsin. There was a cool nip to the air, and the fall season was evident in the pumpkin patches and Halloween decorations. There were dairy farms and hills making the roads a bit more interesting and quite the contrast to the urban life we have become accustomed to on Capitol Hill. It's hard to believe what went on here. I look upon it all so very differently than in my younger days. Time has a way of changing a lot of things, and not just during a day trip to Antietam.