Shahnameh Delivered to the UK

We had copies of the newly illustrated version of Hamid Rahmanian's Shahnameh, the Epic of the Persian Kings, signed and sealed by the illustrator when he presented the book at The Library of Congress.  Each of our grandsons received a copy as a Persian New Year moment to treasure. I'm not a book buyer, but this one is a masterpiece just to look at. I could identify with the hours of work Hamid spent creating the  paintings to get each one of them "just right." So we thought it would be a really nice way to thank our hosts in England for putting up with us last month. Yes, there are many other versions of this timeless story circulating out there, but none such as this. I was thrilled to see it reached their doorstep today. As great as this book is, the next delivery will be an even bigger surprise! Stay tuned!

CPR and Skin Cancer

Working in health care for thirty years required a lot of certification renewals and proof of licensing. As a care giver, there were always required classes for life support and clinical updates. As an administrator, the types of classes turned to productivity management and cost containment. The Library of Congress always has interesting programs to attend - as an employee and as a visitor. It felt like I was back at the hospital this week with all the signs for CPR and skin cancer awareness. I'm just glad they weren't mandatory, and they sure bring back a lot of memories. It's been a long time since I was an actual caregiver. It was probably one if the most difficult, backbreaking, and rewarding jobs in my career. But I don't miss the mandatory classes. 

The DC Style Polish Flat

In Milwaukee there are houses known as "Polish flats." The main characteristics of these structures include living quarters on the first floor, and sort of a basement for a rental unit beneath. I'm not sure if the architecture on Capitol Hill is the same, but the idea certainly is. Most of the row houses around here have units with separate entryways leading to the lower level. Most of the front doors of these lower level spaces are found right under the front door of the main house. What I am wondering is who lives here? How does the rain not invade the space, especially during a downpour? We have issues living on the first floor, never mind one level lower. How do you maneuver down the narrow steps without banging your head? What kind of furniture can you possibly fit through such a narrow door and down such a narrow staircase? Does the sunlight ever find its way in to this basement like setting? Some of these entryways look downright dangerous. But then again, I always think about how I would feel living in something like that. I'm sure for a lot of folks, it suits them just fine - as long as it is temporary? 

How Do I Get To My Back Yard?

The long stretches of row houses are a common sight on Capitol Hill. A block worth of three story homes are built one after the other, with no space in between. I've heard stories of common walls getting broken through during a neighbor's renovation! The lucky homes on the ends have more windows and light with the extra wall space. It can be downright dark in your place when you can only have windows on just the front and back. Sometimes it can be a challenge to get things in to your back yard if you don't live on the end. You can always bring it through the front door, but there are some things you may not want to track through the house. Some places have alley ways, but some do not. One clever group of city dwellers created a solution for this dilemma, or perhaps it was a mandated fire and safety requirement. All along the back of one block of homes is a foot path, hardly wide enough for one person to pass. Most of the back yards are fenced in for privacy, and each has a gate open from the footpath to the back yard. It's still a long way from either end if you happen to live in the middle, but I guess it's better than nothing at all. I wonder how many people think about this before they move?

In Search of the new Coast Guard Headquarters

My Dad was in the Coast Guard for twenty one years and is a World War II veteran. In the news this week was mention of the new Coast Guard Headquarters in southwest DC. I thought it might be a nice idea to see it and send him a few photos. I looked up the address, but didn't really pay much attention to it - only that is was near the Titanic Memorial. On our way home from errands this afternoon, we tried to find the new place. Obviously, we found the old place because it was empty and there were cobwebs all around. And it looked really old.  For whatever reason, I simply could not find the address of the new location and am not familiar enough to know exactly where St. Elizabeth's is. So, we just came home and decided to try again another time. That just goes to show you that even with all these new wayfinding devices they didn't do me any good today. But then again, I'm sure it had something to do with the user. 

The Patio Bubbling Bird Bath

We have a really nice small patio attached to our Capitol Hill condo.  It is relatively private and allows us to have a garden, with vegetables, and additional space for a shed to store luggage and other things that could never fit in the tiny house. In the center of the garden is a bird bath with a solar panel that the birds love. I think the squirrels do too. But, as solar panels go, this one stopped working after a couple of years. So I dug out the literature, found the source, and ordered another one. Things do continue to improve, and this time the panel was offered with battery storage that has a switch if you want to have the water gurgling after the sun has set. Our old one only worked if there were no clouds in the sky and depended completely on the brightest of sunshine directly overhead. So my husband set the new device up this morning and it turned on immediately. Having been without it for a few weeks made us realize how much we enjoy the sound and the look of it all. Now we can turn it on in the evening too. We are hoping to enjoy it for awhile before the cold weather sets in. We had a couple birdbaths in Milwaukee, but they were not solar powered, and the electrical cord was ugly and inconvenient. It's always the small things that make a difference.

Seven Year Anniversary

It feels just like yesterday when I first applied for a long shot job at The Library of Congress. In order for us to move from Milwaukee to Washington I needed to work. What made it really appealing was that our tiny condo was just two blocks away. After applying online in November, I was called for a phone interview in February followed by a real interview in May over the Memorial Day weekend. I was offered the job in June, gave one month notice after thirty years in health care, and started my new career in August as a civil servant seven years ago. I took a month off in between jobs to sell the house and move permanently to DC. We had always visited this area for vacation, then to see family who had moved before us, and finally to become "locals." Some say if you visit a place that often it may become your retirement destination. Who knows?