Monday, April 23, 2012

Japanese American Memorial

This moving memorial to the brave and loyal Japanese Americans who fought in WWII is little known by residents and visitors in the nation's capital. Please find a moment of quiet time when you are in the area of Union Station.



Wednesday, April 18, 2012

National Archives Genealogy Fair


The National Archives held its 8th annual Genealogy Fair on April 18 and 19. The presentations and the exhibits were all held in tents in front of the Archives building.


What is Past is Prologue


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Carol's Birthday Lunch

 Our annual birthday lunch was a bit late this time. Carol's birthday is in November and we celebrated in April but Better Late Than Never, we always say!

For our celebration Carol opted for an exhibit of book plates in the library of the National Gallery of Art. It was very interesting and I was introduced to a new place in town! It is, by the way, on the ground floor of the East Building. The librarian told us that they are trying to encourage more people to visit the library but I personally think the sign on their door is intimidating. It says, "Access Only to Authorized Personnel." After viewing the exhibit, we had lunch in the Cascade Cafe.




We then made a quick tour of the Picasso Drawings before Carol had to hit the road. After sending her off, I ducked back into the building to view the lovely exhibit of Japanese paintings. It was not easy to see them as people were lined up three or four deep in front of each painted scroll.



When I left the museum, I walked across the Mall to the Smithsonian Metro station, passing the Hirshhorn and its Sculpture Garden. It was a gorgeous sunny day with the temperature in the 70s. Ah, life in the nation's capital. I love it!



Sunday, April 15, 2012

Kennedy Center: Sleeping Beauty


Another wonderful performance for children - "Sleeping Beauty." There were only two performers on stage, the storyteller and the piano player, but it was surprisingly effective. The storyteller was very engaging and he used a lot of multimedia images along with the piano music to tell the story. I enjoyed it but unfortunately my grandson Christian was a no-show. The boys sadly missed four of the five performances on this year's season ticket for the Kennedy Center's Children Series.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Birthday Dinner Greek Style


 We have a Birthday Club, made up of four very close friends, and we always celebrate our birthdays together. This year we celebrated Andrea's birthday at Taverna Cretikou in Old Towne Alexandria. The food was superb, the atmosphere marvelous, and the conversation absolutely scintillating! After dinner we walked the streets of Old Towne and enjoyed the tranquil buzz on King Street. We stopped for coffee at Starbuck's and I think we talked to every single person in the place. We were all in a very friendly, happy mood! It was a wonderful evening.





Sunday, April 08, 2012

Easter Sunday 2012

Easter was extra special this year because we were not only celebrating Easter but also Andrea's birthday. His birthday on Easter was special in itself but even more so because he was born on Easter, too!

Here is a photo of the handsome birthday boy in front of our church, St. Christopher's. Yes, he does look like a bishop, doesn't he?!

After church, we headed for Bowie. We had received an invitation to celebrate with dear friends whom we really consider family. Our hosts were Leo and Michelle, Nico and Gia, and, of course, the Matriarch Dona. We had a happy time - lots of delicious food and lots of conversation. I especially enjoyed hanging out with my buddy Nico, aka Superman. Andrea is, of course, partial to children who can't walk yet because they can't escape from him.



Sunday, April 01, 2012

Snow White at the Kennedy Center



My favorite sister and I went to the Kennedy Center for a magnificent ballet performance of "Snow White" by a French company.

The Kennedy Center was, of course, as magnificent as always. How I love that place!