Art Exhibit of Women Photographers

                                                                            George

                                                                         Christine

This was a very interesting exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. It consisted of photographs taken by Iranian women showing their current situation in their world.

Christmas Tree

My WHS friend Kay was in town at just the right time! We were able to go together to the Norwegian Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at Union Station. It was a wonderful event and it was wonderful being able to go with Kay.

 After the ceremony we had dinner in an Asian restaurant in the station - excellent food!

Christmas Party

I was invited to the Norwegian ambassador's Christmas Party and took Ginny as my guest. We had a fabulous time! Here are some photos from the event.


                                   Ginny

                                                             Bill and Christine

                                            Christmas Tree with Heart Basket Ornaments

                                                       Storm, Christine, Ambassador    

Meeting Sonia

Four of us had planned to meet but only Sonia and I made it for lunch at Le Pain Quotidien. We missed Nancy and Kim but the two of us did have a very nice time chatting and catching up.

We, of course, talked about Toni and remembered that her birthday is within a few days. I am so thankful that Sonia and I have become good friends because she is my living link to my dear friend and she is my friend in her own right. I plan to see more of her and her family in the new year.

We hope to schedule another lunch soon to include Nancy and Kim, the daughter of Denny, another dear friend.

I remembered photos just in the nick of time as we were walking out all bundled up. It was a rather cold day in the nation's capital!

Adriano at work

Adriano working in Rome, his birthplace, trying to make it shine!

His official photo from the swearing-in ceremony

The Mayor in Council

Adriano at work

Standing in for the mayor at the ceremony for "La Breccia di Porta Pia" (September 20, 1870) 

 A happy man who thrives on challenges

Defending the federal capital of Washington

May, Janet, Verna, and I had a lovely outing today, a beautiful sunny fall day.

We visited Fort Ward, the fifth  largest installation within the extensive network of Union forts known as the Defenses of Washington, which was built to protect the Federal capital during the Civil War.

After walking around outside, we went inside to visit the museum. We found it very informative and interesting.

We then went to Shirlington for a delicious lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches at Cheesetique.

Verna and May  

Christine and Janet

Thank you, May, for planning a wonderful excursion!

Meeting the Archbishop

May and I went into DC to meet George at the Church of the Epiphany. The former Archbishop of Canterbury was in  attendance and gave the sermon.

May with the Archbishop 

Afterwards we went to Annie's for lunch.

A very nice Sunday!

Restaurant for Vegetarians

 Carla and the Sunflower Lady

Christine

I met my friend Carla today for lunch and she introduced me to a vegetarian restaurant in Falls Church. It is called Crystal Sunflower and every single item on the menu is vegetarian. What a dream for me! I had so many choices and knew that all of the menu items were "safe" for me!



The food was very good. Of course, the company was the draw! Excellent company, all the way from San Francisco!!

Feeling Lincoln's Presence

Synthia arranged a wonderful outing for our DCEC (formerly DCDC). We visited Lincoln's Cottage, a relatively new destination in DC (since 2008). It is a hidden gem. We must spread the word. It is definitely a place to visit. It is located on the Armed Forces Retirement Home campus in Northwest Washington. The entrance is through the Eagle Gate, located at the intersection of Rock Creek Church Road NW and Upshur Street NW. For more information go to www.lincolncottage.org.

Ginny, Mary, Synthia, Christine in front of Lincoln's Cottage

Here is a succinct explanation from the guide book, President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home, Washington, DC:

For more than a quarter of his presidency, Abraham Lincoln lived on a picturesque hilltop in Northwest Washington, DC, while making some of his most critical decisions. While in residence  at the Cottage, Lincoln visited with wounded soldiers;spent time with self-emancipated men, women, and  children;and developed the Emancipation Proclamation. The human cost of the Civil War surrounded him, undoubtedly impacted his thinking, and strengthened his resolve to challenge the status quo. Through innovative guided tours, exhibits, and programs, we use Lincoln's example to inspire visitors to take their own path to greatness, and preserve this place as an authentic, tangible connection to the past and  a beacon of hope for all who take up Lincoln's unfinished work. 




            Mary, Synthia, Ginny, Lincoln,Christine

A Week-end Away

Bernie and Carol invited me to Chestertown for a special week-end, Downrigging Weekend.

According to the brochure, "It all started back in 2001 when the newly launched schooner SULTANA and the PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II took a casual sail together on the Chester River just before both vessels"downrigged" for the winter."

Both captains thought they should do it again and so Downrigging Week-end was born.

It has evolved into one of the largest annual Tall Ship gatherings on the East Coast.

Co-Host Bernie in the kitchen

       My bedroom was perfectly lovely!


A little statue of Dante next  to a tall vase of flowers

Carol and I walked around the town and spent a lot of time chatting. On Saturday evening we went on a cruise and saw the illuminated ships from the river.

A very fun week-end.

On the way home on Sunday, I stopped on Kent Island to have a three-hour lunch with my friend Robin. Great! We hadn't seen each other for a very long time. Too long!

                                            Carrot cake to end the lovely lunch on a sweet note

A Saga

Our Norwegian Reading Circle had a wonderful discussion of the Orkneyinga Saga at the Norway House.

Marie, Tim, Christine, Lynn, and John (photo by Linda)

Adam Showcases the Masters

George and I went to a wonderful concert given by Adam Levin, a Fulbrighter to Spain, at the Spanish Embassy's residence.

He composed several works in honor of the Masters of Spanish guitar.

A Very Special Lecture

Gertraud, Ginny, and I met at the National Cathedral to have a bite to eat before attending the Inaugural Eudora Welty Lecture. The author chosen to give the lecture was Salman Rushdie.

We ordered our food in the Open City (formerly the Herb Cottage) and took it into the Bishop's Garden for a lovely picnic. It was a surprisingly warm evening, almost 80 degrees, perfect for eating outside.

Almost 1000 people attended the lecture in the nave of the Cathedral. Rushdie's assignment was to talk about his beginnings as a writer.

The event was sponsored by the PEN/Faulkner Reading Series.

This lecture was inspired by the lectures that Welty delivered in 1983 at Harvard in which she surveyed her own life as a writer and discussed the links between her childhood in Jackson, Mississippi, and her literary voice.

She had said, "The events in our lives happen in a sequence of time, but in their significance to ourselves they find their own order, a timetable not necessarily -perhaps not possibly - chronological. The time as we know it subjectively is often the chronology that stories and novels follow; it is the continuous thread of revelation."

Pinstripes

I have joined an advanced  Italian conversation meet-up which meets every two or three weeks at the Pinstripes restaurant in Georgetown. It is a very nice group of interesting individuals who love Italy and the Italian language.

Thai with my Name Sister

Christine and I met at T.H.A.I. in Shirlington Village. As usual, an enjoyable lunch with stimulating conversation and good food.

a selfie!

Old Towne with Marie

It was a very beautiful day, warm and sunny. Marie and I drove to Old Town.

We first had a very tasty lunch at Extra Perk on Fairfax Street. 

We then went to the Torpedo Factory. We were most fascinated by the beautiful artworks of Fiber and Glass Artist Ruth Gowell seen in the photo below with Marie.

Marie and the artist

She combines textiles and glass to make beautiful creations.

Textiles

Sue and Christine