Shaws at Rose Haven: 2009

In My Defense

So I was sure I had it all figured out this time, Becca, to start with the first picture and end with the last to be in the right order for my blog. Well as you can see it's still not in order because I did four pics at a time and the first might be last some of the time but the last will not be first all of the time!!! Anyways, I'll keep blogging along! And I needed to include this beautiful picture of Ann, which reminds us all that as we take time to consider the past, perhaps we see ourselves more clearly in the present.

Aye, Aye, Captain! Watch the boom there tall guy.

We spent an hour getting about four miles out into the bay and then it was time to turn around and head back. We could see a huge ocean going "car" ship loaded with vehicles waiting for their dock date in Baltimore.

The Chapel at the Navel Academy. The stained glass windows are all stories from the Bible related to water. A pew is reserved with a beautiful candle/floral tribute for those who have not returned from sea.

Our Colonial walking tour guide of Annapolis in front of one of the big guns. A bell from the Japanese is a gift commemorating Commodore Perry opening up Japan to the west and a bell from England like the liberty bell are in front of the huge dorm which houses over 4,000 students.

It is the end of the journey for us. Mums and Pums forever. Thanks to our harried shuttle driver, (he also made three stops to pick up a pilgrimage of Ghanaians who had already started partying, they were so excited to be going home!) we made it to Nat'l Airport with about 30 minutes before boarding, wheeew! We were blessed beyond measure, with rain when it was tolerable and blue skies when they were delightful.

We have also a renewed appreciatiion of the great privilege it is to be Americans and the personal price innumerable families have laid at the alter of sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy. God Bless America!

Annie at the Washington D.C. Temple. Our taxi driver told us that "Mormon" temple is the prettiest of all the temples in Washington. Our taxi drivers were all from African countries, first generation.

One of our GREAT restaurants, Filomena's in Georgetown, (she likes to decorate!) We saw the old stone house, the oldest building in the area, and then after a glorious day, walked across the Key Bridge to our hotel and a wonderful bed!

The next morning we took a shuttle to Annapolis and discovered that our hotel was two doors down from the Market Slip, were the slaves, (including Kinta Kunta of Roots fame) were unloaded to be sold behind the taverns. The waterway is lined with quotes from Roots and a peaceful, beautiful place for all the tragedy that happened there.

Our shuttle driver couldn't imagine why we wanted to leave at 8:15 am to go to Annapolis???!!## It was, however the perfect day to the end of a perfect trip, to have wind and just enough people for our Chesapeake cruise. Captain, Jack and his Crew Hannah and Kate, with a few draftees for good measure!

A downpour the night we drove into D.C. but still a thrill to see the scale of the monuments and consider the scale of the courage and challenge of nudging our country into birth and to a cradle of ideas to nurture freedom and democracy.

On our own Sunday. After a Sacrament meeting with our tour group, we went to St. John's, the Church of the Presidents and stood behind Abraham Lincoln's pew where he came late and alone and left early to get back to the White House.

Monday, we went to Arlington and the Iwo Jima Memorial, we said good-bye to our tour friends and did some more of the Smithsonians. Tuesday am we had an amazing tour of the Library of Congress, went to the Senate Gallery where we learned that all the floor speeches are now transmitted closed circuit to Congressional offices the only people listening in the Senate Chamber are the tourists! Something odd about that. We heard a senator from Washington and John McCain encourage more unemployment and the unmanageable immensity of the Health Care bill respectively. We then went to the Post Cereal Heiress' Margery Merriweather Post's estate where the largest Russian imperial art outside of Russia is collected. It was RICH! The Grounds were beautiful. We then were blessed to enjoy a session at the WDC temple, which, thankfully had just opened that night after being closed for a broken water main for a week. Tender Mercies!

Hillwood Japanese Garden

The hyacynth bean arbor at Monticello. We hijacked an innocent jogger to help us find the University of Virginia dome that Jeff-erson also designed. It would have been fun to hear the conversation at her dinner table that night.

This was one of the most tender stories we heard along the battle route in Fredericksburg.

Mt. Vernon where this charming lady was ready to have me thrown into the Potomac when I innocently asked her if it was true that a "bunch of women" had saved Mt. Vernon from destruction after Washington's death. She converted me to taking more stock in my gender before we finished our visit.

Path to the Potomac, Washington crypts, and roasted crisp, most delicious apple ever dipped in honey.

Liberty Tour 2009

This October we had the opportunity, along with sweet Annie, (Joan's sister) to take

a ten day tour from Williamsburg to Annapolis, visiting Jamestown, Yorktown, and Civil War sights along the way. Ann caught this beautiful view of the lighthouse at Fort Monroe which guards the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay which was the highway/lifeblood for trade from colonial time through current use. Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president spent two years here in prison after the Civil War.

The House of Burgesses at Williamsburg. The Capitol was moved from Jamestown to here to be more central. The Govenor disbanded the representatives and they met in a tavern to vote in favor of the Revolution.

It was a "salty day on the sea," when we went on board the replica, Susan Constant which brought the settlers from England which established the Jamestown Settlement.