A Weekend in December

Wreaths Across America

 We received an email out of the blue that the DC chapter of the U of U alumni club was meeting to lay wreaths at Arlington Cemetery so we decided to join them.  As there were thousands of volunteers we were grateful for the U flag so the group was easy to find!

 There was a program to kick it off but the sound was horrid and we couldn't hear any of the speakers.  They just had us line up at any semi truck that was parked around the cemetery and gave each of us 2 wreaths to start.  They directed us to a section and were very specific about laying the wreath at a 45 degree angle, bow on top, and taking time to read the name on the headstone.

I watched as this group came in formation, layed their wreaths, stood in silence, then saluted and marched off.  There were other servicemen and women who were clearly laying their wreaths on fallen friends.  Very touching.  

 The "get er done" part of me couldn't figure out why they just didn't give us each an armload but I soon realized they wanted to make sure each volunteer had an opportunity to lay 2 wreaths and they wanted us to take the time to acknowledge the fallen soldiers.

 Ultimately we ended up with about 6 wreaths each to lay.  After we were finished we stopped at the Tomb of the Unknowns and watched a boy scout troop assist in the laying of a wreath there.

 The weather was pleasant enough and we had dressed in layers so we were in good shape.  We ran into our friend Jeff Smith as we were leaving (we had avoided the massive parking and Metro jams by parking on the base at Fort Myer) so we visited with him awhile before heading to Ikea to exchange an item them drove to Silver Spring to see 12 Years A Slave.  Very good, but VERY difficult to watch.

Downtown Silver Spring, MD

We were invited to a wonderful Christmas Music Celebration at Vienna Presbyterian Church Sunday afternoon.  As we were going in Santa came by in an old firetruck!  The musical program was gorgeous as they have an 80 voice choir, a strings and brass section, a youth choir and bell choir.  After the program we went with our friends the Fuhrmann's to their home where they had also invited neighbors to join us for yummy snacks and fascinating conversation.  It was a very full but great weekend.

Snow Day

So yesterday before 5 AM Tom's phone started ringing and as we both have message alerts on our phones, those were going off as well.  Tom has been planning a huge exercise for months now that people have flown in for and traveled and planned and you name it…….so of course, based on the weather predictions, the "higher ups", whoever they are, cancelled the exercise and closed the govt. for the day.  So Tom had to get on his phone and start alerting everyone that the exercise was cancelled.  They were also supposed to be doing part of this exercise at the National Cathedral today but because of Nelson Mandela's service there today, that exercise was cancelled as well.

Being the "used to driving in REAL snow" Westerners we are, we decided to take our chances, weather that storm, and go into the office while it was quiet so he could get caught up on some work with no one around.  We hit the road before 7 AM, stopped for fast food and headed in.  As you can see from the above photo, this storm was not very daunting.

 Our "time" at the office turned into ALL DAY so fortunately I had brought along quite a few items to work on.  Advent readings, a new calendar to update, devotional readings, and then I found old magazines in the women's restroom so I of course had to scour them for beauty tips, recipes, cost saving suggestions and articles that I will include in Jessica's Christmas package with many of the above tips for her as well.

 I did take a break around 3 pm to run to Whole Foods.  By then the treacherous weather had turned to this (see below)……so it was the best and easiest driving I've had since we've been here.  Federal govt. closed and schoosl cancelled! I took my time, grabbed us some salad bar food which turned out to be lunch AND dinner (because that's all you can afford when you shop at Whole Foods) along with the few other items we needed then headed back to do some proofreading for Tom, clean messages off my phone, make some phone calls and find some more magazines.  We rolled into home about 6 pm and that, my friends, is a productive snow day.  With no actual snow.

Camp Springs, Maryland

New view out our front window

Okay, so on to the new place.  It's an 18 minute Metro ride (Branch-Green Line) from where we were in the district. So it's definitely more of being in the suburbs than in the city.  It's WAY more quiet.  Where we were in the city, someone could have a normal voiced conversation on the street and we could hear them perfectly on the 8th floor.  Kind of creepy.  Plus, the police and fire station were right down the street so lights and sirens just became background atmosphere.  I do however miss the 7 AM church bells that rang every morning serving as a lovely alarm if we weren't up already.

For Tom, the indoor pool at the clubhouse was a major selling point.  It's brand new however, has been under repair since we got here so haven't been able to use it yet.  I am bummed that there isn't an outdoor pool but may have to take advantage of the one at Andrews AFB which is right down the street.

 Great work out room…..

Small business area….

 Gathering area in clubhouse….with kitchen and pool table.  TV'a all over the place!

 Outdoor play area and basketball hoop as well.

 And inside our apartment……living and dining area  (apparently didn't get photo of dining area which is on other side of this room)

Nice kitchen with washer/dryer behind door.  Awesome!  At other place I had to walk down the hall 

 Master bed and bath…..

Office area which is in the guest room….(picture me sitting there right now!)

…...which is across the hall from the 2nd bath!

 The other great thing is lots of closet space which Tom has equipped with shelving to hold LOTS of our junk. It's starting to feel a little more like home now that I have the Christmas stuff up and music in the background.  About a 7 minute walk to the Metro which is right up the street.  I'll have to do a neighborhood show and tell some other time.

Christmas at National Harbor with Alexis

 So we have been warned of this huge storm coming in so we weren't quite sure what to expect.  Monday morning was icy when I ran Tom to the Metro around 6 AM and things were still icy when I walked over to the Metro to meet Alexis.  We snapped some photos on the short walk back.

 She brought me the beautiful "JOY" ornament hand made by her mom in Singapore. So pretty!

 I gave her a stocking full of homemade goodies and a snowflake ornament made from salt from the Great Salt Lake in Utah.  She was so excited to see the new apartment and to see how American families decorate for the holiday.  We took the short drive to National Harbor and did a quick drive around the new outlet stores that just opened then parked and walked around the Harbor area.

 We had lunch at Pier House (fish & chips with catfish and sweet potato fries-yum!) then walked over to the Gaylord convention center to look around.  The sun actually came out for a bit but as we headed back it got grayer and grayer out.

 After I dropped Alexis at home I drove through Rock Creek Park which I just think is gorgeous.  Snapped some pix of the bridges along the way……..

 That storm does look pretty ugly…….

Headed over to Tom's office to pick him up and snapped a pix of the scaffolding continuing to come down off the Washington Monument.

Kick Off Weekend to Holiday Festivities

Teri, Tom and Zimo

 Saturday night was the Chi Alpha party at Georgetown with our international student friends.  Took some buttermilk cookies and seven layer dip along with gallons of leftover punch from Tom's retirement shindig.  The Leavey building where most the events are held is not near any parking so we had to haul everything across the very cold campus in a laundry cart and with me balancing a tray in each arm.  Unfortunately I had the seven layer dip up against me so had a bunch of bean dip on the breast of my jacket.  Yeah, attractive.  Anyway, once we arrived we had a good time.

Qianlei Li and Kristin

 It's interesting because the activities at these gatherings always seem a bit juvenile but the students always seem to have a great time.  There was a table set up for cookie decorating, a snowflake cut out table, a Jenga game on one table and a Spoons game going on another.  Costumes for pix in once corner and lots of yummy finger foods and goodies.

 As these students are not Christian we have to be careful according to the university's guidelines to not push the religion.  Even though Chi Alpha is a christian organization and they sponsor the International Friends program (and the students KNOW they're a Christian org.) so we're really just supposed to be open to questions if they have them.  But tonight's program was very Christ oriented as leaders shared the story of the nativity and we sang some hymns.

 After we also sang some secular Christmas holiday songs including the 12 days of Christmas with Tom and Zimo in the "9 Ladies Dancing" group.  In fact there were NO ladies in that group. Nor dancers, really.

 There were other games that were fun and that the student's thought were hilarious so everyone had a good time.

Sunday we got up early for church and heard this awesome sermon.  Just what I needed to hear.  And then we stopped at Tom's office so he could do a few things before heading over to World Market in Pentagon City.  Saw this fun ice skating rink and these beautiful ice sculptures before heading home to a warm apartment, good food, naps and football.  Great day.