Bob took a day off on Wednesday, and we went to Roosevelt Island, which is in the middle of the Potomac between Arlington and D.C. It is connected to a Virginia by a little walking bridge, and the island is a preserve with quiet walking trails and big trees. Except for the constant noise of traffic from the George Washington Parkway, you'd think you were all alone in the woods, LOL! No, it really is a nice retreat in the middle of the city--and since it is so shady, it was a great place to go on a hot summer day!
In the middle of the island is a memorial for Teddy Roosevelt. It has this big statue of him as well as big slabs of concrete with quotes of his. One is on "youth", another on "manhood", one is "the state", and the last is "nature". There are also 2 big fountains, and the whole thing is surrounded by reflecting pools and bridges. Very lovely and serene.
Although I would have to say that in general he doesn't seem like he was as deep a thinker as say Lincoln, some of his quotes were good. I liked this one on "youth"--I want to see you game, boys, I want to see you brave and manly, and I also want to see you gentle and tender. (Address at Friends School, Washington, DC, May 24, 1907) Yep, that's what I want, too! Also, I liked this one on "the state"--If I must choose between righteousness and peace I choose righteousness. (America and the World War, 1915) Amen!
We didn't pack a lunch, but after we got back to the van, I nursed Grace while everyone else had juice boxes and granola bars for a snack. It was a nice morning outing!
It is at times like these that I wish I could post more than one picture without locking up our slow dial-up connection. But wait . . . change is in the air! Verizon is in the process of installing FIOS cables in our neighborhood, and when they are all hooked up, we are going to go with their all-in-one package, which includes TV, internet, and phone for I think $99.99 a month. Somehow our neighborhood got skipped for DSL and broadband, so this is really our first quick option, other than cable (and we don't like Adelphia). We're pretty excited! We'll be able to wach the funny videos online that everyone talks about! Open up web sites with lots of pictures! Download songs (hey, maybe we'll finally get an iPod!)! The possibilities are endless!
5 comments:
Having cable is so fast. Being married to Dan is nice, because he will spend the money to be with the times. I on the other hand would not spend money on having internet cable. I didn't even have a computer until I met Dan. He let me borrow one of his old computers. How loving!!! Mel
Oh, what fun! (Both the trip and the high-speed access.)
TR is one of the most fun presidents to read about. If you're up for a fun and interesting read on him, there are two biographies by Edmund Morris. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt is the first one, and it's excellent.
Dy
Fast internet is good. I can never go back. It is always frustrating to log on at my parents house since they still have dial-up.
I definitely vote for the IPOD -- it is great on family trips because you can get a device to play it through your car radio. That way you can listen to downloaded books and your own music on long rides.
WE have Verizon too so we can be verizon to verizon anytime for free!!!! :D That will be so cool!
Glad to see a new post!
Hi, there. I found your blog from Dy's blog (my favorite blog ever!:)) and enjoyed reading about your family. In one of your previous posts, you mentioned Dayton Christian and Cedarville and, while I never attended those fine institutions, we did live in Dayton for several years and know many people who did.
Our oldest son's middle name is Roosevelt, so we think highly of him here. He was a very deep thinker; don't let his hunting and shooting image fool you. :)
You have a lovely family and a great blog.
Post a Comment