It seemed fitting after this very long hiatus to write a quick blog acknowledging President's Day. While I am grateful for the day off, which I spent painting my bedroom a gorgeous color entitled "Hallowed Hush," I did take a few moments to reflect on the actual meaning of the day. Technically, it's a national holiday to honor two president's birthdays--Washington and Lincoln--that fall 10 days apart from each other. Lincoln's birthday is February 12, which through the beauty of math, makes Washington's birthday February 22.
President's Day is celebrated on the third Monday of February, which leans more toward Washington's b-day. It does seem interesting to me that two of our most well-known presidents are jammed into one day for convenience. It seems to trivialize the importance of their actions...you know founding our country and abolishing slavery and all. Amazing men forced to share one day that, in 2011, amounts to sales--furniture, clothes, cars, you name it. Perhaps I have a new found appreciation for their leadership and struggles now that I am a president myself. That is in no way is meant to imply that I consider myself on the same level as Washington and Lincoln, just because I'm the president of a condo association. I'm not even in the same universe as these guys. But I do have a small taste for the political maneuvering, decision making and patience these men must have possessed. And, I am in awe.
So, as this President's Day comes to a close, I urge you to take a break from all the retail therapy and acknowledge what these American legends have meant for our country. Happy President's Day to you all!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, October 18, 2010
Tobo is Big Business...Or Is It?
As I mentioned in my last post, Washington has once again resigned from the military. It occurred sometime around Christmas 1758 and I'm sure, at the time, he thought his military career was over for good. He resolutely set his sights on becoming a successful planter at Mount Vernon. Ferling notes that, while he served with valor and ambition, he met with meager success, making several errors in judgment likely from a lack of maturity and experience. Personally, he has struck me as calculating, whiny and incessant when he didn't get his way. Not the picture I remember from the history books. However, Washington does show several positive character traits that many associate with him still today, including bravery and charisma. He has also shown himself to be honest about many of his shortcomings and work on them with intensity and focus, mimicking positive traits of those men he admired most. As Ferling closes the chapter on "The Frontier Warrior," he remarks that Washington's early years are marked with remoteness and distance when it came to all manner of relationships...including the "business partnership" with his fiancee, Martha Custis.
Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethaw today (from The Princess Bride...I just couldn't help myself)
On January 6, 1759, George Washington and Martha Custis, were married in front of 40 guests. Ferling devotes exactly three paragraphs (232 words) to the wedding. Of that, 79 of those words (34%) were about what George and Martha wore. The ceremony was brief and the celebration lasted for three days. So much for the nuptials of America's first, "first family."
By April 1759, the Washingtons were "home" (at Mount Vernon) and George set about becoming a planter. Like many, Washington planted tobacco (Tobo) his first year. The process of growing, harvesting and selling tobacco was described in detail and is simply fascinating. If Wikipedia can be trusted, it appears that the process is much the same today (still very labor-intensive) minus the time and treachery of shipping to the Great Britain. As I have seen tobacco fields, but never as such set foot on a real plantation, here's the process in a nutshell:
The planting process actually begins on Epiphany (12 days after Christmas). Seeds are planted and then covered to protect them from winter's harm. Due to the low survival rate of the seeds, it was not uncommon to plant as much as 10x what was needed. In May, the surviving plants were transplanted about three feet apart and then "hoed" (if that is even a word-I'm assuming it means weeded in this case) every five days or so. Once leaves appeared, the plants were pinched off so they could not flower, which allowed the leaves to prosper during the growing season (six to eight weeks). In this way, plants grew wide but not tall and required constant attention (more weeding, etc.). In September, the leaves were cut and laid out to wither, then hung up to air dry and cure, which could take up to several weeks. The timing of this phase was crucial as leaves that were too moist or too dry would ruin the crop during its upcoming sea voyage. Once cured, the leaves were packed into barrels which often weighed 1,000 pounds. Finally, fifteen months after the initial planting, they were ready for shipment to Great Britain, which had its own risks and perils.
Washington's first two crops were financial failures due to declining prices and oversupply, which did not set well for our ambitious hero. Even more sadly, his first crops were also his best. He later remarked that Tobo farming might be "an Art beyond my skill" and so by 1764, he began to grow wheat instead. With wheat, George found his niche and his operations became quite prosperous and helped Mount Vernon become an industrial village, complete with flour mill, saw mill, dairy, smokehouse and fishing port.
So Washington's foray into tobacco, which was the basis of wealth for many of his contemporaries and what Virginia, North Carolina and other neighboring states would become known for, was short-lived and ill-fated. But through those failures, he found a new kind of success, which I think is a lesson for us all.
Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethaw today (from The Princess Bride...I just couldn't help myself)
On January 6, 1759, George Washington and Martha Custis, were married in front of 40 guests. Ferling devotes exactly three paragraphs (232 words) to the wedding. Of that, 79 of those words (34%) were about what George and Martha wore. The ceremony was brief and the celebration lasted for three days. So much for the nuptials of America's first, "first family."
By April 1759, the Washingtons were "home" (at Mount Vernon) and George set about becoming a planter. Like many, Washington planted tobacco (Tobo) his first year. The process of growing, harvesting and selling tobacco was described in detail and is simply fascinating. If Wikipedia can be trusted, it appears that the process is much the same today (still very labor-intensive) minus the time and treachery of shipping to the Great Britain. As I have seen tobacco fields, but never as such set foot on a real plantation, here's the process in a nutshell:
The planting process actually begins on Epiphany (12 days after Christmas). Seeds are planted and then covered to protect them from winter's harm. Due to the low survival rate of the seeds, it was not uncommon to plant as much as 10x what was needed. In May, the surviving plants were transplanted about three feet apart and then "hoed" (if that is even a word-I'm assuming it means weeded in this case) every five days or so. Once leaves appeared, the plants were pinched off so they could not flower, which allowed the leaves to prosper during the growing season (six to eight weeks). In this way, plants grew wide but not tall and required constant attention (more weeding, etc.). In September, the leaves were cut and laid out to wither, then hung up to air dry and cure, which could take up to several weeks. The timing of this phase was crucial as leaves that were too moist or too dry would ruin the crop during its upcoming sea voyage. Once cured, the leaves were packed into barrels which often weighed 1,000 pounds. Finally, fifteen months after the initial planting, they were ready for shipment to Great Britain, which had its own risks and perils.
Washington's first two crops were financial failures due to declining prices and oversupply, which did not set well for our ambitious hero. Even more sadly, his first crops were also his best. He later remarked that Tobo farming might be "an Art beyond my skill" and so by 1764, he began to grow wheat instead. With wheat, George found his niche and his operations became quite prosperous and helped Mount Vernon become an industrial village, complete with flour mill, saw mill, dairy, smokehouse and fishing port.
So Washington's foray into tobacco, which was the basis of wealth for many of his contemporaries and what Virginia, North Carolina and other neighboring states would become known for, was short-lived and ill-fated. But through those failures, he found a new kind of success, which I think is a lesson for us all.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
I'm Still Here
Greetings to my faithful readers (all four of you - LOL!). I cannot believe that it has been two months since my last post. Although I have wonderful excuses (travel, a 40th birthday accompanied by weeks of celebrating, my company's convention, my mom's 65th birthday and more travel), I have failed to dedicate time to this project as I should. I have continued to do some reading about Washington (he's married now and has left the army...again), but I will recommit myself to getting back on track with the reading and the posts. If you're still out there, I appreciate it and simply ask that you have a wee bit more patience to hang in there with me. More to come...
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Edisto, Forbidden Fruit and a Twenty-Hour Engagement
I've returned from a wonderful vacation with my family at the beautiful and secluded Edisto Beach, located in the low country of South Carolina. My goals for the week were simple...relax, spend quality time with family, take a few visits to "The Pig" (which is the nickname of the Piggly Wiggly, the ONLY grocery store on the island which can be the topic of its own blog post one day), play games, work on my tan and read, read, read. Well, I accomplished a few of those goals (great convos with family, MANY trips to The Pig, played a little Yahtzee and Rummikube and worked on a smidge of a tan (more importantly didn't get burned)). I also accomplished some new goals that weren't even on the list. I went parasailing...again, which rocked...again. I took in the natural majesty of Botany Bay and did a little shopping in downtown Charleston. I kayaked, which would have been more pleasant in an unstructured, non-group environment (lesson learned), but I'm proud that I tried something new. And I got stung by a jellyfish, which was not on the agenda 'o fun, but thankfully was a short-lived injury.
The only thing I didn't get much of was reading. This happened for several (good) reasons. Most of them center around the fact that I focused time on family and activities rather than locking myself away in a book, which I can do in the solitude of my "regular" life. All in all, I think I made great choices. So I will string you along a little more before digging into the heart of George.
What I did take in from the pages I read centered around George's love life. At this time, he is still involved in military squirmishes around the region (mostly unsuccessful on his part). He is definitely not the military strategist that we associate with him today. That must come with maturity. In between these occurrences, he spent his time whining to Virginia's Governor Dinwiddie about numerous things--low pay, not enough soldiers, why he wasn't in charge, when he would receive a royal commission, etc. Ultimately, George alienated Dinwiddie to the point of a nasty fallout between the two strong-willed men. He actually alienated me a little bit too.
So, while all of this is going on, Washington managed to fall in love. Up until now, Washington was lacking any real experience with women. Unfortunately, his first real object of affection, Sally Fairfax, was a married woman. George had known her for more than seven years, so it seems natural that he would mistake his affection for love. Plus, Mrs. Fairfax was a big flirt (especially when her hubby was away) which likely fueled his feelings. However, when George declared his love and attempted to woo her, she rightfully put the kibosh on that. To her credit, she managed to curb his romantic advances while still managing to be a good friend, taking care of him when he was quite ill (which I'm noticing he was quite a bit). Finally, George resigns himself to their friendship.
In early 1758, George receives good news about his health after meeting with several doctors and seemingly recovers instantly. Feeling better, he decides to visit Martha Dandridge Custis, wealthy widow. In fact, she's noted as the wealthiest widow in Virginia. He's no dummy. Less than a year after her husband dies and after spending only 20 hours with Washington, the two are engaged. It happened so quickly that those are really the only details we have (at this point). The wedding was placed on hold for several months while Washington prepared Mount Vernon and finished his battles on the frontiers.
Coming home from vacation, the last leg of my trip is via I-95. As I returned home, I noticed something that made sense now that I am reading this book. As you approach the outskirts of DC, you pass by Alexandria. Along the way, there is an exit for Fort Belvoir and Mount Vernon. Seeing those two names on the interstate exit sign made the connection "click." Belvoir is the name of the home situated next to Mount Vernon. At some point, it must have been made a fort. I would have never made that connection had it not been for this project.
And with that little tidbit, I bid you goodnight!
The only thing I didn't get much of was reading. This happened for several (good) reasons. Most of them center around the fact that I focused time on family and activities rather than locking myself away in a book, which I can do in the solitude of my "regular" life. All in all, I think I made great choices. So I will string you along a little more before digging into the heart of George.
What I did take in from the pages I read centered around George's love life. At this time, he is still involved in military squirmishes around the region (mostly unsuccessful on his part). He is definitely not the military strategist that we associate with him today. That must come with maturity. In between these occurrences, he spent his time whining to Virginia's Governor Dinwiddie about numerous things--low pay, not enough soldiers, why he wasn't in charge, when he would receive a royal commission, etc. Ultimately, George alienated Dinwiddie to the point of a nasty fallout between the two strong-willed men. He actually alienated me a little bit too.
So, while all of this is going on, Washington managed to fall in love. Up until now, Washington was lacking any real experience with women. Unfortunately, his first real object of affection, Sally Fairfax, was a married woman. George had known her for more than seven years, so it seems natural that he would mistake his affection for love. Plus, Mrs. Fairfax was a big flirt (especially when her hubby was away) which likely fueled his feelings. However, when George declared his love and attempted to woo her, she rightfully put the kibosh on that. To her credit, she managed to curb his romantic advances while still managing to be a good friend, taking care of him when he was quite ill (which I'm noticing he was quite a bit). Finally, George resigns himself to their friendship.
In early 1758, George receives good news about his health after meeting with several doctors and seemingly recovers instantly. Feeling better, he decides to visit Martha Dandridge Custis, wealthy widow. In fact, she's noted as the wealthiest widow in Virginia. He's no dummy. Less than a year after her husband dies and after spending only 20 hours with Washington, the two are engaged. It happened so quickly that those are really the only details we have (at this point). The wedding was placed on hold for several months while Washington prepared Mount Vernon and finished his battles on the frontiers.
Coming home from vacation, the last leg of my trip is via I-95. As I returned home, I noticed something that made sense now that I am reading this book. As you approach the outskirts of DC, you pass by Alexandria. Along the way, there is an exit for Fort Belvoir and Mount Vernon. Seeing those two names on the interstate exit sign made the connection "click." Belvoir is the name of the home situated next to Mount Vernon. At some point, it must have been made a fort. I would have never made that connection had it not been for this project.
And with that little tidbit, I bid you goodnight!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monuments by Moonlight
Well, George is back in the saddle. After his brief initial stint in the military and his unceremonious departure, we find that George has been bitten by the soldier's bug. After returning to Mount Vernon and contemplating his life as a planter, he discovers that he misses the fame, honor, camaraderie and power that comes from being an officer. So he begins his quest to return to military life and petitions to join General Edward Braddock's ranks. With the French and Indian War still percolating in the background, Washington again becomes a military man.
Seeing the name Braddock causes me to wonder if this is the same person that is remembered in the DC/NOVA (that's Northern Virginia for you "foreigners", which technically I may still be since I've only been here three years). Upon a quick search, I did find out that North Braddock, PA, was named after General Braddock. North Braddock is just outside of Pittsburgh making it approximately four hours from here. Since the Braddock Road Metro Stop is near Old Town Alexandria which is synonymous with George Washington, it's likely this is the case. I will keep researching and let you know if I find out definitively.
But I digress. The point is that Washington is back in the army and ready for his next big adventure. I look forward to learning more next week. You see, I'll be on vacation with lots of time to read. I won't have access to the Internet, so you'll be without blog updates until I get back, but by then, I should have some juicy George gossip to pass along.
Speaking of vacations, a few weeks ago some friends of mine were here for their family vacay. I suggested they take the Monuments by Moonlight tour to get a totally different perspective of this amazing city. This is by far one of the coolest things you can do in DC. In fact, I love it so much, I've been about six times. It never gets old and I always learn something new each time. My friends were gracious enough to include me on their family adventure, which I appreciated. The tour begins at Union Station and lasts approximately 2.5 hours. There are three stops where you have a short time to get out and explore the actual monuments.
Of course, during the tour, you learn lots of presidential tidbits. For example, did you know that Garfield was only president for four months before he was assassinated? Or that FDR actually has TWO memorials?
FDR was very explicit in stating that, if he was to be remembered, he wanted his memorial to be placed in front of the National Archives and the actual monument should be no larger than his desk (image courtesy of Wikipedia).
Of course, the later, more substantial memorial is along the Tidal Basin and was designed by the infamous (that means he's "more than famous" - bonus points if you can name the movie that quote is from) landscape architect, Lawrence Halprin (in architecture terms, Halprin might be the equivalent of Frank Gehry in terms of notoriety and style). The memorial consists of four outdoor "rooms" that represent FDR's four terms in office.
On this particular tour, we were not able to travel via trolley to the FDR memorial as the roads surrounding it were closed to anything but foot traffic due to the construction of a new memorial celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So, instead, we ventured to the Jefferson Memorial, also along the Tidal Basin, which was a treat to visit at dusk since I've only been to it during daylight hours.
Other presidential tidbits, William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural speech in history, which ultimately cost him his life. This gave him another distinction...the shortest presidential term. Yes, folks, his tenure was even shorter than Garfield's. Sadly, he only lasted one month before he died of pneumonia.
And on that sunny note, I'll close this edition. I look forward to rejoining you in a week or so with more information about George, and hopefully, a tan.
Seeing the name Braddock causes me to wonder if this is the same person that is remembered in the DC/NOVA (that's Northern Virginia for you "foreigners", which technically I may still be since I've only been here three years). Upon a quick search, I did find out that North Braddock, PA, was named after General Braddock. North Braddock is just outside of Pittsburgh making it approximately four hours from here. Since the Braddock Road Metro Stop is near Old Town Alexandria which is synonymous with George Washington, it's likely this is the case. I will keep researching and let you know if I find out definitively.
But I digress. The point is that Washington is back in the army and ready for his next big adventure. I look forward to learning more next week. You see, I'll be on vacation with lots of time to read. I won't have access to the Internet, so you'll be without blog updates until I get back, but by then, I should have some juicy George gossip to pass along.
Speaking of vacations, a few weeks ago some friends of mine were here for their family vacay. I suggested they take the Monuments by Moonlight tour to get a totally different perspective of this amazing city. This is by far one of the coolest things you can do in DC. In fact, I love it so much, I've been about six times. It never gets old and I always learn something new each time. My friends were gracious enough to include me on their family adventure, which I appreciated. The tour begins at Union Station and lasts approximately 2.5 hours. There are three stops where you have a short time to get out and explore the actual monuments.
Of course, during the tour, you learn lots of presidential tidbits. For example, did you know that Garfield was only president for four months before he was assassinated? Or that FDR actually has TWO memorials?
FDR was very explicit in stating that, if he was to be remembered, he wanted his memorial to be placed in front of the National Archives and the actual monument should be no larger than his desk (image courtesy of Wikipedia).
Of course, the later, more substantial memorial is along the Tidal Basin and was designed by the infamous (that means he's "more than famous" - bonus points if you can name the movie that quote is from) landscape architect, Lawrence Halprin (in architecture terms, Halprin might be the equivalent of Frank Gehry in terms of notoriety and style). The memorial consists of four outdoor "rooms" that represent FDR's four terms in office.
On this particular tour, we were not able to travel via trolley to the FDR memorial as the roads surrounding it were closed to anything but foot traffic due to the construction of a new memorial celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So, instead, we ventured to the Jefferson Memorial, also along the Tidal Basin, which was a treat to visit at dusk since I've only been to it during daylight hours.
Other presidential tidbits, William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural speech in history, which ultimately cost him his life. This gave him another distinction...the shortest presidential term. Yes, folks, his tenure was even shorter than Garfield's. Sadly, he only lasted one month before he died of pneumonia.
And on that sunny note, I'll close this edition. I look forward to rejoining you in a week or so with more information about George, and hopefully, a tan.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Epsewasson
Greetings from the home of Top Chef DC!
The show, which I've been watching for the first time only because it was filmed here on location, is about to begin, so this will be a short entry. True to my purpose, I began my first biography on Sunday afternoon. It is a slow read, but quite enjoyable. It is filled with wonderful details and descriptions, so much so that I am not able to speed read through it (this is a good thing). Here's are a few tidbits from Chapter 1:
The show, which I've been watching for the first time only because it was filmed here on location, is about to begin, so this will be a short entry. True to my purpose, I began my first biography on Sunday afternoon. It is a slow read, but quite enjoyable. It is filled with wonderful details and descriptions, so much so that I am not able to speed read through it (this is a good thing). Here's are a few tidbits from Chapter 1:
- George Washington was born on February 22, 1732
- George was born to his father, Gus, and Gus' second wife, Mary Ball. George was close to neither of his parents.
- His role models were his older, half brother, Lawrence, and George William Fairfax, Lawrence's neighbor. Both educated in England, George emulated his entire demeanor after these two men in order to "refine" himself
- Mount Vernon was originally named Epsewasson, but Lawrence renamed it after Admiral Edward Vernon, whom he served with during the invasion of Cartagena
- George Washington was the person who actually started the French & Indian War (called The Seven Years' War in Europe). Tensions were building up to it, but George's attack on a small group (40) of French soliders actually kicked the whole thing off.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Welcome!
I have been toying with the idea of writing a blog for years. Yes, I realize that it appears I am on the tail end of a trend; however, I was actually blogging before it was even a concept. Way back in 2001, I began sending a series of long e-mails every couple of weeks (or months when I was taking media law and media econ) to keep my friends and family posted while I was in graduate school. Some funny, mostly newsy, these were my attempt to stay connected to the world outside of group projects, reading, reading and more reading, pimping the benefits of university housing (that was my part-time gig - yes, I said 'gig') and the oh-so-fun comprehensive exams. On the whole, these e-mails were well received and I have always wanted to get back to it.
So here I am, a mere nine years later when blogging may not even be cool anymore. No matter, I've jumped in the ocean and can't wait to see what the tide brings in.
Why American Presidents? It starts with an Atlanta book club where one of the books we read was "The Know-It-All" by A.J. Jacobs. He took on a personal challenge to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, a daunting feat indeed. He did it and managed to write a very humorous and fun, fact-filled book about it. BTW, I highly recommend the book. I also read an excerpt of his latest book, "My Life as an Experiment..." where he eliminated multitasking from his life (it's much harder than you think). Again, witty and insightful. Needless to say, I am a fan.
When I moved the our nation's capital, I became fascinated with facts about American history, and in particular, our presidents. There have been some real characters in that big white house and I became interested in learning more. So I had an idea...what if I read a biography about each president?
Not dwelling on the sheer magnitude of that idea (you know that's 44 books, right?), I went out to my Facebook friends for recommendations. I entitled it "My Own FB Project - American Presidents" and I got some very good recommendations. That post was on July 13, 2009.
Okay, so life happened and I haven't started yet. But never fear! I have actually obtained the first book. It's an ambitious one (507 pages) and aptly named, "The First of Men-A Life of George Washington" by John E. Ferling.
Tomorrow, we begin this journey together. Me, George and then the 43 presidents who follow (I'll list them for you in a separate blog), and anyone out there in cyberspace who wants to tag along. Come on in...the water's fine!
So here I am, a mere nine years later when blogging may not even be cool anymore. No matter, I've jumped in the ocean and can't wait to see what the tide brings in.
Why American Presidents? It starts with an Atlanta book club where one of the books we read was "The Know-It-All" by A.J. Jacobs. He took on a personal challenge to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, a daunting feat indeed. He did it and managed to write a very humorous and fun, fact-filled book about it. BTW, I highly recommend the book. I also read an excerpt of his latest book, "My Life as an Experiment..." where he eliminated multitasking from his life (it's much harder than you think). Again, witty and insightful. Needless to say, I am a fan.
When I moved the our nation's capital, I became fascinated with facts about American history, and in particular, our presidents. There have been some real characters in that big white house and I became interested in learning more. So I had an idea...what if I read a biography about each president?
Not dwelling on the sheer magnitude of that idea (you know that's 44 books, right?), I went out to my Facebook friends for recommendations. I entitled it "My Own FB Project - American Presidents" and I got some very good recommendations. That post was on July 13, 2009.
Okay, so life happened and I haven't started yet. But never fear! I have actually obtained the first book. It's an ambitious one (507 pages) and aptly named, "The First of Men-A Life of George Washington" by John E. Ferling.
Tomorrow, we begin this journey together. Me, George and then the 43 presidents who follow (I'll list them for you in a separate blog), and anyone out there in cyberspace who wants to tag along. Come on in...the water's fine!
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