Charming and green.....

I have been thinking about how much I have mixed up my travel report of my time in Washington, D.C. 

Everything has been sort of backwards and mishmashed.  (And I try to teach children to write things in consecutive order!)  In keeping with that theme, I thought I'd post just a few pictures of where I ended up staying after my sister Julie left to come home.  I spent a few days staying in a charming town called Leesburg with Julie's sister-in-law Lou, her husband Jeff, and their son.  We did know each other back in Utah, but they were so kind to open up their home to me and I will always appreciate that kindness.  Jeff joked that they had been there such a short time (just over three weeks) that Lou didn't have any friends there yet and that I was doing her a favor!  (Everyone convinced me to stay and NOT pay the extra money to fly home early-especially since I had never been there.) 

Lou and I were a bit like the "blind leading the blind" as we set about to see some of the sights. 

Thanks to a good GPS system and an atlas, we were able to get around and have a great time.

Lou's inviting front porch.....

The covered bridge as seen from her back yard.....

Beautiful new houses...

I love these homes.....

And some very old buildings.....

Such a charming little town.....

Some quaint little shops.....

Beautiful places to walk the dogs.....

Don't you think it is a picture perfect place?

THANK YOU LOU AND JEFF FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY!

♥

JoAnn

Fun on a fall afternoon.....

#99.  "Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures."

-Life's Little Instruction Book

by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 

♥

JoAnn

Thanks, Liz, for the pictures (and for the cute little girls, too!)

Whirlwind tour of the Washington D.C. Mall and sore feet.....

I was warned.

Take good walking shoes!

But...

My vanity won over my sensibility.

My comfortable walking shoes have seen better days and look pretty awful, AND I was going to one of the most famous gathering places in America- and that meant looking stylish.  Right?

Yes, I am the same person who once crammed my size 8 1/2 feet into size 5 bowling shoes to impress my Jr. High School friends. (Whose idea was it, anyway, to post your feet size for the whole world to see?   Yes, I now have the bunions to prove it!)

Anyway,

a late-afternoon-spur-of-the-moment-decision to head to the mall area left me little time to ponder anything, let alone comfort or functionality.  We hopped on the Metro and headed to see the sights I had only seen in pictures, books, or movies. 

With limited sunlight and closing times looming, we hurried to several Smithsonian Museum exhibits, walked from one end of the mall to the other, climbed millions of stairs, and walked and walked and walked.

I loved everything I saw!

(The Washington Monument)

(The Capitol Building)

(Lincoln Memorial Monument)

(World War II Memorial)

Yes, it was the condensed version of "How to See Washington D.C", but... 

I can say I was there ...

and it was impressive!

♥

 

P.S.  The picture below is of my cute niece Monica and two of her boys who also live in the area!

P.P.S. Did you know that along with getting blisters, I also wore the polish off my toe?

Remembering my nephew

 Here is part of the obituary for my nephew, Shane.  What a wonderful guy!  His passing leaves a gap in a lot of lives, but his goodness serves as a reminder of the promises of what life is meant to be-and will be some day!

     Travis Shane Mitchell, 28, of Fairfax, Va., formerly of Rigby and Idaho Falls, Idaho, passed away Sept. 24, 2010, near Baltimore, Md.  Shane was born Dec. 21, 1981 in Logan, Utah, to Travis Don Mitchell II and Julie Hall Mitchell.  He was a graduate of Rigby High School.  As a faithful priesthood holder in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he shared the gospel in the Ukraine Kiev LDS Mission from 2001 to 2003.  Shane married Holly Adams on May 20, 2008, in the Logan, Utah, LDS Temple.  Shane served with the Idaho Army National Guard 116th in Iraq prior to his marriage, then with the U.S. Army Reserves as a Russian linguist.  He traveled to Germany as an interpreter for a military exercise and to Russia for a linguistic school in which Holly was able to accompany him.  Shane obtained a bachelor's degree with honors from Utah State University.  It was while residing in Logan that Shane and Holly had one of the best days of their lives as they welcomed Preston into their family.  Shane was currently pursuing a law degree at George Mason University School of Law.  He was a member of the J. Reuben Clark Society of Law Students.  He was appointed to the Journal of Civil Rights Law at GMU.  He and his family were residing in Fairfax at the time of his death.  Shane enjoyed life.  He could fix anything.  His family relied on him to build, repair, assemble, or install everything.  Shane learned to sew, knit, and cook gourmet meals.  He loved adventure, travel, and living in the Washington, D.C. area.  Most of all, he adored his sweet wife, Holly, and little buddy, Preston. 

♥

Mt. Vernon is a beautiful place!

I love its history, the expanse of the estate, the colorful gardens, the quaint buildings, and the location near the Potomac River.  It measured up to my highest expectations. 

Don't you hate it when you visualize a place to be more grand and exciting than it really is!

(click, then click again to enlarge)

The ladies of Mt. Vernon:

Martha Washington, Lou, and myself

I'm off to work now, but I have a lot more pictures to share!

♥

JoAnn

Wanting a job, but....

Our daughter, who lives in Portland, Oregon, is looking for a job.

She is starting to feel a bit desperate, since Portland has a very high unemployment rate.

Yesterday, she was so excited to have a job interview with a new company that makes health food products.

That is until.....

She heard the job would be doing this

Dressed like this

for $8.40 an hour.

(Yes, that is less than unemployment!)

Do you think she was crazy for letting this opportunity go to someone else? 

(If anybody might actually want the job!)

If anyone out there knows of a good job in the Portland/Beaverton area she would appreciate the tip.  She is trying to work around a school schedule, but she is a hard worker!

Doesn't it make you wonder how "healthy" the products will be if Hazmat suits are needed?

♥

JoAnn

(Photos from Google.com)

Good things.....

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball.

We have to pick ourselves up and carry on for good reasons like these!

Go Preston and Maddie!

We LOVE you!

John 14:18 
"I will not leave you comfortless;  I will come to you."

♥

JoAnn

P.S.  Thanks for the picture, Ally!