Sing me to Heaven - Homeschool Blogger

Do you dream of escape?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:56:00 -0600

Last week I was very alive.

You just read that short sentence and raised your eyebrows at me, because you're thinking, 'Grace, you are pretty much always alive. I hope.' Well, I hope so too. ;-) But I believe that you will understand what I mean when I draw your attention to some of those times of your life when you felt so bursting with happiness that you were... more alive than ever. If you can't recall any, I pity you. Because life is made up of times like that. Moments. Days. Most recently for me, it was last week. I was tremendously blessed to be able to attend a Communicators For Christ (CFC) conference in Corpus Christi. The motto for the organization is; ‘shaping culture through authentic communication'. Generally, people equate public speaking with communicating. But although public speaking is an important part of communicating for Christ, the biggest part is simply how you interact with the people around you. And even those of you who aren’t big about the whole ‘command the platform’ can't tell me that you don't interact with people. Not even homeschoolers are that unsocialized. =D So read on a little further, as I try to relate a little of what I've learned this week.

I competed in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA) last year. And I had gone to a CFC conference before. And I was never a shy person. It's actually pretty funny to listen to all the accounts my friends give of how their mom made them go to the conference, or whatever. Because my parents didn't tell me I had to go. I told my parents they had to send me. =D Anyway, nothing I learned at this conference was new to me. Anyone could have asked me about it, and I would have agreed. But not until last week were these truths really cemented in my heart. The theme for this year's tour conference is 'Lead the Escape'. It’s not talking about escaping from your problems or from the world- on the contrary. This is an escape from artificial to authentic communication. And an escape from Self. The goal is to throw aside everything that would hinder you from sharing the Truth of the gospel, and equip yourself to go into the world in order to change it. And isn't that all our lives are about?

I'd like to briefly share four things with you that specifically stuck out to me while I was at the conference. I've put them into a handy little bullet list for you. (I love those things!)

Not only is it totally awesome to know how to talk to people and communicate your beliefs, it's necessary. We do not have a choice. Let me repeat that, because the truth of it still hits me like a bomb: we do not have a choice. Either you will be able to converse with people and share Life with them, or you will be showing them through your insecurity that you don't know the answers. Everyone communicates. Through your glances, through your body language, through your words or lack of them. You will either communicate your beliefs, or you will communicate your unbelief. It's that simple.

Value the relationship above the argument. Those of us who don't have problems with shyness often struggle with forcing our beliefs on others. We've got to remember that only God can change the human heart, and we are only his instruments through which He channels the Truth. Once we plant the seeds, our job is now to tend the ground gently and pray for the rain. And after all, if you are willing to lay the argument aside in order to keep your friendship with someone, you will have another chance. Once you sever ties with a person, you can never go back. There's a quote I heard this week by Phillip Yancey. It says, 'No one ever became a Christian because they lost the argument.'

Being a competent cultural communicator means being willing to risk yourself. That scares me, so I know it probably scares you too. But life is so not about us. If we are willing to risk looking 'weird' or being in awkward situations sometimes, or simply willing to give other people the time of day when we're busy, we will be able to reach farther into people's lives. We've got to be engaging and real and joyful and trustworthy. Then people will connect with us, and we can touch their lives through Christ. We can't wait on the sidelines for the world to come to us. We must go to them.

For those of you who compete in speech and debate, let's remember that competition is only a way to hone our skills. Our goal is never to win rounds, but to win people. How many people do you think you're going to win by speaking to a bunch of homeschool parents? Sure, there may be a few 'community judges', but most likely they are Christians as well. Unless we're taking the skills we learn out into the community, all our moving rhetoric is for nothing. I know we've heard this before, but NCFCA is a game. A means, and not an end. Let's actually use what we've learned by impacting people who need us.

I can't tell you everything that I learned at this conference. But I felt that those four points were very important, and I hope you think so as well. I'd like to remind us of one thing, though. And that is, we can't do it. Yes, I know I just took several precious minutes of your time explaining to you what I've learned and how to do it. But all of that knowledge is useless. We can't do it. The only one who can is Christ. And He has chosen to use US! It's so, so important to remember that Christ is the only one who can light a fire under our rhetoric. He is our answer. One morning of the conference we were beginning the day with prayer, and my friend praying said this- "Let us realize that there's no possible way to communicate FOR Christ, unless we communicate WITH Him." I feel that every day. Let us always realize that we are nothing without Christ in us. He must lead us before we can Lead the Escape.

In final (I promise, this is the final) conclusion, I wrote a poem:

Dream of an Escape

If this was all a dream,
Spun from silver moon reflections on the water,
And fanned by firefly wings.
Or tossed from wave to wave, in tempests worthy...

Then when I wake up, I will laugh with the sky,
And everything will be more real, and more right.
I'll grasp for the pillow and sing for pure joy,
Because this dream has changed my life.

Sometimes our dreams are more real than our lives,
When we are not willing to live them for Christ.
And sometimes our dreams are our way of escape
When we are too frightened to risk for His sake.

But sometimes life seems like a dream
And everything exudes a golden gleam.
And I know that it's real, more real than I am.
Though it's bound to my heart with a velvet band.

And I realize that, escaping this way,
I'm delving in, not fleeing away.
The care isn't that I should save myself,
But help to lead the escape from Self.

For Christians may all sit and babble away,
And be very smart and have things to say,
But what have we done for the kingdom of Christ
Unless we go into the world and speak Life?

There is no higher calling, and no greater care
Than to reach out to others and simply be there.
If we can love in a world full of hate,
We are called to Lead the Escape.

{For more information about the Communicators for Christ nation-wide tour, visit http://www.instituteforculturalcommunicators.org. or http://www.theiccblog.com/ }

"...Happily they're ever after-ing..."

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:26:00 -0500

"I love the part in fairy tales that's very near the end... When all the people cheer for their new queen."

"And all is well, and all is good, and everyone belongs, and happily they're ever after-ing..."

"But when I enter the gate of my dreams, and face the promise of all I can be..."

"Will they see me as a heroine? Tell me, will they let me in?"

"Won't someone let me in?"

(For more pictures, go here: http://picasaweb.google.com/HisHighlandLass/HappilyTheyReEverAfterIng?feat=directlink)

Copyright © GraceElizabeth

Forever (and ever)

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:56:00 -0500

“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.” -Bernstein

Last week I had the privilege to be involved in a music video production directed by some of my friends. It's definitely very amazing. You may think I'm biased... so watch the video and form your own opinion. =) For more information on the producers and their other projects, visit http://www.imagivation.org.

Copyright © GraceElizabeth

Food for thought

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:10:00 -0500

Sooo, y'all, I'm considering moving to Wordpress.

^HSBers' reaction. Before you start berating me for disloyalty and all that, just be aware that, if I move, you'll be able to access my blog by clicking on the same link. So there. (At least, you'll be able to access it by the same link if I can figure out how to re-direct. But I can do that! I think.)

I've observed from my experience that Wordpress is just way more efficient. And more diverse.

The main barrier keeping me from making the plunge is... time. The everlasting curse and blessing. I really have no idea how to set up a WP, so it will probably take considerable effort. Thus, even when I decide to move, it may be a while. I'd like your comments, though! Especially those Wordpress bloggers who know their stuff. I will need your help, Beth M. =)

Copyright © 2008 by GraceElizabeth

At the bend in the river all our troubles wash away...

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:09:00 -0500

"Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
wherever you're going I'm going your way.
Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end--
waiting 'round the bend,
my huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me."

How could we not have a blast at this lovely little nook of a vacation spot that we retreat to every year? Two weeks with our fantabulous cousins, and one week with a pretty-much-awesome family from church = Too much fun.

Our theme songs of the weeks were:

'Ring of Fire' by Johnny Cash
'Big John' by Johnny Cash (with new words by cousins and company. ;-)
'Sweet Caroline' by Neil Diamond <3
'Put a Banana in Your Ear'... don't ask. I'll just say it WASN'T my fault! =D

The beautiful Texas hills. *sigh* I love panoramic views!!

Two downsides of the trip were that the phone service was ridiculously horrible, and I didn't get internet access. But it was all good. Relaxation and reading, combined with bug bites, dam-building (and the bruises that come with that!), plus camping food (yay), and amazing people! You really can't know how wondrous my cousins are!! Every time we get together (not often enough for us!), they are more marvelous. It was a golden vacation.

Copyright © 2008 by GraceElizabeth

By Popular Demand

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 08:53:00 -0500

I present-
The Contents of my desk:

My very old Dell Laptop without internet connection that is extremely handy for writing in private. His name is Oliver.

A pair of headphones plugged into the laptop

A small painting (about 12"x8") of Neuschwanstein castle that needs a new frame before I can hang it on the wall. Currently, it is adorned with a pink sticky note bearing the quote: "Share your life, and find the finest joy man can know. Do not be stingy with your heart. Get out of yourself into the lives of others, and new life will flow into you. Share and share alike." -Joseph Fort Newton

Cellphone charger

A scrumptiously-dressed Victorian porcelain doll. It's in my way, but there's nowhere else to put it.

Daughters of Destiny compiled by Noelle Wheeler

The Dangerous Duty of Delight by John Piper

The Ballad of the White Horse by G.K.Chesterton

Melody by Laura E. Richards. I was considering doing an interp on this. But I don't believe I shall.

My pair of white lace gloves

My silver cellphone named Ivanhoe

A Simplicity pattern, number 3673. I really want to make this dress someday. It's the most delectable little black dress I've ever seen!

The Complete Guide to Irish Dancing by Frank Whelan

The Divine Comedy by Dante

A flash drive that looks like a cockroach

A fancy little clock with roses and diamonds.. and a picture of me and my cousins in it. But it doesn't run.

A rather long ostrich feather

A scrapbooking doo-dad that somehow didn't get put away last time. :-/

I think........ there was more on my desk that I thought. =) But it would still be far more interesting to give you the contents of my bulletin boards. I have two. And really, I am convinced that anyone could learn all they wanted about me by just studying those bulletin boards. ;-)

Thinking of you...

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:32:00 -0500

Dear blog,

It has come to my attention that a considerable time has elapsed since we last met. This brings little joy to my heart, although many other things have acquired a... higher importance to me of late. However, I have not forgotten our old relationship, in which we enjoyed each other's company at least once a week. It is in laud to that old familiarity that I crave your indulgence for the neglect I've been wont to encourage. I hope that you and your readers will graciously forgive me. Although I cannot foresee an immediate reversion to the old ways, I hope our paths may cross more often in the future. Let's have dinner sometime.

With the utmost respect, I remain yours sincerely,
~Grace

Adventures in DC

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:31:00 -0500

This isn't as long as the first part! You have my permission to be happy.

Family Vacation Part Two- Washington, D.C.

Day 10- Tuesday

    I begin where I left off. We awoke in our new hotel, remembering we had left our friendly ABP behind. We had to scout out a new breakfast spot. So Dad took the other girls and headed out to look. They called us some time later, saying they'd found a Burger King. (We found out that they'd also been in some sort of park, hidden behind the Office Depot across the street.) Normally Burger King is no good, but they had as decent a breakfast menu as anywhere else, I guess.
    We were bound for the Capitol building, by way of the Air and Space Museum. We took the subway downtown... ick.
    I forgot to mention that the weather in DC is more in the upper 80s. Warmer than Boston, very unfortunately. And I was wearing a black hat that day, which didn't improve matters. ;-)
    The Air and Space Museum is decent. I mean, it's amazing if you really like that kind of thing. But I'm not big on airplanes or rockets, unless I get to ride in them. I'd say, overall, that NASA Houston is cooler. We did get to see the Spirit of St. Louis before we left for the Capitol, though.
    All the Smithsonian Museums (of which the Air and Space Museum is one) are along the Capitol Mall. You know, that looong lawn between the Capitol building and the Washington Monument. Anyways, so we walked up the Mall to the Capitol, hurrying, because we had a tour to catch. Anyone who likes photography knows that it is hard to take good pictures with a point-and-shoot camera when you're walking fast. Consequently, when we came in full sight of the Capitol building, I fell pretty far behind the 'caravan'. It paid off, though! I guess all that running at the last minute was worth the pics I got. After all, it's a once-in-a-life-time experience, says my dad. ;-) He kept telling us to enjoy the trip, because it's highly unlikely of us making it out there again as a family! ;-)
    We discovered that we had to walk all the way around the back of the building to get to the visitor center. And when we got there we had to wait in a long line for security..... It was hot outside. And security was really quite ridiculous- we'd emptied our water bottles, since they wouldn't let you in with liquids. But they took our empty bottles and threw them away! And we had to take the sleeping baby out of the stroller.... it was dumb.
    We missed our tour, but got in on another one. First we filed into a theater to watch a 'movie' about the history of the Capitol. But most of it was black, because something was wrong with their projector, I guess.
    Our guide took us to the Rotunda, Statuary Hall, and the 'Crypt' downstairs. (No one is buried there, but that's what they'd intended it for.) And that was it! It was kind of lame. But it was still neat to be there.
    After our tour ended, we went to watch the Senate in session. They confiscated our cameras, cellphones, etc., for us to claim later. I guess they don't want anyone texting, 'hey, I'm in the Senate chambers! there's this one weird senator....' They're pretty strict over there. We weren't allowed to point into the chambers. (?) Even though there was almost nobody down there, and they did nothing interesting. We left after about 45 minutes.
    We'd planned on heading to the Art Museum, but it was closed (it being later than 5 already), so we went back to the Air and Space Museum, ate lunch/dinner there, and saw the Wright Flier. I was ready to head 'home' after that (my feet hurt! =), but we went out on the grass of the Mall to let Alan run around. So I took advantage of that and took pictures of everyone with their finger on top of the Washington Monument. And took pictures of grass. Grass is interestingly inspiring.

    I guess now's as good a time as any to explain why D.C. didn't win my heart like Boston did. The best reasons I can come up with are 1). It's more artificial. Not as old. Not as historic. Sure, the museums and everything are great, but the actual city is more... artificial than Boston. Boston grew slowly of its own accord. DC was molded and shaped by and for the government.
2.) And that first reason is why, I think, that the city seems almost stiff. As my friend said, DC just feels stiffer than Boston. The locals seem to consider their city a workplace and not a home. Everything, every building, every bit of landscaping, seems created for a business. Consider the difference between the yards you see in a nice neighborhood somewhere, compared to the landscaping for an office building. Both may be pleasing to the eye, but one is charming and hospitable, and the other is usually just... professional. And stiff-ish. ;-)
    I don't know if any of that makes any sense, but that's what DC was to me. The pink clouds floating over the Washington Monument at sunset are lovely, though! Sunsets are beautiful anywhere.
    The rest of the sunset was wasted for us, as we got on the subway to head back. :-(

Day 11- Wednesday

    Today marks the date of my falling in love with a certain man's estate. The beauty and charm of it! It was incredible. Too bad the master of it has been dead so long. He must have been twice as charming as his plantation! *affected sigh* ;-)
    We took a bus to Virginia and toured Washington's Mount Vernon. I could gush over it forever. Even the drive there was beautiful. After we got out of the strict city limits and into the Virginian neighborhoods. We drove alongside the Potomac river for a while, and saw plenty of expensive houses. Kind of reminded me of the really nice neighborhoods on Lake Austin, here in Texas.
    But Mount Vernon was like stepping into a dream or a movie. It was enchanting. I think the estate is around 500 acres now. But get this: it used to be like 8000.
    The mansion is the crown of the plantation, which has been restored to its original state. It stands grandly on the crest of a hill, overlooking the Potomac. Washington himself wrote of his home: "No estate in United America is more pleasantly situated than this." I agree. We toured the house after standing in a looong line. Inside the mansion, much of the furniture is original, and it's all from Washington's time period. You could film a grand movie in that house. (Side note to myself: the original pianoforte was there!! *happy*)
    Once through the house, we roamed the rest of the grounds blissfully. The view from behind the mansion is luscious. And the grass is soft (not like Texas!), and there were these low-hanging trees to explore.
    The outer buildings like the stables and the servants quarters are there to peek into as well. I did some of that. But I loved to just walk among the trees, and sit on the grass, and appreciate the beauty of it all. It was a world away from bustling DC. It was perfect. :)
    So that is what we did until we realized that we had only an hour until closing. And then, all of a sudden, there was all this stuff to do! Anna wanted to visit the horses, Emily and I wanted to walk down by the river bank, Mom wanted to go to the education center, Dad wanted to see Washington's grave. How we fit all that in, I have no idea. It helped when we split up. I saw Washington's grave, and the river (which wasn't as great up close, naturally), and then Mom and Emily and I headed to the education center. That education center/museum is one of the most well-done exhibits I have ever seen. Whoever designed it was immensely creative! There were interesting videos (like the one about spying during the war!), quotes on the walls, pictures, sculptures of Washington, clothing he and Martha owned, etc. I really liked that part and could have spent much longer there, but I also wanted to visit the gift shop. Which was huge. ;-) We meandered through it for a while, quite contentedly. I ended up buying a couple postcards and a pen in the shape of a rifle. That pen honestly rocks. I'm looking at it as I type. It's just like a rifle, except for the pen tip at the end! Hehe, I couldn't resist. I can't have a real gun, so I went for a fake one. It's cool. Actually, the coolest thing I saw was a letter opener in the shape of Washington's sword. All silver and everything! =)
    I ended up with time to spare, so I went back into the museum thingy until Dad came looking for me. I couldn't get phone service in there! :-/
    Then we got on the bus and took leave of the beautiful estate. I hope I can go back someday, maybe with my kids.
    I don't remember what we did for dinner. But we got back fairly late, I believe. Because we were 'allowed' to sleep in the next morning! Till like 8:30, anyway. ;-)

Day 12- Thursday

    I wrote like half of this day and then lost it. Erg! I think writing in such detail gets majorly on your nerves after a while. Anyways, I'm nearly burned out, but we'll see if I can push through to the end.
    So this morning we slept in.. not a very smart idea for those who have tons to do that day. We realized this later. We hit Burger King at 10:45- 15 minutes before they stopped serving breakfast. I'm glad we made it in time- my idea of a good breakfast does NOT include cheeseburgers. ;-)
    We had to take the subway (of course, bleh. But still much better than walking.) to the Capitol Mall and the Holocaust Museum. I guess most people wouldn't consider the Holocaust Museum a must-see on vacation. But I'm so glad we went. (As a side note, that building is built like some modern prison. Alan didn't like it at all- he didn't understand why any place should be so dark and depressing. Thankfully he took a nap. I wish I could just fall asleep when I'm in distress!) The exhibit was heart-rending. There they had all the evidence, all the pictures, all the quotes from survivors and others, all the documents, even the shoes of the victims who were gassed. It was horrible. But I'm glad it's there. We need it to be there. Everyone needs to go and witness such evil that humans are capable of, so we can prevent it from ever happening again. Never again.
    There was so much to see that we didn't get out of there until they closed. 5:00. And we still hadn't eaten lunch. So after being informed by a guard where the nearest place to eat was, we headed down to the Reagan building food court. Which was still about 5 blocks away!!
    By six we were moving again- now bound for the White House. No, we didn't see Obama. He was in Russia, probably avoiding us. ;-) It was just cool to be there in front of the gate, in front of the house where so much has happened, for good and evil. We took a couple pictures (with difficulty, since there were a lot of people doing the same), and walked on towards the Lincoln Memorial. We stopped at the WWII Memorial on the way. I think that's my favorite memorial in DC. Besides the fact that WWII has always been fascinating to me, it was designed so artistically. I took quite a few pictures there. With the sun going down behind those pillars it was a perfect time of day!
    The Lincoln Memorial looks like a Grecian Temple. I mean, I know you've all seen pictures of it, but when you're actually there it's kind of eye-opening. It's huge, for one thing. And the steps are very many and very steep. And you're supposed to be quiet inside. I saw a little kid slide down a banister-type thing and get fussed at by a (rather young) policeman for it. I kind of wondered if that policeman wouldn't mind sliding down himself!
    I saw Lincoln and the quotes engraved on the walls, but there's really nothing much inside, so I spent most of our time there sitting on the steps, watching the light fade gradually over the city. I like the reflecting pool.
    It was nearly dark when we left the Memorial, but it was still catching the last rays of sunlight. We deliberated on whether to head back to the hotel or walk around the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial. I was for the latter, and that's what we ended up doing. The Tidal Basin is much wider than it looks. And much more lovely and peaceful at night than I can describe. I tried to capture it with the camera, and failed utterly. Our camera doesn't have a good night setting. But still, walking around that light-speckled water was one of my two favorite things that we did in DC. The other being Mt. Vernon. The only bad thing was that since I kept stopping to take pictures, I kept getting left behind and having to run to catch up. In an idealistic world I would never have minded being lost along the Tidal Basin! Besides, I had my cell phone. But you know, safety measures usually do interfere with the fun. =(
    The Jefferson Memorial was neat, all lit up in the dark. There was a big cobweb hanging from Jeff's head, though. :-0 And by this time we were all rather bushed. Walking back to the subway station was... long. I don't like endless walking. It's best to break it up with running, skipping, or stopping at intervals. But hey, we made it back... finally found the correct entrance to the station, and waited on the platform for a very long time before a train came to pick us up.
    It must have been 10 by the time we got off at our stop. And then we went into the corner grocery store for like 30 minutes to buy fruit, cottage cheese for Alan (he loves that stuff! Just like me!), and got very hungry. We ate at a Subway (the restaurant). I think the workers found us amusing. I guess we were. I kept hearing songs on the radio that I'd heard somewhere, and had to rack my poor tired brain to remember where. Things like that bother me- I have little peace until I can figure out the answer.
    So yep, we had our little Subway party, and finally made it back to our room at like 11:30.

Day 13- Friday

    Last full day in DC. And very full it was! We spent the entire morning and some of the afternoon gaping in the National Gallery of Art. All I can say is... wow. It was, as my adopted brother said, glorious. =) To see all those classic works of art- all original, all perfectly stunning. It was... let's just stick with the word glorious, shall we? ;-) I saw pieces by Rembrandt, Monet, all the masters. And took pictures! Even though the guards were kind of picky about the WAY you take pictures.. *mumbles*... at least it was allowed! I'm usually faster than my family in things like this, so I browsed alone to my heart's content.
    There are two buildings to the Gallery. We were in the one with the 'real' art. ;-) We didn't have time to go into the other one anyways. We finished one of the two wings in our building before lunch, and came back for the other afterward!
    Lunch was crazy-ish. You don't even want to know. Let's just say it involved Alan making a mess.
    The second wing was better than the first. ( It was all in chronological order.) I love those American landscape paintings! I wish I could paint. I can draw, but painting (especially the evil art of watercolors), has never been within my grasp. I sometimes use acrylics, when I get ambitious. But even then I sketch the entire thing first. And the paint usually makes it look fake. And shading is hard. And skin tones are impossible! </rant>
    I love art. <3
    It was like 3:30 or 4 when we left the Art Gallery for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Talk about logical fallacies! Evolution was everywhere in its full ridiculous garb. Sometimes it was funny. I got pictures of a couple of hilarious (only to us, of course... =P) signs.
    There were dinosaurs (which have never captured my fancy). There were stuffed animals (which were cool). There were gems and minerals (the best part, to me). We saw the Hope Diamond- the biggest known diamond of the time. And there was a necklace that Marie Antoinette had worn. Plus, all the stuff about how gems are formed (I skipped this part), and info on all the different kinds of rocks (which I skipped too...). I basically just wandered around by myself, taking pictures of whatever was neat-looking, and not reading many signs. That is the classic teenage way to go through a museum, right?? Oh wait, I'm homeschooled. Well, never mind. It was an interesting museum, but Natural History isn't my biggest 'thing'. And I was tired. So there are my lame excuses for not seizing the opportunity to further educate myself. ;-)
    The gift shops (yes, there were like 4) were spiffy. (I'm having a hard time thinking of descriptive words here!! What do you say about something that's interesting, but not overly amazing? Cool, neat, or fun. Three very useful, but very drab words.)
    Off topic. Anyways! I went in all the gift shops, but didn't buy anything beside a pencil and a pen. Reason 1). I didn't have much money left by this time. Reason 2). I didn't need/want anything. Aren't I smart? =) We all met up again at the last gift shop, where Emily and Anna got themselves some pressed pennies (which were insanely expensive), and I got that pencil and pen.
    And then (4th grader phrase) we went to Taco Bell. And then 'home'. And then packed.

Day 14- Saturday

    I just know my suitcase was heavier by the end of the trip than at the beginning. At least we didn't have to roll them extremely far. Just from the hotel to the subway, and from the subway to the terminal. The DC airport is massive. We got to ride on that sky-tram thing to get to our terminal.
    Well, we went through security again, and this time I made sure my cellphone was in my purse. The lady looking at the x-ray screen thing (what do they call it anyway?) couldn't figure out Dad's little laptop case. For one thing, the laptop wasn't in it. It had all our Camcorder tapes in it, and when it went through, she just stared at that screen with a puzzled look on her face asked us what it was. But she let it through when Dad told her.
    Auntie Anne's pretzels are scrumptious. We got a couple just before boarding the plane.
    The flight home was uneventful. They played some very dumb TV show on the overhead screens. I listened to Charlie Zahm and thought about poetry... the trip... all the emails I'd have to answer... all the Facebook stuff I wasn't even going to try to catch up on... our dog... recording my next vocal album, and the like.
    We had a short layover in Dallas, and then the flight into Austin. It was good to be back... but it is way too hot here in Texas. Seriously, it's pretty ridiculous. =)
    Once we collected our baggage (none of it was lost- yay!), my dad went to get the car while the rest of us stood around dazedly. Wow, it's amazing to have your own car. SO grateful for no more subways!
    We ate dinner at a random Mexican restaurant. Some people don't like going two weeks without Mexican food. ;-) Me, I can stand it. =)
    And so I arrived home and found my little world none the worse for my absence.

Copyright © 2008 by GraceElizabeth

Adventures in Boston

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:26:00 -0500

You asked for it.

Family Vacation Part One- Boston

Day One- Monday

I begin this narrative with an overwhelmed sense of how long it must necessarily be, how hard it will be to write, and how unworthy I am to write it. I may have, with that first sentence, have begun in a rather depressing way, but it had to be declared, so I have declared it. Call it a warning, a disclaimer, whatever you like.

Now I will flex my fingers and begin.

    We flew out of Austin on June 29th. As I helped to roll the bags across the airport I gave not the least thought to the distances we might have to roll them in the future. Perhaps that was a good thing. Because we had a good parcel of luggage. Each paying passenger on American Airlines is allowed one large suitcase (not to exceed 50 pounds, unless you want to pay extra), one carry-on, and whatever bags/purses can fit under the seat in front of you. We took 4 large suitcases at 50 lbs. each, 3 carry-ons, and.... some bags and purses and stuff. ;-) We could technically have brought 5 suitcases, but I'm so glad we didn't! There are 6 of us, but Alan doesn't count, as he's not yet two, and sat on our laps in the plane. All this information is dull, I know, but I mention it now, as I may have reason to mention it later. ;-)
    Airport security hasn't slacked off much since 9/11. None of us were carrying any weapons, though, so we got through easily. Except that I accidentally left my cellphone in my pocket when I stepped through the metal detector device thing. So we got to our gate before they started boarding, and watched Alan point at the planes. ;-)
    I found I remembered quite a few things from flying when I was 6. When I stepped into the whatchamacallit hallway between the terminal and the plane, I felt 6 again. ;-) But of course I quietly walked on through as if I did this every day. 16-year-old instincts. :-/
    The flight from Austin to Dallas wasn't particularly remarkable. Except that it was a flight, and flying is exhilarating. They really should make those windows bigger, though. Someday I'm going to go hang-gliding, and look down on the earth with nothing obstructing my view, no loud engines, nothing but me and the sky.
    Our layover time in Dallas was about at hour, so I grabbed Emily and Anna and we walked the length of our terminal. We were going to buy ice cream, but the McDonalds stands didn't sell it! (fail) So we bought gummy bears. There's this really funny thing about gummy bears. Ask me about it sometime. 8-) I also pulled them (my siblings, not the gummy bears) into a bookstore... where it seemed all the books in stock had been written in the last 20 years. Which means I've barely heard of any of them, and didn't care to. My dad has told me so many times that the best books were written more than 100 years ago, and I am thoroughly convinced that he's right! Not to say there aren't exceptions, of course. Anyway, their books didn't attract my attention, so we looked at their bookmarks. ;-) I bought one with Eowyn on it.... because The Lord of the Rings is cool, and because I wanted to. And I needed a bookmark to keep my place while reading David Copperfield. Don't tell me to use a napkin, or a ripped piece of paper, because those are not at all inspiring. =)
    We boarded the plane to Boston and...... sat there for almost two hours. The maintenence crew apparently found something they 'wanted to check out, since it's a longer flight'. So the captain said. So we waited. And I listened to Caedmon's Call and allowed myself some deep musing over the trip to come, the wonderful friends I have, and... not much else. By the time I was thoroughly bored they finished up and we taxied out at last!
    We happened to be sitting behind a family from Arlington who were also going to the Vision Forum conference in Boston! They all had the most melting British accents. They'd lived in South Africa for a while, and then in London, and now here. The kids were a couple of the most adorable blond-haired girls you can imagine. The oldest (6) talked over the seat to Emily and I quite a bit. I want her accent. ;D
    I consider the fact that the flight was late to be the best thing about it, overall. The first, small reason is that we got to eat in the plane, which was a novelty. Ah, we made such a tourist-y family. There were all these people on the plane traveling for business- trying to sleep the entire way, with their windows down. And then there were us. I didn't care. It was wonderful to be flying to Boston, and here's the best thing about the delay. About the time we flew over NY, the sun set behind the clouds, that massive sea of white that bulged and rippled underneath us. And so we flew on in the twilight, and I, by the window, gaped rapturously at the grand masterpieces of light that twinkled below us. I don't know what cities they were. But from that height they were more beautiful than any cities I've ever seen. All those lights, and the coastline... it reminded me of the new Disney castle preview 'thing'. I kept almost expecting the flag of the castle to shoot up before my eyes. ;-) I listened to 'I Can Only Imagine' as we flew, and gave myself up to happiness.
    We landed in Boston rather late, especially as we'd changed time zones. And we barely caught our shuttle, which took us from the airport to the hotel. There was a couple in front of us in the van, and I remember the lady assuring her husband that she'd only been on Facebook twice on her trip, and only then to update her status. Emily and I grinned at each other.
    We stayed in the same hotel that hosted the Vision Forum conference. It was one of the oldest hotels in Boston, and, I heard, the first to have running water. It was pretty, and it was big. At night as we drove up we couldn't see much of it, but we did see the castle across the street. Emily noticed it as we passed, and I was disbelieving, but then we turned again, and it was surely a castle of some sort. Right in the middle of Boston! The couple in front of us heard us exclaiming, and the lady said, "Oh, that? That's a steakhouse!" Which dampened my spirits somewhat, but still, it was cool. Especially all lit up at night.
    We found our room on the 6th floor, dumped our bags, and went to sleep at 12:30. Thus ends day one. Oh my. I warned you about the length, did I not?

Day Two- Tuesday

    Daddy brought us breakfast from Au Bon Pain, a pastry shop downstairs. As none of us could really pronounce the name comfortably, we later affectionately christened it ABP. We ate their muffins, rolls, and yogurt for breakfast most days. Yum. ;-)
    All of us were ready directly after breakfast to go down to see the city, except Mom, who stayed behind. It takes moms longer to get ready. Although I think that the main reason is that she let all of us take our turns in the bathroom first. =)
    So, leaving her in peace, we walked to the Boston Public Garden, a couple blocks from the hotel. Which, by the way, is called Park Plaza. The Garden is a lovely little oasis in the middle of all the bustle. It bustles itself, but only with walkers, like us. The Northeast has had tons of rain this year, so everything's green. And so alive, you can feel it! I wish they'd send some rain our way! We yellow roses of Texas are tending to droop. ;-)
    The trees in the Garden are magnificent beauties, and I think whoever does the flower beds is singularly creative. The flowers we all liked best were big, purple balls stuck on very long, spindly stalks. Dr. Seuss flowers, they are called. But only by us, of course. I'm sure their rightful name is perfectly noble. =) Maybe.
Let me see now, what did we do next? .... Um.. oh, yes, we went back to the hotel to wait for mom to come down. We knew she'd want to see everything with us. While we were waiting in the lobby we looked at the postcards in the giftshop. They had some nice ones, but they were rawther expensive, so we didn't buy them, and waited some more. When she came down (at last ;) we all marched out to find something to eat. We ended up at a California Pizza Kitchen- very Boston, I know. ;-) Afterwards, on the way to the Boston Common, we spied a tiny old bookshop, and couldn't resist being drawn in. What a place it was! I have never encountered such a delightful little nook for a bookshop. We could have spent hours there. The best thing, to me, was the comfortable smell that belongs especially to books, completely filling the rooms. But after twenty minutes, we were on our way again, to the Boston Common. I heard on one of the following days that since the Common is the 'common ground', it is lawful to graze your cattle there! Though apparently someone actually tried it, and so a law was made that you can't take your cattle on the street. So now, if you want to graze your bovines on the Boston Common, you'll have to fly them in.
    There's this gazebo-type structure in the middle of the Common, which I never really discovered the purpose of, but it was fun to take pictures there.
    We walked further along, and found a stand selling nuts (roasted, I believe, but not chestnuts), and Somebody wanted some, so we got some. ;-) And then we walked to the playground to let Anna and Alan romp around. Right next to the playscape is a shallow pool called the Frog Pond. It's quite extensive, though it is shallow, and it seemed to have been made just for kids to play in. There was a lifeguard and everything. Anna took advantage of all that water just sitting around, and splashed in, even though it was pretty cold outside. =)
    When the rest of us got ready to move on, we made our way up towards the cemetery where Paul Revere is buried. It's just a block from the BC. On the way there, we saw a stand selling 'fried dough'. AKA Funnel Cakes, in Texas! We laughed, but didn't get any.
    The cemetery is a quite little lot right off a busy street. Buildings had been shoved in all around it, towering above and blocking the pale sunlight. It was cloudy that day, and on that small piece of lawn and trees and tombstones, it was really very cold. But we meandered around for at least an hour, looking for familiar names. Paul Revere, John Hancock, James Otis, Samuel Adams, and victims of the Boston Massacre are all buried there. As well as a bunch of other people. It was a very sweet little cemetery.
    Although we were cold, and hadn't brought jackets, we left the cemetery for Beacon Hill. Once out from the shadow of so many trees and buildings we were much warmer, anyway. Beacon Hill is the most charming neighborhood I have ever seen! Quaint would describe it. I was quite enchanted. The cobblestone streets, the window boxes with all manner of flowers, the lamp posts (with the inevitable 'no parking' signs, which were the bane of my photography endeavors), the doors set down below the street, the doors set high above the street, the alcoves perching above me, the bricks, the old paint, the American flags. I can't tell you about it all. Go there and fall in love. ;-)
    To the best of my remembrance, we walked 'home' to the hotel from there. Oh wait, no. Actually, we went to Starbucks, and then I convinced them that we should walk over to the Esplanade, since we were so near the Charles River. There's a kind of a long, thin island connected to the 'mainland' by bridges, that is called the Esplanade by Bostonians. I believe it's man-made. A smart idea, too! It's lovely over there, as it is lovely all over downtown Boston! We sat on a dock and watched the sailboats very happily. And Emily and I carved our names in the wood just before we left, joking about making our mark on history, or humanity, or some other such delightful nonsense. ;-) So THEN we walked back to the hotel. We ate dinner at ABP on the way. ;-) And I texted my adopted brother telling him how much I LOVED Boston!
    When we got back, we registered for the conference in the Mezzanine of the hotel. And then retired.

Day Three- Wednesday

This was the first day of the conference. But it didn't officially start till the afternoon/evening, so we went to go see the U.S.S.Constitution. She's the oldest ship still afloat in the world. To get there, we took the subway to the North End of Boston, and walked the remaining distance. The subways in Boston are cool. Much cooler than the ones in DC, but that comes later. ;-) I got rather familiar with the names of the subway stops, over the course of the week! When we came up on the other end of our route, we found ourselves in a not-so-old part of Boston. And not so lovely. But a couple blocks walk brought us to the bay, which is always lovely. The sea, the sky, the mist (this was another day of bad weather), it's all good. We walked over this bridge, which was perfectly thrilling, seeing as we walked on a kind of grating, and you could see right through to the water! I found it thrilling, but some others (no names ;-) did not.
    A few more blocks brought us to the Old Shipyard, and the U.S.S.Constitution. We had to go through security and wait in line to get in. :-/ But while waiting, we learned some interesting facts from a sailor on duty. Such as that every sailor working there as a tour guide was actually on active duty in the military- stationed here! (That sounded amazing to me- I've generally been of the opinion that if I was a guy, I would be in the armed forces. =) Don't take that too seriously- after all, I'm not a guy. And I'm pretty happy as I am!) Also, he told us that the Constitution was undergoing repairs currently. That explained the big tarp covering the deck of the ship. And the biggest mast was down. When she's in top shape, she can actually sail, and they take her out on the harbor about 5 times a year! I'd love to be there and see that.
    Pretty soon they let our group in. We got to see most of the ship, proceeding from one tour 'station' to another. The sailors switch stations from time to time, I heard. ;-) Up on deck, the sailor/tour guide guy was from Waco, Texas. I don't actually remember much of what he said (It was something about part of her history), because I was engaged watching a couple sailors and a lady hoist a flag to fly on the ship. Mom said later that it was probably in remembrance of someone who had died. Apparently they will let you fly your own American flag up there for special reasons.
    We proceeded on down steep ladders with brass railings to the next level, where all the cannons were. Cannons are cool. They each had a name too, such as Liberty Forever, or Jumping Billy. =) All this time I was snapping pictures. I was the main photographer for the trip, though Emily took a lot too, and I think the percentage of her pics that actually came out well is probably as high as mine, though I took more. ;-)
    Down in the belly of the ship we were told the famous story of the Constitution's battle when she began to be called 'Old Ironsides'. And that was all we got to see, but it was a lot, and it was thoroughly fabulous!
    When we came out we discovered that it was drizzling rather gloomily, and we hurried into the museum and gift shop next door. That gift shop is where we bought most of our postcards.
    It was still raining and cold when we finished, but to me it was perfect weather for being there at the bay, and I couldn't keep from smiling as I walked quickly on. (The faster you walk, the warmer you get.) You know you're perfectly content when you honestly have trouble holding back a big smile. It was so hard to not be able to sing. I'll bet I looked pretty ridiculous, striding ahead of my family, without a jacket, and my face held up to the rain. But I was having a wonderful time. I only wish some of my friends had been there. Knowing us, we would have linked arms, and skipped, making total spectacles of ourselves! It would've been blissful. But I still had great fun with my family- laughing with Mama, and embracing the wind! We stopped at a little cafe to eat. I had a grilled tuna salad sandwich. I don't know why I mention it; I'm surprised I still remember!
    We finished, and then- back through the streets, and back over the see-through bridge. As we walked on the left of the highway, we had to keep as far left to the sidewalk as possible- which was hard to do, because there were people coming from both directions- or else we'd get splashed by a car. Honestly, we came so close! Our umbrellas were, of course, no protection. And still,
I remember being so giddily happy, that my mom laughed at me, and said, "You won't be so happy if you get drenched by one of those cars!" But I am convinced I would have. I don't think much could have injured my spirits just then. =)
    And then we got on the subway. And although it didn't ''injure my spirits', it did calm me down somewhat. You can't even move in a subway train!
    Back at the hotel, we hurried up to change before the opening ceremonies of the conference. I had to brush my hair rather carefully, after having it tossed so much by the wind.
    When we got down to the Mezzanine level, where the conference was being held, I saw, as I had expected, that I knew nobody there, except one family from our church. It was kind of depressing. I'm not one of those immensely outgoing and charming people who can go up to anyone and introduce themselves. I like to at least have somebody to introduce me! But there wasn't anybody, so I had to make do as best I could. Which wasn't very well, until the last couple days of the conference, when I opened up more. Does anyone else feel like they never make friends until the last minute at these events? Anyways, we found seats about halfway back (which was a long way =), and waited for them to start. And they did.... I can't remember this part very well..... I remember that a man in a kilt (who I'll have much to say about later!) sang the National Anthem. And they introduced all the speakers. And this other guy sang (who was only twenty, and had an amazing voice), and then they released us for dinner. We had pizza delivered up to our room, I think.... because Alan was sleeping. We went back down early, and while I saved our seats (nearer up front this time!) I wrote postcards. I tried to make them all unique, and I hope I succeeded.... I love postcards!
    The rest of the evening was spent in speech and song. The man in the kilt turned out to be named Charlie Zahm. And he sang for us the first time that night. He has a magnificent voice, but I don't think I was completely won over until he sang 'Flower of Scotland'. That's a song I'd learned a while back. Then he went into 'Loch Lomond'. I realized that he sang tons of Scottish songs like that, and I was genuinely overjoyed. I couldn't keep from mouthing the words. I love those songs! There are not many people I know of who share my love of Scotland, and Ireland, and I absolutely exult when I find someone else! We bought one of his CDs, and I almost memorized it during the rest of the trip. So here we are with some free advertizing. Charlie Zahm is fantastic, and I think all of you Scotland fans should look him up. ;-) I do not think he plays the bagpipes, though. A pity, but he plays the guitar and the bodhran, and both are awesome.
    The keynote address this evening was by Dr. Joe Morecraft. He spoke about John Calvin, since that's really what the conference was about. Heh, I guess I should tell you what the conference was about. It was called Reformation 500- hosted by Vision Forum for the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. Not all of it was on John Calvin specifically, but about the Reformation in general, and the repercussions of it. Most of the talks were on history, more or less. But I didn't go to many, as we spent most of our time site-seeing! ;-)
    We released at about 11pm.

Day Four- Thursday

    (I had to go check with the family about this day. I really could not remember a thing, right off! But now I have been freshly enlightened.)
    After breakfasting on ABP in the hotel room, we went down to meander around the Mezzanine. There were always homeschoolers meandering about in the lobby, Mezzanine, nearby streets, everywhere. We swamped the hotel! ;-) Anyways, Anna wanted to get the autographs of the people in costume. They had designated people to play different rolls from history, and if you got 30 autographs, you could get a discount on Vision Forum products. Anna was the only one in our family who did it, though. It was amusing to just watch all the kids talking to 'Lady Jane Grey', or 'John Knox'. ;-) So I watched, and looked around in the vendor hall, and called my friend Christina. Who didn't answer the phone! ;-)
    When the talks began, I went to one about the importance of documents through the ages, and the sacrifices of those who fought for them. He talked a lot about Alfred the Great, and Scotland in her fight against England, which is always fascinating, to me. ;-) He announced that he's taking a tour to Scotland next year. Oh, I'd love to go so much!
    By the time the first session was over, I was very ready to get out into the city! We went to eat at a Souper Salad, which was NOT anywhere near as convenient as our SSs in Texas. They priced their salad bar by the pound! They seem to do that a lot in the Northeast, and I don't like it.
    Let's see.... so after that (I'm writing like a 4th-grader: 'and then we went to the mall. and then we bought donuts. and then we went home.') SO after that, we walked like 10 blocks. I really have no idea how far it was. But I remember thinking it was far, because I didn't even know where we were going! On the way, we saw a little gift shop with the sign 'Lobstahs!' in the window. ;-D Not really sure why those Bostonians like lobsters so much. We ended up at the Old South Meeting House. A very fascinating historical marker. If you remember what you learned in elementary school, this was where Sam Adams declared: "This meeting can do no more to save the country." And from there spilled half the men in Boston, to go dump tea into the harbor. The Meeting House has been restored nicely, and it looks like a church- all white-washed wood. I walked between the seats (those walled pew-type boxes) and thought about the men who gathered here, so long ago. I remember reading about it in Johnny Tremain, which is of course historical fiction, but fiction can often add romance to events like nothing else can, except being there and seeing it yourself!
    Down in the gift shop, I finally got to talk to Christina, since she called me back. Good friend that she is. ;-)
    We followed the famous Freedom Trail to Faneuil Hall. It used to be a meeting place of some kind, I believe, but now it's a collection of shops, and we gals browsed happily for a while! Here I bought a very pink T-shirt that says LOVE boston across the front. And when we got home late that evening, I discovered that it had a hole in it, near the bottom! Erg. I patched it when I got home (really home), but I'm still quite put out about it! I shouldn't ever buy clothing on vacation.
    Scanning the thousands of souvenirs in Faneuil Hall, I happened to find some stuffed beans. I'm talking stuffed like your little sister's toy cat. :-0 So I had Emily take a picture of me with one, just so I could put it on Picasa and caption it 'Cool beans!'
    Outside of Faneuil Hall there was a brother-sister acrobat performance going on. (They weren't that good... but the guy's British accent was very cool.) They were funny too, from the very few moments I saw at the end. When he was 'passing the hat' (which wasn't a hat), he'd remark on the money kids gave him. "I just goh-t ten doh-llars from a li-ttle kid! The kid didn't even have a joh-b!" Yeah... you had to have been there to laugh. Whatever.
    We took a few steps in the direction we wanted to head next... and then stopped, because we spied some pressed penny machines. You know those machines where you insert a couple quarters and a penny, and turn the crank to stamp an image onto the penny? Yes. We stopped at those fairly often. I don't know why they're appealing- they just are. Come on... you can't tell me you've never been dragged to one of those by your siblings, or dragged them over to one yourself! ;-) Unfortunately, the machine we chose was malfunctioning, and it spit out a penny with lobsters and beans on it, instead of the Boston skyline I wanted. Rip-off. =)
    At last we tore ourselves away from the penny machines ;-) and started walking some more. We walked past the Green Dragon Tavern- the original one where Sam Adams and the rest used to meet and plot about the war! It's still in use as a pub.
    Still following the freedom trail, we crossed the street into the oh-so-delightful area known as Little Italy! Wow, I love that area! It's really hard to describe, but I think it of it as a rich place- not rich as in money, but in history, people, and flowers. Colors abounded, and I almost forgot the rain. I wish we'd been able to eat there! Anyone who likes Italian food would find himself very happy in Little Italy. ;-)
    We were bound for Paul Revere's House. It wasn't much to look at, from our side of the street, and it was closed, so we couldn't go in. But still cool. Oh, and I forgot to mention the cobblestone streets! The historic North End is the perfect place for a photo-shoot.
    Up the cobblestone street from the Paul Revere house is the Paul Revere statue and the Old North Church. By this time it was drizzling, and I couldn't take good pictures with the flash. :( Very vexing, I know. Besides, there were puddles, and if you're wearing flats, that's not a good thing. ;-) Inside the ONC we found the Revere pew, and the famous bust of George Washington. This is the church of the lantern signal: "One if by land, two if by sea." Nowadays, if you hung a lantern in the window, no one would see it, because of all the buildings that have crept in around the church. That part of town has an almost-musty kind of smell and feel. It's so old. Nothing at all like the cities in Texas, or anywhere else I've ever been, for that matter! As it grew darker, the lights in windows began to flicker on, one by one. And the headlights from cars lit up the mist, changing it into melted gold dust whispering through the narrow streets. There were people everywhere, heading to dinner, I suppose. The entire scene was so picturesque that it was impossible to capture with the camera. We walked back towards Faneuil Hall with high spirits and very sore feet. ;-)
    It must have been at least 8:30 by the time we ate dinner in Quincy Market. It's across the street from Faneuil Hall, and it's basically a glorified food court inside! Very glorified, because I saw people sitting at the bar at a certain restaurant stand-type thing (you know, one of those food court stands!), eating whole lobsters. We didn't do that. ;-) But we got clam chowder, which was absolutely delicious. And perfect for the weather. I am not kidding when I say that it was nearly as cold, that July night in Boston, as it gets on a December day here in Texas!
     We concluded our day by browsing some of the souvenir stands downstairs, before we went in search of a subway to take us home. ;-) Happily we didn't have to walk all the way back! Even though it must have been 11 by the time we got to the hotel, and I was exhausted from being on my feet all day, I still managed to read a chapter of David Copperfield, and listen to my new Charlie Zahm CD. Plus, find the hole in my Boston shirt. :-/ All-in-all, it was a magnifique day!

Day Five- Friday


    This morning I slept in until like 9. :-/ Dad and the kids went down promptly to the first conference session, but Mom and I were content to eat, shower, and get ready at leisure. ;-) I went down the the next session and listened to Doug Phillips' talk on 'Music and the arts throughout the ages'. It was excellent, putting into words what I had in my heart, if I may borrow that phrase from whoever said it first. He talked about how we all base most of our thoughts about music and art on personal preference, and he acknowledged the role preference plays. But he stressed that the way we can know whether the music and art we encounter is God-pleasing or not, is to look at God's roll in the universe, and His creation. God is a God of order, say the scriptures. So our music and art must be orderly. And etcetera. I think he articulated the reasons we 'like' some art forms, and 'don't like' others. God's patterns beat in our hearts, and if certain music/art/whatever jars them, we 'don't like' it. But we need to know why. And that's what the talk was about: Why. Anyways, I thought it was great.
    I meandered around the Mezzanine again after the talk. Elizabeth Botkin and I got to talk for a while. She is one of the sweetest people I know, trying to please God with her whole heart. I love her very much. I also introduced her to my sister Emily, and we showed her Alan's new little 'trick' of kissing girls' hands. It is the most adorable thing you will ever see, and I pity those who don't have a little brother. ;-)
    We were scheduled to tour the State House that morning, so my mom and Alan and Emily and I headed that way. Dad and Anna stayed behind, so she could get more autographs from famous dead people. ;-)
    As we approached the State House, we were about to lift Alan in his stroller up some stairs, when a family from the conference came to help us out. Very gallant- thanks Joseph, and Mr. H! We got to know them better over that day and the next.
    I wasn't too enthralled with the State House Tour.... but it was interesting, (the building is neat, with its gold-plated dome!) and even though we didn't get to go inside, our guide showed us a lot of interesting statues and the like outside of it. The most interesting thing to me was the brass eagle perched atop a marble pedestal, around the back of the State House. It's the first monument ever erected in America, and even though it's been slightly relocated, it still held a fascination for me. (Besides, we got to sit down while looking at it. ;-) The weather had changed drastically from the night before, and now it was in the mid eighties, and sunny! *gasp of disbelief*) The plaque on the back of the pedestal reads thus: 'Americans, while from this eminence scenes of luxuriant fertility, of flourishing commerce and the abodes of social happiness meet your view, forget not those who by their exertions have secured to you these blessings.' Isn't that amazing, and it's so sad that our entire country HAS forgotten.
    The tour came to a close, then, and we took leave of the group, and the H's. We ate lunch at Finagle-a-Bagle. I love that name! Their food was okay. Then (4th grader writing again here), we got ice cream at McDonalds. Fun stuff. It was complicated, though, because we all had a cone, and somebody still had to push the stroller! Emily and I ended up pushing it together- each with one hand on the stroller, and holding our ice cream in the other. I'll bet we looked like homeschoolers. ;D
    We got back to the hotel to find that Mr. Phillips had come out in his full Samuel Adams costume, and was playing the part grandly. I assure you, it was hysterical. His son was dressed as Sir Walter Raleigh, and they had a rather fun conversation, each keeping strictly to his historical roll. Thus, neither of them could know what the other was talking about. =) Mr. Adams talked to many famous dead people that afternoon, and didn't care how much he knew about their time periods- as long as they weren't Tories. :)
    There was another session that evening, with music by Charlie Zahm and fiddler Tad Marks, and another keynote address, on the importance of friendships. When we went up, late, we ordered chicken fingers through room service, and made a short meal before going to bed. Our eating schedule was rather sporadic the entire trip. ;-)

Day Six- Saturday, July 4th

    We had to wake up early this morning (oh joy!) to be in the Boston Gardens by 8. Vision Forum had planned a costume parade for the occasion, and as a finale on the last day of the conference. I hadn't brought a costume, but the H. family, who we met on the State House tour, had an extra one in my size that they kindly lent me! (Mrs. H. and Lauren are excellent seamstresses. I wish you could have seen Lauren's luscious gown!) So I wore their costume, which was of colonial design, and marched. ;-) They divided us up into regiments before parading. There were two guys' regiments, and two girls'. It is times like these when I wish I could be a boy. Haha, please don't take that the wrong way. But as I stood calmly and serenely in my regiment, I watched those boys over in theirs, waving huge flags (which we didn't get ;-) and shouting 'Huzzah' when directed, I knew I'd rather be doing that. *sigh* Those of you who know me are convinced of how truly 'girly' I am. But you also know how active and enthusiastic I am. I like to feel wonderfully alive. When I have kids, I shall encourage them to romp as much as possible. ;-)
    We paraded around the Gardens. We girls tried to sing, at the direction of our regiment leaders. But we couldn't hear each other, and the fifes were playing totally different tunes, and it was quite an epic failure. =) After making the rounds through the Gardens, we marched out on the sidewalk, back to the hotel. With the help of some amazingly dedicated young men, everyone paraded straight into the main conference room and found seats. None dead, few injured. ;-)
    The closing ceremonies consisted of speeches and music, much like the other sessions. Charlie Zahm sang 'Scotland the Brave'! It was splendid. And we closed with that Southern battle cry, 'Dixie'. I never really liked that song before. I like it now. :)
    When it was over at last, everyone gathered in the lobby to hear the liberty bell rung. I don't remember if I mentioned that they had a replica of the Liberty Bell in the lobby for the conference. Anyway, at two o'clock they rang it. It was rawther loud. ;-)
    At this point I really had nothing to do. It was lunch time, but Alan and Dad were both sleeping. And because they were sleeping we couldn't go back up to the room. If Daddy is asleep in the middle of the day it means he is really tired. =) So the rest of us hung out in the lobby for a while. I tried to call Christina, but she didn't answer the phone (again!), and then I called my aunt, and then I called my friend Michael. Yup, I was bored. I probably texted too, I just can't remember.
    Eventually my dad called my mom, telling her that he and Alan were both awake and we could come up and change. I changed into my little blue dress that is like my favorite article of clothing ever! White shoes and purse and a red ribbon in my hair completed the Independence Day look.
    Patriotic food was in order, so we... went to an Italian restaurant. Yes, fail, I know. =) It was good though!
    Being in Boston on the 4th, how could we miss their Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular?! After lunch, we hurried along towards the Esplanade. It was insanely windy. Wind and the full skirt of my dress do not mix well. I had to hold on to it as if my life depended on it! I was also wearing a little newsboy cap, which threatened to blow off my head. So I took it off to stuff it into my purse. But unfortunately, as I held it in my while I struggled to open my purse, I dropped it somehow, and off it went, shuffling across the sidewalk. Erg, and I had to run after that ridiculous hat, holding my skirt all the while, until I finally pinned it down with my foot. Not very elegant. *wrinkles nose*
    We found, when we reached the Esplanade, that there was an absolute mob of people there. The Hatch area where the Boston Pops was playing was filled, and the police weren't letting anyone in. So after MUCH walking through, around, beside, into people, we grabbed a spot on the grass by the river, about the size of a coffee table, and tumbled down. It was disappointing not to get to see the Boston Pops, but we were decently near a loud-speaker. We waited and waited (we were like 2 hours early), and talked to the couple behind us of a blanket, and waited some more. I texted a couple 'Happy 4th' messages. When they finally began, it was with Aaron Copland's 'Fanfare for the Common Man'. Love that piece. The Boston Pops was great, the jazz quartet they had brought in was great, Neil Diamond was great. It was all very wonderful. I liked Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline'. CUTE song. Apparently it's the 'theme song' of sorts for the Red Sox. ;-) All the locals were singing it, and so was I! I sang and watched the lights of Cambridge come on in the growing dark, and wanted to swing dance with someone. But of course there was no one to dance with me, so I just sang. *sigh*
    The fireworks were right on time! It was a magnificent show- better than I've ever seen. 21 minutes of blowing stuff up- what could be better? As Craig Ferguson, some talk show host for Boston (with a Scottish accent!) said before they began: "We're going to celebrate like true Americans! We're gonna make a lot of noise, and we're gonna blow. stuff. up!" Well said.
    Getting home was an immense hassle, but we managed it- none dead, none injured. ;-)

Day Seven- Sunday

    'A mighty fortress is our God! A bulwark never failing.
    Our helper, He, amid the flood of mortal ills, prevailing.
    For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe.
    His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate-
    On earth is not his equal.'

    This is the perfect battle hymn for 4th of July weekend. We sang it in church that morning. Most of the conference attendees had stayed over for church in the hotel. I mean, who'd want to head home so very late Saturday night? We said our goodbyes after the service. But although most everyone was leaving, we stayed! It's part of our family legacy, I believe, that we must always be last to leave anywhere. ;-) We weren't absolutely last in this case, but nearly so.
    After changing into more comfortable attire, we had a family parliament meeting, and decided to go to the beach. Fun times. Taking the subway, we piled out at Revere Beach. And then walked half-way around it to get to the restaurant we wanted to eat at. ;-) Somebody had told us about the great roast beef sandwiches at a particular spot, so we walked an extremely long way, and finally found it. And actually, they weren't much out of the ordinary. I prefer Arby's. ;-)
    The seagulls up there are just like those in finding Nemo. Very dumb and very hungry. And rather large.
    As soon as I could, I ditched my shoes and danced down onto the sand. Ah, bliss! I ignored everything but the delicious sand and those perfectly smooth stones that had been tossed by the sea. I actually had never been to the Atlantic ocean before- just the Gulf of Mexico. Ha, I don't get about as much as I should like. I'd like to tour the world, if I had the money!
    Except for the nose-wrinkling seaweed riddled about, it was all amazing. The water was freezing. Little shells were there in profusion. We saw a seagull eat a stingray. Someday I'll go to the Atlantic again, but to a quieter place, and lose myself in wonder. Maybe I'll see it from the other side, if I'm so gloriously blessed! From the shores of Europe. And I should like to go sailing. I've never been before. Ah, I'm rambling. As you can see, there are many adventures I'd like to take. Unlikely, I fear, but I still fantasize.
    Now anyone who likes to be out in the sun knows that sunscreen is a very nice thing to have, if you don't want to ruin your complexion. (Even though mine's already 'ruined' according to Victorian English standards!) We had no such novelty, so we sadly were forced to move on. We indulged in a half-dozen donuts at a nearby Dunkin' Donuts. They have those on every other corner in Boston, no joke. They need to taste Krispy Kreme donuts. That's what we have in Texas, and they positively rock. =)
    We wanted to make sure we didn't suffer from lack of sugar, so we went about two stores down, and bought ice cream. Livin' the American Dream, I tell ya'!
    It turned out to be a good thing we took a break, because it was a long way back. Plus, we thought we could take a short cut, but it turned out to not be such a good idea, so we had to start over from the beginning. :-/
    We recovered from the trek on the subway, and were quite fresh when we got off. So we went into the Boston Public Garden. I haven't mentioned it, but throughout this entire day I had the song 'Caledonia and Me' (Charlie Zahm. ;-) stuck in my head. It's a beautiful song, though it never fails to make me feel pensive. So yeah, today's random announcement!

    'And oh-oh-oh, I can see her in the morning.
    Just as her silvery mist lies gently on Glenshee.
    And surely as the tide goes a' rolling to the ocean
    I will dream of home- Caledonia and me.'

Some Vision Forum folks were milling around in the Garden. I was taking pictures, but the kids asked me to play tag, and I obliged. ;-) Christina called me after a while, though, and I dropped out to talk. I had to remember what we'd done the last couple days, in order to satisfy her curiosity. You are so demanding, dear. ;-) I love talking to you on the phone. Psh, I love talking to anyone on the phone. It's just fun. I should call my friends more, I guess. It's somehow not very natural for me to call someone 'just to talk'. But I'll try to do it more often.
Leaving the Garden, we made a couple stops, at a 7-Eleven and a Subway (the restaurant), before going back to the room to pack. Packing is a pain. =) I just shoved all my stuff into my suitcase as neatly (I detest wrinkled clothing) and quickly as possible, and went to bed.

Day Eight- Monday

    Today was the day of the train ride from Boston to D.C. So I sadly took leave of that part of Boston I'd come to love, with all its tall, dark buildings, and parks. We dragged those confounded suitcases all the way to the train station. I did not like it very much. =)
    And I can't say much for the train station. We'd decided to get there about an hour early, and eat breakfast there. So our caravan (as I affectionately dubbed us) all had to order at a Dunkin' Donuts inside the station, where, by the way, it was extremely hot and stuffy. :-/ None of our orders were correctly understood, of course, but we got through alright! I got an iced coffee, which was utterly disgusting. I don't even like coffee that much in its best state- with chocolate and whipped cream. ;-) I like the chocolate and whipped cream better by their delightful selves. ;-)
    I also got in trouble at one of those little souvenir stands, when I was browsing as an outlet for boredom. I touched something- I think it was a hat- and knocked it off a water bottle. (Note to self: displaying hats on water bottles is cool.) But the lady didn't take kindly to my dislodging her water bottle. I went and sat back down to endure my boredom.
    It wasn't too long before we headed down to the tracks. After a few commuter trains came through, our train arrived at last, and the caravan piled on. We wanted optimum window space, so the 6 of us took up 4 double seats. ;-) It wasn't crowded. Not at first, anyhow. :-/
    Before we'd arranged the seating to everyone's pleasure, the train began to move. And we still had to heft all the luggage into the overhead racks. It was crazy. There was a gentleman who helped us out, though, and we were quite grateful!
    Thus began the 5-hour train ride. I had never ridden on an Amtrak before. I wasn't missing anything wonderful. To be sure, we passed some lovely seaside scenery in Rhode Island, etc., but most of the route was obscured by trees, and trains usually do go through the worst part of towns. That makes sense, surely, but I did not especially enjoy it.
    I spent the time listening to music, writing quotes in my quote book, and reading David Copperfield. We rode along, stopped every so often, ate when it was time, rode some more. I did learn that the top speed for a train like that one was 150 mph!
    As it began to get later, we approached New York City. We were resolved to get out there, and see the Empire State Building close up! The train stopped for 15 minutes. The minute the doors opened, we (myself, Mom, Emily and Anna) piled out, raced up the escalator into the station, raced up the escalator to the ground floor, raced out of the doors, raced around a couple corners, and beheld before us that building that I in my 3-year-old wisdom used to call the 'Entire State Building'. I took about 3 pictures, and then we raced back. It all took about 10 minutes. And my pictures are actually half-way decent!

    The rest of the trip was not especially eventful. I wish it had been.
    We were the last ones out of our car in D.C, on account of all our luggage, which had to be re-strapped and stuff. Once in the actual station, we split for a while, to use the bathroom/find food for Alan/shop. I did the latter, and bought myself a black hat with a bow. It's hard to describe. Sorta newsboy, I guess, but not really. It has shimmery threads in it, which I like. ;-) What's funny is that when I bought it I checked it carefully for holes/defects. And yet when we got to the hotel the bow promptly fell off. Even though it was easy to sew back on, I decided not to purchase any more clothing articles during the trip! :D
    Once all back together, we had to catch a subway train. There was some confusion about our subway passes, which was resolved with some difficulty. But we made it on the trolley at last, with all our baggage. I must declare here that I hate D.C. subways. Boston was fine, but D.C. is horrid. Don't ask me why, because I don't know!
    Our hotel was a Day's Inn, not easily found. But we found it at last and dumped our bags with relief! Our family of six is really too large for one hotel room. That was made rather clear over the trip. It's a good thing we love each other. ;-)
    Dinner was found at a buffet-type place (priced by the pound, of course). I was happy to hear 'My Heart Will Go On' on the radio.
    All my view of D.C. so far was in the dark, but I already could perceive that I wasn't going to like the actual city as much as Boston. I'll elaborate more on this later. For now, I leave us asleep in our hotel, awaiting the coming adventures!

Part Two coming soon....

Becoming a Tourist

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:55:00 -0500

Just a short update- I'll be gone for quite a while.... though that's not new in any way, I'm sure! My posting schedule doesn't deserve mentioning! ;-) Anyway, I'll be taking a trip to Boston and Washington DC soon. I'll try to work up a longer post with more substance when I get back. ;-)

Copyright © 2008 by GraceElizabeth