Last March the friends in Maryland we were staying with took us into Washington DC on the metro, to teach how it works. My son had a blast. He had always wanted to ride one of these.  I was incredibly thankful they showed us how to use it, because I had always been overwhelmed with the idea. We used it one other time since, to go to the Cherry Blossoms and rode it like pros thanks to them!  However, I have decided I do not like the metro. I do not like being underground. I do not like watching the lights flash by, making me dizzy and causing me to lose my balance, due to my lack of balance nerve.  Also, all that time underground made me feel like those miserable cave creatures in the George McDonald books. Every time I leave the metro and enter fresh air and sunlight I want to scream and dance for delight! (I'm shy so that's saying a lot!) However I am sure that one of these days I will take the kids into DC to see some of the sites on the metro. I'm just not a city gal. Nevertheless I do want to enjoy some of exciting stuff DC has to offer.    

     The day our friends took us on the metro, we went to the Smithsonian and spent some time at the newly renovated American History Museum. Although I had this on our to-do list last summer so that we could see the Star Spangled Banner, I was forced to cross it off my list.  The museum was closed for renovations.  I was extremely disappointed. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine we'd be living in the area and I'd have an opportunity to actually see this historic flag.  

     Part of the renovation process was to make this fragile flag accessible at all times for viewing.  Before, it was raised and then lowered at different times of the day, in order to protect the fragile fibers.  Now it is in a special environment and there are no long lines to wait for viewing like there used to be.  At least at the time we went, we walked right in. 

     The flag was prodigious! Even despite all the snippets that have been cut and given away over the years as souvenirs in the 19th century, it was impressively huge. Being a seamstess, I couldn't imagine sewing anything that massive. I stood there for a long time marveling at the craftsmanship and the history it bore.  Finally moving on, I felt immersed in the battle at Fort McHenry as I read and looked at the displays around the flag. When we moved to the next room, my kids and I played with the interactive flag to discover all the information the flag holds in it's tears, rips and stains. Well, I suppose I can make like a mole in the metro for a while to be able to see fascinating pieces of history up close, like the Star Spangled Banner..