... that time just we girls went to the east coast? It was only a month ago, but might have been last year, so busy we have been since then. We planned the trip mostly to see friends, partly to go on halfhearted college visits, somewhat to see our country's capital again, and a little tiny bit to see trees and green farms. And then you middle girls had to fly home independently together - all the way from one side of the country to the other, navigating three airports, feeling grown-up, and bonding as sisters during the daunting challenge, while your youngest sibling, lucky seven, and I took a different plane to the middle of the country to see her brothers and grandparents, instead of going home. The pretext for this part of the trip was to be present for the oldest brother's second ACL surgery. We hope this will be the last knee surgery for him, but I fear a lifetime of joint trouble in his future. We helped him settle into his new living arrangements off-campus for the year, met the second brother returning to South Bend from CA to go on an East Coast field trip of his own - this time with his architecture class - to tour colonial architecture, beginning at the favorite spot of his youth, Williamsburg, and ending in Philadelphia and DC, from whence we had just departed. We all had pizza for dinner, spent a lot of money on apartment cleaning and cooking supplies at Walmart, and called it a night because the youngest miss was falling apart, and she needed her rest because the next day was spent waiting and waiting at the hospital and returning for more home goods to Walmart and Home Depot, stores that I can't wait to get out of, but I can't seem to go from entrance to exit in less than an hour.
After a day of rest for my son, and a day of weeding, edging, and scouring bathrooms for me (why is it so much more appealing to tidy someone else's yard and spaces than my own?) - we traveled south a few hours to my parents for rest and recuperation, and another health-restoring trip to the homeland. For two days I got to be my father's farmhand, helping with harvesting honey and hay baling. We looked at cows and chickens, visited with cousins, and went through closets, a typical visit with my family of origin.
And then we boarded another plane to head west back to the family that originated with me and my husband, who had missed this adventure but had his own, and more to look forward to. The kids were ready for the rounds of physicals, dental appointments, shoe shopping, and notebook reorganizing and replenishing that precede the start of a new school year. So a month later, I am just now looking over the photos and reminiscing, part of the joy of travel.
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| Here we go! |
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| Enjoying the succulent wall and trying to get a bit of rest on a red-eye |
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| Horseback riding with friends |
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| A view of Maryland |
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| Mother Teresa at Mt St Mary's College |
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| Visiting Villanova |
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| Get up and walk, little girl |
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| A quick tour of revolutionary landmarks in Philadelphia |
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| The portrait gallery |
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| The lines were too long to wait to enter Independence Hall, but we walked around it. |
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| Ditto, the lines to see the Liberty Bell - but you can photograph it through the window. The last time I was in Philadelphia, in 1992?, I seem to remember you could walk right up to the bell and touch it. Now you have to wait in a long line to circle around it in a little building. |
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| The public market at the old train station |
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| Giant whoopie pies! |
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| Cityscape |
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| Ben Franklin's grave |
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| Fun with friends |
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| Everyone loves a church bbq |
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| ... and giant slides |
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| The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in DC, home of scary Jesus. |
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| This is sweet Jesus, though, easier to love than the Aryan mosiac Jesus under the dome |
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| Getting a good breakfast at Busboys and Poets |
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| Visiting DC on Sunday morning meant few crowds - but nothing was open |
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| Someday I will make it inside the Library of Congress |
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| My travel friend |
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| I don't remember ever visiting the lovely botanical building in the past, but it was worth the stop |
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| With only a few hours to spend in the city, we didn't have time to visit museums, but we did pop in the Smithsonian castle and were amused by the robot |
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| The Washington Monument was also still closed |
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| Construction on the Jefferson Memorial |
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| We needed a break to cool off by the WWII memorial fountain |
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| From the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial was a long walk on a hot, hot day |
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| Quick stop for a photo in front of the White House. Lots of construction. |
From the big city to a small town to a rural farm:
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| The south bend of the St. Joseph River at sunrise |
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| I should have a photo of every kid at about this age on the big red tractor |
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| The spiders have been busy |
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| As are the butterflies |
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| Surprise lilies and surprise treats |
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| Honey harvesting |
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| The youngest of the herd |
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| Blackeyed Susans taking over |
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| Back home, having a fancy tea party in preparation for the Downtown Abbey film |
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