Gettysburg

Good morning!  Imagine me cracking my knuckles and dusting off my computer.

We took the opportunity to visit Gettysburg last month, wow.  Maybe it was just me, but when we parked and got out of the car, I actually felt the history and heartbreak there, it was overwhelming. (To be fair, it could have just been the humidity.)

We watched the movie in the visitors center and were a little concerned that it would be too graphic for the boys.  We warned them ahead of time that the film may show photographs of dead bodies.  The only thing that seemed to upset them was the volume of the music during the movie, but the images themselves only prompted questions which is what we hoped.

Living in mid-Virginia, there is a much different attitude toward the Civil War than there is in Indiana.  Seriously the cannons on town squares still point North...I'm not joking.  We have friends that come from even further south and Chief and I discovered early-on that, for them, the Civil War had very little to do with slavery.  Sure it's not the WHOLE story, but you can't leave it out, either.  

So while at Gettysburg we were trying to explain to the boys about the battles and who came from which directions.  Union and Confederate, North and South, but what really speaks to that age group of boys....good guys and bad guys.   I admit it didn't exactly feel right leaving them with the impression that the Confederates were the "bad guys" but they understand the Civil War to be about slavery...those who wanted it and those who didn't.  They don't think about state's rights, they think about human rights.  

The biggest hit of the day, was Devil's Den (thanks to my Gettysburg expert, Jen!)  Where curiously, I discovered that I am now afraid of heights.  But I understand that this is common when you have young children, and may go away after time....

See those 3 figures standing on that rock....that's my family...they are having fun...I'm hyperventilating.

Chili-Slaw Dog

I don't like condiments and I am not an adventurous eater.  Truly....I don't even like mayonnaise on my BLTs.  That is not to say that I don't like all different kinds of food, I just don't see the point in mixing them all up.  I know,  I know they all get mixed in my stomach, but fortunately you don't "often" taste the contents of your stomach ( that grossed me out a little typing it).  I just don't understand this whole fusion thing, I'm sorry country-fried squid with cheese sauce sounds like a terrible pregnancy craving. 

Anyway...I like my foods plain.  I don't need butter or cheese to eat broccoli, just give me the broccoli.  You get the idea.   So imagine my surprise when I saw on TV a hot dog with cole slaw and chili, and my first response was....hmm I bet that is good.  Most surprising because I REALLY don't like cole slaw. I did some basic tests first to see if I was dreaming...no.  Then I checked to see if I was under alien mind control...too soon to tell.  So what did I do?  Well as I was making a trip to the commissary anyway...I got all the stuff for a chili-slaw dog. 

Chief made one up for himself, and I figured I would try one bite, hate it, then he would eat the rest then I would have a plain (burnt...because hot dogs must be burnt!) hot dog.  The chili-slaw dog was amazing.   I ate the whole thing  AND there was mustard on it....mustard is worst of all condiments.                         

I am also thinking that cole slaw on a barbecued pulled-pork sandwich would also be good.....what is happening to me?  Darn aliens.

Maze

Okay....back to Luray.  After we explored the cave, we went to the Garden Maze.  Like a corn maze but made of really tall hedges:

We split up.  Chief with H, and L and me.  It was my suggestion to split up, and my suggestion that we see who gets done first...but it was L's suggestion to run.  And run we did.  In the maze you had to find 4 stations, and stamp your card with a word.  These 4 words then were the theme of the maze.  We did finish first, well ahead of Chief and H, but we were sweaty and exhausted.  L led the way, for the most part.  Tricky because his center of gravity is much lower ,so he took the turns much faster.  I was afraid we would get separated if I didn't stay right on his heels.  Fortunately I didn't damage any hedges by falling over.

After Chief and H made it out, we enjoyed a nice ice cream together.  The maze was easily the best part of the day....even if L and I had to pretend that "it wasn't really a race....."

I feel the earth move under my feet.....

In case you haven't heard?  That's unlikely unless you live in the west and don't own a TV.  We had an earthquake yesterday.  5.9 baby!  We live just 56 miles from the epicenter (yes I looked it up on the GPS). 

All joking aside, perhaps one of the most frightening things I've been through.  I have felt earthquakes before, small ones of course.  Nothing like this.  There was no doubt in my mind it was an earthquake.  Then I thought, "maybe I am crazy?"  but sure enough everyone in the eastern United States felt it. 

I won't regale you with the whole story, of being on the phone with my mom, then yelling for my kids....oh wait...sorry.  After about a dozen phone calls from friends, neighbors, my mother-in-law, Chief, and a return call to my mom....we are back to our afternoon activities....that don't include huddling in a doorway.

Anyway, we are fine.  No damage.

Caves

Last week, we took the boys to some nearby caves, here in Virginia.  A bit of a drive, so we didn't tell them where we were going, instead we said "we are going to see a guy about a thing".  This worked for a while until L asked "what thing?"  Chief replied "oh....a house thing."  Then I realize that it may not remain a secret for very long, because L can read, and we were often passing advertisements for the caves.  Meanwhile H is complaining about going to see the "guy" and asks if when we get there if he can stay in the car.  Trying not to laugh I  said "sure, once we get there if you decide you want to stay in the car I will stay with you."  Finally we arrive at the caves and they were thrilled.  L had no idea, he had seen the signs but figured the "guy" lived near the caves, but H, of course, said he knew all along and that he had tricked us by pretending he didn't want to go.  HA!

The Luray caverns were discovered in 1878, by a group of men curious of the cool air issuing from a small hole in the ground, in the middle of August.  The largest series of caverns in the east, the immense number of stalactites and stalagmites still empress cave experts today.  The guide had a clever way to tell the difference between stalactites and stalagmites.  Stalactites hold "tight" to the ceiling, and stalagmites "might" reach there one day.  This is not the way I tell the difference, but I won't insult you with my junior-high humor.

We had a great time, it was nice to escape the VA heat if only for an hour.



This formation is 120 feet around.



 The largest body of water in the cave.  The water is only a foot deep but is so still that it reflects perfectly the ceiling above.

This the largest musical instrument in the world, covering 3 acres. 

Here is a vidoe I found of the organ being played.  Rubber tiped mallets gently tap the stalactites to make this music:

Water

We were at the beach last week. Sounds rather cavalier, doesn’t it? It wasn’t. It was a big deal. I’ve only been to the ocean a couple of times, and never since Chief and I married. So this was a first for our boys too. We were there with my brother and his family and our parents. We all stayed in a great house, close to the beach with a big pool. It was, truthfully, one of the nicest vacations I’ve ever had.

My world-traveler sister, N, said that Chief and I ought to go swimming one night in the ocean. “Yeah, that does sound nice.” I said. When really I’m thinking no way, never going to happen. Here is the truth; I CAN swim, but not very well. I can also tread water…briefly. The thought of being in an enormous body of water with powerful currents and not being able to touch bottom….terrifies me. Fortunately the water was too cold for anything besides running from the waves as they came on shore. Pools are better, but only the shallow end. Diving boards? Forget it…..I’ve never stepped foot on one, let alone chickened out of a jump. I am afraid of water.

The boys were a little intimidated by the sound and power of the waves. L would go and fill his bucket…but H wouldn’t even step where the sand was wet on the first day. We built a sand castle for the purpose of watching the tide destroy it. Finally I was able to coax H into sitting on my lap as the tide swept over us and the castle. Sadly one particularly strong wave spun us in a little circle (and filled my suit with 12 lbs. of sand) and that was enough for H. He was back to digging in the dry sand and asking his cousins to fill his buckets. The girls must have made a dozen or more trips!

But they are not afraid of water, in general. L is turning into a good swimmer, but always cautious. That would be one of the three words I would always use to describe my oldest…a trait that I appreciate. H on the other hand….sometimes we call him “Tank”. He will go and do nearly anything, so I was actually very surprised at his reaction to the waves. H’s newest thrill is being “thrown” into the water….and not just clearing the surface of the water either….

Note: the water where he was “landing” is actually much deeper than where Chief is standing.

I hope that they turn into great swimmers...that like jumping from the diving boards.  I will enjoy watching them...from the shallow end.

Vacation Pictures...don't get too excited

We had a great vacation. We went to Indiana and Michigan to visit our families. Vacations where you go somewhere new are nice too, most of the time you get to do all that you want and a few things you didn’t know you wanted to do in the first place. Vacations “back home” (where ever back home is) are never like that….you never have enough time to see all the people you want.

If I were wildly popular I would host a big pot-luck party every time we went to visit. That way I would get to SEE everyone and everyone could SEE me. There are only two problems with that. First, it is a lot egotistical, and second you wouldn’t have meaningful conversations with anyone. (Actually three: every third person brings baked beans….I hate baked beans.)

So instead we see only a handful of people. Although this visit, as it coincided with the 4th of July, we went to a party at my aunt’s house, so I got to see a few of my cousins and my sister as well. I contributed a corn casserole which actually was wildly popular (compared to baked beans of course). Otherwise we only made plans with a few people.

I got to see R’s new baby. Spend time with A and her family (she also took some really great family pictures!) and was surprised in getting to visit with A’s cousin whom I’ve been thinking a lot about recently. Spent an evening with the Chen family, and a parade with my pen pal and her family. We spent a day with D’s mom and assorted family members looking through old pictures and getting some laughs. We went to the zoo, did some shopping, ran a 5.5K (and didn’t die), got new tires, put together several puzzles, and I ate massive amounts of popcorn. The boys played with cousins and friends, chased peacocks, played with puppies and kittens, and got incredibly sweaty and dirty.

We were so occupied in fact, that there were only 6 pictures on the camera when we got home. For your viewing pleasure: OUR VACATION 2011



in case you ever wondered what a peacock looked like from the back



you're not really that surprised are you? 

Noise

There is a common misconception that the country is peaceful and quiet.  This is simply not so.

When I first went off to college, I thought I would never sleep again.  Even though the college I went to is considered rural, I was not used to all the people and cars.  The noise after dark: flushing toilets, talking in the hallways, the cars (and their stereos), not to mention the singing drunks, fighting drunks, and stupid drunks.

Germany was “my” first duty station when D joined the military.  We lived in an apartment building…or a “stairwell” with 5 other families. We lived on the second level so we shared all our walls except the front and back.  Actually now that I think about it, this was not much different than college, except there were more domestic violence issues. 

Now, of course, we live in suburbia… so it has gotten quieter.  Now we have the guy (I’m assuming) that has a really loud stereo that drives by @11 pm each night that shakes the house.  We have car alarms, barking dogs, the quarry, and the nearby artillery ranges that knock pictures off my walls.  And of course we still have the singing drunks (but they are kind of growing on me).

Here we are on vacation in the country, what could be worse than those things?   Since I’ve not lived at home for many years, the noises that I used to be able to sleep through, I no longer can.  Like frogs…they are loud.  Last night, D and I both woke with a start to what sounded like your typical loud drunken party (with slightly more screaming than normal).  I immediately recognized the sound, but reminded D that it was coyotes and not something worth getting out of bed for.  And let me tell you roosters have NOTHING on peacocks.  Seriously…..  If you’ve never heard a peacock it is a little difficult to describe the noise they make,  a little like  “ah-ell” but long and loud…really loud.  And not just one at a time either.

There is really only one cure for sleeping through the night in the noisy country, and it is exactly what my boys did yesterday.  What my parents do every day.  My mom would call it work but my dad and my boys call it play.  They played all day long, mostly outside.  And as H said this morning “I didn’t even SEE the night.”

Road Trip

I love road trips. The last vacation I went on with my parents was a road trip. It was JT, JT’s friend Todd, myself and our parents. We had no firm plans we just drove east. We were in high school so we were pretty good at entertaining ourselves….kind of freaky how far a chicken nugget can bounce down a highway. We played the longest game of “War” (my mom calls it Everlasting) ever…and also the shortest. Courtesy of paper and markers you can learn a lot about other drivers on the interstate…or they can learn a lot about you. Also, after an exhaustive study truck drivers will not blow the horn for you more than twice.

We stopped at most of the “scenic outlooks” that we passed. One was an old fire watch tower. All three of us kids started up, but only Todd and I made it to the top…it was a little wobbly. It was also at this stop that we captured a picture of JT peeing in the woods. At another stop, Todd fell down a steep hill and very nearly didn’t continue the road trip with us.

Most of the motels we stayed at had pools, so early on in the trip, we stopped and bought a rubber ball to play with in the pools. Supplies were limited, so we ended up with a Pocahontas ball…not exactly the boys’ first choice. Sadly the ball did not last the whole trip…but even a broken ball can be fun. Part of it made a loose-fitting swim cap and the other parts where good to throw at one another in the back of the van. It is on this vacation, at one of the pools, that I was pushed into the pool... dressed to go back to our rooms. That has been the only time I’ve been pushed into a pool…and I still need to get Todd back for that.

Road trips for me now, aren’t quite that fun…yet. The boys are still young to not find all that sitting tedious. We usually drive to IN about once a year, and this is the only time we let them watch movies in the car. Aside from the “are we still in Ohio?” question that I have to answer for about 6 hours...it’s really not a bad trip. D and I have a lot of good conversations and that is always entertaining. And these trips have made for some funny family stories. However, as most of them include bodily functions on the side of the road I will spare you the details….but ask L he will happily oblige you, if you are really curious.

The road trip with a goat was when I was very young. So after I get some more details and hopefully *fingers crossed* a photograph I will be sharing that with you soon.

We are on a road trip right now actually, and I’ve probably answered “yes” to the above question 4 times already.

Dinosaur Land

This past weekend, we went to Dinosaur Land.  From what I can gather it was built in the 60's and is run now by the original owner/builder's grandchildren.  It was more than dinosaurs, giant octopus, mastodon, megalodon, and even King Kong.  They are not "accurate" in the strictest sense of the word, but......the place was great, admission for the 4 of us was only $18, the photos ops. alone made it worth it.  Unfortunately for you, I am no wiz with a camera and neither is D.  If you were...you could probably take some great shots. 

 

Here is a link to Dinosaur Land.