Category Archives: Memories

Inaugural Ball

Events, Memories, People, Photographs, , ,

In 1997 my friend and colleague, Joan, whose mother went to college in Illinois and who knew I was from Illinois, wondered if I’d be interested in going to an unofficial Inaugural Ball which was being hosted by some Illinois organization. I said yes, and asked my mom and aunt if they’d like to go too. They did and flew out from Illinois a few days before the event.

There were seven of us all together — Joan and her mom, our friend Carolyn and her daughter Sarah and my mom, my aunt Ginny and me. The actual ball was not exactly wonderful — boring actually — but getting ready for it was a lot of fun. And afterward we could say that we’d been to an Inaugural Ball.

A lot has happened in the twelve years since that ball — both with our country and in the personal lives of the seven women who attended. In fact a variety of books (war, romance, medical, to name a few genres) could be written about all the events that transpired since 1997.

This year I didn’t have a posse of friends with whom to attend a ball. If someone had suggested it, perhaps I might have done so, but it didn’t happen so Dean and I decided to hold our own Inaugural Ball.

Dean invited a few friends from work, some neighbors and friends we’ve made through our children and I invited a couple of people I knew through the Internet (the ones Dean refers to as my imaginary friends).

Our invitation was based on one I found online.

We chose a Chicago style menu of Italian Beef, Chicago style Hot Dogs, Jello salad, & potato salad with mustard. We also had Old Style beer on hand (plus some from Wisconsin).

Dean gathered dance music for the “ballroom”. (but no one danced — it seems the music stopped after a while and we forgot to start it up again)

The party was a lot of fun — it was great having folks from various parts of our lives in the same place at the same time (sort of like Facebook). I wish I could have talked to more people in depth, but I was pretty busy bringing out the different courses.

I think I got to talk to everyone, at least for a few minutes. Dean and I decided, however, to not have two parties* so close to each other again. Maybe one in the winter and one in the spring or autumn.

Despite his busy schedule, President-elect Obama stopped by for some Chicago food and posed with the guests.

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*we host a Christmas / Holiday party for folks from Dean’s office each December.

A bald eagle story

Birds, Memories, ,

Yesterday, on the way to a wrestling tournament, I looked up and saw a bald eagle soaring high above the strip malls along Norbeck Road in Montgomery County. I immediately thought it was a bald eagle by the way its wings were straight out (not in a “V” like a vulture). Any doubt diminished when I saw the flashes of white on its tail and head as it rode the wind currents.

I was excited to see this eagle, even though they are not uncommon anymore. I don’t get out to places where they are seen very often — so seeing this one pleased me — and made me remember my first bald eagles.

It must have been the late 1980’s and we were spending Thanksgiving or New Year’s Eve with my parents in their Wisconsin home. My dad was still my dad and he and I were on an errand to pick up some groceries in town. We’d just gone through the main part of Minocqua and were passing lake Minocqua. I looked over at the frozen lake and noticed ice fishermen. Then I noticed large birds flying over the fishermen and realized they were bald eagles. I let out a joyous curse word then immediately apologized for swearing in front of my dad. He laughed and pulled over so I could get a longer look at my first eagles. When we got back to the house I wrote, in large black letters on the not-yet-painted drywall “Dona saw her first bald eagle!” and the date of the siting.

Dad would often remind me of that day when we were together, but he may have forgotten about it by now. I haven’t forgotten though — it is a good memory I have of my dad.

Over the river and through the woods

Events, Life, Memories, , ,

to cut ourselves a tree…

We did it again — we took our almost annual trip to Loudoun County to cut down our Christmas tree. We’ve been doing this since the kids were quite small — Clare might have been 6 when we started.

This is the last year we’ll go to Jacobson’s Tree Farm though — suburbia is moving in. Next year there will probably be McMansions where the trees used to be. Loudoun County is one of the fastest growing counties in the DC Metro area. People who want to live in the country, yet be close to DC are buying up the land and building homes there. (And according to Wikipedia, it is the wealthiest county in the country.)

But this post is not about suburban sprawl. It’s about our annual trip to cut down a Christmas tree.

We ate a delicious breakfast of Dutch Babies (weird name for a baked pancake sort of thing — very reminiscent of a Yorkshire pudding). Then piled in the Highlander for our trip to Virginia. The weather didn’t cooperate. It was chilly and rainy. We would have preferred snow, of course, but it didn’t happen.

Sure, Virginia is a short distance away via bridges and interstates, but we go the long way. The way that involves a ferry, country roads and wooded scenery. We cheated this time and drove up 270 instead of going on River Road where it actually does follow the river. We got off 270 in Gaithersburg and drove along Rt. 28 until we found White’s Ferry Road then took the ferry to Virginia, then drove to the tree farm.

The Jubal Early @ White's Ferry

When we first began getting our trees from Jacobson’s the farm was covered in a forest of pine and fir trees. It was hard to choose trees, because they were so plentiful. The area was so big that the owners brought wagons pulled by tractors to patrons when they’d chosen their trees. Now there might have been 100 trees left in three spots. Two were a bit of a walk, but one was pretty close to the parking lot. We headed there first, not because of its proximity, but because I prefer Canaan Firs for my Christmas tree. We found one right away, Dean unceremoniously cut it down (we forgot to thank it for giving its life so we could put presents under it). Dean and Andrew carried it to the shed where it was vibrated (to help it shed loose needles) and tied up in string. Then Andrew and Dean tied it to the top of the Highlander while Clare and I went into the shed to warm up.

Our Tree

Being a rainy day early in the season, there were few people at the tree farm. The owners said they’d be up and running at a different location in a couple of years. We gave them our email address so they could tell us when they were ready for business.

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On the way to Leesburg for lunch we stopped at the Old Lucketts Store to look through their 3 floors of antiques. On the top floor I met a man who told me that the store was allegedly haunted. It didn’t surprise me — I felt a chill when entering one of the rooms on the third floor, but that might have been because it was full of previously owned clothes worn by creepy mannequins. Clare and Dean tried on coats, but neither worked out.

We then drove to Leesburg and parked in front of the Leesburg Restaurant — another part of the tradition. Leesburg Restaurant is a dining establishment that’s been around since 1865, according to their sign. The inside of the restaurant is a throwback to a more innocent time — and very art deco-y

Leesburg Restaurant

After eating a cholesterol filled meal we walked to another antique store up the road where we browsed the basement for bargains. Clare found a few things, but the rest of us just looked.

Then we drove back home, taking the ferry again — but taking lesser roads than we took to get to Virginia.

Return Trip Ticket White's Ferry

Dean set the tree up and we got out our decorations. As mentioned in another post, the lights didn’t work, so the tree stood naked for a day. I bought lights the next day and Clare put them on the tree. That’s as far as we’ve gotten. Maybe we’ll decorate it tonight.

The Tree at Home