The Line and Sinker

This morning Dave and I were able to go to a nearby nature center to fish for a bit. Well, he fished; I worked on my fly-casting. Next week we go to Minnesota, since I now have a flyrod, I will need to do a bit of flyfishing. I don't want to embarrass myself with poor casting--granted my family will know little about my casting form, but I do need to be able to sortof cast.

There is so much to remember when casting a flyrod. You have to keep your arm next to your body. You must remember to flick your wrist at the appropriate parts of the cast. You have to remember to let the line unfurl behind you before you begin to cast it forward. And, I'm sure there's other stuff to remember that I don't even recall or know about right now. Dave tells me that I have a nice loop on my line; I'll take him at his word.

As for Dave's fishing . . . it's been raining here forever it seems. We went fishing between rain showers today. At Dave's first spot, he was unsuccessful. Then, when we walked over to a little riffle where water was moving from one pond to another, he caught the bass shown below.

Book Review

When we traveled to Washington, I was afforded the opportunity to read a book for pleasure. I finished it last week. What a great read. Thanks to Judy for loaning it to me.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by Kim Edwards


The Memory Keeper's Daughter is the story of a doctor, David Henry, who delivers his own children the night of a snow storm in 1964. The first, a boy named Paul is perfect; the second, a daughter named Phoebe, has Down's Syndrome. Henry sends his nurse, Carolyn Gill, to take the girl to a home. Gill can't leave the baby there and takes her to raise in another town as her own. Dr. Henry tells his wife that the daughter died. While Henry's decision was made because he wanted to save his wife pain, his decision wrecks his marriage and his life. (Does that sound like the back of a book. or what?)

I know that society has changed a great deal since 1964 in our acceptance of individuals with special needs; I'm glad that I've grown up in this more tolerant world. I do wonder to what extent having an uncle with a disability has shaped my outlook. It's interesting to look back and try to pinpoint when I realized that my uncle Buck was different. I can't. I suppose it was late elementary school; or maybe late elementary school is just the point when I can begin to remember most things. Nothing was ever said about Buck being different, or how exactly Buck was different. I suppose I just knew that Buck was, well Buck. I appreciate the fact that Mama taught me that.

Perhaps my experience led me to accept a position as a Special Education teacher. I worked primarily with students with learning disabilities, but when I could, I always dropped by the classroom with the lower-functioning students--students like my uncle Buck and Phoebe. Truly, students with Down's, like Phoebe, can always make me smile. Melissa is one of the students I visited. Her smile was infectious. When I left the school, she was in a job-coached position at an ice cream shop. I know her parents would never have made the decision that the fictional Dr. Henry makes in The Memory Keeper's Daughter.

I suppose I should also be thankful for society's shift regarding positions in marriage. Dave and I truly share the decision making. I can't imagine either of us making such an important decision without consulting the other. Dave has been a tremendous support while I've worked on my graduate degree. He has eaten frozen pizza on Tuesday nights for two years; he has bugged me about finishing my homework and projects; he has missed his "playmate" on weekends when I have had to study while he wants to fish or kayak. I don't see the doctor in The Memory Keeper's Daughter as being so supportive of his wife in her pursuits. She does start working for a travel agency and eventually buys it; while her husband doesn't object, he doesn't support her the way Dave supports me.

Washington, D.C. Part 2

Monday morning we went back to the Silver Diner for another crabcake benedict breakfast.

Day two started at the Washington Monument; we didn't make it early enough to get tickets to go up into the monument.

We walked over to the World War II Memorial.

Then, meandered down the reflecting pool toward the Lincoln Memorial.

Before getting there, we went over to a World War I Memorial to citizens of the District of Columbia.
We crossed the street and circled the tidal basin toward the Jefferson Memorial. Before getting there, we walked through the FDR Memorial--one of my favorites. It was filled with many famous quotations from his speeches.

The Jefferson Memorial was breathtaking.

After buying hotdogs from a street vendor, we found a shady spot for lunch on the Mall.

The White House. W gets his lawn cut.


An interesting building along the way.

Luckily, Scott and Tonya wanted to go to back to the Library of Congress while it was open. I am so glad we did. The interior of the building was beautiful. We were able to see the Gutenberg Bible and one of George Washington's school notebooks with his Geometry lessons. I was amazed at the beauty of the copied proofs. If only students today were as meticulous in their school work.
After another long day of walking, we headed back to the airport and to the "real world".

Washington, D.C. Part 1

We were able to sightsee Sunday and Monday. We rode the Metro into the city and began our walking tour of the city following a delicious lunch at the cafe in the American Indian Museum, one of the newer Smithsonian buildings.


I had to stop for a photo in front of the Department of Education.


A stroll through the Botanical Gardens.


The American Indian Museum--We had an awesome lunch here. Thanks to Kim for the recommendation.

The rotunda from inside.



Grant Statue

A big tree on the Capitol lawn.



The House of Representatives
We did take time for Scott to make friends with a squirrel.

Fountain outside the Library of Congress
The Supreme Court

Taft Memorial
A water fall outside the Candian Embassy provided cool water for hot necks.
Part of the Canadian Embassy, still under construction.
The National Sculpture Gardens
A Lichtenstein




The house where Lincoln died is directly across the street from Ford's Theater.The Capitol from the Mall.
The Smithsonian Castle
Washington Monument near sunset.

Pete and Lisa's Reception

When Dave pledeged to Kappa Sig, I cried. The only concept I had of fraternities was from Hollywood. Scenes from Animal House rushed through my mind, and I feared that Dave would tire of dating me, breaking up with me for all the girls that fraternity boys attract. Dave assured me that my Hollywood image was not true. A month or so later, I learned one of the benefits of having a brotherhood on campus when Dave and I were in a car accident in Atlanta. After being cut from my car by the jaws of life and taken to Georiga Baptist Hospital, Dave called the house phone to ask for a ride back to campus. Not having to wait at the hospital for two hours while my parents drove to Atlanta was a God-send. Ray picked us up and drove us back to the house, making me a devotee of Kappa Sigma.
I tell this story because Dave lived in the house for five years, cultivating friendships that will last a lifetime. Since we moved away from Atlanta following our marriage, we do not get to see these guys (and the girlfriends like me that became wives) very often. Pete and Lisa's wedding was a great opportunity to catch up with everyone.