Washington Wanderings

Last weekend I got to visit my favorite city (do you even have to ask what it is?) and see some of my favorite people. Since I pretty much use any excuse to visit D.C., accepting an invitation to a dear friend's baby shower was good enough for me.

I hit the road from NC on Friday afternoon, willing myself to beat the traffic through Durham and Richmond, which were both pretty tame by the time I rolled through. Arriving into VA, I got to stop at a delicious spot, Cheesetique, to dine with two fabulous friends. Cheesetique is a cheese shop/restaurant where every day features a new selection of cheeses on the boards they offer. The two long cases in the front of the shop are filled with probably at least 200 different cheeses all sitting together in pure ecstasy. Across from them are homemade spreads, honeys, pickled olives and as many cheese accompaniments as your imagination can conjure. Beside those, sitting between the cooler of homemade pasta and sauces, is a wall of wines. It's no wonder that this is a fun place to visit with friends. Between the three of us, we managed to polish off two cheese boards and a bottle of wine while we caught up on life. It was wonderful!

After gabbing at Cheesetique, I made my way to Mal and Dave's where I made camp for the weekend. It's like going to my home away from home (I guess called I called it "home" at one point before moving back to NC). As always, catch-up time with them was a cherry to the night's sundae.

Saturday morning and afternoon were stellar because I had some time to myself (Mal was working and Dave was earning CE credits/watching football). With my book and camera in hand, I made my way to one of my favorite places in DC to relax and clear my head: the Congressional Cemetery! Now, I know some of you may be worried about my "obsession" (as some have called it) with the cemetery, but you need not be. Every one should have a place where they go for quality "alone" time. My go-to spot in DC just happens to be one of the coolest, underground places (no pun intended) in the city. It's yet to be discovered by many folks because it sits far from the touristy, overly-visited places that the city has to offer. Yet it's the final resting place of some of the more famous names in history.

Knowing of my adoration for the grounds, Mallory and Dave gave Mike and me a beautiful, framed watercolor painted map of the cemetery. I took my camera there on Saturday to take some pictures of some of the tombstones and markers highlighted on the map. My plan is to print and frame them in smaller frames around the 16x20" painting they gave us. Here are some of the shots I took:

One of my favorite benches to visit while I'm there

J. Edgar Hoover's Grave

A bench that sits beside the "Gay Vietnam Veteran" grave- it's a beautiful quote and also a VERY visited graveside

The headstone of the aforementioned grave

Signatures from Visitors

 

He shares my birth date (except for the year!)

A headstone marking graves for the local Methodist church

Military Graves

Family Tombs

Pompy lived to be over 100!

When I'm not at the picnic bench, I'm often found at this one

The Chapel

After taking some pictures I even had some time to read a couple chapters in the book that I'm reading right now. Called Stiff, it's a really fascinating (and funny) book about the "life of human cadavers". I know what you're thinking... but I promise that I've not gone a bit loony. I'm not obsessed with death and dying, despite what the evidence of this post suggests. The book really is SUCH an interesting read. It's filled with so many awesome historical facts and present day trivia about cadavers. I've learned so much about the human body after death and the author has an incredible way of weaving humor into the subject matter.

While in the cemetery, I also enjoyed chatting with a couple men who were "working" a funeral later that afternoon. I'm not sure what their titles would be. They basically are contractors who dig the hole, set up the funeral staples (chairs, mats, etc.), lower the coffin into the ground and then cover it. I think they also install headstones. They told me that it takes about 40 minutes to dig a hole and 20 to set up for the funeral. In just an hour the last chapter of your life can begin. Or maybe the first chapter of your death? Whatevs.... moving on....

After the cemetery was baby shower time. Talk about life full circle, eh? Mal went to the shower with me since it was a mutual friend and it was probably one of the best baby showers I've been attended. Mainly because it wasn't like a shower at all. It was more like a cookout with a bunch of friends gathered, beer on ice, dogs and burgers on the grill and conversation flowing the whole time. There were no cheesy games or time spent watching presents being opened. How many onesies and baby outfits can an audience stand? Well, the audience on Saturday didn't have to stand any of it because there was no such show. And it was awesome.

On Sunday I got to attend National Community Church- yay! I wish I could bottle that church up and carry it in my pocket. It's the first church in my life that I MISS when I don't go. I love everything about it- the music, the people, the pastor's heart, the mission, the community involvement, the meat of the scripture given every week and the desire to be PART of a difference in DC. It's a church for everyone, whether they are a high ranking government official or a transient. All are welcome and they really mean it. I love it.

My weekend in DC wrapped with some hugs and a road trip pointed south. I made it back to NC in time for dinner and chill time with Mike before the week began.

Do you have any favorite pictures of the ones above in the cemetery? I'm trying to narrow them down to about 4-6 to frame.