Week 43

October 25: I started working on my costume for Halloween... dark purple/navy nails.

October 26: Advance voting polling places opened today in Sedgwick County.  I love being able to skip lines on election day.

Then Diesel and I got a spectacular view on our walk thru the park.

October 27: After meeting at the bookstore to choose a new study for our biblestudy, we hung out at Starbucks and I brought scones to share.

October 28: I did an old fashioned on-hands-and-knees scrubbing of the kitchen & dining room tile floor.  It hasn't been this clean since I got the dog. 

October 29: A coworker's girlfriend had an art show that was part of Final Friday.  It was fun...and good art!

October 30: This morning Janel, Gayle & I went on a trolley tour of Wichita.  It was an item on the Wichita Bucket List.  Saw parts of town I'd never been in and learned a lot about the history of town.

On the tour we passed The Patriot Guard.  It was a goose-bump inducing to see them guarding the funeral service of a young soldier from Wichita who died in Afganistan.

Tonight I hosted a costume party.  It was great and there were some very inventive costumes. I was Kat Von D from the show LA Ink. 

October 31: This was my party centerpiece that I get to enjoy for awhile.  The idea was a deconstructed bouquet - bought one bouquet at the store and then broke it up into multiple smaller vases. 

Week 42

October 18: The 30 pew bows for Janel & Phil's December wedding are ready to be fluffed and put in place. 

October 19: This is what golf ball sized hail will do to your roof.  And this is why I have insurance. 

October 20: I have been charmed lately by the Delano District.  It is small area just west of downtown with some cute shops and restaurants.  It is also the only place in town with a luggage repair shop - which fixed my suitcase with a broken wheel.  Yea!

October 21: I love watching this tree change colors, it's the only red tree in my neighborhood.

October 22: Pathway's annual fall barn dance is always a fun time.

October 23: I joined some friends for a bike ride this morning.  I did about 11 miles.  This is a view of downtown from underneath Kellogg.

And a great picturesque spot along the river. These views are not ones you can get from a car - you have to get out and explore.

October 24: Fall has made it into my cooking.  Today I made cranberry scones - amazing! - and roasted squash soup.

Washington DC

I visited Washington DC for the first time. It was amazing.  I met up with Christy, Michael, and his mom for a few days of sight-seeing.  We walked all over downtown DC.  It is a great town to be a tourist in.  We saw so much but there’s still a ton left to see.  I definitely want to go back someday.

 The Friendship Gate

 

 The Musuem of American History had lots of interesting artifacts. Like Julia Child's kitchen,  

Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, Kermit, George Washington's uniform.

 
 

Walked The National Mall - The Washington Monument

 

The World War II Memorial

The Vietnam War Memorial - This is my favorite picture that I took on the trip.  Just as the sun was setting, making the granite wall look like glass.

The Korean War Memorial

We got to the Lincoln Memorial after the sunset.  This was my favorite monument. So majestic.

The White House

The National Air and Space Museum

Toured the US Capitol Building. The Rotunda is incredible.

 
 
 

 

The National Archives - got to see originals of the US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and The Bill of Rights.

The National Gallery of Art - there was an awesome special exhibit of French impressionists, most of my favorite artists.   

Our last stop was Ford's Theatre where President Lincoln was shot.  While it is still a working theatre, they keep the booth set up the way it was that fateful night.  It was very interesting to hear all the facts of that day.

Week 41

October 11: We did a tour of the Capitol Building this morning.  The rotunda is amazing.

October 12: My last tourist attraction on this trip was Ford’s Theatre where President Lincoln was shot.  We got to walk thru the museum in the basement and listen to a Park Ranger talk about that fateful night’s events in the theatre.  It is a working theatre but they don’t use the boxes any more.  The box is set up the same way it was the night Lincoln was shot.

October 13: The sun glinting thru the leaves on our daily walk.

October 14: Some trees are bursting out in these beautiful orange berries.

October 15: Diesel is making my house filthy.  He rolls in the leaves and they stick to his long fur until he comes inside.  Then he rubs his drool soaked snout in the dirt until it is nice and muddy.  Sigh.

October 16: Our church partnered with Hospitals of Hope to sponsor the building of a Clinic in a Can.  These are retrofitted shipping containers that are converted to a self-contained clinic that can be transported to anywhere in the world.  This one is going to Haiti to be manned by Mission of Hope.

October 17: A beautiful sight as we got to the park for a Sunday morning walk. 

An autumnal path.