tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197351912012-02-16T09:18:08.963-05:00A lifestyle blog that's part serious, part quirky, and all me.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.comBlogger8401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-38474394330072523982012-02-14T13:03:00.002-05:002012-02-14T13:03:54.062-05:00

I’ve never really been big on Valentine’s Day. You may have noticed this from previous V-Day posts. But when my mom and I were going through my grandmother’s things, we found an adorable Valentine that I wanted to share: You can't really tell from the pictures, but this was what I think of as a quality card made of nice materials. They were married in 1937 after dating for a couple years, so

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-44752100828979864422012-02-13T21:24:00.000-05:002012-02-13T21:24:31.054-05:00

See what an exciting life I lead? Here I am, deep-cleaning my house so I can bring you the results of my experiments. I'm tackling chores that I've read are supposed to be done every six  months, but I do as rarely as humanly possible. (Translation: Until I can't stand it anymore. Or never. Whichever comes first.)   My big project this week is the kitchen. First up: the stove. No, let's

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-65455672590014340332012-02-12T16:14:00.002-05:002012-02-12T16:14:39.139-05:00

Call me Doubting Thomas, because I kind of agree with him that some things must be seen to be believed. Like this Soap Scum buster that actually works. I first saw it on Pinterest when someone pinned blogger Jillee's post about her experience with it, at that same time that I, coincidentally enough, was looking for eco-friendlier and/or cheaper ways to clean my house. Confession #1: Can I admit

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-67127695938420748022012-02-11T17:48:00.001-05:002012-02-11T17:48:27.877-05:00

Who's ready for some easy entertainment?!? Me. What's really awesome about volunteering for the Social Activities Committee is that I feel obligated to attend certain events that I would otherwise have blown off. We really need to do a better job of marketing, because every one that I've been to so far has been fantastic. Last night was our annual Variety Show. They used to call it the Talent

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0St Katharine Drexel Parish, 8428 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21701, USA39.467996 -77.41452839.455738 -77.434269 39.480254 -77.39478700000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-19596295004265786852012-02-08T01:55:00.000-05:002012-02-08T01:55:05.928-05:00

Lemon = Insomnia at 1:40 a.m. Lemonade = Update the blog! My parish held our annual Cabin Fever dance over a week ago, and I just realized I never posted about it. I wasn't actually planning to go, but they put out a last-minute call for a volunteer to help with concessions. :-) I don't often have posts with my picture in them, but one of the attendees turned the camera on me: Me, at the

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-51965987757800735622012-02-07T15:03:00.000-05:002012-02-07T15:03:43.829-05:00

I mentioned a couple posts ago that there's a new exhibit at the National Museum of American History about Jefferson and Slavery. I know I said it was high on my bucket list, but I was also kind of dreading it, too. The whole issue of slavery is a bit of a downer. I've been reading about the slaves in some pre-Civil War estate files lately, and that's a lot of sadness to take in at one time. I

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0National Museum of American History, 1400 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA38.8913055 -77.029835938.878946500000005 -77.04957689999999 38.9036645 -77.0100949tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-52001405284073041072012-02-04T16:46:00.001-05:002012-02-05T23:33:21.720-05:00

Boy, has this been an emotional week. [Quick recap for those who are reading my blog later and need some context: The Susan G. Komen Foundation decided to not renew one of the grants that had previously been awarded to Planned Parenthood, and really all anyone needs to do is mention the phrase, "Planned Parenthood" and emotions will run hot.* It caused so much furor that Komen apologized.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-42275792908836928952012-02-01T00:02:00.001-05:002012-02-01T00:21:03.548-05:00

A couple days ago, the NY Times wrote about a new exhibit about Thomas Jefferson that is currently running in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Aptly titled, “Slavery at Monticello: The Paradox of Liberty,” the exhibit allegedly allows visitors to explore both sides of one of our nation’s forefathers. As the Times put it, how could the man who wrote The Declaration of

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-57645605052147876612012-01-30T17:25:00.000-05:002012-01-30T17:25:16.754-05:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I joined Pinterest. I fell in love with this pearl wreath from BHG: Won't this be beautiful from December through March?It's a great full-season wreath! I had to make a major change to their wreath, though. While I wanted it to look exactly the same, I can't use glue. My storm door magically turns into a great big magnifying glass when the sun's out. Glue

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-291827770655393032012-01-16T19:23:00.000-05:002012-01-16T19:23:44.026-05:00

I've had a box of Applegate breakfast sausage links sitting in my freezer, crying to be used. I can't print the words they were using, but trust me, they wanted to be consumed and enjoyed. (Who has time to make an elaborate eggs with toast with sausage with...whatever, anymore? Plus, they taste very strong to me. Anyway, they were feeling neglected, the poor dears.) Enter frittatas. First, the

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-14232348661954386822012-01-16T12:39:00.000-05:002012-01-16T12:41:41.917-05:00

Who knew a little tub of fake snow and some shiny things could be over an hour of non-stop entertainment for a five year old? My honorary niece came over on Friday evening and we pulled out her Winter Sensory Tub.  See the fake snow in her hair? She was shocked speechlesswhen I made it rain over her.  We used an icicle as a microphone, performing Katie Perry's Firework. We decked

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-80536946346459883852012-01-12T12:42:00.000-05:002012-01-16T12:41:28.330-05:00

"Take 31,536,000 moments and condense it into a single word, which will be different from the word that defines the previous 31,536,000 moments and will be different (we hope) for the next 31,536,000 moments." The blogosphere seems to have exploded with posts from people declaring that "their word" - a summary of their 2011 - is [insert one word here]. For a bunch of creative, independent

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-41988835520455962722012-01-10T00:05:00.000-05:002012-01-11T15:39:20.997-05:00

...and its name is Pinterest. Time will tell if this is a good addiction or not, but at least I no longer have tons of folders all over my hard drive with pictures I like of other people's interior design. When I bought my house, I mentioned on facebook that I had analysis paralysis, that I had too many options and couldn't get started on my house. A friend (thank you Jennifer!) recommended

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-72994452367450113722012-01-03T22:35:00.000-05:002012-01-06T15:55:27.513-05:00

This is not a post about New Year's Resolutions, but baby, change is a-coming. Probably not in the form of more timely blog posts. But I am changing departments at work (effective today, am now reporting to the best leader I've ever worked with), and I'm already loving it. I'm also jonesing to starting living more healthfully, get my kitchen organized, start decorating, get my genealogy database

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-67515649704111606532012-01-03T18:11:00.003-05:002012-01-03T18:11:47.306-05:00

I love hearing stories about my family. Great-aunt Lou and the biscuits, my great-grandparents travelling from Georgia to Teas with her parakeet, another great-grandmother and her family arriving at Ellis Island and seeing the Independence Day fireworks explode over the Statue of Liberty while sitting in harbor. Those stories help make my ancestors come alive. However, the human memory is not

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-12442948498028964162011-12-31T11:34:00.001-05:002011-12-31T11:34:48.114-05:00

A few years ago, I spent Christmas in Texas while my sister-in-law was about to pop. I kept hoping she'd go into labor while I was there, but no. She went into labor while I was on the plane back to Maryland. Fast forward four years, and I was going to be flying back to Maryland before Ethan's fourth birthday. My brother decided to move up his birthday party with our side of the family so I

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-53559663076621562282011-12-31T09:00:00.000-05:002011-12-31T09:00:04.231-05:00

The day after Christmas, Joe and his family and Phil and his family and I all went to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. That's practically an all-day adventure, yo, when you're coming from Wylie! (My brother Joe and his wife Jenny hosted me for my post-Christmas dinner trip while Teresa and her family visited other relatives out of town.) This museum is popular with the parts of

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, 1600 Gendy St, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA32.743934 -97.36865632.7305785 -97.388397 32.757289500000006 -97.348915tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-14047099108763721312011-12-30T22:49:00.001-05:002011-12-30T22:59:32.100-05:00

On Christmas Eve, my sisters family kindly dropped me off at a local Catholic church so I could attend Mass while they attended their church service. (Sorry for the germs, everyone at St. Maria Goretti's!) When we all got home, Josh started plotting out the Christmas morning strategy, and I was kindly informed that I needed to be awake by 7am. Aye, aye, Cap'n. Is there a better sound on

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-42548941203338371902011-12-30T21:20:00.000-05:002011-12-30T21:20:42.743-05:00

I smell a new tradition! How have I never done this before? Happy faces! My sister and her family go to Holiday in the Park each year, a tradition I can get behind. It's at Six Flags over Texas in Arlington, and the park is gorgeous with all the lights. Oddly, none of my pictures actually show the lights, so if that statement made you start looking for my pictures...sorry. You can only see

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Six Flags Over Texas, 2201 Road to 6 Flags St, Arlington, TX 76011, USA32.7541782 -97.07270232.7408242 -97.092443 32.7675322 -97.05296100000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-87444757692012265282011-12-30T20:11:00.002-05:002011-12-30T20:11:49.269-05:00

Genealogy wise, my biggest hope for this trip was to find John Thomas Ragsdale's probate record, obituary,  or really anything that would identify siblings, maybe a parent, that would lead to evidence that my John Thomas Ragsdale is or is not the son of Edmund W. Ragsdale. I called the courthouse to make sure 1) they would be open, 2) they had probate records for the period in question, and 3)

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Temple, TX, USA31.0982344 -97.34278230.9894624 -97.5007105 31.207006399999997 -97.1848535tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-92076559662807471402011-12-30T19:10:00.001-05:002011-12-30T19:10:30.408-05:00

This year, I was fortunate to be able to spend about two weeks in Texas for Christmas. My sister Teresa and her family graciously offered to let me stay with them for most of my time there, and in between forays to various courthouses and libraries, I was able to spend a lot of time with family. I've noticed that my sister and my brother-in-law have family time even in the early morning and

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-90342871410856932262011-12-22T20:22:00.000-05:002011-12-22T20:22:00.136-05:00

This year, my nephew Josh helped me fulfill my Christmas tradition of attending at least one live music concert. He started taking piano this year, and his Christmas concert was last Sunday. His teacher provided a brief introduction of each artist and their music. Josh played "Go Tell it on the Mountain," and "Angels We Have Heard on High," and he played brilliantly. (He's my nephew, so I

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-91561118182178861612011-12-21T20:07:00.000-05:002011-12-21T20:07:00.547-05:00

I've exhausted the genealogy records currently available online, and need to do some on-site research. My dad is getting  more interested in his family history (or maybe he just seems more interested to me), so I invited him to come with me as I visited a few sites in Dallas. First up: The Dallas County courthouse records building. (Who knew it was in the historic district? Who knew Dallas even

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-1108210131026108602011-12-20T19:53:00.000-05:002011-12-20T19:53:00.040-05:00

I generally cringe when I hear someone tell someone else that they're such an inspiration. Especially when one of the judges on Dancing With The Stars says it, because what they really mean is, "Wow, your life sucks, and I can't way anything bad or people will ream me for it, but I can't actually think of anything good about that performance." But I do admire those who are faced with uncommon

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-45252362622555935322011-12-19T19:37:00.002-05:002011-12-19T19:37:59.967-05:00

We got a cold spell in Maryland about a week ago, and I invited my neighbors to come over for s'mores. We decided to turn it into An Evening of pizza, s'mores, games, and ornament making. Julie volunteered to bring pizza, and I volunteered to make the Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Salad that Julie loves. I invited the kids to come over early to help make it, as Abby in particular loves to

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-10168422157041379152011-12-03T23:16:00.001-05:002011-12-03T23:59:45.844-05:00

It took me almost two years, but I finally have some pictures hung in my house. You're pretty proud of me right now, aren't ya? ;-) One of the stairwells and the landing The other galleries will have a variety of frames, I promise. This stairwell can be seen from the living room and anyone coming out of the powder room, so I wanted it to relate to the more refined/elegant feel I was going

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-62767219431293587312011-12-01T17:32:00.000-05:002011-12-01T17:32:00.837-05:00

After raking a gazillion (hey, that's a number!) bags of leaves and enjoying dinner with my awesome neighbors, I decided that I absolutely must put up my Christmas Tree. Right away. Last year, my midget-sized helpers were part of the fun, and I had assumed they would want to help again this year. But for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to wait. Good thing I hadn't mentioned to them

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-69067007311894220042011-11-29T18:23:00.000-05:002011-11-29T18:23:00.122-05:00

** Religion alert! :-) ** The first Sunday of Advent 2011 (this past weekend) marked the first use of our new liturgy (the Roman Missal), which is supposed to be closer to the original Latin text. It's going to take us a while to feel comfortable with the new language; I mean, how many times do you use consubstantial in everyday speech? That would be about never. However, my parish is pretty

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-50940043121267152662011-11-28T12:54:00.001-05:002011-11-28T15:02:17.694-05:00

Seven barns of craft vendors, complete with food and a visit from Santa. A local tradition here in Frederick, the annual Christmas Show may be a new tradition in my household. Maybe. I'd love to be able to show you my pics of the event, but sadly, I thought I forgot my camera at home. (In reality, it was buried at the bottom of my purse. Oopsie.) There were a lot of food vendors, some of which

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Frederick, MD, USA39.4142688 -77.410540939.3651993 -77.4895049 39.463338300000004 -77.3315769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-53894592492058309582011-11-28T10:31:00.001-05:002011-11-28T12:40:29.843-05:00

aka, the Annual Raking o' the Leaves For the second year in a row, the Richardson-Keyser households combined forces to clear our neighborhood of those pesky leaves. If I have pilgrim ancestors, I'm sure they would be very proud. :-) My front yard. Know what's missing from thispicture? A large leaf-bearing tree. Shouldhave made for quick leaf-raking, right? Ha! We decided to rake their

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-48764418620737354462011-11-24T22:12:00.001-05:002011-11-24T22:44:51.301-05:00

I've never hosted dinner on a major holiday before. It's a big milestone for a woman, but being unmarried (and half a country apart from my family) removed me from the hosting rotation. I think I made up for it this year. Dinner was officially a success. My friend C brought her adventurous spirit and a few dishes of her own, and we enjoyed a menu of "I've never made this before, but it sounded

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-32371506646009587692011-11-23T22:01:00.001-05:002011-11-23T22:07:17.492-05:00

Dear Texas, I think I found one of your missing lakes. It parked itself on top o' the little creek that runs behind my house: I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come get it? Will trade it for a couple days of sunshine. Love, Maryland P.S. The note about your lakes drying up so badly that a long-gone cemetery was discovered? Hi-larious. Seriously, we aren't in any danger of that

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Frederick, MD, USA39.4142688 -77.410540939.3651993 -77.4895049 39.463338300000004 -77.3315769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-70979742736812314652011-11-20T21:11:00.001-05:002011-11-20T22:20:18.217-05:00

I'm starting to get ready for Thanksgiving. For those of you who know me and my propensity to procrastinate, this is HUGE news. Already on the checked-off list: Ordered the turkey. :-) Finalized my Thanksgiving Day menu, made the grocery list and even doublechecked it against what I already have. (I KNOW!) Moved the extra loveseat and overstuffed chair from the living room. (Thanks, Dan!)

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-53496433688736337592011-11-18T09:28:00.001-05:002011-11-18T10:16:33.275-05:00

** I know, I'm still behind on my blogging. But I picked up something very flu-like when I went into corporate earlier this week, and trust me when I say that you do not want to read anything I write when my head is that fuzzy. ** Ok, he's not really my dog. One day, I hope I will have my own dog. Maybe when I'm not picking up and travelling out of town so much. Until then, Debo doesn't seem to

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-55108214683838868562011-11-15T20:45:00.001-05:002011-11-15T20:46:07.236-05:00

Ok, you ready for the longer version of Team Trivia? I suck at trivia games, but I enjoy watching trivia games because I can pretend that I would have known that answer under pressure and win the game. So when I got the opportunity to work the event, I jumped at it. Say hello to one of the answer checkers. (Insert evil chuckle here.) I loved it. As I mentioned, we had eleven teams; some went

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0St Katharine Drexel Parish, 8428 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21701, USA39.467996 -77.41452839.455738 -77.434269 39.480254 -77.39478700000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-53782976158296852872011-11-13T17:06:00.001-05:002011-11-13T17:10:56.605-05:00

Oh, boy, am I ever behind on my blogging. So I'm gonna give you two versions, the short one now and then I'll add the longer one when I get a few minutes to catch my breath. So be sure to check back later, too. 11 teams w/ a lot of team spirit + 100 questions = 2.5 hours of side-splitting laughter My favorite team was "The Wedding Party," in honor of one couple on the team celebrating their

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0St Katharine Drexel Parish, 8428 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21701, USA39.467996 -77.41452839.455738 -77.434269 39.480254 -77.39478700000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-20762652752467877642011-11-08T22:48:00.001-05:002011-11-08T22:49:00.191-05:00

If Debo could call a time of year "his," this would definitely be it. He LOVES autumn. He did last year, too. Not only is it cooler, but there are apparently awesome smells in awesome. All those oh-so-yummy rotting leaves and stuff. Debo the darlin'. I take him for walks a lot, so we joke about co-ownership, but he belongs to my neighbors. With his renewed energy has come a renewed sense of

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Frederick, MD, USA39.4142688 -77.410540939.3651993 -77.4895049 39.463338300000004 -77.3315769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-2189089911791322852011-11-07T15:14:00.000-05:002011-11-07T15:45:02.284-05:00

This is what Tenth Avenue North looks like from across theMeyerhoff. I don't remember them being this blue in person.... As I mentioned in my last post, I got an opportunity to see Tenth Avenue North and Third Day in concert Saturday. It was my first Christian Rock concert, also the first one played at the Meyerhoff! Opening for them was Trevor Morgan, an artist who's been around for a while

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-63873391922376030602011-11-06T23:02:00.001-05:002011-11-06T23:03:16.738-05:00

Could you maybe add a setting to your GPS units that would avoid the unsafe parts of town? I mean, really. My awesome neighbors Julie and Dan had purchased tickets to the Tenth Avenue North/Third Day concert in Baltimore. Julie wasn't able to make it and offered me her ticket. Hot diggety! Dan and I left with plenty of time to spare - I've been told on good authority that it's not really an

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Baltimore, MD, USA39.2903848 -76.612189339.1920723 -76.7701178 39.3886973 -76.4542608tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-84671082985591409732011-11-02T12:11:00.000-04:002011-11-02T12:11:07.358-04:00

When I was setting up my front-yard graveyard, my neighbor Ashley and I were chatting about Halloween decorations. They hadn't gotten any yet, and I mentioned that we were so close to Gettysburg that we should just have a bunch of hands and feet "emerging" from the ground. She didn't get it. Gettysburg is famous among Civil War battles for the three days of intense fighting. More men died in

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-27114378634615711862011-10-31T08:00:00.000-04:002011-10-31T08:00:30.708-04:00

The winter after I moved to Frederick, we had the worst blizzard recorded in our history. This year, we got snow three days before Halloween. First time in three decades. Mother Nature, what are you doing to us? My Halloween cemetery looks more real, but a lot lessfrightening, covered in pure white snow! I'm actually pretty happy with my li'l graveyard. My theory about Halloween has nothing

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-2041266084221508812011-10-30T16:43:00.000-04:002011-10-30T16:43:08.009-04:00

What is it about using a passport that gives me such a thrill? I don't know, but I do know I got to use mine for the first time (finally!) when I went to Montreal this past week. Speaking of thrills, how about being greeted with, "Bonjour, Madame!" everywhere I went? I didn't get any pictures, and I didn't even get to do any sightseeing (worked all day, then had a team dinner that ended very

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Montreal, QC, Canada45.5086699 -73.553992545.3306269 -73.8698495 45.6867129 -73.23813550000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-53635919020392085732011-10-30T15:45:00.000-04:002011-10-30T15:45:50.714-04:00

This Texas gal can no longer claim that she's never sat on a horse. Last weekend, Cynthia and I took the Gettysburg Battlefield tour on horseback: My horse, Espirit, loves to tailgate Cynthia's horse. Cynthia'shorse's expression was, "You put your nose in my butt one moretime, and we're gonna have to throw down...." I LOVED it! The horses at Hickory Hollows Farm are all beautiful, but as we

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA39.8309293 -77.231095539.8187353 -77.25083649999999 39.8431233 -77.2113545tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-54232004606281680512011-10-22T21:42:00.000-04:002011-10-22T21:42:08.662-04:00

It's that time of year again. Something about fall just makes me want to clean up my diet and get healthy. Maybe it's the not-so-secret love affair I have with roasting veggies. (Yum!) I'm not doing the traditional detox this season. I've realized that it just makes me cranky, and then I feel so deprived when the two weeks are over that I binge like crazy. But as I was surfing online tonight to

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-80001357391947570902011-10-17T18:26:00.000-04:002011-10-17T18:26:00.679-04:00

I love going to Summers Farm. I think I'm regressing, because I don't think we ever went to a pumpkin patch when I was growing up, but I LOVE them. This year, my awesome neighbors invited me to go with them. If they hadn't, I would have asked my other neighbors if I could borrow their kid. Summers Farm turns their pumpkin patch into a little mini farm-themed carnival with all sorts of games and

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com05601 Butterfly Ln, Frederick, MD 21703, USA39.414811249764796 -77.474920749664339.413277749764795 -77.4773882496643 39.4163447497648 -77.47245324966431tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-28405225502010930802011-10-16T22:49:00.002-04:002011-10-16T22:49:10.891-04:00

Me! Well, I did. Meet Leslie, Jeff, Jeannine, Nelson, and Sally: Yes, I know it's blurry and we all look pretty wide. This is what can happen when the only picture is taken with a phone camera. SKD sponsors an event each year called, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" My dining table won't fit more than 6 people total, so I can't host. Gee, that's too bad. Less work for me! Everyone else in my

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-6784356657235471712011-10-11T18:36:00.000-04:002011-10-11T18:36:00.149-04:00

I love autumn. The weather is cooling, the leaves are turning beautiful colors, and it's time for crock pots, pumpkin patches, and Halloween. What better place to hear ghost stories than Gettysburg, allegedly one of the most haunted places in America? My friend Cynthia and I went last weekend. Gettysburg has a ton of different ghost-tour companies, but we chose the Carlysle Street tour from the 

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com2Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA39.8309293 -77.231095539.8187353 -77.25083649999999 39.8431233 -77.2113545tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-83933792618990516652011-10-09T20:50:00.000-04:002011-10-11T09:29:07.997-04:00

This past weekend was the Catoctin Colorfest 2011. I went last year with Julie, Kay, and Renee, and we had a fantastic time. I learned a few lessons that time around: Food is ridiculously expensive there, so bring food or eat before you arrive. The festival takes up the whole town. It's a cute little historic town, but every time we thought we were coming to the end of the festival, we turned a

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-10151128045268071882011-10-06T12:03:00.000-04:002011-10-11T09:29:14.762-04:00

Yesterday, we lost a true force of American ingenuity. After battling cancer for several years, and stepping down a couple months ago from CEO of the company he founded, Steve Jobs passed away yesterday. I usually feel some general human sorrow when someone passes, but Mr. Jobs' death hit me hard enough to want to blog about it. What I admire about Mr. Jobs so much is that he took what's great

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-92020540838112292042011-10-03T18:42:00.000-04:002011-10-03T18:42:00.406-04:00

** Religion alert! ** We started our new year of T.G.I.F. - so many good choices this year! Again. There's something just so awesome about having so many options that you struggle to choose, rather than not finding anything that appeals to me. Thank you, SKD! But Bible Study has hooked me. This year we're studying scary John. John is the Gospel that tends to be used to justify prejudices,

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-21993135695339150112011-09-29T18:24:00.000-04:002011-09-29T18:24:00.165-04:00

That sounds a little more cheerful if you hum it, by the way. Especially if you live on the east coast and are getting as much rain as we're getting. It isn't that we're getting monsoons or anything like that; just a constant drizzle/light shower. So a couple planned blog posts won't be happening because the rain killed those events. (Running cross-country in ankle-deep mud? No, thank you.) And

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-4849524270011839222011-09-28T10:48:00.000-04:002011-09-28T10:48:50.465-04:00

Wow! 20 years since our high school graduation. I'm feeling a little old now, although a little disappointed I couldn't make our reunion. How much fun it would have been to compare notes on what we've done since then, reminisce about old times, look at pictures from our glory days! Except.... Those weren't my glory days. Those pictures of everyone laughing and having fun in drill team, the band

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-83147083465671553132011-09-26T13:34:00.000-04:002011-09-26T13:34:40.072-04:00

How many of us find something broken in our home, make a call for a repair or replacement, and always know with 100% certainty that the person we called is looking out for our best interest? If you just raised your hand, I think can see your nose growing from here. When I bought my house, the bay window had a BB hole in it. No, really. In fact, the BB is still there, stuck between a layer of

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com2Frederick, MD, USA39.4142688 -77.410540939.3651993 -77.4895049 39.463338300000004 -77.3315769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-50827627447581151502011-09-23T20:55:00.002-04:002011-09-24T00:10:02.079-04:00

I found 'em! Possibly. I mentioned in my previous post that I know next to nothing about my father's paternal line. My ancestors and their family were apparently very talented at evading census takers, vital record requirements, even everyday newspaper mentions. Why-oh-why did nobody bother to announce their weddings in the paper?!? I've been inspired to climb this brick wall, and this week I

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-84357008419106571712011-09-20T19:18:00.001-04:002011-09-20T19:18:55.512-04:00

Not everyone would be thrilled about a death certificate. I get that. Really. Even birth and marriage certificates - souvenirs of happy occasions - hardly elicit thrills of joy for most people. I, apparently, am not most people. And I'm not really all that into Halloween. Go figure. I've been hitting the family history research a little harder lately, doing that genealogy dance of two steps

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-68231779282671932542011-09-18T13:30:00.000-04:002011-09-18T13:30:08.582-04:00

I did it! Replaced this gnarly, disgusting showerhead: With this pretty, eco-friendly showerhead: The new showerhead is the ecoflow Showerhead by WaterPik. Full disclaimer: I won this showerhead about a year and a half ago, but I have not been paid to blog about it. In fact, they don't even know I'm doing so. I haven't used it enough to know if I like it in use, but it's super easy to

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-68702482129072130642011-09-17T11:28:00.000-04:002011-09-17T11:28:14.710-04:00

One of the really great changes in my job is that I'm travelling a lot more. This past week, I visited Philadelphia. The Cradle of Liberty. Home of the Liberty Bell, place where the Declaration of Independence was written. And, believe it or not, I hadn't yet been there. So I was thrilled when our new manager decided to have our team meeting there. (Thanks, Mike!) We stayed at an awesome hotel,

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Wayne, Radnor Township, PA, USA40.0439982 -75.387690540.0318422 -75.4074315 40.056154199999995 -75.36794950000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-5164581847650318792011-09-11T22:36:00.001-04:002011-09-11T22:36:18.611-04:00

Believe it or not, I've become a pretty independent person. I'm not afraid of going to a movie or a restaurant by myself, or even hiking up and down a battlefield. (Good thing, or I'd never get to do that. I don't have any other history buffs among my local friends.) And yet every once in a while, I find myself missing my family. Yesterday was Frederick's annual In The Street. The first time I

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Frederick, MD, USA39.4142688 -77.410540939.3651993 -77.4895049 39.463338300000004 -77.3315769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-56822921022608654682011-09-08T21:16:00.000-04:002011-09-08T21:16:14.744-04:00

A few weeks ago, I started taking Debo out for walks again. He's been a little off. The other dog owners reading this know what I'm talking about, right? This typically-easy-going dog wasn't becoming aggressive, but introverted and lethargic. He didn't want to go out for walks, he either wasn't sniffing much or seemed to have to bury his nose in the ground for forever, he was much more stubborn.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-27754764802035474152011-09-06T18:28:00.000-04:002011-09-06T18:28:00.109-04:00

Does anyone's to-do list ever get shorter? I mean, I'm still working on items that I had on my list from when I first bought my home, and that list is like the energizer bunny. Not only does it multiply like bunnies, but it just keeps going and going and going.... Since it was supposed to rain most of the holiday weekend, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to get a few things done

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-82210877220868285672011-09-04T15:06:00.000-04:002011-09-04T15:06:12.514-04:00

A few days after arriving at college, a friend of mine  called from a room down the hall. They were all watching a movie in Kelly's room, did I want to join them? Let me just say, duh. The movie we watched? Pretty Woman. Now if you haven't watched Pretty Woman, I must assume that you were buried under a rock even deeper than mine, and I sympathize. There's a scene in which Edward and Vivian are

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0The Plains, VA 20198, USA38.8620578 -77.773882738.849693800000004 -77.7936237 38.8744218 -77.7541417tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-78652543498013593002011-09-03T13:54:00.003-04:002011-09-03T13:54:51.260-04:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks when so much is just weird - not bad, but not the normal - and you look back later and see just how blessed you were? That was my week. Irene escorted out our severe summer weather, and today I sit here with the windows open, airing out my home. The cooler weather has enabled me to take Debo out again, which is one of my favorite mid-day breaks. As I sit

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-38489278346848038002011-08-31T16:35:00.000-04:002011-08-31T16:35:00.616-04:00

I'm not gonna lie: I love the movie, Tangled. My neighbors let me borrow their copy, and I watched it six times in two days. I know. Thank goodness for Hurricane Irene, right? The Disney team did an excellent job taking the story of Rapunzel and bringing it to animated life. It speaks to my love of rich characters whose decisions dictate the plot. And these characters are just so doggone

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-62150502284634772252011-08-30T18:36:00.000-04:002011-08-30T18:36:00.197-04:00

A friend of mine, who is a public defender attorney and loves history as much as I do, recommended that I watch The Conspirator. The first movie from the American Film Company, The Conspirator is the story of Mary Surratt, the lone female of the band of eight who were charged  with conspiring to assassinate President Lincoln.  The Conspirator. The image is theirs, I hope they don't mind!

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-2235702270218087952011-08-29T19:16:00.000-04:002011-08-29T19:16:04.002-04:00

We have been hearing for a week about Hurricane Irene, a Category 3 hurricane expected to come ashore in North Carolina and move up the coast. The media was in a frenzy, predicting dire outcomes, comparing Irene to Katrina (one of the worst 5 hurricanes in U.S. history). Maryland Governor O'Malley declared a state of emergency before it even came ashore, and I believe other state governors did

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Frederick, MD 21701, USA39.4216281 -77.343928339.3234991 -77.5018568 39.5197571 -77.1859998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-38891464863388602562011-08-26T22:36:00.002-04:002011-08-26T22:37:00.512-04:00

Just got back from another audit trip to Detroit. The audit went well, the team was great, and I stayed at the Westin - a fantastic hotel in Southfield. And unless you count me wandering around the Dulles Airport for an hour tonight trying to find my car (my handy pheumonic device to remember where I parked failed me), the whole trip was very smooth. But for all that, I'm so doggone happy to see

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-20133582433988355852011-08-24T16:34:00.000-04:002011-09-08T21:13:48.960-04:00

Yesterday one of my favorite radio stations was asking what made us joyful. Not just happy, but those moments of sheer joy that just put a huge grin on our faces. I had one of those moments this afternoon. (Naturally!) You know the dance a dog does when he flops over and tries to scratch his back on the carpet? Debo does that. Makes me laugh every single time. Anyway, it's getting cool enough

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-52563100193937344732011-08-23T14:49:00.000-04:002011-08-24T08:36:23.825-04:00

I experienced my first earthquake today! According to the Associated Press, it was a 5.9 on the richter scale, originated in Northern Virginia, and was felt as far as North Carolina and Toronto (yes, that's Canada).  Since nothing was damaged near me, I can say, "WOW, that was cool!" I imagine those on the road, or closer to the center, weren't as enamored. I heard that most office buildings

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Frederick, MD, USA39.4142688 -77.410540939.3651993 -77.4895049 39.463338300000004 -77.3315769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-30991146501944224652011-08-22T00:14:00.000-04:002011-08-29T14:58:29.982-04:00

What do you mean, you've never heard of the Battle of Monocacy? It's only, "the battle that saved Washington!" :-) The last time I'd been here was for a first date so disastrous we never made it past the Visitor's Center, but when I was speaking with one of the historians at Chancellorsville, he mentioned that Monocacy was very undervalued. Thought I'd should give it another shot. Frederick

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Monocacy National Battlefield, 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD 21704-7303, USA39.3638504 -77.398470439.3392979 -77.4379524 39.388402899999996 -77.35898839999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-81371389417893429102011-08-19T17:45:00.004-04:002011-08-19T17:45:00.255-04:00

I know, I'm a little out of order, because I went to Ricciuti's in Olney before I went to Grease. But my blogging time has been rather limited lately, and I wanted to get the Grease review posted before the show ended. :-) Ricciuti's is awesome. And I'm not just saying that because it's in a 200+ year-old house. I mean, the ambiance is great - beautiful enough to dress up for but everyone there

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Olney, MD, USA39.1531627 -77.06692339.1039097 -77.145887 39.2024157 -76.987959tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-43600310781222440712011-08-18T16:05:00.001-04:002011-08-18T16:35:37.165-04:00

I have been meaning to check out some of the local civic theatres around here, ever since I moved here. Just call me Speedy Gonzales. I can mark the first one off the bucket list, though! Finally went to the Olney Civic Theatre last Sunday we see their presentation of Grease. C'mon, who doesn't love the show that sings about rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong? It was fun. The director/

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Olney, MD, USA39.1531627 -77.06692339.1039097 -77.145887 39.2024157 -76.987959tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-46934000896788353332011-08-14T18:32:00.003-04:002011-08-14T18:32:00.684-04:00

Did you know there is an app for the Droid that tells you what historical markers are near you? I love that! We have a lot of historical markers in out-of-the-way places around here. And I don't care what happened there, I am NOT stopping on a highway without a shoulder. Recently, a friend of mine has been encouraging me to stop at the historical markers I drive by. We used to do that when we

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com05182-5294 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD 21703, USA39.3764924 -77.396953939.3764924 -77.3969539 39.3764924 -77.3969539tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-71719294281568183292011-08-13T18:32:00.008-04:002011-08-13T18:32:00.690-04:00

Also included in the ticket for Luray Caverns was a complimentary admission to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. It's free, I had some time to kill, so why not? The Shenandoah has a long history, starting with those here long before the white man. The museum didn't leave them out, and the first room included arrowheads and other artifacts: The Shenandoah Valley gets its name from a Native

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Luray, VA 22835, USA38.665397 -78.459452238.6406005 -78.49893420000001 38.6901935 -78.4199702tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-82378290285108959302011-08-12T18:31:00.008-04:002011-08-13T01:16:34.208-04:00

The ticket to Luray Caverns includes complimentary admission to the Cars and Carriage Caravan Museum. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I'm not a huge devotee of cars - at the State Fair every year, I would go elsewhere while my brothers got their drool on at the automotive exhibit - but thought, hey, why not? I'm glad I did. What began as an old-car-collecting hobby of a wealthy man has grown

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Luray, VA 22835, USA38.665397 -78.459452238.6406005 -78.49893420000001 38.6901935 -78.4199702tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-69340015047888286872011-08-11T18:00:00.005-04:002011-08-13T01:15:17.860-04:00

I don't know what I was waiting for, but I'm so glad I finally made the trip! On Tuesday, I loaded up my car and drove out to Luray Caverns in the Shenandoah Valley. I quickly discovered, once I got there, that I did not need the sweatshirt and jacket I brought. The actual temperature inside the cavern was 50 degrees F, I think the guide said, but with a humidity of 84%, the cavern felt a very

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Luray, VA 22835, USA38.665397 -78.459452238.6406005 -78.49893420000001 38.6901935 -78.4199702tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-16481581931772265722011-08-11T01:03:00.002-04:002011-08-13T01:14:00.173-04:00

* Decided to try this again and condense it all into one post. Apologies to those who saw the 1/3-at-a-time version. Here goes: Confederate Army: The Confederate army is in high spirits, on account of kicking the Union's butt at Fredericksburg the previous December. (Just tellin' it like it was, folks.) However, the men weren't getting their daily rations and many came out of a cold Virginia

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-6501275508157193582011-08-07T00:47:00.003-04:002011-08-13T01:07:21.291-04:00

* Post rewritten to better express what I meant. This could get a little heavy, so if you're uninterested in this topic, feel free to skip it. I'll never know. :-) If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you've probably been wondering why I'm so interested in the Civil War, and Lee's army in particular. I heard someone say recently that commemorating the 150th anniversary of the

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-48481708534482279972011-08-01T23:55:00.000-04:002011-08-01T23:55:21.410-04:00

It's not every day that someone tells you their car is hot enough that they caught Satan hanging out in there. That was just one of the many gems my friend Cynthia comes up with, so I'm sure you understand why I'm always happy when we get to hang out together. Yesterday, we decided to hang out at the Charles Town races. Cynthia had taken me to the Preakness this year, and I fell in love with the

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0Charles Town, WV, USA39.2889903 -77.859717539.2398328 -77.9386815 39.3381478 -77.7807535tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-79212708996060124012011-07-26T23:39:00.000-04:002011-07-26T23:39:06.797-04:00

Just got back from Minneapolis, where my team and I were being audited. It was just a surveillance audit to maintain our ISO 9001:2008 certification, but I was still a nervous wreck. Hotel: Le Bourget Aero Suites. I got an awesome room this time. Plus, you can't knock the Aveda bath products. :-) Airport: Minneapolis/St. Paul. Unlike my trip to LA earlier this year, I managed to fly into the

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-9389657547223975222011-07-24T15:45:00.001-04:002011-07-24T15:45:36.612-04:00

If you're anywhere in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, the word of the week is "HOT." 115-degree heat index! Naturally, where else would I be but the re-enactment of the 1st Battle of Bull Run - also known as Manassas - at, where else, Manassas, Virginia. I loved it. It was incredibly well-organized, and even the reenactors - roasting as they were in their wool uniforms - were so passionate about

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-37900159002970145432011-07-22T18:01:00.000-04:002011-07-22T18:01:01.699-04:00

Well, I like happy news any day of the week. But this blog has been a bit of a downer lately due to my recent obsession with interest in Civil War battles, and I thought something happy was in order. This week's cheerful news comes to you courtesy of the Duke and Duchess (oops - I just typed "Duckess" at first) of Cambridge. I don't know why British royal weddings fascinate me, but I missed the

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-11494813872978362102011-07-21T21:28:00.000-04:002011-07-21T21:28:32.263-04:00

I haven't quite figured out the language we're supposed to use for the Civil War Sesquicentennial. I can't say, "Happy Anniversary." There was nothing happy about the Civil War. 150 years ago today, according to the Civil War History blogosphere and my 11th grade American History teacher, people on both sides realized that wasn't going to change any time soon. The first battle of Manassas, aka

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-75970616878741944182011-07-20T18:05:00.005-04:002011-07-20T18:05:01.080-04:00

What's with all the book reviews, you might ask? Great question. I'm not just a pretty face, cheri! Kidding. Well, not. But this was too good an opportunity to pass up to post some different stuff. You see, a couple weeks ago, I was taking a big box out to my front yard for recycling. This thing was huge - several feet tall, and that was the short side - and it got jammed in the door. I gave it

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-77513226288599069902011-07-19T23:35:00.003-04:002011-07-19T23:47:12.200-04:00

Note: If this book is sitting on your night stand waiting for you to crack it open, you should skip this post. I don't want to ruin the experience for you.  If you decide to get this book anyway,1) Good for you, and 2) you can get itfor the Kindle for $5.  Usually, when I read a book that's so great I start raving about it, I hear people say, "Oh, I haven't read [insert book title here],

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-40926631114770926042011-07-18T17:43:00.002-04:002011-07-18T17:43:00.500-04:00

You know that time in summer when every school kid starts whining that there's nothing to do, and every parent starts counting down the days until school starts? Ah, those were the days. I'm discovering so much to do around here that I'm culling things from my schedule, rather than trying to find stuff to do. Case in point: Gambrills State Park. It's right here in Frederick, and I hadn't made it

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-44051878065448880762011-07-15T19:08:00.005-04:002011-07-15T19:08:00.570-04:00

As I've been wandering around the Fredericksburg Battlefield, I wandered into the bookstore and had a lovely conversation with another tourist. I had just picked up a copy of Gods and Generals, the prequel to Killer Angels written by his son, Jeff Shaara. She had just finished the book, which prompted her visit that day. She wanted to wander around while the story was still fresh in her mind. The

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-14919242483909701552011-07-14T23:41:00.001-04:002011-07-15T10:21:14.598-04:00

A few years ago, my brother Tom and I were enjoying a history weekend as we showed my nephew's Flat Stanley around DC. We decided to introduce Flat Stanley to Gettysburg, which meant we needed to watch the movie, Gettysburg, the night before. If you aren't a Civil War or Gettysburg buff, you might want to watch it with the Order of Battle and a map in front of you, but otherwise the film does an

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-54080705436521225052011-07-12T17:47:00.001-04:002011-07-12T17:47:00.400-04:00

When Stonewall Jackson’s corps arrived at Fredericksburg, they drew the short straw in terms of ground to protect. Ordered to extend Longstreet’s line to Prospect Hill (about 4 miles south of Marye’s Heights) and become the Confederate right, there was no stout stone wall to protect them. There was, however, a serious mass of trees. That was excellent news for hiding Jackson's troops, and they

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-80680823256662590872011-07-11T05:21:00.027-04:002011-07-11T21:33:24.941-04:00

Had a rough week at work this week, so I rewarded myself with a trip back to Fredericksburg. I know, I’m an odd duck. I’m not ashamed of it. I also did a little internet research before I went, so that I would have some context to what I was seeing. I knew I wanted to spend some time looking at the positions of the artillery, and artillery is not the part of the military that everyone is

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-72857120732426185852011-07-07T05:37:00.008-04:002011-07-07T05:37:00.173-04:00

It may be unpatriotic to celebrate the 4th of July without fireworks, although I understand many parts of Texas banned 'em due to high fire conditions. Me, I was luckier. Frederick puts on an incredible display. What we were all celebrating. This flag flew above the clam shell stage. After the bathtub races, I wandered around the festival for a while. Music was abundant - between the

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-26768560153074643512011-07-06T06:00:00.006-04:002011-07-06T06:00:01.774-04:00

In Frederick, they race bathtubs across Culler "Lake" on July 4th. Yep, you read that correctly: bathtubs. Any event with this much personality simply MUST be supported. So off I went to check out the Bathtub Races. Props to Key 103.1 for hosting the event, and to all the competitors for the creativity in putting their bathtub boats together. It was run like a March Madness competition with

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-46451164575203834952011-07-05T07:06:00.000-04:002011-07-05T13:35:33.084-04:00

I LOVE a good parade. If I happen to be in DC the day of a parade, I'm all over it. And The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? It's a holiday tradition. But there's just something about a small-town parade that says, "This is what we're really all about."  Of the people, by the people, for the people. LOVE. Frederick's parade, held on July 3rd, is a little untraditional. For one thing, it's on the

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com2Carroll Creek, Frederick, MD 21701, USA39.4225262 -77.3890529999999939.4181477 -77.39644499999999 39.4269047 -77.381661tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-50553748312319610792011-07-03T23:04:00.001-04:002011-07-03T23:05:09.019-04:00

After only getting to see part of the Fredericksburg Battlefield last weekend, I full intended to go back this weekend to finish my visit. Alas, Monday evening I performed a classic Liz maneuver when I tripped off the porch. I feel confident that any gymnastics judge would have given me high points for creativity, but I fear they also would have had to deduct some for the bobble on the landing. I

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-63306217230157963202011-06-29T22:30:00.016-04:002011-07-11T21:34:43.679-04:00

If your last name is Marye, I think it's a fabulous idea to pronounce it more like Murray, even if you have to put the accent on the second syllable. This whole time, I've been pronouncing it Mary's Heights, which I'm sure has made Mr. Marye turn over in his grave. Or maybe not. I mean, my massacre of his name can't be much more heartbreaking that the destruction to his home during the battle.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-36308801879012782152011-06-28T06:30:00.002-04:002011-07-11T21:34:25.692-04:00

For the past few years, I've planned to check out the various battlefields in which my great-great-grandfather's unit (Hardaway's Battery, Alabama Light Artillery) fought. You know that whole "best laid plans of mice and men" adage? So true. This year, however, I'm actually doing more than talking about it. My most recent trip to Gettysburg doesn't count, as I've been there before. But I went

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-26349126839147485922011-06-27T06:00:00.001-04:002011-06-27T06:00:03.102-04:00

Last year, my nephews Josh and Ben spent a lot of time on my stairs. Their preferred game was to fly their air mattresses up and down the stairs. I hadn't yet replaced the carpet or repainted yet, so we gave them leave to do whatever they wanted, as long as it was safe. (Translation, no sitting on the air mattress before they flew it down.) This year, Ethan was caught in the allure o' my

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-89534791280124468872011-06-25T23:51:00.000-04:002011-06-25T23:51:24.778-04:00

The last part of the blog post title is for my former dance partner. You're welcome, Junis. The last evening that my family was in town, we decided to grill burgers and have a very casual dinner. I had worked that day, but everyone else burned a kabillion calories walking all over the National Mall. I wasn't there to  be able tell you all about it; suffice to say when they pulled up around 8:30

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-26146515832979918222011-06-24T12:46:00.000-04:002011-06-24T12:46:12.276-04:00

It all started several years ago when my brothers, James and Chuck, came to visit. I took them to North Beach to go hunting for shark teeth, as well as to Assateague so they could experience a true beach sunrise. Phil thought Ethan might enjoy hunting for shark teeth, and Bernard wanted to see the ocean, so a day at the beach was on the "must do" for their list. Of course, several years ago I

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-54476461330174625922011-06-22T18:09:00.000-04:002011-07-06T23:09:39.101-04:00

I have a list of Frederick restaurants I want to try now that I've moved here. I mean, a girl needs to know where to get good local seafood, right? And Italian. And American. And....well, you get the picture. For seafood, I had some spots in Annapolis (thanks, Jennifer!) and Baltimore, but nada this far west. Kay clued me in to May's after she and Renee stumbled across it recently. It's behind

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735191.post-90182330633417397282011-06-21T18:05:00.000-04:002011-07-06T23:14:29.740-04:00

I would love to say that my brother, Phil, loves history as much as I do. The truth is, he probably loves it more. He actually majored in it and teaches it, so he really put his money where his mouth is, so to speak. For me, it's just a fun hobby. But his profession and my hobby enjoyed a day of harmony when we all traipsed out to Gettysburg on Saturday. Phil's friend, Bernard, enjoys history.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00950029771257831297noreply@blogger.com0