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I am headed home. No more posts or pictures on this topic. It is cold and rainy here. My biggest obstacle will be making my plane in Dallas. Wish me luck!! Thanks for reading and being interesed in my little life. :) Until the next adventure adieu!

Blue Ridge Parkway and Monticello

Today was another grand adventure. Merilee and I started off the morning my driving part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is spectacular arrayed in fall yellows, reds and oranges. The leaves were falling off the trees in beautiful swirls. I kept getting a little distracted. We stopped at the James river and took pictures of the reflection of the trees and mountains. Stunning, just stunning.

We then picked up Padmini and went over to Monticello. Oh my goodness!! That was one heck of a gorgeous drive I am telling you. The colors just are almost overwhelming. It made me hope that saguaros would change color. Now that would be AWESOME!! :)

Monticello was beautiful. They had up things that Lewis and Clark brought back, French art, portraits and busts of his friends and people he admired. But it was the grounds that were the best for me. I just sat in the flowers and stared at the house. I felt a little like Ferdinand. His gardens and orchards were fantastic. I wanted to smuggle home an eggplant, but that might be obvious, so instead I ate some grapes off the vine and saved the seeds. Who knows, next year, maybe I will have baby Monticello grapes!!

xoxo

Poplar Forest and Appomattox

Today was history adventuring at its best! Padmini, unfortunately, had to grade midterms :( Undeterred, Merilee and I took Padmini's cute car and went to explore the Virginian countryside in search of history and adventure. We made sure we had plenty o' cheezits for the journey that lay ahead. We headed of to Poplar Forest. Though I thought I knew a bit about T. Jefferson, I did not know about Poplar Forest, his villa and retreat in Bedford county. It was an octagonal house that he built on a working plantation he inherited from his father in law. It is a beautiful building that is currently being restored by a team of archaeologists, who are trying to ensure that everything, down to the plantings, are as Jefferson had it when he designed and lived there. One of the Poplar trees was dated to the 1600's. Pretty rockin'!! One of our favorite things was the "necessary" that was also red brick and octagonal. A necessary is a place where you do your most necessary business. Jefferson actually didn't use it, he has indoor plumbing in his room only.

From there Merilee and I went off in quest of Appomattox courthouse, where as y'all know, or should know, is where General Lee of the Confederate Army surrendered to General Grant of the Union Army, thus ending the Civil War. Well, again, I thought I knew my Civil War history...but he did not actually surrender at Appomattox courthouse. It was closed for Palm Sunday. He surrendered at the McLean house. The man whose house it was, actually fought in Manassas at the beginning of the war, then hating war, moved as far away as he could with his family, until the war found him again, but this time was ended in peace in his house. Cool, huh??!!

Well, we also found a confederate war cemetery and lovely rolling hills.

Enjoy!! xoxo

Tuesday at the Natural Bridge

Today we went to the Natural Bridge. (read more about it at http://www.naturalbridgeva.com) It is one of the 7 natural wonders of thel world. It is fantastic!! I have seen natural bridges before, but this is so stinkin' huge!! Apparently George Washington carved his initials in the wall, and Thomas Jefferson originally bought it for $2.40 from King George III. I wonder if that is what made George so mad?? We also drove around a bit and looked at all the beautiful trees and scenery. When we got back I worked on report cards...That's nuts!! But tomorrow is Monticello!!!!!! WooHoo!!

Monday at Sweet Briar

Today Padmini had to teach. What???!!!! Work??? So Merilee and I and the two doggies (Padmini has two doggies that attend Sweet Briar also) went and explored the campus. What a beautiful campus!! Rolling hills, wonderful trees, benches, fall colors, birds...the only thing it was missing....guys. It is an all girls college. So lots of cute girls wandering around. We had a great time seeing what there was to see, but then I had to work on report cards, cuz I didn't finish them before I left :( so we hung out in the student lounge. So I am posting fall leaves, trees and some pictures of the campus. Enjoy!!

Washington DC and Virginia

Hello loved ones!! Here is the adventures collection from DC and Virginia.




I have been amazed by how much is around DC. Just all within walking distance and free!! (some of it) Okay my feet were a little blistered by the time we made it to the Lincoln memorial, but it was awesome!!! The weather was perfect! I must have brought it along with me from Arizona. :) We first visited the White House (from the outside) apparently big wigs from G-8 were coming, cuz they ran us off, and had snipers on the roof. (cool huh?!) Then we walked to the Capital, where they are already preparing for the 2009 inauguration. We were a little too late to go inside, bummer. We then went through the library of congress. That was totally cool! The architecture was spectacular! and yes, I took a picture from the inside of the women's bathroom with my camera phone and sent it to Sheila. I knew she would appreciate it. From there we went by the Supreme Court. Padmini REALLY likes trains...choo-choo!! So we went to Union Station and had lunch and saw..........zero trains. Oh well... But, I did see a bunch of Amish people. That was cool for me. I wonder if I was the first Mormon they ever saw. We then split up, Merilee, Padmini and I. I went to the Museum of Natural History and saw a ton of dino bones, Roman, Greek and Egyptian artifacts (so stinkin' cool!!), and an exhibit on soil(hmmm, I was looking for the Hope Diamond, but didn't find it in the soil!). We then went to the National Archives for a peek at the Constitution and Declaration. However, they shut the line down as we got there. We may try again on Friday. Then for our last Hurrah, we walked to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. It was fantastically beautiful and simple and touching.

We then went to the DC temple. It was beautiful, comforting, and filled my soul with peace.

I am really having a great time with my friends. Today we went to church in Lynchburg, VA. I was touched by the amount of diversity in the ward and the feeling of how amazing it is to go to church anywhere in the world and feel accepted, and to know that the church is consistent in its principles and doctrines and running of the church, no matter where you go. A beautiful black woman spoke in church, and talked about her family telling her she couldn't be Mormon because "there were no black Mormons!" She said but I am one! She said she was in an all white ward and was loved and welcomed in more than anywhere else. Then she gave a beautiful talk on retention and the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it has filled in the gaps in her soul and filled her with understanding and happiness. It was a wonderful day!

Well, enough, huh! I will add as I go along this week. We have some fun places to visit! Love to you all!