When I travelled north on the train towards DC, I was shocked by the number of dilapidated houses I could see, especially south of Birmingham. On that trip, a lady mentioned that it might be leftover Hurricane Katrina damage. Heading south this time, I paid closer attention and decided it couldn’t be hurricane damage, it…
If your bucket list includes visiting the Smithsonian museums and the war memorials in DC, I now have lots of suggestions! Here is everything I learned. Narrow down your trip to the National Mall area. From there you can see everything: the Capital Building, White House, museums, archives (Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc), and all…
My trip to DC was a walking on cement for many miles each day kind of trip. I knew that I was in for a big change from my sandy haven on Dauphin Island, and I was prepared: good, warm walking shoes and heavy socks with extra padding. The shoes, really zip-up, waterproof leather booties,…
My first Airbnb experience was wonderful, overall. The only problem was my naiveté around what I expected for $25/night in the DC area (College Park, MD). The house was a bit dumpy due to deferred maintenance. In fact, inside and out, the home was exactly like a college kid’s pad. Cheap furniture, aging paint, crummy…
So I walked to the Metro station and headed out to see the quilts at the Museum of American History (AH) I had one train transfer and it was fine. Up the steps from the Smithsonian Station and I am on the National Mall at last. I was close to the Washington Monument, the Capitol…
Twenty-six hours after boarding a train near New Orleans, I arrived in Washington, DC. Forty years ago I took an around the country trip by Amtrak and what a change between now and then. The high-backed seats in coach recline and the space between rows is about double that of airplanes, which made sleeping more…
I hear this too often: Jesus was always gentle in speech and kind-hearted. He lived a perfect life, with God’s wisdom as his guide. And if we want to be Christ-like (the goal of every Christian) we should be like him – gentle, steeped in wisdom, living in love, compassionate. “Always” is the part I…
Small songbirds are starting to build nests in the tall pine snags as spring dawns in the southeastern US. Spring! Spring! And, so I leave my sweet island on February 21. I will be ready to roll after two months of easy winter life in Bama but will cherish memories of the two Mardi Gras…
Immigration! Refugees! We face such an ethical and emotional crisis. Wondering what to think? Wondering why so-called Christians want to bar certain refugees into this country? That is an especially good question considering that the Bible tells us to do otherwise. So, what does the Bible actually say? It is unambiguous in it’s message. All people…
I had a lovely and perfect outing yesterday, despite a setback. I set out towards the other side of Mobile Bay to attend a quilt show at a sweet Methodist Church. Every Sunday school classroom, office, and even the sanctuary was decorated with quilts, evey pew draped. I asked one of the volunteers how many quilts…