Springtime in Washington

Most people hear "Washington" and immediately think of Congress, politics, and partisan bickering. Yes, that's all part of Washington, but it's also so much more than that. It's a city/metropolitan area filled with art. And gorgeous architecture. And amazing museums, monuments, and landmarks. Mix all of that together with Mother Nature and at certain times of the year, it is a city of breath-taking beauty. This is one of those times of year....

Golly Gee!!

Tiburon had a fun meme -- ask for a letter & once she assigns you one, list 10 things you like that start with that letter. I decided I'd play along and she assigned me the letter "G". So here, in random order, are 10 things I like that start with the letter G:

1. Going places -- I love to travel. It's been a while since I've gone somewhere new and I'm itching to go exploring. Ireland, Croatia and Italy are the places that are really intriguing me currently, but I'm open to lots of different places and ideas.

2. Getting organized -- something I'm working on & desperately need to do more of.

3. Griffin -- my 22-month old nephew. He's developing quite a good sense of humor and it's a lot of fun to be around him and to watch him grow/develop.

4. Cary Grant -- The characters he played in the old movies are just about my perfect man: smooth, sophisticated, intelligent, with a wicked sense of humor and a dazzling wit. He also trained as an acrobat prior to acting, so there is an extra "something" in his movements that step his performance up to a different level. See The Philadelphia Story or North by Northwest or Bringing Up Baby to see what I mean.

which brings me to

5. George Clooney -- I've already admitted to his being a guilty pleasure of mine. After this little exchange between him and his father earlier this week here in DC, I'd have to say he's about approaching my Kryptonite.

6. Games -- I'm a big time games and puzzle person.

7. Gargoyles -- especially those with a sense of humor. If you ever come to Washington, DC, I highly recommend visiting the National Cathedral. One side of the building has more traditional gargoyles & grotesques, but the other side steps out of the box, so to speak. There are alligators, elephants, cats, dogs, etc., as well as a construction worker whistling at the girls who attend the all-girls school right next to the cathedral. There's also a Darth Vader.
8. Gourmet Chocolate -- I'm not above a Reeses Peanut Butter cup or the equivalent, but when I have the opportunity to indulge in some fine Belgian or Swiss chocolate, I pretty much never turn it down.

9. Good friends -- for they make this ride worthwhile.

10. Google Reader -- the ultimate tool for keeping up on those blogs I like to read.

Anyone else want to play along? If so, just let me know in the comments and I'll assign you a letter.

My Favorite Monday -- Flowers

It's been a while since I played along with Tiburon's "My Favorite Monday", but I've got a couple of minutes to spare before a meeting today and the topic caught my attention: My Favorite Flower.

I've got a couple of different "favorites" -- I love the tulips and irises in the Springtime. I have some nice tulips in my front flower bed & am very hopeful that I'll have even more next year thanks to my fortuitous score earlier this year. While those are nice, however, my all-time-favorite is the Gladiolus.

Glads are a very versatile flower. They come in many different colors, and like tulips, some of them can be multi-hued, with one color in the center and a different color around the edges. They can be upscale and elegant (think white glads arranged with red roses) or everyday and homey (say, a spray of various colored glads mixed together).

Because they have multiple blooms on a single stalk, they are a long-lasting flower. They bloom from the bottom up, so even if the first flowers are fading, newer ones further up the stalk are just opening.

I used to have quite a few glads that would bloom in my front flower bed, but they've not been doing so well in the past few years. I think the bulbs I had have "run their course" -- either that or the squirrels got 'em. Either way, I need to plant new ones.

The one complaint I have about them is that since they are tall & can get "top heavy" with blooms, they tend to get knocked down/fall over if there's a heavy rain. With the heat and humidity we get here in DC, it's not surprising to get frequent thunderstorms, some of which can be quite heavy, resulting in quite a few glads that need to be cut/brought inside, often all at once. At times, I've had too many to know what to do with -- glads in a vase on the kitchen table, on the hall table, in my room, in the family room, etc. But, hey! That's a problem I can learn to live with!!

My Favorite Monday -- Ice Cream

Tiburon's topic for this week's "My Favorite Monday" is favorite ice cream flavor. For me, if we're sticking to readily available flavors, it's a toss up between mint chocolate chip and dulce de leche.


Mint chocolate chip is so cool & refreshing. On a hot day, it's just sooo nice.

Dulce de leche, on the other hand, is richer and more indulgent. According to Haagen Dazs, the flavor is "inspired by Latin America's treasured dessert, our dulce de leche ice cream is a delicious combination of caramel and sweet cream, swirled with ribbons of golden caramel. "

My all-time favorite, however, is Bittersweet Orange. Dark chocolate ice cream infused with hints of citrusy goodness. There's only one place I know of that serves this, but you can bet that's what I'll order every time we go there.

My Favorite Monday -- Vacations

Another Tiburon tradition is the "My Favorite Monday". Today's topic is favorite vacation spots.

This one is tough for me. A) I haven't had a real vacation in 4 years. B) I always want to go somewhere new/explore new places, so I don't tend to go back to places all that often....Some places I've been that I'd highly recommend include:

Sweden -- my 2nd home. It doesn't matter how long it is between visits, Stockholm always feels like home. I can while away many an afternoon wandering around the cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan (Old Town), or take a picnic to Djurgarden, or visit one of the many museums.


Norway -- the fjords are breathtaking.

Lake Tahoe -- clear blue water, sunny skies, moderate temperatures. I've been in summer, but for skiing enthusiasts, winter is supposed to also be wonderful.

Disneyland -- It's not called "The Happiest Place on Earth" for nothing.


Places that are on my "to do" list include Ireland, Italy, Australia/New Zealand, Croatia, and a zillion other places. I know someone who vowed to never again spend New Years Eve in a country she'd been in before. For 10+ years now, she's kept that vow. Oh, how I wish I could follow suit!!