Where should we go today?

Well, if you have a wonderful friend from the Rockies out to visit for a week ... you go back in time ....



Back in time to the 1700s and the time of Mr. George Washington. Yep, head to Mount Vernon and get steeped in GW time!



What a blast.

Mr. Washington was 6'3" and Martha was 4'2" or so ... these statues are life-sized (with two of their grandchildren in the pose too. Heading back in time was a fun time for all of us ... we tried wood puzzles from the time period (here Lego Maniac is working on building a pyramid from 7 pieces of wood) and chatted with a wonderful woman dressed in period-costume who was in the process of mending period-appropriate britches.Whilst talking to that wonderful woman, I noted an interesting bug in "friend from Denver's" hair and we did a mini-nature study, nature-appreciation time while we played with our new found friend (who, although winged, didn't fly away even being transferred from hair to hand to hand to map to hand ... )

Mount Vernon is a fabulous place to visit -- especially if you haven't been there in the past 25 years. I visited a quarter of a century ago ... when much of the house was renovated, but nothing more. NOW, this is a living museum to compete toe-to-toe with Williamsburg. Mount Vernon has amazingly educational hands-on exhibits which teach all -- kids and adults -- just exactly what Mr. Washington stood for ... what he fought for ... what he lived for.

Mount Vernon is a fabulous place to visit -- especially in light of the debate last night and the upcoming election in less than three weeks. I'm thinking EVERY candidate who thinks he/she is worthy to sit in the same position Mr. Washington did for eight years (humbling demanding that he be released after eight years of governance ... not allowed to serve for "life").

Mr. Washington was dedicated to service to his country -- whether it was risking his life in the French-Indian Wars under the direction of the English or leaving his wife whom he loved deeply for the EIGHT YEARS (with one 3-day trip home during that period for a war council at Mount Vernon) it took to complete our separation from England.

This was dedication ... and honesty ... and faith in God's providence ... and truth ... and service ... and most of all, humility! Something all politicians and really, all Americans, need to embrace. All Americans really need to try to join the hordes of annual visitors to this secular pilgrimage site -- Mr. Washington's home when he wasn't serving the newly established United States of America.