More Christmas

...and greenery!



No, the Capitol has not been attacked by gigantic poinsettias and blue sweatered giants.

It is the Christmas display of festive foliage at the National Botanic Gardens.



The display includes many replicas of historic Washington landmarks.

Each structure is painstakingly glued and constructed from bark, leaves and other natural materials.

It's kind of like the termites' equivalent of our gingerbread house.





In addition to the lush and beautiful poinsettias and other vegetation surrounding these monuments

there are...



(And, Monkey, hopefully you and the boy will appreciate this one)




...more non-people-sized trains!



MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Capitol Christmas!

Controversy is meant to stir up the listless. So, of course, I was moved yesterday to get out of my cozy bed and venture out into the cold December snow. I took my new camera on an adventure- what a time.

And what better subject than the huge and twinkling tree balanced before the United States Capitol building? Inside, elected men and women from each of the fifty states gather to create the laws of this free and prosperous land. Outside, flocks of shivering tourists converge in a photographic frenzy of flashes and clicks.



The tree is a symbol. So is the dome. Each of the ornaments means something different to the individual paste and glitter covered child who made them.

The fact that a law was passed recently by those congressmen and women specifically to make sure that the tree returns and remains a Christmas tree and does not slip down the pc slope as a "holiday" tree means something to me too.






A picture is meant to capture something that you don't want to lose. A moment. A memory. I wanted to memorialize this time in history.



The tree is cut and will eventually die. The ornaments may last a little longer (but not much). More concerning is the idea that perhaps a day will come when there are no longer people in that dome who are willing to stand up and defend the traditions of this nation.

The outcry of those seeking to eliminate the very roots and values that keep our country strong and upright is noisy-- and the din is growing.

For me, it will always be a Christmas tree. What others call it does not change its meaning to me. However, when we, the people, decide that it is ok for us to remove Christ, or allow Him to be removed as the life-giving root of this mighty nation, we must not be surprised when we too wither and eventually end up as kindling and mulch.

I like my pictures. I like this memory. That is a green and glorious CHRISTMAS tree standing strongly in our land.

I pray that we all continue to give thanks, honor and glory back to the One who has blessed us all go greatly and continue to be a shining beacon to those around us.

I'm Back!

After much delay and technical difficulty, I have finally returned! What a crazy time the past two months have been. Those turning leaves have fallen, along with the first of many snowflakes I expect to see in my first DC winter.

God has been faithful through it all and I am indeed thankful for my great friends who have been so graciously patient with me as well.

As further proof that I am indeed among the living, here's a picture in front of the National Christmas tree. Frankly, I think it looks a bit like a very festive Portugese man-o-war, but, then again, I also think I look a little bit like a very fluffy brown squirrel. Perhaps this is one of the side effects of standing next to a very big tree in the extreme cold. That, and the excessive use of the word "very".

Have a VERY Merry Christmas everybody!!!