A Day to Celebrate, A Day to Reflect, A Day to Rejoice...

When Christie and I started out on our trip it was with purpose. One year previous her daddy suddenly passed away on her 31st birthday.  The day had started out in celebration, filled with fun texts back and forth and pictures on Facebook, then at 3:30p.m. I had to call my darling daughter to tell her that her daddy had died. I had to call both of my girls.  It was a call that I dreaded. I was not left alone from the time that he died until family arrived.  Everything was a blur after that and it is a blessing that I had wonderful people around me to help. The outpouring of love from my neighbors I can never repay, only pay it forward. 

Dave and his infectious smile

Dave and I had a plan. That plan was for me to retire in December and we were to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC in April.  I vowed that I would keep that promise. I bought my motorhome in November and haven't looked back. 

Isabella "Izzy" my motorhome

This year when late March arrived Christie and I loaded up the dogs and headed east to be in Washington for her Birthday which happened to fall on Easter this year.

Think about it.  Easter, the most holy day of the year. You are celebrating the Risen Lord, your dad's first year in heaven and your birthday all in one day. WOW! Who can say that?

Tulips blooming in the Bishops Garden

We got up and dressed and made our way to the Cathedral only to find that we had to have tickets to get in.  No where on the website did I see where I had to order tickets for Easter Services. Well bummer.  Christie and I took time to walk around the Cathedral. It is strikingly beautiful and built in the old masters ways.  Part of it was under repair due to the damage done to it by the earthquake several years before.  The gardens were beautiful and a delight to walk through.

We then found a wonderful place for an Easter brunch at Chad's Friendship Heights. The table covering was butcher paper and I drew a birthday

Happy street art

cake for Christie.  We started with an appetizer of fresh pita and hummus with a birthday celebratory drink of Samoans. She had smoked salmon, capers, cream cheese with bagels and I had corned beef hash and poached eggs.

Fresh made pita and hummus

Smoked Salmon with Cream
 cheese capers and bagels

After our meal our waiter brought Christie a beautiful blueberry cobbler with hand churned vanilla ice cream bought by him for her birthday treat.  How sweet of him! I guess he was paying attention while I drew her cake on the table. We even saw the Easter Bunny. He gave me a hug when I went back in to get my cane which I was constantly leaving behind.  

Poached eggs with hash
 and potatoes

We went to the Tidal Basin to see if the Cherry Blossoms had started to open.  After searching high and low, we only found one.

No Cherry Blossoms were open

The only Cherry Blossom that was open

We then visited the         Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial which is quite large and the Martin Luther King Memorial which was very impressive. 

 President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Waiting in the soup line during the
Great Depression

The look of despair on the faces of men
who once had everything

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

One of many of King's quotes
at the memorial

After seeing more sites of Washington we went to Franklin's for dinner.  The old general store is over 100 years old, the restaurant is much newer. We started with an appetizer of wings, Christie had pulled pork and I had bacon wrapped meatloaf. 

Wings

Pulled Pork, slaw and fries

Bacon wrapped meat loaf,
sweet potatoes,
 Italian green beans

I picked up several gifts for the boys for Christmas which is a good thing.  The only person I have to shop for is my son-in-law this year. 

I wanted my daughter's birthday to be filled with special memories of a beautiful day meant just for her.  I think I succeeded.