Kelly Clarkson Concert

Me

Clarice (Cindy)

My sister-in-law turned sixty years old, so I got us tickets to see Kelly Clarkson at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA. I haven't been to this venue in over twenty years. It was "Great Woods" when I last took my Self to see Bonnie Raitt for a birthday I can't remember which one it was. My SIL and I call each other "Clarice".

The Selfie

Anyway, Clarice suggested we tailgate before the concert. Other than tailgating before a Gamecock football game in SC, I have never done it. We each brought food, and I shared gin and tonics because she didn't like what she brought.. It was a beautifully clear night; warm and humid. The parking lot was packed. Police rode on bicycles and golf carts in and out of the lanes between parked revelers enjoying hot dogs on the charcoal barbies, and certainly not advertising their alcohol because, after all, there is no public drinking allowed. One such cart announced over a bull horn that it was time to pack up and head into the concert. We grabbed a frozen margarita in a plastic guitar glass and found our seats.

Xfinity Center

The concert began on time with a young female artist, Abi Ann, I never heard of. I was surprised because Pentatonix were the only other act advertised. She sang a couple of songs I recognized ("My Future Ex-Boyfriend" for one) and thanked Kelly for inviting her to join her. Abi Ann was quite good. Next came Eric Hutchinson. A huge sign hung behind him saying, "Eric Hutchinson is pretty good." He was, but he was also pretty boring. His songs sounded much the same. There was another break to tear down one set and build the stage-on-stage with lighted stairs for Pentatonix. All I can say about them is, "Wow!".

Pentatonix

Pentatonix is an incredibly talented, twenty-something a capella group of five: one female and four males. I discovered them on Facebook, and bought a couple of their Christmas CDs. Hearing them live and with Xfinity's sound system was an out-of-body experience. The tonal quality of their voices is angelic. They rock with the best of them, and I could not sit still. This is the real reason I bought these concert tickets. I wanted to hear this group. Boy, was I happy I did. Go see them. Really.

Kelly's hair

Kelly came out last, of course, and her performance did not disappoint. She looked beautiful. She wore gorgeous, sparkly gowns and lovely, chic dresses throughout the concert. She looked very much "the Lady", but also "the Diva". I loved her new hair! She had it pulled up away from her face in a sixty-esque pompadoo with a gigantic braid down her back. The sides were cut very short, like a little boys' cut around her ears. The affect was quite stunning.

Her voice was perfect too. I only heard one minor mishap, but she can really hit those powerful high notes. We stood and danced throughout her performance. We had no choice. Everybody in front of us was standing. When I needed a break from dancing, I sat and watched what I could of the stage and used the large screens to see her. One sweet moment I witnessed was a small group of two young mothers and their ten-year-oldish daughters a few rows in front of us. During one song each daughter sat with her mother's arm around her swaying back and forth. Next, they were up and dancing together like girlfriends. What a joy to watch this perfect mother-daughter bonding night.

I have to say that I was also impressed with Kelly's generosity of spirit. She made a point of saying she encourages would-be singers to send her videos. She got her start "in a big open-mike night covered on national television" (that made everybody laugh"), and likes to help others get their start. So, out of all the videos she received, she chose one from a very talented young woman of about sixteen (I would guess) from Millis, MA. I regret I can't remember her name. Her voice was solid, high and really good. Kelly asked her if she had a web site so everyone could find her, and she announced her You Tube site, but I can't remember what it was. Sorry. I confirmed again that if you want to make a living doing what you love, you need a web site. Just sayin. During the encore, Kelly gave a song to her backup singers. She claimed to have the best singers in the world and wanted us to be able to hear them perform. They were very good. Once again, I am impressed by her generosity.

What a night!

It was a great, rockin' concert. Clarice and I danced the entire time. It felt really good to be in the open air, in comfy seats with plenty of leg room, and up dancing to fun music. I have never been to a Kelly Clarkson concert before, and I have to say that she puts on a very good show. Bravo, Kelly! I'd go again. Thanks for a great night. Happy Belated Birthday to me and Clarice!!!

There's a new library in town.

Larry and I attended the dedication of the brand new Tiverton Public Library. This was a project fourteen years plus in the making, and the results are just beautiful. The building itself is lovely, and according to many who spoke, very functional. There are free-standing computer workstations throughout. I was also told my existing library card will still work, and ordering books online will remain the same.

The event began with a local Boy Scout color guard, who led the Pledge of Allegiance. Larry, of course, took off his hat. The rest of us stood and recited what we learned so long ago in elementary school with hands held over our hearts. I teared up a little, and felt sad at all the controversy over this very patriotic ceremony. I just love it.

Next, the Greater Tiverton Community Chorus sang "From Sea to Shining Sea", by Samuel A. Ward. This is the chorus I sing in once a year. I plan to go back just to sing again this summer as well, but won't be here for the late August concerts. They did a beautiful job, and made me tear up again! I hooted loudly at the end feeling so proud of all my friends up there. I wished I was with them. They also ended the ceremony with a beautiful and very appropriate song, "Take Care of This House", by Leonard Bernstein. "...this house is the hope of us All." Lovely words.

Local people spoke about their love of this project and all the hard work that went into make this dream a reality. A particular favorite was Brett Pelletier, Town Council Liaison. He quoted his favorite author, P. G. Wodehouse, with "Right Ho!" to all involved, referencing his "Right Ho, Jeeves" book.

The keynote speaker was Michael J. Tougias, whose best-selling book, "King Phillip's War", includes this town and Little Compton's roles in that war. I bought a copy and asked him to autograph it. His latest book, "The Finest Hours", will be made into a Disney action movie set to come out in 2016. His entertaining speech talked about how libraries influenced his life in three different phases: when he was thirteen and got into lots of trouble in school, at age thirty when he began to write, and at age fifty when he continued to do research for his writing. He praised librarians and archivists for all their hard work, and credited their efforts to making his research and published works a success.

Childrens' Library

Larry also has shared with me how the principal of his middle school told his parents to, "get that boy to a library!" His parents followed that advice and now he is a successful Ph.D. Physicist. Libraries also played a huge role in my life. It was a place to get away from home at night, and meet my friends. I also got some work done that could not otherwise be done at home. I wonder if today's children will use the library in the same ways we did growing up.

Reading Room

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, we were all invited in for refreshments and to see the new library. We were very impressed, and glad we attended. Even though we didn't vote for the library, we will support it and use it about as much as we do now. It could be what the speakers called, "the Crown Jewel" of our town, and use of its building is "only limited by our imaginations". Let's assume they are all right, and it becomes the community jewel everyone hopes for. Congratulations to everyone who made it happen. It really is a lovely addition to our little town.

Last Night

After a hearty breakfast at Black Dog, we packed a bag and hopped on the #3 bus towards Aquinnah. We are very impressed with the bus system on the island. It is affordable, dependable, and easy to get anywhere you want to go. I don`t remember it being this good.

I read they moved the lighthouse 129 feet back from the cliffs. Erosion has really taken its toll, and we wanted to see it. The lighthouse is closer to the road, but there is still lots of landscaping to be done.

We got a soft serve ice cream and headed for the beach. The walk is still long, but also very beautiful. It was a gorgeous, sunny day in the high 60`s. Joanne picked our spot and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon of topless sunbathing.

She needed to leave her mark, so Joanne built a rock tower. I had a great time taking pictures. When we`d had enough, we dressed and headed back to the bus. We were exhausted, and knew if we came back to our room first, we would not get out again. So, given there aren`t many restaurants in Vineyard Haven, we went back to Black Dog to see if they served dinner.

We had delicious haddock and beef tenderloin dinners with red Sangria! We waddled back to Harbor Landing ready to shower and crash for the night.

This was another great day in a most welcomed and enjoyable early June weekend. We`ll get  Continental breakfast tomorrow, check out and head back on the #13 to Oak Bluffs for chowdah before boarding the ferry for home.

We are very glad we came. Thanks for coming along.

Saturday Night

After a lovely afternoon nap, we ventured to Main Street in Vineyard Haven to meet my friend, Claire. I hadn't seen her in many years. As we turned the corner, we ran into our new friend, Caitlyn Ferragamo wearing his Burberry skinny jeans,  and his friend coming out of The Mansion House. Screams and big hugs of welcome ensued. He said, "We`ve been talking about you all day and how you busted our balls." We said, "We`ve been talking about you all day, and I called you a diva in my blog!"

He showed us pictures they took yesterday, including a selfie in sombreros. Caitlyn had been showing us family pictures on the ferry too. They invited us up to the pergola tonight for wine. They belong to a wine club called Knights of the Wine Table, complete with a crest patch. We just might go.

After catching up with Claire, I asked her to drop us in Oak Bluffs. It was on her way anyway. We enjoyed several cocktails and food on the harbor at Lobsterville Restaurant for sunset, and made several more new friends.

We walked to Our Market for wine and beer, then flagged down the #13 bus to Vineyard Haven. It was packed with drunk young women. We all hooted and hollered together like girlfriends, then they hopped on the ferry and left the island. "Love you!" We all yelled. Then, we ended our evening drinking on the third-floor deck with a much improved view of the harbor lights now that the fire station is gone, and the ruckus in front of Cumberland Farms. Police were called. Another exciting night in the dry town of Vineyard Haven.

A Visit to Martha`s Vineyard

My little sister invited me to use our other sister`s Harbor Landing timeshare in Vineyard Haven this weekend. What a great idea!

She came to our house in Rhode Island last night so we could leave at 7:00am to catch the 9:00 fast ferry out of New Bedford, MA. Neither of us had taken that ferry before. We decided the only thing that justified the $70 round trip ticket cost was not having to drive an extra three hours round trip to Woods Hole. I got the senior price of $60.

We left my car in the satellite parking lot a half-mile from the pier and took the shuttle. On it, we met two hilarious guys on their way to a Vineyard weekend bachelor party. One of them couldn`t find his Ferragamo wallet to pay for the $12/day parking fee after his friend drove and paid for gas. So, he became the butt of jokes for the rest of our trip over. Joanne nicknamed him Caitlyn Ferragamo because he wore red/pink shorts and was a bit of a diva. We enjoyed Bloody Mary`s on the very comfortable hour-long ferry ride into Oak Bluffs.

On arrival, we bid our new friends a dieu and headed to town. I over-packed my shoulder bag and exclaimed out loud how I wished there were lockers to put our heavy bags in. Check-in wasn`t til 3:00pm, and it was 10:00am. A guy overheard me and told us there were lockers at The Dockside across the street. I love being a member of the loud family!

After stashing our bags for $5, we headed to Circuit Ave., ending up at Linda Jeans for breakfast and watermelon mimosas. We talked about how much our mother loved this place. She came up a lot today. We were recapturing her memory and some of our own of this beautiful island.

We walked the Avenue to see what had changed in the more than a decade since either of us had been here. The Island movie theater has been condemned as unsafe and will likely be torn down. The only theater right now is in Vineyard Haven. We strolled around The Methodist Campground where the Gingerbread Houses are, and reminisced about our mother`s friend, Phyllis` cottage and her mother`s cottage next door. We talked about how Joanne`s girls played in the park out front with the cousins and how much Ma loved it here.

We stopped for a beer and Sushi afterwards, grabbed our bags and headed to the bus to Vineyard Haven to check in and take a nap. Now we`re getting ready to meet my friend, Claire, to get caught up. I haven`t seen her in a dog`s age. More laytah.

Columbia, SC

Us in Puerta Vallarta

Yesterday was our thirteenth wedding anniversary. After shopping for TV stands to eat on, travel mugs and other sundry items, we decided to head into town. Our plan was to ride the pontoon across Lake Murray to Liberty on the Lake for a nice dinner. The water looked choppy as we drank coffee on our deck, so we decided to wait and see how the day progressed. We "bagged" the idea later because we just wanted to eat early and get home to our little pups.

Rear View of State House

We headed to the SC Wildlife store on Assembly Street only to discover it's gone. But we noticed a sign on the State House grounds saying, "Public Tours Today". What a great idea, we thought. Neither of us have ever taken a tour of a State House, anywhere we've lived. So, we went in the Public Entrance, got through the security scanner where Larry had to leave his "sharps", and waited with several other people for someone to guide us into an auditorium.

There, a nice man with a thick SC accent, gave us a little lecture about the state seal and the state flag, especially the crescent moon. He explained that current beliefs about the crescent moon on the flag have changed. Experts now believe that instead of the moon being flown along side the Palmetto tree on our state flag, the crescent shape is instead a Gorget. Then he showed us a picture of young George Washington wearing one around his neck as an example. Next, he played a video about "The State House: Tempered by the past. Poised for the future." I thought that was a cool motto.

Before playing the video, though, he expressed another interesting fact. The Palmetto tree became the state tree after a major attack on Fort Sullivan on Sullivan's Island off the coast of Charleston during the American Revolution in 1776. Fort Sullivan was built with the only resource available: Palmetto trees. These trees are more grass than tree and very pliable. When the British shot cannon balls at the fort, the balls just embedded themselves in the log walls and caused no damage at all. Discouraged, the British moved on.

After the video, we began our walking tour of this magnificent building. Our tour began in the lower lobby where the Governor and Lt. Governor's office wings are located. He explained where Gov. Nikki Haley holds press conferences. This man obviously likes and respects Gov. Haley. He called her the "friendliest governor to date", and declared her very resourceful. He used an example of her friendliness as the time a third-grade class was on tour. She took time to meet the class and sign autographs. Nobody had paper, so she signed the backs of each of the children's hands with a pen as an example of her resourcefulness.

The architecture of this lobby was exquisite. SC blue granite columns supported a beautiful arched ceiling painted white and up-lit that was comprised of handmade, irregular red-clay bricks made close-by from river mud. There is a memorial by the Broad River dedicated to the Irish slaves who built the canal. I thought of these slaves making bricks that created this beautiful ceiling. I don't know if this part is true, but that's what I thought about while walking around. The floor was tiled in pink Tennessee and white Georgia marble squares. The completed work is just stunning.

We ascended a lovely iron staircase that I thought was also beautiful. Who sees an iron staircase anymore? Portraits of individuals who made a difference in South Carolina lined the walls. Lovely artwork depicting wars with Francis Marion, or "the Swamp Fox", were also prominently displayed.

A large sculpture of John C.Calhoun was the centerpiece of the fourier connecting the House of Representatives and State Senate chambers. Among other things, his most important role was that of Vice President to two different Presidents: Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. During the reign of Jackson/Calhoun, the country was run by two SC boys. Although, it is said that only Andrew Jackson's Mama knows that he was really born in SC. Apparently, NC also claims he was born there. He declares his SC birth in his will, but the word of his Mama won out everyone else.

A wonderful painting was displayed outside the Senate chambers depicting what the guide said was the only painting showing a negro in battle. This young man was sixteen years old, and saved the life of his commander. He was also a free man.


We toured both chambers and heard all about the current building being the third State House built. It is completely made of stone because the other two burned down. It was begun in 1855, but when the Civil War broke out and ended, SC was broke. The current building was not completed until 1907. Sherman's troops fired Cannon balls at the building, but the holes were never repaired. Instead, it was decided that bronze stars placed over the holes would be cheaper than repairing them. The stars remain to this day.

There is also a bronze statue of George Washington in front of the State House building. His staff was broken by Sherman's troops too as soldiers threw bricks at it until it broke. Our tour guide explained that they must have thought the statue was of a local dignitary. Keeping with the no repair policy of the state, a bronze plaque placed at the base of this statue explaining what happened was deemed cheaper than repairing the staff.

The State House grounds are also quite beautiful and create a lovely, shady park in which to rest or read while visiting or take a lunch break. We enjoyed our visit, and were really glad we did it. A nice man in the gift shop stamped a State House Guide with yesterday's date for us as a memento because I said I was from Boston.

One empty granite base stood within site of the State House building. It's plaque stated that it once held a cannon from the Spanish American War that was removed in 1942 and contributed as scrap-iron for use in World War II. Interesting, huh?

After our visit, we decided to head to Five Points, a neighborhood mainly geared to the college crowd from the University of South Carolina. Our goal was to have a nice, fancy dinner at Garibaldi's, a restaurant frequented by Larry's old USC thesis advisor. But, it didn't open for another hour. We crossed the street to find another nice restaurant above Starbuck's, but that too would not open for another hour. So, in frustration, we headed to Delaney's for a pint and a snack to kill time until we could get our fancy-schmancy anniversary dinner. We found out it was BOGO night (By One Get One entree), so we stayed for dinner instead. We realized that we were more interested in saving a few bucks than splurging.

We dropped our Toyota Tacoma pickup off at the dealer and were driving a rental. The dealer called to announce that repairs for the U-Joint and Differential, etc. would cost several thousand dollars! Really? We said to fix it since we decided spending this money was still cheaper than buying a new truck. We had a great time at Delaney's and thoroughly enjoyed our day. After getting home to feed the pups, we each took a shot of Maker's Mark out to the deck to watch the evening descend upon us. What a lovely anniversary.

A Day in DC

My husband, Larry, and I are heading home to SC. As usual, though, we are spending the week in Annapolis, MD with our friend, Nancy. Larry also secured a new part-time job and made plans for his first work meeting with new colleagues. We also met old friends and colleagues now relocated in this area for dinner on "hump day". It has been a very busy week.

While he was at his work meeting at the Naval Research Laboratory, though, I asked him to drop me off at the New Carrollton Metro Station and headed into DC to wander around alone for the first time. I've been to our nation's capitol before, but never by myself. It was a fun little adventure.

My plan was to visit the Andrew Wyeth exhibit at the National Gallery. I'd seen a promotion for it on television the night before and I'd never seen his work in person. Once I arrived at the Smithsonian Metro Station, I exited onto The Mall. I am always in awe at how beautiful The Mall area is. The first thing I did on this beautiful, sunny day was to take yet another picture with my phone of the Washington Monument. The Monument is such a beautiful erectile into the blue sky. As I walked across the Mall towards the National Gallery, I passed several people taking photos of each other holding up their palms and posing as if holding the Monument in the palms of their hands. It was very cute to see them having fun with that illusion.

As I crossed Madison Drive NW at 12th Street, I once again took in where I was. I recently finished reading Citizen Washington by William Martin as well as the The Lincoln Letter by the same author. These two books as well as others authored by Martin forced me to look at and think about our nation's history with new eyes. I recently returned from a dream trip to the Celtic Isles, and was fascinated by their history. I have never been so drawn to our own. This year, maybe because I've finally reached the magic retirement age of sixty-five, I am thinking differently about history, especially that of my own family. History has suddenly taken on a new meaning for me. I am very drawn to learning more in a way that never intrigued me before.

As I walked towards the Gallery, I passed the beautiful Smithsonian Castle across the Mall from whence I had just come. I snapped the umpteenth picture of the place from which I retired. I still feel sentimental about it. I retired, as did Larry, from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, located in Cambridge, MA. But the Castle holds a special place in my heart. It was the best employer I ever had, and I am grateful for the opportunities it afforded me. I also love that all the Smithsonian museums are free to the public.

As I walked, I passed street posters of an IMAX butterfly migration film and an "African Voices" exhibit, both at the Museum of Natural History. I came to this building first, so I turned left "on a dime" and headed directly for the butterflies. I love butterflies. At the information booth inside, I discovered that the film was not for two hours. I was meeting Larry later, so I knew I couldn't see it. Disappointed, I walked through the Ocean room towards the Africa exhibit. I was especially intrigued by the Djenné mud builders of Mali. There were many photographs of these seemingly now famous builders, who travel the world and talk about their lives and their work. They discussed the horrible situation in Mali for their people now, and expressed the hope that "someone" would step up to help them.

Larry and I just had our SC house's exterior finished in stucco. So, I was interested in the art of building with mud. These men were quite fascinating. There was a short film of their interview, and the last line of one of the elder men went something like, "Follow your mentor. Everyone has a mentor in life. Follow that mentor and you will be happy." What a profound statement, I thought. And, I felt like he spoke directly to me. I spent some time thinking about who that mentor might be for me.

After admiring exhibit cases of beautiful metal work; tools both ancient and modern, and a lovely Somali hut, I left and entered the "Activity Room". I love to explore and investigate what educational activities various entities provide for children. I think I am truly a teacher at heart. Once I entered, the hostess greeted me, and told me it was mainly for children, but I was welcome to explore, touch and feel my way through the room. "Look through that microscope," she suggested. I did. It was of a sea shell, and was not very interesting. I picked up a magnifying glass to look at sparkly specks in rocks, opened a drawer or two, and quickly got bored. There was a large mirror with a dress-up corner, and a few children seemed to be enjoying themselves, so I decided to reserve judgement over the quality of the room and its entertainment/educational value. Maybe someday, I'll be able to bring my grandchild here and then see what (s)he thinks of it.

I found my way to the Butterfly Pavilion. I have always wanted to go to a butterfly zoo, and just never got there. Here was my chance. I paid for a senior ticket ($5.50), and investigated the Insect Zoo while I waited for the 11:30am entry time. The insects were interesting. I particularly like the ones who blend into the environment. It's a "Where's Waldo" for bugs. I really enjoy looking for them and feel a sense of success when I see them. The child in me was very happy.

I got in line for the butterflies and took out my phone to get ready for pictures, as I was instructed to do by the hostesses. Upon entering, we were first ushered into a prep room. There we were instructed to watch where we walked because butterflies will be on the floor. We also had to make sure we checked our clothing in the anti-room before leaving to confirm we had not picked up a winged hitchhiker.

Inside, the room was warm and humid. Misters were turned on intermittently, and the fragrance of all the beautiful and colorful flowers was just gorgeous. The main attraction did not disappoint. Winged beauties flitted all around. The big blue ones were attracted to the color turquoise and had just hatched that morning. They were very energetic and numerous. Their wing span was two to three inches on a side, and their color was beautiful. The pattern of their wings when folded, though, was more brown with lots of design. They were very pretty. There were also large white butterflies that had just hatched that morning, and they had their own special beauty. The butterflies came in many shapes, sizes and colors. It was spectacular. One beauty landed on my finger as I held up my camera. I just stayed still and looked at it, feeling its little legs gripping my finger.

Feeling the butterfly's little legs reminded me of the time a Tiger Swallowtail hatched in my house long ago. I told the hostess about the story and she confirmed many details. It was really fun to relay my story, which prompted me to write my first unpublished childrens' book. I stayed for about thirty minutes and was ready to move on. It was the best part of my day though.

I moved onto the National Gallery and the Wyeth exhibit. I got a map from the information booth and found my way to the opposite end of the long building. What a beautiful space! The building is old and ornate with huge, marble staircases and columns everywhere. There were lots of garden spaces with fountains and flowers as I walked, and one large rotunda with a huge, beautiful dome ceiling. Once in the Wyeth exhibit, I realized how many rooms were allocated to it. It was quite vast and lovely. The main event of this exhibit for me was, "Wind from the Sea".

Nancy asked me to search for a painting of his with a lovely window with flowing gossamer curtains and a comfortable-looking sleeping dog. It wasn't there. Windows are Wyeth's "thing". Apparently, he was obsessed with them. I also enjoyed his paintings of houses he enjoyed. They were old, scarred and frayed for the most part: old farm houses of friends. His work reminded me of that of my friend Marie Craig. She is a photographer, who spent some time years ago photographing aspects of old, historic houses.

After leaving the Wyeth paintings, I decided to explore Degas and Cassatt. I love Mary Cassatt, and really enjoyed how the curators did side-by-side painting comparisons of each artist. After that, I ventured into van Gogh with Renoir, Matisse, and all those guys. It was a really fun morning. I got hungry and my legs and feet were very tired and sore, so I wandered back to the National Gallery Sculpture Garden to the Pavilion for lunch.

I grabbed a delicious Southwestern cobb salad and a very nice Sangria, then sat under an umbrella at a table outside with a view of the National Archive building. As I sat and ate, I reviewed my pictures and tried to connect with Larry to see how his day was progressing and when we should meet. I didn't know if I should continue across the street or head back to the Metro. He assured me, I could continue on as a tourist for a while, and he'd entertain himself. I went to the Archives after lunch.

After seeing the movie, National Treasure, where a secret code was purported to be invisibly written in lemon juice on the back of the Declaration of Independence, I realized I'd never seen the great documents in person. After exploring the first floor exhibits displaying and explaining all the freedom articles: slavery, womens' rights, immigration, etc. I headed up one flight to the very dimly lit rotunda where The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and The Bill of Rights were displayed. Before I say anything about them, though, I just want to remark how wandering through the freedom exhibit made me so sad my eyes welled up with tears. I felt so sad walking around because even though these documents declared freedom, that freedom did not come without a great cost to many human lives. I will never get over how cruel we humans have been and still are to one another. Will we ever progress beyond our seeming innate cruelty? I remain hopeful, but cannot think too much about it because I think the answer is probably, NO.

Once upstairs, I was taken aback by how dim the lighting was. There were signs explaining this darkness, and once I viewed our famous documents, I realized why firsthand. The ink was almost unreadable on the original documents. Over many years, they had been displayed in full light and that light over time destroyed the ink. I am so happy copies were made, because the originals are unreadable. I did see John Adams' signature quite clearly, though, and it made me think of Paul Giamatti's portrayal of the great man.

My trip was inspirational, even though I felt saddened by some of it. All in all, the butterflies lifted my spirit and the sun brightened my entire day. Who could ask for more?