Getting historical in the MidAtlantic

After leaving Rochester, our Dodge Grand Caravan took the 7 hour trip to Maryland to see Jon's family. It's remarkable to me that I ever thought of that trip as being so impossibly long. Why, we made it comfortably in just one day!

Going to Annapolis meant we descended another few hundred feet to near sea level, which meant that my morning runs, already made much easier by the reduction in altitude, became positively exhilarating. And what joy to see even more water! When one lives in dry climates one's eyes become thirsty for the sight of water, as well as for the smell of dirt and growing things. Annapolis was heavy with both.

We enjoyed a day at the dock in downtown Annapolis.

The kids made friends with Alex Haley

Koopa wanted in the water so bad.

See the water at the end of the street?

On another day, we got a train to D.C. to enjoy some Smithsonian museums. We took them so lightly for granted back in the mid aughts!

First, we hit up the Museum of the American Indian, which had only just opened last time we were there. They've done a lot to it, including adding a kids' area complete with kayaking, basket weaving, and other interactive exhibits.

If I'm honest, as much as I love learning about Native culture, my favorite part is the cafeteria. There are foods from all corners of the Americas (we still think southwest is best, though, and got tacos, arroz, salsa, etc) and if you ask at the cafe you can get Mexican Hot Chocolate, which is one of those things which could single-handedly prove the existence of God. I could feel it solving all my problems. We let the kids have some and the rapture on their faces can hardly be described. Point is, get some Mexican Hot Chocolate if you're in a position to do so. Preferably at the Museum of the American Indian in D. C.

Jon actually got us tickets to the Museum of African American History and Culture (below), which was something of an achievement.

I highly recommend this museum. The very structure and setup of the museum is significant, with the history section being the foundation and the culture section stretching over it. You descend to learn about the middle passage and slavery (which was beautifully done and profound), climbing slowly every once and a while through the civil rights era, 1970s, Black Power, Black is Beautiful, and then into current struggles. On top of all this is a section the covers the performing arts, theology, literature, music, and other aspects of black American culture. It is excellent and well worth the wait!

The bricks behind Mr. Jefferson here represent each of his named slaves. The names are printed on the bricks.

This is Frederick Douglass' Newspaper; you can see the publication city "Rochester, NY" below the title.

I loved this image from the Depression era.

Ida B. Wells had something to say that I thought captured the whole spirit of the museum.

This seems to me to be the fundamental answer to our great American original sin: Shine the light of truth on it. Don't stop. Don't shrink. Don't let anyone forget or be ignorant. Only through knowledge and confession can there be repentance. I hope I can do my part.

This room gives visitors the chance to rest and reflect after the slavery section. There are profound quotations on each wall and above the circle waterfall is sunlight. We stayed a while, just to watch it.

Not pictured is a really fabulous section on Black Liberation Theology, once the subject of one of my research papers, so I ate that part up.
We rather hurried through the music section, the one part of "culture" we made time for. The kids were just. done. They were very sweet and patient through most of it, but it's really not yet a museum for little ones.

Miles did enjoy having his picture taken next to Miles Davis' purple jacket.

I was able to take a picture and give some side-eye to the capital building, as they attempt to gut health care provisions that so many rely upon. Our esteemed Colorado senators have been hearing plenty from us this week.

We are, of course, settled back in Pueblo right now, and I'll finish reviewing our trip and then get to Miles' birthday and our summer in town. It's been really good to be back, despite the immediate sense of deprivation I felt when we left St. Louis and I realized no one in Pueblo would care as much about our arrival there as the people we had been leaving over the past week cared about our departure. I really do have only one good friend here. But I have plans to visit with her some more, and we're doing summer reading, and swimming lessons start next week, and I have been to visit my classroom and have met with the other sixth grade English teacher who has helped me get started planning lessons, so we're keeping busy and staving off melancholy very admirably. I'm trying to clean less and read more, but it's hard. There is always some cleaning job to be done that cries so loudly that I can't hear my books. Koopa and I run each morning, an indulgence I treasure. Really, Pueblo has given us so much already.

Grand and Glorious

My grandma continues to live in relative good health in St. Catherines, ON. I cannot miss an opportunity to see her! Bizarrely, our contract with Enterprise forbade us to bring the car across the border. But Dad was somehow able to rent a car in NY which was allowed to cross the border. Go figure!

Grandma was quite sharp and we had a lovely visit. She and Miles in particular hit it off. Adele still struggles with being in the nursing home, but Miles has really taken a liking to Grandma Dorothy.

He read all of The Tawny Scrawny Lion to her. I had a pang, because I wish I lived close enough to read to her regularly. We'd both enjoy it, and it'd be good for her. At least we did get to have this visit, and these memories. I'm grateful.

You can see in their comparative faces how my children conducted themselves during the visit.

Best buddies

As we were leaving, the therapy dog was making the rounds! I'm glad Granny's in such a positive place.

The day before we left Rochester, we found time for one more tradition. It was our third cousin trip to Seabreeze!

As usual, the kids broke into their pairs.

5 year olds...

...And 8 year olds.

As usual, poor Adele was enough shorter than everyone else that she was in her own ride category. But we did as many together as we could.

It was about 72 degrees, but once again, the kids showed no reluctance to get wet. *I* was shivering and missing Pueblo's sunny dry heat, but Adele dove in.

This year, for the first time, we had a new cousin to initiate! Mariel was an angel, watching everything and everyone with big eyes, happily accepting any adult who held her. I got to rock her to sleep for a second time, which is a joy to me. I'm so grateful to have had the time with my darling godbaby.

Meanwhile, the eight year olds were getting adventurous! This was the first year they were tall enough to ride roller coasters. They took full advantage! Miles and Abby went on the Bobsleds twice, the WhirlWind once,

...and the Jack Rabbit three times!

They even condescended to enjoy the carousel along with the five year olds.

I love that, of all the places we have lived and visited, Seabreeze in Rochester is the one amusement park in my kids' lives. They don't know to ask to go to any other park. I give us one more year of getting away with this!

With my other half. I will keep making her stand in yearly pictures with me for the rest of her life. <3 br="">

Leah and I are 35. I love knowing that I don't have to turn any new age alone; she and I will always be linked.

The cousins are fonder of each other than ever.

Despite the joy of being at Seabreeze with them, there was a pang. At our last visit, in 2015, I was thinking we might be coming back again for Labor Day because we might be moving to Rochester. I had visions of these kids growing up together the way their mother and I did. I'm not sure why life brought us to Pueblo. But I know it's giving us a lot that we had been longing for while we're here.

Thursday night gave us one more night on Dad's porch, letting Koopa tear around in the yard while the kids and Agnes read bedtime stories. That week in Rochester just sparkled. 

summer in the (flour) city

We have been back in Pueblo for a full week, but I have gotten woefully behind on blogging. First there was the lack of internet while we traveled, then I have been throwing myself into the projects of preparing for Miles' birthday party and looking for childcare for all my orientations and other work-related events in July and August.

Looking back on the rest of our trip will be satisfying, though. A reminder that we really did have, and still are having, a summer.

We took some time while in Rochester to get the flavor of the place back in our mouths, starting with a ramble around some Susan B. Anthony related sites.

We paid a brief visit to her home and stopped in the gift shop,

then stopped by the fanciful (inaccurate) statue of Susan B. Having tea with Frederick D.

Douglass was consistently a supporter of women's rights and suffrage, but did not, as far as we know, meet with Susan B.

Next, we paid our respects at the site where Susan B. Anthony illegally voted.

Enjoying all the while catching glimpses of my fave, Frederick, all around. 

From there we wandered over to High Falls, where the mills which gave Rochester the nickname "The Flour City" were located.

We saw two herons and a hawk!

There could be no trip to the cottage at 30 Mile Point, so we contented ourselves with a brief foot back (or, in Adele's case, full-body bath) in the lake at Charlotte Beach.

It's super high this year!

 Adele, once so timid at lakes and oceans, strode right in fearlessly.

It was about 68 degrees.

We could barely keep her from attempting to swim to Canada. 

 This visit did me real good. It reminded me that under my feet in Pueblo stretches the same ground that touches all the places I love, connected by mere roads and miles. I am still connected, somehow, and this trip reminded me of that fact. I got to see so many of my very best friends, most of whom I did not photograph. Merely renewing the relationships was enough. This trip was such a gift.