In Sunlight and In Shadow

I came across these moving words while reading last night and wanted to share. Though a fictional work, I feel that this paratrooper's observations while preparing to embark on a mission carry deep emotion and accuracy that I will never entirely understand.

"In a vast, prayerful order of silence, thousands of men went about their separate tasks. Even before battle they had entered into a deep connection with those, past and future, who had found or would find themselves part of a great host, moving as if without will, coordinated and sanctified by death. This pointless and tragical fugue had rolled through history since the beginning. The pace may have varied, but the harvest was steady over time, its momentum increasing and undiminished. It moved evenly, treated all passions equally, and was as cold and splendid as the waves in winter.  

What force, he wondered, could paint such a canvas and command such dedication while never failing, again and again, to take sons from mothers, husbands from wives, and fathers from children? Unable to hesitate or protest, he looked toward the weapons and equipment he had made ready many times over, and felt love that would forever abide for all those he had followed, and all who would follow after, in thrall of his tide." 

From In Sunlight and In  Shadow, by Mark Helprin

Memoirs of the Funemployed

This building is magnificent no matter what the weather.

Newest word in my vocabulary: Funemployed

Funemployed: The state of being without a job, yet having lots of time to enjoy fun activities during otherwise normal working hours (Urban Dictionary).

Hmm, I guess I can work with that. Today, specifically, was applying for multiple jobs, tracking down multiple college transcripts (you'd think I'm trying to build a fake identity with the hoops they made me jump through), leaving the house exactly one time to go to the post office to send that transcript request, and reading through old college essays in search of the best writing sample. Not so fun, but when every day is Saturday, I suppose you have to make some time for the real stuff.

I have gone on more hikes in the last month than in the last 2 years combined. I have been to the gym every day since I joined. I've started reading the newspaper every day. I've gone without make-up. I eat normal, healthy meals. I went to Vermont. I've volunteered. I have watched far too many Netflix series. I've practiced trivia. I've left my hair piled on top of my head all day. I've had lots of meetings. I've gone to Minnesota twice. I've started blogging again. I have done my best to appreciate this unique time in my life and really, I have enjoyed it.

But... I like working. I like having a purpose. I like earning my own money. I like getting up, getting ready, and leaving the house for the day. I like being challenged. I like being gainfully employed. It's been good. It's been real. I will miss parts of it. But it can end any day now and I will be just fine.

Week 2 Picture: The U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

The last few days have been incredibly foggy in D.C. It was so dense one evening, I nearly missed my exit coming home because I couldn't tell that the 14th street bridge had ended with the abyss that was on either side of me. That same night, I stared for a good minute at this gaping hole that is the Capitol before realizing that's where I was!

Ring out the old, Ring in the new!

Happy New Year! I'm officially 3 years into this blog and attempting to bring it back in 2013. Unlike my first year in D.C., when I knew no one, had 4 hours of commuting each day, and spent every evening with the exact same routine, I cannot commit to a picture a day, but I AM aiming for one a week. I'm still debating whether or not Instagram pictures should be allowed on here. I'm feeling a sleight moral dilemma about it. Other resolutions this year....buying something new at Trader Joe's every time I go (this week was Kale...I don't even know if that's cheating and basically lettuce, but it's new to me...), running a half marathon, and finishing learning the guitar or the bagpipes...Oh, and finding a job, that's a good one.

I keep saying I'm going to blog about my experiences and reflect upon 2012, but it is seeming less and less likely. Stay tuned.

Week 1 Picture: Chatham, Fredericksburg, Virginia

I'm feeling like this is a bit of a cheat since this is one of the first locations I ever posted on here, but now it reminds me of Virginia's own Downton Abbey (or at least one of their summer cottages) so I'm counting it. For the history of it...click back to 2010. My thoughts when I visited this year were more about the landscape and the excellent wedding photos that could be taken at this estate! The backyard (originally the front of the house), overlooks the river and has steps leading down into a large open courtyard that I can only imagine would be lovely in the warmer months. A wrought iron fence serves as the center of the stairwell before taking stairs down on either side. The fence has music notes designed into it with a number of measures. I wrote down the notes and just now played them on the piano. It wasn't a tune I recognized, but the notes were definitely intentional and made sense! The gardens had charming brick columns that seemed to hold no purpose, but I'd like to believe that they are wrapped in ivy and canopied by the trees in the summer, creating a tunnel perfect for Sound of Music type strolls.