Author Archives: Ellen

Washington National Cathedral ~ Some Details…

The Cathedral, officially the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, is amazing and has so many wonderful architectural details.

 

 

 

A crucifixion scene is high overhead on the rood beam (“rood” is an old word meaning cross or crucifix).

 

The sculpture on the Canterbury Pulpit depicts people and scenes relating to the translation of the Bible into English. Stones for the pulpit came from Canterbury Cathedral in England.

 

At the east end of the Cathedral nave is the HIGH ALTAR. One hundred and ten figures of men and women exemplifying the highest ideals of Christianity surround the central figure of Christ in Majesty, completing the iconographic story with the redemption of humankind through Jesus Christ.

 

 

There were several beautiful ornate iron gates throughout the Cathedral.

 

 

16th-Century tapestries tell the story of David and Goliath. There were several of these tapestries in St. Mary’s Chapel.

 

 

 

In the lower level (crypt) of the Cathedral are several chapels with new Testament imagery.

 

I’m pretty sure this is from the Bethlehem Chapel. The Cathedral’s foundation stone was placed on this site under what later became the altar of the Bethlehem Chapel. In 1912 this became the first part of the Cathedral to be completed, and a service has been held here every day since.

 

 

This is from the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea. The mural tells the story of Jesus’ entombment following the crucifixion. This chapel and the Resurrection Chapel are primarily built in the Romanesque (or Norman) style of architecture featuring rounded arches and a heavier “feel” than the Gothic architecture. The use of this style here imitates the medieval custom of building a Gothic Cathedral over the crypt of an earlier, Romanesque one.

 

The Resurrection Chapel is decorated with colorful mosaics, portraying the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection.

 

Behind this iron gate is Helen Keller’s tomb

 

 

The tiny chapel of the Good Shepherd

 

 

 

While in the Crypt Dear and I were on a quest to find a special little nook. Several years ago we purchased a beautiful painting by our friend Patty Forte Linna that hangs in our living room. This next photo is our painting by Patty.

 

Patty was inspired to paint this from her visit to the Washington National Cathedral and seeing this special little area in the Crypt.  Dear spotted the area and pulled me aside to show me. This next photo was Patty’s inspiration.

 

Here they are side by side…

 

If you ever get the chance to visit Washington D.C. do not miss this beautiful Cathedral.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

A Day to Remember ~ Arlington National Cemetery

 

Remembering those who sacrificed for our country and praying for those who are serving our country now in harms way.

 

“Arlington, this place of so many memories, is a fitting place for some remembering. So many wonderful men and women rest here, men and women who led colorful, vivid, and passionate lives.” ~ Ronald Reagan

 

“All of these men were different, but they shared this in common: They loved America very much. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for her. And they loved with the sureness of the young. It’s hard not to think of the young in a place like this, for it’s the young who do the fighting and dying when a peace fails and a war begins.” ~ President Ronald Reagan

 

 

 

“Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It’s a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It’s a day to be with the family and remember.” President Ronald Reagan

This next photo is not from the Arlington National Cemetery but one I took at a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C.

 

“The monument was created as a service to those who might never travel to the nation’s capital to experience the Vietnam Veterans Memorial firsthand,” said Donna Wagner, director of Dignity Memorial providers in Seattle. “Our replica offers visitors a chance for healing and reflections, and we are very pleased to be able to share it with the community.”  ~ Donna Wagner

Another quote from President Ronald Reagan ~ May 25, 2009

“I know that many veterans of Vietnam will gather today, some of them perhaps by the wall. And they’re still helping each other on. They were quite a group, the boys of Vietnam — boys who fought a terrible and vicious war without enough support from home, boys who were dodging bullets while we debated the efficacy of the battle. It was often our poor who fought in that war; it was the unpampered boys of the working class who picked up the rifles and went on the march. They learned not to rely on us; they learned to rely on each other. And they were special in another way: They chose to be faithful. They chose to reject the fashionable skepticism of their time. They chose to believe and answer the call of duty. They had the wild, wild courage of youth. They seized certainty from the heart of an ambivalent age; they stood for something.

And we owe them something, those boys. We owe them first a promise: That just as they did not forget their missing comrades, neither, ever, will we. And there are other promises. We must always remember that peace is a fragile thing that needs constant vigilance. We owe them a promise to look at the world with a steady gaze and, perhaps, a resigned toughness, knowing that we have adversaries in the world and challenges and the only way to meet them and maintain the peace is by staying strong.” ~ Ronald Reagan

 

 

 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Prayers are always in our hearts and minds for our Son-in-law Andrew serving with the Marines!

We’re flying the flags for you Andrew!

Semper Fi!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

My Faith Has Found A Resting Place ~ Hymn

 

My Faith Has Found A Resting Place

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s name,
Salvation through His blood.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

My great physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

 

Korean War Memorial

Because it’s Memorial Day Weekend and we were just in Washington D.C. I wanted to share some of the great War Memorials we visited. On Monday I have a post about Arlington National Cemetery and today I’m sharing photos from the Korean War Memorial during the day and at night. The interesting thing we learned from our Trolley Tour Guide is that Korean American visitors and visitors from Korea leave wreaths everyday at the Memorial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the Warrior Returns

When the warrior returns, from the battle afar,
To the home and the country he nobly defended,
O! Warm be the welcome to gladden his ear,
And loud be the joy that his perils are ended:
In the full tide of song let his fame roll along,
To the feast-flowing board let us gratefully throng,
Where, mixed with the olive, the laurel shall wave,
And form a bright wreath for the brows of the brave.

~ Francis Scott Key

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Bishop’s Garden ~ Washington National Cathedral

Thank you for your care and concern about my procedure Friday morning. Everything is just fine and I won’t need that procedure for another 7 years! We went out for a nice dinner and all is well. Hope your weekend is off to a good start…

Continuing with my posts from our time in Washington D.C.  I’m breaking down the posts so you don’t get photo overload. The grounds of the Cathedral, called the “Close” are comprised of fifty-seven acres, which include the Cathedral, three schools, the offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and St. Alban’s church.  The grounds also include the Bishop’s Garden.

 

The Bishop’s Garden is modeled on a medieval walled garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Equestrian Statue of George Washington sits at the base of the Pilgrim Steps. From here, the Pilgrim Way winds through the 5 acre Olmsted Woods.

 

This is a side door to St. Alban’s.

Washington D.C. has so much to take in and enjoy. You can never see it all in one trip. I’d suggest you choose one major site a day and do it justice. You could add in a smaller site but beware of overload. Space your day out with a good sit down meal, too.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

FFF ~ I’m Hungry!

It’s time again to think about our favorites from this last week. Susanne at Living to Tell the Story is our hostess for this weekly event.

I cannot tell a lie but I can hardly wait till Friday afternoon when I can finally eat again. I’m having one of those procedures Friday morning that most of us dread so I’ve had to fast all day on Thursday and drink all that stuff they give you to get your innerds ready for them to poke around in. Ugh! Anyways seems the only favorites I can come up with all revolve around food.

 

1. Top of the list this week is meeting our dear friends on Tuesday for Happy Hour together. We ordered lots of great 1/2 price appetizers and enjoyed each other over food and drink. Good times.

2. Lunch with my daughter Katie on our way to start a registry for her and Andrew at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

3. Dinner with Dear and Katie after we got back from D.C. at our favorite Mexican Restaurant in town.

4. Making breakfast Sunday after church for us all. The classic eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon with toast.

5. Going to a birthday/house warming party for a young friend and seeing lots of old friends we haven’t seen for quite a while. The food was good, too.

I’ll be gone very early Friday morning and don’t know when I’ll be back or how loopy I’ll be but I’ll try to get around after Dear takes me out to dinner on Friday night. How pathetic am I?

Oh and while I’m on the subject of food my recipe for this dish is on The Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog today.

 

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Cuisine Kathleen Napkin Tablescape!

We sat at this table before our trip to D.C. and I wanted to post it before it got totally buried. Things have been so busy I haven’t even pulled out my Red, White and Blue for Memorial Day Weekend but I’ll remedy that soon. You can see a great Memorial Day Tablescape at Kathleen’s though. She’s who I won these great napkins from. To see more Tablescapes from around the world visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Napkins are from Williams Sonoma via Kathleen.

The large gold goblets are from Goodwill.

The plates are Lenox, Accoutrements Charlotte Green by Anna Griffin that I bought at T.J. Maxx.

If you live in the U.S.A. have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. We will be remembering our heroes from the past and our current heroes serving right now. My U.S. and Marine flag will be flying all weekend.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Fountains and Ford’s Theater

Jenny our faithful teacher is the hostess for Alpahbe-Thursday.

Here’s another A-Z stamp from the Postal Museum in Washington D.C. F is for Firsts!

Also from D.C. are my other choices for the letter F, fountains and the Ford Theater.

This is the fountain at Dupont Circle. In 1871 the Corps of Engineers began construction of Dupont Circle itself which at the time was called Pacific Circle. In 1882 Congress authorized a memorial statue of Rear Admiral Samuel Francis duPont in recognition of his Civil War service. The bronze statue was erected in 1884. In 1921 the statue of Dupont was replaced by a double-tiered white marble fountain. It was designed by sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon. Three classical figures, symbolizing the Sea, the Stars and the Wind are carved on the fountain’s central shaft.

Ford’s Theater where President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth.

 

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., where Abraham and Mary Todd were attending the play Our American Cousin. He died at 7:22 a.m. the following day, April 15th, at the Peterson Boarding House across the street from Ford’s Theatre.

Outside the Washington National Cathedral

 

This cathedral, officially the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, had its beginning in 1893. The foundation stone was laid in 1907 in the presence of President Theodore Roosevelt, and the Cathedral was completed in 1990 – 83 years later – when the “final finial” was placed in the presence of President George H.W. Bush.

 

Built of Indiana limestone, the Cathedral is the sixth largest in the world. Its design is unique and not copied from any earlier building. The building is shaped like a cross, with a long nave – a tenth of a mile- and two shorter transepts.

 

 

 

The Cathedral’s architectural style is Gothic, characterized by great height and the use of pointed arches, boss stones, ribbed vaulting,  large windows, and flying buttresses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When visiting these wonderful historical sites there’s always something you miss or at least I miss. I tend to learn more about the site when I finally get ready to post about it on my blog. Although I did notice these Gargoyles, I totally missed the fact that Darth Vader was one of the Gargoyles on the Cathedral! Here’s an explanation.

In the 1980s, while the west towers were under construction, Washington National Cathedral held a decorative sculpture competition for children. Word of the competition was spread nationwide through National Geographic World Magazine. The third-place winner was Christopher Rader, with his drawing of that fearful villain, Darth Vader. The fierce head was sculpted by Jay Hall Carpenter, carved by Patrick J. Plunkett, and placed high upon the northwest tower of the Cathedral.

You would need binoculars to see it so I don’t feel too bad about totally missing it!

My thoughts and prayers are with the people in the areas of our country hit by devastating tornadoes and other weather related tragedies. Praying that God would sustain them while they work to recover.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Stained Glass ~ Washington National Cathedral

Get ready for photo overload. I have so many photos to share from our trip to Washington D.C. that I’ll have to break my posts down to different aspects of each spot I visited. The Washington National Cathedral was amazing to visit. Today I’ll share the Windows for you for Ruby Tuesday with Mary at Work of the Poet.

 

This is the Space Window which holds a piece of moon rock brought back by the crew of Apollo XI.

 

 

One theme, told moving from the west to east, is the story of redemption through faith. Beginning at the west facade and west rose window with the story of creation, this theme continues through the clerestory windows, and ends with the sculpture of Christ in Majesty at the high altar.

 

 

 

 

Christ in Majesty at the high altar.

 

This series of 3 photos shows 6 of the 12 disciples of Jesus.

 

 

 

I’ll be posting more photos of the Washington National Cathedral in the next couple of days.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.