We Know Where We're Going - Historic Congressional Cemetery

 

During these COVID-19 strange times, people are finding all sorts of ways to stay busy.  I just spent 2 months researching my burial options.  It wasn’t because of the constant fear people have of dying because of the pandemic but because of my volunteer work for Compassion & Choices, a lobby organization that advocates for passage of Death with Dignity legislation.  During a presentation at the monthly program meeting of the AAUW - Alexandria Branch, a member told everyone about a new environmental movement called “Green Burials.”  I was intrigued and wanted to check it out.

Explanation from the Green Burial Council:

"We define green burial as a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.(https://www.greenburialcouncil.org)"

Anything that lets me plan ahead appeals to me.  Thirty years as a law firm administrator taught me the necessity of strategic plans and it has carried over into my personal life.  Also, I went through the chaplains training program at St. David’s Episcopal Hospital in Austin ages ago and the priest-in-charge insisted that all of us in the class read his book Surviving Death by Fr. Charles Meyers and write out instructions for our burial and funeral.  His book was written for care givers and family members of terminally ill patients.  He stressed that without plans in place at the time of death family members can be overwhelmed with all of the decisions that must be made and are susceptible to unethical parties who direct them to overspending or making choices that do not really reflect the preferences of the deceased.  

My research found three cemeteries in Virginia that allow green burials (bodies are not embalmed and caskets are biodegradable - it’s what our ancestors did for centuries) but the closest is a hour away.  I found it interesting that the one the farthest away allows for leasing plots for 75 years with the option to renew if there’s anyone around to want to do that when the lease expires.  It reminded me of the leased plots in France and I’m sure other countries may have similar customs.

To my delight and surprise I discovered that Historic Congressional Cemetery on Capitol Hill, which is only 20 minutes from Alexandria, allows green burials.  

We felt we’d qualify to purchase a plot there because George worked for Congressional Research Services before going to the Department of State.  When I checked out the web site it clearly stated that there was only one requirement for burial there - YOU MUST BE DEAD.  I found that hilarious and it fit right in with my plan since I have no intention of using the plot before I’m dead.  It also meant there are no religious, racial, sexual orientation, etc. requirements.  Again, that fits in with my personal preferences.

Further review of the web site (https://congressionalcemetery.org) found all sorts of fascinating details:

There is a K-9 Corp. where members pay an annual fee that goes to help with maintenance of the grounds and they get to walk their dogs in the cemetery. 

A happy member of the K-9 Corp.

During the summer they host Friday Night Movies.

Goats are brought in to help “mow” the grounds and participate in yoga classes. 

In October they host Souls Strolls with docents leading twilight tours and stopping at one of the crypts that has been opened for drinks at a bar set up inside.

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One of the re-inactors you meet on the tour.

Various “residents” are portrayed during the evening.  

The most popular is Mary Hall, the wealthiest madam and owner of the largest brothel in DC during the Civil War.  She has a huge memorial that she paid for because she wanted to show everyone that she belonged in the cemetery along with everyone else.  Her mother and sister are buried next to her.

Wonder if anyone has ever portrayed J. Edgar Hoover?  He is buried near Mary.

There are weekly Saturday morning tours on a variety of topics, and the chapel is rented out for weddings and other events. 

As historians, George and I couldn’t be more enthralled with the history of the cemetery - a lot has happened since it opened in 1807 - and I love how it invites the public in for a variety of events to demystify cemeteries.  It reminds me of the Day of Dead parties in cemeteries throughout Mexico on November 1-2 each year.  Families spend the night feasting and singing and honoring their ancestors .  We also love that we’ll be close to two of our favorite places in DC - the Library of Congress and the Nats Baseball Park.

We have purchased a plot (yep just 1 because they will allow us to be stacked which saves us a lot of money and supports going green by not taking up any more space than necessary) and prepaid for everything (digging the hole twice, etc.) so our family won’t be hit with a funeral bill.  Our plot is under a gorgeous, huge magnolia tree across the road from a newly planned expansion that will provide a walking garden for ash distribution.  We’re also close to the pet cemetery.

Once COVID restrictions are lifted, we invite you to visit the cemetery.  We think you’ll find a welcoming atmosphere that provides a lovely place to take a walk or a way to learn some interesting history.

All photographs curtesy of the Historic Congressional Cemetery.

ADDEMDUM

Added February 1, 2023

I'm reading a facinating book on resilience, Three Roads Back, by Robert D. Richardson, about how Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and William James over came tragedy in their lives. In the section about Thoreau, it discussed how he saw life as a continuum and decay brings renewal.  I was struck by the following quote:  "The individual may die but the materials that make up the individual do not.  They are subsumed into new forms and so live on."  

This, more than any other thing or thought, has convinced me that choosing a "green burial" is within my environmental understand of life's cycles.  This also provides another view of "life after death" -- we may die but the substances that made us can live on right here on earth.  I'm happy to become "fertilizer" eventually -- no rush.

 

Open Rehearsal - CDP

This will be brief because  I took no photos.  I wasn't sure what the protocol was even though I saw others taking videos.  I presumed that was at the choreographer's request.  It is the best way to record steps and sequences.  I definitely did not want to distract the dancers.

Think about it.  Dances are handed down by observation and repetition.  There is no written "score" for what the dancers are doing.  You might write down some very basic notes (arabesque, jete or jete battu, etc.) but what are the arms doing, how is the head turned?!  Nice that the modern world can observe using film.

Saturday, June 29th, I attended an open rehearsal of the Chamber Dance Project.  The rehearsal included 5 dancers and the choreographer, Claudia Schreier.  They started creating her new ballet on  Monday, June 24th, with daily rehearsals.  Claudia explained that they had completed about 12 minutes of a final 15 minute ballet.


Here's Claudia's biography:

Very impressive for someone who looks so young, but at my age, everyone looks young.

The rehearsal began with Claudia and the dancers working on a 12 second segment.  For almost an hour we saw them repeat, make small adjustments, and repeat.  I was fascinated at how Claudia remained deep in concentration and the dancers were examples of muscle memory in action.

It reminded me of my dance recitals as a child.  While waiting in the wings to go on stage, I would be "finger dancing" my routine - or using muscle memory to practice without actually moving.  Even today my muscle memory is stronger than oral or visual because I started developing it at the age of 3.  That's when I started dance lessons.  Best if I write someone's name down if I'm going to remember it.  I digress.

While the dancers took a break, Claudia answered questions from those of us in attendance.  It was impressive to hear questions from true lovers of dance and to see several very young people in attendance.

When the dancers returned, they repeated what they had just developed and then showed us the total work so far.  I look forward to seeing the finished work in performance next season.

A few words about the dancers - all are excellent:

Davit Hovhannisyan is very athletic and approached everything with great concentration.
Luz San Miguel may be tiny, but she is a strong dancer.  I watched her feet - she must go through toe shoes at a very fast rate.  She has  a strong arch.
Francesca Dugarte is graceful and has marvelous extension.  It was lovely to see the lifts she and Copper did together.
Cooper Verona went swimming in the same gene pool as Ben Affleck.  Similar facial features.  He was a terrific partner for Francesca.
Jonathan Jordan must have been a nightmare for any high school teacher he ever had.  He cannot stay still.  Even when others were working and he was on the sidelines, he was stretching, doing handstands, etc.  He is a very powerful and accurate dancer.

My husband is rather new to ballet.  He had never been to a dance performance until he met me.  This was his first experience up close and in a rehearsal.  He came away with a new appreciation for how accurate every step must be.  It would be easy to slip and fall or crash into another dancer, etc.  So glad he's willing to join me in attending these events.

Chamber Dance Project: Dancers & Musicians

Saturday,  June 21, 2019, I was fortunate to be invited to join my dear friend, Marianne, at the Harman Hall to see "New Works + " performed by the Chamber Dance Project.  I confess I had never heard of this company but apparently it's be around for six years.  Note to self - read the dance reviews in the Post!

The musicians were on the stage with the dancers - thus the name of the company I think.  Need to confirm that.  Love the fact that the Founder & Artistic Director and Principal Musician are female: Diane Coburn Bruning & Claudia Chudacoff.    Google them - their bios are very impressive.

The first dance on the program was "Journey" choreographed by Diane.  I loved everything about it.  The dancers were Luz San Miguel and Davit Hovhannisyan.  They were a perfect pairing - at times they became "one" being in motion.  I was enthrauled.  

I enjoyed the rest of the program.  "Rondo Ma Non Proppo" (I have not idea what that means and iTranslate didn't help) but the dancers were around a table and I had flashbacks of every partners meeting I ever attended, even the part where they hid under the table.  I had to do that once in Austin when two partners got into a fist fight and I was sitting between them.

Dancers in rehearsal - note the woman's expression on the far right. Priceless!

Shacara Rogers sang in the "Songs by Cole" and she was terrific.  I loved all of the pieces but "Don't Fence Me In" made me think of Tommy Tunes and the tap dancing cowboys in Best Little Whore House in Texas (in case you've forgotten - it's based on a true story and the movie sucked but the stage show was awesome.  Saw it in Austin before it got to Broadway.  But I digress.)

I am now an official fan of this company and look forward to many future performances.

Presidential Race 2020

BETO

Beto O'Rourke held a town hall meeting in Old Town, Alexandria on Wednesday,  April 17, 2019.  Eventhough it was held with very little notice given, the room at the Crown Plaza was packed.  Seating was provided for ADA residents and the rest of us had to stand.

Here's an image of the crowd waiting for Beto's arrival.  It was a varied group - different ages, ethnicity, etc.  I was surprised at the number of people still young enough to be working since this was held during the workday.

He spoke for about 40 minutes - lots of passion and expressing positions that appealed to the very liberal crowd.  He almost came to tears describing watching an 8 year old girl being reunited at the border with her parents after months of separation.  Instead of tears of joy or any emotion, the girl's affectation was completely flat.  She appeared to be heavily drugged or so traumatized that she was unable to show any emotion.  This is a horrible stain on the soul of our nation.

The press heavily covered the event.  This shows about ¼ of the press in attendance.

I'm glad I attended although I still have a "wait and see" attitude toward my pick.  If I could vote today, I'd wish for a combination of Beto's passion and Mayor Pete's gravitas. Wish there was a female candidate I felt was strong enough to win - maybe someone will surprise me and survive the early primaries.

 I definitely prefer not voting for anyone in their 70's.  I can say that without fear of being called out for ageism - I am 75 and healthy but I know what a large of team of medical providers is required to keep me in this condition and how quickly it could all go south.  But when it comes down to it, I'll vote for any Democratic nominee.  I prefer ethics and a willingness to support the Constitution and I don't see either trait in the other party which is no longer recogniziable as the Party of Lincoln.  It has become a Cult of Personality Party.

I look forward to seeing more candidates campaigning in northern VA.

Well, the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary are over.  May they NEVER get to go first again!  For me the only good news is Amy Klobuchar did better than expected.  I'm following her and Bloomberg until Super Tuesday, 3/3, when I plan to vote - just haven't a clue as for whom.  She checks off my preference list:  female, younger than me, and not from either coast.  Bloomberg, on the other hand, looks like he could go toe to toe against Trump without even blinking.  I don't see a tweet storm scaring him off, not like the entire Republican Party, save Romney.  Why are they still called Republicans - shouldn't they admit they're the Cult of Trump?  But I digress - I would also like for the next Democratic President to rebuild the inefective and corrupt DNC.   I think maybe Bloomberg would be able to tackle this problem.  Obama made the mistake of ignoring the DNC, letting the Koch brothers buy the majority of state governments, thus saddling the Democrats with the most undemocratic gerrymandered states in history, plus voter suppression anti-democracy laws.

I've predicted that no matter who tops the Democratic ticket, Stacy Abrams will be VP.  Let's see if I'm right.

Sundays at the Kennedy

After too long a time, we once again have season tickets to the ballet at the Kennedy Center.  Repetition of programs and rising costs had driven us away but last year I purchased a solo ticket to see the Mariinsky Ballet and was hooked again.  

The playbill for our performance on Sunday, 2/2/19, pictures dancers in the show Tap Dogs - definitely not what we saw.  Here's our program:

The ballet was Harlequinade.  It had been ages since I had seen a full ballet - think opera without the singing.  I had seen the male lead solo ages ago in Austin danced by Mikhail Baryshnikov.  While that performance is burned into my brain - I was mesmerized - I couldn't compare any other performance to that one.  Obviously no one had explained gravity to Baryshnikov - he would leap and just HANG in the air.  The performance by the lead with American Ballet Theatre was more than adequate, but rather mechanical.

We had just recovered from a winter storm - snow, extremely cold, etc., - so it was a delight to stroll along the balcony overlooking the Potomac before the performance without need of a coat.

The view of Rosslyn, VA, across the river.

The spires of Georgetown University in the distance.

The neighborhood of Georgetown with all the condos and offices overlooking the river.  In the far distance you can see the bell towner of the National Cathedral - 2nd from right.

The 1st expansion of the Kennedy Center is under way.  Besides rehearsal halls and classrooms, there will be an outdoor amphitheater. 

On our way into the Opera House, I spotted this poster.  Seems to be another lighthearted production by those fun loving Scandinavians.
















While waiting for the ballet to begin, I took a few shots inside the Opera House.

Our tickets are 2nd tier - not the nose bleed section, but close.  1st tier are the box seats with waiters, etc.  La-de-da.  I think the only way to see ballet is from the balcony - you want to be able to look down and see the entire stage so you don't miss any of the patterns, etc.

I look forward to many more performances of great dance.

If you get to visit your nation's capital, keep in mind that the Kennedy has free concerts daily at 6 pm - check the web site for the schedule of performances.  For many it's a great way to end the work day before fighting rush hour traffic and there's a free shuttle to and from the Foggy Bottom Metro Station.

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On April 4th we saw the NYC Ballet.  One of the benefits of attending the Sunday matinee series is seeing all of the future ballerinas.

        
         Posing for photos                                 Enjoying the terrace

The crowd in front of the Opera House

The first ballet was Composer's Holiday which was first performed in 2018.  The music was by Lukas Fosses and called Three American Pieces of Violin and Piano. The exciting element was the choreographer - Gianna Reisen.  This was her first commissioned ballet for a professional company - not a bad start to any career - and she is the youngest choreographer to make a ballet for NYCB.

I was so enthralled watching the two leads.  Picture two dancers, one standing just behind the other, do exactly the same steps but the one in back is exactly one beat behind. The concentration required was extreme.  The entire production was lovely.

The Opera House during intermission

The 2nd ballet was Kammermusic No. 2 which premiered in 1978 in New York.  George Balanchine was the choreographer and watching the performance, there was no doubt who created this lovely but challenging piece for the dancers.  I do admit it didn't move to the top of my favorite Balachine ballets.

Next was Opus 19/The Dreamer with choreography by Jerome Robbins.  I tend to think of him as a Broadway dancer, but this was in the modern classical style and fine in presentation.

Last was Symphony in C, another Balanchine piece.  The audience was apparently eager for a more traditional ballet and when the curtain went up and everyone saw dancers in tutus and formal dance costumes there was an audible reaction of pleasure.  

On the drive home we saw proof that the cherry blossoms were at peak and volley ball had returned to the Mall.  All the traffic to see the cherry blossoms meant I was driving so slow I could take shots out the window.

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April 14th we saw The Mariinsky Ballet from St. Petersburg.

I had seen the company a few years before but this was the first time to see them perform a full length ballet, Le Corsaire.  It premiered in 1863 and it's so very 19th Century - pirates, a shipwreck, white slave traders, harem dancers.  What else could you want?!  Well, fabulous dancing for one and we got it.  Forget the silly story and just enjoy the performance.

Before the first act, we enjoyed just walking around the Kennedy Center.

The weather was nice enough for people to be gathering outside.

The views along the Potomac are always nice.

The Kennedy duck didn't seem to mind the crowd.  For years a cat lived at the Kennedy but it disappeared and the staff has assumed it found a nice place to go and take its last breath.

We seldom to selfies, but why not.  The spires in the background are at Georgetown University.  Below is a closer look.

The gift shop wasn't going to let the presence of a Russian company go unnoticed.  Lots of Russian influenced items available to purchase.

There was a gentleman taking digital photos from people and turning them into Russian "icons" for those who think they're saints, I guess.  I moved on.

Views from the 1st tier balcony during intermission:

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Sunday, February 2, 2020
The National Ballet of Canada

Not sure why, but I failed to post items about the ballets we saw in the Fall.  I'll try to keep posting in the future.

The National Ballet of Canada presented the full length The Sleeping Beauty with choreography by Rudolf Nureyev.  Since he was dancing in the production back in the 70's when this production was originally done, the dance was definitely aimed at his bravado.  I found the entire production technically excellent but I didn't get a sense of any emotion coming from any of the leads.  The Washington Post definitely disagrees with me (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/national-ballet-of-canada-gets-it-right-in-the-sleeping-beauty-its-whats-inside-that-counts/2020/01/31/1df8626a-4361-11ea-abff-5ab1ba98b405_story.html).

I was fortunate to be sitting next to a young woman who seemed very intent on watching.  During the 2nd intermission I struck up a conversation and discovered she had come down from NYC just for the day to see her sister perform.  Turns out her sister is in her 1st year as an apprentice, the lowest of the low in the ballet hierarchy, sort of like a spear bearer in Shakespeare or opera, but she was on stage during the finale, standing at the very back.  It was fun to have a connection to her and hope she'll work her way up in the world of ballet.

FINALLY - George Turned 60

George on his belated birthday outing

George turned 60 last month but I was unable to be out and about because I was recovering from cataract surgery.  We decided to let Columbus Day be our belated celebration.  A Viking Long Boat was docked in DC and we thought we'd take the tour.  Buying the tour ticket was his first "senior's discount" - another reason to celebrate.  

Things didn't start off well - the Potomac Water Taxi had failed to change their schedule for the day to a holiday schedule.  That meant that the tickets I had purchased on-line were not valid.  I did get a full refund but it meant that at the last minute we had to drive into the District.  We also already had a timed ticket to see the long boat.

This was our first trip to the new DC Southwest neighborhood called The Wharf.  Amazing!

 So many new buildings!

 Mexican restaurant that has received rave reviews.

We were lucky to find a parking garage near the main street and had time to stroll around and enjoy the views.

It wasn't hard to find our way to the long boat.

 Terrific views along the way

I'm amazed that there are enough rich people in DC with enough TIME to go sailing!

Lots of young Vikings marauding around.

Finally we got to the long boat.

Washington Monument can be seen in the background.

Two of the 36

crew members.  They sailed  from Norway, living on deck.  The crossing took 6 weeks.  The most dangerous portion of the trip was going through Iceburg Alley off the coast of Newfoundland.  Wooden boats and icebergs shouldn't mix.

I'm pretty sure she is a direct descendent of  Lagertha.  If that doesn't ring any bells, get busy and watch The Vikings on the History Channel.

He's actually an Aussie.  All of the others were from Scandinavia.

To learn more about this ship, go to https://www.drakenhh.com

Just one of life's little ironies.  This was docked acrossed from the long boat.