Back to Flower Gardening

Rebecca, a friend I've made here at Vantage House, is head of the Resident Association, Landscape Committee.  She asked me last week if I'd like to take on one of the four garden plots that reside inside a picket fence in Sidwell Gardens.  I caved and agreed but not to plant vegetables but cutting flowers.

Monday she and I went to Meadow Farm Nursery to buy annuals.  No need to get perennials because the garden plots are to redone next year.  Annuals were on sale so Rebecca bought some too.

We had the place to ourselves on a Monday morning.

Now the temps this day were in the 90s, no telling what the heat index was.  We waited to do the planting until after the plot was in shade for the day.  

Here are my purchases setting in the garden plot.

At 2:30 we met there again to plant.  Rebecca had dumped a bag of top soil on her quarter.

Here's my quarter before I pulled out the tomato plants that another gardener planted there because she had too many for her quarter.  Don't know who planted the hosta and iris but I left those.

I made two beds with a path between.

Here's a sunflower I planted near the fence.

You can see Rebecca's planting behind mine.  She transplanted some astilbe to the back corner.

The balcony second from the top is ours.  I can peer down on my flowers.

Dan was up on the balcony and took this picture of us.

I'll keep you posted on how the flowers grow.  There is sun only at midday for several hours.

National Public Radio

Another trip - this time to NPR Headquarters in Washington, DC for a tour.  I listen to NPR mostly in the car.  When I was home by myself I had it on most of the day but now with Dan home and us living in Vantage House I don't need the radio for company.

The building was a renovation of the old Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company warehouse.  I imagine that mid 20th century it was filled with telephone operators.  That system is long gone and C&P is now Verizon.

The space is quite lovely and environmentally certified.  They had a green roof but no photos allowed there because of the satellite dishes up there.  Saw the work spaces for All Things Considered and Morning Edition.  Also looked down on the on the hour newscasters, but again no photos allowed.

Here are the photos I was allowed to take.

Map of all the NPR affiliate stations.

Recognize Carl Kasselle and Pete Sagal from "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"?

Click and Clack the Tappit Brothers from "Car Talk"?

Dian Rehm

Here's our tour guide.

The columns below are original to the building.

Here's how the hour is split up for All Things Considered each evening.

The control booth.

Inside the studio where the hosts sit (left) and guests or correspondents (right).

No echoes in this studio because of the way the walls are angled and because of those squares in the back.  Some have souvenir shot glasses in them from when Talk of the Nation broadcast from here.

All Songs Considered has a space where performers come for Tiny Desk concerts - very popular with all the staff.  Those performers leave souvenirs behind.

An Emmy.

Another great trip by Vantage House.  Next week I have another to the National Gallery of Art.

Following Through

Here are a few photos from the family get  together as promised in this post. Granddaughters' faces are blurred for their privacy.

Daughter Emily holding with granddaughters #1 & #2 and daughter Sarah with granddaughter #3 in utero.

Our living room.  You can see the twin bed mattress on the floor.  Usually during the day it was up on its side so we could use that hall.  Both daughters are working on projects.  Emily's husband Matt is reading to granddaughter #1.

Sarah's husband William is napping.

Dan practices his guitar in our bedroom but probably not when the other photos were taken since granddaughter #2 was likely napping.

It's Friday!

Last Friday we were awaiting the arrival of family members from New Hampshire.  First long trip for 2nd granddaughter and her first trip to Maryland.  It took them 12 hours to make a trip that without two kids would take them 8 hours. They arrived in time for dinner.

I will share some photos soon once I block out granddaughters faces.  

The weekend involved a baby shower for our second daughter who is expecting in July.  I hosted it here in the downstairs winter garden.  The dining service catered the affair.  It was lovely.  Nice to know that I can still entertain despite having less space in the apartment.

The New Hampshire contingent stayed with us here in the apartment.  The futon queen size bed worked well in the den and they had their own ensuite bathroom.  Rented a pack and play from Vantage House for the 8 month old and a blow up twin bed mattress fit in the small hallway to the living room and made a cozy space for the 3 year old.  She'd fall asleep on our bed and then get transferred. Except for the very first night it worked perfectly.

I did more cooking than I have since we moved here.  It just worked better that way since daughter Emily needs gluten free food.  The kitchen though compact worked well, too.

Family departed on Wednesday and it didn't take long to return the toys to the storage space in the basement, return the pack and play and linens, and let the air out of the mattress.

A good visit was had by all.