DC on Thanksgiving Day!

We got up early on Thanksgiving morning to drive to Washington, DC for the Trot for Hunger to support SOME (So Others May Eat).  This was the 16th of these events and a tradition with my sister, Marie and her family.  This was our second time participating. 

It was a below freezing morning but with no wind.  We had lots of layers on in preparation for the walk.

First we had to find parking so we drove passed the gathering point at Freedom Plaza at 14th and Pennsylvania Ave and found a spot on Jefferson Drive almost across from the Washington Monument.

Walking across the Mall the Capitol was to the east. The sun was still low since it was barely 8:30.

We met up with my sister, brother in law, niece and nephew in front of Starbucks across from Freedom Plaza.  The Plaza was full of people.

We set off east along Pennsylvania in shadow from the buildings around us.  That tower is the old Post Office building now an infamous hotel that I can't bear to name.

Here are the crowds behind us.

Dan and I were walkers.  Marie was hobbling with a boot on her whole foot and calf.  She tore a tendon preparing to run this 5K.  She made it down to 3rd Street and then turned around to wait for her husband and kids who were running.  She said later that Scott passed her as she was walking back and apparently Meredith and Owen did too before she realized it.

We continued walking making the turn on 3rd street but then rather than going all the way to Independence we turned right on Jefferson walking parallel with Independence on our way back to our car.  It was about the same distance if we had continued on the race course and returned by Pennsylvania Ave.

We walked along the Mall with Smithsonian Museums on our right and left.

Above is Natural History and below is Air and Space.

One of the sculptures in the Hirshorn Sculpture Garden.

The Smithsonian Castle

And then another view of the Washington Monument.

We beat my sister to her home so I got the turkey out and started the prep.  We had light fare at midday to stave off our hunger pains: butternut squash soup and roasted sweet potatoes cubes with slices of sausages.

My daughter Sarah, her husband and our granddaughter arrived to join the feast which we sat down to shortly after 4 pm.

Marie sets a beautiful table.  Her daughter, Meredith and my Sarah (on right) are there putting out the kale salad that Sarah made.

We had a wonderful day!

Thanksgiving!

So many things to feel thankful for - too many to name.

I hope you feel the same way.

Have a wonderful gathering with family and/or friends on this holiday of Thanksgiving.

We are joining my youngest sister's family for the big meal but first we are meeting up in Washington to walk in the Trot for Hunger.

Scotland - Outside Dunblane Cathedral

I had a request for photos of the cemetery outside the Dunblane Cathedral by Anne of Annes Creative Cornucopia

And since I see I haven't posted in over a week, thank you Anne for the suggestion.  Life has been so very busy that's about all the reason I can give for so few postings.

Enjoy these scenes on different days of the  lichen covered headstones in the cemetery that completely surrounds the cathedral.

Tuesday Treasures

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Scotland - Dunblane Cathedral

It has been almost a month since we returned from Scotland.  Lots of photographs still to share.  This post will be a long one to share photos of Dunblane Cathedral.  We had lots of opportunities to visit  there since we were based in Dunblane for our two weeks.

[Tuesday Treasures]

I am quoting from the Dunblane Cathedral booklet given to us by our guide for the Cathedral and published by The Society of Friends of Dunblane Cathedral, 1987.

"Scotland was once served by many fine medieval churches.  Sadly and for a variety of historical reasons, many of these, including the great border abbeys and the cathedrals of St. Andrews and Elgin, now lie in ruins.

Dunblane Cathedral is one of several medieval cathedrals which happily still house living congregations.

"The fabric of the building is maintained by Historic Scotland as a church of the Church of Scotland.

A cathedral in the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian in constitution, is simply a parish church like any other.

But the Church of Scotland continues to refer to Dunblane, like its other medieval cathedral churches, as a 'Cathedral' thus honoring their role in the development of the Christian witness throughout Scotland's history.

"Today Dunblane Cathedral is the church for a congregation of more than one thousand members and welcomes visitors from all over the world."

"Christianity was first established here by St. Blane around the year 600, if the old tradition is to believed."

"The oldest object to be seen in the Cathedral today is the standing stone cross...It dates perhaps from the 9th century and carries Pictish designs similar to those on many fine stones in other parts of Pictland.  It was found in 1873 under the floor of the chapter house."

"The woodwork is one of the glories of Dunblane Cathedral and include particularly fine examples of late 19th and early 20th century craftsmanship... The front pews of the nave ... are decorated with carved animals..."

Carved figures around the pulpit reflect the history of the Cathedral.

"A stone church was built here in the 12th century; only small traces of it now remain.  But the fine tower surviving today was in its lower four stories, built around David's time (not sure who David was) ...it was probably detached from the church, and served for defense as well as for a belfry.  Its upper stories were added in about 1500."

"The tower houses nine change ringing bells, the largest almost 25 cwt.  Change-ringing is not common in Scotland and Dunblane has one of only eighteen such towers."

"In 1233 Clement, a Dominican friar, became bishop.... As a Dominican, Clement knew the importance of preaching and so gave us the magnificent nave with its aisles though he probably did not live to see it completed.  He died in 1258 and the effigy on what is believed to be his tomb is in the choir."

"For the next 300 years, until the Reformation, the cathedral was filled with more and more elaborate furnishings."

"In 1560 the Church of Scotland became reformed or protestant.  The reformers swept away furnishings and decoration which they considered to be signs of idolatry....no attempt was made to keep up the whole building.  By about 1600 the roof of the nave had fallen in; its walls and pillars stood roofless for 300 years.  But the choir was maintained and used continuously over the centuries."

"In 1889 a great restoration of the whole church was begun... the nave was reroofed and the whole church brought back into use..."

Here is is on a Sunday morning after the service.

Joining Inspired Sunday