Monday, August 4, 2008:
Mt. Vernon
Today was a special day for me. Barb & Jim kept the kids (with the help of the Mailanders/Capella’s/Blackie - the cat /anyone else I may have forgotten so that Jill, Alex, and I could go to Mt. Vernon (the Home of George Washington). We took Philip & Daniel to Dulles Intl Airport in the morning and then headed over to Mt. Vernon arriving at approx. 2:00pm. We spent the afternoon walking the grounds of the estate on the outskirts of Alexandria, VA. It was amazing to see such a legitimately historic place in truest form. We arrived home to exhausted family members (grown-ups & adults) and put everyone to bed after fun conversation.
Thoughts / Observations
• Having the Mailander’s & Capella’s to ourselves is a delight! They are WONDERFUL people.
• This week has reinforced a firmly held belief that a family has a tremendous impact as to what quality of person one turns out to be.
• This week has also reinforced to me that I basically won the lottery as far as ‘in-laws’ and ‘extended family’ that I have! What a fun, smart, interesting, and caring group this ‘Pollard Plus’ group is…they are FANTASTIC!
• I love my children dearly, but it was so nice to be able to meander around Mt. Vernon and not worry about the kids getting into things they shouldn't, using their 'inside voices', or getting into trouble. They had a much more enjoyable time playing with Connor, Antonio, Marcos, and Abraham then walking around 'some old house/place'.
• I realize that slavery was an institution when Washington was President and citizen…but seeing the slave quarters and understanding what took place…it was disturbing to see that one of the most important and celebrated figures in American history didn’t have the understanding or anti-slavery sentiment inherently within. In my eyes, that made him imperfect…a tad different then some portray him. For being the father of our country and such a visionary – I wish he could see slavery for what it was. Obviously he was a product of his time and place and that is important to recognize as well. (Virginia was in the South during a time when slavery was an important and accepted institution)
• Very interesting to see what has happened to the entire estate of Mt. Vernon. The small part that exists today is surrounded by present-day development, which is obviously in stark contrast to the peaceful estate that we visited.
• Mt. Vernon was fantastic, makes me interested and intrigued to visit Monticello later in the week.
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