Red White and Blue

Confession: we got a crazy bee in our bonnet, emailed our jobs, and were going to head south to New Orleans for a night or two. We were sobered when we looked at the road atlas and really got our mind around how much further it is, and then ultimately checked weather and there's a lot of rain and thunderstorms and flood watches, so it doesn't feel right to go there with no plans, no hotel, no nothing.

So we were just gonna head home.

However, we found a way to ease our pain.... Mt Rushmore is lookin' pretty good about now. So we're takin' a little side trip to see the presidents...teeheehee

Seriously, I'm not really a flag waver but there is something magnificent about the USA when you get your mind around all the different people, cities, lifestyles...it's just plain ole H U G E... Since I've been doing road trips, I've really become aware of how incredibly complicated it is to govern a country that is so diverse and spread out. What concerns people in Montana is not of concern to people in Los Angeles, or to people in Alabama, or to people in Rhode Island. It's just really helped me appreciate what a beautiful, precarious balancing act we have in this country that is so vast.

On that note, we are headed to Mt Rushmore. I must admit, I'm fascinated by this sculpture and here's a beautiful, simple explanation of what it represents:

Washington, the founding principles of the new Union

Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase

Lincoln, the preservation of the country during the Civil War

Roosevelt, the expansion of the country through the implementation of the Panama canal and the conservation of the United States' natural resources

Can't wait to see it, and I wanna say thank you to the artist Gutzon Borglum, who died before he could finish it.

PS. I'd also like to say I have many friends who are here from other countries. I want to express my joy at having you here and to me, red, white, and blue means embracing the beauty that we all create with our different customs, ideas, rituals...it makes life so rich. Thank you and I love you!!

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