Sept. 7, 2010

Last night wasn't the best sleep I've had!  I was in my sister and brother-in-law's home in Denver.  They aren't here so I was alone in their rather large home.  Around 2:00 a.m. I woke to an alarm that sounded like it could be in the house, but I'd opened the window in the bedroom so I wasn't sure.  I got up, walked downstairs and determined that it wasn't in their house, but wondered if it might be the alarm on my car.  I looked out the windows (from behind the curtains) to see if I saw anyone lurking around ... I didn't, and I could see it wasn't my car.  So I went back to bed.  Eventually, the alarm stopped, but my imagination hadn't! First I heard a crackly sound ... at this noise, I was on high alert ... could someone have entered the house ... had I forgotten to lock a door?  Silence ... I settled down and was almost asleep when I heard a creak, actually two, but not in quick succession.  My mind: could someone be walking slowly and quietly to the bedroom ... should I get up and go through the house ... if someone is there, what will I do?  I waited, thinking that if a person came through the door, the best I could do is say, "What do  you want?" This seemed a pretty vulnerable position in which to be, but I stayed where I was ... and finally, silence and sleep overcame me, but not without a dream about two women having come into the house, with a key, and not knowing I was there, getting ready to go to bed.  We had a sort of friendly conversation ... and then the dream was gone ... thankfully!

During all of this, and in moments not on "high alert", I thought about Lewis and Clark.  They wrote about fretful nights, usually from bears around their camp, or bugs bothering them, or illness.  I was comforted to know I'm not the only one who has bad nights!  It's funny how right now there have been articles about bedbugs, and I'll have to say, I've been checking in the motels where I've stayed!  I doubt L & C had to deal with them (unless, upon departure, the bugs were in clothing, etc.), but they had mosquitoes and lice and all sorts of other miserable varmites to deal with.

I was thinking, too,  of other similarities between my trip and theirs.  I was thinking how easy it is for me to get the things I need along the way, whether it's food or fuel or some trinket.  All I do is go to a store and purchase what I need.  They, too, purchased things along the way, but I'd not thought of it that way.  They bartered with the Mandan Indians for corn during their first winter and with the Shoshones for horses.  But they were trading goods for goods, and what they often had to give up was extremely important to them ... guns, gun powder, whiskey, blacksmithed items.  The Indians drove harder bargains than L & C had imagined.  Of course, they needed what they "bought," but the intention was not to give up their important goods.  I am thankful for currency!

Another similarity is that when corps members got sick, they medicated themselves.  I have my aspirin bottle and bandaids, just in case.  They had Benjamin Rush's pills, which were filled with mercury and arsenic, etc.  Can you imagine?  Today we bring in men in white suits to clean up a broken thermometer.  Yet, Lewis was a very competent doctor for the corps.  Though often sick, all of the men with the exception of Sgt. Floyd, who died of what's thought an appendicitis attack, made it though this very arduous journey.  And Lewis's treatments, be they herbal or chemical, kept them remarkably healthy.

I thought too about how they picked up a Shoshone guide along the way, up in the Rockies.  And today I picked up my friend ... at the airport in Denver, so we can travel together in the Rockies.  Pretty cool, all in all.

August 29, 2010

Lincoln and Herndon's 2nd office in the Tinsley Bldg.

To whomever suggested I add pictures: I figured it out finally!

My day started early and well.  I left camp at eight, having had a coffee and a sparse breakfast.  The First Presbyterian Church was my first stop.  Though Lincoln and Mary attended this congregation, they didn't attend at this building.  Mary's funeral was at this building, but it wasn't built until 1868.  The church does have the pew from the first building, but I wasn't allowed to take pictures.  Also, they have 7 Tiffany windows ... very beautiful.  I was able to see what makes them so remarkable ... I could actually see how molten glass was sort of moved into place to create folds in fabric, deeper colors!

After church (yes, I went to the service), I went back to my campsite to change clothes and get more food.  Having eaten a substantial brunch (there's a term I bet neither Lewis and Clark, nor A Lincoln would have used), I set off for the Lincoln-Herndan Law Office in the Tinsley Building.  The two of them had three different office spaces; the picture above is the 2nd.  It was a good tour.

From there I ventured across the plaza to the Old Capitol Building.  I took pictures of the House of Representatives ... Lincoln served one term there ... and the Supreme Court where he argued cases.  Once the new capitol building was built, this building became the Sangamon County Court House.  Also, this is the building outside of which Obama announced his candidacy for president, obviously for the great symbolism.

From the Capitol, I changed focus completely.  I headed SW toward a Frank Lloyd Wright House, the Dana-Thomas House.  They claim that this house has more colored glass windows than any of his other designs.  It is very beautiful and very luxurious.  Many of the chairs look very uncomfortable, and the guide confirmed that they were!  But the feeling one gets from the spaces is magnificent ... the house is over 13,000  sq. feet, but it's not overwhelming.  The house was designed for entertaining and I'd have to say it would be fun to go to a party there ... spacious rooms, seating for 40 in the dining room, duck pin bowling and pool in the basement.

But enough of this lavish lifestyle!  I needed to get back to Lincoln.  So I

headed to his home.  The Lincoln Home National Historic site is lovely!  They are recreating the neighborhood in which Lincoln lived.  I wish I could show more pictures, but you almost have to see it.  It was a beautiful tree-lined area east of the Old Capitol Bldg.  The interior of the house was decorated in period fabrics, carpets, wallpapers and they were sensory overloads of the worst kind.  I'm not sure I would be able to think in a room with that much busyness; it was pretty overwhelming.

I could have wandered around the neighborhood longer.  But I was running out of time; I had to get to the Depot before 4:00 p.m. when they close.  I made it!  I saw their film and read again "Lincoln's Farewell to Springfield", which is one of my favorite speeches, especially the last few lines.  If you've never read that speech, do, and if you don't get a little teary, I would be surprised.

By this time I was desperately in need of food, but I had missed one film at the Lincoln Home site.  I charged back, since they don't close until 5:00.  I plopped down in a weakened state to take in the film at 4:15 and by 4:45 I was headed back to camp.

By the way, I heard of danger in the neighborhood.  This morning as I was returning from church, I overheard two women talking about how an acquaintance, a man, at their conference had been mugged.  I decided to be more careful ... last night after dark, I walked two blocks from the hotel to the church to check the times of the services.  I think I will probably not do that again.