Not Emily's photostream

Shoes!

Today I went shoe shopping. These little beauties are practically perfect in every way! My color. My style. My desired level of comfort.

I also brought home a pair of boots. A beautiful pair of boots. Gorgeous. They really just aren't me. I have to take the gorgeous boots back because I know that I won't wear them enough to justify their price.

When I buy boots, I tend to have these delusions of grandeur. I think I'm different than I really am.

But I don't have that problem when I buy heels. These shoes match me perfectly!

First Panda!

My husband wasn't keen on hitting the National Zoo. He argued that there are zoos everywhere. He wanted to see memorials, museums, and architecture.

I responded in a tiny voice, "But there are pandas."

He didn't really understand until I pointed out that I didn't think that I have seen a panda bear before. I really can't recall seeing one. I think my parents took me to the LA Zoo when I was little, but I just remember flamingos from that visit.

The pandas were all sleeping when we were there. I have NO idea which 2 I saw. I really hope that one of them was Butterstick.

The National Archives

Seeing THE Declaration of Independence and THE Constitution and THE Bill of Rights was impressive, but a bit of a bummer. The deterioration of the documents is a bit alarming.

Seeing a bit of the collection of letters to the president was a surprise. I was shocked by how much I liked it.

1. Many of them are handwritten. That has become charming in our age.
2. Many of them are from children.
3. All of them are very human. I felt so much humanity in that room. And I felt a little bit patriotic. Kids send these letters to their president hoping to participate in democracy.

This letter asks President Kennedy "why in this age of stress on physical fitness there are still paunchy teacher around." The write "move[s] that a new law be passed that requires teachers to keep themselves in the pink, too."

I loved the exhibit so much I bought a book featuring the letters!