Washington D.C.: Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality NM

Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument
Saturday, August 10, 2019, Washington, D.C.

On my last trip to Washington D.C. in 2019, I visited the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument.  This National Monument is interesting for two reasons, obviously one is its connection to the National Women’s Party, a group in the United States that fought for women’s suffrage and other issues of women’s equality.  Second, the history and architecture of this building is so interesting!

The home was built between 1799 and 1800, and it was probably designed by Leonard Harbaugh at the beginning of his career.  He also designed many notable buildings in the early days of Washington D.C.  In 1814, the British partially burned the home during the War of 1812; the stories go that there was gunfire at the home directed at British soldiers.  The home was owned and occupied by the Sewall family until 1912.

Vermont Senator Porter Dale purchased the home in 1922, and renovated it.  Meanwhile, the National Women’s Party had purchased a different property nearby, which was seized by eminent domain to build the Federal Triangle complex.  On the hunt for a new headquarters property, organization co-founder Alva Vanderbilt Belmont purchased an option for the Sewall House.  They purchased the property in 1929.  In the 1950s there was a proposal to condemn the building and demolish it to build underground security vaults for the Senate building.  Thankfully, citizen opposition saved the building.

What was going on inside the walls was equally fascinating!

The fight for women’s suffrage in the United States is largely considered to have begun at the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1840.  I have visited that site as well, if you want to read more about it!  It took 80 more years of lobbying and protesting before white women finally universally gained the right to vote in the United States.  Of course, this all happened before the National Women’s Party owned the Belmont-Paul House, but since that time, the party has lobbied for other issues of women’s rights and eliminating sex discrimination, notably, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

The ERA was passed by Congress in 1972, and was ratified by some of the states, but it was not passed by enough states to become an amendment to the Constitution.  Since the deadline passed, a few more states have ratified the amendment, but of course, those are not legally binding.  Some detractors argue that after so many other laws have passed, notably the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963, that the amendment is no longer needed.

The tour of the house included some of the artifacts of the party, like writing desks and clothing, as well as exhibits on the attempt to pass the suffrage legislation.  There were also banners that the women carried during their two and a half year picket of the White House.  You read that correctly!  Women involved in the National Women’s Party stood outside the White House from January 10, 1917, to June 1919.  They were there in all sorts of weather, and were arrested, beaten, and went on hunger strikes to protest their treatment in jail.  In response, prison guards forced feeding tubes down their throats, causing injuries that never healed.  The attempt to gain women’s suffrage was not always a peaceful undertaking.   

In 2021, the National Women’s Party ceased operations, and donated its papers and artifacts to the Library of Congress.  The legacy of this movement lives on in the education provided by the National Monument at the Belmont-Paul House.  It was an interesting place to visit! 

 

 

 

Retirement Diaries 2024: Garden Time

I can’t believe it is already mid-May!  The sun is out, the temps are getting into the high 60s, and it’s gardening time! 

I have been working out in the yard and garden, clearing up the fallen sticks from the oak trees, clearing away the dead leaves and pulling the lush grass from the beds.  Things are green!  The trees are budding out and the lilacs will be blooming soon.  It’s beautiful! 

I also started my garden with some frost tolerant crops.  Last weekend I planted radishes, beets, turnips and snow peas in the ground.  Nothing has sprouted yet, but I’m sure it is just a matter of days!  I also put up the mini greenhouse in the house, and have a lot starting in it!  Cabbage, bell pepper, cantaloupe, and green and colored bush beans.  I have six tomato plants that were already started, and am starting ten more from seeds (I have never started tomatoes from seeds, so we will see how that goes).  The cabbage sprouts are going crazy, the tomato plants are growing, and I even have one lonely cantaloupe start.  I’m sure its friends will be arriving soon. 

I marked everything on a calendar, with planting dates, and expected date of harvest.  There will be more going in the ground in the next week or two as well!  The big experiment begins! 

I also started volunteering for our town’s library, and the library book sale begins today.  It has been a flurry of activity getting ready, moving all the donated books up from the basement of City Hall, and arranging them all on tables.  It helps to be a big reader, so I can help figure out which genres the books belong in.  Hopefully we get lots of sales for funding library activities! 

I went for a hike at a new-to-me park last week.  Crow Wing State Park is right at the confluence of the Crow Wing and Mississippi Rivers, and is the site of a Native American village, and later a white settlement.  There isn’t much left now, but signs explain where things were, and there is an old cemetery.  It is fun to imagine what a tough life it would have been to live here hundreds of years ago. 

Yellow and Cora both had a vet appointment on Tuesday.  Yellow was getting his kidney bloodwork to check how he’s doing and Cora had a vaccine she needed in case I need to board her later in the spring for a few trips mom and I are going on.  Yellow is doing well!  His kidney values are just slightly outside of the normal range, but much better than they were 6 months ago.  It is such a relief!  He’s responding well to his fluids and he’s happy.  Cora’s vaccine had her feeling under the weather until this morning (she even slept through a couple of meals, which is unlike her!), but she seems to be back to normal today. 

It’s been a busy spring so far, but I’m having lots of fun!  I can’t wait to see the results of my handiwork!

 

Book Review: Mudbound

Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan

This older novel (published in 2008) was chosen for my library book club for May.  And what a novel it is.

Taking place mostly in the period directly following World War II, Laura McAllan is a woman in her thirties married to Henry, with two children.  They met and married in Memphis, Tennessee, and she was just fine living there.  She liked her city life.  But when Henry’s brother in law dies unexpectedly, he decides to move the family to his homeland in the Mississippi Delta, to be closer to his sister.  He buys a rundown farm that has been worked by sharecroppers, ready to make a living from the land.  Laura tries hard to hide her anger and disappointment at this turn of events, and at the fact that her sullen, crude, ungrateful father-in-law is moving in.  In frustration, she names the farm ‘Mudbound,’ and it sticks. 

 

Soon, two men return to the farm from the war; one white and one black.  Henry’s younger brother Jamie was a pilot, and carries the emotional battle scars.  He tries to drown his nightmares in a bottle.  Ronsel Jackson, son of one of the sharecropping families, was a Sergeant in a tank battalion.  For the first time in Europe, Ronsel experienced what it was like to not walk in a world of racism.  Now that he’s back in the Jim Crow south, it is difficult to go back to the prejudice.  The quiet story of family soon takes a dramatic and tragic turn as a result of the friendship of these two men. 

Jordan writes from the perspective of each of the characters in the novel.  A story of family bonds, and the lengths we will go to protect those we love.  A story of prejudice and racism in the deep south, and the way it can rip a family apart.  She builds each character with their strengths and their flaws, forcing the reader to choose sides.  Each character unweaves a small part of the story, revealing more and more until the tragic end.

It is a debut novel that you won’t soon forget.

5 stars.

Book Review: The Red Tent

The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant

The Red Tent is the story of Dinah, the seventh child and only daughter of Leah and Jacob, in the Old Testament book of Genesis.  She is only mentioned twice in the Bible, first describing her rape by Shechem, the son of Hamor, prince of the region.  After she was raped, her brothers Levi and Simeon, snuck into the city and murdered Shechem, Hamor and all of the other men they could find, and took Dinah back to her family.

Diamant builds on this sparse information to create a full, rich life for Dinah, although not one without its share of tragedy.  It begins with her birth to Leah, and her relationship with her four mothers (Jacob’s four wives).  It tells the story of her growing up among her family, and being the only daughter with many brothers.  It describes her time in The Red Tent, where the women go for their monthly cycle, which is considered a time when the women rest and bond with each other.

Dinah learns midwifery from her mother Rachel (her aunt), and the time she spent living with her grandmother Rebecca to learn if she will inherit her seeing ways.  The experiences prepare her well for her life alone.  As in the Bible, Diamant connects Dinah to Shechem, but this time as a romance that is merely misunderstood by her father.  The result, however, is the same, with Levi and Simeon murdering Dinah’s betrothed.  Dinah curses her father and brother and turns her back on her family, never seeing her beloved mothers again.  Dinah is a strong, resilient woman, who achieves much in a world where women are generally relegated to child rearing and other domestic tasks.  

Diamant writes in a rich, evocative style, bringing the women of the story to life.  The men remain in the background, never playing an important role in the life that the women have created for themselves.  Ancient times come to life, and in the parts of the history that are known, Diamant stays true to the Bible’s telling of Dinah and her family.  But she creates a grand story for Dinah, out of the parts that are unknown.

4 stars. 

Book Review: I’m Glad My Mom Died

I’m Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy

I had never heard of Jennette McCurdy, but apparently she began her child acting career in the early 2000s, and is best known as the star of a Nickelodeon TV show.  Now, I’m of the generation that watched Nick at Nite, back when it aired reruns of Leave It To Beaver, Mr. Ed, and the Donna Reed Show.  I didn’t really watch later on when they were doing their own original programming, nor did I have children who would have watched.  So I (breathes a sigh of relief) stayed blissfully in the dark.

 

Unfortunately, since the dawn of Hollywood time, there have been child stars abused by studio executives, producers, directors and worst of all, their parents.  It seems to come with the territory, the parents who will stop at nothing to make their child a star.  Jennette’s mother was one of those…

Jennette grew up with an intact family, but sadly, her dad was kind of useless, and he never stood up to her mother against the inappropriate things that were going on.  She was also home schooled, so outside her nuclear family, Jennette never really had any adults looking out for her best interest.  So, from the age of six, Jennette was pushed into an acting career, with endless lessons in acting, singing and dancing, and auditions for shows.  When she finally broke through, Jennette became the breadwinner for the family, her parents, two brothers and grandparents. 

Jennette’s mother had clear expectations for her and her career, and her treatment of Jennette was abusive.  Not only the long hours on set…  Her mother taught her at the age of eleven how to calorie restrict, so she could stay thin for the camera.  Imagine a mother teaching her own daughter how to be anorexic? Imagine parents expecting their child to pay for their bills, their mortgage, their vehicles, and their groceries.  And even worse, her mother bathed her until we was almost an adult, claiming that Jennette couldn’t be trusted to wash her hair correctly.  During these shower sessions, her mother subjected her to bizarre bodily exams, telling her she was performing cancer screenings.  Jennette grew up with this being “normal.” 

When Jennette was a young adult, her mother’s breast cancer returned and she passed away.  The narcissistic, selfish, abusive matriarch of the family was finally gone.  Years of therapy has helped Jennette come to terms with the mother that she loved, and the mother who also abused her.  The book is a raw, tragic look at the impacts of the abuse, and Jennette’s lack of ability to live a normal life.  She continues to be controlled by bulimia and other impulsive behaviors.  She tells her story candidly, although she has said how difficult it was to tell her story.

What a heartbreaking story, and how terrible to grow up in a family where the death of your own mother is a relief.

3 stars. 

Note: Quiet on Set is a five part documentary released in 2024 that explores allegations of abuse of other child actors at Nickelodeon.  I have not seen it, but I’ve heard it is very good (and by good I mean disturbing).  Although she doesn’t speak much of Nickelodeon directly, some of Jennette’s comments in this book are widely believed to be about Dan Schneider, the abuser named in the documentary. 

 

Book Review: Watchers

Watchers, by Dean Koontz

I’m sure I read this 30 years ago, but it was chosen as a book club pick for May, so I gave it a fresh read.  The thing of it is, unless I have read a book multiple times, I forget them, so it was like a brand new book! 

Travis, a well-off widower goes out hiking in hills of southern California to get himself out of his head and ease his depression.  While there, he finds a Golden Retriever, who looks lost.  The retriever seems scared, and concerned about the crashing noise in the bushes that is coming closer, so Travis hurries back to his car with the dog and they leave.

Nora is learning to reclaim her life after spending nearly all of it locked up in the home of her reclusive aunt, who instills Nora with a pressing fear of the outside world.  Her fears are proven when a TV repairman comes to the house and begins to stalk her.

A chance meeting between Travis and Nora is cemented by the dog, now named Einstein, and the two of them quickly realize that Einstein is no ordinary dog.  He is a genius.  But how?  When they learn that he has escaped from a research lab, and that another, extremely dangerous creature has escaped as well, they embark on a journey to keep themselves and Einstein safe both from the creature and the government agents who are searching for the dog.  Throw in an assassin hired by the Russians, who has become obsessed with finding them as a side project, and you have quite the thriller!

The book is formulaic and predictable, and the characters are pretty one-dimensional.  This isn’t going to be the book that wins the National Book Award or the Pulitzer.  But it held my interest with its twists and turns, and will appeal to those who like a little romance with their sci-fi thriller.  That said, it really irritated me that they kept feeding that poor dog chocolate!  You would think if the author is going to write a book about a dog, he should at least know that chocolate is poisonous to dogs.   

And no, I’m not going to give away whether the dog lives. 

3 stars. 

Retirement Diaries 2024: Back in Minnesota

After three weeks in Washington and Oregon, I’m back in Minnesota.  I had so much fun, seeing friends, visiting my favorite places, and getting in plenty of beach time. 

The weather is so much better than when I left!  Instead of lows of 7 degrees and snow on the ground, the weather has been mostly sunny and in the 50s and 60s since I got back.  Until today at least; it’s raining now and it is supposed to rain off and on until Monday.  There are worse things in life.

The grass is green from the recent rains, and once the rain stops I’m going to be getting out into the yard to work on pruning and trimming back the dead foliage.  The lilac bushes are starting to leaf out, so there will soon be the sweet smell of lilacs blooming!

Cora and Yellow were of course happy to see me, and have forgiven me for being away.  It is so nice to see how bonded they are; they regularly snuggle and sleep in the same puff, even though they have lots of options.  At the moment, I can hear Yellow snoring in the other room; they really have a good life!

Mom was kind enough to think of me when she went to the library book sale for the next town up the road, and she got me some books on the Civil War.  She’s always so thoughtful!  There is also an upcoming book sale at our town library, so I’ll be helping move books from storage next week to get ready for it.  I’ll be considered the young person with the strong back among the other volunteers I’m sure.  It reminds me of helping mom to purge her books before the move last year.  That was a lot of boxes of books!

On my way home from Washington, I spent a couple of days on the Oregon coast, camping, looking for agates and just enjoying the beach.  I did get rained on a little, but it was pretty good weather for the most part!  After I left the coast, I spent a few days getting home, doing a little bit of sightseeing on the way.  A winery along the Columbia River Gorge, and a few museums in Montana and North Dakota.  After leaving Oregon, it got too cold for camping, so I splurged on a few nights of hotels.

Along the way I had a few lovely chats with people I met on the beach, at the winery, or in the restaurant bars – I like sitting at the bar when I’m dining alone, it just invites more social interaction.

Of course, now that I’m back I’ll be able to write more regularly again.  Not much driving to interfere with my downtime!

I hope everyone is well – and enjoying spring!

Retirement Diaries: A Full Cup

I’ve been in Washington nine days, and what a whirlwind they have been!

I have spent my nine days visiting the places that bring me joy and peace.  I have spent some days at the beach, and gone to visit some of my favorite nearby towns.  I have poked around in shops that I love, and gone to restaurants old and new.  I have taken walks on some of my favorite trails and in the parks, and watched the sunset over the water.

I have spent the nine days visiting friends who are dear to me, catching up, laughing, hearing stories of joy and hardships, and sharing my own.  I have reconnected with people I have missed terribly.  There is something so powerful about being able to connect in person with friends who I usually only get to talk on the phone with or text.

I do love my home state and miss it, but it is my people that I miss the most.  Seeing them has filled my cup!  I feel so blessed! 

Book Review: The Snow Child

The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey

I had gotten good feedback on this novel from social media, so I decided to check it out!

Jack and Mabel are a couple nearing their fifties when they decide to leave their home in the Eastern U.S. and take a homestead in wilderness Alaska in 1920.  They were never able to have children, and they believe this might be the fresh start that they need.  But the work is brutal, and life there is isolating, and their marriage is crumbling under the strain. 

When the first snow arrives, they decide to take a few minutes for fun, and they build a snowman.  Jack carves a beautiful child’s face in the snow, and Mabel dresses the snow child with a red scarf and gloves for a child they never had.  In the morning, the snow child is gone, and so are the scarf and gloves.  But soon, they see fleeting glimpses of a real child, a toehead blonde running through the forest with her red fox friend.  And she is wearing a red scarf and gloves.  Is this their snowman come to life?

Over time, they gain her trust, and come to see Faina as their daughter, however eccentric she is.  She refuses to settle down and live with them, instead preferring to continuing living in the woods, trapping and gathering berries.  But she visits often, accepts their kindness, and returns love to them when they need it the most.  Her existence is an enigma, as it seems impossible that this young girl could survive the harsh wilderness of Alaska.  That is, if she really is a girl.

Of course, it isn’t just a story of a strange child wandering the woods, but instead it is a story of grief, and healing from loss, of hope, of tenacity, of friendship, and of what is important in life.  Life is hard, and there are no guarantees, and we must make of it what we will, just as Jack and Mabel are trying to do. 

Eowyn Ivey’s novel draws upon a Russian folktale, and it blurs the lines of realism.  The reader is left to their own devices to figure out what is real, what is fantasy, and what may be the madness caused by cabin fever.  At times beautiful and joyful, at times heartbreaking and raw, she draws the reader expertly into the story, and leaves you curious until the very end.

5 stars.   

Retirement Diaries 2024: Packing Up…

Last Friday, Mom and I headed over to a garden nursery for a planting event!  You could choose to plant a container garden or a hanging basket.  Then you pick your plants, plant them in the dirt and you are done!  The nursery takes care of your baby until Mother’s Day weekend, when you go pick up your plant and see how much it has grown!  The cold weather in Minnesota makes greenhouses a necessity.  In Washington your little container gardens would already be out soaking up the sunshine and the rain! It was a fun drive over; we saw farmed elk and bison on the way, and a wild Bald Eagle. 

Early Sunday morning, it started to snow.  And it pretty much continued non-stop until Tuesday evening.  It came down relatively slowly, but I would guess overall there was 8-10 inches.  Today the skies are back to being blue and sunny! 

Sunday Morning

 

Monday Evening

Sunday morning was also the Agate Swap!  Mom hadn’t been to one before, so we braved the snow and checked it out.  It is basically a rock show, with lots of vendors selling their wares.  You can bring in agates to trade or sell, but mostly the Lake Superior Agates I have found are small and not very impressive, so no trading for me.  I did buy a few agates and an antique agate marble that caught my eye.  I’m slowly filling up my house with rocks! 

I’m glad the weather system has now passed through, because I’ve been packing up the car to get on the road!  It’s spring, and I’m ready for a trip!  It was strange yesterday hauling things out to the car in my snow boots.  It will be too cold to camp on the way out to Washington, where I will spend a few weeks with friends, catching up with everybody and seeing the sights.  Hopefully I will be able to camp on the way back though, so I’m putting all my gear in the car just in case.  I haven’t been to Washington in almost seven months, so I’m beyond excited!

I’m sure the kitties will miss me, but Yellow is doing well with his new food and daily fluids, so I don’t have to worry about him as much as I was.  Cora is doing great!

On the way back, I haven’t decided my route yet.  I suppose it will probably depend on the weather.  Stay north and go back through Montana, or cut down through Oregon again and maybe do some of Highway 20?  There are so many choices – and so much to see!