Helping To Put Things In Context: Something You Should Know About D.C.

Everyone knows Washington, D.C. for being the nation's capital where decisions are made that affect the country itself and impacts the world at large. But between the time that politicians and special interest groups like to use the city as the reason for all that ails America, it has a more intimate side. This is the side that one could think of as the "local" aspect of the city. I think if people understood what really exists within the boundaries of this diamond shaped (minus a complete side) metropolis, their perspectives may be altered considerably. As AWashingtonWoman will continue to focus on some of the wonderful women who make up the fabric of the DMV (a term used for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and includes: the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), we will also strive to give you a little of the backstory, as objectively as we can. So it's been a year since this all began and without really trying, this blog has exceeded what our expectations were. So we are thinking that with a little love and a lot of integrity, we can share some real true insight which can be entertaining as well as informative. Who knows?.... Maybe it will even be ..... helpful.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

President and First Lady Obama Looked Regal As They Welcomed Guest to A State Dinner Last Night At the White House

The Arrival of China's President and First Lady

White House State Dining Room Is Host To President Hu and Many Other Chinese Americans, Celebrities, Politico's and Elegant Attendees

Frank Sinatra-The Way You Look Tonight ..... A Salute to the Beautiful Women Who Attended the White House Dinner Tonight




"AWashingtonWoman" is kicking off our focus on D.C. Styles and have added one of our favorite Sinatra tunes so that you can enjoy "old blue eyes" as we focus our eyes on the looks of the evening.....


Cheers!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Civility Is The Message of the Day In Washington, D.C.

Today is the day we reflect on Martin Luther King's Birthday and at the risk of it becoming simply another day to take off and catch post Christmas sales many of us grapple with how to approach it. So as I woke up this morning I thought about what seemed to be the main message of Dr. King's life. At first glance it appears that it was about race, and in it's day it was about race. However, race, I believe was the tool to put a face on the need to address a topic that transcends race. It was a tool used to work on our failing practices toward humanity. No characteristic should have caused humans to treat humans so poorly --not in 1963 or 1863 or 2003 or today. And yet we as a nation were not evolved enough to completely wrap ourselves around the notion. But it took the civil rights movement and Dr. King as it's voice to deliver critically needed concepts to Americans and then on to the larger world.

I was actually thinking about Dr. King's "Dream" and what he must have seen. I thought about how we can still hope to continue to see similar images. As as mother, I thought about how I can work to show those type visions to my own children and to the children I encounter..... I think Dr. King saw civility, compassion, caring, consideration to name a few... They seem like such simple concepts and yet in today's world they have become so elusive. These aren't principles we should have to work to focus on as we try to celebrate this man but rather they should be a basic part of our humanity. They should be incorporated into our daily lives and yet for so many of us it is actually a struggle to think of ways to display the concepts. Many times we surrender and simply try to do some things we otherwise don't seem to have time for in our lives.

There is a note of irony that just a week prior to the King holiday there was an act of violence in the country that once again stunned a nation. Then again, perhaps it isn't ironic at all. Could it possibly be that what Dr. King stood for is so much bigger and stronger than he, a mere man? Could it be another example of his spirit demanding our attention? Through seemingly sensless acts of anger and violence something is still trying to remind of us of how we are to live. Perhaps it is harder to get our ear with all our Ipods and IPhones.... we feeling like we have to be superhuman and getting frustrated with the reality that we are simply humans.... We must committ ourselves to remembering to care for one another and for ourselves without the need for gunshots to ring out and get our attention. We must committ to compassion and perhaps it is as easy as starting in our own homes, our own lives and then take it out into the larger world. For those of us who pride ourselves on being good christians this is what we profess and supposedly live by and for all those who follow different doctrines there is usually a fairly similar drumbeat that you march to.

Recently we have come up with a catchy slogan about letting this be a day "on" not a day "off". Well, I suggest we let it be the beginning of how we live our lives everyday. Perhaps we should have something formally renew our intentions of being more civilized than the year before. Maybe it should be a time when we remember to feel for one another. Clearly the spirit lives on and it is our job to make the vision more of a reality.

Let's all simply show care for somebody .... and let us start with today.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Rob Lowe and the E Network Brings Yet Another Realtiy Program To D.C. With "POTOMAC FEVER"

Did I Get Caught Up In the Presidential Motorcade? Was it the BET Awards or Were My Anniversary Plans Just Another Hot Ticket In D.C.? Hmmmmm......

So last night my husband and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. This is unusual for us because of several reasons be it weather, flu's or misc... other reasons. However this year we decided to have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, MORTON'S on Connecticut Ave. N.W. and catch a performance at Blues Alley where the delightful duo, "Tuck & Patti" were performing. It was warmer than recent years (which is not to say it was warm -simply warmer) and the evening started off feeling especially elegant and almost perfect until we reached Georeg Washington University and paced toward's "K" Street. All of a sudden police blockades seem to cut off every street leading to our destination and then the choppers roar could be heard over head. "What is going on? Maybe we didn't reallty want to come into the city for dinner tonight?"

Not to be detered (plus let's face both my husband and I are just plain nosey - and mildly adventurous - so we trudged on....) Still we couldn't get within two blocks of our destination, so we parked pretty far away and went through the Mayflower Hotel as a short cut. We passed police officers who were directing traffic and asked what was going on but no one would give us even a clue... I remembered that tonight was BET Honors Awards (no that was across town at the Warner Theatre)... We went inside the beautiful crystal like office building where the restuarant is located; sat down and proceeded to try to have a normal romantic dinner.

As it turns out, moment's later, the president's motorcade went down the street with a might roar of motorcycles. Soon after, the streets reopened and it was if nothing had ever been disturbed. Go figure?

So that's what it was like simply trying to go out for dinner in D.C. on a cold winter's Saturday night.