Cherry Blossoms anyone….. everyone….
HISTORY OF THE CHERRY TREES
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The plantings of (2,000) cherry trees originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan. In Japan, the flowering cherry tree, or “Sakura,” is an exalted flowering plant. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a potent symbol equated with the evanescence of human life and epitomizes the transformation of Japanese culture throughout the ages. This and the rest of this very interesting story from: http://www.nps.gov/cherry/cherry-blossom-history.htm
Believe it or not, my daughter Elizabeth and I thought we were sneaking down to the tidal basin ahead of the crowd at the crack of dawn, 7ish on Sunday morning. You can only imagine the numbers of people during the day! Camera ready…..
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Denny and Carrie – The places they’ll go, the stories they’ll tell…Boating on the Chesapeake….
Did you know……
They (the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier) must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. They cannot swear in public FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way.
After TWO YEARS, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/vetscor/1126293/posts
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Roman Catholic church in the United States and North America, and is one of the ten largest churches in the world.
Byzantine-Romanesque in style, its massive, one-of-a-kind superstructure is home to over 70 chapels and oratories that relate to the peoples, cultures and traditions that are the fabric of the Catholic faith and the mosaic of our great nation. The Basilica also houses the largest collection of contemporary ecclesiastical art on earth..
http://www.nationalshrine.com/site/c.osJRKVPBJnH/b.4719297/k.BF65/Home.htm
