Still Relevant At Any Age

by artist Steve Penley

Today marks the 100th Birthday of Ronald Wilson Reagan.  

When living in Washington, D.C., in my early twenties, my job in the non-profit world was not well-paying, but it did have lots of perks.  My boss was friends with the White House photographer and managed to get us into the Rose Garden ceremony when Reagan welcomed the Dodgers following their World Series victory.  

My boss also managed to secure this photo for me (thanks, Tony!).  It's one of my favorite keepsakes from my time working in the Nation's Capital.   I prefer not to think about the fact that it was probably signed by the auto-pen because I love the photo. 

    

Happy Birthday cowboy and President, Ronald Reagan!

Rather Interesting

My memory is pathetic.  No kidding, my sister gave me Nora Ephron’s book I Remember Nothing (only partially as a joke) for Christmas.  Perhaps that’s one reason I started this blog -- so that when the little bit of recall that I do have is gone, I can read about my life. 


Oddly, one event I do remember vividly occurred on January 25, 1988 .


Then Vice President George Bush, a candidate for president, and Dan Rather, anchorman on the  The CBS Evening News,  had an 11 minute run-in (okay, a verbal altercation) regarding Bush’s role in the Iran-Contra affair on the news that night. 


I was living in Washington, D.C. at the time and one of my two roommates worked for CBS News.  I don’t know what her job was exactly, but we were in our early twenties so I’m certain she wasn’t the executive producer or anything.  But the day before she told me that I should be sure to catch the news the next night, that it was going to be really interesting. 


Never a big Dan Rather fan (I had read his autobiography, The Camera Never Blinks - I’m weird, I know-- several years earlier), in my opinion, and that of many Americans at the time, Rather completely disrepected the office of the Vice President with his behavior.  Some even believe the incident was critical to Bush winning the nomination that year. 


Below is the YouTube video.  While the entire thing is interesting and a fascinating part of history, I can understand if you don’t want to watch the whole eleven minute interview.  To me, the really memorable part begins at about the 6 minute  and 20 second mark.

FDR

Seventy nine years ago today then New York Governor Franklin D.




 .

Roosevelt announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. 

The election would be held just 10 months later (my how things have changed) and Roosevelt, with John Garner (I know, who?) as Vice President, defeated incumbent Herbert Hoover. 

FDR went on to occupy the White House longer than any other president.
 
Though he was a New Yorker, FDR also had a long relationship with the state of Georgia.  Eleanor, his wife, had an uncle with a home here. And, even prior to his inauguration and many times during his presidency (a total of 41 visits) Roosevelt made the long train trip to Warm Springs, Georgia, hoping to find a cure for his polio (which may or may not have actually been polio, but that's a post for another day) in the natural springs there.

The Little White House

Last September, we made the 90 minute journey south to the charming and modest "Little White House" as it's called.  It was really fascinating.  

The Unfinished Portrait -- I love that it is a  watercolor.

It was in Warm Springs, while posing for his portrait on April 12, 1945 that FDR suffered a stroke and died. The “Unfinished Portrait” is still there, as are his 1938 Ford convertible with hand controls and many other items of historical significance.  

It is a surprisingly unassuming and plain vacation home for a president.  It's furnishings and fixtures, including the tiny servants' and guest quarters, all remain in tact.   

In the 20s and 30s, an entire rehabilitative hospital was built just down the road from the Little White House.  

The pools utilized by the hospital were built above the springs and are normally left empty to preserve them. But, twice a year (as a fundraiser for the historical site) the pools are filled and a limited number of visitors are allowed to wade into the 88 degree water (not as warm as you'd think) that  FDR found therapeutic, if not curative.  

It is like stepping back into time to visit his home and then wade into the pools that held so much hope for many.

My husband and son leaning against what was once used as a therapy chair.

Our kids at Warm Springs.

Inauguration Day

Every 4 years on the 20th of January the peaceful transition of presidential power takes place in our Nation's Capital, that is unless the incumbent wins, and then it's just a big "hooray it's our second term" party.


The next inauguration will, of course, be January 20, 2013. Because January 20th falls on a Sunday that year, it will be interesting to see if the inaugural is actually moved to the day after, as it was for the inaugurations of Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan  who each gave their addresses on Monday, January 21.


You might not know that from 1793 until 1933 Inauguration Day was held on March 4  (prior to that it was held in April).  But the ratification of the 20th amendment changed that and since then Inauguration Day has occurred on January 20th. Thomas Jefferson in 1801 was the first President to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. (thanks again, Wikipedia). 


Despite my affinity for politics and Washington and all things Presidential (a heads up for the Presidents' Day blog entry),  I have only ever been to one inauguration.  In 1989, shortly after college, my roommates and I lived several metro stops from the Capitol and decided to make the short trip to the historic event.  I'm so glad we did.


Per usual, I did a pathetic job preserving the memories of the occasion.  Here are the only two photos I have of the inauguration of George H.W. Bush.

A crowd starting to gather -- not exactly the best vantage point. 

Me and my roommate Mary in the cheap, ok, the free seats.

I do remember, we had a little bi-partisan get-together afterwards which included a toast (with Busch beer) and we wished our friends "on the other side of the aisle" better luck next time (but not really).