Sunday Brunch @ Fort Myer Officers' Club

Dot's dear friend from Montgomery, AL, Jean, currently lives in the DC area and they will be visiting with eachother during our time in the city. Jean offered to make reservations for our entire group for Sunday Brunch at the Fort Myer Officers' Club, where she is a member. We are excited to have brunch at this historical landmark and it will give those who wish to visit Arlington Cemetary the chance to do so.

Fort Myer, one of the oldest Army posts in the country, is located adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery near the banks of the Potomac River. In February of 1881, Fort Myer was named in honor of Brigadier General Albert J. Myer who commanded the Signal School for Army and Navy Officers. The Fort Myer Officers’ Club, known as Patton Hall, was built in 1896. General George S. Patton, Jr., commanded Fort Myer as a Colonel from 1938-1940, and the Club was renamed in his honor. Today, the Officers’ Club offers members and guests a formal dining room for lunch and dinner, Sunday Brunch, a casual café, two comfortable lounges, holiday and special event parties, and serves as an event space for a variety of occasions.

in black + white

Our group got a little blurb in an article about Inauguration-goers from Georgia in today's {Sunday December 21} AJC.

click here to read the article

Lucky

I have spent my entire life in the South. I was born and raised in a small town in Georgia, attended the University of Georgia, am now attending Vanderbilt University and will be moving back to Georgia in May. Having spent my entire life in the South, I am accustomed to being a minority when it comes to my political beliefs.

A yellow-dog Democrat to my core, most of my friends throughout my life have followed conservative political beliefs. I remember being in elementary school and asking people who they would vote for in the election. In second grade, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up and it took me no time to respond...a State Representative like my Dad. Politics have been a part of my life since before I can remember.

In a generation (previously) considered apathetic, I was one those who, on my 18th birthday, was more excited to be able to vote than any other privilege gained by my age. Before going off to college and then graduate school, I didn't realize quite how lucky I was to have been raised with such a fervor for politics. Not only did my parents instill a desire to participate in my country's political process, but I was also surrounded by a very active, political family.

Most of my family, though not all of them, consider themselves to be dedicated democrats. How lucky am I to have a family that can discuss politics without letting it damage relationships? How amazing is it that in a large southern family, there is a range of political beliefs and we are all quite passionate about those beliefs?

As mentioned in previous posts, some of our family members have told us how crazy we are to be taking on D.C. for the inauguration. For me, and many of the other women on this trip, there was no other choice. Though I am 200% sure that Barack Obama will not know or truly care that I am there surrounded by my amazing cousins, I am even more sure that there is no place I would rather be on January 20...in Washington, D.C., watching Hope and Change being confirmed into the office of the Presidency, surrounded by some of my favorite people on the face of this earth. Lucky is definitely a word I would use to describe me.

~Pallie

prove 'em wrong!

Multiple male members of our family {and I won't mention names, this time ;) } have voiced concern {possibly as a result of jealousy or maybe because their guy lost} over several "issues" they forsee in a group of 18 southern gals taking on the city.

....................

*Too many bladders, too little time.

*Good Luck with the port-a-potties.

*One of you is sure to get lost. No doubt about it.

*The endurance of a youngin' and an oldie will certainly clash.

*You'll never agree on a place to eat.

*The teenagers will take too long in the bathroom.

*The Metro is hard enough for one person much less 18 women.

*You're all "Heard Girls" thus "HeARD Headed"

i.e. too many chiefs, not enough indians

....................

You'd think they'd know by now.

It's plain and simple. It's understood. It's a girl thing.

You tell 'em Rosie:

Rock On! ~ Laurel

An amazing political journey!

Hi cuzins,

You may or may not know this, but the first time I met some of you was at a political function. Dock was running for the US House of Representatives and Randy took me to LaGrange to help campaign for his cousin. I really didn't know Dock and Janie or Dorothy Jean at the time. What I did know was that this family was passionate about politics and even more passionate about supporting each other. I think that the term "yellow dog Democrat" was repeated more than once! Randy reminds me that over lunch I spilled red sauce all over my light colored dress (no one is surprised by my doing these kind of things anymore are you?). Anyway, before I could continue on the campaign trail, I had to go buy an entire new outfit! We ended the day on the front porch of the Davis farmhouse. I felt like I had come home. Randy's always wondered if I married him more for the family than anything else. Hmmm....?

Well, Dock didn't win the race, but the Heard family cousins won my heart. Here's my favorite memories.

• Front porch conversations
• Hay rides at Thanksgiving
• Birthday, wedding, and graduation celebrations
• Dancing in the yard
• Decoration day and Heard family reunions at Macedonia
• Babies, babies, and more babies
• Funerals followed by "covered dish" lunches and dinners
• Dana DJ'ing in the lie-berry
• Sleeping in Dot's new cabin
• Uncle Owen's canning romm and his famous muscadine wine -- okay, I don't remember too much of that night :)
• Pimento cheese sandwiches, cornbread dressing, hot chocolate, and s'mours
• Country breakfasts -- lots and lots of breakfast
• Whitley (that's Zeke's name for Whitney and it's always stuck with us)

So, cousins, here we are together going to another political function. This time it's for the girls and this time it's for the President of the United States. Simply amazing. Wouldn't Daddy J and Mother Garret be proud!

A couple of years ago I was at a tennis tournament with Randy when one of our friends talked about Obama and the chance that he might have a shot at being President of the United States. I didn't know much about this Obama guy, but knew our friend was rather politically savvy so listened closely. Couldn't wait to discuss this with the Davis family. A few months later, it just happened that I was in Nashville, staying at Laurel's and Pallie's house and picked up the book, Dreams of My Father. Oh my -- once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I knew I had found someone who spoke my language, whose values echoed mine, and who I would follow closely in the 2008 election. By the way, Pallie, I'll eventually get your book back to you!

I knew from then on that Obama was the person that I would examine most closely. I was intrigued, inspired, challenged, and proud each time I heard him speak. When the election looked like a done deal, I felt tears stream down my face. I thought of my parents and how amazed they would have been that night. I thought about my Aunt Audie's infatuation with John Kennedy and that night, I understood her a little better. I thought about the new sense of spirit that had permeated our country -- a new sense of hope -- and I knew then that I was experiencing something profound.

It is with great anticipation that I prepare for the cousins trip to DC. I'm looking forward for granddaughter Nala to get to know her cousins better and understand her great-grandmother's roots and passion for dancing and shoes. We will get to know all of you you even better as we drive to DC, share living quarters, and fit 19 cousins into museums, restaurants, bathrooms, and on sidewalks. The only concern that I have is: "What do we wear?" And who's going to go shopping with me when I spill something?

Can't wait!
Shirley

There seems to be a spirit of unity and love swirling around me since the election. Folks that I've come in contact with doing day-to-day chores seem to be quicker with a smile or courtesy than I had noticed in the past. I like to think that they are the ones who've changed, not me; but I think in truth, I might be relating to people in a new way. I feel absolutely proud of myself and the whole US of A! Obama seems to be just the jolt we all needed.

When I heard Caroline Kennedy say that she'd finally found a leader who inspired her the way her father was said to have inspired people years ago, I knew just what she meant. I have been a political junkie all my life. I was riveted to the TV during the Watergate hearings when I was in high school, I think I was the only person watching the teen center tv the day President Nixon resigned, I was a Senate intern when I was in college, and I have tried to keep up with national political affairs all along. I've seen more than a few political leaders come and go, and Barack Obama is the one I've been waiting for!

The fantastic thing is that my family feels the same way I do. In fact, my husband, Richard, is the one who turned me on to Obama in the first place. On election night, my son, Garrett, called me from a raucous gathering at the Georgian Theater in Athens, and earlier that day, I photographed my daughter, Ellis, as she cast her very first ballot at the tiny polling place in Dadeville, Alabama. Daughters Kate and Emma are too young to vote, but they quickly jumped on the chance to celebrate with us at the inauguration. Now, the thought of this unfolding 'sisterhood of the travelling cousins' has me grinning. Everyone is generously pitching in to make this special trip worthy of this special election. The Diments are ready! -Dana

excitement builds

My mother, Margaret, has instilled in my brothers, sister and me a love for travel and new experiences. We took "educational" trips as a family which I didn't really appreciate until I was older. And now as a parent, one of my priorities has been to travel with my children and to make sure that they have "educational" trips and experiences. My family, husband, Tom, children Pete (18), Grace (17), Bess (15) have had some great trips. Many times, the children have not been excited in the beginining, but each time at the end of the trip, they have thanked us for "making" them go. We have been to: Yellowstone National Park, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Charlottesville, New York, Key West, Alaska, London/Paris, Jamaica, Cancun, etc. On each trip, we have gone to museums, battlegrounds, waterfalls, landmarks etc. I really enjoy hearing the kids talk about the trips, remembering the sites we saw and what we experienced. These are the best memories. It is also fun for me to hear them mention class discussions at school about the places they have been.
This upcomong trip to Washington is another "educational" trip. But this time, I did not have to do any persuading. Grace and Bess were immediately excited about the plans. Pete is disappointed that he can't go. I know that this trip will be a highlight in the girls' "travel journals" for many reasons. We are all so excited about having this really cool, historical experience with our extended family.
Ready to go,
Kelly

Watching Them

One of the things that makes me happiest is watching my children as they experience events that make them happy.

What Laurel wanted most for her 17th or 18th birthday was to attend the JoDee Messina concert in Atlanta. I won the last tickets being given away by a radio station, talked them into giving me 4 tickets instead of 2, for Whitney, Laurel, Pallie and me, and off we went to the Fox Theatre. We were moved to the first row and the girls was ecstatic. All through the concert I was snapping pictures of them and crying with joy (I do that a lot), I really didn't care at all about the concert.

Josh has always been a big Bob Dylan fan. For his 16th birthday, I surprised him with tickets to a Dylan concert at the Fox. Even though I, too, like Bob Dylan, I couldn't have cared less about the concert. What I loved about that night was being there, watching Josh as he was mesmerized by his idol.

There are many other instances, but these are two that stand out.

So as the anticipation escalates, I can hardly wait to watch Whitney, Laurel, and Pallie, along with our other cousins, at Barack Obama's inauguration. Finally, someone they can believe in and who really gives them hope. Now don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE Obama fan and I am definitely excited about the whole experience. But, to be able to watch them at this historic event is what I can't wait to see. If there aren't tears of joy from me, we all will be flabbergasted!

--Janie