Best Friends

Jill's Journal:
“A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.”
--Marion C. Garretty

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

Jill's Journal: Regardless of your politics, if you walk out of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum near Simi Valley, California, without tremendous respect and appreciation for our 40th president, I’m not sure you’re an American. Patriotism is in full force at Reagan’s presidential museum and that’s the way it should be. We absolutely should be proud of our president and our country.

Opened by Reagan himself in 1991, the museum sits on a hilltop with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and ocean. This museum is just tremendous, one of the most well-done among the hundred or so we’ve visited so far on this trip. And the girls! They learned so much about our country, the presidency, and Reagan himself here.

The 100,000-square feet of museum traces Reagan’s personal and public life from childhood in Illinois to movie stardom to politics. Everything from his diaries to his love letters are displayed (he wrote over 700 love letters to Nancy, including this cute one) and they really shine an intimate light on the man behind the presidency. One of the things that struck me most was how completely in love the president and first lady were with each other. Being at the museum, you get a sense of their 50+-year romance. It is just beautiful and a wonderful example for all of us to follow.

It seems so recently that Reagan was in office, but it’s been 23 years since he completed his second term. The artifacts preserved here make time stand still. Here’s the Bible Reagan used for both his first and second inaugurations. The Bible was his mother’s and one can see her handwritten notes in the margins.

Madelyn practiced her own inauguration speech, complete with teleprompter.

I thought this was fascinating...I used to keep a file of quotes that inspired me and Reagan did the same! Of course, he put his to far better use than I did. :) He kept the quotes he wanted to remember on index cards and placed them in this album for easy reference.

Just 70 days into his presidency, Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt. This is the suit cut off him in the emergency room. It’s a poor picture, but you can see the bullet hole and there are traces of blood. Normally, the U.S. president wears a bullet-proof vest outdoors, but on this particular day, it wasn’t planned for him to step outside. At the top of the picture is his x-ray. The bullet was dangerously close to his heart. He lost half of his blood.

This is the red sweater Reagan wore home after 12 days in the hospital. The event was televised around the world.

The museum includes a full-sized, exact replica of the Oval Office as it appeared while Reagan was in office. Each president gets to decorate it to his taste, right down to the colors, the rug, and the paintings hung on the wall. Reagan chose a western “ranch" theme.

Reagan’s love of Jelly Belly jelly beans is well documented.

Reagan kept extensive diaries of his eight years in the White House.

This is the guest book from the president’s private residence. The day is turned to the visit from Prince Charles and Lady Diana, the same day Diana famously danced with John Travolta in the ballroom.

Air Force One, the “Flying White House.” This exact aircraft served Reagan and six other presidents through the second President Bush.

Pictures aren’t allowed on Air Force One, but visitors are welcome to walk through. It’s a fascinating glimpse of the presidency behind the scenes.

Members of the military, proud to be visiting the museum.

These are the flags of the 26 countries Reagan visited during his time in office. He also covered 46 of the 50 states. I believe it was said he was the most traveled of the presidents, logging over 660,000 miles during his presidency.

Remember Reagan’s famous Brandenburg Gate speech at the Berlin Wall?
“Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
It helped change the world and was instrumental in ending the Cold War.
These are Reagan’s speech cards from that monumental day. The marks on the cards are his.

A piece of the Berlin Wall. Yes, THE Berlin Wall. I have goosebumps just thinking about it.

“…the sunset of my life.” This is the sad letter Reagan wrote to the American people after he learned he had Alzheimer’s disease in 1994. This one hits too close to home for me. I dare you to keep a dry eye while reading it. What incredible bravery he and Nancy showed to share such a private battle with the world. They did it to draw awareness to this terrible, terrible disease. He was a public servant to the end.

The flag that covered Reagan’s casket during his state funeral. It was presented to Nancy.

This is a condolence book signed by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In quoting Scripture, she says, “To Ronnie, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’”

President Ronald Wilson Reagan’s final resting place.

Classic Signs

Jill's Journal: I always get a kick out of a good sign. Here’s a few classics spotted around Calico and Barstow the past few days.

Memories

Jill's Journal: Look at this picture: six ponies interspersed through daily camp life (apologies to the random people also in the image). I mean, really, how cool is that? It’s like that every single day here. We even awaken in the middle of the night to whinnies and hoofbeats on the road.

In spite of the miserable heat and humidity (and mosquitoes!), I think we’re going to try and stick it out here until the end of the week. And really, it’s for one important reason: this is a once-in-a-lifetime place. The girls are making some awesome memories here that will stay with them their whole lives. The immediate discomfort is only temporary, right?

I saw a quote on one of the Simple Mom-affiliated websites yesterday that spoke to me: "The thought of travelling with young children can be daunting. But it can also be a great adventure with your children helping to open your eyes to new experiences…Children are experts at being joyful and living in the moment, so follow their lead."

We’re trying to do just that.

Farewell Tour of Lexington

Jill's Journal: Much to our amazement, we remain near Lexington! We’re “camping” on 25 acres near Nicholasville, Kentucky, so it still feels like an adventure and a million miles from the home that we knew. Apparently we underestimated the amount of projects on Rob’s plate before we officially leave town, so we’re also taking advantage of the time to really get into the swing of things on the fifth wheel. We’re actually on Rob’s Mom’s acreage and now believe we’ll be here through early next week.

While Rob’s been working, the girls and I have been playing. We’re jokingly calling it our farewell tour of Lexington. We’ve had final playdate after final playdate with so many wonderful friends, including everything from a picnic with a jazz band at the lovely Ecton Park to the always-fun Explorium (Children’s Museum) to the insanity that is Chuck E Cheese to even just digging in the dirt and letting the kids be kids.

All these goodbyes have made me feel very nostalgic about Lexington. Today I took the girls to the Lexington History Museum in the ancient old courthouse downtown, where we got to experience some of the amazing heritage of this fantastic city, once called “The Athens of the West.” And really, what other museum can boast of its very own jockey silks right inside the front door?

I’ve always loved the contrasts that make up Kentucky. We’re smack-dab in the middle of the Bible Belt, yet a huge percentage of people here (ourselves included) make their living on the vices of gambling (horse racing) and drinking (bourbon). Both the Union and the Confederate presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, were born in Kentucky. And today we stood in the old square that in 1850 housed the largest slave trade of the antebellum South, literally just a few short blocks from the childhood home of Mary Todd Lincoln. One has to wonder if the bustling slavery business just steps outside her door influenced her husband, Abraham, a frequent guest in the home, in preparing the Emancipation Proclamation, one of the country’s best-known symbols of freedom.

But I digress. I love this city, founded in 1775, and all that it represents. Whether our travels eventually lead us back to Lexington permanently or to somewhere else, Lexington will always hold a very, very special place in my heart. Somehow in the Bluegrass, the grass is greener, the sky is bluer, and the world is happier. We came here 13 years ago and it hasn’t been enough.

This is Mecca to the horse racing world; it more than lives up to the billing of “Horse Capital of the World.” Lexington to Thoroughbred racing is what Paris is to fashion, what Hollywood is to movies, what Washington is to politics. It all happens right here. People think of racing as the Sport of Kings, but outsiders don’t know about the hundreds of thousands of regular people who work in the sport simply for the love of the horse. And that is the great equalizer: whether someone in this game is a billionaire or below the poverty level or somewhere in between, we’re all here because we love the horse. It’s as simple as that.

Yesterday I stole a few quiet moments and walked among the historic annals at the Keeneland Library, a cathedral to any student of pedigree. Seeing some of the horseshoes, the trophies, and the paintings of racing’s greats still gives me goosebumps after all this time. I’m not an overly emotional person, but reflecting on the heritage of the Thoroughbred right here in Lexington and what little bit Rob and I got to be a part of brought tears to my eyes. If you listen closely, the manicured rolling green hills surrounding Lexington still echo with the hoofbeats of historic champions the world over and the promise of more to come.

For all these reasons and more, I am head over heels in love with Lexington. But I also know there’s a whole world out there just waiting to be experienced. Life is short. We can always settle down again but we won’t always have such an amazing opportunity to travel.

But Lexington will ever be,
The Loveliest and the Best;
A Paradise thou’rt still to me,
Sweet Athens of the West.
--Pennsylvanian Josiah Espy, upon an 1806 visit to Lexington

Yearbook of Life

Jill's Journal: In our steadfast purging, I came across a letter dated 1995 (can that really be 15 years ago already?) from my dear friend Ernie. I knew immediately why I’d kept it.

Darling, Lucille Ball-loving Ernie and I worked closely together and sat literally inches apart during our American Express years in Anaheim Hills, CA. I was just a baby, brand-new to a major corporation and wide-eyed to the ways of the world after a very sheltered childhood. He was a seasoned professional and the first person I’d ever known who openly lived an alternate lifestyle. I was enamored with him and he was charmed by my naivety. We quickly bonded. He’s a dear soul and while we still keep in touch occasionally, passing years and a few thousand miles separate us.

But this letter, dated nearly three years after the last time I’d seen him, still speaks to me. I have to share it.

“Eventually we have to sign the yearbook of life – and what will our picture look like? I want mine to have the look of excitement in my eyes – life, a picture I’d be proud to sign. The older I become, and hopefully wiser – I realize we are here but for a vanishing moment and then we’re gone. Live for the moment and make it worthwhile!”

I’m so grateful to have had inspiring people like Ernie in my life. Without a history of that kind of encouragement, would we be embarking on this adventure now? I can think of 20 other dreams we’ve also followed over the years, some big, some small – would we have had the courage to jump?

“Live the Life You’ve Imagined”

Jill's Journal: I came across the perfect quote (for us at this moment in our lives) by Henry David Thoreau, who is of course the master of perfect quotations.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.”

Live the life you’ve imagined. I love that. We’ve been striving so hard to get there and we’re so close we can taste it. Six weeks to launch.

A recent, wonderful post on Unclutterer.com said essentially the same thing: Is the Life You’re Pursuing the Life You Want?

I can honestly say yes! And it’s not a foreign concept to me or to us. We’ve made drastic changes before to follow our dreams. We’re not afraid to jump. Yet, reading posts like this makes me think a lot of people are afraid to step outside of their known comfort zones. I don’t understand that. If you are unhappy with something, change it. Or change your attitude about it. We only live once. Make the most of it. Make it a beautiful life. Live the life you’ve imagined.

“Making Room to Live”

Jill's Journal: As we continue to find homes for nearly all our worldly possessions, I continue to be inspired by random articles. A recent one, entitled “For Those Who Can’t Let Go: Some Tips and Tricks,” was clearly meant for people who have more trouble with this than I do…so I forwarded it to my husband! Ha – he actually should get mad props because he’s doing better with this process than I ever dreamed he could. I’m insanely proud of him.

Anyway, the last line in the brief little article (sadly, I can’t remember where I found it or who wrote it) really hit home. It said, in full, “Finally, and most important: remember that you are not so much getting rid of stuff as making room to live.”

Beautifully said.

On the Same Page…

Jill's Journal: Rob and I have shared many long conversations this week – some stretching into the wee hours of the night – about our RV future. We’ve learned so much together and are quickly formulating a game plan for the multiple layers this entails. But the most exciting thing is surely this: we are completely, totally, 100% on the same page in every aspect imaginable. I’m pretty certain that’s the only way we could even consider undertaking this major life change with little kids in tow.

Here’s another exciting thing…we’re coming to realize a year might not be enough. I had been balking at much longer because I didn’t want to hold the girls out of the social interaction regular school provides any longer than a year. But it has dawned on me that they have the rest of their lives to be in “normal” social situations. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will also give them a wealth of first-hand knowledge. And that’s why I’ve stopped balking.

This week Rob and I have both acknowledged that a two-year road trip is a little more realistic to be able to do the traveling and spend the time in each place that we hope. Two years! That’s 2010 to 2012. WOW!

I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes as a teenager:

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
– Saint Augustine, 354-430 A.D.