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June 9, 2009

It’s no surprise that American Spirit, with its focus on the early American period, regularly features the Founding Fathers (and Mothers) on our pages. And it’s not surprise that editing this magazine for the DAR has really fed into my history geekiness. So, when friends invited me on a long weekend tour of three presidents’ homes in the Charlottesville, Va., area, I pretty much jumped at the nerd-cation* chance.

Our first stop was James Madison’s Montpelier, which recently unveiled the stunning results of a four-year restoration. American Spirit featured the ambitious project in a July/August 2005 article. We focused on the meticulous way the Montpelier Foundation chose to restore the home of the Father of the Constitution. Not long after Madison died in 1836, his wife, Dolley, sold the home, and it went through extensive changes by multiple owners before finally passing into the hands of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Instead of freezing the home as it was when first acquired, the National Trust decided to strip away two centuries of renovations and preserve the house as close as possible to the way it was when Madison retired from the White House.

It’s one thing to read about the restoration, but it’s another thing to see the impressive results of this project for myself. Montpelier’s Classical portico and its imposing columns have been restored to Madison’s day. And get this: The ink stains are still visible on the floor in the study where he wrote the Constitution! Guides describe finding a fragment of a letter with Madison’s handwriting in a rat’s nest and uncover other details found in the process of peeling back the home’s many layers.

Beyond the archaeological finds, the home’s setting is idyllic, offering a gorgeous vista of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We finished off the day in Charlottesville's historic downtown at night, where we added our screeds to the free speech wall and drove by the Thomas Jefferson-designed rotunda at the University of Virginia, which he founded in 1819.

The next morning we visited Jefferson's masterpiece of design: Monticello. The almost-too-efficient tour guide whisked us through the house rather quickly, but we still managed to check out some of his one-of-a-kind inventions, from a copying machine to a compass/weather vane contraption to a wine dumbwaiter. Since American Spirit detailed Thomas Jefferson’s penchant for gardening in our “Gardening the Founding Fathers' Way” story (March/April 2006), I was eager to see his carefully arranged rows of vegetables and learn more about his experimental crops. Jefferson’s 5,000 acres of orchards, vineyards, fields and gardens were worked by hundreds of enslaved and some free workers, and the Plantation Community Tour explained the daily life of some of those slaves.

We squeezed in a quick visit to James Monroe’s Ash Lawn–Highland where the fifth president lived from 1799 to 1823. It’s now operated by the College of William and Mary, Monroe’s alma mater. (Stay tuned for American Spirit’s upcoming story on this historic college.) The home is packed with 18th- and 19th-century furnishings, some from Napoleon’s France, where Monroe served as ambassador. Most know a little about the Monroe Doctrine and that his presidency was called the “era of good feelings,” but I was surprised to discover what a well-regarded politician (oxymoron?) he was during his lifetime.

Back in D.C. on Memorial Day, we waved hello to No. 44 at the White House and swung by a few monuments on the National Mall, including the Vietnam Women's Memorial, where we were inspired by military nurse’s speech about her service in Vietnam, Iraq and now Germany. The weekend ended with a four-hour tour (yes, and I could have stayed longer) of the interactive Newseum, a must-see museum for current event junkies and newshounds in the shadow of the Capitol.

Next on my to-do list: Learn more about Dolley Madison. What a fab first First Lady!

*nerdcation. Pronunciation: /nərd ˈkā-shən /. Function: noun. Date: 2009: A journey offering great potential for expanding one’s vocabulary, Trivial Pursuit ability and storehouse of random knowledge and/or cocktail conversation.

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May 7, 2009

The monsoon season we’ve been experiencing lately here at Hammock HQ couldn’t keep me inside last weekend. I decided to dive in and embrace middle Tennessee’s lakes and waterways by actually becoming ONE with them. Who knew you could have so much fun when there's water, water everywhere … even without a boat or a paddle.

On Saturday I joined a group of volunteers for a big cleanup day at Percy Priest Lake as part of the Nashville Clean Water Project. One of the supporters of the well-organized event was the Cumberland River Compact, an educational nonprofit that promotes the water quality of the Cumberland River watershed. We dodged the thunderstorms and managed to pick up a ton of the usual trash—glass and plastic bottles, aluminum cans, Styrofoam containers—and a few unusual (and disgusting) items—a tent, camp chairs, wheels, camouflage underwear (I KNOW). Recycling champion and green blogger Barbara Mathieson posted a video of the event here.

On Sunday, I competed in my first triathlon, the Lost Loon, benefitting the Harpeth River Watershed Association, another great nonprofit devoted to preserving and restoring one of our area’s beautiful waterways. It feels cool to say I’m a triathlete, but that moniker is a little bit misleading. It was the lowest stress team triathlon you can imagine: 9-mile bike ride, 2-mile canoe race, 4-mile trail run, and I just participated in the bike and run portions of the race. Because of the deluge of rain we’ve been having, Lone Hunter State Park’s Couchville Lake rose to meet us: In portions of the trail, we ended up wading in water up to our shins. But once you’re that wet, it just gets more fun. One of the best parts about the race was crossing the finish line: Race organizer extraordinaire Willy Stern required all finishers to squeeze a loon stuffed animal that was hidden in a tree. Join Willy and friends--and me!--for the seventh annual event next year!

P.S. What am I like when I DO have a boat and a paddle? Not too smooth, lemme tell you. Late last fall, friends and I paddled down Swan Creek, a winding and gorgeous creek not too far from Nashvillle. Things started off grand ... until my canoe partner and I got caught in a strainer and sank our lil boat. Luckily we were rescued by the kind experts at the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association (TSRA). I'm hopeful that by enrolling in one of TSRA’s future paddling classes, I can keep future waterlogging to a minimum.

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April 24, 2009

I first heard about the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill near Lexington when American Spirit featured Kentucky in its travel section a few years ago. With the Shakers as the cover story of our May/June issue, I decided it was time to pay a visit to America’s largest restored Shaker community for a firsthand look at a utopian way of life.

The Shakers lived by the saying, “Hands to work, hearts to God.” But as one of Pleasant Hill's costumed guides remarked, their motto also could have been: “Work smarter, not harder.” Many of the artifacts on display in the living history museum (made up of 34 restored buildings in the middle of 3,000 acres of farmland) were labor-saving devices, which the Shakers did not patent, freely sharing with the world. (Although their claims to be inventors of the clothespin and circular saw are unlikely, their dumbwaiters and flat brooms and kitchen gadgets were models of efficiency.) Even some Shaker barns were built on slopes so that hay could be pitched downward instead of upward. Smart choice if you’ve ever shoveled out a barn!

The goods they sold to the “outside world,” from packaged seeds to classic furniture, were known for their reliability and craftsmanship. However … even though there’s evidence that their formula for house paint lasted more than 100 years, I’m not sure I’d like the idea of pulverized brick mixed with animal blood slathered on my walls. Pleasant Hill does a great job bringing the Shakers’ principles to vivid life. I was mesmerized by craftspeople demonstrating Shaker techniques, from woodworking to spinning and weaving to broom making. (Tip: always hang your broom so the bristles don’t get bent.) And the village farm, with its heirloom vegetables and historic animal breeds, offered a hands-on look at the importance of agriculture to the Shakers. Actually, the farm might have been my favorite part of the community: I loved that Percheron horses are still used to till the gardens, English sheep are still shorn for their wool and Dominique chickens provide the eggs served at the Inn’s dining room. (Ok, it made me laugh, but I didn't exactly love that one of the wily goats grabbed and ate half my map.)

Pay the Shaker community a visit if you’re ever up in bluegrass country. And be a pal and bring me back some homemade corn sticks and Shaker lemon pie.

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April 14, 2009

When Editorial Director Jamie Roberts isn't jet-setting around the globe, she can be found working on her organization skills and planning her next fabulous trip to some distant land. I snuck in on her today to ask a few questions about how a typical day goes for her.

What do you reach for when you need an afternoon pick-me-up?
I walk around the office stealing food from people. Sometimes I ask nicely.

What communications medium helps you the most during the day?
Yelling like I live in a barn. No, just kidding, I like the IM. And the email. And the InterWebs. Still, when I need to solve a bigger problem or figure out a challenge, few methods are better than picking up the phone or sitting down for a face-to-face.

What is the last thing you do before you leave the office every evening?
Four times out of five, I harass Ben to help me with a last-minute design project. He loves me.

How do you divide your time each day between projects? Do you set aside specific hours to work on certain things, or do you just play it by ear and see what needs the most attention?
I usually start my day with a neat little plan to work on certain projects, but a lot of time those plans get waylaid and I have to go to where the hot projects are. I aspire to be as organized as Barbara or Lena or Summer or Natalie or Julia or Lisa ... wait ... am I the MOST unorganized person around this place???

If you could pack everyone in the office up and take us to work (and play) in your favorite travel destination, what would it be? Why?
The people in this office are ridiculously talented and hard-working and creative. I think a team of us could make a huge difference on some important projects going on in Haiti. Then I'd take us all to Paris, London or Greece for a party. We also really know how to throw a party.

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I'm still processing all the lessons learned from my recent trip to Haiti. Five of us Nashvillians traveled there to visit friends, find out a little more about the country and help out where we could. Don't get me started talking about how much I loved the journey. Just count yourself lucky all I'm doing here is posting a few pics.

Here we are after cleaning out mud from a school in the Gonaives area struck by September 2008's devastating hurricanes. After initial shyness, several of the village kids helped out in a big way and taught us a few things about swinging shovels.

We re-roofed a house damaged in those same storms. (And yes, believe it or not, there are shots of me successfully using a power saw without harming myself or others. In a skirt, no less.)

We met adorable children, who laughed at our bungling attempts to speak Creole. And while entertaining said children (one day, they numbered 300!) with tons of balloons, bubbles and soccer balls, we, by necessity, learned how to speak their language a little bit better.

Yes, we witnessed some great needs in Haiti. But we came away with memories of a lot more beauty than we ever expected.

To learn more about the work of the Haiti Water Project, one of the efforts we witnessed making a big difference in the everyday lives of people, take a minute to watch this video.

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March 13, 2009

My grandfather was quite the superstitious type, and he never liked to set foot out of his house on Friday the 13th. I wonder what he would think of me today as I embark on a trip to Haiti. I'll be there for a week with friends working on some hurricane relief and clean water projects. It's an alternative spring break, and we can't wait!

If you need something before I return to the office on Tuesday, March 24, please contact another member of the awesome edit team: Bill, Lena, Emily or Megan Pacella.

Otherwise, please e-mail me, and I'll answer all messages when I return. Thanks and have a great week!

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January 20, 2009

I survived—and loved every minute of it! (Sometimes I exaggerate, but maybe you can forgive me today.)

Despite the staggering crowds and frostbitten toes and fingers, I feel incredibly lucky that I could be an eyewitness to President Obama’s inauguration, such an amazing day in our nation’s capitol. It won’t be long before I’ve completely forgotten the travel hiccups and stressful moments when walls of people pushed against barricades; instead, I know I’ll more likely remember my mental slideshow of streets and ledges and walls and grass packed with excited, expectant faces.

Because of the numbers expected, media were cautioning that we should probably choose between watching the inauguration or the parade. We decided to head to the official inauguration festivities, hoping that an early start would at least get us in a decent view of the Capitol. We didn’t have tickets to the reserved sections, but we did make it as close as we could, snapped a few pictures, then turned back to camp out at a space on the mall near the Museum of American History. As the time ticked down to the oath of office and Obama’s speech, personal space went out the window and we all got a bit more neighborly. I’ve lived in NYC, but I've never seen that many people in such a concentrated space. (New Year’s Eve in Times Square is the only thing I’ve ever witnessed that might be comparable, and that’s only several hundred thousand people.) But no one seemed to mind the lack of elbow room as we waved our flags (provided by the cute lil’ Boy Scouts) and laughed and huddled and chanted and cheered.

Since my invitation to the ball was apparently lost in the mail, I’m headed for an early light’s out. This entire journey has been an amazing, festive party, but I—and all of us, so says our new president—have a lot of work to do!

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January 19, 2009

Any morning that starts with a delicious brunch at Old Ebbitt Grill, especially when it's bedecked with lots of bunting and flags and patriotic people, has got to be a good one. Established in 1856, the restaurant was a hangout for Presidents Grant, Cleveland, Harding and Theodore Roosevelt and is still a fave with D.C. politicos. No celebrity sighting for me here, but just you wait.

Since the restaurant is just on 15th Street, steps from the White House, we took a short walk to join the throngs of people snapping photos right in front of the gates, then ventured down to 17th street on our way to the mall. Since the Daughters of the American Revolution's gorgeous Memorial Continental Hall is right along the way--1776 D Street, natch--my friends insisted on snapping a photo of me, fan that I am of the organization. Not two minutes after the photo--as we're browsing all the vendors selling Obama hats, pins, shirts and all manner of photoshopped paraphernalia--a convoy of SUVs races by. I glance in one of the windows and see President H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, then watch as the swift moving line of cars turns into the secured drive of the White House. I wondered if No. 41 was going to help No. 43 pack?

The rest of the day we spent wandering a few awe-inspiring (even in 18-degree windchill) monuments like the WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, catching the chilly little animals at the National Zoo, and enjoying some people-watching and yummy Indian food in the Adams Morgan area.

What's hard to describe is the palpable feeling that we're all together at this amazing party. A bunch of "shiny, happy people," as someone today described. It's normal to strike up conversations and laugh with perfect strangers. There's spontaneous dancing and singing breaking out everywhere. People are willing to help each other navigate the stressful reality of a city bursting at the seams. (Tonight we were the last five passengers on a shuttle bus whose driver was going to turn us away ... until the onboard passengers squeezed in and sat on laps so that we didn't have to wait in the cold.)

It's an early start tomorrow for this non-early bird, and I've got some planning to do before I brave tomorrow's Inauguration Day crowd. It's a good thing that Rex has done some of the heavy lifting for me here. Hope you stay cozy for the festivities--I'm going to be the dork in front of a JumboTron with hand warmers, 19 layers and hat hair.

P.S. Hope everyone has had a terrific MLK Jr. Day. There have been so many wonderful stories written about what this inauguration means to families across the nation, but I thought today's Washington Post article about the Caldwell family's civil rights journey was especially meaningful.

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January 18, 2009

I might be a little insane, but there's nowhere else I'd rather be right now than here in Washington, D.C., for Barack Obama's inauguration festivities. Yes, it's bone cold, terrifically crowded, expensive and a little crazy, but I needed to experience this piece of history in the flesh, not just on CNN. As my new friend (we spent two hours together on the shuttle yesterday) "Fur Coat Lady" says, "I wanted to be a part of the mix."

My goddaughter and her parents have joined me from the UK for the events. (When I figure out how to load video, I'll show you their video explaining why they made the long trek.) We've succumbed to the rampant consumerism and bought several commemorative items (my dad NEEDS that plate) and even paid $5 to take a picture with a cardboard cutout of Obama (capitalism is still alive and well). We also toured the newly renovated American History Museum and saw the Star-Spangled Banner and Dorothy's ruby slippers. The Smithsonian museums all have extended hours...and clean bathrooms.

The highlight of the day was the "We Are One" inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial featuring Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar, Garth Brooks, James Taylor and John Legend among others. Stevie Wonder did a fun number, and Beyonce did a nice job with "America the Beautiful," but why Jack Black was a speaker, I have no idea. U2's rousing "City of Blinding Lights" and Obama's speech brought the biggest cheers. Ok, so maybe I wasn't that close and had to see the whole thing on the JumboTron, but there was something electric about being there among the diverse, shivering, hopeful crowd.

If you're curious, the Metro has been running efficiently so far. The workers have been infinitely patient with all the out-of-towners, helping us buy tickets and steering us the right way. Still, Sunday's crowd--while mind-boggling--is apparently nothing compared to Tuesday's test.

So, I'm off to conquer the city for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. President-elect Obama, in his Renew America initiative, is urging everyone to join a service project today. Find an event in your area here.

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January 4, 2009

On New Year's Eve I crawled around an elaborate tunnel system, climbed through dark caves, barreled down a 7-story slide, dangled from 4-feet-wide wrought-iron slinkies and generally acted like a kid in a candy store. All this excitement came courtesy of St. Louis' City Museum, a historic shoe factory turned bizarre and very fun playground. The creative folks at the museum have used random, found objects from all around the city to construct their own version of a funhouse. Stainless steel bread pans become wall decor, salvaged tile becomes a walkway, rebar linking abandoned planes become monkey bars, a fire engine and trolley car turn into super-secret hiding places. My knees are bruised up, I have a cut on my nose and a bump on my noggin, but neither I nor my friends wanted to leave this crazy place, where adults are actually encouraged to act like kids. Seriously, Charles, the friendly guy who kept everyone from knocking their heads on the umpteen slides, told us we were supposed to be laughing a lot and acting a little wired and demented and childish. So we obeyed.

It was the City Museum that inspired this year's work resolution: SpArK My CrEaTiviTY. Like many of us, I have a tendency to get caught up in most pressing demands of my day and get sucked out of a creative mindset. This not only makes me grouchy, but a work mentality that stays head-down and inwardly focused detracts from newer, better, bolder ideas.

How will I add more creativity to my work life? For starters, I'm going to turn off my e-mail for extended periods to devote more time to writing. I'm going to research a little less predictably. I'm going to talk to my freelance writers on the phone more frequently. I'm going to take actual lunch breaks. In my out-of-work life, I'm going to devote more time to reading fiction, something I've always loved to do but which has taken a backseat as of late. I'm going to explore taking piano lessons again. I'm going to say yes to many different kinds of cultural events, especially the mind-bending ones. In short, I'm going to be more of an explorer and reflector so that creativity becomes more a part of my daily life, not something that I have to concentrate on and wish for at crunch times. And I'm open to other ideas if you have them!

P.S. Don't you love these vague and unmeasurable kinds of resolutions? I can definitely see myself succeeding with this one.

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Jamie Roberts

Editorial Director

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