Mommy Life: Barbara's adventures in journalism, laundry, and strep

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May 25, 2007 10:48 PM

Barbara's adventures in journalism, laundry, and strep

In case you noticed a little less conversation from me the past few days, it's because I was covering a story for Citizen magazine.

It will be a more in-depth piece on the American Legion challenging the ACLU's attacks on veterans' war memorials (and other uses of Judeo-Christian symbols in communities) and the Boy Scouts. This is really a big deal because the American Legion has 2.7 million members and it's gonna look pretty bad for the ACLU when the vets start doing battle with them. As one pointed out yesterday, the a ACLU claims to be the great defender of our American liberties - but that title actually belongs to the vets.

Wednesday evening I went to dinner with some people and interviewed an attorney from the Alliance Defense Fund, one of the pro bono groups pledged to help the Legion in litigation with the ACLU. I spent the night in DC as the next morning the Legion and ADF were holding a press conference to announce the alliance.

The press conference was held at the National Press Club. I am often amazed by the places I have gotten to see because I am a writer. The NPC is one of those places you hear about all the time. And it is very impressive. Here are some shots I took - the first two showing part of the amazing collection of historic front pages which have been embedded into the walls:

The Washington Post was notably absent from the press conference. I guess the fact that the largest veterans' organization in the world making an unusual historic announcement about vetrans' memorials - and coinciding with Memorial Day - just wasn't newsworthy. One can only imagine the coverage if it had been a colonel announcing a sex change :)

Next, a bunch of us piled into a van and headed over to Arlington National Cemetery:

For some reason, Fox News could not get in and so after a photo shoot there, we went to the Iwo Jima Memorial, where they were able to do the interviews they wanted (I can't remember the name of the reporter, but everyone seemed to know her from TV (I don't watch news on TV so I'm clueless). She was an extremely nice and real person:

The Iwo Jima Memorial is truly awe-inspiring. On the front is carved Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue:

We finished the day with a late lunch at Morton's, which Tripp said is THE place everyone he works with talks about. Me, I'm clueless:

Finally, I took the metro back to my car in Falls Church and drove home in rush hour traffic. Came in and put in a couple loads of laundry before collapsing. Took two kids to the doctor this morning and it turned out all three of us have strep (in addition to Jesse whom I had already taken Wednesday morning before leaving for DC).

Tomorrow I guess I should take the rest of the kids in for the dreaded throat swab. A fitting way to celebrate my birthday! I love the way God gives me some unusual opportunities and yet keeps me firmly grounded in reality with my home and family.

One last dose of amoxicillin and I'm turning in - to read probably no more than two pages of East of Eden before I fall asleep.

Love,