KatysBlog

Jessica just called: her plane has landed in Washington D.C. for her
first capitol visit. She will be there all week, hosted by
the Congressional Youth Leadership Council
(CYLC). Several of her friends at Harker
have been to these programs during their Junior (11th grade) year and
they generally had a good time. Her particular event is called the
National Young Leaders Conference:

NYLC offers students the opportunity to discuss current events and issues with
top policy makers in Washington, D.C., analyze concepts, and then put them
immediately to work. This dynamic program features creative decision-making simulations that challenge young minds to solve problems and lead their peers
through role-playing exercises in an energy-charged environment far from the
traditional classroom experience.

We have heard that some of the quality and excitement of the experience depends
greatly on who is in your group and who comes to speak. She and I spent most of
yesterday packing and trying to distinguish which of her clothes counted as
“professional”, “informal professional”, “semi-formal” and the other categories
CYLC provided. There are pictures on the website of inappropriate choices
but none of Jessica’s clothes look like that anyway. CYLC clearly do not like
very short skirts but they also do not seem to care for the full length skirts
which she and I often wear.

While she is in Washington, we are trying to arrange for Jessica to visit
Georgetown, one of the schools she is interested in applying to next year.
I am looking forward to hearing of her adventures among the politicians.

Here are some of the animals we saw on our trip to Israel last month
(with appropriate Shakespearean quotes just for fun). Images by John Plocher or Katy Dickinson (Copyright 2006):

Tristram’s Starling – Masada

“I’ll have a starling shall be taught to speak”

King Henry IV, Part i, Act 1, Scene 3

Pigeon (Rock Dove) – Masada

“For it cannot be but I am pigeon-liver’d and lack gall
to make oppression bitter”

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Act 2, Scene 2

Pigeons, Starlings, Raven – Masada

“The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
under my battlements.”

Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 5

Ibex – Dead Sea

“Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat”

King Henry V, Act 4, Scene 4

Cat – St. George’s Cathedral Garden, Jerusalem

“I am as vigilant as a cat to steal cream.”

King Henry IV, Part i, Act 4, Scene 2

Cat – Jerusalem

Donkey, Old Town, Jerusalem

“Methought I was enamour’d of an ass.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 4, Scene 1

A group of photos we took on our recent trip to Russia and Israel was made up of
signs, some because they seemed strange, others because of the variety of languages
represented, and others just because we wanted to remember what we had seen.
Images by John Plocher or Katy Dickinson
(Copyright 2006):

St.Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg:

Picasso Absinthe Drinker sign, Hermitage, St. Petersburg:

Holy Rock, Old City, Jerusalem:

King David’s Tomb sign, Old City, Jerusalem:

Suq El-Bazaar Road street sign, Old City, Jerusalem:

Martin Luther Schule street sign, Old City, Jerusalem:

Paving stones sign, Old City, Jerusalem:

Museum of Taxes, Jerusalem:

Nablus Road, Book Store, Gift Store, and Narnia Signs, Jerusalem:

Tour de Dead Sea bike race sign, Dead Sea Resort:

Dead Sea Resort rules sign:

John and I took lots of photos while on our recent trip to Russia and Israel.
Lots as in: over one thousand. We sorted and deleted some while travelling
(I love digital cameras!) and John has been working hard since we came home
to get them posted for friends and family to see. He is using
Coppermine Photo Gallery
software and it seems to work well.

I am noticing as I page through the thumbnail images how many pictures of walls, ceilings and floors we took. Images by John Plocher or Katy Dickinson
(Copyright 2006):

Mosaic floor, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg:

Heraldic wall, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg:

Bathhouse wall, Masada:

Baptismal Font (gift of Queen Victoria), St. George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem:

Wall with Crosses cut by Pilgrims, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem:

Dome – Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem: