February 19th is Presidents Day, a federal holiday here in the United States.
Originally, the holiday was designated as Washington’s Birthday, and was celebrated on George Washington’s actual date of birth, February 22nd.  In 1971, however, as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, the holiday was moved to the third Monday in February.  The holiday has also been expanded to honor Abraham Lincoln (birthday February 12th).  Various states choose to observe the holiday on different days, under different titles, and even different presidents, but as far as federal holidays go, today is Presidents Day.
I have already written about the Washington …read more

On a recent sunny afternoon, a friend shared with me one of the most beautiful and peaceful places that I have been in a long while:  Mount Vernon, the home and estate of George and Martha Washington.
Located sixteen miles south of Washington DC, and eight miles south of Old Town Alexandria, Mt Vernon sits in a pictaresque and undeveloped area on the Potomac River.
Washington acquired Mt Vernon in 1754, and expanded and developed the grounds to reflect his status as part of the landed gentry.  He personally oversaw every detail to the estate design, construction, and decoration, even while he …read more