Honored Guests

Around our table last night we had 5 presidents and 2 first ladies.  I can only imagine the swarms of secret service agents outside in our bushes.

 XiXi, for his first President's Day dinner, was none other than Abraham Lincoln.   Using the witch hat from the dress up bin as a base, a little construction paper completed the stovepipe.  Cholita put him in the shirt and tie.

Cholita, who chooses dresses over pants any day of the week, opted to come once again as a first lady.  She felt like the earlier first ladies had more impressive dresses, so she came as a very pink (I believe it was the Glinda outfit--who knew The Wizard of Oz would be so helpful on President's Day?) Abigail Adams.

Lyle was sporting an "I like Ike" badge and told of his military prowess, popularity, and his wife, Mamie.

Lucy, one who always appreciates a good research project, came as Herbert Hoover.  It was unfortunate, she said, that he was so disliked because he'd done so much humanitarian work.  The Great Depression rather put a damper on his presidency.  He was also the last president to speak two languages fluently.  And would you have guessed his other language was Mandarin?

Rose looked very professional in a smart brown dress, perfect for first lady Hilary Clinton, and also an outfit worthy of the office of Secretary of State.

Bruder told us with a New England accent, "We choose to go to the moon!  Not because it is easy, but because it is hard!"   JFK commiserated with Herbert, that he too had some tough times.  The Cuban missile crisis was rather stressful.

I came as James Garfield, an impressive man who died just months into his presidency as an indirect result of a gunshot wound inflicted by an insane office seeker.  The doctors, sticking dirty fingers and other yucky probes into the wound finished him off with a rip roaring infection a good two months later.   If they'd left him alone, he probably would have been just fine.  Interestingly, he never ran for a political office.  He was giving a speech to introduce a candidate at the Republican National Convention when someone yelled, "We want Garfield!"  He waved it off and finished his speech, extolling the virtues of his candidate.  But over the next few days, momentum grew and despite his protestations, he was named the Republican candidate.  Stunned, he sent word to his quiet, home-loving wife.   She was not pleased.

We talked about the office of President of the United States and all agreed that we wouldn't want it for all the tea in China.  Like Lucretia Garfield, we appreciate the privacy and comfort of home.  We're thankful there are men (and certainly someday women) who are up to the task.