Tuesday, November 3, 2020....

Today is election day in the United State of America.  

Today, I stop.  Ponder.  Am Amazed.  Today I wake up in Charlottesville, VA, the home town of:

Thomas Jefferson, the writer of the Declaration of Independence,  third President of the United States (1801–1809); principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776); one of the most influential Founding Fathers

James Monroe – Founding Father of the United States; fifth President of the United States; lived at Ash Lawn-Highland, adjacent to Jefferson's Monticello, An author of the Constitution

James Madison – fourth President of the United States. An author of the Constitution

Meriwether Lewis – explorer, soldier, and public administrator; best known for his role as the leader of the Corps of Discovery, whose mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase

I am steeped in early American history today.  Election Day.  I am inspired.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable" {that which cannot be given away or taken away} "Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

We ebb and flow from this ideal but should remember that this is our goal as a nation.  Today is election day.

Monticello...home designed and built by Thomas Jefferson  This is the backyard.  (Notice the red brick and white colonnade design.  Jefferson loved this look and designed the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, with the same look.   Everywhere!)

Front entrance to the house

Thomas Jefferson (6' 2").....and Bob

Expansive view from atop of Monticello from the garden.  Monticello has a 360 degree view.

View from the front of the Jefferson house....check out the view behind me as well.

Below:  One feature in his house that he loved to include was the concept of an alcove bed.  It could be accessed and closed off from two rooms.  I'd love to do something like this- the bed doesn't take up space in either room.   Hmmmm, thinking.

Slave quarters....to be remembered also....