Birthday Outing

As I mentioned in my previous post, Tuesday (February 26th) was my mother's 85th birthday. It certainly does not seem possible that she could already be celebrating 85 years. I remember when we had a big party for my grandmother's 85th and it seems as though that was only a few years ago. She is a remarkable lady and has been an inspiration to all of us. To celebrate the big day my two sisters and I took her to the Ronald Reagan Library for the special display of the dresses worn by Nancy Reagan, out for lunch and then did a little shopping.

As you can see, the weather was spectacular with temperatures in the 80 degree range and views that seemed to never end.

One thing that I am always impressed with at the library is the piece of the Berlin Wall that stands outside on top of the hill. If you look at the two sides of the wall you will notice the distinct difference between the sides that faced East Berlin vs. West Berlin. The colorful side was painted to show the freedom and hope of the people in West Berlin whereas the plain, drab cement represented the East Berlin residents. These are the original paintings but I am sure that they must keep the paint refreshed for people to view.

A few years back the library added the Air Force One Pavilion. It was quite the fete to bring the plane up to the top of the hill and build the building around it. The plane is set up just as it was when it was in use. You can walk through it and see all the different offices, press areas, sleeping quarters and areas for just relaxing. The building itself is all glass on the front and it appears as though the plane is flying right over the valley. It is quite a sight.

The graveside of Ronald Reagan also sits on the top of the hill with fabulous views. Nancy Reagan will at some point be buried right next to him. The funeral services were shown on television worldwide but it held a special attention to the local folks here as the library is only about a ten minute drive from us. The streets, of course, were lined with people during the processions to and from the library.

I really wished that I could have taken some photos of all the dresses on display but they discourage photography. It was such fun to see the changing styles throughout the years. The beaded gowns were just amazing. I could only imagine how heavy they must have been. And talk about TINY -- she wore a size 2. I doubt that I ever had a waist that small. It was also fun to see all of the different designers who had made clothes for her and to study their different signature styles. We were all amused at the thought of where our "old" dresses were these days. Hmmm. We'd be in dire straights to put on a show with our past gowns.