Another One Ties the Knot

What a joy it was to celebrate a residency colleague's wedding at President Lincoln's Cottage! Built on a hill overlooking the Capitol in 1842 for a Washington DC banker, the federal government purchased the property in 1851 as a Soldiers Home, and other presidents have stayed there as well. The Lincolns used it as their summer home during his presidency, Lincoln developed the Emancipation Proclamation there, and he visited it the day before he was shot by John Wilkes Booth. It served as the Public Affairs Office for the Armed Forces Retirement in the 1990s, and there is a military cemetery across the street. After a big renovation that involved removing 20 coats of paint from the walls, down to beautiful hard word, it was opened to the public in 2008. Now part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, President Lincoln's Cottage bills itself as "the home for brave ideas."

The day was overcast and wet, but by the time the breeze had shaken the last of the raindrops from the trees, the clouds lightened and the sky turned blue in time for the brief ceremony, which was officiated by a veteran in residence on the grounds. Both the dog and the baby were well behaved. 

Instead was a beautiful vanilla cake with strawberries by Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe--and a really good chocolate cake with chocolate icing for the groom's niece whose birthday was yesterday from Wegman's, where the bride and groom ate sushi on their second date. However, some guests filled up at the cookie table, a Pittsburgh tradition in which friends and family bake cookies for guests to take home as their favor. When they finally came out of the oven, the pizzas from Timber Pizza were very popular.

I asked the groom's aunt to take a photo of me with the statue of Lincoln and his horse out front, in the food tent. Then we had a lovely conversation about physical therapy and Charlotte, NC. Inside the classical guitar player who had entertained us before the ceremony played, and in the gazebo on the side was a cover band. It was so pleasant just to sit and soak up the atmosphere, the music, the company. There's just one more of the four of us to get hitched...