Embarking upon research vacation.

Greetings upon the arrival of Summer!

For about the next five or six weeks, I'll be on a cross-country road trip for the following purposes:

(1) To attend The Thoreau Society annual gathering and a seminar with The Walden Woods project, both in Massachusetts, with a research focus upon Thoreau's philosophy regarding the natural economy and its applications to a person's awareness/sense of place, both in the world and in the moment.

(2) To attend The Freedoms Foundation's Medal of Honor seminar at Valley Forge, as part of an ongoing study of the personalities and contributions of U.S. presidents, particularly in their roles as commanders.

(3) To visit as many presidential libraries as I can, also as part of a survey of presidential character.

(4) To conduct field research for the book I am writing about our family history and genealogy, including visits to local historical societies, burial sites, and other sites of importance to our ancestors, focusing upon the gathering of stories and photographic images for the book.

Marty and I will meet in Philadelphia to visit friends and explore sites together, particularly places related to his father's family in Tennessee.  

Upon return home, I'll resume these posts, including reports about discoveries made while in Europe last Summer with my sister Cynthia and the trip upon which I embark today.  Some book reviews are also in the works.

Annie

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined." -- Henry David Thoreau