Memorial Day 2012 events

Memorial Day Events
Here some events that are happening this weekend that you might enjoy! Remember to always be safe and drive carefully!

Saturday May 26th
11:00 a.m.
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally will visit the Navy Memorial for a wreath laying ceremony.

Sunday May 27th
12:00 p.m.
The Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally departs from the Pentagon and will be riding through D.C.

5:00 p.m.
A free concert will be sponsored by PBS on the West Lawn of the Capitol. The concert features actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise, and other guest artists along with the National Symphony Orchestra.

Monday May 28th-Memorial Day
9:00 a.m.
The National Park Service and the Friends of the National World War II Memorial will sponsor a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of our veterans. Guest speakers will give remarks. The theme for the commemoration is "Honoring our Fallen Warriors." Many surviving WWII veterans will be in attendance.

11:00 a.m.
A wreath-laying ceremony and concert will be held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in honor of Memorial Day.
2:00p.m.
The parade of Marching Bands and Veterans units from all 50 states steps off at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Streets, NW and proceeds along Constitution Avenue, past the White House, ending at 17th Street. The National Memorial Day Parade is sponsored by the World War II Veterans Committee and includes patriotic floats and helium-filled balloons.

4:00 p.m.
Women in the Military Service for America Memorial will be at the gate of the Arlington National Cemetery and will hold a ceremony that includes formal military honors, a keynote address, wreath-layings and the Memorial’s signature event, the scattering of rose petals in tribute to departed comrades.

Lenders, Mortgages, & Escrows! OH MY!

Purchasing a new home can be a daunting task, and if you are a first time buyer or if this is your 20th home purchase, we always want to make the process go as smoothly as possible. Here is a list of questions that you can ask your lender or can help you in narrowing down your search for the best lender for your needs.
Please remember that we also have an extensive list of lenders that might work for you, please give us a call and we would be happy to provide that information to you.

10 questions to ask your Lender
Be sure you find a loan that fits your needs with these comprehensive questions.

What are the most popular mortgage loans you offer?

Which type of mortgage plan do you think would be best for us and why?

Are your rates, terms, fees, and closing costs negotiable?

Will I have to buy private mortgage insurance? If so, how much will it cost and how long will it be required? NOTE:
Private mortgage insurance usually is required if you make less than 20 percent down payment, but most lenders will let you discontinue the policy when you’ve acquired a certain amount of equity by paying down the loan.

Who will service the loan? Your bank? Another company?

What escrow requirements do you have? What are escrows?

How long is your loan lock-in period (the time that the quoted interest rate will be honored?) Will I be able to obtain a lower rate if they drop during this period?

How long will the loan approval process take?

How long will it take to close the loan?

Are there any charges or penalties for prepaying the loan?

Used with permission from the Real Estate Checklists & Systems
(www.realestatechecklists.com)

Bike to Work day is May 18, 2012!

Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 18, 2012 This Friday Keith White is organizing a morning ride into DC with your neighbors from Arlington Heights (plus Alcova Heights & Penrose) for Bike to Work Day! Everyone will meet at 8:00 on Friday morning at Thomas Jefferson Park (corner of 2nd and Irving) for a 45 minute, 6 mile ride to Freedom Plaza in DC. Bike to Work Day is a FREE event for both new and experienced bicycle commuters throughout the Washington metropolitan region. Those who register and attend one of 59 regional pit stops will receive a free Bike to Work Day T-Shirt*, food, drinks, and a chance at winning bicycles or other great raffle prizes. For more information and to register go to: www.biketoworkmetrodc.org Keith’s route goes through Fort Myer and Arlington National Cemetery, past Lincoln & Korean War Memorials and along the Mall with great views of the monuments & White House. It is truly one of the best ways to experience some of the most scenic vistas in our area. Please note, you will need a helmet & photo ID to enter Ft. Myer. Please contact Keith White at kandswhyte@gmail.com or 703.980.2140.

Mother's Day event

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. An event that will be taking place this weekend is the Bike D.C. and there will be several road closures and I wanted to give you a heads up about it. Here is a lsit of the road closure in our area and hopefully you will be able to avoid the traffic. The road closures will start at 6:00 a.m. and end by noon on May 13th, 2012. *Route 50 East & Westbound ramps to Meade/Lynn Street• Northbound Meade Street from Marshall Drive to Rosslyn • Southbound Route 110 from Rosslyn to Crystal City• Marshall Drive between Meade Street & Route 110• Eastbound Washington Boulevard from Memorial Bridge to Columbia Pike• Westbound Columbia Pike from the Pentagon to the Air Force Memorial*Residents living in the affected areas will be allowed reasonable access when there is a break in the cyclists. Residents living on North Meade Street adjacent to the Iwo Jima Memorial will be allowed to come and go with police assistance. Here is the link in case you would like to participate: www.bikedc.net Have a great weekend!

May activities for Mother's Day

May is such a popular month for so many occasions and activities! One of these occasions happens to be Mother’s Day, and we all like to celebrate or remember our mothers. May is also a great month to spend time with your family. There will be plenty of sun to go out and enjoy the weather, riding bikes, gardening or even just sitting outside and sunbathing is always fun. Here a couple of local events that will be going on around the Arlington area, hopefully you can get out and enjoy all or one of them. • Spring Dance Depertory Performance May 4th 2012, 125 S. Old Glebe Rd. www.BalletNova.org • The Arlington Civitan Open Air Market May 5th, 2012 7:00 a.m . – 1:30 p.m. 15th & N. Quincy In the garage behind Lee-Washington High school • 2012 Ballston Arts & Crafts Market May 12th, 2012 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Welburn Square (The Ballston Circle) N. Stuart & N. 9th Here are some recipes to help with the preparations for Mother’s Day which is May 13th this year, Enjoy! Rice Krispies* Spring Flowers Ingredients: Box of Rice Krispies 1 package marshmallows ¼ cup of butter ½ tsp. of vanilla extract 1 bag of green gummy candies 1 package of lollipop sticks 2-3 containers of pastel colored icing 2-3 tubes of pastel sprinkles 1 bag of jellybeans or other small candies Flower- shaped cookie cutters Directions: -In a bowl, mix one package of marshmallows and ¼ cup of butter or margarine. -Melt in the microwave on high heat for 3 minutes, stirring every minute to get a smooth consistency. -Once melted, add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract for flavor and 6 cups of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal. -Mix well and then spread into a greased 9x13 inch pan. -Refrigerate pan for 1 hour to set. -Once cooled, pop Rice Krispies Treats out of pan and onto a cutting board. -Use flower- shaped cookie cutters to carve out several Rice Krispies Flowers. -Stick 2-3 gummy candies onto each lollipop stick as the petals. -Place Rice Krispies Flowers on top of lollipop sticks. -Lie Rice Krispies Flowers flat on surface and decorate with pastel-colored icing, sprinkles, jelly beans, or any small candies. -Place decorated Rice Krispies Flowers flat on a tray and refrigerate for 1 hour to set. -Finally, stick your Rice Krispies Flowers in a decorative planter, vase, or basket. Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Parfait Ingredients: • 1 cup fresh fruit or berries (see list below) • ½ cup plain or vanilla flavored yogurt • ½ cup granola or other whole grain cereal • 1 tbsp. honey or favorite fruit jam Directions: 1. Spoon half of the fruit or berries into the bottom of a parfait glass or other ice-cream sundae-type dish. Top with half of the yogurt, and sprinkle with half of the granola/cereal. 2. Repeat with remaining fruit and remaining yogurt. 3. Add decorative drizzle of honey or dallop of jam and sprinkle the rest of the granola/cereal. *Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Peaches, Pears, Cherries, Apples, Nectarines, Pineapple, Mango, Papaya, Kiwi, Banana.* are great fruit choice.

Great Places for Kids

I was fortunate as a child to have a family that was invested in culture and the arts. Though we never had a lot of money, I was able to attend a great deal of concerts, plays, museums and arts camps, all of which helped to enrich my development and stimulate my creativity. I was similarly fortunate to have grown up in the DC area, as it is full of theatres and other art centers. It is easy to find places that are devoted to encouraging creativity and cultural awareness in young people regardless of their financial means, which is important in today’s uncertain economy.

Summer is drawing to a close, but there is still plenty of time to introduce the younger members of your family to something new and exciting. Here are a few places you can check out without having to drive too far.

Imagination Stage in Bethesda is one place I wish I’d known about as a kid. This theater company not only has a full and active, year-round play season; they also offer after-school programs, seasonal camps, and classes for kids from 12 months old up to grade 12. Their Early Childhood program is particularly impressive, focusing on each age group’s developing skills. It is Imagination Stage’s goal to be accessible to everyone, regardless of what difficulties they might face: for example, they offer scholarships based on financial need, and there are ASL interpreters for specific performances of each play they produce. August 14 is the last performance of their highly-praised adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. Their next play, Aladdin’s Luck, runs September 23 – October 30, and promises to be a wonderful lesson for kids about the value of being yourself. Check out their great website here.

As the nation’s capital city, DC is renowned for its collection of museums. The Smithsonian Institution is unrivaled for the comprehensiveness of its collections, spanning topics from American History to taxidermy. The area is also home to a number of smaller niche museums, less impressive in their collection sizes but fascinating in their focus. The most unique museum I have encountered so far is the National Pinball Museum. Located in The Shops at Georgetown Park, the building hosts about 300 machines, displayed in rotating featured exhibits that highlight iconic artists and eras of the game’s history. If you have older kids, the museum offers classes in pinball machine restoration, designing machine art, woodworking, and pinball electronics. These classes are only available to kids 15 and up, but the museum is a great place for parents to share their childhood memories with kids of any age. The Pinball Museum is being relocated soon, but you can take advantage of their lowered prices at their current location through September 5. Visit their website here.

The Children’s Science Center is a place to keep your eye on for the future. It has not yet opened, but planning for construction is underway, they already have a well-established internet presence, and they have booths at local events to engage the community. Their website allows and encourages community participation, so you and your kids can contribute ideas for what kinds of exhibits you would like to see. The museum is already listing exhibits they would like to include, such as an Outer Space area, a Chesapeake Bay exhibit, Environmental Science, and a Surgery Simulator. You can also get involved by having your family participate in Operation Firefly, observing and tracking local firefly populations. Their website is here.


Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC

Cultural Festivals

Being one of the nation’s busiest cities, Washington DC is host to many different cultures. DC and its surrounding towns are also host to a huge number of fascinating cultural festivals, the likes of which often cannot be found anywhere else.

Turkish Festival
Voted 2011’s Best Festival in DC, the American Turkish Association’s Turkish Festival brings the culture of Turkey to the streets of DC. Browse and haggle in an authentic Turkish Bazaar. Drink dark Turkish coffee and have fortune tellers read the grinds at the bottom of your cup. Watch artists perform traditional music and folk dancing. This year’s festival is on October 2, from 11 am to 7 pm. Metro accessible and with free admission, this is a perfect opportunity for the whole family to have a rich, educational experience in the nation’s capital. Read more here.

Fiesta Asia!
Fiesta Asia! is a month-long event that takes place each May throughout the DC metropolitan area. The different events, starting with the Fiesta in Silver Spring and ending with their famed street fair on Pennsylvania Avenue, cover fashion, music, film, traditional art and dance, martial arts, food, and much more. Kids’ activities include crafts such as henna painting, origami, and sari tying lessons. The festival encompasses all of mainland Asia, South Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Middle East. Check it out here.

Festa Italiana
This October 9, help recreate Washington DC’s old Little Italy on 3rd Street NW. Every festival features cultural food created by street vendors and cuisine crafted by Italian chefs, such as gelato. Enjoy traditional and contemporary music and dancing, as well as Italy’s finest cars. Admire artisans while they give impressive trade demonstrations. Learn about this year’s educational topics: Risorgimento, the Italian unification, and Italian immigrants in America. There is even a family circus! Visit the festival admission-free, a block from Judiciary Square Metro stop. Learn more here.