Boomeresque:Definition
1. Adj.: Describing a person born between 1 Jan. 1946 and 31 Dec. 1964
2. Adj.: Description of a person, place or thing possessing Baby Boomer je ne sais quoi
3. See also, Boomer, Esq.: A Baby Boomer who is also a licensed attorney (See, e.g., About).

Zentangle Diva Challenge #310 – Washington, D.C., (“Frunky Town”) USA Edition

by Suzanne Fluhr on April 3, 2017 · 13 comments

United States Capitol Building

(Never heard of Zentangle, start here.)

Before anyone sends me an annoyed email pointing out that the correct name of the song is “Funkytown“, my use of “Frunky” is a reference to the name of the tangle (pattern) the Zentangle Diva challenged us to use this week. “Frunky” was deconstructed and shared by Katharina Königsbauer-Kolb, all the way from Germany.

Here’s my “Frunky” tile with a Phirst border.

Frunky on a mandala base with Phirst as a border. Colored with Prismacolor pencils and gelly roll metallic pens.

I did the challenge in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., where I am in trailing spouse mode as Mr. Excitement confers with 19,999 other cancer researchers from all over the world.

I first visited Washington, D.C. at age 15 when my father brought me here (without my then whiney younger sisters) as a birthday present. I’ve since returned many times, for my own legal conferences or on other trailing spouse trips, so I have visited most of the “must sees”, especially the wonderful Smithsonian museums.

United States Capitol Building

The United States Capitol building which houses the legislative branch of our government, the Senate and the House of Representatives. It’s hard to believe so much dysfunction occurs in such a beautiful building.

The Garden Court, US Botanic Garden, Washington, D.C.

The indoor Garden Court in the US Botanic Gardens has a nice water feature as well plantings.

I took advantage of a sunny day to walk over a mile down the National Mall to two Smithsonian museums I had never been to: the United States Botanic Garden Conservatory and the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian.

The Botanic garden is next to the Capitol building and is small compared to the ones we’ve been to elsewhere in the world, like the one in Singapore; however, a good deal of it is an indoor conservatory with various habitats, so it is a good choice even on a cold or wet day. The tropical habitat was impressively steamy and lush and there was a pretty indoor garden court.

On the National Mall between the Botanic Garden Conservatory and the ever popular Air and Space Museum, is the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. As with all the Smithsonian museums, admission is free. The museum building itself is visually interesting in a curvilinear style with no right angles on the facade. Echoing the curves of the exterior, the interior is built around an open central core with a dramatic ceiling.

Facade of the Smithsonian Museum of the the American Indian

Facade of the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian.

You start your visit to the museum by watching a 15 minute film in the 4th floor theater. The fourth floor also has an exhibit explaining the spiritual beliefs of various native American peoples and a special exhibit (there until 2020) about treaties made with, and among, several Native American groups.

In addition to its major focus on the Native American peoples of the United States, the museum also references Native Americans of both American continents. Mr. Excitement and I spent our honeymoon in Peru, so I was especially interested in the the extensive and well curated exhibit about the construction of the Inca road system.

The domed ceiling of the open central core of the National Museum of the American Indian.

The dramatic domed ceiling of the open central core in the National Museum of the American Indian.

The museum has a quite large gift shop as well as a cafeteria featuring the cuisines of various Native American peoples.

The capital city of the United States is quite handsome and is well worth a visit. The low rise central core is comfortably walkable and is replete with interesting museums, monuments and architecture. The city also has an easy to use, extensive underground metro system. Many of the museums are free of charge.

Have you had a chance to visit Washington D.C.? If so, what was your favorite museum or experience? Zentangle comments are also always welcome. 

{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Art Lady Kate Tangles April 4, 2017 at 8:59 am

Nice Frunky town tile! Loved seeing the pictures of DC. The botanical garden one is so lush, and beautiful.

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Maggibee April 4, 2017 at 2:20 pm

I like the delicate Spring colours on your Diva tile and it works very well on the circular tile, doesn’t it? Washington looks as if it has plenty to keep you occupied. I don’t really see you as a trail along wife and I hope you don’t really feel that way. And it looks as if Spring really has arrived for you, after an interestingly varied introduction. Let’s hope for the best, shall we, in thi and a lot more…

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Suzanne Fluhr April 5, 2017 at 1:19 pm

I don’t mind being a “trail along wife” at all. We get to spend some quality time together and I get to go off and do my own thing while Mr. Excitement is busy conferring with his science peeps. In fact, that’s how I got to spend 7 hours with you in Birmingham. I’m sure the boys would have enjoyed meeting each other, but a 7 hour chat—I’m thinking –nah.

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Annemarie April 5, 2017 at 2:23 am

I LOVE this zendala and the border!

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Katharina Königsbauer-Kolb April 5, 2017 at 5:35 am

I love your colourfull FRUNKY 🙂 Very funky

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Annette P. (aka LonettA) April 5, 2017 at 10:31 am

Beautiful and colourful zendala with that pretty and delicate Phirst border! I love it!

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Suzanne Fluhr April 5, 2017 at 1:17 pm

Thanks, Annette. Phirst was actually one of my tangle deconstructions. You can find the step outs here. http://www.boomeresque.com/boomeresques-phirst-tangle-invention/

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Jean Chaney April 5, 2017 at 6:24 pm

Lovely Zendala with pretty colors. It looks like you had a very interesting visit in DC. Always nice to see something new.

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Lorna Roberts April 5, 2017 at 7:28 pm

Will it go round in circles? Will it fly high like an eagle in the sky high high. Such fun with Frunky. Nice colour choices. and Hey, I love the domed ceiling shot.

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Michele Wynne April 6, 2017 at 1:57 am

Your Frunky is so festive!

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HeidiSue April 6, 2017 at 5:44 pm

wonderful, your travels to DC. I’d love to see the Vietnam war memorial, and the Smithsonian. Those are two sites I’ve imagined and been curious about. It seems they’d both be profoundly touching, in different ways.

Love your tile…looks like you had fun creating it!

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Anja April 9, 2017 at 12:42 pm

Beautiful Frunky – color – composition! Many thanks for sharing the wonderful photos!

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cheryl April 20, 2017 at 12:58 pm

Great idea to explore Frunky in the round and all coloured nicely. I didn’t know we had a national botanical garden. How would I? Haven’t been to DC since the Hirshorn opened and the pandas arrived from China during the Nixon administration! OOPs, showing that certain age thing. Thanks for sharing all the goodies. Cheryl

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