grazing the internet, September edition

The best stuff I read last month. (How is it October?)

Lately: It’s raining. It won’t stop raining. And I can’t stop thinking of the gorgeous weather I was lucky enough to experience for approximately 36 hours in Newport, R.I. over the weekend. We had time to visit the Breakers on Saturday on our way to the airport, and my god. I walked around the place muttering to myself, boxing out other tourists to get the perfect angle on the photos I was taking. I was a nightmare. It was stunning.

the Breakers, plus Harriet napping on a bookshelf, an equally stunning sight

This photo on the National Mall captivated the country decades ago. The real story behind it remained a mystery — until now, by Marissa Lang in the Washington Post¹ … read this if you’re interested in:

• nostalgia and uncovering history

• friendship

• D.C. history

Out-of-context excerpt: “Mist cast a hazy glow over the fantastical scene: A long table dotted with 12 place settings of fine china. Candelabras aglow with flames. Violins, a viola and a cello played off to the side.”