“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Even though Albert Einstein gets the credit, I think I could have said that quote myself. As a child, that curiosity led me down countless trails – I remember times of being really into horses, California missions, marine biology, art history… the list goes on and on. And after years of believing the lie that I just “didn’t have time” (I did have time, it just wasn’t a priority), I’ve slowly been reawakening that thirst for knowledge now as an adult.
One positive product of the crazy election last year was a new curiosity about the presidency. My education on the subject was pretty pathetic, so I started watching a few documentaries and that eventually led me to a book that had been on my TBR list forever: Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies.
Upstairs at the White House is a behind-the-scenes look at the presidencies of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon through the eyes of Chief Usher, J.B. West. Working primarily with the First Ladies, he was in charge of all aspects of running a mansion: supervising the household staff, meal planning, decorating, and scheduling events. To put him in perspective, if the White House were Downton Abbey, J.B. West would be much like Mr. Carson.
I found the entire book fascinating. In an age where people are so quick to vilify someone based on their political beliefs, this book was such a fun reminder that we’re all still people. People with likes and dislikes, quirks and habits – we’re really more alike than we are different.
Below is a list of rabbit trails I followed as I read through this book. Let me know if you get sucked in too!
+ I’ve started and set down Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol. 1: 1884-1933, but want to bring it back out again.
+ A picture of the Shell of the White House During the Renovation in 1950
+ On my to-read list: The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America’s Most Famous Residence
+ Mamie Eisenhower’s Million Dollar Fudge
+ How did the US end up with 5 million pink bathrooms in the ’50s? Here’s a good look why: Why Mamie Eisenhower loved pink — more insight from the Eisenhower National Historic Site
+ Here’s What the White House Looked Like When Jackie Kennedy Lived There
+ An interesting documentary (you can find it on Netflix): The Day Kennedy Died
+ I want to read Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America with Sophia
+ 1968 White House Tour with Lady Bird Johnson
+ Did you know that sometime in the 20th century, Congress passed a law that required that all presidential china be kept or destroyed? I found this mini history lesson (with images of the china used all the way back to George Washington!) so interesting.
