Commonwealth of Jeffersonia

Here’s a pop quiz for you

Jeffersonia is

a) a kick ass blog about Thomas Jefferson

b) a small, perrenial plant named after our 3rd President

c) a website and virtual community based loosely on the principles of Thomas Jefferson

TJ Photo of the Week

(c)Jeffersonia Weblog

Lavender under Monticello.
View from the West Lawn Garden, near the South Pavillion.

Channelling TJ

There is a great site featuring scholar Clay Jenkinson as TJ on the Thomas Jefferson Hour free podcast. He answers reader questions and talks about current events.

Mr. Jenkinson also portrays and Meriwether Lewis and debates Alexander Hamilton.

To ask TJ a question (to be answered on the show) go here.

Photo source: here.

*UPDATE* Thanks to Steve for his post in the comments section correcting me that Mr. Jenkinson (as Jefferson) debates Alexander Hamilton on occasion, but does not portray him, as I first reported. He also recommends listening to some live performances on iTunes to get a feel for what Mr. Jenkinson has to offer. Thanks, Steve!

TJ By a Nose: Jefferson is 3rd Fastest President (this year)

The Washington Nationals run a Presidents Race at every home game featuring life-size bobbleheads of four former U.S. Presidents racing one another including Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson himself!

From the Nationals website:

Tom Jefferson is more bookish than athletic. He is a reader, a studier. He is prone to distraction, once stopping mid-race to orate to the crowd. Before each race, Tom tests the atmospheric conditions in the stadium, the incline of the route and the length of the course…and sometimes ferments up a bottle of wine. He was often the last one picked on the colonial playground (but was always the first picked for the math team). Still, with dashing good looks, a keen mind and perhaps a bit of bravado, Tom often sprints his way to the front of the race.

Jefferson is 2nd all-time in the Presidents Race (though he is 3rd in the 2008 season). Teddy R., however, is winless in over 3 seasons. Guess he just can’t compete with Mr. Lincoln and the Founding Fathers.

Go here to read a blog about the race and Teddy R’s winless streak.

Apparently it has become quite a hit with the fans.

John Adams Wins an Emmy

John Adams scores an emmy.

The HBO miniseries John Adams won an Emmy Award for best miniseries last night. Character actor Paul Giamatti also won for his role as Thomas Jefferson’s fellow Founding Father, friend and sometime foil.

Madison Overtakes Jefferson…

…in High School Football, that is.  Madison County, perhaps spurred on by Constitution Day, shot up to #42 in highschoolrivals.com Top 100 weekly rankings. Thomas Jefferson slips to #51 and Independence is #91.

Trinity (of Texas) sits atop the rankings, while Trinity (of Louisville, KY) is 71st. That leaves on Trinity short on the list. 

Source: Go here.

America’s First Ice Cream Pt. 2

I recently blogged about Jefferson’s original vanilla ice cream recipe (although George Washington mentioned an ice cream maker earlier, the first American recipe was written in Jefferson’s hand). I found a modern interpretation of that recipe by the good folks over at Monticello.org. Go here to check it out.

Upcoming Events at Monticello

Good Neighbor Month, TJ doesn’t live there anymore but our 3rd President’s former residence is still pretty busy, thanks to the folks at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Here are some upcoming events I thought were worth a look.

September 16th: Tomorrow at 4 pm. A talk over at the Jefferson Library entitled “Rethinking Jefferson’s Statecraft”

September 17th: Jefferson and Wine Tours begin every Wednesday and Friday through October 17th. Go here for more info.

September 20th: Seed Saving Workshop at the Monticello Garden Shop’s temp. location next to the ticket office.

September 27th: Natural History Walk – what better way to spend a Saturday morning than a walk through the woods at Monticello mountain.

Source:Go here

And don’t forget Good Neighbor Month is halfway over.

TJ Photo of the Week

Photo (c)2008 Jeffersonia Blog

The entrance to Monticello as visitors have viewed it for nearly 200 years (give or take a few stone lions).

Thomas Jefferson Ranked #44

…High School that is. According to the latest high school football rankings published by High School Rivals.com, Thomas Jefferson High School is ranked 44th in the top 100 teams in the nation. Madison County is ranked 66th and Independence (of Charlotte, NC) is #94.