Just before Christmas Day , I was lucky enough to enjoy the evening at President Washington's home, Mount Vernon, and to be there for the first (probably to become annual) Christmas Grand Illuminations.  It was a great deal of fun, overcrowded as most such events are in the Washington area, but the evening was just cold enough to feel of the season but not so cold as to be painful (particularly thanks to my newly acquired long underwear, purchased for our trip to Colorado).  The evening was festive, the fireworks spectacular. The most interesting portion of the program, however, was the welcome offered by George and Martha...well, not really George and…