Movie and a Book Review Time!

There is not really much going on. It's stinking hot outside, which is the way it's suppose to be in Nebraska at the end of July.
So, I thought I'd fill in some things I've skipped during the "doggy saga" while Rod was out of town.
First, my sister and I went to see, "Mama Mia" on Saturday afternoon.




What a fun, fun, fun, fun movie! Meryl Streep plays the mother. I had no idea that she could sing! She probably couldn't make an album or anything, but she was really good! Pierce Brosnan played one of the "potential fathers" for the young lady, Sophie, whowas played by this absolutely beautiful young woman named Amanda Seyfried. Now, SHE could make an album! Anyway, I also didn't know that Pierce Brosnan could sing.....well...actually, he can't. He tried to do this gutteral kind of country singer type of voice....which is really strange because he's English. But, what he lacks in singing skills, he makes up is being EYE CANDY!!



I'm going to pass out!! When I "googled" Pierce Brosnan to get his picture, I discovered that his birthday is almost the same day as MY birthday! My birthday is May 17th (no year, I'm not that goofy!) and Pierce's birthday (we are on a first-name basis now) is May 16th, 1953, which makes him OLDER than me (OK, not that much older...and no it's not ONE DAY OLDER, it's one day and 3 years...oh crap! I wasn't going to spill that date! Crap, crap, crap, crap!)

Movie review #2: Last Thursday, I was feeling sorry for myself because Rod was going to go out of town the next day, so I decided to take myself to a movie. I saw "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl."




What a cute and entertaining movie! Abigail Breslin plays Kit, a young girl who is growing up during the Great Depression. Kit has a burning desire to be a reporter. The movie is actually based on one of the books from the American Girl series. I only read one of the American Girl books when I worked at the Bookworm bookstore. I worked in the children's department for about 1 1/2 years. I had to quit after I was diagnosed. The children's department is in the basement and the stairs were doing me in. Anyway, they're great books and, if you have girls, you know they also have great dolls.




According to Wikipedia:

In 1983, educator, writer and entrepreneur, Pleasant T. Rowland was looking for dolls to give her nieces for Christmas and found only baby dolls and teen/adult dolls. There were no preteen dolls. That shopping experience, coupled with a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, inspired her to create the American Girl line of historical dolls and books.

Now for a book review. Last week I read a great murder mystery called, "A Stranger in Paradise" written by Robert B. Parker.

The story involved a hunk of a policeman named Jesse Stone and his attempt to nab an Apache hit man named Wilson "crow" Cromartie. Its a quick read, taking only about 3-4 days to get through.


I just finished reading "The Secret Life of Bees" written by Sue Monk Kidd.




This book has been out for several years. It was getting all kinds of accolades but, I just couldn't get excited to read a book about bees. Little did I know what I was missing out on. It is such an amazing book! It is a story that is set in South Carolina in the year 1964. It tells the story of a young girl, Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. I don't want to tell you any more about it because I'm afraid I'll end up telling the whole story. I just found out that it is being made into a movie with Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning and should be coming out sometime this fall! Yahoo!!

Well, that's about it for tonight. It is almost 9:00 and since Rod is home he can take care of the dogs and I can get back to my mixing schedule and get to bed at a decent time! I'm SO GLAD THAT ROD IS HOME!!!!

Thanks for reading.

Annette

I'm the woman, I'm the woman, I'm the woman!!

So, I had this "trick" figured out, in my head, that I was sure would help me get Asa into the laundry room for the night without causing me to stroke-out, or the roof to collapse on me.
The plan was, that we would go outside for Asa and Haver to do "their business" and when we came back into the house, I would act like we were going to stay up all night watching TV. Then, I'd tell them it was time to go "night-night." I would then only have to drag Asa across a flat floor, instead of up two stairs. Well, it worked!!

On Sunday night, I announced, "Let's go night-night!" Haver started walking into the laundry room (Yes, I know it's bizarre, but it is comforting knowing he has the ability to "be good.") Asa looked at me, with his doggy face trying to scream "No you crazy woman! There is no way you're going to get me into that crappy room!" But, I got him in...I did have to push his butt, but he really did slide along the floor! I had this last minute thought that maybe Asa didn't like having only a night-light on, and so I also decided to keep the overhead light on.

Last night(Monday) we went through the whole routine again. But, when it was time to "go night-night" Asa walked with me to the laundry room door (I was thinking that I was the new dog-whisperer)and then, at the last minute, he made a quick right turn, heading for the deck door. I grabbed his collar and "redirected him" and he plodded his little butt into the room! I kept the light on and I was in bed by 10:15!!!!

I was really glad to get to bed at a more decent time. It was a long, hot day. I went down to the Med Center to visit with my phriend Kristi V. who was in town because her Dad was having heart surgery. It was great getting to see her, but it was a bummer why she was here.

I also drove to Fremont to have dinner with my sister. So, after being outside a couple of times in the heat, I was one tired old lady! I was so glad to have gotten so much "cooperation" with bedtime.

Rod gets home tonight. I'm so happy to be able to pass on the "night-night torch."

Thanks for reading.

Annette

P.S. I bought myself a Dairy Queen Blizzard for dinner tonight to congratulate myself for outsmarting and 11 month old yellow lab.

I'm so stinkin' tired!!

My beloved husband is in Washington DC for a meeting. Usually, I go to bed around 9:00-9:30 p.m. after I mix and switch my Flolan. I seem to do really well if I get about 10 hours of sleep. Then I don't need to usually take a nap and I end up having a pretty good day, PH-wise. Well, with Rod out of town, I have horse and dog duty. Honestly, horse duty is significantly easier than dog duty. With the horses, all that has to be done on a daily basis is fill their two water tanks and give them each a coffee can full of sweet feed. When it's warm like this, we also need to spray a little fly spray on them. The dogs, on the other hand, are....well, if you've read any of the entries for this blog, you know how to finish that sentence. The biggest difference between doggy responsibilities when Rod is home and when he is gone, is the "going to bed ritual." Like I said before, I usually go to bed around 9:00-9:30. Rod will work around the house or watch TV for another hour or so and then put the dogs down for the night. The routine is to take them out to "do their business" then put them in the laundry room, opening the dryer for a "night-light" of sorts, shut off the room light, close the door and call it good.
It sounds so easy, so simple when it's in print. Living it, is another story...

I've been having to stay up later because the "boys" can't "hold it" for 10 or more hours. They're good for about 8-9. So...here's how it has been "going-down" with me at the helm:

10:00- Mix Flolan, switch cassettes and take my nightly medicine.
10:30- Take the dogs outside to do "their business."
10:40- Still walking around in the yard, in my socks, in my pajamas, trying to convince Asa and Haver to "be good boys and go potty..."
10:45- Still walking, still in the wet yard, still in my socks...
10:50- Walking the dogs into the laundry room from the garage...Haver goes right in and lays down on his bed (yes, you read that correctly!)
10:52- Trying to get Asa into the laundry room. He's refusing. I'm trying to drag him up the two stairs into the laundry room from the garage....by his collar...Asa pretending to "choke out" making gagging noises, until I take my hands off his collar, then he runs like a "Bat our of He**" back to the yard.
10:55- Still trying to get Asa up the two stairs into the laundry room...him still fake gagging, even when I try to push his a** up the stairs instead of dragging him by the collar....
11:00- Finally, by some miracle, Asa is in the laundry room, the "night-light" is on, the overhead light is off and the door is shut. I'm telling the pups "Night-night" through the door.
11:10- I'm upstairs in bed, feeling so bad about being mad at the dogs...
11:15- Going back downstairs and going into the laundry room to tell them that I love them and that I'm sorry I got mad.

8:00 a.m.- Kicking myself for letting Asa get to me and especially for feeling bad for getting grumpy at them and waisting precious sleep time going back downstairs to tell them "I'm sorry."


This is the third night, I'm going to try a new trick. I'm going to bring the guys back into the house through the deck door. Asa will think he's not going to have to go into the "dreaded laundry room" to go night-night. Then, once I get him in the house, I'll drag him across the LEVEL floor, (no stairs) into the laundry room! With his furry little paws, he ought to actually slide! It will be a piece of cake!!


OK, all...WISH ME LUCK!!!



Thanks for reading.

Annette

I had a fabulous time today!

I went to lunch with my first grade "team" today! Dianna, Lindsey and Julie are my teacher-friends that I taught with the last couple of years before I had to "retire." They are also the gals that let me volunteer in their classrooms with their kids. So, today we went to lunch and THEY PAID!!! The said that it was to thank me for helping them at school. It seemed completely backwards. I felt like I should have bought THEIR lunch for LETTING me work with their kids.


I have decided that Haver and Asa are going to go to doggie obedience school. I talked to the behaviorist from the vet office again today because I'm frustrated with the level of destruction that is going on in and around our home. The guy at the vet's seems to think that the dogs are not having enough "mental stimulation." You know what? If they keep pulling coat racks off the garage wall, I'll have to show them a different kind of stimulation, and it won't be pretty!! ARG!!!

This is where the coat rack was and is suppose to be:



And this is where it is now:



I just don't understand why my friend Julie doesn't want a dog...or two...

Thanks for reading.

Annette

Sorry that I've been such a bad blogger!

I have absolutely no excuse. I have an idea of what it is....(if you are a man, close your eyes)I think I'm a little low in the estrogen department, if you catch my drift. I'm a bit emotional, but mostly just unmotivated and completely brainless! I can sit for hours and literally stare at the TV. I'm not talking about watching "good" shows like, "All My Children." I'm talking about staring at the TV while watching shows like, "I Survived a Japanese Game Show!" Someone will call to visit and I can't come up with simple words like, "dinner," "vacation" and "frustrated." Pathetic, huh? Well, it should be better in a few days. If not, then, well....I did kind of like that Japanese Game Show show...show show? Crap!




Thanks for reading the words of a brainless estrogen challenged woman.

Annette

Another day, another storm, another "day after" the storm...

Warning!!! I'm going to make an old lady statement...

I can't remember EVER having such a strange and stormy summer! It is now Friday and we had a storm Wednesday night, with over 5,000 lightning strikes in the Omaha area! Two homes were hit my lighting and were destroyed. Around our house, we had a little bit of tree/limb damage and an orphaned egg.




I gently lifted it and put it in this little "cup" in the tree in the backyard so that the dogs wouldn't step on it. I know that the poor little baby won't hatch now, but I just couldn't stand the idea of it getting smashed.










We had ANOTHER storm last night! Nothing big happened, just a bunch of rain, but this is getting ridiculous! I'm trying to figure out if this weather is a sign that the world is coming to an end. Because, if it is, I'm going to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard!

A Few Random things...

June 29th was my dear sweet husband's 52nd birthday! If you know Rod, you know that I most certainly hit the jackpot when I married him. He LOVES the fact that I'm 6 weeks older than he is! He never misses a chance to share with people that he married "an older woman!" Of course, his "bragging" is most effective when he can share our age difference after my birthday and before his!
Anyway I had no idea what to get him for his birthday (actually, it's the same problem for Christmas or any other gift-giving holiday! The guy never wants anything! But, at the same time, he's happy with everything!)So, about 3 weeks before his birthday, he came inside with this GRIN on his face. He said that one of our neighbor's just got a NEW TRACTOR! He has a relative who works at a John Deere dealership so he got a pretty good deal. He told Rod that if he dropped his name, he would probably also get a pretty good deal. So, the next day we went tractor shopping!
Happy birthday to my dear sweet husband!




I have a bargain for any of you who are willing to open your door to a couple of "cute and active" puppies! Haver has become such an incredible bully! In fact, I ended up calling the vets about his behavior. They are going to have their "behaviorist" contact us. Here is a picture of Asa after his visit to the vet a couple of weeks ago. When we came home from Houston, Asa had what looked like a rope/collar burn on his neck. Within a few days, it became incredibly infected.



He looks much better now.




I did decide that some of this behavior is due to Haver being such a bright dog. I believe he gets a bit bored since Mom can't go outside and run around with him. I really need to step up and start doing some more training with him. By the looks of this picture, I think he's ready to start learning how to cook!






I also thought I'd add a couple of book reports.


I'm a big Patricia Cornwell fan! This is the second book with new characters, a pain-in-the butt D.A. Monique Lamont and her "go-to" special investigator cop, Win Garano (a man). This is a small book and can easily be read in a couple of days.

Another great read is Jonathan Kellerman's "Compulsion."



The return of a Alex Delaware (a psychologist), Milo Sturgis (a cop) and Robin (Alex's wife and musician) are incorporated into a great murder mystery that revolves around fancy black cars and disguises. It's a medium-sized book and would probably take a week or two to get through.

Two totally different types of books that I would recommend are "Belong to Me" by Marisa De Los Santos and "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.



This is a story about families, their loves, their secrets and their lives. Marisa De Los Santos is also a poet. I found her writing pulled me into the story, making me almost feel like I was also living in the New York suburban neighborhood.



Many of you have probably heard about the last lecture given by Randy Pausch to his students and coworkers at Carnegie Mellon. The idea of "the last lecture" was for a teacher to share their special words of wisdom with the students, as if it was the last lecture they would ever give. What was different this time, was/is Randy Pausch is actually dying, of pancreatic cancer. This book is not a written copy of what he said during his lecture. This is actually a book filled with his humor, inspiration, intelligence and hopes for his children and anyone who reads it. It is also a quick read and is very positive, entertaining and uplifting.

OK, that's enough for now.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

OK, it's a little late, but the PHA conference was great!

I'm really late sharing info about the Pulmonary Hypertension Conference in Houston.

On the first night of the conference the PH Association organized a "meet and greet" so that we could put faces to the phriends we have been "talking" to online. It was the absolute highlight of the conference! Rod turned to me as we walked into the meeting room as said, "Honey, for the first time in four years, I'M going to be the 'different' one in the room!"

These are my phriends Jen (on the left) and Ali (on the right).



It was so much fun seeing all of these people in person! On my left, is my phriend Ellen. Rod and I met she and her husband Hooper for breakfast when we were in DC.




In this picture, you might be able to tell that Ellen and I had just finished the "Inogen Oxygen Dance!"




This is a picture of my phriend, Kristi. Kristi lives in Grand Island, NE and NEEDS TO UPDATE HER BLOG!!



This is my phriend Carol. She is also a "retired" teacher. Carol was the first phriend I met when I was in Minneapolis two years ago. I was so happy to see her again this year!



This is my phriend Shiela. She actually lives in Houston. I honestly don't know how she handles living there with the heat and humidity!



This is a very special picture. Besides my phriend Kristi, you are also seeing my phriend Lyndsi (far right) who has a beautiful little girl named Eliana who is fighting the PH fight. Then, next to Lyndsi is my phriend Judith who came all of the way from Canada to attend the conference!!



This is Carol who actually lives in Omaha. She is our local support group's co-leader.



My phriend Ellen (see above) created these fabulous shirts for all of us to wear. In the "lung world" S.O.B. means "Short Of Breath) compared to the OTHER S.O.B. :)
She had one made for people with PH that reads, "I'm a little SOB" and on the back it says, "Ask Me Why."

For the loved ones of Ph people, "Someone I love is a little SOB" with the same info on the back.

And, for medical professionals who take care of people with PH, "Everyone I know is a little SOB" with the same "Ask me..." on the back.
Look at this gorgeous group!



The man in the middle is my PH doc, Dr. Austin Thompson. I was so proud that my ph doctor made the trip to Houston. Special thanks to his wife who made sure he wore the shirt!

It is amazing to think what can happen when good people come together to do good things. The Pulmonary Hypertension Association began in 1990 with four woman who were diagnosed with PH and were frustrated with the lack of information and available support for others diagnosed with this rare disease. PHA now has over 9,000 patients, family members, and medical professionals as members and an additional 33,000 supporters and friends.

This is a picture of Pat Paton and Dorothy Olson. They are two of our founders.



When I was diagnosed four years ago, I knew nothing about pulmonary hypertension. I was scared, confused and felt very alone, not knowing anyone else with this rare disease. My doctor had me talk to a special person named Cindy, who also had PH. My new phriend Cindy, who also lives in Omaha, told me about the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. I got onto their website and immediately "met" people from all over the world who shared my worries, confusion and questions about my future.

I would like to take credit for the following quote, but I actually read it in the conference program:

"Community is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything."

I now have a community of phriends, I'm constantly gaining new knowledge about this frustrating disease and, I believe, I have a kick-a_ _ attitude!!

Thanks for reading.

Annette

p.s. Please check out the PHA website. It's awesome!
www.phassociation.org

Happy 7th of July!

I hope that everyone had a great 4th of July weekend. We certainly had a great one! I really, really missed having Nick and Chris home. But, we did get to have brunch with Nick (and Kara) on Sunday morning. Also, My sister and niece (her youngest, Maggie) and Kara and her Mom and Dad were able to make it to the party of the 4th, so that was incredibly nice!

For those of you wondering how Asa and Haver did being "locked up" in the laundry room, they were just fine! Except....around 8:00 p.m. I was missing them and feeling a bit guilty about them being stuck in the house. So, (against my better judgment...whatever that means...) I decided to hook them up to their leashes (the ones that Rod got when we first got them so that I could take them out to "do their business" without them running off). I brought them outside to "do their business" and visit with a few people who were outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Asa was really out of control, which surprised me because he is usually the better behaved of the two of them. Haver was just kind of hanging back, with part of the leash in his mouth. He looked so cute, like he was walking himself. Being "cute" is something I should realize is a cover-up of what is really going on....(remember my "better judgment?) suddenly the leash went completely slack and off went Haver! He wasn't "walking himself," he was chewing his leash into two pieces!! ARG!!!! With the help of a friend's wonderful son, we were able to get both of the naughties back into the laundry room where they stayed until everyone was gone and all of the food was picked up!

I bought this at Nell Hill's when I went to Kansas City with the P.E.O.'s! My friend Mary suggested using it to hold silverware for parties!



My sister Kathleen and my niece Maggie!



Party animals waiting for the fireworks display!




I'm going to close this posting for now. The dogs are sleeping and it really looks like a good idea.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

Happy 4th of July!

I have another post I'm working on, but I wanted to make sure I told you all to have a very safe and very fun 4th! We have a party with about 50-60 people. We've been doing this for about 20 years! It's a lot of fun! Asa and Haver will be celebrating in the laundry room. Between knocking down little kids and scratching people's cars, we decided that they would be most enjoyable in the laundry room.



This will be the first holiday where we will be without at least one of our "boys." Nick has to work and Chris needs to stay in Chicago. Poor Deeoji has geardia! That poor pup! His leg finally healed from his visit, the scratch finally healed from his stay at one of Chris' friends while he went out of town to visit a friend. He just got neutered on Monday and now THIS!! Poor, poor baby!

Anyway, happy 4th! I'll "talk" to you soon.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

Traveling to Houston!

The PHA puts on a conference/convention for patients, caregivers and medical personal whose lives are touched by pulmonary hypertension. This conference is held every two years. I attended the conference in 2006 with the help of my beloved youngest son, Chris. That conference was held in Minneapolis and Rod and I were planning on driving the 5+ hours to attend. But, Rod's Dad, who was living with us at the time, had to be placed in a nursing home. He had been battling pancreatic cancer for almost a year and lived with us while he went through treatment. Bud (my very beloved father-in-law) had a stroke and we had to place him in a nursing care facility because we could no longer take care of him. That was a very, very tough time. Anyway, Rod felt that he couldn't leave his Dad to go to Minneapolis and I agreed. So, I decided (against my better judgment and Rod's wishes) that I would just drive myself to the conference. Chris (who was living in Chicago) decided that my idea wasn't a very bright one so, he flew home from Chicago so he could drive me to the conference in Minneapolis! What a fabulous young man! Anyway, that conference was wonderful, but incredibly overwhelming. I had been diagnosed for two years and had just started using oxygen. My emotions were running everywhere, being depressed, happy, inspired and, of course, scared. But, by the end of the meeting I was so very happy that I had attended.

So, when the word came out that it was time to sign up for the 2008 PHA conference, I couldn't sign up fast enough! Rod also signed up to attend the medical section of the conference, we got a room in the conference hotel and we were ready to go! My sister, Kathleen, had even decided to go since she was going to be given an award for her work on our very successful PH fundraisers! It was turning into quite the "family affair!"

The opportunity to go to Washington DC for our anniversary came up after we signed up the for PH Conference. We were scheduled to be in DC on June 17-19 and the conference in Houston was the 19-22 of June. So, we became the traveling couple and flew to DC on the 17th, then flew from DC to Houston on the 19th! And then, of course, we flew back to Omaha on the 22nd. At this point you might be asking yourself "What did they do with Asa and Haver?" Well, the answer to that is we suckered our good friend Tammy into taking care of the pups as well as the horses and the fish and the mail and the newspaper! Yes, we owe her our lives! And, if we were still in the "baby-making" years, we would probably have to name our next child after her!

Traveling, especially by air has become a ridiculous pain in the neck for everyone! When you add a central line, a pump and oxygen the pain moves significantly southward, becoming more of a feeling of having numerous bricks thrown at your head. Usually, people (as in airline employees) are kind and understanding and I usually get through without too many problems. Unfortunately, these kind and understanding employees must not work with Continental Airlines out of Washington, D.C.! I was actually told, while sitting on the plane, waiting for it to take off, that I had to take the batteries out of my oxygen concentrator and not use it for the duration of the flight! I told the flight attendant that if I had to fly without the oxygen, I'd die (now realize, that's a bit of an exaggeration but I was NOT a happy flyier!)! Do you know what she said to me??? She said, "Well, then I guess you better get off the plane!" Holy crap!! Rod shows them THEIR paperwork that has been signed by my physician that says the type of oxygen concentrator I have is allowed on their flights! It was ridiculous! Of course, while this is going on, one of the flight attendants gets on the intercom and tells the entire, very full, plane that we are being delayed because of a "customer service" problem. Well, it was very obvious which "customer" they were having "problems" with since there was some serious LOUD CONVERSATION taking place at my seat! You know, (I'm whining now) it's hard enough having to be ill and travel with all of the necessary equipment, but to be incredibly embarrassed and having to argue with a flight attendant about whether I can use my "life-saving" equipment or not is just absolute and complete crap!! Finally, the airline realizes that they are wrong and the flight leaves. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was to land in Houston. I was still in a foul mood and was trying very hard to shake "the attitude." As we were riding in the cab to the hotel, I saw a large sign that said, "Welcome to the 2008 Pulmonary Hypertension Association Conference!" My mood began to lift. When we got to the hotel, we walked into the lobby and I saw people walking around with oxygen, pumps, PHA shirts and smiles on their faces. I felt like I had come HOME. I couldn't wait to get checked-in, unpacked so I could start meeting some old and new phriends. I couldn't help but think about the contrast of the airplane and the hotel....why do people have to be so rude....

Oh well. More later. Thanks for reading!

Annette

I'm not sure how I did it, but....

Somehow, I managed to delete this entry that I posted last week. I’m going to try again, sharing just a couple of highlights and then try to get caught up with a couple of new posts…..

A few weeks ago, we were given an opportunity to visit Washington D.C. It just so happened that the trip coincided with our 30th wedding anniversary ( June 17th!). That was all the excuse we needed. So, we decided we would take advantage of a special celebration in a special place. The highlight of the visit was having a special dinner with a special keynote speaker… PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH! It’s not every day that you get to have dinner with about 2,000 “friends” and see the President of the United States, in person! It was quite a wonderful experience!

Before we had to get ready for dinner, we took a little cruise down the Potomac River. It was a beautiful afternoon and we were we able to see some of the great sites of D.C.







After our cruise, we went back to the hotel and got all “dolled-up!” The dinner was held at the "Washington Convention Center." Before dinner started, we were entertained by an up-and-coming young country singer named Trey Hensley. He was one of those singers that just gives a person goosebumps when he sings! We found our table and anxiously awaited the evening events! I knew it was going to be pretty cool when I saw the butter! Look at these amazing "Presidential pads of butter!"





Charlie Daniels gave the invocation, singing "How Great Thou Art!"



About half-way through dinner, the President came out and spoke to the crowd. We were about 25 tables from the actual “front” of the room where the President was speaking. But, they had big screens so we could get a very good view of the President. BUT, I noticed lots of people getting out of their chairs to get closer and take pictures. So, Inogen oxygen in hand, I rolled myself right up to the security guards and asked, "Could I please take a quick picture?" They gave me a slight nod and I quickly slid as close as I could and snapped a shot! No matter how you feel about his politics, you still get goose bumps to see the leader of the most powerful country in the world!



The day after dinner, we were treated to a special "behind the scenes" tour of the capitol with our local congressman, Lee Terry.



This is a picture of the Old Senate Chamber. "This semicircular, half-domed chamber, located north of the Rotunda, was occupied by the Senate between 1810 and 1859. After the Senate moved to its present chamber, this room was used by the Supreme Court from 1860 until 1935."






This is a picture of the Congressional Prayer Chapel. It "opened in 1954, the same year 'under God' was added to the pledge of allegiance, and features a stained glass window showing George Washington kneeling in prayer. Above him is the declaration, 'This Nation Under God';surrounding him is the Bible verse from Psalm 16:1: "'Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust.'"



After our special tour, we went back to the hotel, gathered our bags and then headed off to the airport for our second adventure....

to be continued.....

Thanks for reading.
Annette