Category Archives: The Senator’s Wife

Looking Back

I love it when the Senator leaves photos lying around for me to write about. He does this every so often, when he thinks he has something fun or interesting or entertaining for me to say.

One time he left me a really old photo….like old as in we were young and thin and I was still in my 20’s….

The Senator thought this one was funny because he remembered when that photo was taken I was seriously about to collapse from exhaustion. I had just run my first 5K and look at him, all smiling and smug the turkey.

I retaliated with an old high school photo because I’m good like that.

Then, he conveniently left me this one he took with the Governor….

And, this one with a Heisman Trophy winner………….

Then there was this one with Miss Oklahoma and Miss America…

I do think he has been given a unique opportunity to meet people from all walks of life down at that marble palace and I’m glad he enjoys it. He is definitely a people person! But, that is not really where I wanted to go with this post. The other day, I found another envelope from the Senator on my desk with photos from his swearing-in at the Capitol.

I happened to miss this momentous occasion. I did not attend his last swearing-in as a State Senator because I was in Dallas….with this man…

And, I wrote about it here , here, and here. It was most certainly a trip of a lifetime for which the Senator had given me a hall pass to forgo his swearing-in ceremony that was taking place simultaneously back home.

So, you can imagine the thrill to find this on my desk…pictures from his special day.

They look all grown up so I think I’m going to pretend they still look like this:

Anyway, at the Capitol that day, just prior to the actual administration of the oath of office, it is a tradition that each member take the microphone and introduce their family and friends in the Gallery. When this particular photo was taken, the Senator had just referenced his 84-year-old mother in attendance. Judging from the laughter in the chamber following his remarks, maybe he realized it might not have been the best idea to unleash her age?

Although, looking at that smile, I think he knew what he was doing!

Oh, happy day!

Cookies and Chaos!

Sooooo… I had big plans to tackle Christmas this weekend and I did absolutely nothing of the sort. It all started last week when my BFF, Pioneer Woman ( I call her Shama) and I were trading texts back and forth, back and forth about totally random stuff, when she said:

PW: What are you doing this weekend, you and Lang (the Senator’s daughter) want to come up to the Lodge? I am having a baking day. Short notice.

SW: Sure. She would love that. She misses her BFF’s. This Saturday at what time?

PW: 10:30 ish…Big cookie decorating class, then candy making!

SW: Will it be as crazy as the throw down? As in cast of thousands?

PW: No, Shama (she calls me Shama). More like 20 people max.

SW: Liar!

PW: It will be very calm.

SW: Ha ha ha.

So, we went up to the Lodge to see our friends, decorate some cookies and had a perfectly marvelous time.

I got to see friends from the ranch and also met some amazing women, moms, bloggers, bakers, photographers….

…and it inspired me to switch it up around here on this site. Which means, I spent all of yesterday afternoon designing a new look and feel for my blog and I am moving it to a new location….as soon as I can get my domain to point in another direction.

All of this means I did absolutely nothing on my To-Do List in terms of decorating the house for Christmas, Christmas shopping or tackling the piles of laundry and sink full of dishes this weekend.

And, if you know me and my Type A tendencies…..you know the hair will start falling out soon.

Check back later………….

Update: It Worked Y’all! Hope you like my new diggs.

Advance

During the brief amount of time that I spent in Dallas I met some amazing people. There were former ambassadors, cabinet members, chiefs of staff, public relation guru’s and former employees of the former President of the United States. He was celebrating the groundbreaking of his Presidential Library with 3,000 of his closest friends and it seemed rather fitting that they all showed up for the party.

Prior to the ceremony, I was sitting with my sister-in-law and some of her friends from Washington D.C. in the big tent. That big one pictured below.

One of these guys worked for the former President as part of the Advance Team. I know, I know, I asked the same thing….just exactly what is Advance?

Evidently, the Advance team is made up of the people who do all the prep work before a Presidential trip. They take care of all the details and logistics and security for the President’s arrival at any given place?

Anyway, while we were waiting for the groundbreaking ceremony to start, my sister-in-law’s friend Greg, the Advance man, (pictured immediately to my right) asked us if we noticed anything wrong with the stage.

Seriously? The stage looked really nice….large….Presidential and perfect. Are you kidding me? There is nothing wrong with that stage. Really?

“Yes,” Greg said. Something was seriously wrong with the set up and ‘heads were gonna roll’ over it.

Forgive the poor quality of my Nikon Coolpix, but do you notice anything terribly incorrect?

None of us could spot it – and I was sitting with people who have been in this type of situation many times before. Thank goodness for that, but do you see it?

Just to give you an insiders perspective, it has nothing to do with the chairs (which are hard to see anyway) or with the podium.

Anyone? Anyone?