Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Trails to You!
Hope you and yours are fine and well as you enjoy some well-deserved time off and relaxation.
May God bless you and keep you as we remember the true meaning and reason for this season.

In liu of a long, windy Christmas letter this year, we're hoping everyone will enjoy reading about our random adventures on our blog instead. This way we can share all the photos and fun with you too!

Take care and have a Merry Christmas!

P.S. - We met up with Trigger (Roy Roger's trusty steed) at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this fall. Jamie deserves the credit (or the blame) for the greeting on our card.

Hoosiers: On time and under budget

So we were walking along in downtown Indianapolis in October, minding our own business, enjoying a few brief moments before the next commitment, when all of a sudden we happened upon the Indiana State Capitol Building. Just like that. Sitting there as pretty as you please.

Of course, when a capitol building is there like that, all available and inviting, we just have to go in, so we did. And the first thing we saw...well, after passing through the security line, emptying our pockets and going through the x-ray...the first cool thing we saw was this bust of Lincoln. We might have thought Abraham Lincoln was Illinois' favorite son, but Indiana lays claim to him just as much and proudly displays this bust of him in the entryway of their grand old state capitol building.

After admiring Lincoln's likeness for a few moments, we meandered farther in and were pounced upon by the kind little lady at the visitor's desk who asked where we were from and if we were interested in a tour of the building. Soon we were bunched up with a few high school students and a Boy Scout with his little sister and mother, all learning about Indiana's great state capitol building.


An interesting trivia fact we learned: Indiana's original charter was written in the shade of a great tree because the weather was too hot to be inside. Decades later when the tree died and was taken down, the wood was saved. Decades more later, a custom climate-controlled case was created for displaying the charter for safer preservation using wood from the original tree which shaded Indiana's founders as they wrote it.

We learned all sorts of interesting tidbits and history fun facts on the tour. Our guide was particularly thorough on its construction materials and sources. This Indiana capitol building was built on time in 1888 and under budget. The wise governor at the time made a condition in the agreement that if the contractors went over the two million dollar budget, any costs incurred over the budgeted amount would be paid for by the contractors. It worked. Makes one wonder if we had more contracts like this today if it'd help rein in some state and federally funded projects.

The Indiana Statehouse (capitol building) is home to all three branches of government - and as luck would have it, the tour included all three! Our first stop was the House. On our way, we passed by the House Offices.

The House was originally a much larger room, however when space grew short in supply, the side walls were bumped in and offices for the state representatives were added on the sides.

A similar office space solution was done to the Senate chamber by bumping the walls inward to make room for senator offices along the outer walls.

The Indiana Supreme Court chambers haven't changed so walking inside here is like taking a step back in time. Photos or portraits of all the previous and current Indiana Supreme Court Justices line the back, side, and part of the front walls. Beautiful stained glass windows dress up the other side wall.

The doorway to the Law Library is beautiful, however the interior makes us so appreciative of the grandeur in our own Iowa Capitol Building.

 The part of the capitol I couldn't get enough of was the central rotunda and wings. The soaring pillars connected with the sweeping railings were breathtaking.

If you're ever in central Indianapolis, take a few moments and visit the Indiana State Capitol Building. You'll be so glad you did.

Only a fortnight ago...

Tonight my sweetheart treated me to dinner and a movie - and I even got to pick the movie! The wind has finally died down and the sky is crystal clear (which also means it's #*^% cold! Brrr!). We walked to the theater and on the trek home I thought back to the walk we took just two weeks ago tonight in downtown Indianapolis.

The sky was clear then too - and the moon was full and we walked hand-in-hand down one street and up another, choosing right or left at each corner and letting the sidewalks take us where they may. We were full of vim and vigor. It was wonderful. Made me feel darn young and fancy free without a care in the world.

We left our hotel and walked under the Crowne Plaza Hotel where several train cars sit on rails and can be rented as hotel rooms, and past the Lucas Oil Stadium. We laughed at how small the stadium looked until we were at the bottom steps of the front entry and had to crane our necks to see the sign way above our heads. Suddenly it was bigger than huge and we weren't laughing. Amazing how a change in perspective changes everything.

North of the hotel we came to a beautiful open circle where the buildings fell away and the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument stood tall at attention in the center of Monument Circle.

We walked all around the monument, looking this way and that. On the west side, we looked down Market Street and saw the Indiana State Capitol lit up and standing proudly.

Only a few hours earlier we'd walked up the steps of the Capitol to have a look around inside. We met a friendly Hoosier who taught us a fun way to remember the year Indiana became a state.

"What age is it that we can begin to vote for our nation's leaders? (18) And what age is it that we can't wait to begin driving? (16) Put those two favorite birthdays together and you have the year Indiana attained statehood, 1816!"

After traipsing around the circle, up and down the monument's steps, we stopped to stand still for a few moments and really soak in the night. The clip clop of the carriage horses pulling tourists echoed off the buildings around the circle and the chatter of the other night strollers kept us company. We just stood there, still hand in hand, and enjoyed simply being with each other. I love date nights like this!