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Most of us are observers, I choose to write about what I see.

Friday, July 10, 2009

A Brush With Fame?

While President and Mrs. Obama were meeting with the Pope today, I was touring the White House with members of the Turner-Crocker family reunion. It was hot in Washington, D.C. compared to the weather I'd left in Connecticut, but despite the heat that I was unaccustomed to, and all the walking I was unaccustomed to, it was a fun event.

Upon our approach to the entrance of the White House Tour Center, we were warmly greeted by a soft, round, green uniformed, National Park Service Ranger who cheerfully stated, "you're here for the tour".

How do you know? I barked. Well, you're all empty handed, so you must be here for the White House tour. And she was right.

It was a self-guided tour, and our gaggle wandered from room -to- historic- room, appropriately oohing and ahhing. My favorite was the green room, which according to the brochure once served as Thomas Jefferson's dining room. What I liked best was the wall covering; watered green silk.

We are a very tactile bunch, growing up with mothers and aunts who made their living in the garment industry, so it was no surprise that my cousin asked the guard if we could touch the wall.

"Sure".

"Oooohh, aaaahhh, feeeel the grain".

And then we were happy. We had touched a wall in the White House.

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