Austin Harmony Chorus

I had the opportunity to sing in Texas' state capitol in December with the Austin Harmony Chorus.

Here is our group photo right before we entered the rotunda to sing. Do you love the denim jeans that me and my friend, Cheryl, are wearing?

The Austin Harmony Chorus are affiliated with Sweet Adeline international, which is barber shop style singing, for women. This was my first performance with them, and I was making a great impression....

Unfortunately, I didn't quite understand the dress code for our gig.... They wanted us to wear black pants and a holiday color/style shirt. I could have sworn they said you could wear your denim. My friend, Cheryl, called me and asked what we were told to wear. I told her that we could totally sport our Levi's and a holiday shirt, so we did.

When we arrived at the capitol, and saw our whole chorus in their black pants, I gasp! Whoops! I asked our director if she wanted us to sit out this performance, and she said, "No, we'll just stick you in the back." Which is what they did. When we took the group picture, however, I insisted that Cheryl and I be in the front row so I could have a good documented photo of our mishap.

I think our chorus has a love/hate relationship with Cheryl and me. Cheryl and I joined the chorus because we both love to sing, and we both like hanging out with each other. We car pool to our rehearsals and it takes us an hour round trip. We call the car ride our weekly "therapy". We gab about our week, and laugh and giggle the whole the way. Then we go to rehearsal and gab and giggle the whole time there, hence, the love hate relationship they have with us. They like us because #1. we can sing and #2. we are younger than 60. Sometimes I think they'd love to put duct tape on our mouths..... I get that a lot.

After we sang, Cheryl took me on a tour of the capitol building. It really is quite remarkable. In the rotunda they have a painting of each of the men who have served as the governor of Texas, I found George W. Bush. I like George W.

Here is the dome above the rotunda. You'll notice the "Lone Star" in the center. The "Lone Star" nickname came from a man named Henry Smith. One night he was reading important documents that needed to be signed. He signed the papers and then decided that Texas needed its own seal. His over coat was hanging in the room and had large buttons with a five pointed star on them. He cut one of the buttons off his coat, dipped it in the sealing wax, and sealed the

documents with the symbol of a star. Ta-da! The Lone Star State!

Here is the stone floor in the rotunda. Did you know that Texas has flown six flags during its history? The Kingdom of France was the first followed by The Kingdom of Spain, The United Mexican States, The Republic of Texas, The Confederate States of America, and The United States. All are represented in this stone artwork.

We wandered into the senate room which was very quiet and people were talking in whispers, it was very reverent. I loved looking at all the artwork in this room, and reading about the great men and women who helped shape and form Texas into what it is today. It was evident that these early pioneers loved, served and honored God for their many accomplishments.

One of the paintings depicted the battle of the Alamo. It was quite remarkable.

We didn't have as much time as I would have like to explore this magnificent building. I plan on taking Ty and the kids back for a guided tour. I must say that Texans have a great pride in their heritage.