The Halls of Congress

Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. ~John F. Kennedy

This is a fun time of year here in DC (I say this with a mild tone of sarcasm). I love that it’s starting to feel like fall. The air is cool and crisp, but it’s still warm enough to wear sandals and flip flops, which I do until it’s cold enough my toes are about to fall off. I love everything the fall brings, pumpkin spice lattes, football, great hiking weather, etc. The thing I don’t like about it though is that it makes it an extra crazy time at work b/c it’s the end of the fiscal year and you have to plan out for next year, which is hard to do when you don’t know what future funding is going to look like. Last week I attended a Congressional briefing in support of research on diabetic retinopathy treatments. I do a lot of work around diabetes in my job and this is an extremely important issue. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults ages 24-70. Anyone of us working in health and medicine knows diabetes and obesity are becoming major issues for our country, and there are so many complications associated with them. So funding for research for treatments (and prevention) is very important.

It was a beautiful day to spend on The Hill. Great views, great people-watching and great energy. Though I really have to laugh at all the staffers. I swear they all shop at the same yuppie stores b/c they were all dressed alike, same sunglasses and everything. But anyway, I snapped a few pics at the House building so you can get an idea of what it’s like. 

Rep. Gene Green from TX speaking. Senator Boozman from AR also spoke.

The halls of Congress.

After the briefing I sat outside awhile to catch up on email and soak up some sun. I love the grounds and the fountains around the Capitol.

When I got home that night I was looking forward to using tomatoes and zucchini from my garden in a new recipe I found:

Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomato Tian

This made a great side dish with grilled chicken. It was so easy to make. The parmigiano-reggiano cheese gave it really nice flavor. I will definitely be making this again and highly recommend you try it. Next year I’m going to try to grow eggplant in my garden. So much you can do with it and I love when I find tasty veggie dishes. Yum.

Have you ever been to Congressional briefings or to Capitol Hill?

Do you have any good veggie side dishes to share?

How many people do you know with diabetes?

I used a quote from JFK today. Did anyone happen to see the ABC special last week, Jacqueline Kennedy: In Her Own Words? It was extremely compelling!!!

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• Tagged: Capitol Hill, diabetes, eggplant, tian, tomatoes, zucchini