[snugs]

Today is the 41st wedding anniversary of Dick and Lynne Cheney not a small achievement in today's world of broken relationships and spouse abuse but not only that but it is obviously a marriage that has both lasted and prospered despite period of separation when Dick was Defense Secretary and also Congressman for Wyoming though in both cases they did live in either Washington or McClean Virgina so they ensured the periods of separation for the family was minimised.

It is also not a traditional marriage in the sense of little woman at home. Lynne Cheney does not fit the traditional role of politician spouse she has worked all her married life and has been outspoken most of that time.. She has appeared before many congressional hearings on several different subjects and held the position of Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. She is a well known writer; most recently of children history books and she has announced that she will be writing another adult book in the near future.

They have a modern marriage and Dick Cheney was the modern man before it was fashionable to be so even taking over cooking duties in their early marriage when it became apparent that it was making Lynne miserable to pretend that this was her forte. Lynne Vincent who was and is a modern lady way ahead of her time. As stated above she has worked all her married life and she has been supported in doing so by her husband; he even emphasised when he became VP it would be entirely her decision if she continued to work or if she became the more traditional VPs wife. In the end she did both by cutting down her working schedule and resigning from many posts that could have been considered conflicts of interest but remained very much still an independent career woman and MHO this was most definitely her decision.

The Cheneys have known each other since they were 13 years of age and have been an "item" since they were about 17/18.

1959 High School Dance

It is said that she is credited with straightening him out when he got slung out of Yale and ended up working as a line man laying power lines in the Wyoming area during which time he had a couple of scrapes with the law - arrested twice within a year for driving under the influence. He has alluded that she did not want to be married to a line man and therefore he finally enrolled first with Wyoming Community College and later Wyoming University from which he graduated. During the first year year he continued to work as a line man to fund his tuition and in fact they married whilst he was still at Wyoming University.

In 1962 a couple of years before they married.

The Cheneys as a couple are still close to half a dozen friends from their high-school days, in Casper, Wyoming. They are all still with their first wives, whom they married while they were in their twenties the same as Lynne and Dick, there is obviously commitment there both to the friendships and to their attitudes to relationships in general which still bind these couples together.

All of the above shows the commitment and dare I say the love of this couple which is personified and IMHO is summed up in a comment that Mary Matalin made during the 2004 election campaign. Lynne Cheney travels with the VP because she relaxes him and they have the ability to make each other laugh - no greater tribute in my mind can be made to their or any marriage than that after 40 plus years.

Here are a few photos of the couple taken over the last 5 years which shows the affection and concern and interest they still have in each other, the direct looking into each others eyes and the slight tilting of the head to speak or listen to each other and of course the sheer joy and laughter you see when they work together on stage this IMHO is not all part of the political spin that is not Dick Cheney this is an outward sign of their private life. Not a touch feely type of man you rarely if ever see them hold hands in public the most you see is a quick kiss or hug when she introduces him but one that his daughter says in private there are plenty of hugs from and IMHO not only would his daughters receive these but also his wife. God Bless Dick and Lynne Chenry today as they celebrate 41 years of married life together.

[hoosiermama]

Looks like "W" has been out working on the ranch. He has what we call around here 'a farmer's tan'!

[MEG33]

Great pics..Thank you!

[no more apples]

MY GOODNESS! Commitment, birthdays and a BROWN suit! What a night. Lots to celebrate.

And lots to pray for - may God keep our folks on the southern shore from any more harm.

[misharu]

My parents are coming up on their 56th Wedding Anniversary in October. Like Dick and Lynn, they had known each other throughout grade school and dated in HS. Dad enlisted in the Army at 17 in 1944 and when he came back, he married his sweetheart, had six kids and is still living his life to his fullest.

Ya gotta have love, and a LOT of it, to last 40, 50 or 60 years!!

[luvie]

HAPPY 41ST
DICK & LYNNE CHENEY

[Just A Nobody]

Great job snugs! What a wonderful tribute to our Vice President and his lovely wife on their anniversary. Thanks!

[radiohead]

Great post, Snugs!

[Theresawithanh]

WOW, great tribute to VP Cheney and Lynne! Some of the things I knew about, but a lot I did not.

HAPPY 41ST ANNIVERSARY to an awesome couple!

[bitt]

ah, nice job bump!!

we all know who you'd go after if he were available, snugs!!

[4integrity]

Thank you, snugs, for all the wonderful pictures of VP Cheney and his lovely wife, Lynne.

[newfrpr04]

That last photo of VP Cheney and Lynne Cheney says alot. You can tell when some people love each other, but with them you see two people who are still IN-love with each other. The sparkle in his eye when he's face to face with her.

[DollyCali]

what a wonderful tribute to Dick & Lynn Cheney Snugs! Thank you. When you post the Dose you do so much research & throw in so many extras! Your growing graphic skills are fun to watch develop.

I ended up walking Oliver for too long to get to computer store.. we both needed the exercise however & since remnants of Katrina will be here the next few days, dog walk outings might not be as feasible & I can shop in the rain.

will be spending WHOLE night at comptuer.. wondering from here to Finest to Hurricane thread to working on my Finest Labor day thread.. Later

[NordP]

I'm so sorry - I'm out of it from today. I meant to start out by saying what a WONDERFUL job you did with all the photos, today, snugs!

Then, I saw that suit and that was all she wrote ;-) LOL