The Huntington Library

The first time I went to the Huntington Library was when I was a junior in high school we were on a school sponsored field trip and I remember being impressed with the art galleries and the beautiful gardens - especially the Japanese garden. But the the main attraction for me were the paintings of Pinkie and Blue boy. My friend Sarah was in my class and I remember what a great time we had checking out the galleries and the gardens. We recently talked about how she lost her purse when we stopped for lunch. Funny how we always associate that field trip with Sarah losing her purse at a McDonald's in Pasadena.

Sarah and I just returned from California and we visited the Huntington again for me it was the first time in 30 years. It was as beautiful and impressive as ever - with the exception of the remodeling project going on in the main art gallery. We were disappointed the gallery was closed as we wanted to see the many beautiful pieces known to be displayed in the main gallery.

Fortunately, Thomas Gainsborough's The Blue Boy and Thomas Lawrence's Pinke had been placed in the British Gallery for Display. I would have been greatly disappointed if had not been able to see these two paintings.

The Huntington was founded in 1919 by railroad and real estate developer Henry Edwards Huntington and opened to the public in 1928. Other Highlights of the collection include the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (c.1410), a Gutenberg Bible (c.1455 Edward Hopper's The Long Leg, Rogier van der Weyden's Madonna and Child (15th century), the spectacular 12-acre desert garden, the camellia gardens, and much more.

Red Butte Gardens

My New Best Friend

Cassidy's Bridals

Engagement Pictures

Fifty Days!

The Upham's Yard

Class of 77 - 30 Years!

Alta Loma High School

Tami
Kim
Jill B.

Janice, Kim and Sam

Sarah Jill and Sam

These are pictures of my high school friends and I gathered for a pre-reunion party at the Upham home in Alta Loma, California. While a some of us have kept in touch for the last thirty years we had lost track of others. It was great to see everyone again.

You can tell a true friend when the minute you see one another - even if it has been twenty years - it feels as if you've never been apart.

The actual reunion was held saturday night at the Ontario Double Tree Hotel. I am still processing the whole experience. The night was to say the least..... strange in that I felt like I was stepping back in time. It seemed to me that many of my former class members still live as if they are still in high school - like they have never moved on.

Sarah and I agree that our curiosity has been satisfied and while we look forward to seeing our seminary friends again - we no longer feel the need to attend anymore high school reunions.

Today's Green Plate Special - Good Genes Run in the Family!

My gorgeous daughters
and the most wonderful beautiful Mom in the world!

Look What We Found in Our Backyard!

A two point buck! He is not happy I am taking his picture.

He is not the first deer to stay in our yard this summer,

a few weeks ago we had a doe and her fawn stay for a

couple of days.

Shortly after I took this picture he took off running. He came back though and he is still in our backyard but he is hiding in the thick of the trees.

I suspect like the others he will leave in the dark of the night.

The interesting thing is that we live in the middle of town and these deer who keep visiting our yard have to cross busy roads to get here.

The cars in the background are actually 100 or so yards away from the buck.

Beautiful

Funny at the moment...
Still slighlty amused...
Mother! I am getting mad!
MOM! Please stop taking my picture!

The Real Sound of Music

Just for you Steph!!!!

Go Zach!!

My future son-in-law trying to out run a bucket of water with his name on it!

Thanks to Our Veteran's

K-town parade July 4, 2007

The Joy of Canning

I don't know about you... but I just love canning! When the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season are ripe and ready for harvest my heart leaps with excitement and anticipation knowing that soon I will once again be experiencing the joys of canning!

One summer a few years ago, I had such an abundance of homegrown tomatoes, peas, peppers and herbs in my summer garden that I almost had a coronary! What was I going to do with this overwhelming supply of home grown goody goodness? So, I bought some canning books and supplies and began my quest to be the canning queen of my neighborhood! I was so surprised how easy, fun and delicious it was!

That fall I knew I just had to be an award winner at the Davis County Fair, after all, I thought, what could be bigger that winning a ribbon at the Davis County Fair! I spent hours picking and selecting apricots and peaches from all the neighbors' trees to make curd. Yes, in the darkness of night I would steal my neighbors fruit! I couldn't help myself I was so obsessed with the joy and joyness of my new found love! The curd was so good my family even preferred a peanut butter-and-curd sandwich over anything else for their lunches. The men at my husbands work loved my husbands curd sandwiches so much their wives began asking for our recipe. I had to lock the recipe in our safety deposit box an Barnes Bank! I knew I was on to something.

Well, I finally took the plunge and entered blueberry curd , green beans, dill pickles and tomatoes in the Davis County Fair. Imagine my surprise and sheer delight when I won a blue ribbon for my blueberry curd, a red ribbon for my green beans and a white ribbon for my pickles. I was hooked! I could hardly contain myself! My heart was so full of joy and pride.

Now I've taken canning to a new level. I have now began to experiment with my own recipes and I have invented new canning techniques that have made me quite successful! Now I can everything from garden fresh peas to dandelions! Yes! Dandelions! They look so beautiful sitting on my pantry shelves! They add a little color and warmth to my pantry during the long and dreary winter months while I wait and dream of canning days to be.

Every Christmas my friends, especially steph and jen, look forward to a gift basket filled with my award-winning delectable treats canned and preserved in beautiful decorative jars that I have hand blown all by myself.

Oh dear... I need to take a breath! I am giddy just writing this blog!