MY SISTER HAS BEEN MARRIED 50 YEARS

My sister and her husband have been married for fifty years. Last night her kids and grandkids threw them a surprise party. They have flown in from Virginia to Hawaii and everywhere in between. It was very nice. I took a few photos and now it has been confirmed. My photography skills are ZERO. There isn't one photo that I am proud of. I'm sorry to post all these lousy ones but it's all I have.

Coming in the door at the church

cultural center. Surprise! Their oldest

son, Jordan, ushered them in,

telling them that the grandkids were

playing indoorsoccer in the cultural hall.

The daughter-in-law who didn't go to dinner

with everyone so she could co-ordinate all

the decorations and food. How the whole

group kept this party a secret is beyond

my understanding.They will kill me when they see this.

None of them look like this. They are

pleasant looking in real life.

I promise they are. Aubrey, a granddaughter.

I didn't have the red-eye flash on.

The newest granddaughter.

Obviously the next set of photo are of

nothing. Real photographers don't take

pictures of nothing. And not that any

of these people are nothing--

the pictures are just bad.

Gordon and Julie looking at the book the

kids/grandkids made. Photos of their life

together. It was wonderful.

Son, Chris with his daughter. She has been

eating all kinds of things dipped in chocolate.Lizzie, Julie and Gordon's great-grandchild

with her Grandma, Lezlie their daughter.This is Lezlie's daughter-in-law. There

are three generations here. You'd think

I'd have added Julie and Gordon and made

it four, wouldn't you? Not so. Why? Because

I only think of the right thing to do a day late.

Today I thought of it. A day late.

This is one of Julie's best friends, JoAnne.

They met when they were all going to college

and lived in the same married housing.

Again, obviously. I think I can take photos

in the dark. Sorry, JoAnne.This was my favorite part of the whole

evening. Lezlie and Brennan did a skit of

their parents, going out to eat. It was

hilarious! Really nailed those two, from Julie

bringing her own water to finding a bargain

meal to taking bunches ofvitamins and quoting

how wonderful they were.

I didn't even get a photo of all the grown

children. I feel bad about that but I know

other people were taking photos too,

surely they were better than I at this.

Mormon's all over the world will recognize

this photo of the basketball floor. It is a

multi purpose room used for playing basketball,

wedding reception, overflow for Sacrament Meeting,

activities for the Scouts, Young

Men's and Young Women's organizations,

Relief Society, Primary, luncheons

after funerals, etc.

They had a slide show of photos of the time

they met and were dating to marriage,

children,the three missions they

served for the church, trips, pictures

of all the grandkids, etc.

Happy Anniversary to my sis and her hubby. What a great life you have had together and what a fine posterity you have. You have both enriched our lives and the lives of our children by the way you live, the commitments you keep and your great faith in the Savior.

We love you.

LIZA TELLS US WHAT EGGS REALLY ARE

Liza and Kate came to play today. We had a treasure hunt--I'm getting ever so clever at hiding clues--they had to have "hot" and "cold" hints a couple of times. They laid on a blanket and ate popcorn and watched a movie. And...they made buttermilk pie! The recipe is here. They made two so they could take one home. Taylor called tonight to report. It was a success and the girls each had one and a half pieces. I don't blame them. Buttermilk pie is really good.

While they were making pie they each had to crack three eggs.After Liza cracked her second egg she told me what eggs really are. I must confess I have been ignorant of the true facts all these years.

Eggs are liquid chickens.

There! Aren't you glad you have someone like me to pass on valuable information? You now have a superior brain, just like Liza.

LAMENTS OF A NEW MOTHER

Sunday night, a cute, brand new mother came by for a chat on the lawn swings. At one point there were several women present when Brand New Mom cupped her "one things" and said, "Why would a woman want enlargements? This is awful! My husband likes them but he is banned--only the baby is allowed!"

We burst into laughter.

I told a friend of mine what Brand New Mom had said and she said, "Oh, just wait. Once that baby is finished nursing she'll know why woman have that particular surgery. Those thing are going to be flat!"

I didn't tell Brand New Mom. She'll find out soon enough.

JUSTIN HACKWORTH'S DOWNTOWN SHOW

Friday night I went to Justin Hackworth's photography show called "Thirty Strangers." He took photos of mothers and daughters--people he had never met--for thirty consecutive days. The show was held in downtown Provo in a lovely historic building.

Here are some of my favorites. My photographs of the photographs are awful, grainy and with reflections off the glass. Justin's were perfect, sharp focused and beautifully framed.

I love this one. Mom, by the door, daughter, on the steps, suggesting maybe she's thinking about moving on one day, just not yet.

I'm sorry this one didn't show up better. The love the nifty old wall behind them. I hope its in downtown Provo somewhere.

This is a very poor photo of Justin but I wanted you to see how unique he is. See the cool shoes with the suit? He is a talented man with innovative ideas. I love talking to him, he is charismatic. He makes me think of new possibilities, new things to try, perhaps even adopting a different attitude. (And he knows all about my camera. I wonder what I can trade for a couple of lessons since I still haven't read the manual.)

Justin and Amy, his very cute wife. She is also a great photographer, writer and quilt maker. They have two boys that I adore. Here is Amy with another talented artist, Lance Turner. Lance Turner took up pastel painting seven years ago at age 77, after a brilliant career in architectural design and advertising. He now wins awards for his pastel paintings. I would love to own one but they are out of my price range. I would have to trade one thousand pounds of caramels for one. That would kill Lance right off, and I'd be up for manslaughter.Justin's show was a great success. He is a unique man, one I am proud to call friend and his wife is one of my favorites for probably a hundred different reasons.

Here is his website. Go there. This is his blog. You should visit his blog. It's a bit sassy and funny. And this is his 30 Strangers project. If you are getting married he would be a great photographer. If you are a stranger, he is doing Thirty Strangers next year and you too could be hanging on a wall. Now that's a real conversation starter.

PS If you missed his opening you can still go. It will be open July 6-9 2pm – 5pm at 26 West Center Street – Provo Utah. It's worth the visit, really it is.

PPS One last photo. This door has the words "War Room" painted on it in white paint--the words don't show up in the photo. What do you suppose that means? Velly Intelesting.

THE BAND GIVES A PRIVATE PERFORMANCE AND MRS. BIRD MARCHES TOO

Every year the Timpview High School band marches around our neighborhood in preparation for the 4th of July parade. This is the woman who makes sure this happens. She emails the band teacher and tells him how we are looking forward to their pre-4th of July practice parade. Thank you, CindyThe shadows on the mountains were still long from the morning sun. The neighbor's geranium was probably happy to get those first rays. The only thing better than a private neighborhood band parade would be for them to be wearing their uniforms. We will have to brave the real parade heat/crowds/sometimes rain/noise/confusion for that.

The 4th of July, there isn't another holiday like it!

Here comes the band. The band marched around "the circle" twice. Here is the neighborhood gang, waiting for them to come around again. Every year our neighbors have a grandchild just this size. How do they manage it? Here he is following the band. He's patriotic that way.And I heard from Mrs. Bird. As she was getting dressed--she only had her pajama bottoms on--when the patriotic mood got to her too. She started marching down the hall. Now, Mrs. Bird was a drum majorette in her high school years so she has skills--she is also well endowed and gravity seems to have given her a reprieve. The feather duster was tossed in the air and caught just as her husband came in the house.

The 4th of July has many perks. The parade, celebrations, the Art festival downtown, vendors selling ethnic foods of all kinds, the hot air balloons that fill Fox Field and then the sky, family picnics and barbecues, the Stadium of Fire, Fireworks, and private marching expeditions for one.

KRAMER'S JAIL TIME ROOMMATE

I call Kramer the "Bad Barker." His mission in life is to sit by the front window and protect the neighborhood from everything, including leaves blown by the wind. In fact, he protects the neighborhood from the neighbors. He gets so upset he nearly tears the blinds off the windows. When he goes wild like that he has to have a time out. "Time-out," is the crate we use to take the cats to the Vet.

Kramer had lots of time out's today. When I went to let him out once, I saw an annoyed looking Pika in there. I knew I had put Kramer in there but he was nowhere to be found. And then...all of a sudden, he popped out! And nearly knocked me over getting out of there. Pika wasn't too happy about the whole episode either.

You'd think either she would quit having naps in there or he would quit barking so he didn't have to go to time out. Not so, they are both slow learners--just like so many of us.

I'm not naming names but SOMEONE hates stacks of paper that multiply like rabbits and yet...that someone keeps writing and running things off on the printer and copying recipes that someone has no intent of cooking/baking, etc. and the paper piles up. We should stuff it all in the Time-out box so Pika and Kramer would have something to read while they are waiting for their release.