Local Girls-- Applesauce anyone??

I start with free apples from my Mom's tree. I love the way they look in this old pail.



I use my Grandma Larson's apple slicer to core and slice all of the apples. It works like a snap and I like to think of my beloved Grandma's hands holding this tool.



After cooking a stock pot full of apples with a little sugar and cinnamon, I fill the sieve with apples and push them through the holes of the sieve with the wooden paddle. The hot apple sauce drips from the outside of the sieve into the bowl. At this point, Im already imagining a pile of pancakes topped with this deliciousness.



Finally, there it is. Apples to apple sauce.

HIKE HIKe HIke Hike hike

I went to this place...




by walking through beautiful meadows....



with these amazing women.



It was pretty special.

Fourth of July...It's all about

Its all about saving a spot on the street with tape and patience from 12 noon on the 3rd so that we can have a giant spot in the shade to share with those we love.



Its about the vision of a full size copter rolling down Hartz Ave.



followed by a 1950's police cruiser



its about taking pictures with characters like Funnel head...



capped off by, whether you like it or not, the Devil Mountain Brigade



followed by REST and EAT....so mad I didn't take any food pics..arg! We had pulled pork sandwiches, fruit salad made by Mama Margarita, potato salad prepared by uncle, chips, salsa and homemade guacamole. Dessert--cupcakes by courtney tara and terri and apple pie with homemade caramel sauce.

The big finish! Fireworks exploding overhead leaving trails that you are sure might reach down and dust your face with magic.

A Happy Fathers Day

This is my favorite picture of my Dad. He found Tara sitting on a bucket talking to the lake at the end of the dock at their summer lake cabin. I snuck up on them and captured this unforgettable moment.

My Dad was a great teacher. He shared his thoughts in what I call DADISMS. here is a small sample.

"If you fly with the crows, you are a crow." A cautionary DADISM I heard him tell me as I waked out the door in high school.

"You can learn to be good from watching bad examples" This DADISM is tried and true. He practiced it in his own life.

"She looks like she's been pulled through a knot" An apt description of someone who is living fast and loose. Note to self don't get pulled through a knot.

"I'm a dollar waiting on a dime." Yes, my Dad was the dollar, I was the dime.

On Marriage......"I realized we'd be happy as a couple when I just made your Mom comfortable." Love this.

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Courtney Graduates from Cal Poly SLO

I'm feeling really happy today. Little Courtney, the rollie pollie baby who I snuggled in my arms....little Courtney who loved to read Little House on the Prairie, cook, and do crafts as a child....little Courtney who has persevered against all obstacles.....has graduated from college. She is off to Davis for a Masters Degree and teachers credential in the fall. I love seeing my kids become the people they are meant to be. What a beautiful thing.

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This Reader's Recommendation

One of my favorite things in the world is a good book. I'm addicted to the slow seduction of words that draw me into a world filled with new friends, enemies and cultures. For those of you who feel the same way, pick up this wonderful book. Prepare now for dishes unwashed, dinner not cooked and clothes unwashed. Don't feel bad. Comfort yourself with the knowledge that it's good for your family to learn to take care of themselves. Oh, and don't forget the tissue. You'll need it at the end when you bid your new found friends goodbye.

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30th Anniversary

I'd show you the before picture.....but I'm not sure I could take the shock.

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