Farewell friend

Another friend is leaving New England and I'm sad to see her go.  I met Jana when she and Mike were newlyweds new to New England.  We've shared lots and lots of good laughs, good times, and good memories.

Nice view

I organized this dinner tonight for some people at work.  Everything went smoothly.  Nice view, huh?!?

Leftover Marblehead photo

Moore dinner

Tonight the Moores came over for dinner (tacos, fruit, brownies with homemade ice cream).  They lived in Boston for about 5 years and moved 7 years ago but I didn't meet them here.  I have followed Morgan's blog for almost five years and I met her in  January when I was in LA.  They have re-located back to New England and I was happy to meet her husband Chris and her really cool kids.  Once they get settled Morgan and I have some antiquing to do!

Marblehead & Rockport

I love day trips with friends, living near the coast and salt water taffy.

IKEA sells polka dots

I bought some of this fabric tonight (on sale) at IKEA.  It's sort of oil cloth-y.  I'm trying to decide what to make.  Did you know you have to cut your own fabric at IKEA?

Best R.S. Summer EVER -- making skirts

This week's Best R.S. Summer EVER activity was skirt making.  I taught these ladies how to make this skirt.  The best part of the night was that everyone took home a finished skirt.  No wait.  The best part was hanging out with these awesome friends.

Sorry about the blur.  I'm better with the big dog.

A 9-pounder

Jenna hit the scales at nine pounds.  Look at those cheeks!  And look at those jeggings.  Two words: shut. up.

Speaking of dancing...

 

Tonight I went to a BYU-Idaho Dance Alliance performance.  While I was there I remembered that I was in a Dance Festival 36 years ago today!  Let's go right to my Treasures of Truth to get the whole story.  It was honestly one of the coolest things I've ever done.  There were almost 10,000 Mormon kids from Southern California that participated in the event at the Rose Bowl.  All of us did the opening dance and the finale and there was a bunch of dances in-between.  It was a sight!  We practiced for months, made our costumes (and they were complicated), and shared a once in a lifetime experience.  I'll never forget how I felt running through the tunnel and down the stairs and onto the field of the Rose Bowl.  I was so happy and excited!  My cousins and our good friends the Jensens and my friend Mimi Eccles were in it too (doing different dances).  There was another Dance Festival in 1980 and I went with my parents and my youngest brother Chuck.  When the kids started running through the tunnels onto the field I started bawling.  It was the first time I had ever had my emotions take over like that.  I just cried and cried remembering what an amazing experience it had been for me four years early.  I remember Chuck saying, "What's wrong?" and not understanding that I was overcome with emotion and not sad or hurt.  Then about four years after that I was in charge of the all-girls dance for my stake.  I'm not a dancer (really, I'm not) but I'm a good organizer and made sure the girls learned their dances, got their costumes (that year they were professionally made), and were ready for the final performance.  The girls did a dance to "New York, New York" complete with top hats, black tuxedo dresses, and canes.  I was lucky to have had some very memorable Dance Festival experiences.


A funny memory: in 1976 we each had to bring two toilet paper rolls to attach our red/blue streamers to for the finale dance.  Our young women president has this brilliant idea to take us all TP-ing to get the toilet paper rolls so we decorated some houses in the ward -- all for the Dance Festival!

Visiting Emmett

He's the sweetest kid EVER.

Dinner with little friends

Good message from a stranger

Craft and treat

I always enjoy crafting and treating with Natalie and Nicole.  The pattern for the bag is here.

Times have changed

We got postcards from the boys while we were at Girls Camp.   Check out this cool video some boys made for the girls to watch at Girls Camp.

Horses in Woburn (?)

Today...

...for the first time in over a year, I took the bus to the subway station (I usually drive to work or park near the subway station and walk).  I didn't get a seat in the morning (a few of the seats had water leaking onto them), it was loud and bumpy and some flooding delayed my evening ride.  But I didn't have to drive which I guess made up for all that stuff.

Friends in town

A view in the city

Crib in my Crib

Brimfield Fair

I went to the Brimfield Fair today with my new friend Ginger.  It was about 90 degrees but that didn't stop us from walking around for a few hours.  I found a few treasures: a sugar canister, doily, vintage apron, and a small really old crib to put quilts in.

Due with #3 in 3 weeks

They're about to be outnumbered but are excited about their baby girl joining their family.  Soon!

I guess I am famous!

Click here and look at photo #10.

[Thanks, Allye, for sending me the link.]

Commuting photos

On the way to work

On the (long non-direct) way home

Another elephant

A gaggle of Bishops

Sunday night at Laree's farewell I noticed that there were a lot of Bishops there so I herded them and took a photo.  Three of them (Chandler, LaPierre and Johnston) were Bishops of the Arlington Ward and three of them are current Bishops that were trained in the Arlington Ward (Balmforth, Romano and Rebentisch).  They're all great men.