Room for Rent Furnished -- No bites yet!

I used the thrift shops and Big Lots to set up this room. It was fun. Didn't pay full price for anything but the rug and vase of fake flowers, and the wall art, which will probably go back at some point.....

I tried!

Was somebody shooting at pigeons from next door?

I spoke to the dad next door and he said that his kids only have air-soft guns. I suggested that perhaps one of their friends was shooting at the pigeons, and would he like to come and take a look later (he was just leaving, as was I). That was yesterday. We will try again today.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT!

It's All About Richard! (4 pictures)

January, 1961 - This picture was in one of my scrapbooks! It's a classic! Shellie is just over three years old and Mom/Gramcie is almost 35.

Rich clowning around at the Empire Mine in Grass Valley in 1976 -- 15 years old.





A school picture of Rich (so cute!) - it would be taken in the fall, and I am guessing perhaps it was also in 1976 -- anybody know?





Handsome Uncle Rich (age 25) with niece, Jennifer, in 1986.

Find the year for Uncle Rich's Art!

Gramcie wrote, "Willie Mays, on the first pitch to him of the baseball season, hit a home run."

Rich responds with, "Whoopee" "Charge" and signs his name most artistically!

The Pirates of Penzance ... coming to Nevada City!

March 5 - 15, 2009

The Pirates of Penzance -- A Gilbert & Sullivan Classic Comic Opera!

Special Morning Performance for all area schools, youth day care, youth/senior organizations & family groups.
(A good time for Gramcie to bring her granddaughter and older great-grandson!)

By reservation only @ $5.00 a person:
Friday, March 6 @ 9:30 a.m.,
or
Monday, March 9th @ 9:30 a.m.,
or
Wednesday, March 11th @ 9:30 a.m.
or
Friday, March 13th @ 9:30 a.m.

Also for adults:
Thursday, March 5th @ 7 p.m. (Special preview performance – All tickets $5.00)
Friday, March 6th @ 7 p.m.,
Saturday, March 7th @ 2 p.m.,
Sunday, March 8th @ 2 p.m.Friday, March 13th @ 7 p.m.,
Saturday, March 14th @ 2 p.m.,
Sunday, March 15th @ 2 p.m.

Where: The Center for the Arts, 314 West Main St., Grass Valley, Ca.

Who: The Nevada County Performing Arts Guild (PAG)P.O. Box 1252, Penn Valley, Ca. 95946(530) 273-4254 or 277-7100

Ticket prices are: Adults, $9/Advance - $11/Door;
Special Family Discount for Children 12 & under, $4/Advance (2 for 1) - $5/Door (2 for 1);
Students & Seniors $7/Advance - $8/Door.

Advance tickets are on sale at The Book Seller, The Record Connection, The Briarpatch Market & The Center for the Arts Box Office in Grass Valley.

For more information: Contact Paulette Rudolph at 273-4254 or Cell & Voice Mail – 277-7100Email – ptrudolph@sbcglobal.net

Directed by: Paulette RudolphChoreography by: Mila JohansenCostumes by: Sharon OlsonWritten by: Freely Adapted from the classic play by Mila Johansen

Original Script & Music by Gilbert & SullivanPerformed by 44 talented young actors.

This is a delightful farce about a softhearted band of Pirates who will give way to anyone claiming that they are an orphan because they themselves are orphans. Famous for this weakness, they are always confronted by entire ships of "orphans!"

This version is much shorter and is one third music with two thirds dialogue. This makes it more interesting and accessible to young actors and audiences who otherwise may not get exposed to these wonderful works of art.
Adults $8.00, Children 12 and under $5.00, Students and Seniors $6.00. Thursday, March 5 Preview Performance - All Seats $5.00

What our missing kitchen island and desk area are supposed to look like

Can you tell this house is staged for the selling process? I do think the island and the lights over it look awfully nice, as well as the desk along the side under the cabinets. I actually hope to find them on Craigslist, although it just occurred to me that I might get better results asking the other 24 owners of our floor plan if they are going to remodel!

This is ART??

1984 I drew some cat faces for Brian and he did exactly what two-year-olds often do, he scribbled over the faces.....

then he drew his own...
Love you, Brian! It has been a lot of fun looking at your early drawings!

Uncle Rich Waxes Poetic in 1978

(With apologies to my wonderful husband, Barry)
Rich sent this crazy thing 31 years ago -- and I found it this week. I have a couple more items to scan.....and yes, Rich, it must be yours, because it is YOUR handwriting. :)

(With apologies to my wonderful husband, Barry)

Brian Gets a Davy Crockett Gun

Brian, age 5 1/2

I wasn't going to give Brian a gun EVER or let him play with a gun -- then I saw that little boys simply use sticks or their own fingers...so we got him a Davy Crockett gun so he could "protect himself in the woods and provide for his family." (I wonder if Brian every understood that message, or if it was just fun to pretend to shoot and to play with his best friend, Michael Miller.)

On the back of a church bulletin in December of 1988. Brian age 6.

Shameless Pride in Brian's Early Abilities!

I just love this drawing!

Brian tried to write my name. I think the last letter is an incomplete E, since he would hear the sound of E, not I.

Here are the sixth and seventh paragraphs from the December, 1984, Christmas newsletter...don't read them unless you want to remember how crazy I was about noticing every little detail about his mental and physical growth....

Brian is such a whiz -- but don't tell him! He hopefully thinks it's normal for a 2-year-old to know all of the uppercase and lowercase letters, to know 20 sight words [he could recognize words like mommy, daddy, love, piano, the, on, a -- etc], to sound out a few words [like cat, bat, rat, mat, sat], to read sentences, to print several letters, to write a few words, to do 12-25 piece puzzles, to "read" John 3:16 in the Bible, and to "read" the encyclopedia. And believe me when I tell you, I have not tried to teach him these things. He's just very interested in letters and words and books.[Aside, 2009, I did put word cards all over the house and I did point out the words to him -- I guess I didn't use regular daily teaching and phonics instruction so I didn't think I was teaching him.]

I'd better add that Brian loves lizards and ants and beetles and millipedes and frogs -- anything that I'll let him pick up, in fact! He loves to play in the dirt (or in the house) with his Hot Wheels cars and trucks. The parks in Grass Valley (about 2 miles from us) are a favorfite place to go. If we put up a tree swing I'm sure Brian would be on it constantly. Just before he turned one I "held my breath" and let him swing on a regular swing . . . now he goes higher than my head! (And I still hold my breath.)

Picture Postcard from Nevada City

Our 119-year-old house framed by the cherry tree, the cedar tree, and the English laurel...

The 100+ year-old cedar lost one branch!

Believe it or not, that's our mailbox in the center and the side of our garage over to the left. Just ONE branch snapped off the cedar, but it is a very large, very old tree, and it has branches that are more like good-sized trees! I used "Russell's loppers" to lop two very small branches off this limb just before my body got my attention with severe nausea and dizzyness, and I high-tailed it to the house where I threw myself onto the floor and discovered my heart was beating out of control. I didn't even get a chance to shovel any snow!

The GREAT news -- after all of the tests, an x-ray, and two EKGS, my heart is doing super! My blood pressure was excellent, my oxygen content was high, etc. , etc., and (not surprising) my thyroid was low.... As I quickly write this, my heart is beating at a very nice steady pace of 80 beats per minute (I just got up from the downstairs couch and walked up the stairs) -- and if I keep very quiet, the doctor believes I will not go back into the fibrillation...

Oh, it's called, Atrial Fibrillation...and no amount of calm breathing can calm the heart down, but for me one small dose of the medicine worked, so I got to come home instead of check in to the hospital...I have already done a dozen crossword puzzles and logic puzzles. I need stationery!

Thanks for the calls and well wishes! Bye for now.

Brian has added a smile and longer legs! (He told me they were legs.) I will have to add a few more tomorrow...

Brian's Beginnings as a Graphic Artist!

I came across these while cleaning, tossing, and simplifying. Hope some of you enjoy them! Brian was 2 years and 1 to 5 months old.....Amazing!

Brian's signature on the Christmas Letter in 1984.