Time to GET TO WORK - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY

Here's the job trailer that will house all the planning and organizing of Dennis and the sub-contractors until the new hotel is finished - spring of 2009. Dennis's office which is up at the front of the trailer.

The conference room where the plans are laid out and the sub-contractor meetings are held.

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY - my dear friend from Palm Desert. She and her family are now living in UT. Many of our group have moved off to new adventures. Mary was one of my first friends in Palm Desert. We had lots of fun together - planning weddings, birthdays, Church activities. She can decorate anything and make it look like the Taj Mahal. I went to her house one afternoon and it was full of kids eating - stuff was everywhere. She smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lynn, everything will be ready in time!" An hour later I showed up for the event (can't even remember what it was - a wedding reception or baby shower?) and her lovely big house was all decorated and food laid out on tables with fresh flowers and the kids all clean - she's can work miracles!!

Here's a few of our great friends that were always there to help and support. Sisters forever.

Could this be the missing "RED SHIRT"??

Up here behind the Redwood Curtain there is a lot going on with ink and dye. I haven't seen so many tie/dyed shirts and dresses and pants since the 70's. And, I think I've already mentioned the tattoo's. Everywhere you look!! Well, Sat. night Den and I went to a Church Dinner/Trade Your Stuff Night. Everyone is invited to bring some things they think someone else might want and pick up some great stuff that is new to you - and eat fab pot-luck food. Den and I were looking around at all the fun stuff, books, toys, clothes, odds and ends, and all of a sudden he spotted this shirt!! It's not red, it's sort of wine or maybe the color of a redwood tree trunk. But it feels the same, it fit the same and I couldn't put it down. I'm sure no one knew where it came from - although I didn't ask - I want it to be "THE RED SHIRT". It looks a little more worn and of course it's been dyed - but it's found a home with me and I love it!

Happy Birthday Linda Grant

I did this watercolor of my dear friend Linda Grant about four years ago. It was one of those painting experiences that was magical. The whole process took less than an hour. I can't seem to be consistent with watercolor - and I've never been as happy with a portrait painting since, even though I keep trying? Maybe it's because I love Linda so much. At that time, Dennis and I were working in the Stake Family History Program in Palm Desert for the LDS Church and Linda was our helper. We met every Tuesday night for a couple of years and we still miss the fun times we had with her. Happy Birthday LG!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNY!

Wishing you Happy Birthday, Jenny Bustos, from Aunt Lynn and Uncle Den!! Jenny is my only sister's, only daughter. This photo was taken a few years ago with her two beautiful girls, Savannah and Hannah. This is Jen with one of her handsome brothers, Craig. I think these two pictures came from Jenny's Dad, Terry.

I got to go visit her just last month. The pic below is one I took myself, that is a little out of focus. I posted it anyway, because Jenny herself is feeling a little our of focus. She is, today, on her birthday, recovering from thyroid cancer. She just finished up a rather unpleasant treatment of radioactive iodine. She was able to take a long walk this morning and is celebrating the day with family. Our prayers are with her. Every time I talk to Jenny on the phone, she ends the conversation with, "I love you, Aunt Lynn". I love you too Jenny.

Granddaughter Lauren is taking a graphics class in high school. She is a pretty awesome artist without using a computer - but check out this great Illustrator page that she created during one of her first lessons. The free-forms are gesture drawings.

This week I met some terrific sisters here in my Arcata Ward of the LDS Church that are interested in drawing. We have planned to meet once a week and go through the Betty Edwards book "Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain" exercises. We started by drawing gestures. This is a neat way to get down on paper "the feeling or essence" of the image you want to draw. I am also attending a life drawing class the one I mentioned in an earlier post, with Joyce Jonte'. Today I did all the models poses as gestures first. It was easy and got me into the mood and movement of the life poses.

MISSING!! HAVE YOU SEEN THIS SHIRT?

So here's the story...our good friends, Jim and Margaret Young, talked me and Dennis into joining "The Belles and The Boots", a Square Dancing group in Napa, CA. It was a pretty fun time - great exercise - lots of laughing - good music. Well, one night Jim wore this great red shirt. You can see it on him in the picture below. As a joke I said, "That is the greatest red shirt Jim, I think you should give it to me." He promptly replied with something like this, "There is no way you are ever going to get this red shirt. It's the best red shirt I have ever had and it's mine!!" Months went by and the red shirt kept coming up in random conversations - always with the same conclusion. That red shirt was Jim's and the closest I was ever going to get to it was an "alaman left and right and left grand"! We had lots of fun between the four of us teasing about "the red shirt". Then it came time to say good-bye, as we were leaving Napa Valley to move north for Dennis's new job. This happened just a couple of days before my August 5th, birthday. Margaret and Jim took us out to dinner for our last night together and gave me a lovely gift box. I had to promise not to open it until my special day. Of course, it was "the red shirt". What a thrill. I was the proud owner of "the red shirt"!!! Our first stop North was the Mad River RV Park, which had a lovely laundromat...can you guess the rest of the story?? "The red shirt" was kidnapped at the Mad River RV Park. I went back for days asking everyone if they had seen "the red shirt" leaving the park. I even attacked an innocent by-stander in the mall when I spotted an elderly lady wearing a red shirt look-alike. She tried to hit me with her back-pack. I publicly apologize to Jim and Margaret for letting "the red shirt" out of my sight. There is a generous reward offered to anyone traveling HWY 101 that spots "the red shirt"! Please contact this Blog Sight. We love you guys and miss you both...and "the red shirt".

It Takes A Year To Make A Friend

Dennis and I spent the long week-end missing our friends and family. We decided that it takes about a year to really become acquainted and build a friendship. We just left some dear friends in Vallejo, CA that we especially enjoyed. Jim and Margaret Young, which I will write about tomorrow and this lovely couple, Carolyn and Pete Espinosa. Carolyn and Pete are retired and donate a great deal of their time to being docents at Mare Island. They were gracious enough to give us a tour of the beautiful old mansions and very distinguished St. Peter's Chapel.

You can learn more about Mare Island and its historic qualities at http://www.mareislandhpf.org/

Carolyn was my first friend in the Vallejo First Ward where Dennis and I attended Church. I was Carolyn's Assistant in the Family History program. We had the opportunity to teach the program New Family Search to members of our Ward. We both love doing genealogy.

Dennis and I are very grateful that Pete gave us a private tour of these wonderful old buildings. Thank you dear friends.

Pete and Carolyn schedule and monitor weddings and other events at these mansions that once housed the Admirals of the Navy.