Art Camp

A couple months ago Roxanne asked Grant if he wanted to go to Art Camp. "No!" Are you sure? You like art. "No!" Come to find out he thought he had to camp out in the woods to do art. When he discovered it was at the Art Association just 2 hours a day for 2 weeks, he was excited to go.

Clay food.

An ice cream cone by Grant.

Looks like chocolate. Yum.

Breakfast by someone else.

The sausages look great, but the bacon

looks like something I once left in the microwave too long.

Water color sprinkled with salt for textured effect.

After painting a sheet,

they are torn into rows and reassembled.

Nice effect.

Tuesday and Friday Summer Nights

Redlands Bowl is a free outdoor theater

presenting many different kinds of music entertainment

June - August on Tuesday and Friday nights.

We missed the opening symphony and fireworks

last Friday because of the Big Bear Bash.

Last night was one of my favorite programs:

the Young Artist Winners Concert.

They were amazing musicians ages 12 - 25.

There were 2 pianists, 2 violinists, 2 flautists,

1 percussionist and 1 cellist.

The Junior winners got $500.

The Senior winners got $1,000.

Good for them!

They deserve it for all those years of practicing.

Apricot Season

The apricots are in season.

My neighbor's tree is HUGE,

and she is generous and shares.

Lucky me.

Thousands of apricots.

She has never made jam, so we will make a batch together.

My friend Karin also has an old tree with huge fruit,

and wants to make jam together.

It's going to be a canning summer.

Apricot Jam, and Red Pepper & Apricot chutney.

Also fresh Apricot Hand Pies.

Dieting is so hard in the summer.

Loving Him by the Lake

These pictures were actually taken on Saturday,

but fit with this post best.

Saturday morning we went to Starbucks Coffee for an early breakfast and met these teenagers who were having a Bible study as part of their retreat. They were so sweet to talk with, and were delighted when I said I wanted their picture for my blog.

Then back at the cabin, I stuck up a conversation with Leonard, the caterer, who is the same fellow who catered Vanessa's Sweet 16 party last fall. But I didn't know him then. This morning I discovered he is a born-again Christian. We had the nicest conversation. I was so cheered to meet other Christians who love the Lord.

Then this morning, Sunday, I just didn't want to leave for home early, so we found a park next to the water where we read some Scripture and spent quite some time in prayer. It was a good time together loving the Lord by the lake.

Saturday's Events

Saturday morning Eric took me to the Auto Cross Course

where these cars are lined up to take their turn

on the course maze against the clock.

Here he is schmoozing with the car owners and spectators.

Notice the plane landing right next to

the Auto Cross course!!!

The 1953 model is my favorite.

The Sting Ray is Tom's favorite.

Nice paint job.

But I have absolutely no desire to own a Corvette.

Not when tires alone cost $1,000 each!

Tom and I watched the U.S. vs. Ghana World Cup Soccer match

at a restaurant then went shopping in the Village.

Bought him a winter hat for his birthday.

Dinner on the Lake

Saturday evening was a dinner cruise on the lake.

Vanessa was the mascot for the Corvette event,

dressed as a pirate, the event theme.

Some pirate party-goers.

Then a surprise.

A pirate ship passed and shot a canon at us.

The lake was so beautiful this evening.

It was fun being with Vanessa (the bear), Grant, and Roxanne.

Oh look! A man parasailing off the port side!

How perfectly cool!

I really wanted to parasail.

I want to do something slightly daring.

I thought about doing a tandem parachute jump sometime,

but I'm not sure I'm brave enough.

But parasailing doesn't look nearly so scary.

Just halfway heart-stopping :)

But Tom was really worried about it.

He didn't want me to do something so dangerous.

He was truly afraid I might die.

I was very touched, and decided

not to make him suffer through it.

Weekend Get-away

This is the weekend of the Corvette Big Bear Bash at Big Bear Lake.

Eric is the president of the host Corvette's West Corvette Club.

We do not own a Corvette, and just go to be with family

and have a nice weekend away in the mountains.

Friday mid-day we arrived at the Grey Squirrel Resort,

near beautiful Big Bear Lake.

Just next to our cabin, which faced the green.

Such a pretty spot.

Our cabin had the cutest quilt.

Paper-pieced "big bears."