The Fair in Silvana

Recently Nonie and I went to the Silvana Fair.  Silvana is a little tiny place not far from my cabin and the fair is mostly about the 4H kids and their animals and projects.  It is only a one day fair, but very fun and friendly.

The focus is all about the cattle, swine, rabbits, cows, sheep and what have you that the kids raise.  There were all sorts of very well cared for animals and some very proud young people watching over theirs.

This bunny reminded me of when my daughter Annie had two gray mini lops while she was in high school.  She got them, Moose and Goose, when she was a freshman and they were her pride and....well, maybe not joy, but she loved them greatly.  Moose died sometime during Annie's high school years.  I can no longer remember exactly when.  Then Annie went off to Stanford.

And left me with Goose.  Goose the bunny.  The very animal I had never ever wanted to own....and that rabbit lived and lived and lived and then it lived some more.  I called the vet once and asked how long a mini lop might actually live and they told me that if we got 5 to 7 years out of one we were doing well.

Ahem.  That rabbit lived until Annie was in GRAD SCHOOL.  I think it was almost 12 when it finally went to the big carrot field in the sky.  I hate to say it was the rabbit that I wished dead, but there were times.....well, I did take good care of her and we did come to an understanding and we got on pretty well---mostly.  But, I really never, ever, wanted to have a rabbit as a pet.  Even a cute one like Goose.

This bunny brought that all back.  (I'm glad it's not mine!!!)

This young woman was gently petting her chicken.  I can't say I had ever seen anyone pet a chicken before, but she did.  For a long time.  Very gently.

There were lots of hens and some roosters, and some cockerels and a pigeon and (maybe) a love bird.

There was a greased pole and a long line of children waiting to try their luck at getting to the top and snatching one of the envelopes stapled to the very top.  I assumed there were prizes and that the envelope told you what  you had won.  We only saw one girl who actually made it all the way up to claim a prize, but all the children seemed to be really enjoying the greased pole climb.

It was quite a warm day and these cattle were enjoying a rest in the shade on a handy pile of straw.

This little piggy was so sound asleep it was snoring!

There were lots of exhibits inside the Viking Hall.  Prize winning jams and jellies, baked good, quilts, artwork (both children's and adults) and produce were all displayed.

I was quite taken with the eggs.  There were turkey, hen, duck and quail eggs, all displayed neatly in baskets.  The duck eggs were, truly, a lovely soft shade of duck egg blue.  For some reason that always surprises me.

It was a lovely fair.  I hope I can go again next year.

Rawlings Attends Her Own Baby Shower

The guest of honor at a baby shower for my daughter Jennie was her new daughter, Rawlings, who arrived three weeks early.  Rawlings was a most welcome addition to the festivities, although she apparently had partied hard the night before because she barely opened an eye the whole time she was in attendance.  My sister-in-law, Nancy, and her daughter Megan were the hostesses for this happy event.  From the decorations to the food, it was perfect.  Thank you so much, Nancy & Megan!

She loves to sleep with one or both hands up by her face.  That's the way she was "photographed" in the womb, too, always with the hands held high.

Photo curtesy of Don Whitebread, aka "Grunkle" Don

Here we have Great Grandmother (known as GG in our family) meeting Rawlings for the first time.  She apparently passed muster....

Photo by Don Whitebread

That happy looking young lady in the enter of the photo holding the little sweater is my daughter Jen.  Her sister Annie is to her left, and then me, in the red.  Many family members attended, including my beautiful daughter-in-law Kellie, who you can see just behind me in the white sweater.

Photo by Don Whitebread

The happy parents were gifted with many beautiful items for our new little one.  Rawlings will have quite the wardrobe!

Photo by Don Whitebread

Here is the proud papa, Chris (known as Critter within our family as Annie's husband is also a Chris....it gets confusing!) and his mother, Ginny, the other grandma.

Photo by Don Whitebread

And here is another shot of the very proud papa and his new little one.  He is adorable, too!

Photo by Don Whitebread

My two eldest granddaughters, Emma (6) and Alex (5) were able to attend the baby shower, too.  They both looked like spring gardens in their pretty dresses.  I think they are as cute as can be,  just as ALL my grandbabies are!  Yes, I might be biased.  But still, I bet you, Dear Reader, think they pretty cute, too, don't you?

And here is my beautiful Jennie and her little one again.  The circle of life is something, isn't it?

Sunday at the Smithsonian

I returned earlier this week from my first visit to Washington, D.C. I went east for a family wedding that was held in Virginia. On the Sunday following the wedding I spend part of the day in D.C. with my daughter Annie and her family. It was a lovely partly sunny early autumn day, the sort of day that was the perfect introduction to my nation's capitol.

This lovely old castle-y looking building is part of the Smithsonian Institutions. It is the iconic image that is engraved on most of the literature you see pertaining to the Smithsonian. I knew that before I went to D.C. but it surprised me all the same when I saw it 'for real.' Funny how that happens.

This is one of the moon gates in a garden that is modeled after the Palace of Heaven in China. (I am going to be going to China in the spring and will get to see the original!)

We found this moth (or butterfly?) in the moon gate garden. I have never seen one like it and I've no idea what sort of moth/butterfly it might be. If you know, Dear Reader, please enlighten me by leaving a comment. I'd love to be able to put a name to this lovely.

12/2/2010: My dear friend George has just solved the mystery for me. The butterfly, not a moth, above is a common Buckeye (Junonia coenia).

Thank you, George!

The Capital.

The Washington Monument.

This is my daughter and her family in a classic tourist snapshot.

This plump little birdie was sitting right outside of the Museum of Natural History.

We had decided that since we had such a limited amount of time to visit the Smithsonian (19 separate museums make up the Smithsonian Institute, all free!), we would concentrate on the Museum of American History. This museum houses something I have wanted to see for some time, something that thrilled me to be able to see with my own eyes....Julia Child's kitchen!

There, on the back wall, where all the pots and pans are hung so neatly, if you look carefully you'll see the outline of the object on the pegboard. Paul Child did this when he and Julia arranged their kitchen. I read about this in Julia's biography and thought it very interesting. It appeals to my OCD, I think. I myself have never been quite so organized, but I do admire it in other's .

I was thrilled to see Julia's diploma from Le Cordon Bleu. Have your read how difficult it was for Julia to pry this very document from the woman who ran the school's hands? I enjoyed reading the story of the diploma in Appetite for Life by Noel Riley Fitch. Julia Child is a hero of mine. I first came across her in the early 1960s and like the Julie in Julie and Julia, I have made many (many!) of the recipes in her cookbooks. In many ways, Julia taught me to cook by explaining techniques and methods so clearly in all her recipes and she certainly taught me to cook with passion.

On the counter just outside the edge of the above photo is Julia's rather sophisticated telephone, circa the 1970s I should think. While I was viewing the kitchen, there was a couple also looking into the display. The husband remarked to the wife that had you been on Julia's speed dial, you'd have known that you'd arrived. Oh, how I yearned to have been on her speed dial when he made that comment! Wouldn't that have been something?

Above is a photo of a photo of Julia Child in her kitchen in France. I have always loved this photo of her.

Being able to visit the kitchen of Julia Child was very special to me. It was one of those moments we sometimes are gifted with. I am happy to say that my daughter, Annie, felt the same way. It was even more special to me to be able to share the experience with her.

Ian, my two-year-old grandson, however, found the cranes and construction machinery we saw outside the Museum of American History to be much more his cup of tea.

Annie's daughter Alex, 5, was enthralled with the ruby slippers from the movie The Wizard of Oz. It was pretty cool to see those famous slippers, but they didn't hold a candle to Julia's kitchen to me.

Seeing Julia's kitchen with my own eyes was something, something special.

The Wedding

Here's to hoping that you, Dear Reader, enjoy happy wedding photos as much as I do. All of these photos are curtesy of my extremely talented brother-in-law, Don Whitebread. My camera was broken the day before the wedding and I have had to rely of the kindness of family members for images to share with you.

My beautiful daughters, Annie (matron-of-honor) and the bride, Jennie.

My son Don and his eldest daughter, Emma, arrive by golf cart for the ceremony.

My oh-so-handsome son Don walks me down to my seat just before the start of the wedding ceremony. (That is the bride's camera I'm carrying.)

The flower girls were lovely. Emma (6) is on the left, Alex (5) on the right.

Jen and her handsome groom with flower girl Emma.

DH walks Jen down the "aisle" at the Calistroga Ranch, the wedding venue.

Jen & Chris' cake was delicious and carried out the hydrangea flower theme of the wedding with it's one layer completely covered with hydrangea "petals."

We were treated to a five course dinner (with wine pairings, no less!) in the wine cave at Calistoga Ranch. It was the perfect place for such a celebratory meal. The food was divine.

The cake was even better.

O HAPPY DAY

Barack H. Obama, 44th President of The United States of America

Image by Pete Souza/Change.gov

It was a glorious day---a day of hope and a day to remember. I shed a tear or two during the ceremonies and my heart is full of many things. Oh, I how I hope this man can truly lead us. It would make me so happy to be proud, once again, to be an American.

My daughter celebrated by wearing her Obama Mama t-shirt.