Easter 2012

Easter Bunny History

The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the Spring season.   The bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have it's origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s. The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s. These were made of pastry and sugar.   The Easter bunny was introduced to American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered "childhood's greatest pleasure" next to a visit from Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve. The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs.   The children would build their nest in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the garden. Boys would use their caps and girls their bonnets to make the nests . The use of elaborate Easter baskets would come later as the tradition of the Easter bunny spread through out the country. Our Easter tradition is to have an easter egg hunt, the sun we shining, and the kids had fun!  We all enjoyed the warm weather, it was hard to move inside for dinner!  Maybe next year, we dine outside?!?!

March 3, 2012 - Rock Of Ages at Kingsbury Hall

Tony Award Nominee and American Idol finalist, Constantine Maroulis, reprises his acclaimed performance when the five-time Tony Award® nominated smash-hit musical Rock of Ages comes to the Center!  In this tour de force nominated for five 2009 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, a legendary rock club faces its demise at the hands of eager developers, and a young rocker, hoping for his big break, falls for a small-town girl chasing big dreams of her own. The score of Rock of Ages features numerous classic rock hits from the 1980s.
We enjoyed this, and look forward to seeing more performaces at Kingsbury Hall!

Book Club 2010/2011

Last year (2010) I joined a Book Club that meets on the Third Thursday at 8PM, each month (If we are able to finish the book we are reading).  Here is a list of the books we have read so far...  If they have a star next to them, I think they were worth reading - no star, save your time... and your mind... and
read something else!!!

1. Night John *

2. Les Miserables *

3. Live of Pi *

4. Two Old Women *

5. Gone With the Wind *

6. Riding the Bus With My Sister *

7. Pavilion of Women *

8. The Housekeeper and the Professor *

9. Catherine of Aragon

10. Hunger Games series ***

11. Pride and Prejudice *

12. The Help ***

13. Pope Joan *

14. Cold Sassy Tree *

15. Wild Swans *

16. These is My Words *

17. Clan of the Cave Bear *

18. Homer & Langley

19. The Brothers *

20. Alice I Have Been *

21. Tale of Two Cities *

22. No.1 Ladies Detective Agency *

23. Same Kind of Different as Me*

24. Devil in the White City*

25. TheGospel According to Larry*

26. Left to Tell ****

Indgo Girls: July 18th 2011 - Yes, we were there... were you?

The headlines read "Folk darlings play Layton Amphitheater" - I think they are the girl version of CSN!  Their harmony... and man can they play their guatars!

Europe "Summer 2007"

Bret, Denae & Shawn Touring with Ralph Rowley & Friends... Summer of 2007 -  We went to Europe with a our son Shawn. It was so much fun - Here are some of our favorite pictures from the trip... We traveled to Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and France. As you can see, Shawn hates to have his picture taken :-}

The First Day... just a few hours after we arrived in Rome, Italy (after 24 hours traveling from SLC) we went to The Roman Colosseum

 This is Rome's (if not Italy's) most enduring icon. Built between A.D. 70 and 80 A.D., it was in use for some 500 years, sat nearly 50,000 spectators, who gathered to watch the gladiatorial events as well as other public spectacles, including battle reenactments, animal hunts and executions. Earthquakes and stone-robbers have left the Colosseum in a state of ruin, but portions of the structure remain open to tourists, and its design still influences the construction of modern-day amphitheaters, some 2,000 years later. 

 (One of the New Seven Wonder's of the World) So Cool!!!



Mom & Shawn at the Colosseum in Rome 
One Amazing Place!!!

Florence Italy...

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Venice at Night - Beautiful!!!

Shawn in Venice during the day...

Our Hotel near Salzburg - Very Old, Very Cool!!!

Ready for the Salt Mines in Austria

Mom & Shawn by a statue...

Now That's a Brot!!!

Just Beautiful!!!

Kevin, Shawn and a Castle...

Disneyland or Germany?

Our Hotel in Switzerland

Very Cool Money!!!

Up At The Top of the Mountain - Very Cold/Cool!

One Very COLD Snow Cave

Fog & Snow in June - Wow!

Hard to see... is that you?

One Level Down... Much Warmer!

Look Ma, Cows!

Found Some Cute Cows - On Our Walk Down the "Hill"

On the trail down...

Bret, Shawn, Denae & Alisha hiking down the mountain...

 

Famous Lion Site

Can You Guess Where We Are?

That's Right - Paris!

Having Fun on Shawn's 18th Birthday!

Close Up - Amazing!

Peter Noone and Hermans Hermits: July 1, 2011 - Nice, Very Nice!!!

Peter Noone and Hermans Hermits played at Ed Kenley Amphitheater this summer - Do you remember Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter? We went with my sister Lori, and her husband Brent - to celibrate our birthdays (mine and Lori's B Days are 3 days apart).  Peter Noone was great - looked much better than I thought he would (was not sure how old he was) but he looked good, and you could tell, he had fun entertaining us!  Good Singer... Funny Guy... One Fun Blast From the Past!!!

On 07/06/2011 We Enjoyed the Pink Martini's @ Red Butte Gardens

Pink Martini is a “little orchestra” that was founded in 1994. It consists of 12 members and is known for its jazzy/ lounge music. They also incorporate Latin, Pop, and Classical sounds. Their unique sound and constant evolutionary techniques as a band make them hard to classify. Thomas M. Lauderdale, founder of the band, described their sound as “music of the world without being world music. If the United Nations had a house band in 1962 hopefully Pink Martini would be that band.” Pink Martini’s fourth studio album, Splendor In The Grass, encapsulates the band’s history and spirit of global collaboration and inclusivity. It is comprised of nine original songs and four covers, with songs in English, Neapolitan, Italian, French and Spanish.
http://www.redbuttegarden.org/