Our Graduate Anders

Anders holding his Bingham High School diploma

Graduating from high school is one of those milestones in life, isn't it?  It's the culmination of years of study for some, and a springboard to more schooling for others.

My nephew Anders graduated from Utah's Bingham High School last Tuesday.  Congratulations to one cool dude.

What can I say about this remarkable young man?

He's a soccer player.

Soccer Player

He loves his family.

Anders with Mom and Dad who helped make all this possible

He is hard-working, committed and highly talented.

Drum Major for the Bingham High Marching Band

Did I say highly talented?

I think I did.

He's quite exceptional.

Solo Concert Clarinetist 

Jazzman and scholar

I think he's going to go far!

Anders receiving his diploma at Bingham High graduation ceremonies

Congratulations!

And best of all, on Sunday he was ordained an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I'm so proud of him.  What a great kid.

Now onward and upward, Anders!

Beautiful Taiwan

The Chinese Mermaid at Tamsui

My nephew Daniel and his family are going to be home in the States soon (they return at the end of this week!), so I figure I'd better post more of his photos of China before they leave!

These photos were taken on their recent trip to Taiwan.  Daniel's wife Holly comes from Taiwan.

Our little Fred checking out the fountain

Busy Taipei streets

Our beautiful Holly and her Mom

One of the great things about living in mainland China for the last couple of years, has been being able to visit with family in Taiwan more easily.  Daniel tried to take advantage of every opportunity for the kids to see their grandparents.

Tamsui Port

I love these colorful streets and the English mixed in with the Chinese on the signs!

Tamsui Shopping

The harbor

Sunset on the Sea

On the Ferry

Taipei Harbor

This concludes our mini-vacation to Taiwan and Taipei Harbor.  Hope you enjoyed our little excursion!

Kitty's in the Garden

Angelique Tulips

My friend Desiree's kitty Angel loves her garden.  Desiree has a lovely one, you know, where the Angelique Tulips were having their final bloom of early spring when these photos were taken a couple of weeks ago..

Angel going to the garden

Kitties love gardens.  Little Miss Angel is no exception.  She enjoys the flowers and grass so much that she lets herself out and then sneaks to her current favorite place... rolling in the dirt.

Yup.  Forget the beautiful flowers! That favorite place, at the moment, is in the dirt, right between the snap peas and the beans!

Caught napping in the garden

It's early days yet in the Pacific Northwest - Spring has finally begun, but the verdure is yet to come.  Still, Angel is enjoying her time in the sun.

Here she is (above) playing stealth kitty, blending in with her surroundings.  Very tricky these kitties!  

Angel is content to nap in the dirt, while her pal Rocky is happy to stay indoors under the quilt until the weather warms up a bit more.

If I were there, I think I'd vote with Rocky, for now.

Remembering Rosalee

THE HUNDRETH ADVENTURE

What a nice day to die

Here, where trees breathe together

Their branches shaping Hello

Here, where feet make songs 

on the earth of the beautiful everything

we dance a thank you

to unnamed meadows

Here, where the miracle of water, earth and sky mix

We have spoken to sky people

And they have answered in sunshine

What a nice day to begin again

- Rosalee

Rosalee Gurrola Thompson
September 16, 1950-May 30, 2013

My friend Rosalee is being laid to rest today.  She passed last Thursday from pancreatic cancer.  The cancer took her very quickly, and much too soon.

She will be mourned by all who knew her, including the Whittier Community Theatre group who worked with her for a few decades and loved her dearly.

My friend Roxie writes:

I can’t really imagine that such a great soul is gone.  It will hit me at some point.  She was such a fine person, such an glowing, practicing example of what we should all strive to be.  I know there is a bigger picture in which it all makes sense, but from here….

Rosalee was one of those people who always gave you a hug when she saw you, asked with genuine interest how you were doing, and was kind to everyone.

When I first started doing shows at the community theatre back in the 1980s, people were still talking about Rosalee's wonderful performance as Bloody Mary in South Pacific. She was a terrific actress with a lot of heart who shone brightly on the stage. She went on to play many other roles, including Mrs. Paroo in The Music Man and one of the nuns in The Sound of Music.

Rosalee in 2010 with her certificate

Rosalee was also a poet.  She was the winner of the San Gabriel Valley Poetry Festival Broadside Contest in 2010.  The beautiful and thought-provoking poem above, The Hundreth Adventure, appears in the memory card which was provided for those who attended her wake and funeral.

Here is her winning entry for the Poetry Contest:

HERE IS YOUR SKYMAP

I bury 7 endangered poet's books

under my plum tree every full moon

Their wild words whisper

while I try to sleep

Hold The Voice That is Great Within Us

to the Center

of your head

My bed's in the air

The moon's eyes are purple plums

My arms hold a bouquet of trees

A white bird flies by

with a gold key in her mouth
- Rosalee

Rosalee (in the violet hoodie) at the 2010 San Gabriel Valley Poetry Festival

Rosalee is survived by her husband Dean, her Son, Daughter-in-law and grandson.

And the entire Whittier Community Theatre group.

We miss you, Rosalee!

Whittier Community Theatre Presents

Peter Scolari and Reggie Gowland in The Fox on the Fairway
as presented at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey

 THE FOX ON THE FAIRWAY

You are cordially invited to the Tap Room of the Quail Valley Country Club for the festivities and insanity surrounding the annual golf grudge match between Quail Valley and Crouching Squirrel [SQUIRREL!], two rival Country Clubs.  There is no shortage of dirty tricks and elaborate schemes in this charming madcap adventure about love, life and man's eternal love affair with golf.

So reads the plot synopsis of The Fox on the Fairway, Whittier Community Theatre's current production.  (The squirrel comment was mine.  Sorry.  Couldn't resist!)

This play sounds like fun!

The Fox on the Fairway was written by Ken Ludwig, the same wonderful author who gave us the delightfully funny plays Lend Me A Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo.  

The current WCT production stars some Community Theatre favorites:

My good friend Roxie Lee portrays Pamela Peabody,
Bingham's sex-starved Vice President (Oh, my!)

Greg Stokes as Dickie, Bingham's nemesis

Justin Murphy as Justin Hicks,
 the newly hired hand at the Country Club - and expert golfer?

Lewis Crouse  plays Henry Bingham,
President of the Quail Valley Country Club

Mackenzie Rae Campbell as Louise Heindbedder,
the waitress at the clubhouse 

Toni Beckman plays Muriel Bingham,
Henry's long-suffering wife

This wacky farce marks the last show of the 2012-2013 Season.  The comedy was first produced in 2010, and has been touted as Ken Ludwig's "tribute to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s."

Reviews have called it "Hilarious Hilarious Hilarious".

Sounds like a good time to me.

This show premiered last weekend to lots of audience laughter.  There are still two weekends left!  All shows are at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday (June 7th, 8th, 14th and 15th) with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. this coming Sunday, the 9th.

Come support the Theatre Arts in our community.  There is nothing like an evening of live theatre.  Tickets are available at the door, or through Goldstar.  Call the theatre at (562) 696-0600 to reserve your tickets today.

See ya there!

Thanks to the Community Theatre for graciously letting me use the headshots 

taken by photographer Lindsay Jacobsen .

Congratulations, Anders!

Anders and his big brother Nils

Today, my 18 year-old nephew Anders is graduating from High School.  However, on Sunday afternoon he graduated from Seminary.

Both achievements are pretty cool.

Seminary consists of four years of religious instruction, where high school-age kids attend for an hour daily before their school classes begin - or, as in the case of Anders who lives in Utah - get time out to attend during their regular school day.  (There is also on-line seminary for kids who live in places where regular seminary classes are not available.)

Mugging for the camera

Then pausing for a smile

Photo bombing...

When I went to Seminary, it was the early in the morning kind.  It was hard getting up (if my father were still around you could ask him!  I was always having trouble getting out of bed!), but once there I remember really enjoying the classes.  We always had great teachers and it was a positive way to start the day.  All the Seminary kids walked to school together as a group.  I remember that being fun.

I know Anders' experiences with Seminary were different than mine, but I'll bet the classes weren't all that different.  I always loved studying the scriptures.

Christian and Nils horsing around... just a little

Students have one year of study in each of these categories: Holy Bible - Old Testament, Holy Bible - New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Church History.

It's good preparation for life, and for serving a mission, which Anders intends to do soon, now that he's eligible. In this country, you have to be 18 and a high school  graduate to serve.

After that, it will be on to college!

Anders with his proud mom

We're proud of you, Anders!

Congratulations, BYU Dance Team!

One picture is worth a thousand words!

My exquisite Cousin Nicole and her husband with their team

There's not much to say, except 'WAY TO GO, NICOLE AND STERLING!'

And WAY TO GO, BYU!

Huzzah!

- all photos - BYU Dance Team

For more information, see my blog post of Tuesday, May 28th, titled, Blackpool.