Our Time Capsule Gift to the Future!

July 2012 con't

Our 11th (Almost) Annual Music Party theme required the following assignment:  

"One hundred years from now, what 3 musical selections do you want preserved in a Time Capsule?   Help future generations Sing, Dance and Play!  Be sure to include a song in each category."

Sing…….a song performed by a voice you love

Dance…….a song that makes you dance 

Play….a song with superb instrument-playing

Fortunately, the assignment wasn't too difficult for our music-loving friends.  Everyone had a  story or explanation for their song selections.  

The stories got better as the evening progressed and the wine was poured. 

  But we managed to bury a Time Capsule containing music CD's of our 30 nominated songs...

Before the dancing began!

 My picks? 

• Sing..."Unforgettable" by Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole
• Dance..."Beat It" by Michael Jackson
• Play..."Love Potion #9" by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass

 

Montana Triathlon

June 2012

A two night getaway to Montana with Janice and Brad Baldwin became the perfect Triathlon.

Leg One:  Scenic Hike Overlooking Helena

Leg Two:  Fly Fishing on the beautiful Missouri River

Leg Three:  Fabulous Thai dinner at Toi's

Dine & Dash...Seasoned with Love

June 2012 - con't

It took me 25 years to finally finish a long-promised family cookbook, From My Back Burner to Your Table...Seasoned with Love.  Producing a family cookbook was on my bucket list long before the phrase "bucket list" became part of our everyday language.

The self-published volume contains nearly 650 recipes collected over the years from family, friends and favorite magazines.  My constant procrastination to finish the cookbook became something of a family joke, but fortunately a 6-month living experience in New Zealand became a perfect opportunity to finish uploading recipes.  Later on, recovering from two foot surgeries gave me the time I needed to make final edits.

I dedicated the book to my sister Jane who passed away in 2004 after a courageous battle with breast cancer.  One of my biggest regrets was putting the book on the back burner for such a long time - too late to share it with Jane.

I've been distributing copies of the book to family, friends, and contributors ever since the boxes arrived from Morris Cookbooks in the summer of 2011.







Dear friends Peggy and David Whitman pulled together a very special "Dine and Dash," featuring recipes from the book and cleverly infusing the cover throughout the evening.

In many respects, the Whitman's thoughtful dinner was the perfect celebration to commemorate the cookbook's completion.

 I like to think that Jane would have been proud.

Portrait of a Town

June 2012

My friend Barbara Mueller leaves tracks pretty much everywhere she goes.  Good tracks - important tracks.  Mounted in Coeur d'Alene's Sherman Park Square, her notable endeavor "Portrait of a Town" is a beautiful example of how Barb blended her creativity with love of community.

Portrait of a Town
The ambitious project involved photographing and interviewing 200 citizens who represent a cross-section of our community.  Folks were given a chance to express their ideas, their views about Coeur d'Alene and its history, projects for which they feel passion, and what they hope for the future.




This collection of shared thoughts will eventually be housed in the Coeur d'Alene Public Library.

My 2-Cents Worth

Is There Another Doctor in the House?

May 2012

YES! Becky's graduation from Baylor College of Medicine gave us the perfect excuse for a family reunion in Houston.

And this family reunion gave us the perfect excuse to enjoy some excellent restaurants, like...

        

   Reef

   Chef Bryan Caswell

Phillippe

  Chef Phillippe Schmit

And the original Ninfa's on Navigation.

Backtracks!

After an extended break from blogging, I'm going to backtrack over the past 8 months and capture some of the highlights, primarily through favorite photos.  With any kind of luck, this catch-up approach will give me permission to get back on track.  So here goes.

May 2012

A quick trip to Sioux City for an early birthday celebration for Tom's Mom!

Sticks and Stones

No trip to a Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting would be complete without a stop at Borsheim's - one of Berkshire's wholly-owned companies. Borsheim's also happens to be the ultimate jewelry and gift store.



Throughout the meeting, shareholders receive deep discounts on virtually everything in the upscale store, including precious gemstones, high-end jewelry, watches, designer purses, and home accessories any respectable bride would die for.

This particular weekend Borsheims featured Sticks - well-known for its colorful line of furniture, accessories and object art. Sticks was founded 20 years ago in Des Moines, Iowa, by folk artist Sarah Grant, and Grant's imaginative, vibrantly-colored work has since received national acclaim and countless awards.



With Becky's medical school graduation just around the corner, we clearly found the perfect gift - a custom-designed Lazy Susan from Sticks. Sarah helped us identify words, phrases and images that she would incorporate into a personalized, one-of-a-kind piece for Becky.

Sarah Grant was absolutely charming, and we found that we had quite a lot in common besides our ties to Iowa. Interestingly, Sarah's college roommate was Allie Vogt - a friend of mine who is an art instructor at North Idaho College.




True to her word, Sarah rushed our Lazy Susan order and shipped it to Houston in time for Becky's graduation. Now I want one...