How do I Rate?

My friend, Mason Branning, future Disney-Pixar Animator Extraordinaire, took my suggestion for his Red, White, and Black Series and created this fabulous picture for me! As you can see Mason is an amazing talent. Actually a man of many talents and a great sense-of-humor. Check out his fun blog: www.pickles-therightplace.blogspot.com!

State of the Nation

My daughter, Courtney, took this photo while on her mission in OHIO. I think it is timely....

A SHOUT OUT TO MY UNGA BROS.

Harvey, great game! So glad you are feeling better. Victor, congrats on your mission call to Honolulu, HAWAII. (Mission or vacation, dude?)

We are so proud of you both. That is so cool Harvey how you helped Victor train daily since January to reach his goal weight to be eligible to serve his mission. Wow! A 60 pound loss is no small feat. Way to go!

We will always remember the day your family "adopted" us (at your sister Lulama's 18th birthday celebration.) We were presented with the most beautiful leis handmade by your sweet mother, Telisia. We sat at a 'table of honor.' We felt like Tongan royalty. Your father made us feel so special. It was a night to remember.

It has been a joy to watch you grow into fine young men.

And Harvey, you always make this 'old sister' feel great whenever you see me and flash me that million dollar smile and give me a big bear hug. For a moment I am the envy of every girl on campus:).

Stay healthy and happy my brothers!

It's Autumn!

My favorite season of the year! Time for a drive up the canyon...

I'm a Rockstar!

I'm in the grocery store and I notice this little girl about 5 years old sitting in a cart. Every time we go down the same aisle she is pointing at me and whispering something to her mother. I start wondering if I have a hole in my pants or some food on my face. After a few passes, the mother stops me and says, "My daughter wants me to ask you if you are the lady who played the beautiful piano music for the Primary Choir at Stake Conference in the Tabernacle. She insists it is you."

I assured the little gal that indeed it was me. For a brief moment I considered getting a pen out of my purse to give her an autograph. (Just kidding.) However, it was pretty funny considering that the little girl was not in the choir and just sitting in the congregation. Very observant. Hey, I'm just the piano player! Made my day...

Don't Miss "Broken Hill"

If you are in the Provo or Salt Lake City area, put this on your movie-viewing list. It will be in theaters September 11th. (The premiere was in Australia a few weeks ago.) It is an excellent 'coming-of-age' movie about realizing your dreams and it revolves around music. It is also family friendly.

It stars Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), Luke Arnold (a handsome Aussie) and Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton.

The reason I am extra excited is that I am a member of the Audience Alliance Founder's Circle headed by Academy Award winning director Kieth Merrill. As original members we spend time reviewing scripts, giving feedback and even making suggestions for casting choices. It is a fun process to be part of. "Broken Hill" is the first script to come out of the process and be completed. I loved the script and I like the casting for this film. The cinematography is breathtaking, especially the shots of the Australian landscape. Kieth's son Dagen is the director. He has an excellent future in this field.

For all of us wanting more quality, non-offensive films, (and this is not a' fluffy' piece) we need to support them or they won't be made. (This particular film will probably appeal to ages 11 and older.) Don't miss it. (Alexa will be at some of the screenings in Provo, though we haven't been told when or where. It will be shown at the SCERA and Wynnsong Theaters.) Check listings.

Tell Me a Story

For our last "Hurrah" of summer our family attended the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival all day Saturday. Fun was had by all! Puppet Shows, singer/songwriters, potters, food, art and of course some of the best professional storytellers in the world. I even had a lovely conversation with one of my favorite artists, James Christensen (see above art) and decided to splurge on his trio of art piece commemorating the 1st, 10th and 20th anniversaries of the Festival.

If you've never been to the Festival put it on your "to do" list for next September. You won't regret it! Read more at: http://www.timpfest.org

I Love To See The Temple

This morning as I was leaving the peaceful Provo Temple I commented to a sister, "Isn't this a beautiful way to start the day?" She smiled and said, "It's all downhill from here." True.

The Color Purple

A few weeks ago as I was sitting in an Education Week class, I noticed a strange thing. At some point during the lecture my mind began to wander and I began to slowly look around the room. There were probably about 200 or so students and I observed the most amazing pattern. About every 4th person was wearing some shade of purple. I kid you not! Even the carpet and the chair cushions were purple. This was indeed a a serendipity moment. I do love purple.