June Begins

Glad to find some new entries since we last wrote, including the pictures. Not sure whether we know enough to include them at this point.

Congrats to Declan for the action photo and all the actions which helped his team do so well in Ohio and winning a state championship. Hope the tips are solid for Magdalena and that she can get some rest in between to prepare her for that busy summer schedule. Looking forward to having so many of us together soon after the NJ family and the Arvada crew arrive.

Mom's phone visits with Susan this week have supplemented
the news she found time to post. Think they are with Colin wherever he is in the golf tournament today.

Guess we can get help from Mark on getting photos into the blog.
the Parfrey Glen photo does bring back some memories. Thanks.
Thanks, too, to Mark for his invitation to join him for good seats on Friday evening at Ft. Atkinson High School for a music potporri which was entitled "Jazz di Zert". It was a marathon of music vignettes featuring students in a variety of groupings offering both vocal and instrumental numbers. Domino and a classmate, Jack Schuknecht, sang a duet, "The Prayer" very effectively. Later she did a solo, "I Can't Say No" from Oklahoma. This was a real hit as she moved from the stage to the aisles and back to the stage for the conclusion. The applause was the most intense all evening, and of course, we thought she was BEST.................

After a cheese cake dessert intermission, the program resumed with 2 jazz bands, the first featuring Calvin with a number of
trombone solos. Then Domino was back with the show choir and
they did the show that the group did for competition around the state and in Branson. A very polished performance to top off the evening, and we did have a chance for a quick visit with our stars,
and Capri and Beth, before heading home. Luckily, a big thunder storm began jsut after we arrived at the school at 5:20 PM but it was all gone for the return trip to Big Bend. The very full evening resulting in our getting home about midnight--a very big night....

Mark did have a copy of the local paper featuring the honors and scholarships the graduating seniors had received. Domino was was the champ and her picture was on the front page. We'll have it here when you come and we'll send it on to Boise, if Mark hasn't done so.

Sorry we missed Matt's call last night but were pleased to have his message and found the blog blurb and the back yard picture with the helmeted Freya with her Mom. The information both messages about the temps made us happy to see that the grass still looked quite green and hope that the produce in the squares with whatever now might shade them will survive! Wonder, particularly, about the rhubarb.

We picked all ours this week and we are working away on a big cooker of sause. This weekend Prairie Home Companion did the show from a little town in SE Minnesota, called Lanesboro, where they are having a Rhubarb Festival. Lots of rhubarb jokes and references in the skits, etc. I will forward the preview e-mail to all of you and you can hear it, if you wish, on your computer or I-pod. We now get the program on Saturday at 5, and Sunday at 10 AM and again at noon, so it is easy to hear it all in one way or another.....

We hope Matt has not tried to call again during the time this is being composed on Sunday morning--now almost 12:30 PM. We were out having a 56th anniversary dinner at Olive Garden--a
place Grandma chose--but we would like to have enjoyed an
Italian meal in the South Orange area and have Magdalena wait on us. We had gone to 5 PM mass (Dad's usher night) and left for the Greenfield OG so Mom could stop at Boston Store before we came home. A big sale day... Thanks for all the anniversary good wishes.

Things are looking better today in our garden squares and flower beds because we had .7" of rain overnignt 5/31-6/1 and about 1.7"
from the storm we had while we were at Jazz di Zert.

MY turn ---We still have our ticket for a free harbor ride in Sheboygan that we won last year at the art fair and it expires at the end of this month. Are the boys having any concerts or programs that we could combine with a trip to take the boat ride?
We found the schedule on the web.

Susan-- Hope that your rock search was successful, even though it turned out to be cold.

A busy week coming up, with a aretirement dinner on Thursday night for my old boss, Fran Wagner, a luncheon on Friday for dad's retired educators, and Domi's party and graduation on the week-end. Speaking of Domi, with all of the musicians in the family now, could we have some music for our family picnic? i know that the instruments take up a lot of room, but we can bring a lot of extension cords.

A belated happy birthday for Tim, and looking ahead to the summer, happy birthdays for all of you anticipating the big day.

Susan O'C, can you work out a menu for us, and Mark, what can people bring to help you out on Saturday. I know you have me down for a salad--what else do you need?