More weekend activity.

Sunday, May 27th, I decided to go see the Titanic Artifact Exhibit at the Turtle Bay Museum. Since it was a holiday weekend and the day before the exhibit closed, I was accompanied by a throng of people. It was very interesting to see and learn more about the real Titanic. One of the most interesting things was a fake glacier that you could touch to get the idea of how cold it and the waters were. There were characters dressed in period costumes who would tell you in “first person” about their job on the ship and other information. When you begin the tour you are given a boarding pass with the name of a real passenger and as you depart you find out if you live or died. I was a young 14 year old girl and I survived.

Summer Arrives!!

(I still can't get the photos in order...good luck matching them to the text!) May brings forth many activities. Though I did not attend the rodeo or parade, it was fun to see the huge Clydesdale horses getting washed at the parking lot of the Sundial Bridge. Last Saturday (5-19) was my first time to attend the Anderson Rock and Gem show. Very impressive, though a little overwhelming, due to the vast amount to see. However, I never heard any “rock music” or met anyone named “Jim”.
Viv joined our monthly gathering of Evergreen retirees. I prepared Mike Clow’s Ahi Tuna Salad and everyone was pleased with the results. Always good to
catch up--all are very busy enjoy themselves.
Memorial Day weekend, I drove to Chico to spend the day with a new guy friend who lives there. He is a photographer, so we hiked in Upper Bidwell Park and took photos--which was very enjoyable. I was once again captivated by the beauty there. We drove through Chico, seeing some of the newest changes since I left years ago. Later, we ate a burger, had a beer and played pool at the Oasis, where I used to work. Floods of memories came back from my previous years living in Chico. It was a pleasant day.
The remainder of the three day weekend will be in another blog, as it is difficult to add very many photos to
each entry.

thought of the week:
Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read!

Claudia

Good Times!

Yes, a lot of fun times lately. The annual “Old Shasta Arts and Crafts Fair” on Saturday, May 12th with friends.
Bought more than I needed to. Sunday, Mother’s Day began with an incredible brunch at “Market Street Steaks” out on the patio. Chris and I, his friend Matt and his mom, all enjoyed at wonderful meal on a beautiful day! The guys even brought roses for both of us. Early afternoon, I attended the symphony with my girlfriend. It was amazing and very enjoyable. In the evening, I joined family at Vicky’s for a great BBQ. Silly me, I didn’t take photos of two of the mom’s there (sorry Desiree and Vicky).
Next day, I headed down to Santa Clara to stay with my niece’s family. The kids were so much fun! Bonnie, had invited me to join her for a “Women Series” lecture by Jamie Lee Curtis. She was very amusing! We shared a lot of good meals and her husband, Mike, showed me how to make an incredible grilled tuna steak salad! While down there, I also was able to see other family members: Patty & Tom & Jeff, (sorry forgot to get their photo), Alfonso and Peter. Sorry...I can't seem to get the pictures in a sequential order!

thought of the week:
I’m retired, go around me

Claudia

The Beat Goes On...

My brother-in-law, Jim, came over and finished planting my new rose bushes, now I have eleven. As they are still new and small, the photo is of one of my older favorite bush, Rio Samba. As Vicky came with him, I gave her the patio chairs I had painted for fun for her backyard. (My own contribution to their “backyard makeover”). Later, that evening, she invited me to dinner and we played hide and go seek with the kids.

Friday evening, I attended a “Music & Wine Tasting”
fund raiser at Turtle Bay for my friend’s former school district. Great wine, hors d’oeuvres, jazz music and NO
kids now THAT is what I call a school activity! On our way home we snuck around in the dark putting up “yard sale” signs for Viv’s sale.

EARLY Saturday morning I arrived at Viv’s to help with her sale as she had done with mine the Saturday before.
The weather for mine had been cold and rainy, hers was hot and sunny. I guess that is spring in Redding.

After the sale and a nap I met a friend for “Hot Flashes, the Musical” at the Cascade theatre. It was sold out and had about 10 rows full of ladies from the Red Hat Society. The musical was really clever and funny! They used famous songs with different lyrics. Some examples were: I am woman, hear me snore,
Agin’ (to the tune of Truckin’), I will not Age (to the tune of I will Survive, In the Nude (to the tune of In the Mood), and several originals. There was a drawing after intermission and I won a “Hot Flashes” t-shirt. Afterwards, I stopped in to say good-bye to Chris, who bartends near by and ended up sitting with his friend Sara and her girlfriends. I felt like “THE YOUNG AND THE REST OF US”!

April 22 is Earth Day!

I am doing my part: reusable cloth grocery bags,
a garage sale (recycle and reuse), and I’ve put in
many eco-friendly light bulbs, and I am using the
clothes line. I hope you are doing
your part too. Love your mother (Earth)!

2007 Redding Jazz Festival


I’ve lived in Redding for 32 or more years and this is the first time I have attend the annual Jazz Festival. Actually, there were a few years that is was suspended, but that is neither here or there.

It began at 3:00 on Friday afternoon, with local Redding jazz groups that I know well. I stayed for about four hours. I spent
about four more hours on Saturdayand again on Sunday. The music those days was more of a variety: dixieland, cajun, zydeco, rag time, blues, boogie woogie, big band, swing, and one group even threw in a waltz and lullaby.

What fun it was with heads a-bobbin’ and feet a-tappin’ ! The crowd was a “hoot”,
most in their 70’s and 80’s, many dressed in period clothes (women with beaded and flapper dresses wearing mardi gras beads and carrying parasols, men with spectator shoes, hats, some loaded with special jazz festival pins). An amazing sight, it was most surrealistic to see them out on the dance floor, especially when the waltz was all of a sudden played! A dance club from Eureka was there and really added to the viewing enjoyment. If that wasn’t enough to take in, there was a flamboyant lady calling herself “The Delta Queen” who danced up and down the aisles throwing out New Orleans beads. Then she’d change into another outlandish costume and do it again!

And do it again, I will next year (in
costume? who knows?)

thought of the week:
without music life would B flat

B & B’s B&B and Brothers

That is Becky and Brian’s Bed and Breakfast and Bill’s fraternity brothers’ reunion/birthday get together. I received an e-mail from a fraternity brother of Bill’s inviting me, among many, to attend the 70th birthday of brother, “Cheese Man”. Amazingly, the next day I got a call from my friend Becky (who lives in Chico, where the party was to be held) and we talked about me coming to see her new 5 month old baby (view a few baby pictures now). One thing led to another, and I was able to mesh both together. I visited Becky and baby Taylor in the afternoon, went to the party and returned to spend the night (see photo of guest room) at Becky and Brian’s. Upon waking in the morning, she had a wonderful breakfast prepared. When you see the empty table photo (in my rush to eat, I forgot to take pictures) imagine if you will, a table with a plate full of delicious scramble eggs with salsa and sour cream topping, also for my tasting pleasure is a lovely goblet of orange juice and yummy freshly baked muffins. So wonderful to see that darling family and spend time with them. Thanks to them for everything!

Back to the fraternity birthday party. It has been a long while, perhaps 12 to 13 years since I’ve seen most of these guys. (The invitation had so many familiar names from so long ago, I just felt that Bill would want me there.) However, when I walked into the private upstairs room at Madison Bear Garden I saw only guys. I thought oh, maybe this is not such a good idea. But everyone made me feel welcome and wanted, and soon more ladies arrived. It was a fun evening, visiting with “old” friends and recalling stories from the past.

I am so fortunate to have us wonderful friends and to be retired and able to go to see them! Love to all of you!