Monday, June 30, 2014

Museum of Natural Curiosity


 The out of town grandkids are in town so it was time for a grandkids' adventure.


We used our grandparents' pass to get them all into the new Museum of Natural Curiosity between the Thanksgiving Point Golf Course and the Gardens for free.


I had heard many good things about this new museum and they were all true.  It truly is amazing.


There were even special play areas for the three and under set.


The play land for those older than three is hard to describe but TJ, the over six footer, liked it, too.


There are platforms to climb and rope walkways and over hangs.  Kid heaven.


Opal giving me her cheesy smile.


Girls walking the walk.


Henry and Raymond waiting on the other side.


There was a bit of everything from dress ups for Julianna . . .


to Kidopolis, a very kid friendly tiny town.


And a water friendly and weather related hands on room.


Henry dropped the ball to send the water up the other tube.


Opal loved the water table.


Back in Kidopolis, Ruby's head floated . . .


and Heather found a place to draw . . .


in the fun art studio.


Ruby and Mabel were back to card tricks in the magic room . . .


which included a multiple of illusions for Sadie.



The older Children's Discovery Garden including the Noah's Ark splash pad is now a part of the museum.  Entrance to this garden is through the west doors of the museum.  It really is a total package for fun loving and imaginative kids.


Warren came along, too, and was all smiles until this picture.  He wanted his bottle, not a photo shoot.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

100 years ago today it began, World War I books to read


One hundred years ago on June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg were assassinated in Sarajevo by a teenage assassin marking the beginning of World War I.  It is interesting to note that the assassin had a statue placed in his honor this week in Sarajevo in honor of this 100th anniversary.  Read more about what happened here.  Most things in this world are a matter of perception I suppose.  This event sparked what was once called The Great War because they couldn't believe that it could happen again.  The Great War was fought at great sacrifice with many lives lost and many others damaged forever.  I was able to visit the World War I Museum in Kansas City which gave me a new perspective and greater respect and understanding for my grandfather's experience in France.

Jacqueline Winspear, who's father fought in The Great War, has written many books based on or just following this war.  I have loved reading her "Maisie Dobbs" series of mysteries.  I just finished her latest book which will be officially released on Monday.  It is not a part of the Maisie Dobbs series.
  • Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenb

The reason that I have already finished "The Care and Management of Lies" is that it was loaned to me by my book blogging DIL who received an advanced reader copy or ARC of the book for review.


Jacqueline Winspear's book is the story of a young couple married shortly before the war begins.  The new wife has also been a long time best friend of her husband's only sister as they were school mates.  The new husband is a farmer in Kent, his sister is a school teacher, suffragist and peace protester, while the new wife is former school teacher now farmer's wife who is struggling in her new role.

Jacqueline, in describing her inspiration for the book, cites the incredible mail system that was created during this war.  Tons of mail made its way to France and Belgium from England in a couple of days.  Much of the book is based on the letters between the young couple after the young man decides to join up leaving his wife to supervise the farm which now will also be used to help with providing food for the effort.


I love the British version of the cover for this book showing two people in completely new roles.  The letters to the husband at war include descriptions of wonderful meals the wife would like to share with her husband, while he writes sanitized versions of his experience, both trying to protect the other.


I also recently finished this book, " A Star for Mrs. Blake," which is the story of Gold Star Mothers, who through a government sponsored program, are provided a journey to France to visit the battle fields and graves of their now deceased sons.  The ships carry a diverse group of women from different parts of the United States which makes for great story telling as do the stories of those who accompany as guides and helpers.

So one hundred years ago today, as it states on the side of a museum at the corner where the assassination in Sarajevo to place, marks the beginning of the 20th Century.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Quilty Fun Sew Along finish



My Quilty Fun Sew Along sampler quilt is back from the quilter, the scrappy binding applied, and I've hung it on the wall above my sewing machine.


It says "Bee Happy" and that is what it is, a happy quilt.


This is the first quilt top that I have had professionally quilted.  It made me very nervous to drop it off because I was no longer "the boss of my own quilt."  However, it was the right decision.  All over quilting was what was needed for this quilt of everything.


I'm so glad that I went with the less dense version of all over.  There you have it, scrappy everything.  Scrappy back, scrappy binding, and a bunch of leftover fabrics from other projects on the front.  I even had the white background fabric on my shelves.  I had bought it for some smocked dresses and then decided that it wasn't the right fit.  The only thing I purchased specifically for this quilt is the scalloped red inner border.  I just didn't have enough of the dotted two tone red fabric that I had used in the sampler blocks.


 This was such a fun sew along.  Thanks to Lori Holt of "Bee in My Bonnet" for her creativity and simple to follow sharing.


So glad my quilt is finally home after a month at American Quilting in Orem.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Ola Joseph Jenson and Nancy Morrell



I was finally able to access histories of Ola Joseph Jenson and Nancy Morrell in the book,  "Ancestry and Descendency of William Wilson Morrell" which was published by family members in 1987.  I found that the book had been scanned and was available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  Nancy was a daughter of William Wilson Morrell, but was raised by a step-father and other family members.  You can read about her mother, Dorthea Hansen, and William Wilson Morrell here.  To read the history Nancy Morrell, just click on the history pictures as they are jpg. files.


Ola Joseph Jenson was the oldest son of Ola Jensen and Anna Carlson.  Read more about Ola and Anna here.






Both Ola Joseph and Nancy Morrell are buried in the Peoa Cemetery, but they spent the last of their married life in Talmage, Utah where they homesteaded in the early 1900's.  Nancy was a midwife and delivered over 800 babies through out the west Unita Basin.
 

Cemetery marker in the Peoa Cemetery.


I was able to find both of their death certificates.



This is a photograph of Nancy's half sister,  Dorothy Jorgenson , who married Ola Joseph's younger brother, Swen Albert Jenson also known as Bert. Nancy and Ola Joseph, welcomed Dorothy and Bert into their home for a time after their marriage in 1901.  Dorothy thought highly of her oldest half-sister, Nancy.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Hidden Garden Tour 2014



One thing about Utah summers is that there is an abundance of things to do.  One must pick and choose most weekends.  Every town has their own "Days," parades abound, the mountains call, and the gardens have rebounded nicely from winter.  Last Saturday, we attend the Hidden Garden Tour.  It rotates between Salt Lake and Utah Counties and this year it was in northern Utah County.  I loved the female scarecrow and beautiful English style garden we found in Lehi.


During this tour, I learned that when they are doing roadwork through the canyons, one can get permits to collect rocks.  This rock lined vegetable garden was so cute.  Those are strawberries in the foreground.


At this home, all of the wood had come from the owner's family farm and her husband did all of the carpentry.


Another view of the garden.


And the husband built white picket fence which went through the middle of the front yard and was lined with roses.


Sometimes you can make your backyard feel like the mountains.


This garden in Alpine came very close.  It included aspen and evergreen trees.


That is Glen in the background and this picture gives you a sense of the scale of this place.


A little creek water feature began by the corner of the house and continued down to the bottom of the lot.


The wife had 14 bird houses on display throughout the garden.


Even the garden shed was designed to mimic the bird houses.  Notice the boulders, they are also canyon project boulders.  There were over fifty truck loads of boulders through out this garden.


Sometimes a dead tree and bird house are art.


Noticeably, the south side of the garden was left treeless.  Thus, they have a view of Utah Lake and sun enough to grow giant pumpkins.


A fireplace and deck tucked in an out of the way space.  Notice the shadows from the strings of lights.


A water fall where the small creek ends.


A very appropriate flower box.


 This house was one of the last homes up the mountain in Alpine.  I loved the creative mailbox,


the entrance way,


 and the front door.


Sweet little herb and flower garden. 


The back of the property was very hilly and the owners had created terraces for planting.


The vegetable garden terrace.


Further up the mountain side, there lived four pygmy goats and two llamas.  They use the dung to help fertilize and they stated that the deer seem to be repelled by said dung.  So if the deer are eating everything that you plant, buy a llama.


Cutest little goat shed ever.


The next garden in Alpine was back on flat land and the owners were named Jensen, too!  They had the best pergola.  It had four, yes four, bench swings!


And a fun master gardener with Lynette.  The mater gardeners are placed at each garden and can answer most of your questions.


I loved these flowers and I have already forgotten the name.


Lovely pergola.


Vegetable garden in the back.


And a recreated cabin.


It was filled with antique Scandinavian furniture.  Yes, the root of our Jensen name as well.


It was lovely and reminded me of the cabin on Conant Creek at Finlandia Ranch.


I could imagine myself spending some time in this sweet room.


View back toward main home.


And garden out front.  The property was next to a working farm and their plot also had chickens and a small corral for the cow.


Loved it!


A newer craftsman home with a great walkway to the entrance in Cedar Hills.


Dining space in the backyard.


And that arch in the background was covered with these beautiful scented roses.


I loved the vegetable garden space in Highland.  All of the retaining walls were of simple materials which could be easily moved.


It was also filled with miniature garden spaces.


Which included a miniature peach tree.


Even the cinder block spaces were planted.


The garden ladies club.


Clematis vine.


Fairy land.  She also had a rainbow garden along the front yard picket fence which began with white blooms and slowly changed color ending in red.


The next home was truly trying to grow food in their garden.  I took this picture because I loved how they had incorporated a sandbox into the garden.


Their garden boxes.  Those are tomatoes in the background just bursting out of their water jackets.  Proof that if you want your tomatoes earlier, it can be done.


Entrance to the fruit tree portion of their yard.


An amazing green house.  They also had potted citrus which spends the winter months in the green house.  These are pictures of my favorites.  I did not take pictures of every garden but all were worthy of a walk on a beautiful day in June.


And on the way home I stopped in north Orem to pick up the finishing kit for my Saturday Sampler at American Quilting.  I took this picture of the finished quilt in the store.  How cute is that?!!!!  I've decided to put it away until mid-July and will work on it after all the company is gone and trips have been taken.  Can't wait!