37th Annual National Cello Institute

We don't always remember how lucky we are to live in this little town. Every summer at the end of June, cellists from around the country and even from out of the US make a pilgrimage to Claremont to attend the National Cello Institute. It's fun to see all those cases on wheels and on backs, from the littlest kids to the adults. Friday night is the showcase concert with different ensembles performing and ending with the cello orchestra. If you go to youtube and enter National Cello Institute, you can see videos from years past from this annual concert.

Leaving cello orchestra rehearsal - on to another practice session

Cello Orchestra waiting for their turn to play 

The youngest beginners

The violins and viola (siblings of the cellists get to play, too) 

Love the stickers! 

Rick Mooney, the GUY, conducting Also Sprach Zarathustra

Random Friday Photos

These stickers are all on the same van of one of my friends. Enjoy her sense of humor today!

Hidden Claremont: Petterson Museum

If you live in Claremont, you have probably at least heard of the Petterson Museum at Pilgrim Place.  I had, but in 26 years, I had never been.  What drew me over there yesterday was an announcement that anyone could come and make origami.  Being inept in origami, I thought it would be helpful to have someone show me the secrets.  

When I got there, though, I was more intrigued with going into the little jewel of a museum. Currently the exhibit consists of Japanese artifacts from kimonos and musical instruments to art. There also appears to be a library of all kinds of books pertaining to arts of the world.  Teachers will be interested to know that the museum loans out Education Boxes with various kinds of artifacts and lesson plans about different parts of the world.

Origami under the tree

The Red House

I really, really liked The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, so I didn't actually even read the description of his newest book, The Red House before I put it in my queue at the library.  If I had, I probably would not have checked it out.

Mark Haddon is a pretty darn good writer, and this book is told in a readable stream of consciousness style from the various perspectives of about eight of its main characters.  It requires a little bit of work from the reader to keep things straight. I would have not minded the work for that, except that I think (okay, I know) that I am pretty uninterested in the day-to-day squabbles of a dysfunctional family when I read novels.

It's not that I mind flawed characters. I love some flawed (and three-dimensional) characters.  I just get quite tired of people who bicker with each other and who need to go to therapy.  Good thing that the library came through with a Murakami for me that I have not yet read.

Picnic and Carnival

It used to be that we had our sum-mer church picnic at Memorial Park on a June Sunday after church which was a big potluck with some hot dogs and some games for the kids and a pick-up softball game for all ages.

Now it seems as though we have gone big time.  We close off the block of 6th St. between Harvard and Yale, have tents, some bouncy houses, a few booths, a dunking tank, and we still have lots of food.   We even have a bake-off with ribbons and everything. I especially like the fact that the trees shade the block so the weather is just perfect.

Santa Barbara Solstice Party

On our way to Santa Barbara on Saturday, we ran into heavy traffic for much of the way, especially from Oxnard/ Ventura to Goleta. Instead of the usual two hours, it took three, and although we left early, we were still cutting it very close to the start of the wedding.  Fortunately for us, the best man was just one car ahead of us, and they waited for him to arrive in order to start the ceremony.

Why the traffic? It appears that Santa Barbara hosts a Summer Solstice Celebration, and after the wedding when we wandered on State Street we saw some of these fun costumes (and confetti on the sidewalk) presumably from the parade. The theme this year was "Fantasy".

Santa Barbara Wedding

Wedding season is in full swing. Yesterday I was happy to attend the marriage of someone I've known since he was 3 when his family moved to Claremont. Peter has a sentimental attachment to the beach in Goleta since he spent countless hours there when he visited his grandparents, so it was natural that when he met his love in grad school he decided to marry her in that special place.

The weather was perfect, the company delightful, and it was clear to me that this couple is very, very happy.

Pomona Library Closing

I am saddened to hear that the city of Pomona is closing their library.  When my daughters were young, we would make the trek to the library (often after piano lessons which were off of Garey, just north of Holt) because the children's room is so fabulous.  Part of the reason it is fabulous is that it has a huge selection of great books, but I really love the children's librarians.  My younger daughter was devouring books at age 5, and I wanted to find great chapter books for her (after she read all the available American Girl books), but I wanted some that were age appropriate for a kindergartener.  Librarian Lois to the rescue!  She could recommend some chestnuts that were new to me and enjoyable for my 5-year-old. The librarians followed our reading habits through jr. high or so when we stopped going to piano and didn't often make the journey to the Pomona Library.

What a jewel this library has been, and I know that many, many people will miss it terribly.   Thanks to Lois for this photo I stole from her Facebook page. There is still a blog that she keeps about the children's room at the library which you can read here.

Whoa Nelli Deli

I find it difficult to believe that I have not given the Whoa Nelli Deli at the Tioga Gas Mart a whole blog post to itself. Maybe it's because I have spoken at great length about this place to so many of my friends when we talk about food or Yosemite that I felt that I must have written about it. Alas, as I have gone through my old blog posts I see only a passing reference to this little gem.

As you travel north on US 395, you approach Lee Vining, and just before you arrive in the small town, you have the chance to turn left onto US 120 otherwise known as Tioga Pass. Up the hill just a bit you have a chance to fuel up at the Mobil Station. Not just gas for your car, but happiness for your stomach.

You have probably never eaten gourmet food in a gas station before, but don't be fooled by the pumps out front. This food is real good. One of the best parts is that after you get your food (pickup at the counter) you can take it out to the picnic tables and look over Mono Lake as you enjoy your food.

During this last trip we had breakfast and dinner here each day (lunch consisted of snacks in the backpacks). The first day we each ordered a breakfast burrito, but only ate half of it and had the rest for lunch (it's better when it's warm). So the next two days we shared a burrito.

I think my favorite dinner is still the fish tacos, one with mango salsa (which finds its way onto many other plates, too).

On Thursday nights the Gas Mart features live music, and we heard The Trespassers, a bluegrass band, on the night we were there. The outdoors was jam-packed with all kinds of people (and lots and lots of beer), including quite a few small children who danced and danced their little hearts out.

Fear Allayed!

Ever since, well for a long, long time, I have had a fear of heights. This expresses itself in a fear of being too near a ledge, fear of flying, and a fear of driving on scary mountain roads. For a number of years now, whenever we drive down the Tioga Pass Road from Yosemite to Lee Vining, I will sit in the back seat behind the driver and either close my eyes or look out the window that doesn't look down over the edge.  This is one steep slope on a narrow road.

This year, I took this photo as we ascended the pass and started thinking to myself.  "I don't really have to be afraid of this road anymore."  So, upon driving down from Tuoloumne this time, I sat in the passenger seat and kept my eyes open the whole time.  AND I WAS NOT AFRAID!

I cannot say why this time was any different.  I know that I while I am still quite unsettled by air turbulence, I have convinced myself that it is okay to fly, especially when it gets me places I really want to go.  I do not have any advice for anyone else trying to overcome fears such as these, but I have to say that it is greatly freeing to have fewer worries!