Temple Terrace Art Show 2009

Boardwalk, Hillsoborough River

My favorite art show every year is held in a beautiful park on the Hillsborough river. The weather is wonderful and there is always an amazing group of artists. Very good water color, oil and photography artists, jewelry, textiles, entertainment and "fair food". This year there was a tent that sold jewelry set with pieces of broken china. Even better, the shop was decorated in shabby chic style with chandeliers featuring china cups instead of glass globes. I wish I had gotten a better picture. The most amazing artist to me is featured above. He works with fine metal screen, bending and forming it into a sculptural shapes. Besides being beautiful, the works cast amazing shadows. The work is very much like 3-dimensional line drawing in which the artist was schooled. He explained to me how the screen works in a similar way to "cross-hatching" which is a technique to create shading and dimension in a drawing. You really have to see this in person to appreciate it. I have looked everywhere for the artist's card and I regret that I cannot find it. I am including a link to the Temple Terrace Arts Council, however, if you are interested in his work.

http://www.templeterraceartscouncil.org/arts_festival.asp

Pictures below are Cory and Jonah at the zoo. Jill and Mia were there, too. First time Cory went with us and I was glad to have him there with all 3 kids at once.

Wubbzy Birthday party

Dancing Wubbzy

Jill, Briel and Princess Mia

Blowing out the candle - Erica, Jill, Connor, Sean, Mia and Jaime

Playground and picnic table

Jonah's favorite - the dock. He caught two fish.

Wubbzy cake made by Jaime and Wubbzy cupcakes made by Publix. (Jaime's was better)

Wubbzy is Mia's favorite right now. PePaw brought her "Wubbzy Halloween" DVD which she has been watching non-stop. It was a beautiful day and the party went great. Our friends Karin and Alan reserved their neighborhood park. Jaime grilled hot dogs at a table under the tree and Jonah hung out all day long on the dock with the firshermen. Mia, Briel and Jill played on the playground and had a ball. Sean, Vannon, Connor, Erica, Papa Jerry and many friends and family were there.

Mia is 3 years old and stuffed pumpkin recipe

Mia chose blue (cotton candy) ice cream with sprinkles at Cold Stone Creamery

For her present Mia chose a twirling ballerina jewelry/music box

Stuffed pumpkin makes a nice presentation

Stuffed pumpkin with wild rice and roasted pumpkin seeds

Mia's party is Sunday, but today was her birthday. Three years old! Jaime and I took her to Cold Stone Creamery for a free ice cream. Then we went to the grocery store. Mia got lots of attention with her Tinkerbell outfit and her jewelry box. Everyone could tell she was a special girl today.

I have been wanting to make a stuffed pumpkin. It was not too hard (except for taking the top off that little sugar pumpkin - hard as a gourd!) I cleaned the pumpkin inside and out and rubbed the inside with butter and seasoning. Then I cooked some link sausages and sauteed some onions in the drippings. I cooked a white/wild rice mix and added the sausages, onions and golden raisins and put the whole thing into the pumpkin. I sprayed the outside of the pumpkin with a little cooking oil and baked the whole thing for an hour. I think it looked great and tasted OK, but not a show stopper. BTW - the pumpkin part tastes a lot like acorn squash when baked this way.

Busy Weekend

Jill's face paint from the carnival. She is a dalmation!

Jill and Cory

Jill's Cheerleading Team

It was a very busy weekend. Big celebration in Karin and Alan's neighborhood. Carrollwood's 50th Anniversary. There was a lakeside party Friday night with jazz music and torches by the lake and food from Carabbas. There was Jill's cheerleader showcase, a children's carnival in the park, an art show and a concert with my favorite band, Crossfire, on Saturday night along with my friends Peggy and Joyce and Karin and Alan. There was so much to do that I stressed out trying to get it all done and the only pictures I have are of Jill and her dad. Mia was so cute with a butterfly on her cheek and a red balloon, but the camera was in the car. Mia's grandma, Lee, came along, too, with Jaime, Sean, Jill and Jonah.

Anyway, the weather is perfect and there is a football game this afternoon, though the likelihood of a Bucs win is nil. Thanks and love and apologies to all my good friends. They know why.

I met a local celebrity at the art show. Jim Mason, who helped produce among others, a Peter, Paul and Mary platininum (I think) album. He also wrote their song, "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and the bridge to the "Wedding Song". He has a CD for sale with a song about living in Carrollwood. I really liked it. I am hoping to get him together with Cory. Here is a link to his website. http://www.jimmasonproductions.com/

UPDATE: THE BUCS WON AND WON BIG. NEW YOUNG QUARTERBACK. GREAT GAME!

Pumpkin Patch

Jill, Cory and Steph at the Pumpkin patch across from their house.

Here are Jonah, Jill and I at the same pumpkin patch. You might want to turn down the sound a little. I wish I had an "off" button on my mouth in real life sometimes! P.S. I think the kids were chewing some kind of blue candy. Their lips and teeth look a little weird.

Little Halloween House video

Cute.

Happy Halloween!

Vannon, Connor and Jonah. It was so blazing HOT that the big kids vowed no masks next year. Just bloody, gory make up. Jaime's family were all sick, but managed to make it out for a few hours of trick-or-treating. Mia had a great time. Jill was with her mother. They were going to dress up in white and be angels.