Cousin Camp 2011

Calling all of my kids' cousins!

I am planning on being at Mom and Dad's from July 13-23 and I want to work in some Cousin Camp from July 17-20 (tentatively). I know that the East Coast contingent will be absent this year, but hopefully Bonny's kids and Harry's kids will be available for at least part of it.

I am already thinking of fun activities and I can't wait to be able to spend time with my nieces and nephews!

A Star Danced.....

Remember the Perseid Meteor Shower can be best viewed tonight and early tomorrow morning. Set your alarms, or just stay up all night.

Tips here.

Blooms of Jellyfish

It has not been the best week at the beach. For one, it was so foggy we were house bound for three days. On Tuesday we escaped to the Valley for some sunshine. We had to pick up plans from the city and then we picked up stone samples. An exciting life we lead. :)



Yesterday the sun finally came out. We played tennis in the morning and then headed to the coast to cool off. Jellyfish in the water. Again. They had been there the week before and it had made swimming not very fun. SO we took a walk up the beach.



A TON of jelly fish were beaching. Not sure why. Probably something to do with currents and water temperature and salinity and global warming. Regardless, it's a bummer. So we did a little investigative surgery on the things to learn a little more about them. Quite bouncy. I read that in some cultures they are a culinary treasure.

Hopefully they will move on in the near future.

Jamming Season - and I don't mean music!!

There are some things I love to do - and making jam is one of them. I used to do a lot of canning of fruit - and loved the results, but often found the process tiresome - hot and endless it seemed.

But over the years, jam has become something I look forward to making. It doesn't take the time or have the immediacy that bottling fruit does, because I mostly freeze fruit throughout the year - in its pureed form - and then make jam when the mood - or the need - strikes.

Tuesday dawned gray and drizzly - a perfect day for making jam!! Once I get started though, even a sunny day doesn't discourage me - especially now that we have a/c!!

I have a theory that specialization is the key to appearing competent. I make jam, pumpkin cookies, homemade mac and cheese, and aprons. And most people think I'm a pretty snazzy homemaker - little do they know how limited my repertoire is!!

Just a handy hint for you aspiring homemakers out there!! (and my kudos to all the women I know who seem to do everything well and who experiment all the time!!)

"In the good old summertime . . ."

I took my car into the shop this a.m. for some work before we head off to Ashland for the Shakespeare Festival with Nebekers and Heders. And I walked back home - please be duly impressed - Dad said it was 1 1/2 or 2 miles - it felt like 10!! But at least it was cool and June-gloomy, so I wasn't perishing in the heat!!

But I did have the thought that today is the first day of summer!! I love the first day of summer - in fact, I love all the days of summer!! But I was thinking about what summer means to the Terrill family.

I started out thinking that summer often means graduations of one sort and another.

And sometimes it means roadshows.

And for many years it meant outdoor fun with the Kerksiek cousins.

And for lots of years it meant St. George fun.

This was a goofy summertime family photo from a ways back. (The year everyone but Bruce and Harry had short hair cuts - often a sign of summer!!)

Summer in the backyard - in your swim trunks!

Summer at the pool. And lots of sun-bleached hair.

Family reunions - Utah and elsewhere.

We don't do it much anymore, but summer has meant camping trips.

Ah, the van figures prominently in many summertime memories.

Backpacking - another staple of summertime.

Side trips in St. George - folks often wondered why we "summered" in St. George. As Bruce once told David, "Don't try to figure it out - just accept it!"

Las Palmas - synonymous with summer.

The occasional summertime beach house rental.

Celebrating birthdays in St. George.

The occasional family summer wedding.

Water fun on the 4th of July!

It would not be summer without Girls' Camp - sometimes I miss it, so it's good to hear of Ara's camp adventures.

Summer means softball!! (and sometimes all-stars too!)

And of course summer means the beach and all its attendant activities.


I don't have any photos of myself sleeping in, weeding the garden, watering the flowers, reading the paper cover to cover because I don't have to hustle off to school, leisurely walks, hiking, dozing on the patio swing, or reading on the couch - but that's also what summer means to me.

What does it mean to you??

"We'll always have watermelon."

It is smoky and miserable around here - so imagine my delight when Dad said, as I dragged myself in the the door this afternoon, "You'll love what I have to show you!"

He had harvested 2 watermelons - and they are as tasty as they look!!

The fires are moving our way, but apparently things are getting more under control - we can hear the helicopters flying back and forth as they dump water on the flames. But the smoke is getting worse it seems.

Keep praying!!

Monday night Bruce and I and 3 friends from our ward went to see Israel's band, Blind Pilot. They were opening for Gomez at the Wiltern. I had never been to the Wiltern. I thought about it and I have never been to House of Blues either. I think I've been to every other music venue in L.A. They are great on CD and awesome live. They do a great show. They played White Apple, an unreleased song Sarah told me was one of her faves - and now I know why. Beautiful song. And they ended with my fave We are the Tide (also unreleased - so I listen to it on you tube). Those drums are wonderful.




Israel was so kind - he texted me after the show and we got to go backstage and visit. They have a great band. Everyone is very nice and they all seem like they are really enjoying what they are doing. They are playing in SLC tonight and heading to Lollapalooza after. That's got to be pretty cool.

This is our obligatory photo to document that it happened. :)

i love the mountains, i love the rolling hills.

more pix here


still working on today's beach pix.

Making the leap.....