Poetry CONTESTS galore...

Well, this month of APRIL is National Poetry Month. I attended the Utah State Poetry Society's annual awards conference last weekend, and won four awards for my poems which was exciting as I won nothing last year. Then it was time for the annual Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery's Poetry and Art contest where we entered poems and an artist chooses a poem to make an art piece. Last year I won BIG with a 1st place and Honorable Mentions. This year nothing, but it was fun to see the artwork that my poems had inspired. If you don't enter, you don't have the possibility of winning ever.

Dixie Poets: l-r Buss, Bonnie, me, Julie, Marie and Gary
not shown-Marilyn B.

A lovely buffet was served before the awards were given out.

Marie's poem About Red has an abstract painting and Best of Show

Bonnie's poem elicited a 3d collage piece with real animal bones and
an Honorable Mention award.

Julie a new poet to our group, won 1st place with a poem about Berries

My poem about Turquoise Memories had a beautiful painting with it.

Poet Gary on the right had several honorable mentions and a 2nd place

Another contest DSU's Southern Quill  magazine-some of the same faces:
l-r: Marilyn Ball, Marilyn Richardson, me, Gary and Julie.

Members of Heritage Writers Guild : Marilyn, Chris Abbott +  Julie

Spring AGAIN...

I spent the weekend in Northern Utah going to a poetry conference and visiting family. So it was spring there again. Our spring is almost over and done. Here's some photos I took.

Love the snowcapped mountains of early spring in Utah Valley

An orchard with white blooms probably apples or maybe cherries.

Decorative fruit blooms by Daniel's home

Crabtree blooms?

Daffodils almost done mixed with dandelions.

Forsythia however you spell it...

Blue skies, clouds and snow covered mountains.

Healthy dandelions are considered a weed......

Fun homemade birdhouses

Tulips are SPRING!

Shopping again

Our favorite thrift store, always something new to see and buy.

Some thrift stores are junky but others have quality stuff

Lots of fun used furniture, and decorating items.

Want a painting, lamp or fake plants-they have them...

Goodbye old frig, welcome new frig!

Our old frig about 15 years old has been making strange sounds, so we decided it was time to replace it. This year it's been one thing after another-water heater, cooler in the casita, etc. It's called home ownership.

Unloading the old frig was labor intensive, finding iceboxes, etc.

Then it was time to clean out all the shelves, it will b recycled.

Of course the small table and chairs had to be moved out first.

Here comes the new frig=will it fit through the door?

It looks like the old frig but is quieter.

Isn't it pretty and so shiny clean!

This frig has more shelves and it's almost empty!

I like the freezer on the left.

Roses Everywhere....

This time of year the rose bushes and cacti are blooming like crazy, it's SPRINGTIME!

Our anniversary garden is full of blooming rose bushes

It's the yellow rose of Texas rose bush

These rose colored roses are my favorites.

Daughters of Utah Pioneers Convention

I've been a member of DUP for 20 years now, every since I retired from teaching after my marriage 22 years ago. To be a member you have to be a descendent of a Utah pioneer who crossed the plains before the cross transcontinental railroad was finished in May 1869. Most of my ancestors came to Utah before then. The majority were Mormon converts with a few gold seekers thrown in here and there. Our convention was an opportunity for some of the many camps or groups in St George to get together and celebrate our great heritage.

Our speaker from SLC was Katherine Brimhall who told us funny
pioneer stories-one about a rooster who ate all the seeds that a pioneer
mother had just planted in her garden. Well that rooster meet his end
quickly and the seeds in his gullet were retrieved, washed and replanted.

Hell in an LDS culturally hall, tables were decorated for a buffet. 

L-R-Natalie-a former Captain, Karen-current capt. and Sherilyn-new capt.

We had 18 from our Atkinville camp that attended. 

Yummy taco salad were enjoyed by all.

Juliann and Kathleen who came in pioneer costumes enjoyed visiting.

Lovely table decorations were everywhere. 

More members enjoyed visiting and the convention.

We are the Atkinville camp-the original name of Sunriver.

Each of us is a PIONEER in our own LIFE!

Touring OPEN HOUSES

Caryn and I love touring open houses to see new home decor ideas

This is just a casita or guest room that is part of this house.

The same room with a nice bed, tv and everything for guests.

And of course, their own bathroom.

Now into the main part of the house, the hallway.

This cool hanging is just wooden sticks on gunny sack material.

I love this color scheme and especially the metal sculpture 

The browns in this bathroom are tastefully done.

Another bedroom, like the windows over the bed but not the bedspread

More decoration ideas for empty shelves.

Ah the master bathroom all done in black and white-very classy.

Living room wood sculptures are so cool.
Missed getting a photo of kitchen and dining room.