Warning: You Are Going to Wish You Were at Alberta Street!

Wow! The Alberta Street Fair rarely fails to impress...I guess only if the fire dancers aren't there...or if the cops are shutting them down to much....

But not this time! Firedancers, Hula Hoop dancing, Giant Pod People on Stilts...who appear to be hunting something with a net...and they move around in eery unison. A Clown who caught his shoes on fire (on accident), don't worry ....he kicked off his size 20s in time, but he couldn't use his hands and had to dance for quite a while,..kicking and kickin' before his shoes flew off. (I didn't get that on video)

So...at first, we couldn't decide whether to play on the street instead or if we should go to Game Night at Bridgetown.The kids decided that last thursdays in Summer we relatively rare....and they could revel in GameNight on the other thursdays. The Alberta experience turned out to be a huge party. The kids played next to an beautiful Art Gallery ...and we had a gorgeous shady spot that wasn't too crowded. So we brought ice tea...and amplifiers....and the kids were excited to play. They were really excited to play!

This was the first time playing on the street this year, the kids sounded GREAT!!! I don't have any video...so you'll have to take my word for it. They made alot of money and took frequent breaks, spending some of the money they earned on icecream and pizza slices....then they took their final break to watch people play a Hurdy Gurdy...don't have a picture of that either....but I should have.

So anyway then we spent the rest of night checking out all of the crazyness!



We missed Mark's boys at the Street Fair so hopefully they'll check the pictures out and know that we can't wait to see them!

Oh!!! I also have to tell you about the slideshow music! These guys are called "Colores Del Alma" and we first saw them on Alberta Street...playing at the Tea Hut. They are hypnotizing and you won't believe how great their music is...we have their first two CDs...and if you like the music on the slideshow (which I edited to trick the copyright checking robots), but to make up for that I am including links so that you know where to buy this hauntingly beautiful music.

This is the compiled video of Alberta Street at its finest!

State Team and Individual Tournament video 2009

This is a video that I made with the purpose of sharing it will all of the Vernon Family and Friends, so the children are cherished equally in the video. You can see Gabriel and Isaaiah's chess friends, some of which they have known for 4 or more years.

This chess year was especially fun, because during the Regional Chess Tournament, Vernon won 1st place for the Team! That hasn't happened for a while, and although I don't have that Regional video ready...the tournament was a blast. Isaaiah was on the Regional Team for the first time...and everyone contributed to the team first place win..with EVERY CHILD WINNING THEIR FINAL ROUND GAME!!! Mr. Malone said that that has never happened in his many many many years of coaching chess! Also! Gabriel won first place in the Regional tournament winning all five of his games..and playing and winning on the top board twice!

So that was a huge celebration!

State Chess is of course a sobering step up into playing much more difficult chess, and you will see that seriousness on the face of our kids. The Middle School team is seperate from the Elementary team, but the kids on both teams are fast friends. Isaaiah made the State Team voted by her teammates which was a huge honor for her. In the later rounds she stepped aside to let other girls have a State experience.

Jalon is Gabriel's best friend, and they are spiritually matched brothers...both kids of huge heart and even huger integrity....I LOVE Jalon! well...everyone loves Jalon.

Josiah is in the Middle School and is the talented son of Mr. Malone the fun and fabulous coach...Josiah is also a great friend!

There are so many to introduce....children that I have seen struggle and prevail over the years, and who I am so proud of.



Here is a link to a newspaper article about Vernon Chess Team:

Isaaiah and Summer Dancing-remixed video!

Summer is one of Isaaiah's fiddle friends for many years now, the girls each played several fiddle tunes to the appreciative crowd of over 600 people at the Old Time Fiddle Convention in Rickreal Oregon. Between their times on stage they enjoyed the fiddle music played by the "older kids".



I also want to add that the adorable elderly lady was being guarded from reinjuring her hip by her attentive daughter...okay "attentive" might be too gracious of a word....but I might have to rein in Grandma Janet someday dancing it up with tiny kids on a replaced hip....its possible...so I won't judge...

Columbia Gorge Fiddle Contest 2009

This Weekend was a wild ride for all of us, a lot of stage time, driving, staying in a nice hotel, bluegrass and singing workshops, running around with friends, dressing up, listening to trains, enjoying breakfast in the hotel lobby.....

I didn't know if we were going to be able to go to this contest initially. I didn't have enough money to pay for fiddle lessons for April, and I didn't have money to pay the 52$ entry fee for the kids to participate in the contest. Eileen said that she would pay our entry fee and that I could owe her for April lessons...but it turned out that Grandpa Russ gave me a 100 dollars. I needed that for food and gas, but I was able to use $40 of it to pay for the kids' fiddle lessons. We were able to put the $52 entry fee on our second mortgage credit line which is almost maxed out. I know this is alot of financial details, but it lays the background for how cool the contest weekend turned out for us. There were workshops on Friday, but they were $20 dollars per kid. The workshops were being taught by some highly published and leading teachers of fiddle and were anticipated by many to be a rare opportunity. Eileen called the Old Time Fiddlers and asked them if they would help cover the workshop price. They said that they would reimburse the cost of the workshop if the kids would write a report about what they learned. As I write this, both children are working on their reports. So Eileen put the money up for the kids to attend the workshop, but there was still the problem of staying the night in Columbia Gorge or else driving back and forth to Portland.

So here is the miracle: Denise who created the contest and does a fabulous job of running it booked hotel rooms for judges and teachers and there was an extra room.....which they offered to US!!!!

The kids were jumping up and down with excitement. They love to stay in hotel rooms, and they couldn't wait to get packed up and drive to Hood River.

The hotel turned out to be a Historic Landmark, and a beautiful building. I went inside to ask for directions to the contest....and my breath was taken away by the fancy lobby and street level restaurant. As I walked in I could hardly believe my eyes...my kids' names were on a placard in the lobby announcing that Gabriel and Isaaiah would be playing a music set there Sunday morning. Wow. (I knew they would playing a set Sunday morning I was just floored by the placard and the impressive lobby)

So I have to thank Denise for the fantastic fiddle contest: great food, great music, great workshops, great town, great building, great organization....Great Job! ....and thankyou for giving us the opportunity to stay in such a nice hotel!

After waking up in the morning it was lovely to not have to drive an hour to the contest....we ate breakfast and leisurely drove to the contest early so that we could see our orchestra friends compete.

Gabriel's round was first ...at 9:30....he says now that he was not nervous...and I believe him. He went up on stage and played great...just like everyday...see for your self :



Then Isaaiah played at 10:00....she said that she was nervous...and I don't think that I have ever heard her play this fast. I don't know if the guitars ever caught up to her. There was an echo in the auditorium that made people sound wobbly on their rhythm when they actually weren't wobbly....so I don't know if you will notice that or not.



I don't remember all of the orders of things...I know that Grandpa John and Grandma Shelly and cousing Ryan drove all the way from Salem to encourage the kids and share in the fun. Dad was a greatest Grandpa in the room...clapping and standing up....and making the kids feel like stars! Thankyou Dad and Shelly!
Dad and Shelly also recently paid the remainder on Isaaiah's violin...so now we own that violin, they continue to sponsor the kids classical lesson for the spring term. Also Dad and Shelly are buying Gabriel his full size violin which will be ordered soon, and he will start using his full size violin in August. Man time goes by fast...already the little guy is in a full size violin. Dad and Shelly have been so supportive of the kids musically and it is great icing on the top to see them at the fiddle contest cheering the kids on.

Here is Isaaiah's second round after lunch. She makes a mistake in Clarinet Polka...and she recovers quickly and completely (amazing nerves and control)...She was upset about the mistake after this round, but her fiddle friend Ellie and I and other friends supported her in her emotions. This is a great round!



Gabriel didn't make the second round and it was a little surprising....I do prepare the children that the judges are human beings and make mistakes and there is no telling what order they will put the children in. Isaaiah knows this first hand and has had many more questionable judgements than Gabriel. This was Gabriel's first clear and obvious judge mistake...many adults whispered to me....that this had to be a large mistake. So I told Gabriel so ...and he was fine with it. It stung a little when Isaaiah won $100....but otherwise...Gabriel took this in stride.

Here are the kids in their first twin round...Playing Princess of Wales (waltz) and Kansas City Kitty.



Here are Isaaiah's awards....she looks pretty excited!



The second twin round came right after taking Pee Wee Award pictures, they were waiting for Isaaiah while the pictures were being taken. Luckily Isaaiah was already warmed up. So she walked from the photos right onto the stage to play with her brother again for the second round. They also did an entertainment showcase with Spaghetti Rag which I filmed from backstage...and so the video doesn't look as cute as it really was. So I just putting up the twin video...but you can imagine the showcase by the following description. Before they went on stage...Mark went up to the stage and spread the Italian tablecloth, put up the "Luigi's Spaghetti Special" sign that we made and put the brown bottle with the candle and fake flame on the table cloth. The kids were dressed in chef's hats and aprons. (CUTE) I couldn't get the guitarist to put on the chef hat...but they did reluctantly allow the aprons. Isaaiah practiced her line all day..." We are going to cook up a little Spaghetti Rag....I hope your hungry!"



All of the showcases were so cute...I wish I had video of other people. There was a family with young boys who sang charmingly into the microphone and a two year old little angel with a tiny violin...who started out chewing on the bow...but she tried so hard to sing into her brother's microphone that a stage hand came out and set up a microphone just for her tiny self....everyone was holding their sides with cute attacks...unbelievably cute!

AFter dinner there was an enchanting downpour...Here are the kids and Matthew enjoying the fresh rainy air.



Here the kids had a break and a card game of Liar broke out. It was great to see our orchestra friends fitting right in!

Here is a video of the kids playing in the lobby after sleeping in on Sunday morning and having a nice bagel and butter breakfast. People gathered around in the lobby and gave the kids money and clapped...and the hotel offered the kids breakfast number 2 : pancakes, french toast and juice!!!! I had trouble editing this video so I'm not sure if I succeeded...




Gabriel rode with Papa back to Portland, Isaaiah fell asleep and had a nice nap...we had a rest before the final Orchestra performance ......the kids love their orchestra pieces....the first one is 3 movements of Choreography by a modern composer, and Vivaldi Summer...which many people will recognize by ear if not by name as one of the most famous Baroque pieces ever written. The soloist does an amazing job....nerves of steel...you can't really see the kids in this video except for tiny glances.

Vivaldi video



A few great end of the year pictures from Orchestra

Here is a slideshow of kids playing fiddle, playing the hotel lobby, playing cards with friends and goofing around backstage, some of the other cute kids that were around, and orchestra photos.

Vintage Memories 2003

These Pictures are from 2003 or so I am not really good with chronological order of things, these memories of Markie, Kevin, Jason and my Little ones are so precious to me. There are pictures here from our first couple of weeks together as a combining family. Some wedding pictures, in which Kevin was our Wedding photographer...and he was a great photographer, there are early iceskating and violin pictures. I guess we are really missing the boys...We are getting very excited to see them again soon!