Turkey Time!

It's almost Thanksgiving! Looking though old Westra memorabilia, a cute little poem about a Thanksgiving turkey was uncovered (see it below). It was in a box of "Family Artwork" that Jen took for scanning or photographing for the blog/Dropbox. There is a Blackham Box of kid's artwork too, and saved in it, were several samples of creative turkey creations through the years. And then in Jen's art folder, there was a turkey saved in it! Can you guess which one is hers? Do we have any additional craft turkeys from other grandkids (couldn't find any others from the original Westra Six). Who has now been inspired to make some creative turkey crafts this holiday? *Ü*

Not an original poem, the kids copied it to practice handwriting. 

This was in Chris's folder. No date, but likely 2nd grade/1973 based on a similar sample.

Not a paper craft ... but Jen makes turkey cookies every year!

 

Reflecting on Music Memories

 As old artifacts were uncovered, more memorabilia has been added to each Westra Sibling box. Jen had taken quite a bit of music when she moved out, but some of her original compositions from PTA Reflections contests over the years hadn't made it out of the Westra home.  It was fun to get the actual music (printed and cassette recordings) to look at and listen to some 35-40 years later. Would you believe Jen still remembers the songs she wrote way back when?

The first official music entry was in 1985 ... the theme was "What Sparks My Imagination?" Jen was in the 8th grade, 14 years old. Writing the lyrics and the melody for piano was no issue, it was getting the musical notation written down on paper that was the problem. Music theory, notes/timing had always been a bit of a struggle. The collage below shows some of the steps and progress, the handwriting and piano penmanship, along with the final result and entry info ... the song was recorded on submitted on cassette tape.

The lyrics ... (Verse 1) "I see a cloud, floating by. I see a rainbow way up high. When suddenly in the back of my mind, my imagination sparks, it's one of a kind. (Chorus) What sparks my imagination? What makes it burn? What sparks my imagination? What makes it flow? What makes it glow? What makes it grow? (Verse 2) My imagination sees some things, and then it flies upon it's wings. It turns some words into a song, and then I sing it all day long.  (Chorus) What sparks my imagination? What makes it burn? What sparks my imagination? What makes it flow? What makes it glow? What makes it grow?" The recorded submission was just the piano ... no singing? Was Jen not confident enough in her voice? Was it written out of range? 37 years after the fact, Jen went ahead and re-recorded the song, with singing this time (going with the lower harmonies, because yes, it's too high in some places), just for this blog post, adapted for youtube (as sharing just audio is trickier than sharing a video). See/listen HERE. 

With that first music entry done ... Jen came up with a song for Reflections for the next three years. In 9th grade, the theme was "From Liberty's View". Won at the school level and went on to region, and was asked to perform the song at 9th grade promotion/graduation at the end of the year. 

The lyrics ... "If you will listen, you'll hear her calling you. And you might think, that she is just a statue. But she's part of me, and she can be part of you. She can see us all, we're all in Liberty's view. And so are the oceans, and so are the skies, so are the mountains, and so am I. And so are you, and everything you do. Let's make her proud. Let's make her proud. Won't you  believe, she's a part of you, she's a part of me. Then you might too, realize, she's calling you." Audio from the original submission can be found HERE. 

Jen's sophomore year (1986-1987) the Reflections theme was "A Past to Remember, a Future to Mold" which must have been especially inspiring, because Jen wrote TWO songs that year! Definitely some oversinging on the original audio.  Not sure which song was written first, or which did better in the competition. The two songs were "What is Tomorrow" and "A Past to Remember, a Future to Mold" and both songs have been added to the family youtube after having the audio transferred from the original cassette tapes. 

The final song was for the 1987-1988 school year. Jen was a junior. The Reflections theme was "Wonders of the World".  Interesting to mark the change in handwriting and how the notes and other musical markings are written. This cassette tape wasn't with the others, but a later pile of "Jen's stuff" had an envelope with this entry, and the cassette tape with original audio. Listen HERE. Jen performed this song at a school assembly (picture in the yearbook of her at the piano). 

No entry senior year ... but there with all the "Jen's Stuff" were a bunch of papers and poems. There was one poem that Jen had a distinct memory of also being a song for Reflections. It would have been back in 1981-1982. Jen was in 5th grade and the Reflections theme was "What Makes Me Smile?" Too intimidated by the music entry process (writing the music down, recording it) ... Jen simply submitted the poem in the literature category instead of music. 40 years later, Jen could still recall the simple tune though. So, just for fun, and for the first time ... it's been recorded HERE. 

Will Jenna remember her song submission in 40 years? Wendy did a write up of her Reflections win on the Jenson Journal (school win, region win) and while the PTA had the song posted online for a bit, the school link is no longer working, so the song is saved in Dropbox, and on Youtube (here). 

Janika also wrote a song in 2009 ... WOW was the theme. You can hear it HERE. One might wonder if Janika has shared this song with her husband (yes, she has) ... as this cute melody recounts the wonder of a cute boy ;) Sounds like it's out of a Broadway musical. 

Here's a list of all the PTA Reflections themes from the past years ...

I THINK all the musical entries have  been addressed here. Derek has been very musical in his later years, but I don't believe there was ever a music composition entry for Reflections. He did get a ribbon for a picture he took (see HERE). Aniston entered in 2021, also in photography ...

The Reflections categories have changed some over the years, with new additions of Dance Choreograph and Film Production (Jaiden entered in dance in 2014).  Wendy wrote up all the Reflections experiences for her kids on her blog, check them out: 2014, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008.

 

Sterling Scholars

Spring of 2016 ... Jase Jensen was named Sterling Scholar in Mathematics for his high school. He was not the first in the Westra line to achieve Sterling Scholar, nor the last, not even just within the Jensen family ... Wendy has created blog posts showcasing her Sterling Scholars (see links below).

• Janika  (FACS) May 2014~ Sterling Scholar Banquet, Awards Night 
• Jase (Math) April 2016 ~ Sterling Scholar Competition, May2016 Senior Awards Night
• Jaiden  (Drama) March 2022 ~ Sterling Scholar Awards Night, Documents, Region!

The Westra Sibling Generation produced two Sterling Scholars ... in 1984 and 1994, Chris and Shane respectively.  Christopher nabbed the position to represent Cottonwood High School in Business. He had some trips, to USU and Atlanta, Georgia, dealing with his business exploits.  Shane was Sterling Scholar for Art, also for Cottonwood High (all the Westra siblings attended there). A couple of his pieces are still on display in the halls of the school (see below). 

We have an ART label here on the blog, as while Shane was the only Sterling Scholar in this area, others in the family also enjoyed drawing and painting (although Wendy says the artistic gene skipped her). 

Jen totally planned on being Sterling Scholar for Drama her graduation year (1989). With many productions and leading roles and a 3.9 GPA, it seemed like a lock. Then Emilie DeAzevado (you may have heard of the DeAzevado name, well known in the LDS music world) moved from California, with even more experience and stellar grades, and the nod went to her. Jen was quite crushed to miss out on this goal ... but the whole Sterling Scholar process IS a lot of work in the preparation of a portfolio, interviewing, etc., and even more competition beyond the school level. So ... she survived (and still made it through college on scholarships to graduate debt free). 

I did some searches in newspaper/yearbook archives, I DID find a Shane showcase ...

He's there in the top left corner ... his quote says "This art stuff is great, but what does it have to do with the Iconoclastic controversy?" Asking Shane what his quote meant, he replied "Haha, that iconoclastic controversy quote was an inside joke that only the best of Mr. Bill’s art students would understand!" 

Here's clippings from the newspaper featuring Chris and Shane and the other competitors.

Poems for Mother ~ ala Little Lamar

Many mothers keep the cards, drawings and school assignments their children create. I know I have a box of saved stuff (and also many more scanned and saved online). This precious poem and invitation to a school celebration was saved ... it's likely over 75 years old!  This was made by little Lamar for his mother Lucille. Check out the artwork, the poetry, the print, and the cursive! Grandma Lucille probably thought she was hanging onto this cute card for herself, not knowing that many years later future generations would be checking it out.

Here's another card - Another poem for Mother

The picture little LaMar drew is the famous "Whistler's Mother" painting.  

Perhaps this is where the Westra kids and grandkids inherited their artistic ability.  

The original painting is now worth $140 MILLION dollars!

Hmmm, how much LaMar's rendition is worth?

Derek commented: I loved Dad's poems and Whistler's Mother-style portrait! I remember learning about James McNeil Whistler in A.P. Art History with Mr. Bill. I remember two things: 1) Whistler always painted while wearing a full suit and tie, and 2) Whistler took critique really hard - he couldn't stand any criticism. I remember going on my Senior Trip to the Met in NY with Brian Anderson (who took AP Art with me). We knew enough about the artists and paintings that people started to follow us as we walked through and explained things. We got a big kick out of that. Two 18-year-old dudes were being followed for our deep knowledge of art history!

Finally Finished - Family Portrait

In 2018, Derek shared a drawing on Facebook. 

Here's what he said about it ...

"When I was 14 I started a family portrait for my Mom, but got frustrated (I hated it) and quit (Shane was the only one unfinished - sorry brother). A couple weeks ago my Mom asked if I would finish it, so 21 years later I finally drew Shane. I’m the cute little boy in the front with all that beautiful hair!"

Derek then got the sketch framed and took it over to Mom&Dad's house.

"I zipped over to my parents house on my lunch hour to hang the family portrait for them (that I did 21 years ago and just finished). My mom made me a bowl of fruit - which is nostalgic because she used to make me fruit bowls while I practiced piano growing up. I sat down with my fruit and played a little on that old piano just like I did so much as a teenager. Thanks Mom!"

Little memories like the bowls of prepared fruit, of jello cups overflowing with fruit, are just part of "Growing up Westra".  

You can also see additional artwork on the walls ... those are sketches by Shane!

Shane's Penny Portrait

Yes, it's a portrait of Lincoln made of pennies! Shane had the idea back when he was in high school. He completed it a couple of years ago and I loved it then, and I love it now. With President's Day weekend coming up ... and today actually being Lincoln's birthday, it definitely deserves a blog post!

Here are some random facts about the picture from Shane:

• Made from 1,638 pennies (1,612 whole pennies and 52 half pennies).
• Each row has 31 and 1 half pennies.
• There are 52 rows.
• The pennies are staggered (so the second row is offset from the first row so each row “fits” into the neighboring row), resulting in the need to have a half penny on each row.
• There is at least one penny from each year from 1909 to 2009.
• There is one 1943 steel penny (lower right-hand corner).
• The US mint is making 2009 pennies with new designs on the reverse – there are 4 different designs: Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky (aka “Log Cabin”), Formative Years in Indiana (aka “Rail Splitter”), Professional Life in Illinois, and Presidency in Washington, DC. I wanted to use at least one penny with each reverse design (although all the pennies in the picture only show the front); but only the first two were available when assembling the picture, so I’ll swap out two pennies for the other 2009 designs later.
• I tried to find enough dark pennies, but ended up coloring some pennies (using different methods) to have enough dark and mid-tones.
• The pennies are fastened to a piece of pressed wood (masonite).
• The pennies were fastened primarily using contact cement; although I did experiment with gorilla glue and liquid nails as well.
• The picture is fairly heavy, and so I will craft a special mechanism to hang it (once I get it framed).

Update: It has been hanging in Shane and Alicia's home for a while now ...

Off to the Arches (including McDonalds!)

 

This masterpiece is attributed to both Derek and Shane. It was in 1993, when Derek was only 11 years old, that he snapped a  photograph of the sun shining through Delicate Arch in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. A little later, Shane (17 at the time) painted the image. Oil on canvas. You can see his signature there in the bottom corner.  After a little digging, we found some more information about this trip to the Arches. Here's what Dad/Lamar wrote in his journal ...

2 Sept. 1993 (Thursday) Our trip to Moab. Mom and Derek and I stopped in Provo to see Chris & Sandy, and to deliver pears and other items to them. We had a nice visit, and then headed South again. We stopped at Price at the KFC for a nice chicken buffet lunch, and then headed South again. We checked into the Bowen Motel, where we had reservations. We went for a nice swim to cool us off, and then we headed out to see Dead Horse Point State Park. It was quite breathtaking, and Marge was very nervous about the big drop offs, and how close we were getting to the edge. We headed back about dusk, and saw a beautiful deer on the way home. We got back to Moab and went out to a late dinner at JB's Shane didn't come down with us because he figured he couldn't miss two days of school. He'll be coming down Friday after school with Wendy and Rick.

3 Sept. 1993 (Friday) Derek and I got up fairly early and headed out to the Arches, and hiked up to see Delicate Arch. It was a lovely morning, and there were lots of hikers. The arches were all very pretty. The trail to Delicate was just one and a half miles one way, but quite a bit was uphill. We got there and took lots of pictures. I had been there when I was a boy scout. We stayed up at the arch for a while, and then hiked around and back down below the arch to get more pictures with a different view. We headed back to join Margie, and we all went out to breakfast about 12:30. We returned to the motel for a swim, and were joined there by Jenny and Grayson. They were staying the night at his grandparent's home just outside Moab.  The five of us then went back to the arches for more sightseeing. We hiked up the trail to Landscape Arch, and saw several other arches as well. We headed back at dusk, and got back to Moab, where Marge and Derek and I went out to eat at the local McDonalds. Rick and Wendy and Shane were due to join us, and finally called about 9:30, saying they were stranded on the outskirts of the city. Wendy's car had just stopped running. I headed out to pick up the transients and get them all back to our motel. We made more trips out and about trying to figure out the problem and who might help us, but all the stations were closing up shop for the night - and for the next few days. Our motel had three double beds, but Shane and Derek opted to sleep in their sleeping bags on the floor rather than share a bed with anyone. 

 Jen in Moab

...up next ... off to Lake Powell!

I wonder where all those other arches pictures are!

The next year (1994), Derek would enter his photograph into the school Reflections contest ...

... and just 29 years after taking the snapshot, he'd return for another priceless picture.

To Mom ... From Shane

 In the "scan and box" pile, there was a little piece of paper money. Quite a piece of workmanship. It is a "Mother's Day Reserve Note" ... this note is legal tender for all mothers, public and private. Drawn on the Shane Westra treasury of money, by Shane, the secretary of the treasury for the United Westra Household ... this bill is good for three work hours. THREE ... being displayed numerous times, in a variety of ways. This was the 1991 series, which would have Shane in his sophomore year. 

I wonder if Mom/Margie ever collected (I'm sure Shane has done more than three hours of work, but I wonder if the bill was ever exchanged for it ...)

2HAN3 I2 C00I ... Shane is Cool

Also included in the "scan and box" pile, was a handwritten note, on (now) aged lined paper. From Shane, to Mom. No date, so we don't know if it was something that went along with the bill above, or was from a different time/season. 

 Transcribed ...

Mom ... I always like it when you're there. If I come home from school or a different place, you'll be there. Even if you're not there right at that time, I can trust that you'll be back. I remember when I got knocked out on Chris' ice patch on the patio. I woke up in your arms. I still remember it and will for a long time. You always put up sayings around the house. I think it helps a lot to be a better person. I always read them. I love it when you make pancakes and eggs and Hillshire sausage and we all sit down and eat till we're stuffed. Love Shane

Wonders of the World - Reflection Art

In a recent post, the annual PTA Reflections contest was addressed. There was a recap of ALL the themes from the past years, and a showcase of some of the music entries (several from Jen back in the day, and more recently with Jenna and Janika).  See that post HERE. Jen's final entry her junior year was for the theme "Wonders of the World" ... 

Just uncovered, were entries for this same year (1987-88) from Shane and Derek. Both were at Woodstock elementary. Shane was in 6th grade, Derek in Kindergarten. Shane's art entry is shown above ... rainbows, mountains, sunrises, roses, butterflies (check out the Blackham Monarch Memories).  Shane would continue to hone his artistic talent, as well as his academic scholarship, and become Sterling Scholar for Visual Arts during his senior year. 

Derek's entry was also a collage of a variety of "wonders"  ... like Shane, a rainbow made his list, along with rockets, racecars and ... my family. Ahhhh sweet! 

... included here are snapshots of the backs, with the entry form info Interesting to see the handwriting, changes in signatures (for the kids ... the folks signatures stay the same), etc. Mom/Margie was the parent signing for Shane, while Dad/Lamar put his John Hancock down on Derek's. 

Check out Jen's song "Music - The Greatest Wonder in the World"

Halloween: Spooky Settings!

Since Halloween fell on a Sunday this year trick-or-treating was held a day early. We often had cool contraptions set up for Halloween. This year Scott made a giant paper mache pumpkin. We made our bush into a ghost and had a strobe light with spooky music! Jenny and Shane went out trick-or-treating -- Shane as Darth Vador and Jenny as a clown. Our 9th grade class had been performing Halloween shows for the elementary schools and I was a skeleton in the play -- thus the skeleton costume. I believe Jeni is the "giant pumpkin" in this picture!

Baby Jenny ~ Art by Scott

This will be backdated to November 1970 

Early artwork of Mr. Scott Edward Westra ... pencil sketch drawn when he was just 6½ years old. The muse? A new baby sister. According to this detailed sketch, Baby Jenny was quite the crier, with tears streaming down her face. Look at those tiny toes. 

This paper masterpiece was found preserved in the baby book for Scott Westra.

Check out photos and a history of Baby Jenny,

... and other instances of ART by the wonderful Westras!

Also of note ... the BACK of the artwork. Dad/Lamar worked at Unisys, a tech company. Always thrifty, he would bring home piles of this used paper for the kids to draw and color upon. Much of the early artwork from the Westra Siblings had this unique canvas ... rows and rows of numbers, with the holes on the sides. Endless pages of paper, perforated end to end, but still together, until torn for individual use.

Creative Cakes ala Margie

I (Jen) have some memories of mom having cake decorating supplies. Of her making royal icing, and teaching me to make roses. When we'd go to the store, I'd love to stop at the bakery department and watch the ladies there decorate the cakes. I'm fairly certain I said that was what I wanted to be when I grew up ... a cake decorator. Mom had taken a class before I was born. Here are her memories ...

Several of us in our Saint Street neighborhood took the class. So the teacher came to the Kosorok's home, so it would be handier for all of us. One evening a week, we would go there (2 doors down from us) and bring our cake, with the base frosting on, on a turntable, for ease in decorating, along with our Wilton tips and bags and little jars of paste colors, and buttercream frosting to decorate with. We were taught to color frosting by dipping a toothpick in the jars of paste coloring and then use the toothpick to add the color to the frosting, adding more with a clean toothpick if needed. The color was more concentrated and you needed less, using the paste colors. The teacher said using the liquid coloring would make your frosting too runny. Then I got pregnant with Jeni and with morning sickness, I had trouble working with food/cakes :-) .

For many years, I made gingerbread houses with you kids each Christmas, that we decorated with Royal icing, and all sorts of candies. Not sure if we still have any photos of them. Then you would each get to eat yours after Christmas.

We also made sugar-mold eggs with you kids, with little "scenes" inside, and decorated on the outside. We made all different sizes. One year, your Grandma Westra/Burgener made sugar mold eggs for all of you and mailed them to Richland to you for Easter. They are a lot of work, but very fragile. They arrived all broken. I felt bad since she had gone to so much work and effort. I can't remember if I told her they broke in transit. Probably not, as that is not my nature.

I don't have specific memories of making and eating gingerbread houses, but I remember there was one (the same one? different ones?) on a white pedestal plate on the piano for many years. I definitely remember the sugar-mold eggs. I LOVED those. Loved peeking inside and seeing the little scenes set up there. Later when I married, I bought some molds and little figures and such to make some ... but then I never did.