This is a picture of a Belgian Schipperke, whose name means "Little Captain" in Flemish. Our Schip's name is Iris--she's a 10 year old bundle of fun. Iris was four years old
when we adopted her from the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter. These sturdy little
dogs were used to guard the barges in the canals of Belgium and Holland.
They are excellent guard dogs and wonderful companions, especially for people
who are active, as they can walk for miles and still come home and want to
play. Be sure they have lots of toys to keep them busy!
One of my great pleasures in life has been traveling
with my daughter. Our best trip was two years ago when
we went for a Grand Tour of Europe. We flew from LAX
nonstop to Gatwick Airport in London, staying overnight
before starting our escorted motorcoach tour of London,
Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland & France.
This really was the best way to see Europe for the first
time--having everything taken care of we were able to sit
back and enjoy the sites. Below is a schedule of our itinerary.
| Depart U.S.A. | Arrive London | London/Bruges Brussels | Brussels RhineCruise Heidelberg | |||
| Heidelberg Neuschwanstein Innsbruck | Innsbruck Venice |
Venice | Venice/Rome | Rome | Rome Sorrento |
Sorrento Florence |
| Florence/Pisa Lucerne | Lucerne/Paris | Paris | Paris/London | Depart London |
It was truly a glorious trip back in time viewing the best of Europe's history, art, music and cultures. The sites varied from the Old World Charm of the German Black Forest, to the canals of Venice, the ancient ruins in Rome, the beauty of the Mediterranean Coastline, the fabulous art in Florence, the tranquility of the Swiss Alps, to the exciting cities of Paris and London.
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Having been born in Tucson, Arizona greatly influenced my love of the American Indian and Southwest culture. The art of Ted DeGrazia is a personal favorite--displayed throughout our home in needlepoint and cross stitch reproductions, stained glass, porcelains, and painting reproductions. His style captures the simplicity and beauty of the American Indian culture and the glorious beauty of our Southwest Desert landscape.
Learning to play the piano has always been my lifetime dream.
So, for the past year and one half I've been taking piano classes at Orange Coast College
and Irvine Valley College.
Also, I have taken classes in Music Theory, Music History and Appreciation. I plan on continuing
with more advanced music theory and performance classes--the more you understand the music and
its composers the better it can be performed. The Music Department at
Orange Coast College offers a broad range of classes that appeal to both the Jazz and Classical
Musician. They even offer a class in (MIDI), the use of computers and music--my next course of study. This comprehensive
course teaches the use of Finale (a music notation program), and Cakewalk (a recording program).
With plenty of practice, even an older adult can succeed at the piano!
On a closing note.....here are two of my favorite movies that just happen to be based
on the lives of the great composers--Mozart and Beethoven.
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A long time Costa Mesa resident, I've been married for 25 years to my husband Bob, and we have one daughter, Jennifer, age 19. She is an accomplished pianist, working musician and piano instructor. Jenny studies Classical piano, but really enjoys playing Jazz and Big Band music with the performing groups here at Orange Coast College.
In addition to my piano studies, I enjoy taking computer classes and other subjects at OCC
that peak my interest. I'm an avid tennis player and attend a gym at least three times a week
where I pursue the never ending battle of total body fitness. Other hobbies that I enjoy are sewing,
needlepoint, and cross stitch. Most outdoor activities interest me, especially bicycle rides to the
beach, and long walks with Iris.
But, most of the time you'll find me practicing the piano or surfing the Internet!
This Web Page is my project for the Internet and Web Publishing Class that I am taking at Orange Coast College. If the thought of getting on the Internet and making your own Web Page interests you--how about looking into enrolling in the class that will help you step into the future.
Completed in Costa Mesa, CA
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