Tag Archives: Salt Lake City

Artichoke

Posted on January 4, 2017 by vanbytheriver

My first encounter with this complicated vegetable came well into my 20’s. Ours was a basic peas, carrots, corn kind of family. It was at a small roadside restaurant called “Spuds” in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its success came with … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Entertainment, Family, Food, Home, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 95 Comments

Adventures with Lye

Posted on March 12, 2016 by vanbytheriver

It started with handmade soaps. I received amazing samples from my friend, Linda.  http://nutsrok.wordpress.com/ Just out of curiosity, I looked for information about how they are made. I found a video that showed the process that turns the very basic ingredients into … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Humor, Memories, Random Thoughts, Work and Career | Tagged , , , , , , | 52 Comments

Valentine Kindness

Posted on February 15, 2016 by vanbytheriver

I was spared the humiliation. The empty Valentine box. The tradition of exchanging those little paper messages was forbidden at my Catholic elementary school. If youthful expressions of love happened back then, they had to be done in secret. That … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Celebration, Childhood, Education, Inspiration | Tagged , , , , | 48 Comments

The Madeline Intervention

Posted on April 24, 2015 by vanbytheriver

I had lost my job. It was a small engineering office, and it was closing. My first and only pink slip. The unemployment rate was quickly approaching 10 %, it was the worst economy of my lifetime. These were the … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspiration, Memories, Work and Career | Tagged , , , , , | 23 Comments

Ziglar

Posted on February 2, 2015 by vanbytheriver

I met Zig Ziglar in Salt Lake City in 1977.  He was one of several motivational speakers at a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) rally. I was not long married, fresh out of college, and new to a promising job with … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Humor, Inspiration, Memories, Mental Health, Work and Career, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The VW Bus

Posted on January 14, 2015 by vanbytheriver

In our own version of “That 70s Show” , we were caught up in wedding and relocation plans, just a few short months after college. The year was 1973. The clothes were polyester, the colors and patterns were hideous. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Memories, Work and Career | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Teaching at 3

Posted on January 7, 2015 by vanbytheriver

If there ever was a sign, a premonition, or a destiny foretold, it happened for me at age 3. My parents had gifted me with a chalkboard and supplies, including a rubber-tipped pointer not shown in the photo. I could … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Education, Family, Inspiration, Memories, Work and Career | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Avocado… A Love Story

Posted on November 7, 2014 by vanbytheriver

I fell into a love/hate relationship with the avocado back in the 1970’s. We didn’t have many avocados growing up. I was not a fan. Like Maggie Smith once said in a movie when criticizing the American obsession with guacamole … Continue reading →

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Full Color to Sepia to Black /White. A Year in a Photo Album

Posted on October 1, 2014 by vanbytheriver

It’s interesting to me how much family history and mood can be reflected in a simple photo. A picture really is “worth a thousand words”. Never was this more evident for me than 1978. It was a year of mental … Continue reading →

Posted in Depression, Family, Mental Health, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment