America's birthday

4th of July

Independence Day or the Fourth of July. America's birthday is celebrated. Hope all of my family and friends over there have a nice day. I'm sorry that I can not be there now. But I visited some nice Youtube movies about some very interesting fireworks. So if You have no time to go outsite to visit one in Your home town than click here.

The first one is Funny and sad at the same time. It is very short!!!!

The second one is from Japan and just beautiful.

Take your time, it is a little long. 

Best to bring some sausages and chips as well, to put You in the mood.

day 4 of the UBC

Some Show News

Las Vegas has so much to offer and we are very fortunate to have some good friends and our daughter working there. One day, Nathaly came to us with a surprise. She had special event tickets for the "Mystère Show" from Cirque du Soleil, for our friend Brian Andro who is working at this show, they organised a surprise Party after the Show for his 80th. birthday. So we were standing on this great stage. His son had made a movie of his LIFE. We worked with him many years ago round 1960.

Then an other day Tuson Big Mountain our son-in-law brought us backstage of the new "Aria" the newest Luxury Hotel in the City Center from Las Vegas  He has a large working space and is a carpenter.

Backstage is enormous large and 6 stories high. Wow, I wonder how many people are necessary to operate all these large props and stages, up and down. The show is called "Viva Elvis"  Tuson told us there are 40 people during showtime working. The biggest surprse was a phonecall from our daughter Nathaly who got us tickets for this great show, the last day, before we had to leave, where she performs as  "Westerngirl."
We are so glad to be able to see her on this stage. She was wonderful.

I know, I am proud of her,  our daughter Nathaly (Bonny West)

Some news from Las Vegas

It has been awhile to write for my blog, but ofcourse I am on  holiday and I want to be as much as possible with my love ones.

First we went to our very loved place "The District", a place which looks like a small village in France, with nice shops and very good food. Like the Fish restaurant "Kings Fish House" where ( as a tradition) we go together to have some oysters.

After that we  spent a few days in the  Hotel Casino "Aliante" not far from my daughters home. With swimming pools and different Theaters and Restaurants. We got a good rest after this long trip from Europe to the USA

                                          

                                                                                                     

view from our room

 Coming home again to my daughters place, I love to sit in her garden, but only very early in the morning, or in the evening. It is extreme hot this May, Some days over 100 F what is 35C !

The  Sound of Las Vegas for me, is the wind singing through the high palm trees. Lilac flowers and a hummingbird the sound of spoons and beads hanging on a cord.The kitchen near, water boiling for my tea. Lovely to be here.

Away

Today is mother's day and it just started, so I will not write about this day yet. Many things has happened since the last time I wrote. On the 10th of this month May we went to the USA to visit our daughter , son inlaw and grandson. We have not been together for 14 month and so I am very exited. The flight we took was the first direct flight from Düsseldorf to Las Vegas, this year. Unfortunately this direct flights only go untill october. To get to the airport we asked for a taxi who came 30 min.late, because they mixed up the date of our travel. rrrrrr. Anyway we are here and that is great. Our grandson looked an other half a meter taller than last time we saw him. And Dieter almost past him. Luckely he reconized us still!!! We stay in their lovely home in Las Vegas.

 Nathaly and Tuson have a large talent to decorate the house. It is full of original paintings and many artifacts from around the world and special: Native American, beadwork, drums, flutes, masks and so much more. Everytime when you sit in the room Your eye gets something new.

Tuson's brother Buffalo and his lovely wife Athena were also there for only a few days. The three of them went for a Harley Davidson ride through the Red Rocks Valley. They drove for 200 miles that day, where all tired when they came come, but had the Day of their Life driving together. The family has many famaly members, but live all around the USA. Buffalo and Athena went back home yesterday to Wisconcin

Athena, Tuson and Buffalo Big Mountain

The Best for Last

That is true the best for last, I mean only for this blogchallenge, because this is the last post for the month of april 2012. I want to write something about my daughter, she is at this moment the last of our family Lange who is in Showbusiness, together with her cousin Rosi Hochegger. Artist Family Lange started in 1872 and I have made a DVD with a lot of pictures of all the generations and Video Films. It tooks me 6 month to finish it.

Family tree with the blue site of Oswin Lange who is the grandfather of Nathaly our daughter

Nathaly was sure at the age of 12, that she loves to be in Showbusiness like her parents were and so her dad and she started to practice after she found out what her act would be. She decided to become a Cowgirl, she loved dancing and that was a good opportunity to use that in her Act. She started to spin lasso's. Fortunately she met Vince Bruce in Amsterdam, so to say the best Roper in the world, he became a good friend of her and they practice together.

After lasso spinning she started to juggle with pistols and Whipcracking, so at the age of 15 her Act was complete and she started to work in Europe, mostly together with her parents. Her name
"Bonny West" For more pictures please click the link
She went to USA in Florida where her friend Vince was working in a Show named "Fort Liberty"

Not long after that, she started herself at that show and met her husband Tuson Big Mountain. He is a native American and worked with his family at the same show. A few years later they became husband and wife a very beautiful couple, but we lost her to that country so far away from us, and I lost a few tears about that. But she is happy and that matters most.

Together they moved to California and worked at the Wild Bill's for 12 years and We became grandma and grandpa, from a lovely boy, Jacodie.

That is not a baby anymore but a handsome teener

Now Nathaly and Tuson live and work in Las Vegas, what a town so many things to see and to do. Nathaly worked in different Casino's like the Wynn, and the Mandalay Bay, she was behind stage working wardrobe for the singer, but now she is again working as cowgirl in the
"Viva Elvis Show," from Cirque du Soleil.
We are so proud of her, and so glad that we have such a lovely daughter. Next month so that is very soon we will visit her again.

Mascott's? What is this? Check it out

A family day with our cousins, the famous Mascott's, who live now in a cottage in the north of Germany and take a 3 hours ride for us to get there. We try to see each other once or twice a year. And have dinner together, than we are talking about the good old days. They worked in the greatest plases like Radio City Musical and also together with Sammy Davis Jr. and You can have a look at their performance, here it is.

Ofcourse that was in 1967 now their life is different. They enjoy to be with dogs, and horses and have a very romantic place. I love to walk around the garden with lots of different trees and flowers and collectibles of funny animals, moshrooms, butterflies. You find them everywere out of glass or iron.
Beautiful Koi's in the pond

Bärbel also worked with 14 barzoi's
and they have still a great place in
her heart.

A vieuw from the cottage with 2 horses

     



.

Collage made by my husband: Dieter Lange

Our children are still in Showbusiness. More about that tomorrow. 

Follies

Follies a good word for a good Show. The Follies (If You click the link, You can see a video spot)in Palm Springs California. This show is very special because all the performers must be over 55 years of age. That means, also the lovely girls are mostly far in the 60th. When we visited the show, there was a dancer lady from 80 years old. She came on stage, the Talkmaster asked her:"I heard You can still make the split" "Yes" she said and voila she glide into the split rhight there on stage. The audience applaused for her and screem yeh very good. Than the old lady said:"Yes but now I can not get up" Big laughter again. Two men dancer came on stage and took her up her feet. So funny and so good. There is something about that place. The old people are enjoying them self, the showpeople but also the audience who are mostly also far over 60 years old. I have seen people coming to the show with a oxygen bottle in their hands, but smiling!!
Our Cousin Miss Rogana also performed there. She had a great act with knife balancing on a sweeping ladder. Here a video from her act.

Beads and more

 My beading experience.

I tried a lot of crafts before I choose to stay with my fabric art, like BEADWORK
My daughter who lives in the USA married a native American and they make the most beautiful boedwork on everyhing.
My daughter lerned the beadwork from het mother inlas. She has made some great men waistcoats and a lot of jewlery. So I got so enthausiastic and wanted to learn that craft too.
I bought thausends of glas beads in a very small size 10

Nice colours

Also a book"The Art of Beadweaving " by Jacque Owens. Wow how nice the little pouches came out. So pretty.

Mostly I use the peyote stich, but you can ork the right angle weave, the daisy stich,Brick stich and more. Check out the free beading instructions . But ofcourse I am a ceative woman, made drawings and started an collection of jewels. 

There is a lot of information, just Google 

my earrings

One of my designs

Music keeps me going

It 's true I'm very seldom without music. When driving my car, the music is nice and loud, but at home it must be soft, like jazz, blues or New Age, like: Slow changes by Shanti & Friends, or Radiance by Steven Halpern. Listen to this nice piece on of music on You Tube called

 "Chill out beauty of this world."

In California I heard the radio playing Smooth Jazz, and now with the itunes radio on my MAC, I get exactly the same music, then my memories are back with my daughter who lives in the USA.
My husband and I still love to go out dancing, then the best music for us is Latin and Rock and Roll!!!
I'm glad we both love the same kind of music.  Now I have to start working again on my textiel Art, looking for the right fabric and colours. Here the latest picture.

I need probably an other tree days to have it all ready.

Historic Route 66

 

Route 66 very well known special by BIKERS they love this long route from the nord east Cicago to the far West Los Angeles. The route is about 4000 km. long and passes the states of: Cicago, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. This legendair Hyway is the best way to travel and meet many different people with their own culture. In Chicago the Bues found his way. And in Oklahoma the Blue Grass music. In Missisipi st.Louis after many factories had to close, now the culture from the HIP HOP arise in the many clubs around. From 1926 till the end of 1960 this route was also called Mother of the Roads.
Since 1984 the route was not so important anymore and only a few small cities and shops along the route survived. On the website You can find a lot of picures in information. We traveled the route 66 from Flagstaff till Los Angeles through the Mojave Desert. With the famous Joshua Trees which look like large cactuses.

You can drive for hours without seeing any other car so You feel like you are all alone on the road.
Real great. The best time to travel throug the desert is in spring or autumn otherwise it can be terrible hot and don't drive without gasoline and water. One more: keep your limit when You drive the Route, because even if You see nobody, Police is around the corner.

Quilt: day 3 blogchallenge

My art is something like quilting, as quilting means it has to be 3 layers and so is my work. I also have 3 layers.

Contemporary artist from this day break loose of the traditional quilting. and use all kind of improvisation with piecing.

A good resource for quilting is to go to this website http://www.quiltingdaily.com.

They have blogs, forums free resources,galleries and much more. You can also post pictures of your artwork there.

Baby Bed Quilt

I started quilting about 15 years ago while I was in the USA. My first piece was a very large bedcover like 2.50 : 2.20 cm. All the pieces where stich together with the machine, but I quilted everything by hand.

In the mean time I have made 14 large quilts. But now Is You know I only work small artpieces. 

Slowly it grows

I love to make them and they take a lot of my time, mostly I work around 80 hours on the piece.

Our trip to the USA

Ich werde weiter mal in Deutsch schreiben fűr unsere Freunde. Denn ab Morgen sind wir unterwegs nach Las Vegas denn unsere Tochter wohnt dort mit Ihr Mann Tuson und unser Enkel Jacodie. Die beiden haben wir schon 1 Jahr nicht mehr gesehen. Ich habe immer etwas Bauchweh denn richtig gerne fliege ich nicht! Aber was soll es. Zugleich ist dieser Blog dann auch wichtig fűr mich denn so kann ich wenigstens weiter űben mit Fotos usw.

Unsere Flugreise 1 Februar 2011

Wir haben es geschafft und sitzen im Flugzeug. Ich dachte schon es wurde etwas schief gehen denn beim Platz reservieren bekam ich auf dem Computer Bericht das ich mich melden sollte am Schalter. Was war geschehen?? ich brauchte einen neuen Pass , und darum war mein Visa welche eigentlich 2 Jahr gültig ist nun nicht mehr gültig. Wir mussten alles auf ein spezieller Touch Screen Computer neu ausfüllen und auch bezahlen. Es dauerte eine ganze Zeit bis mir alles gelungen war, aber dann kam die Nachricht "innerhalb 72 Stunden bekommen Sie bescheid!" 72 Stunden???? Ich will jetzt fliegen.

Nun wie ihr schon verstanden habt,  es hat geklappt, denn sonst sässe ich nicht hier. Wir brauchten allerdingst erst ein kleines beruhigungs Bierchen und das am frühen Morgen!!

Noch immer der 1. Februar

Unsere Flugreise ist noch nicht zu ende gewesen . Alles verlief eigentlich sehr ruhig. Ein par Filmen anschauen etwas essen und schon sind 9 und ein halb Stunden vorbei. Wir landeten in Washington und hatten Glück das der Flugplatz frei von Schnee war denn 

es hatte zuvor noch viel geschneit und der Platz war sogar geschlossen. Also alles prima, wir fanden unsere Koffer schnell und gingen durch die Passkontrole. Auch das ging ohnen Probleme, aber der gute Beamte dort zeichnete ein grosser gelbe Buchstabe B auf unser

Einreise Papier und ich sagte schon zu Dieter:” Dass bedeutet bestimmt nichts gutes”. Und ja , statt der Bagage weiter zu leiten nach unsere nächste Flug nach Las Vegas mussten wir in ein Buro, unsere Bagage mussten wir hinterlassen und unser Passporten abgeben. 

Es waren noch ein par Leute dort alle mit Schwarze Hautfarbe, wir waren die einzigste Weisse. Eine nach dem anderen mussten sie vor kommen und es wurde mit Tinte Fingerandrücke gemacht und Fotos. Dieter fand das gar nicht lustig und hätte am liebsten protestiert, aber ich habe im kalmiert. Lasst doch wir haben noch 1,5 Stunden zeit. Nachdem wir dort 30 Minuten gesessen hatten, rief ein Beamter uns, gab uns die Pässe zurück und sagte:” You are done.” Das war es, unsere Koffer hatten Sie nicht mal rein geschaut und was das alles sollte ist mir unklar, aber bei der USA Douane sollte man nicht viel nachfragen.

Wir kamen noch rechtzeitig im Flugzeug nach Las Vegas und der Pilot hatte Eile weg zukommen, die Passagieren hatten gerade platz genommen da rollte es schon auf zur Rollbahn, denn es wurde ein riesen BLIZARD(Schneesturm) kommen. So kamen wir 20 min. früher an in Las Vegas , aber unsere Tochter Nathaly und Jacodie unser Enkel warteten schon auf uns. Alles okay.

Our flight 1 februar 211

We did it we are at the plane, I thought something would go wrong, because yesterday I was not able to book my reservacion online and got the message I have to come to the counter from United Airlines. So there we are, the Lady said did You get You Visa from the ESTA

My brain started to react what was that again  and I rememberd that we had done that about 2 years ago. But because I had a new pasport that visa did not count anymore.

So luckely I could ask for a permit on a computer right there .It was not easy as I did not know it was a touch screen and pusht all the buttons I could find. Untill a steward showed me how it worked. After paying with my credit card I got the message,”Within 72 hours You will get Your permit” 72 houres??? what You mean??? I want to fly to day. Well es You understand everything worked out fine as I am sitting in the Plane to Washington Dulles at this moment. We had a small beer to calm down again from the stess.!

Still 1. Februar

Our trip was not finished yet. Everyting went smoothly. We watched a few movies , hat something to eat and so passed the 9,5 hours flight. We landed in Washington Dulles, 

lucky that the airport was open. We got our lugage and went throug the Douane everything without any problems, but than this officer put a big yellow B on our papers and I told Dieter:",that is not very good it means something with our luggage," and so it was. We had to go to an other office and leave our luggage in front, we had to give our Passports and there we were the only white people. One after one had to come to the front there fingerprints were token and pictures made. Dieter wanted to make a protest, but I told him that brings nothing stay calm we still have1,5 hours before our plane to Las Vegas leaves.

After 30 minutes an officer called us , gave us back our pasports and said “You are done”

Nobody looked in our luggage so I do not know why all that happend, but it is better in the USA not to ask.

We came ontime for our flight and the pilot wanted to leave Washington very quickly as there was an  a Blizard coming there soon. So we arived a little early in Las Vegas, but our daughter Nathaly and Jacodie our Grandson were waiting for us. Everyting okay.