Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and hoping that the New Year will bring you all much joy and happiness...and many blessings. Sending a picture of my friend here...I have deer, rabbits and squirrels that look in the windows...they keep my company! Ha!

Aric Axness visits SLC

John and Gayle's son Aric recently visited SLC and was kind enough to meet Shirley and I for supper. A very nice young man and a credit to his parents. We especially enjoyed hearing about how, when he was little, he and his sister would occasionally catch their mom practicing her cheerleading moves when she thought no one was around.

Home from Maui - 2007

Bruce and Sharon and Otfried and I were in Maui at the same time. We talked on the phone but weren't able to get together. They were on boat and various tours, and we were on land with our rental car. A good time was had by all. I especially liked driving to the top of the "inactive" vocano, from zero sea level up to 10,500 feet with numberless switchbacks and hairpin curves that equal Montana's Cooke City Highway.
We also took a helicopter tour ride and a trip on a submarine down 120 feet to the bottom of the Ocean. More pictures can be seen on my profile at Facebook.com.

Maui

Some good pictures are going to be on here before Thanksgiving. Both Bruce and Sharon and Andrea and Otfried will be in Hawaii. We've even overlap time in Maui for a couple of days. Whether we'll be able to get together there is still an open book.

Photo From Bruce Rosten

Bruce just sent this to me for posting. I have not heard back on the details but am assuming this was this spring when Andrea was home? Someone want to fill in the details? Bruce...perhaps you can comment and give us the juicy gossip about all these girls! Ha!

Lefse apron

If you are looking for a colorful Christmas gift, check out www.oldlutheran.com and click on "tie one on an Old Lutheran." They have a wonderful lefse apron as well as some other things that might make cute gifts.

What I Have Been Up Too!

I have been very busy sewing ever since August and have not even had time to paint! I have to get out the fall line of clothes and the Holiday collection, both of which are nearly done and also did a small sweater jacket collecion which is selling well too. The clothes, Pineapple Express for little girls on the go is a business. I developed it to help Suzy at her store to fill a niche. On the west coast, reconstructed clothing out of used clothes is very popular so that is what I do usually with vintage fabrics etc when I can find them. I will post one of the sweaters from that group as they were fun. I boil down women's wool sweaters to shrink them, cut them and reconstruct them so they become something different in appearance. THis sweater closes on the side which makes it asymetrical which is popular out there right now.
Today I go to talk to the seniors at our college who are graduating in fine art. My book is officially out now and being advertised in art magazines etc and I have had other successes internationally but the reality is I have no money. These kids need a reality check as they think they can live here and make a living with their art which is not going to happen. They will have to move away and fine a place that is willing to buy originals etc. So this will be interesting...bring in a stranger to pop their bubble I guess! Ha! So I will be the bad boy and do just that and hopefully get them thinking about what they need to do to prepare for the real world!
My workshop schedule is filling up, even a cruise! It would be fun if some of you could take the cruise and at least at meals and at port we could have fun! Just a pipe dream I am sure.
One of these days I hope to have time to maybe scan a few old pictures to add here...but so glad Gayle and David are keeping it going! Thanks guys!

Miscellaneous

I notice that things have been a little slow in the posting department lately. Here's some copies of some pictures I got at Bernice's place when I was home in August. Maybe the seven sibling picture has been posted before? I don't recall seeing the one of Bernice and Ginger (love that hat!). And of course the last one is of Bernice and her dog (I forgot the dog's name - nice dog though).

Norris Calvin Hagen, 100th anniversery of birth

On August 22, 1907, Norris Calvin Hagen was born in Ashby, Minnesota, the second son of Andrew and Josie Hagen. In November of 1907, at age 3 months, with his older brother Arnold, and his parents, Norris was transported into the homesteading community near Alamo, North Dakota. You can read about the early days in the book that Norris wrote, Vikings of the Prairie. During his life, he was a farmer, teacher, basketball coach, newspaper editor, federal employee, faithful church member, and most important to me, a simply stupendous-could-not-be-better-or more fun-generous-and-good dad!!!
We loved going to baseball games together, as well as fishing, hiking, camping, and conversations held outside while fertilizing an apple tree or roasting marshmellows over a fire. God is good to provide such excellent parents! We Hagens are so fortunate.
The picture above is from the luncheon held on August 22, 2007, at Grandma Sharon's in Williston, in honor of the 100th anniversary of my Dad's birth. It is a good feeling to remember a good man.

Still more western MI adventure

The first picture of Jaden and Emily is from the motel pool in Grand Rapids after spending the previous day at the Michigan Adventure water park in North Muskegan, MI. The remaining four pictures are a sampling of activities at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, MI. This includes a fighter jet simulator ride, carousel airplane ride, helicopter ride and the space walk simulator wheel.

Following the Air Zoo, we had dinner and motored back to Ypsilanti and Belleville, MI. We were driving a Dodge Caravan loaded with luggage, toys, people and memories. We kept the greasy side down for the entire trip.

More Western MI Adventure

Pictures from our hike in Ludington State Park, Mack Woods sand dune ride and Jaden and Emily on the beach at Sable Light House.

Western Michigan Adventure

Pictures of the sunset over Lake Michigan on Wednesday 08 August and Thursday 09 August from Ludington beach. We traveled to west Michigan during Aric and Heli's visit to Michigan with Aric, Heli, Ethan, Emily and Dana, Aaron, Hunter, Alyssa and Jaden. We all saw the sunset on Wednesday, but only Gayle and John Saw it on Thursday. The rest were busy at the motel pool and water slide.

Still More Black and White photo's

Some more pictures of little Gayle, along with other family members used as extras to add interest and value.

Hagen's

Pictures of little Gayle with selected siblings.

Black an White photo's

Photo's taken at grandma's house. Note the recreation activity of poor children before computers and video games.

Pictures from August 1983 trip to visit Norris and Mabel, Pearl and Dave and Arnold and Eva. We left after summer JO's, drove to ND and then traveled in Laurence and Bernice's 1982 Oldsmobile 98 four door sedan with 350 V8 diesel engine. This vehicle now sits west of the farm house and is ready to carry any willing passengers on a new exploration trip. May the fuel be with you.

Smoke

It is SMOKY here today. I thought I would share a few photos of Butte, MT this afternoon. The first photo is the Montana Street exit on I-90. The second photo is looking toward Montana Tech from my street. The third photo is at the top of the "richest hill on earth" on I-15. There are forest fires everywhere and no rain in sight. There are some bug guts in the photos since I took them through my windshield. ;-)

The Fruit of My Work

I was hesitant to put this up but Gayle assured me it was fine...I just wanted to share with you what I have been working on for several years...it is now on Amazon for preorders but I still have not seen one! It is my book on how I paint. If you go to this url you can read an excerpt from it. It is feeling rather surreal at this point and I will not understand it all until I actually can see the book for myself which is sometime in August and then it goes around the world to all bookstores in September I guess...Kind of weird. Just wish my parents could see it! Daddy always encouraged me to persue this dream...somehow I think he knows. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_i_0/105-3676027-9721251?ie=UTF8&rs=&keywords=A%20Celebration%20of%20Light&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AA%20Celebration%20of%20Light%2Ci%3Astripbooks

Aric & Heli's House Monday 25 June 2007

Aric has developed a real interest in landscaping and has improved his yard (more than an acre) by adding many new plants and two semi loads of mulch. He has azaleas and blue hydrangeas along the drive that are beautiful when they are blossoming. His cherry trees were spectacular this spring before the cold snap hit and all the leaves dropped from the trees and bushes. The plants are just recovering from the freeze.

Playground fun Friday, 22 June

We took the kids to Ethan's school playground for a morning outing. It was warming up by the time we left but we mostly had beautiful weather for the ten days that we were in SC.

Pearson Falls visit Wednesday 20 June

While John and I were babysitting, (Aric and Heli went to CA for six days), we took the kids to a waterfall in NC. It is an easy and beautiful trail and is a perfect walk to take kids on that want to be carried!

Biltmore Estate Monday 18 June

John, Ethan and I spent the day at the Biltmore. Ethan talked us into a wooden sword and we reluctantly bought it for him. He has slain more dragons and monsters than we could have imagined were lurking around us! We always enjoy our trip to the estate. Great scenery along with good food and wine!

Moore SC and Milliken headquarters

Emily dressed to the nine's on Father's Day! We went for a walk at Milliken and also fed the ducks and geese. Aric feels fortunate to work in such beautiful surroundings. He often goes for a run at noon or can work out in their gym.