An interesting week: school has started (earlier and earlier each year, it seems) and I always feel I need to keep learning, too!

A wonderful spot on the Stanford University campus is the Cantor Arts Center, where, as a child I loved seeing the "golden spike" and a train engine. Leland Stanford was one of the leaders in changing the history of the United States 150 years ago, as the east and west coasts were finally connected by railroad in 1869.
The golden spike (also known as The Last Spike^[1]) is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. 
The museum has wonderful paintings, artifacts, sculptures (a large collection of Rodin, including "The Thinker" and  "Gates of Hell.") He had a huge collection of "body parts" that he recycled throughout his many masterpieces. Here are a few samples of Rodin and others:

Do Ho Suh: cultural differences between his native Korea and the US. Interconnection of people!

Redwood totems, masks, etc. of Pacific Northwest US natives

Island Universe (galaxies)
In the Anderson Collection next door are more contemporary works: Yosemite Falls! and Frog food!

The "Gilded Age" from about 1880 to WWI was a time of turmoil, a great disparity between the poor (displaced often by the new industrialization) and the wealthy. The above was painted by my grandparents' friend Frank Duveneck, who introduced my parents at a party at their "Hidden Villa Ranch" in Los Altos, which developed into a wonderful farm and outdoor area for children, where I spent time hiking as a youth and which my grandchildren enjoy. There is a youth hostel there and opportunities for underprivileged kids. My grandmother and Josephine Duveneck started an alternative school because they were dissatisfied by the public schools when they arrived in California from the East Coast in the 1920's.

For more photos, see: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nCcaNt8TLroHFhbk7
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It has been a most memorable week in so many respects....

Dinner with the sister missionaries and a wonderful Chinese family reminded me of how incredibly blessed we are to live in a country with so many freedoms, especially the freedom of religion. Tong received the great honor to be the only one selected by his Chinese company to spend a year at Stanford University. If he were to be baptized and become a member of our church, which he and his wife love, he would forfeit his career opportunities. Only the elite are members of the Communist Party, a membership incompatible with membership in a Christian church. They are so open-minded and are soaking up principles and values we treasure.

Yesterday our street had it's annual "Block party"...so fun to catch up with "old" friends and make new ones:

Monday, all in attendance were moved by the beautiful music and remarks at the memorial service for much-loved friend Jim Fox. 

 Jim was an amazing linguist, a Stanford professor of Latin American studies and linguistics, especially of fairly obscure Mayan languages and cultures, and led many groups to Mexico and other places. He was released in 2003 as bishop of our stake's Spanish ward, having been responsible for it's early and incredible growth and organization, especially through his work with Scouting and youth programs, his love of music, his piano playing, his love of family history/genealogy. He has now not only joined his deceased family members and friends, but the 1000's of Hispanic deceased he has helped connect to his ward members. I loved the comment that "he listened when everyone knew he could be talking" (since he always had so many interesting things to say). As the large chorus of male friends sang a favorite hymn: "God be with you 'til we meet again" there were tears and a great outpouring of love for this great man who dedicated his life to others, served in the temple, and raised a wonderful family.

Stanford University is near and dear to my heart, too, as I lived on the campus as a child, attended Sunday school and church services in beautiful Memorial Church growing up, have attended concerts there my whole life. I was married there, also. It was built in the late 1800's in memory of the Leland and Jane Lathrop Stanfords' son who died as a young man in Italy, and has wonderful wise and spiritually uplifting quotes and beautiful stained glass windows. I once took a French family to visit and the dad who was an art professor said it was too eclectic...but maybe that's it's charm!

My grandmother used to take me to the cafeteria at the old Tresidder Union building some Friday nights. It was always fun to be with the big college students! Across the way is the bookstore and the "claw" fountain, a great place to cool off.

I received my master's in teaching and a secondary teaching credential.through the STEP program at the school of education.

The original university classes were all held in these buildings around the "quad(rangle)," but the university has grown tremendously since its founding in the late 1800's. The Hoover Tower is an icon and has a great view from on top! My grandfather was director for many years of the Hoover Institution/Library on War, Revolution and Peace, and was still collecting books when he died suddenly in 1945, at Middlebury College in Vermont, while on sabbatical from his teaching duties at Stanford. He would have enjoyed knowing Jim Fox, as both loved music, travel, and ideas.

The "oval" is a popular place for frisbee playing, walking, resting. The big "S" also a symbol of all the football and basketball games and other sports events I've enjoyed my whole life. 

I try to attend the Oakland temple every week to balance the temporal and spiritual, to keep my life in perspective. From the temple grounds is a wonderful view of the San Francisco Bay (see the outline of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distant center?) The city of Oakland is in the middle foreground.

This week I have been blessed to have shared many sacred moments: in the temple, at the memorial service, at our semi-annual stake (area) conference, and simply at home and in gatherings with friends. Dedicating time, space and words can all be sacred and help us keep perspective in our busy lives. During Sunday's conference President Wilson asked various people and groups to stand. He thanked me for serving my 88th mission! (a joke, of course). Maybe that was a hint that missions are great, but maybe I need to strike a balance!

What is sacred? A visiting church authority shared a story of Charles F. Adams, son of our second US president. A father and son went fishing together. The father said it was a wasted day; the son said it was the most wonderful day fishing with his father....a matter of perspective.
Another anecdote: 2 caterpillars were best friends. One disappeared. The other was missing him when a butterfly appeared. When asked if it was hard to become a butterfly, he replied that it was harder to give up being a caterpillar. Sometimes it is very hard to give up our weaknesses and bad habits for something better. And we must be patient with all the caterpillars, as none of us are very close to being perfect!
With God, as was so beautifully expressed by our friend Candace Wheeler in describing her Boston Marathon experience, "with God nothing is impossible." The Gospel is perfect, but its application is left to our individual judgment, our interpretation, as we all have free agency. We just need to do our best, accept God's love, support and timing, and hang onto hope, even when we sometimes run out of patience and faith.