Living out of suitcases! Life in limbo! Lots of fun and surprises!

So fun to have Nanci and Darryl Thomander come to visit from Palo Alto, just as my new house finally became mine!

I came back to my Airbnb one evening to find that the Murillos from Quito, Ecuador, whom I'd worked with in the Guayaquil Temple, would be staying there too! 

I stayed with 3 grandchildren while their parents accompanied grand-daughter Hannah to regional states gymnastics competition in Arizona. She placed first on the bars! Nick learned to tie a bow tie for his first prom with his cute date.

Marc does a 60 second ice cream tasting video. Son Simon films.

Taking a walk with Marty, Evie and Nick around Daybreak. 

I can officially drive all over Utah with my first Utah plates,but still need to get a Utah driver's license. So many details to work out.

Visit from Palo Alto friends Al and Susan Dorsky. Lunch at Sundance in Provo Canyon. Ski season has ended there, but continues elsewhere. Ski passes have been cheap and most of my family skies.

Instead, the blossoms are amazing!

Plum and pear blossoms in my new neighborhood and around Utah 

New to me are the feed and agriculture stores. My grand-daughter Lucie has many chickens which she lovingly cares for and gathers the eggs.

My daughter Julie and her three girls, daughter-in-law Fernanda and daughter and I enjoyed the cherry blossoms at the Utah state capitol. The girls climbed every other tree!

Fernanda and Julie at the Mormon Battalion monument at the capitol.

At lunch I was thrilled to run into friend Becca Sweat and daughter and grandkids, moved from Palo Alto to Idaho. Friends everywhere!

After lunch we climbed Ensign Peak north of the capitol and temple. Brigham Young and others, following a vision given him by the deceased Joseph Smith, hiked to the summit on July 26, 1847, just two days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, to raise the ensign of liberty and to lay out the new city.

It's been fun to watch my grand kids play and my kids coach soccer, and to hike together. Cool weather and still bare trees did not stop our enjoying a hike to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon.

or a friend's birthday celebration outdoors at the Taylors' where I currently have happily parked myself, close to my new house, which now has a new roof! The rest is still in progress.

The uncertainty of world events continues to challenge all of us and encourages lots of reflection on so many issues. I appreciated the following piece and all the role models I have had over the years.

Just as we prepare for earthquakes or power shut-offs, we all should probably prepare for how we will respond the next time we see harassment. How we respond will depend upon the circumstances, but thinking about how to respond before we find ourselves thrust into that situation might be helpful.

 In the case of the murder of George Floyd, all the bystanders could do was document it with their phone cameras. As we have seen, the evidence can be important later.

Sometimes we may be able to get help to stop the harassment or the violence by calling 911 or by asking other bystanders for help. Bullies will often leave when confronted by a group.If the harassment has not become violent, we may be able to intervene by pretending to know the victim and saying something like, “Hey, old friend, long time no see. Do you want to get out of here and go get a cup of coffee?” If the victim takes the hint and leaves the scene with you, you might just find you have a new friend.

 Sometimes we may only feel comfortable going up to the victim afterwards and saying how awful we feel that this happened to them. Whatever we feel we are able to do, it’s most important to let the victim know s/he is not alone and that we don’t condone what has happened.

 Let’s hope that by embracing those who are a little different from us, we can show those around us the value of diversity.

 

Fondly,

Annette Isaacson
                   CCIS President                  
president@ccisstanfordu.org

Under President Jimmy Carter, from 1977 to 1981, Walter Mondale was the first vice president to serve as a genuine partner of a president, with full access to intelligence briefings, a weekly lunch with Mr. Carter, his own office near the president’s and his own staff integrated with Mr. Carter’s.

Throughout his career, Mr. Mondale advocated an assertive and interventionist role for the federal government, especially on behalf of the poor, minority groups and women.

Walter F. Mondale, the former vice president and champion of liberal politics, activist government and civil rights who ran as the Democratic candidate for president in 1984, losing to President Ronald Reagan in a landslide, died on Monday at his home in Minneapolis. He was 93.

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Let us not forget the many courageous men and women who have given, and those who continue their lives and service to country and others. This at the Vietnam Memorial at the Utah Capitol.

The Conference Center across from Temple Square will open again soon, we hope!