Ready or not here come the kids. I'm glad to be retired, but always feel a bit nostalgic when I think of the excitement of the first day.

First day of school for my nieces and nephew in Santa Cruz, CA (9th, 1st, and 12th grade). Pandemic or not, school started last week in Utah

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Evelyn de Schweinitz was baptized by big brother Nick, a senior in high school! Where has the time gone!

Evie and her family: Fernanda, Nick, Evie, Hannah, Simon and Marc. Many of her cousins ( not all in the photo) came to celebrate in Daybreak, Utah. Fernanda and her mom prepared a nice brunch afterwards at home.

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We had a big family gathering to welcome my youngest sibling, Roy, and his wife Julie and daughter Olivia, after their backpack trip in Bryce Canyon. The next day we hiked at Sundance (ski resort in winter) with Peter, Rebecca, Ming Lu and Cordelia de Schweinitz.

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I'm grateful to be able to attend the temple again, though attendance is limited and by appointment.

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Every year in August before BYU starts, Education Week is held on campus, with a wide range of interesting classes. I attended quite a few, from Lincoln, to art, to film, to conflict resolution (my daughter Emily's class) to Jerusalem, to Columbus, to the Supreme Court, to Women of the Bible, to LDS Church history, to world religions, etc. It was mind expanding if not exhausting! It goes from 8:30 AM to 9:30 PM Monday through Friday.

                                                    

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I was ready on Friday to spend a wonderful weekend camping with family at Flaming Gorge on the Utah-Idaho border (3 1/2 hours from Provo. We spend an afternoon rafting on the Green River (very green!), swimming, kayaking and hiking. We were grateful for a waterproof tent in a nice campground above the blue reservoir, across from the dam and bridge. Unfortunately 2 1/2 families had sports conflicts, so couldn't join us. 

Three year old Phoebe wasn't sure about rafting, but decided it was okay, even the rapids! The water coming from the dam was cold but refreshing! 

I came home last night to a full moon just breaking through the clouds over my waterfall. My phone did not capture the breath-taking beauty of the evening from my back steps!. 

Today was the first day of classes at Utah Valley University in Orem (Provo's neighbor) but I braved the crowds of students to see the amazing stained glass permanent exhibition "Roots of Knowledge" which "represents more than 12 years of devotion and attention to the finest detail handcrafted into 80 glass windowpanes, spanning 10 feet in height and 200 in length. This scene opens with the intertwining roots of the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, winding their way through the panes. In the final scene the Tree of Hope for Humanity solidly stands strengthened by the complete panorama representing experiences, discoveries and efforts spanning centuries, continents and cultures. Branches stretch across the upper panels to represent the hope that is inextricably tied to knowledge." Utah glass artists Tom Holdman and Cameron Oscarson and their crew have also created most of the stained glass in our more recent temples throughout the world. These very intricate scenes and vibrant colors are so spectacular that my photos do not do them justice. Come see!

The last panel....
What an amazing world and an incredible time we live in. I'm grateful for all the intelligence, learning and dedication of the men and women who have left legacies in art, science, letters, discoveries, exploration, justice, and humanitarian service. May we use the talents, education, knowledge, and goodness we each have within us to benefit from their contributions and pass our blessings on to posterity. May we respect and feel our connection to every other human being on earth. For a virtual tour: uvu.edu/rootsofknowledge/tour

I was grateful to be able to attend a class given by very dynamic Gail Holdman (wife of Tom and part of the team). She spoke of the choosing and execution of symbols and images on the panels they have created in a few of the temples. Here are a couple of (very poorly photographed!) samples.

The whole process is incredible, the work inspired! What a gift to us!
 

 What a wonderful summer! Some highlights (before the smoke of western wildfires polluted the skies) include a day hike with my daughter Julie and her girls at Albion Basin at Alta Ski resort.

A great week at Neskowin on the Tillamook coast of Oregon with college friends. We stayed in the beach house of Wendy's (on left) brother and spent time in the gorgeous home of Heidi (in the center) with a view of much of the coast. She prepared us some gourmet meals. We also enjoyed the meals at the Hawk Creek Inn (the only restaurant in town). Heidi spent childhood summers at Neskowin.

Neskowin is famous for its Proposal Rock (the postmistress' daughter was proposed to there 100 years ago). There is also a "Ghost Forest" on the other side, of ancient petrified tree stumps. seen at low tide.

We enjoyed the Saturday farmers markets in Neskowin and Lincoln City, and lots of galleries.I bought a colorful hand woven rug and a  beautiful painting by local artist Michael Schlichting.

How good it felt to put our feet in the Pacific Ocean at Winema Beach

We stayed across from the golf course, once a swampy wetlands. Often children had to be picked up by boat from the school across the way when it flooded. The village is filled with charming cottages, many from early 1900's, each with a unique story. This one, next door

Some of us enjoyed a hike at Cascade Head through the foggy but luxuriant rain forest. It cleared enough to see the convergence of the Salmon River and the Pacific. The native Americans built huge bonfires on the (now) bare cliffs to welcome in the salmon.

                   Kathleen and Kathie showing off their s'mores.

                                      Could have been us!

I have an ancient book of maps and photos of the explorations from Kowloon to Alaska to northern California in 1788, of my ancestor John Meares. I never guessed we would be able to visit Cape Meares, with its ancient Sitka spruce forest, though we had a hard time finding this beautiful spot with a defunct lighthouse. It is one of two (the other in Hawaii) that used the Fresnel lens.

We spent a little time at the old schoolhouse in Tillamook which houses a quilt and textile museum.

In Oceanside we walked through a rocky wet tunnel, used as gun emplacement (holes in rock)

I flew home to Provo in time for my granddaughter Cordelia's 6th birthday

(With cousins) Cordelia on the left loves cheetahs. She can run almost as fast when she plays a mean game of soccer with her dad and on a team.

And the baptism of 8 year old Evie in Daybreak.

                With her family.......                  and just the girls

Now that we are in Phase 3 of the Covid Pandemic, we can attend the temple by appointment. There are 2 LDS temples in Provo. Provo City Center Temple (dedicated in 2016) was built on the site of and in keeping with the old Provo Tabernacle which was mostly destroyed by fire in 2010. It felt so good to be there last week.

I have an appointment today at the older Provo Temple across the street from the Mission Training Center, where I volunteer with the interpreters on Tuesdays for the devotionals. I am taking over from the Sorensons. These are my cute helpers Ryan Chiang and Alli Chen. We set up the stations for the many interpreters who make possible these messages which go out to missionaries in training at home or serving throughout the world. Technology is a blessing in missionary work, among other things.

It is fun to be in Provo, where so much is available culturally. I really enjoyed the exposition at the BYU art museum featuring works of Brazilian-American Vik Muniz:

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipNIf6i563AErOIefPtxla4NE-d_UpTEd_l_eenU

As I've watched highlights of the Olympic Games, I've felt a strong connection to people all over the world. I think over 200 countries participated, mostly without spectators. What a thrill to see the accomplishments and talents worldwide. 

Stay safe and pray that young people will thrive as school attendance is still a challenge, as are jobs, and many activities, and as lives continue to be restricted almost everywhere. Don't give up hope!!