Wishing you a Happy Fourth of July 2024

The Provo River is reaching its banks. Ken and Sue Allen spent a few days with me, attending a family wedding

Mount Timpanogos is a popular subject in the Utah artists exhibition at the Springville Art Museum

My cousins Doug Marx and wife Carol visited from Napa, California on their way to Wyoming and Montana

Some of my favorites at the museum, including Kathleen Patterson

We enjoyed the Folk Ensemble at "the Orchard" in Orem, part of the Freedom Festival

                         Americana folkdancers, cloggers, band

    Carol is a horsewoman and liked being near Steve Young's horses

Sunday afternoon at Hank and Colette Taylor's cabin near Sundance, Provo Canyon. I took a lovely walk with views of Stewart Falls and North Fork of the Provo River

George and Marian Taylor and five of their kids and a cousin

 One of Colette's favorite sayings by the front door of Pooh Cottage. Home past Bridal Veil Falls

Jenny Oaks Baker and her four musical kids performed at the Scera outdoor theater, Orem...wonderful Americana music, folk, ballroom and flamenco dancing

       Narrator and performer Conlon Bonner. His parents sat behind us

          To end the evening was a wonderful fireworks display

"Graduation" for the ESL program at My Hometown Provo. I will miss these great students as they move up. June was a hard month for attendance, so some are missing! Blanc, Aracely, Mercedes, Rocio

Rocio (Mexico), Mercedes (Peru), Blanc (Haiti via Chile where he served in the Santiago Temple with me in 2017-19

Our class led all the students in singing"This Land is Your Land" and "God bless America" 

The following are some quotes for reflection:

"Liberty can no more exist without virtue and independence than the body can live and move without a soul."
- John Adams

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."
- John F. Kennedy

"Freedom would be meaningless without security in the home and in the streets."
- Nelson Mandela

"America was not built on fear, America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand."
- Harry S. Truman

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
- Martin Luther King

"I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people."
- Rosa Parks

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."
- Nelson Mandela

Happy Independence Day!

              Happy Summer!

John Carlston proudly shows off his new scooter and driver's license. Oh, to be 16!

Twin brother Luke is a wonderful pianist and driver, too

Phoebe is proud of her soccer medal and is beginning violin

The Carlstons performed on piano and violin (Julie and Elise above, Stephanie below)

The Carlstons performed on piano and violin (Julie and Elise below, Stephanie above)

Emily and I and others join Dawne, Tim, Melanie and Abby Hollis join with other friends to celebrate the passing of Ned Hollis

Cordelia (above with some teammates and below with Carlston cousins)...all marched in with the Salt Lake Royals women's soccer team at America First stadium

Evie and Cordelia spent the weekend with me and visited Lucie and Ken selling garlic, lavender and mint at the fun Provo farmers market , held every Saturday in Pioneer Park.

A beautiful pre-wedding open house for Nick, her husband to be, and Sinclaire Hancock

Fun to gather with friends: Marguerite and Rusty Hancock and Sara and Paul Gilman. Below, Miriam, Marguerite and Deanne Welch

Father's Day gathering at Taylors. Above: Lucie, Evie, Miriam and Cordelia. Below: Ben with his crazy headphones

Hannah, Marc and Fernanda

The almost overflowing Provo River runs through the neighborhood

Beautiful sunset adds glow to my house

June 6 we commemorated 80 years since the Normandy Invasion. 

The ceremony in France awarded a few more to those surviving veterans who are now about 100 years old

We owe so much of our freedom to the brave men and women who served in many capacities. We need to continue the race relations improvements only begun with the Emancipation Proclamation and ending with the final emancipation of slavery in Texas in 1865, two years later..

 May Juneteenth 2024 be the beginning of more justice, equality, opportunity, and respect for all people in America, as we approach Independence Day on July 4th.     Read more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth

a 2019 celebration with traditional African dances