Fall culture and some fun, interesting and meaningful events. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Ballet Theatre at BYU presented beautiful selections from Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals and other ballets...great talent!

Some of the family enjoyed watching the graceful young dancers at the Rose Wagner Theatre in SLC. My twin granddaughters Elise (beige and Stephanie in green, above) have been participating in the Virginia Tanner "modern" dance program for several years. 

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This week I was thrilled to watch the fabulous performance in the new music building (in recently added spectacular organ) of the BYU Men's Chorus joined by the wonderful Panoramic Steel (drums) and a great soloist, Curtis Gulledge, singing many of my favorite Calypso songs of my all-time favorite singer Harry Belafonte. Slaves in Barbados and Tobago used wood, then bamboo, then steel drums made from oil container scraps as they refused to stop drumming. Owners were afraid they were inciting rebellions.

Harry Belafonte, who died at age 96 in 2023, was born in Harlem of Jamaican and Martiniquais parents. Dyslexic and blind in one eye, he won Oscars, Emmys and every other musical award in his long career. His iconic songs are "Jamaica Farewell," "Banana Boat Song," "Turn the World Around," "Island in the Sun," "Come Back Liza." He would have been happy with the chorus and soloist's rendition of these.

Sunday on the broadcast "Dialogue" Sunday school class my daughter-in-law Rebecca led a wonderful lesson/discussion. She shared some powerful messages for our divided country, to address some of the anger, frustration, disappointment many of us have been feeling after the election. We heard/sang along with the African American "national anthem": Lift every voice and sing

She shared many poignant quotes, poems, and inspiring messages of healing, for ourselves and others. Here are a few of them. I'm sorry they are a bit hard to read.

A huge thank you on Veteran's Day (Nov. 11) to President Joe Biden (perhaps the most demanding role anyone could have, leading the United States) and for all the unsung, courageous veterans who have fought and served our country in the military and in supporting roles. May we stand up for our democracy, the Constitution, and honor all who have gone before, that allow us to we the opportunities and freedoms we so often take for granted today. There is much work yet to do!                                            *******

I'm grateful for  the excellent films...always food for thought and so well done... at BYU's International Cinema. Above are 2 this week.

I also recommend a wonderful and thought-provoking Irish film (in theaters) starring Cillian Murphy (who played Oppenheimer). We can't close our eyes to people and situations around us.                                                          *****************************

Fabulous concert at BYU by Firas Zreik (Palestinian, born and living in NYC and his great group playing his Middle Eastern/ North African compositions). Firas plays the Kanun, an 81 string (each with 12 microtones) zither-type instrument that is plucked with steel picks. His percussionist from Bethlehem, guitarist from Lebanon, and saxophonist from Vermont were amazing too! Many standing ovations

We got rain and a little snow last week, but many of the trees are still vibrant! I love the reflection of the mountains in my back windows (before the latest snowfalls!) It's going to snow this week.

Ben Woolstenhulme (16) gave a wonderful cello recital (5 challenging pieces) in his home, and played one duet by Vivaldi with his teacher. His mom Guinevere accompanied him on the piano.
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I'd like to recommend a very interesting and timely book by Wendy Pearlman : The Home I worked to Make. War forced millions of Syrians from their homes. It also forced them to rethink the meaning of home itself. In 2011, Syrians took to the streets demanding freedom. Brutal government repression transformed peaceful protests into one of the most devastating conflicts of our times, killing hundreds of thousands and displacing millions. The Home I Worked to Make takes Syria’s refugee outflow as its point of departure. Based on hundreds of interviews conducted across more than a decade, it probes a question as intimate as it is universal: What is home? With gripping immediacy, Syrians now on five continents share stories of leaving, losing, searching, and finding (or not finding) home. Across this tapestry of voices, a new understanding emerges: home, for those without the privilege of taking it for granted, is both struggle and achievement. The Home I Worked to Make challenges readers to grapple with the hard-won wisdom of those who survive war and to see, with fresh eyes, what home means in their own lives.

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I highly recommend the 2023 documentary Lyd or Lod in Hebrew which was the city that connected the Arab world and was taken over by Israel in 1948. It explores the city's history, the trauma and massacre and expulsion, and what might have happened if the occupation had never occurred. It uses archival footage, animation, and firsthand testimonies to tell the story from the perspective of the city itself. It won the prize for Best Documentary at the 2023 Amman International Film Festival. It was introduced by Quinn Mecham, BYU assistant political science teacher, whom I knew when he was earning his PhD at Stanford several years ago. His research centers on civil conflict, democratic development, political Islam, identity politics, electoral behavior.

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  Unfortunately only 2 of my English students (Raul from Ecuador and Angelica from Chile) were able to make it to our term graduation. They work hard and do well. We led the other classes in singing "This Land is Your Land" which I believe is how it should be for immigrants who, legal or illegal, have sacrificed and overcome tremendous obstacles to arrive in a land that should feel safe and welcoming. 
• I am so grateful that my ancestors did the work, made the choices they did, and paved the way for my family to reap the benefits of life in the United States. May we all put aside our prejudices and be more welcoming and understanding of the millions in our country who have not fared so well as we have. Each and every one of God's children deserves a chance for a decent home, food, education, respect and opportunities to progress. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I pray we can serve and love each other better.
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 November 2024, a Month of Reckoning

  We have a beautiful fresh layer of snow on the mountains this     eventful week of the 2024 Presidential election.

I love my neighborhood (complete with llamas as well as horses, cows and chickens) and the last bright colors of fall.

Yesterday we celebrated three family birthdays: Ken Taylor, Ben and Fernanda de Schweinitz. Fernanda's mom made yummy flan and cake

   Evie, Hannah de Schweinitz and Sandra, who made a delicious flan and cake, and Gil Lima (Fernanda's parents)

Marc, Fernanda and Ken. A competition: "Know the birthday kids"

   Marc, Rebecca, Peter watching their home Halloween extravaganza. Peter was a frightening ghoul, scaring away a lot of trick-or-treaters!

              Ben's dog "Sir Pancakes" entranced with Ben's music!

At church Ken chaired a party (on his birthday) to honor ancestors (antepasados).People brought a food dish passed down in the family.

  Members set up colorful ofrendas, Mexican way to honor ancestors

I made a small display of some of my American forebears' contributions, and Emily of her German ancestry

    Another table had photos of ward members who have passed on. We also did a matching game of current members and a grandparent, and, using the Family Search app on our phones, "Relatives around You" found out who in our group were related (often distant cousins). Try it!

At UVU is a fabulous stained glass panel "Roots of Knowledge" by the Holdman studio, which does the stained glass windows of many of our temples around the world. I recently saw the one at the visitors' center in Rome. Timely, considering our appreciation of Founding Fathers, explorers (Lewis and Clark and many others), and leaders for peace and goodwill around the world. 

Eleanor Roosevelt, Nelson Mandela, Mary McLeod Bethune an American educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, womens'and civil rights activist).       Below, Gandhi and others

And our most perfect example, Jesus Christ. May we honor Him as we try to live according to His example and principles. 

Emily, who works in the conflict and peace center in Orem, at Utah Valley University (the largest university in Utah) and I were privileged to hear a presentation by Hani Almadoun, living in Virginia, who is senior director of philanthropy at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a group that Donald Trump defunded. This week, Israel designated UNRWA a “terrorist organization,” so the volunteers and any humanitarian trucks may be attacked. Hani, ( BYU M.A. and B.A) and his family have headed the Gaza Soup Kitchen, which mostly has made soup from Kale-like weeds that grow wild. All but one of his brother’s family were killed on Nov. 23, 2023. Hani was awarded The (BYU) Kennedy Center Distinguished Service Award this week and gave a talk there: ”Perfect Love Casteth out Fear.”

I share a few slides from his UVU presentation:

Where is the compassion needed to stop the genocide of Palestinians and to negotiate peace? Isn't unity better than power and greed?

This elderly man has lost his whole family but continues to bake bread

If you as an American citizen have not yet voted, please make your voice heard. Stand for the Constitution, correct principles, and the  character traits required for leadership of our great democracy and the world.