Busy End of August to mid-September 2025

Pete Carlston, my son-in-law, cooking pizzas in a special oven for a family dinner at Ken and Emily Taylor's. That evening there was a wildfire in Buckley Draw in the mountains above Provo, very close to Peter and Rebecca's home. We watched the fire retardant planes fly over as many acres burned near-by.

Sabr and her 3 kids; Marial (not pictured), Elijah (9)Madina (6) with George and Emily (friends from Colorado). They will be staying with me until they can get on their feet. Emily has devoted many hours to enrolling them in school, apply for jobs,etc. 

Elijah on his new scooter and Madina with her mom's expert braids and beads.

     Marial is enjoying being on the local Timpview HS football team

      Andrew Taylor (with the ball) is a wonderful basketball player

       Family dinner with Lucie (15) and all the younger girl cousins

And most of the other teenage grandkids plus Hannah's Brazilian roommate  Bella (left) and Sophie (German exchange student on the right)
                     .... and the piles of shoes at the door

Wonderful visit to the Nevada Museum of Art with my Reno friend (of almost 60 years) Marilyn.

                                    Beautiful Hopi and Navajo baskets

The Judith Lowry exhibit was spectacular. Her paintings depict stories of her life experiences. An Irish-German/ native American father from Susanville, Northern California Sierra Nevada foothills (where she now lives and works) and white Australian mother, combined with their travels all over the world give her a rich heritage from which she draws inspiration for her large, colorful art that often depict native struggle and survival.

      

Another interesting exhibit includes life and poetry of Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes who visited Reno in the 1930's

Dorothy Lange is a well-know and respected photographer who especially captured migrant workers during the Great Depression and was associated with Ansel Adams and others in the San Francisco Bay Area, and married the Western scenes painter Maynard Dixon (her first husband, below) 

                                                    

     Maynard Dixon

The top floor holds a unique collection of Ichthyosaurus skeletons and fossils (found in Nevada)

               We walked in the hills and along the Truckee River

    Our favorite destination is gorgeous Lake Tahoe (at Sand Harbor)

When I got home Saturday from a peaceful, lovely few days in Reno, but also the week of the assassination at UVU of political activist (especially on college campuses) and Trump supporter Charlie Kirk, I was grateful to join long-time friends from Palo Alto, Paul and Sara Gilman at their Provo home, and Sharon and Phil Hack for lunch at the Gilmans.

     At home picky eater Elijah discovers that melon can be delicious!

                   In the evening we often take a walk before bed

Mount Timanogos watches over Provo and our beautiful neighborhood. Despite the political divide, the horrific acts of violence and wars, famine, poverty that wrack our country and the world, let us pray for compassion, understanding, love. Let us never forget that every freedom (including speech) and privilege we may enjoy comes with responsibility to respect the dignity of all our brothers and sisters, to try to keep us all safe. Only God can effect judgement. He knows our individual needs and desires. May we live with hope and give comfort to others by small acts of kindness and service.