Rain finally came today, but I was fortunate on Monday to be able to enjoy the Alpine Loop above Sundance in the Provo Canyon behind Mt. Timpanogos. It was spectacular! Here are a few photos.

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                             Rock Canyon in Provo is pretty, too.

                                                            

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Last week Senior missionary friends who have served in the Dominican Republic gathered in Saint George, Utah, for a fun 3-day reunion, packed with lectures, site visits and conversation. One of the first places Brigham Young sent early settlers was to Pine Valley where we visited the oldest, in continuous use chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, built of pine in 1868. The settlers of Pine Valley logging and saw-milling community wanted a church that would also function as a school and community building. Discoverer of Bryce Canyon, Ebenezer Bryce, a shipbuilder from Australia, designed and supervised construction of the chapel, the attic of which is a ship's hull turned upside down. Bryce Canyon National Park was named after him in the 1920's. The chapel is on the second floor, the school and recreational functions used the bottom floor. It was constructed with round pegs and green rawhide on the ground and then lifted into place.

The Mountain Meadows Massacre, Sept.7-11, 1857, was a series of attacks, resulting in mass slaughter of most of the Baker-Faucher emigrant wagon train, mostly families from Arkansas bound for California, by members of the Utah Territorial Militia together with some Paiute Native Americans. Today historians attribute the massacre to a combination of factors, including war hysteria about a possible invasion of Mormon territory. Mormons had suffered so many evictions and so much persecution, but this was no excuse. Nine men were indicted but only John D. Lee was tried and convicted, executed by a Utah firing squad in 1877. The massacre, never sanctioned by church leader Brigham Young, is a real blot on church history. Very sad!

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A few of us visited Jacob Hamblin's home in Santa Clara, near Saint George. Hamblin was a gentle soul, friend to all the surrounding native Americans. Ann Holdman, on the left, my roommate in SG, is the mother of Tom Holdman's studio, under whose leadership, has created most of the magnificent stained glass windows for modern temples and visitors centers and "Roots of Knowledge" at UVU. Below is his window in Rome.

It was especially interesting and fun to meet and hear stories from Nancy and John Rappleye. John was sent to head up Firestone Tires for the Caribbean. When they went to retrieve their belongings in Santo Domingo, they met a Dominican family, the Amparos, who were relocating from California, where they had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The two families began inviting neighbors to gatherings in their Santo Domingo home in the spring of 1978. By November the president of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida mission sent the first 10 young missionaries (2 of whom joined our reunion), and the church grew exponentially from there. There are now 1000's of members in the DR. The Rappleyes recently served as Santo Domingo Temple President and matron. I served in the temple there in 2010-11.

                               Amparos and Rappleyes in 1978

Friends Dave and Joy Atkinson and Nancy and John Rappleye

I really enjoyed three very professional shows in Tuacahn, outside Saint George: School of Rock, Count of Monte Cristo, and Beauty and the Beast. The amphitheater is set against the red rock cliffs.

We saw the beginnings of the new Saint George Temple. The old one, now under reconstruction, was dedicated in 1877.

It was thrilling to hear President Russell M. Nelson announce 13 new temples in: Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Philippines; Monrovia, Liberia; DR Congo; Madagascar; Culiacan, Mexico; Vitoria, Brazil, La Paz, Bolivia; Santiago West, Chile; Fort Worth, Texas; Cody, WY; Rexburg, Idaho; Heber Valley, Utah.

Each of the Church’s temples is a “house of the Lord,” where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed. These are most sacred places of worship on the earth. Temples differ from the Church’s chapels. All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local chapels. The primary purpose of temples, however, is for Latter-day Saints to participate in sacred ceremonies, such as marriages, which unite families forever, and proxy baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity while living.

Today, October 6, Sara and Paul Gilman and I braved the rain and drove up through Provo Canyon and on to Midway and Guardsman Pass, Blood Lake Trail, near Brighton (we got soaked and muddy as we hiked through the gorgeous aspen and oak groves, flaming yellow and red!) and back down Big Cottonwood Canyon. The sun came out after our hike.

We even saw 2 big black moose along this road.

Happy Fall! It is supposed to rain, and then snow here next week.

The seasons are changing, the children are growing and it's fun to watch them! 

Grandson George celebrated 16 years (below third from left) with friends....they can really put away the food!

And Simon (12, in light blue) and Hannah (14, with white dog), Marc's kids, celebrated their birthdays at my house with all our Utah family. (Emily took the photo).

I enjoyed a short visit from Ecuadorian friends, the Guerrero family. Daughter Erika is studying at BYU, her brother at BYU Idaho.

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A friend wrote after the return of her son to Ecuador from Mexico: 

Es increíble cómo la misión cambia la vida de los jóvenes. (It's incredible how the mission changes the life of young people!) These wonderful young missionaries below at the Provo Mission Training Center will grow and mature in 18-24 months....for many members of the Church of Jesus Christ it's almost a rite of passage. 

                                        

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I'm grateful to grow older enjoying, friends, family, and trips to new and beloved familiar places...even if I can't jump over or from rocks anymore!

   Sand Harbor at beautiful clear Lake Tahoe with friend Marilyn. 

Last September it was so smoky we could hardly see the lake. The water level is so low because of the long drought in the western states.

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Traveling between California and Nevada one crosses Donner Pass, one of the most historic sites in emigrant history. It is named for the ill-fated Donner Party pioneers who chose a long short-cut, and were caught in winter storms as they followed the Truckee River into California, in 1846-7. The more fortunate half were rescued before they died of starvation and exposure. Growing up in California, I had friends, the Donner family who descendants of Tamsen Donner (whose journal/letters I am reading), who warned against the short-cut.

The Donner visitor center has an excellent exhibition on the building of the Transcontinental railroad, and of the 1000's of (mostly Cantonese) Chinese who built it. Conditions and wages were poor.

 The 20th century brought huge advances in transportation with the automobile, bus, truck, and then the airplane. and what next??

         Above Donner Lake we enjoyed hiking and beautiful view.

We had quite an adventure almost losing car keys and then almost running out of gas and almost needing friends to come rescue us. But we made it back to Reno and enjoyed lovely sunsets. 

And then it was refreshing to fly back to Utah above the smoky skies and ash-covered plane windows to breathe fresh air and to see the changing colors of the Utah hills (notice the reddish trees and bushes). Soon all the trees, especially the aspens will be a vibrant yellow.

I'm grateful for a peaceful, warm fall day in my garden. Wishing you peace and well-being, too.

I look forward to our semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ on October 2-3, where we can hear music and messages of ways to find more hope and peace in this turbulent word. 

You can tune in to enjoy all or part:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts?lang=eng&video=16339403840441677119&mode=watch

 

September 2021, greetings from Provo, Utah

September 11, 2021, marks the 20th anniversary of events that changed the United States and the world forever.We honor all 2,977 lives that were lost, in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania due to the terrorist attacks. We pay tribute to the survivors and first responders whose lives have not been the same since. Their stories can inspire us to live with greater love, faith, courage, understanding and  compassion. Most of us who were old enough on that terrifying and tragic day, can remember (the question has even become cliche) where we were, what we were doing at the moment we heard the news as the Twin Towers came down. I had just arrived at the high school where I taught when other teachers told me to turn on the TV. I, like most, was in disbelief. I soon learned that my oldest daughter was at a business meeting near the Pentagon. My youngest daughter was serving a mission in a highly Muslim area in France, and was bombarded with photos of planes crashing into the Towers, but unable to get information. My sister was the purser on a flight from Japan to LA, which was escorted by military jets as they  diverted to San Francisco to get the Japanese passengers  quickly out of the air and onto a bus to finish their journey to LA. Stories began to come in of those who worked at the Towers, who had been lucky enough to be late or absent from work, or who had disobeyed orders to stay put in their offices, and had instead hurried down many flights of stairs. And then there were those who planned to be the last ones out of the building as they helped others escape, but could not save themselves. I think we all knew someone who had been affected.

As I received a little more information, I wondered how other students would treat the many Afghan students and other Arabs in our school, who had always been accepted and fairly well integrated into the student body. To show their good will, many of their mothers began bringing food to share with the teachers. We must never blame any ethnic group for what a few did. I hope we call all learn that lesson.

We have not yet reached the end of the Covid-19 Pandemic. I feel strongly that for the sake of everyone, we should still be cautious: masks, hand washing, distancing, and vaccinations are still needed.

There are first responders and those with compromised health throughout the world (especially the third) who don't yet have access to the vaccine, and Americans are refusing it. Terrorist attacks are mostly out of our control, but we can control our Covid behavior.

But there is reason to be hopeful as we soon enter the beautiful Fall season in the Northern Hemisphere, and Spring in the Southern.

I have shared many happy moments lately with family and friends.

I enjoyed the musical "1820" about Joseph and Emma Smith. I appreciate creative people who share their talents with those of us less gifted!

I enjoyed my neighbors who gathered at my house for brunch to celebrate the 50th birthday of our new friend Susan Hoelzer who moved with her fun family from San Jose. In my ward congregation there have been 155 move-ins and 105 move-outs during the pandemic!

Time spent with grandchildren is always fun. Hannah, Kelly, Nick

Former Palo Altan Jim Welch gave us an organ demo and tour of the BYU Carillon bells. We climbed 110 steps to the top to hear him play. I was delighted to see Matt (who took the photo) and Katie Steiger and some of her family.

There are so many friends who have moved here during the pandemic. It is not unusual to run into them or reconnect in some way. For those who know them, I loved having Sharon and Phil Hack, Yoko and Mike Buckner, and Paul and Sara Gilman over for dinner.

BYU has many fun productions: "Air Play" with husband and wife circus performers was a delightful family show.

My sunflowers are bigger than life. If all those seeds take root....

I love being part of the missionary devotionals on Tuesday evenings as I set up the interpreter stations. The interpreters are very skilled. I help translate between a French-speaking sister in the Miners' mission in Cameroon and her doctor here. I still enjoy my writing class and English learners in California...all by zoom or phone.

The Scera Theatre in Orem has some great shows. My daughter-in-law and daughters and I enjoyed singer Colbie Caillat and her band.

My neighbors and son Marc's in-laws joined us for dinner and singing with Fernanda's mom's guitar.

It's always fun to watch grand kids' sports. Here it's 6-year-old Cordelia. Also football, baseball, biking, disc-golf, ultimate frisbee

The Riverwoods mall down the street has an annual Chalk-the-Walk (many chalk artists draw on the sidewalks).

Emily's friend Elizabeth, Emily, Mr. Darcy, Miriam, Lucie

I have loved being in the same ward with George and Marian Taylor from Palo Alto. Their son Bradley (a med student) and his wife Janae (Miller) are a beautiful couple!

Despite the problems and horrific events of every single day, I believe that if we live our lives as best we can, lift others, and recognize we are all beloved children of a loving Heavenly Father, that we are in His hands, one day all will be made right.