Pine Mountain Weekend

Dave and I spent Saturday afternoon and night at the cabin. It was our first visit since February, when we had a family snowmobiling party.

It has been chilly in SLC this week, with lots of rain. The grass and trees at Pine Mountain were bright green, with beautiful views out over the valley.

So much has happened since we were here last winter. Grandpa's eating paviliion suddenly seems touchingly large and protective--a symbol of his love for all his many descendants and his desire to entertain them in style.The parrot on his perch and the plastic window box decorations were cheerful and welcoming.
Dad and I love the cabin as an island of peace and respite from the world. We watched movies all evening, as I did the ironing, and then we fell asleep as utter silence and blackness enveloped our mountain world. We drove down the canyon Sunday morning past just a few horses lolling in a barnyard and one man walking through Peoa in a white suit, on his way to Church.We cruised downtown SLC on Sunday afternoon, after Church, looking for places to go, people to see. We decided against wandering through SLC's Gay Pride festival at the City and County Building, and missed a San Francisco organizer leading a gay parade up Main Street.
We ate an untraditional Sunday dinner at Indochine--shrimp in a tomato broth flavored with basil and "cinnamon leaf," and chicken/vegetable stir fry. Dad's fortune cookie said it all: "Modify your thinking to handle new situations." Other colorful events this week:

I attended the book signing, at The Kings English, for Lance Allred's "Longshot." The subtitle reads "The adventures of a deaf fundamentalist Mormon kid and his journey to the NBA." Tana Allred, who is Lance's mom and Michael and Jonny's former "manager," gave me a hug and sent best wishes to our family.

I visited Kuoldit Restaurant on Redwood Road, founded by my clients, Alouel Majok and Majok Alem. The building looked like a Hires hamburger cafe painted bright yellow inside and decorated with Sudanese paintings. Alouel, who used to come see me at DJP in a floor length Sudanese dress and elaborate headdress, now wears black pants and a yellow t-shirt that says "Kuoldit" across the front. I met her two sons, who attend SL Community College. Majok, who is one of the Sudanese "lost boys" who were orphaned and chased out of Southern Sudan by the jangaweed, is now a medical technician at Primary Children's Hospital and is working with U.S. Immigration to bring his wife and baby to SLC from Nairobi.

Other family news:

Michael has a new professional camera which takes even better pictures. Check out photos of the Belmont Stakes horse race at mikespendlove.blogspot.com. J&J have just posted a description of their adventures in Amsterdam, Bavaria, and Berlin at jennyandjonny.blogspot.com. Lisa has successfully finished the classroom portion of her nursing refresher course and is now doing an internship in a nursing home, which will be followed by an internship in a hospital. When Dave asked Kirsten how she felt about her Mom going to work, she said, "I'm so proud and excited that my mom is a nurse!" Camille has four little kids' parties to put on before she and Steve drive south to Orlando in two weeks. Jono will play on a blown-up waterslide and tie-dye t-shirts with his friends at his birthday party. Annelise will go with her friends to have their hair done at a beauty college and then have a tea party. Emilie will have pizza and watch a movie with friends at her elementary school graduation party, and Sophia will do crafts as she celebrates her "half-birthday" with friends. I'm not sure which is harder work--the 10 hour shifts of nursing or a year's worth of little kids' parties!