Easter

Easter!  Sophia Ebert is now a young lady who will enter high school next year.  Sophie came to our house, with her family, for Easter dinner on April 21, 2019.

I thought back to when my mother held Sophie as a baby.  What I would give to have Mother at my Easter table, too.  Of course, that's what Easter is all about--Christ's resurrection and our ability to be with the people we love who have died.

I remember traveling to Jerusalem with my mother and looking into the Garden Tomb--so empty.

Easter 2019 was a happy day, celebrating the loved ones with us and the loved ones whom we will meet again.

My grandchildren asked what ethnic food I was serving for Easter, but I assured them, "I wouldn't do that to you.  You'll get pure American Easter food."  And there it was--ham, au gratin potatoes, fruit salad, stir-fried veggies, homemade bread, and triple chocolate mousse cake!

 Grant brought a beautiful, stylish date to Easter dinner--Madison.  She seemed like Naomi--smart but sweet.

 Camille and her family are busy, and it is very special to have them join us.

And, of course, we love our regulars!

Tulip Festival

The gardens at Thanksgiving Point are alive with color in the spring.  On April 20, 2019, Dave and I strolled through the acres of tulips and daffodils at the Tulip Festival.

 We paused at the pond to toss food pellets to the fish and to watch them flip through the water to nibble them.

 The garden is full of statues, some serious and some light-hearted, like this one.

 The Thanksgiving Point garden is made up of many "rooms," including this Italian Garden, with formal fountains.

 Another "room" includes life-size statues of Jesus in scenes from the New Testament.  Above, Jesus writes in the dust as the Pharisees try to trap him, in the story of the woman taken in adultery.

 Here, Jesus counsels Mary and Martha.

 And in this statue, Jesus strides alone, bearing the weight of the world.

Dave and I finished our afternoon with a plate of Peruvian food.

Russian Treats and Memories

Russia fascinates me.  The Cold War between the US and Russia was the backdrop for my life, from 1950, when I was born, until 1989, when the Berlin Wall came down, the Soviet Union collapsed, and, ultimately, Putin arose as a new czar.  In 1962 my mom and dad drove their own car through Russia, which was very rare for Americans.  My mom often talked about the cute young Russian guides, like the one above.  In 1967, Mom and Dad took Kent, Scott, and me back to Russia, and I loved its exotic buildings, austere landscapes, and rich food.

I have several sets of Matrushka dolls, which exemplify the playful, joyous side of Russian life. That is not the way we usually think of Russia.

On April 14, 2019, I served a Russian dinner, with borscht, beef stroganoff, dark homemade bread, and plum ice cream for dessert.  When my family traveled through Russia in 1967, we ordered from the same Intourist menu at each hotel where we stayed, and the dessert which sustained us was plum ice cream.

Our neighbor, Carol Garza, tried the beef stroganoff.

Heidi couldn't face the meat, and ate only noodles.  Mike and Heidi soon confessed a reason for Heidi's squeamishness--Heidi is expecting a baby in mid-October!

We have thoroughly enjoyed having Janice eat with us frequently during her trip home from Saudi Arabia.

Shauna has compliments for any meal I prepare.  "I tell my kids what I eat with you, and they can't believe it!" she says.

Mike now has an ultrasound picture of his baby on his cell phone!  Mike is also an adventurous eater, eager to try anything I prepare.

Cooking ethnic food is a great way to enjoy faraway places, even without going there!

Conference with African Accents

Church of Jesus Christ Conference occurs twice per year, in April and October.  It is party time!  Our family gathers for two days of watching Church on TV, eating, playing board games, and just enjoying each other.  On April 6 and 7, 2019, we welcomed Spencer and Naomi Flindt from BYU and Mike and Heidi Spendlove from just down the hill.  Grant Flindt joined us between stints of interpreting Conference talks into Slovakian at the Conference Center.  Conference is beamed across the world in more than 100 languages.

 LDS leaders can look like a sea of suits and ties, but this screen shot is the Tabernacle Choir.

Naomi and Spencer usually bring Daisy, their beloved dachshund, when they visit.  She dashes into my kitchen while Naomi and Spencer are still taking off their coats, and sniffs about for crumbs on my floor!

Alan always tells me I serve him weird food.  My food between Conference sessions was the weirdest yet--Ethiopian!  I fried injera, the sourdough Ethiopian pancake, and served it with doro wat, the spicy chicken stew, as well as lentil and sweet potato stews.  We didn't go completely native--guests had forks instead of eating with their fingers.  It has been a treat to entertain Janice while she has been home from Saudi Arabia.

There was familiar-looking fruit salad for those who thought nothing else looked edible!  Even the Ethiopian shawls on the tables were authentic.  Black, red, and green are the colors of the Ethiopian flag.

 I remember Ethiopia well from the years my family lived there, 1962 to 1964.  I remember the statue of the Lion of Judah, emblem of Emperor Haile Selassie.

And I remember the teeming markets and dusty streets.  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, now has fancy buildings, but still much poverty.

Moment in Monticello

Now that Dave's a bishop, it's hard for him to get away on weekends.  We have marked off at least two Fridays and Saturdays per month when we will flee town together.  On April 5 and 6, 2019, we made a quick trip to Monticello to visit the first of 38 small temples announced by President Hinckley in the late 1990s.  President Hinckley's goal was to have 100 temples built by 2000.  He also wanted to bring temples closer to Church members, wherever they lived.

The Monticello Temple has only 11,000 square feet, but it is beautiful inside, and beloved by the members who visit from throughout the temple area.  Fellow visitors to this temple assumed we must be from Moab, Bluff, Telluride, or another town in their temple district.

 After our temple session, we relaxed at a Moab restaurant.  Moab does not have a large Church of Jesus Christ population, as Monticello does, but is a resort town, filled with bikers, hikers, and river runners.  Arches and Canyonlands National Parks draw international visitors.

 Moab flaunts its Western heritage.  We stayed, fittingly, at the Rustic Inn.

 As we drove home Saturday morning, we appreciated the ever-lovely red rock country, with the La Salle Mountains in the distance.