The 24th (7.24.25)

The 24th of July is a big holiday, in Utah, stretching into the next weekend.  It marks the first Mormon pioneers arriving in the Salt Lake Valley in 1947.  The Spendloves celebrated the July 24, 2025 weekend with our own fireworks display, hosted by Mike on July 25.  Dave and I also attended performances of "MacBeth" and "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the Utah Shakespeare Festival on July 24.

 My great-grandmother, Mary Bennion, arrived in the Salt Lake Valley during the fall of 1947, as a two-year-old.  She was one of the last of the original "47ers" to die, in 1927, and was an honored guest at July 24th celebrations throughout her life.  

Mike assembled a large box of fireworks to set off, as an adoring crowd of his children, nieces and nephews, and other family members watched.

Mike shot off eight fireworks that zoomed into the air and then emitted a parachute that fell to earth.  That was enough for each of Mike's and Jonny's children to retrieve one of those parachutes.

The kids crowded round to watch the excitement.

Camille and Sophie stopped by to watch the spectacle.

The finale was a $60 Bruno firework that lit up the sky with big bursts of different colors.  The kids chanted, "Bruno! Bruno! Bruno!" as Mike prepared to set it off. 

One of Dave's and my summer traditions is to watch plays at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City.

We watched the matinee of Oscar Wilde's witty "The Importance of Being Earnest."  It was written as a satire of upper crust British society in the late 1800s, but its observations of the absurdities of social conventions were equally funny and apropos today.

There was not much that was light and funny about MacBeth, but it made us think deeply about temptation, sin, and their consequences.  We noticed LDS Apostle Dale Renlund sitting near us, and we wondered if his observations might appear in a Conference talk!

Good trips include good food.  We ordered the seafood special at Chef Alfredo's Ristorante Italiano in Cedar City.  Each platter included a lobster tail and sole filet, as well as scallops and shrimp, served in tomato cream sauce over linguine.  It was delicious, but immense!

I was hungry again by the next morning, when we stopped at The Creamery in Beaver on the way home.  That's coconut almond on the bottom and raspberry chocolate chunk on the top!  Definitely holiday fare.