A Celebration for Emilie

Emilie graduated from Olympus High School on May 27, 2016.  Camille held a family party on May 26, to celebrate Emilie and her achievements.  Camille told everyone to think of advice for Emilie. Camille then read a write-up about Emilie which she had prepared for a Church meeting honoring this year's graduates.  We were so impressed with Emilie, as Camille described her, that we suggested Emilie give us advice, instead of us giving advice to her!  Emilie said to seize opportunities and not pass them up because you're afraid.  Emilie has seized many opportunities, from charitable projects in Peru and India to becoming an accomplished painter, to serving on Olympus' leadership council.  She won an Eccles Scholarship, the top scholarship offered by the University of Utah to honors students, and she won a scholarship from Holladay City, offered to one graduate of each of the local high schools.

For this special occasion, Jonny made his delicious Brazilian limonade, this time flavored with strawberries.

Camille set out cards and markers, for us to write notes to Emilie, including favorite experiences we've had with her and characteristics we admire.

Having Heidi and Mike with us makes any event an occasion.

Al Ebert always has a smile and a joke, even when he's not feeling great.  Al was preparing for back surgery when we saw him at Emilie's party.

Marilyn and Chris Ebert were at Emilie's party, as was Jeff, who made faces to entertain his nieces and nephews.

Sam loves playing with "big kids" like Ezra, Mia, and their cousins.  There were swings and a trampoline in Camille's backyard.

With Sam occupied, Jenny had a few minutes to relax and talk.

The "rat pack" that Sam ran with at Emilie's party.

Hello, Henry and Sam!

 Henry and Sam are adorable and they were in town the week of May 19, 2016.  That was reason enough for our picnic in Red Butte Garden.  Camille brought fruit and her cute children. I brought mint brownies and muffaletta sandwiches so good that Heidi wondered if they came from an Italian deli. Mike and Heidi brought tales of their work and travels, and Jonny and Jenny brought their glorious babies.

 Jono is a sophomore at Olympus High and is always cruising with friends.  We were lucky to get him for even an hour!

 We basked in Sophie's sunny smile.

 Jenny fed Henry carrots--not his favorite thing.

 Dave enjoys being around family anytime, whether through daily phone calls or at a picnic in the garden.

 Mike is a man of many talents.  He manages the finances for Auto Point's acquisitions.  He accumulates rental properties.  He creates card games.  He is always just back from or going to an exotic place.  It is endlessly interesting just to hear what's going on in his and Heidi's lives.

 Camille is a mater familias, gracefully managing her six talented children.

 Mia and Sam not only look alike, as cousins.  They are also great friends.

 Heidi is Mike's best acquisition yet.

 It is so good to have Jonny, Jenny, Sam, and Henry home, if only for a few days.  Sam is now reading "real" books, like Curious George, thanks to Jonny's and Jenny's talented tutoring.

Best Friends

Dave and I, as best friends, roamed through Central Utah on Saturday, May 14, 2016, on our way home from a quick trip to St. George.  Kanab was having its Wild West Days as we passed through, with decorated buffalos, cowboy poets, country music concerts, and a parade by the Dalmation Association of America.  Next year!

 The highlight of our drive home was a tour of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary near Kanab.  We were impressed with the huge operation which fosters three main goals:  1) shut down all "kill" animal shelters; 2) prevent discrimination against certain breeds of animals (such as sweet pit bulls); and 3) protect community cats (i.e. spay and innoculate them, then release them to their neighborhoods). The Sanctuary accepts stray animals from all over the country, adopts out 87% of them, and has a full-time "adoption counselor" on staff.  One neurotic kitty lives in the gift shop.  "Don't look her in the eye or you'll scare her," the clerk said.  Many of the animals at the Sanctuary have come from traumatic backgrounds.

 We visited the Dog House, where an assortment of doggies went through training to become adoptable.

 The Sanctuary accepted 27 of the pit bulls which had been part of an illegal fighting ring.  The judge ordered that they couldn't be adopted until they passed the national Canine Good Citizen test.  This pit bull is still at the shelter because she is not yet a good citizen.

 We had a "meet and greet" with Matty, a stray who just arrived from Los Angeles and who is being trained so she can be adopted.  "Get down on her level," Matty's trainer requested.  "I'm trying to teach her not to jump on people, and that helps."  When I told Jonny I had attended a "meet and greet" at the dog shelter, he asked, "What did they serve at this 'meet and greet'--canapes and drinks?"  Actually, no.  Dog biscuits.

 We bought lotion and soap at the Sanctuary to support its programs, and we're considering becoming "friends" of Best Friends.  We then drove home, with a stop in Salina for lunch at "Mom's Cafe."

 The specials at Mom's Cafe are down-home food, like my chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and sausage gravy.

 We loved the homemade cherry pie ala mode.

 We realized, when we next met Mike and Heidi, that they had eaten at Mom's Cafe the same afternoon.  Salina is just down the road from Heidi's home town, Axtell.

Mother's Day with Steve's Famous Rolls

 Annelise is becoming very pretty, and she's becoming a good photographer, as well.  For her birthday in early May, Annelise received her own Canon Rebel camera.  She took photos at our Mother's Day dinner on May 8, 2016, at Camille's house.

The highlight of the meal was Steve's Famous Rolls.  They were incredibly light, perfectly browned, and uniform in shape.  This was the first time he made them, but they are already famous in our family.  Next step--a bake-off with the Relief Society sisters.

 The SLC gang was all there--the Ebert parents and kids, Dave and I, and Mike and Heidi.

 The Eberts rule the rolls, but the Spendloves make salads worth remembering.  Dave doesn't like recipes.  "Put in five things besides lettuce," is as close as he will come to a recipe for his great salads.

 Emilie and Sophia were delighted to be nearly out of school.  They were also delighted with  Camille's cream of tomato soup from the beloved Barefoot Contessa cookbook.

 Gretta and Heidi discussed weighty matters, such as Gretta's garden and Michael's next trip.

The table was gorgeous, the food was good, and the company was even better.  We appreciated all mothers, past and present (including Grandma Rose, Grandma Carol, and Grandma Caroline Eyring), who created a heritage of strong families.

Haven

Some places just nourish the soul.  The red rock country of Southern Utah is one such place for Dave and me, and the Uintah Mountains are another.  On May 7, 2016, we drove to the cabin and spent the night.  The fog shrouded the mountain and saturated the greens and browns.  It was misty and isolated and comforting.

Flowers for the Princess

This year Mia Ebert evolved from ladybug to princess.  Last year her class at Miss Mimi's Studio danced in ladybug costumes.  This year they got to be princesses, wearing tiaras, white gloves, and gauzy purple dance dresses.  Miss Mimi is a treasure.  At the end of each year, she stages a separate, hour-long dance program for each of her classes.  That gives plenty of time for each child to dance a solo of her own (usually spontaneous) creation. 

 The princesses also danced together.

 At the end of the program, Miss Mimi passed out cookies in the shape of tiaras to her princesses.  Last year they got lady-bug cookies.  "The children look forward to the cookies all year long," Miss Mimi says. 

 While Camille and I watched Mia's program, Jono ran to the store to buy roses for our princess.  These are moments I cherish!

Old Friends and Old Houses

I love visiting old homes.  I am fascinated by architectural styles and the tales they tell about when neighborhoods were created and who lived there.  One of my favorite SLC events is the annual Utah Heritage Foundation Home Tour.  I spent the afternoon, on April 30, 2016, wandering from one old home to another in the University of Utah area, down the hill from1300 East. 

The homes on the tour were built between 1910 and 1930 and had been beautifully remodeled and redecorated.  There were lots of Arts and Crafts details--stained glass windows, built-in wood cabinets and bookshelves.  Many of the owners and renters of the homes were leaders in Salt Lake City, including renowned author Wallace Stegner, who lived, while he taught at the University, in an apartment under the eaves of one of the homes I visited. 

 Guides showed photos of how the houses looked many years ago.

 As I surged with other tourists through the homes, I reunited with dear old friends and relatives.  I met my cousin, Mike Calder, son of Uncle Dave (below).  Mike heard I was writing a book about Hyrum Bennion Calder, our grandfather, and so he sat on the steps of one of the historic homes and told me tales about Grandfather as we rested.  Mike is a reclusive soul, but his niece, Diane Samie, who was with him, said she would deliver Mike to dinner at my home this summer to tell more tales!

 As I talked with Mike, I thought of my own father, Grant Calder, who took Mike to the University one day, when Mike was a little boy.  Even as a little guy, Mike could name all the states, and Dad had him recite the states to Dad's friends at the University.  Mike still remembered how important Dad made him feel!

 I entered one house which the guide said, reverently, was "owned by an artist."  The walls were covered with beautiful paintings.  In the kitchen, chatting with tour-goers, was my old friend Laura Boardman, whom I worked with years ago in NAWBO, a women business owners' group.  Laura greeted me warmly and we talked of other dear, long ago friends.

I spent the afternoon uncovering bits of my own past, as well as the past of other Salt Lakers, all wrapped into the historic homes.