Passing Time

Dave and I are spending more time at home during these Covid-19 times, and we have indulged in new projects.  We are doing a lot of gardening, including clawing off the old ivy-covered lattices from the front wall of our house, and replacing them with lacy clematis vines.  Dave took on that Herculean project on May 16, 2020.  After I yanked the ivy partway down, Dave said he would finish it, but complained  that he was sure he would fill 20 garbage cans with the debris.  It wasn't quite that bad!

 My peonies are starting to bloom, and blue centaurea fills my front and back flower beds like a weed.

I told Jonny that I would love to receive the same books he is reading as a Mother's Day gift.  I now have ample books to get me through these dark days!

Camille provided a beautiful tray for the weekly Sunday dinners that keep me busy, and I have read, over and over, my children's and grandchildren's Mother's Day cards, both from each member of the Ebert family, and this beautiful handmade card from Heidi, with a touching note written by Mike.

My brother, Scott, has scheduled a series of videotaped Zoom discussions at which Scott, Kent, and I have shared memories of growing up together in Burma and Ethiopia.  The schedule will continue with sessions about each of our parents, our most influential relatives, and our memories of each other.  What fun!  This treasure trove of family history will be available for our families.

 Mike has a new project, as well, appropriate to his new role as "pater familias".  He has kept himself busy, so far this year, with flying his two drones, making a series of videos entitled "Audrey's Babylife," and studying Spanish and Italian (as well as working).

This week, Mike signed a contract to buy a 7 1/2 acre lot in Emigration Oaks subdivision, ten minutes up the canyon from the zoo.  He has already downloaded house plans.  Since Mike couldn't take his four month trip to Italy, Spain, and South Africa this summer because of Covid-19, he has found a project of equal complexity and even more expense! 

 Mike's lot has gorgeous views of the mountains, and he will have some very fancy neighbors.

Another project I have enjoyed recently is putting together a power point presentation about women's suffrage in Utah for my Daughters of Utah Pioneers "camp".  Half the fun was finding vintage photos and cartoons, such as the depiction of the "Great Indignation March" by 5,000 Relief Society women in 1868, lobbying for the vote in Territorial Utah.

I also liked this cartoon, from 1920, celebrating adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment, through which women obtained the vote throughout the U.S.

I finished the presentation with this photo of Mother at 95, still voting religiously at each municipal, state, and federal election.  I know, because I took her to the polls most times, helping her to maneuver her walker and figure how to use the new electronic polling machines. 

Long Lost Pals

Dave and I had our May 9, 2020 Mother's Day dinner all planned.  Dave set up three tables in the backyard, so each of our children's families could sit together and keep their germs segregated.  He set out bottles of hand sanitizer as centerpieces.  And he told everyone that the only time they could come in the house was to fill their plates at the buffet table or (carefully and cleanly) use the restrooms.  We would be models of social distancing.  It didn't work out that way.  We hadn't gathered as a family since mid-March, and so the cousins clustered together, catching up.  Jono hadn't seen Grant, Spencer and Naomi in two years, because he came home from his Japanese mission last month and promptly went into quarantine.  Dave and I just hoped the balmy spring air blew away any germs that were with us.

 I briefly considered making Vietnamese pho, but decided to spare the family my usual exotica.  Our theme was "Paris in the Springtime."

 I fixed a big pot of beef bourguinon, served with potatoes au gratin, green salad, and crunchy French bread.

 Dessert was creme brulee with fresh berries.  Grant had three servings and told me, "Grandma, you've fixed lots of good desserts, but I think this is the best."

 Heidi wore a bright pink hat to celebrate.  Audrey had a spring hat, too!

Annelise summed up all our feelings, "Grandma, we haven't eaten outside in your garden for a long, long time.  It feels so good to be back!"

Annointing the Grill

Much envied, much beloved Traeger Grill.  I have wanted a Traeger grill for a long time, ever since (a) Dave said he doesn't enjoy barbecuing and doesn't plan to do it anymore; (b) Camille said that the best barbecued meat she ever ate was from a Traeger grill; (c) we ate delicious steak at the home of Jenny's parents, the Leathams, as they exulted about their new Traeger grill; and (d) I talked with a Traeger rep at Costco, who told me the Traeger grill is so easy someone like me can operate it, and it not only grills, but it also smokes, braises, and cooks like an oven, all with a thermostat that keeps it within 25 degrees of how it is set.  I was sold.  

We had a delicious barbecued dinner on May 3, 2020--ribs, mac'n'cheese, corn bread, collards braised with ham, and cole slaw.  It wasn't, however, cooked on my new Traeger grill.  I couldn't figure out how to operate it, after laying out the ribs, and I had to wait till Dave had a spare couple of hours and could be bribed to methodically work his way through the instruction manual. 

I love Southern food, from this week's ribs and cornbread, to coconut cake, mint lemonade, and shrimp'n'grits.  To create ambience, I pinned up my Southern poster, with photos of oranges and of ladies on their way to winter in Florida.

I welcomed my guests, including Audrey, who is not yet up to ribs and cornbread.

And I laid out the feast on a red check tablecloth, decorated with an arrangement of sunflowers.  As Mike and Heidi, Carol Garza, and Dave and I gnawed on the ribs, we had more in common with West Virginia rednecks than with the ladies headed for Florida in their ostrich feather hats.  Next time I fix barbecue, it's with the Traeger!

Audrey--A Name and a Blessing

Mike and Heidi had planned to have Audrey's naming ceremony and the party afterwards in Dave's and my backyard, filled with spring flowers and dozens of family members.  Salt Lake City was still in quarantine on April 26, 2020, when Audrey was blessed, so her ceremony and party were scaled down.  It was just mom and dad and grandparents in Mike and Heidi's elegant Victorian home.  Audrey was gorgeous in a new white dress and headband.

The up side of a down situation was that, since there were so few of us, we had time to talk and talk and talk to each other.  Dave and I arrived for lunch at 12:30 and didn't go home until after 4!  We don't see Heidi's parents, Gay and Bevan Bastian, very often, but when we do, we thoroughly enjoy them.  They are full of goals and interesting viewpoints and love of life.  Heidi fixed her mother's favorite brunch--eggs benedict.  That dish had happy memories for Dave and me, as well.  When we visited Mike in Perth, Australia, six or seven years ago, while he worked as an expat there, Mike took us for breakfast to a charming cafe, where he ordered eggs benedict!  We sat outside and watched the stylish people saunter by on a lazy weekend morning.

 My job was to dangle rattles, as the family photographers took pictures of Audrey and her mom and dad.

Mike gave Heidi a lovely blessing, and named her "Audrey Elizabeth Spendlove," as Mike and Heidi's bishop attended the ceremony virtually by Facetime!  What a beautiful couple, with their beautiful baby!

Surviving Covid-19

Utah adopted a four-stage Covid-19 recovery plan.  The "red" stage was a voluntary lock-down, begun March 26, 2020, with all but essential businesses closed.  Two of the most-missed businesses were barbers and hairdressers.  Heidi came to the rescue!  On April 18, 2020, she gave Dave a haircut.  He had his hair trimmed extra short, to get him through to the "orange" stage, beginning May 1, 2020, when barbers came back to work.  I bought a $3 box of hair dye at Walmart and rubbed it through my hair, just guessing at the color.  Sort of brassy, but it will hold me until my hairdresser of 35 years, Nancy Yearsley, can work again. 

 While Dave got his makeover, Mike and I rejoiced that all of his 25 or more tenants paid their rent for April.

My assistant, Cate Benton, and I are both working from home.  On May 12, 2020, we met clients at my office building in downtown SLC for an estate plan signing.  It was a "drive-by"; they parked their car by the side of the building and stood on the curb with their own blue pen.  Cate and I, properly masked and gloved, brought the stack of documents.  Cate was the notary, I was one witness, and we recruited an extra secretary as the second witness.  I am scheduled to appear at two hearings on land use issues during the next few weeks.  I will appear "virtually", by Zoom!

Star Chefs

Mike has a new project.  He has collected many ethnic cookbooks that have not been properly explored.  He recently went through his Latin American cookbooks and assembled seven menus.  Dave and I were lucky enough to be invited to Mike and Heidi's house three times, in  April and May, to share those gourmet meals.  At the first of the meals, Mike cooked chiles rellenos from the classic Mexican cookbook by Diana Kennedy.  They were delicious.

 Diana Kennedy is a legendary cook--the Julia Child of Mexican cooking.

She is an old lady, now, but her cookbooks are still classics.

Rick Bayless' Mexican cookbooks are also classics, and Mike served us gourmet treats created by Rick Bayless, as well as Diana Kennedy.

It was a luxury for Dave and me to be onlookers and tasters, rather than cooks!

"The guacamole is perfect," Mike assured us.  It was.

Heidi could relax over her chiles rellenos, as Audrey had fallen asleep for the night.

Mike's second meal for Dave and me, on April 14, 2020, was real Oaxacan-style chicken mole, with chocolate and the other unlikely ingredients that go into that delicacy.  Audrey's tastes are still pretty simple--mother's milk and ice cream--so she didn't get any mole.

 Mike's third meal for Dave and me, on April 29, 2020, was pork tenderloin in a spicy chile sauce, served with potatoes and a crisp, tomato/avocado/onion/lettuce salad. 

Dave and I are behaving very well, in hopes of being invited to another of Mike's Latin American dinners!

Mike is a talented chef, but so is Heidi.  On May 13, 2020, Heidi invited Dave and me for a slice of her flourless chocolate torte (no, that is not a Google image).  It was divine (and the recipe will be in this year's update to the family cookbook).

When Vegas Wasn't Vegas

On April 11, 2020, Dave and I ventured out of our coronavirus quarantine to visit St. George.  Ever practical, even while on vacation, Dave left my car at Big O Tires to get the tires checked while the two of us hiked eight miles around the city.

All the LDS temples are closed while coronavirus stalks outside.  The pioneer temples--St. George, Salt Lake, and Manti--are undergoing massive remodeling for earthquake protection and other stabilization.  We hardly recognized the St. George Temple, usually so immaculate, with piles of dirt all around.

 The St. George Tabernacle, built by my great-grandfather, Miles Romney, was in better shape.

Dave and I wandered down byroads near the temple, looking for quaint and odd sights.  We paused at a wall onto which lovers had snapped padlocks, symbolizing their undying love for each other.

 We passed this sign, stapled onto a huge, old tree.  I didn't realize there was such a thing as a "protected street tree."

 After our hike around St. George, Dave and I drove to Las Vegas.  We had heard it was empty because of the coronavirus, but we had no idea how empty.  This is the Strip, usually jam-packed with cars and pedestrians on a weekend in the spring!

And this is Caesar's Palace, usually one of the busiest hotels on the Strip, now totally devoid of people and cars.  It was eerie.  Las Vegas flies high and falls low economically.  I remember the extreme suffering in Vegas during the Great Recession, when its hotels were one-third empty, residents moved out of Vegas in droves, and there were thousands of foreclosures.  Vegas has fallen low once again.