We're Off to the Southwest

My finals are finished, all my grades are in, and tonight Katy has her last final. So, tomorrow morning (Thursday) we are off to Arizona to visit Grandmother Boynton and the Youngs. Kris's aunt, Donna Norton, is riding with us -- we are driving to Phoenix/Mesa in the Pilot. With gas prices as they are, it would probably have been just as cheap to fly to Phoenix.



Friday morning, VERY early, Kris's aunt, Bonnie, will take us to the airport for our flight from PHX to Houston to visit Debra Sue Darling Gibbs.



After enjoying a lot of what Houston has to offer, we will hop a Southwest flight back to Phoenix and spend a week with Grandmother and the Youngs. We are excited to see Grandmother and can't wait to pinch Finn and Harry's little buns. (Maren, we are excited to be with you and Gavin, too!)


We may get a chance to post to the blog, but if not, we will make a full report when we return. We will miss you and will be checking your blogs for all your adventures.

OXO

D.

Rescued by a Long-Lost Cousin

One cold winter day, shortly after we returned from London, Brother Marble, our next door neighbor, told us he could hear water running in the back yard at our house. Thank goodness for his good hearing. It happens that the back yard faucet had burst and water was gushing everywhere including into the window well.

Because the original back yard faucet was covered by the construction of our deck, the landscaper suggested that it would be easy to connect a faucet to the sprinkler system, and we thought the back corner of the house would be the best spot. When the sprinklers were turned off, the faucet would be nonfunctional. Well, due to a series of miscommunications, the sprinklers were never turned off in the fall while we were in England, and after several hard freezes, the faucet finally blew.

We called our regular landscape guy, Arturo, who came by and said he would return the very next week to move the faucet. Well it has been nearly a month and we can no longer reach him on the phone - his voicemail box is full. So Kris called Khunis' and they won't return the call either.

A couple of days ago I went to Home Depot to get a fresh tank of propane for the grill, and as I was leaving the owner of the truck parked next to me approached. I noticed a sign on his truck for sprinkler repair, so I greeted him and asked if he could help me. He responded positively and gave me his card: Stefan Bandley. He asked for my name and when I told him, he said that he had Taylor relatives. It suddenly clicked and I knew immediately that he was my cousin (recently deceased) Julia's grandson. A long-lost cousin!

The end of the story is that he DID come and made the necessary changes to the system today, moving the tap far from the house. So we are back in business with the sprinklers all ship-shape and Bristol-fashion, ready for summer watering. To celebrate, I went to IFA and bought some fertilizer and applied it to the grass. If it storms as forecast tomorrow, the lawn should green up nicely. If the storm fizzles, I can turn on the sprinklers. Wahoo!

Stefan moves the line

The former corner-of-the-house location
is visible in the rear of the photo

Here's the new guy all ready to go

Stefan went to Provo High and graduated in '99. Isn't that when you graduated Maren?

I wish I had something more exciting to share, but this may be as good as it gets this weekend.

OXO

D.

It's Almost Spring!

It was several degrees above normal today, possibly as high as 80 degrees in SLC, but in the low 70s here. It was so pleasant that we had our first al fresco dinner of the year. It was delightful and foreshadows many such evenings to come.

Katy is silly as Kris keeps her eye on Winnie, who is ever-hopeful

OXO

D.

Katy's Birthday

Yesterday, Sunday, was Katy's birthday. She started the day by speaking with stake high councilman, Jeff Ringer, at the Provo Peak 8th Ward. Kris and I went to listen and she did a great job.

Homemade spinach pasta with homemade marinara sauce is Katy's favorite and she helped me make it. The family all came, joined by Todd and Courtney. After dinner the cousins dropped in for some cake, conversation, and some reunion planning. The binkers played hard and eventually ended up downstairs, enthralled with Disney's Enchanted.

Katy preparing her talk

Homemade pasta is labor intensive, but delicious

Some of the diners filling their plates

Happy birthday to you! (great cake Kris - chocolate w/ cream-cheese frosting)

An impromptu reunion-planning session

Clara didn't like the flash

Clara, Holden, and Sasha with various levels of hair-growing success

The binkers snuggled up, watching a DVD

It was a lovely afternoon/evening and we missed Maren, Will, and their families.

OXO

D.

Welcome Home

Welcome home Carrie. It has been great to read about your mission on your blog. Best wishes as you settle back into life at home.

Multi bacci.

D.

Read, I Must

If you look to the right at what I am currently reading, you may wonder what has possessed me. Read on dear friends.

Wade Jacoby, the political science professor who went with us to London three years ago, called last week and said that he had a political question for me. Now that seemed strange. I wanted to know his take on the current election, but why on earth would he be asking me a political question? He mentioned that Don Jarvis, a retired professor of Russian, former mission president, and a well-respected neighbor was running as a Democrat (he is a recovering Republican -- fiscally conservative with strong family values) for the state legislature and wondered if I would talk to him about being campaign manager. Moi? I'm unaffiliated and know NOTHING about running a campaign. Didn't matter. Wade liked how I organized and ran London Study Abroad and believes I would do a good job. (Sounds like Obama: may not have as much experience as McCain, but has run a killer campaign and, by extension, will run the country even better than JMcC.) I was reticent, but said I would talk to him.

So, we met today and I told Don that I know nothing about running a campaign. He replied, "How much do you think I know about running for office?" Hmmmmm, a steep learning curve all around. The bottom line is that I said, "yes," and am now beginning a new and important adventure. While I often feel helpless about national politics, I believe that on a local level we can make some difference.

I like Jarvis very much and feel strongly about three of the four issues he is emphasizing in his campaign. See more here. Can you guess which three? When I learn more about the fourth, I may feel strongly about it, too. I may be calling on some of you for help.

Wish me energy, sound judgment, and maybe even some luck.

OXO

D.

Spring Cleaning With a Twist

Yesterday, Saturday, before and between conference sessions, we tore into the pantry, trying to reestablish some semblance of order. BUT, this reorganization was driven in part by a new awareness created by In Defense of Food. In so far as possible we will be trying to eat "real" food, not manufactured "food-like substances" made from processed corn with jillions of other ingredients (many of which are unknown and scary), and gobs of additives, added in a vain attempt to make them "nutricious." So, out went all the junky cereal and prepared foods.

These bad boys went into the dumpster (enlarge and read the ingredients)

These guys found a place back on the shelf: one of the few cold cereals
that seems to be real food (enlarge and compare these ingredients with the last bunch)

Katy works her magic on the pantry

Ahhhh, loverly and with lots more room for real food

Later in the afternoon, Anna, Meagan, Phillip, Millie, and the kids popped in. The ladies all made a delicious supper, fed us, and then sent Phillip and me to the Priesthood session.

Katy works different magic on the ever-charming and beautiful Lucy Jane Hastings

Anders finds Waldo

It was a fun and productive day and conference was great. President Monson's ear wiggle talk in the Priesthood session will go down in history.

OXO

D.