The First Day of School

The day we knew would come at last, has come at last. It's the first day of school and campus is buzzing. I have always loved the first day of class and today is no exception. There is always a frisson in the air and everyone and everything is still fresh and new. So here's to a great 2009-2010 school year.

My home away from home in JFSB 2056

The Joseph F. Smith Building quad:
this is the exact direction of the view
from my window one floor above

Northeast view from the JFSB roof

B 062 JFSB where I teach on M/W

Picture me at the lectern on the right

B071 where I teach on T/Th

It is a foods room where we can spill paint with impunity

Christmas will here before you know it. That's all for now.

OXO

D.

This and That

Here are a few of the thing that went on during the last week: JLynn Hastings, Rob's mom, spent the week with us while she attended Education Week at BYU. It is always nice to have her come. Rob and Anna came down a couple of times and on Friday they all went to the Bombay House for supper.

JLynn checking out of the Happiness Hotel

Pile on Clara!

Anders strikes a martial-arts pose

Mark and Nancy were also in town during the week. The dropped Rachel off at Utah State and then spent the week with Nancy's dad in Provo. We met them and Rod and Vicki at the Bombay House for supper on Friday, too. Nancy was reticent because the last Indian food they ate in AZ was not so good. They were very pleasantly surprised by the by the excellent food here. We really are lucky to have such a good Indian restaurant in little ol' Provo. Jocelyn was with them and she is on her way to Japan to stay with Matthew and Kim in Tokyo. After dinner we all came back to the house to eat ice cream and visit for a couple of hours. It was really nice to see them.

Rod, Vic, Jocelyn, Nancy, Mark, Katy, and Kris
with scenes of India behind them

A random shot of Winnie and Dickie

On Sunday we had delicious breakfast-like dinner at Emily's. It is always fun to be together as you can see in the following photo. Kris lost it after sharing a good joke she heard in the Mail Room.

Katy smoothing Kris's feathers at Emily's

Good luck to all the binkers who started school last week and to those who will jump into the fray this week.

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

The End of Summer

Provo public schools start Wednesday, Katy and Zoe have returned from Wales, Education Week starts Monday, preschool conferences at BYU start a week from Monday, there has been a nip of fall in the air, and it feels like summer is gone.

Will and Jamie spent the week here and Ann and Stephen put together a small fete for them last weekend. The Hastings came down to visit because they were headed out for Rob's family reunion in Idaho this week and would be unable to see the NC Taylors any other time.

The happy welcoming committee for Will and Jamie

The binkers enjoying Uncle's water feature

Monday evening was the final "group" picnic of the summer, so now its back to monthly dinners. Vern and Jerry, we miss you.

The final summer picnic: Millers and Ostergars

Liz and Phil

Phillip and Meagan invited us to pick berries with them on a West-Mountain farm, but Saturday dawned cool and rainy. We, however, loved the weather and picked a gallon of blackberries and two gallons of raspberries. P&M and their binkers picked about 3 or 4 gallons of blackberries. They are now either made into jam or frozen. We also went with them on their traditional Saturday visit to the Farmers' Market for lunch. It was such a fun morning; it was as good as a London adventure. That afternoon we went to see Julie and Julia with Hank and Colette, and after the film we went with them to La Casita for supper. What a day! No shopping, no laundry, just lots of fun adventures. The Saturday chores will keep.

Timp brooding on a cool and rainy Saturday morning

Ready to pick

The picking has begun

Katy gently plucking the ripe raspberries

Raspberry fields forever (w/ apologies to the Beatles)

Enjoying the fruits of their labors

Grammy keeping Ollie warm at the Farmers' Market

Good eats and treats

Crepes for dessert

Tonight, Sunday, we drove to Salt Lake City with Stephen and Ann to have dinner at Kreg and HB, our Calder (Hansen) cousins. HB and Norma are visiting and Dorothy and Kreg made a delicious meal. We had dessert on the roof terrace of Kreg's condominium on 3rd Avenue. It was a beautiful evening and a great finish to a fun week and weekend.

The first siting of Katy and Zoe Sunday afternoon

Norma, HB, Dorothy, and Kreg

A spectacular, cool August evening on Kreg's roof with its
incomparable view of the Utah State Capitol and Ensign Peak

Good times, but that's all for now.

OXO

D.

Happy Birthday Emily!

Emily, thirty-six years ago we welcomed you into our lives and the rest, as they say, has been history. You were the best thing ever; I never wanted to leave home. I only wanted to stay and play with you. When I did go to work or school, your happy welcome when I returned always filled me with joy. Such a bright and happy little sucker you were. As a matter of fact, you still are (bright and happy).

The apartment at Wymount Terrace,
circa 1974

Tonight was Emily's birthday party and the family joined her at the Bombay House for supper followed by birthday cake and ice cream at the Ensign's house. It was a beautiful evening and we stayed outside. The kids ran footraces, danced, and piled on Grammy and Auntie Katy. Fun times.

Circa 2009 at the Bombay House

The diners

Piling on Grammy and Katy

Puffy cheeks

You are a great daughter and we love you very much. Happy birthday!

That's all for now.

OXO

D.