Wednesday, 15August, 1990. We left Nashville and drove into Kentucky and found it even more beautiful than Tennessee; thicker woods. We visited Ft. Boonesborough. It is a replica of the fort where Daniel Boone and others lived. It was very well done. The backs of the cabins are part of the stockade wall. There were demonstrations of frontier crafts such as soap making, weaving, spinning, quilt making, pottery, candle dipping, toy making, basketry, etc.
We drove through more beautiful country with big estates, horse paddocks, and wooded areas. We visited "My Old Kentucky Home", a lovely home belonging to a cousin of Stephen Foster. A visit to the home inspired him to write the song. His uncle, Judge Rowan had built the home and his son had inherited it. We enjoyed visiting it very much.
On Friday, we visited Carthage Jail. The grounds were beautiful with lovely flowers. We saw the rooms of the jail; the jailor’s quarters and rooms for confining prisoners. We learned that Joseph Smith and the others had been taken to the jailor’s bedroom and were in that room when killed. We then drove along the Mississippi River and stopped and ate our lunch overlooking that great river.
In Nauvoo, we drove to the Visitor’s Center. Nauvoo is such a beautiful place; the flowers were spectacular. It is the same gardener that does them and at Carthage. We were told many people come for the flowers alone. The temple site gave me a sad feeling to think of its destruction.
We stayed in a nice motel and Leon rested while I went to visit more of Nauvoo. It was very hot and humid, in the 90s and 85% humidity! I parked the car in the shade of some large trees and it was not too bad. I visited the brick yard and learned about making bricks. I was given a small brick with "Nauvoo" on it. I was the only one in the audience and so had the tours to myself in most of the places. I saw Heber C. Kimball home, and the Noble-Smith home, where Lucy Mack Smith had lived for a time. Also the bakery and tinsmith shop. The missionary couples are so friendly and helpful. There are about 50 of them and one sister said she called this mission their "Chocolate Cake" mission.
Leon felt more rested so we went to see more things. The blacksmith and wheelwright demonstrations were outstanding. The Brother was a retired dentist and what made it extra special was that his great-grandfather was one of the four brothers who had originally built the blacksmith shop. We also saw rope making, barrel making and typesetting. All so very interesting.
We ate dinner at the Nauvoo Hotel; it had been a private home built in 1841. They would not take credit cards, only cash and personal checks. Even out-of-state checks!
We attended a musical presentation at the Cultural Hall called Memories of Nauvoo. A few young elders and sister missionaries plus older couples put it on and it was delightful. There was singing and a little dancing and sketches. I was impressed with all the couples had to learn, not only their presentations during the day but their lines and songs in the evening.
The red-brick homes, trimmed in white, are two-story, federal style and very elegant. They were very lovely; how hard it must have been to leave their homes again. The lots were four-acre lots and most of them are now in grass with a restored house here and there. We didn’t have time to see the ones belonging to the RLDS which includes the Mansion House, but we did drive by and see it.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Laura I. Wilder and Nashville
On Wednesday, August 8, we missed the turn off up to Columbus, NM, on our way back to the U.S. It was not marked well so we went on to Ciudad Juarez, an extra 45 minutes in Mexico but not out of the way for us. It was very nerve-wracking driving in Cd. Juarez but finally found the bridge and got back into the good USA. Our insurance had expired about 30 minutes before we left Mexico but I didn’t mention it to Leon until we had crossed the border. I think I’d rather visit Mexico on a tour and leave the driving and worries to others.
We drove through El Paso, Las Cruces, and Alamogordo. Just before Alamogordo we stopped at the White Sands National Monument and went through the Visitor’s Center. The sands are really white, mostly made of gypsum, very pretty. The usual sand we know is made up of quartz. I learned that sand is a name given to small particles and it can be made up of shells, volcanic rock, gypsum and/or quartz.
We went through Ruidoso, very pretty country, through pines. We saw ENMU , in Portales, NM, the university Leon attended as a freshman. Only two buildings were familiar to Leon; it was a pretty campus. We spent the night in Clovis, NM.
Thursday, we drove through Amarillo, Oklahoma City to Tulsa. On Friday, we drove to Wayside, KS, to the site of the "Little House on the Prairie". The site has been identified and a cabin, a replica of the original erected. It is so small but delightful. Trees grow there now but there were none in Laura’s day. An old school house and post office have been brought in nearby in which souvenirs are sold.
We next drove past Springfield, MO to Mansfield, whre Laura and Almanzo lived all their married lives expect for the first four years. It is a large white house that was built in stages, with all the original furnishings. Laura was under five feet in height so Almanzo built everything in the kitchen specially for her. At one time she had the most modern kitchen in the Ozarks, she had hot and cold running water! She loved windows and didn’t like curtains to block the view. She called the view her living pictures. Almanzo built a library in the corner of the living room for her. A museum is built next to the house and has many pictures and articles belonging to the family, also Rose, their daughter. The country is rolling, wooded hills; very pretty.
Saturday, we arrived in Nashville and found Rob and Erika’s place without any trouble. Their duplex is very nice painted rose and white which harmonizes with their furnishings. Rachel had grown so much. She is a darling little girl but a little leery of strangers. She did hold my hand by evening. Erika made us feel very welcome, even let us sleep on their water bed. Rob is on tour with Donnie and Marie Osmond and won’t get back until Monday some time. It was great to use a washer and dryer after a week on the road. I called my parents and found out they arrived back home safely though very tired.
Sunday we attended church with Erika. a nice friendly ward. The speakers in Sacrament Meeting were the young Bishop’s in-laws, Boyd Jarman and wife. He was a big BYU basket ball star when I went to school; now he is a patriarch.
Monday Erika took us to visit the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s home. The grounds are beautiful, like a park, and the home was lovely. I bought a small thistle pattern glass bowl, which I was told, is a very old design. Eleanor Roosevelt collected thistle glass. We drove to a park to see a replica of the Parthenon. It was built for their centennial celebration sometime in the 1880s or 90s of wood. It was scheduled to be torn down at the end of the celebration but the citizens liked it too much. It was redone in stone. We weren’t able to go inside; it was closed on Mondays.
Leon and I bought an inflatable mattress; we don’t do too well on water beds. We slept better on it.
Rob got back about 7 p.m. and Erika picked him up while Leon and I took care of Rachel. She let me hold her while her mother was gone. She really is a darling. It was so good to see him.
On Tuesday, we went sightseeing in downtown Nashville. We went to the Tennessee State Museum which was very nicely set up. It was not crowded and things were displayed very well. We saw examples of or replicas of a water wheel, a couple traveling through the wilderness, log cabin, etc.. There was a beautiful collection of silver made from coins, also a civil war exhibit.
He also took us to see the Opryland Hotel. What a place! It is a huge hotel complex and within it there are two very, very big atriums with waterfalls, fountains, trees, rocks, plants, flowers, etc. One would have to see it to believe it. There was a dancing waters show with a very showy harp placer. We stayed for part of it. The place is well worth seeing!
We really enjoyed our visit with the kids, it was good to see them and see where they live.
We drove through El Paso, Las Cruces, and Alamogordo. Just before Alamogordo we stopped at the White Sands National Monument and went through the Visitor’s Center. The sands are really white, mostly made of gypsum, very pretty. The usual sand we know is made up of quartz. I learned that sand is a name given to small particles and it can be made up of shells, volcanic rock, gypsum and/or quartz.
We went through Ruidoso, very pretty country, through pines. We saw ENMU , in Portales, NM, the university Leon attended as a freshman. Only two buildings were familiar to Leon; it was a pretty campus. We spent the night in Clovis, NM.
Thursday, we drove through Amarillo, Oklahoma City to Tulsa. On Friday, we drove to Wayside, KS, to the site of the "Little House on the Prairie". The site has been identified and a cabin, a replica of the original erected. It is so small but delightful. Trees grow there now but there were none in Laura’s day. An old school house and post office have been brought in nearby in which souvenirs are sold.
We next drove past Springfield, MO to Mansfield, whre Laura and Almanzo lived all their married lives expect for the first four years. It is a large white house that was built in stages, with all the original furnishings. Laura was under five feet in height so Almanzo built everything in the kitchen specially for her. At one time she had the most modern kitchen in the Ozarks, she had hot and cold running water! She loved windows and didn’t like curtains to block the view. She called the view her living pictures. Almanzo built a library in the corner of the living room for her. A museum is built next to the house and has many pictures and articles belonging to the family, also Rose, their daughter. The country is rolling, wooded hills; very pretty.
Saturday, we arrived in Nashville and found Rob and Erika’s place without any trouble. Their duplex is very nice painted rose and white which harmonizes with their furnishings. Rachel had grown so much. She is a darling little girl but a little leery of strangers. She did hold my hand by evening. Erika made us feel very welcome, even let us sleep on their water bed. Rob is on tour with Donnie and Marie Osmond and won’t get back until Monday some time. It was great to use a washer and dryer after a week on the road. I called my parents and found out they arrived back home safely though very tired.
Sunday we attended church with Erika. a nice friendly ward. The speakers in Sacrament Meeting were the young Bishop’s in-laws, Boyd Jarman and wife. He was a big BYU basket ball star when I went to school; now he is a patriarch.
Monday Erika took us to visit the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s home. The grounds are beautiful, like a park, and the home was lovely. I bought a small thistle pattern glass bowl, which I was told, is a very old design. Eleanor Roosevelt collected thistle glass. We drove to a park to see a replica of the Parthenon. It was built for their centennial celebration sometime in the 1880s or 90s of wood. It was scheduled to be torn down at the end of the celebration but the citizens liked it too much. It was redone in stone. We weren’t able to go inside; it was closed on Mondays.
Leon and I bought an inflatable mattress; we don’t do too well on water beds. We slept better on it.
Rob got back about 7 p.m. and Erika picked him up while Leon and I took care of Rachel. She let me hold her while her mother was gone. She really is a darling. It was so good to see him.
On Tuesday, we went sightseeing in downtown Nashville. We went to the Tennessee State Museum which was very nicely set up. It was not crowded and things were displayed very well. We saw examples of or replicas of a water wheel, a couple traveling through the wilderness, log cabin, etc.. There was a beautiful collection of silver made from coins, also a civil war exhibit.
He also took us to see the Opryland Hotel. What a place! It is a huge hotel complex and within it there are two very, very big atriums with waterfalls, fountains, trees, rocks, plants, flowers, etc. One would have to see it to believe it. There was a dancing waters show with a very showy harp placer. We stayed for part of it. The place is well worth seeing!
We really enjoyed our visit with the kids, it was good to see them and see where they live.
Monday, June 8, 2009
1989-90, Trip to Mexico
January 20, 1989 was Rob and Erika’s wedding day. A beautiful, but snowy and foggy day. They were sealed in the River Jordan Temple by my Dad. We were happy to welcome another daughter to the family.
Laurisa Romriell was born just a month later. We now have 18 grandchildren. Jenny, David, James, Ryan, Chris, Becky, Melissa, Alicia, Salem, Daniel, Tannie, Trent, Russell, Alex, Laurisa, Lauren, Sam, and Michelle. All great kids!
In June, Nancy was married to Jeff Wise. Two great kids came from that marriage, Ashley and Tanner, though it was not a happy time for Nancy. It ended in divorce a few years later.
Also in 1989 we had a Honey reunion. Bill and Kathy, Joan and families came and it was nice to be together. Leon prepared a booklet with pictures and stories of Bill and Leona for all the family.
March 23, 1990 was Mark and Sharon’s wedding day in the Salt Lake Temple. Dad was able to seal them; so special to have my Dad officiating. They had known each other ever since we moved to Utah, in 1977. Sharon lived right across the street from us. All of our children are now married.
In August, 1990, my Mom and Dad and all their kids took a trip to the colonies in Mexico. Dad had never been back since leaving Colonia Dublan where he was born. He was a toddler when he left. Gina and Keith; Fred, Carol, young Fred, Warren and Lexie; Mary and Rachel; and Leon and I made up the group. We took three cars.
We spent Sunday evening singing lots of songs, many of them having to do with Mexico. The next morning we drove to Tucson and found the old Mormon Cemetery in Binghamton, now a suburb of Tucson. We located my grandfather’s grave, Frederick Granger Williams, the 2nd though he didn’t go by 2nd. He died when my Dad was a young boy. We visited the granite monument to the Mormon Battalion in a park in Tucson. My folks were instrumental in organizing the dedication of the monument in 1937.
We drove to Columbus, NM on the border with Mexico. Leon filled up our car with gas a one pump and Keith and Mary filled up at another one. Then their cars wouldn’t work! We found out that diesel fuel had been mixed with the gas. After much hassle, the owner was contacted and he had the tanks cleaned out and filled with gas; no charge. By now it was late at night so we spent the night in Deming, 34 miles north.
Tuesday, Mary, Leon and I obtained Mexican insurance for our cars; Keith and Gina had obtained theirs earlier in Mesa. We drove to the border and had to wait for the Mexican border attendant to finish his lunch, then we were able to proceed on our way.
It was a slow 90 miles to Colonia Dublan, now part of Nuevo Casas Grandes. Roads were good in the country but terrible in the towns we passed through. Big chuck holes and unmarked large speed bumps.
We stayed at Motel Hacienda, formerly a Ramada Inn. It was built Spanish style around a large grassy patio with a swimming pool in one of the corners. Large trees and flowers made it a very pretty place. We ate lunch in the banquet room, very private and nice. It was fun being all together. Most of us spoke Spanish so we talked to the waiters and other hotel people.
Afterwards, we got into the cars and located some landmarks Fred had investigated. We located the corner where Nancy Abigail Clement Williams, my grandmother had lived, and where the blacksmith shop was located.
Dublan was much prettier than expected. Most homes looked like they had been transported straight from Utah. All the roads were dirt except the main one. The church block looked very prosperous, enclosed with a fence and a sidewalk. There were many trees and flowers. We met Fletcher Memmot, who had been a missionary in Argentina during WW II. He told us how to get to Colonia Juarez and the Academy. That night, he and his wife and two daughters visited us and brought maps, pictures and lovely peaches.
We drove to Colonia Juarez, about 8 miles from Colonia Dublan and saw all the beautiful orchards. We saw the Academy building, built in 1904. There are about 400 students, 80% LDS; a bishop’s recommend is needed and there is a long waiting list.
We drove back to Dublan before dark; it is not good to be out on the roads at night. The little Mexican towns are very poor and dirty but where the Mormons settled, the places are clean and neat.
Wednesday, Leon and I had to leave as we had planned on going east to visit Rob and Erika in Tennessee. The others stayed another day, locating the place outside of town where Dad was born. It was very special to have this trip with my parents, brother and sisters, and other family members.
Laurisa Romriell was born just a month later. We now have 18 grandchildren. Jenny, David, James, Ryan, Chris, Becky, Melissa, Alicia, Salem, Daniel, Tannie, Trent, Russell, Alex, Laurisa, Lauren, Sam, and Michelle. All great kids!
In June, Nancy was married to Jeff Wise. Two great kids came from that marriage, Ashley and Tanner, though it was not a happy time for Nancy. It ended in divorce a few years later.
Also in 1989 we had a Honey reunion. Bill and Kathy, Joan and families came and it was nice to be together. Leon prepared a booklet with pictures and stories of Bill and Leona for all the family.
March 23, 1990 was Mark and Sharon’s wedding day in the Salt Lake Temple. Dad was able to seal them; so special to have my Dad officiating. They had known each other ever since we moved to Utah, in 1977. Sharon lived right across the street from us. All of our children are now married.
In August, 1990, my Mom and Dad and all their kids took a trip to the colonies in Mexico. Dad had never been back since leaving Colonia Dublan where he was born. He was a toddler when he left. Gina and Keith; Fred, Carol, young Fred, Warren and Lexie; Mary and Rachel; and Leon and I made up the group. We took three cars.
We spent Sunday evening singing lots of songs, many of them having to do with Mexico. The next morning we drove to Tucson and found the old Mormon Cemetery in Binghamton, now a suburb of Tucson. We located my grandfather’s grave, Frederick Granger Williams, the 2nd though he didn’t go by 2nd. He died when my Dad was a young boy. We visited the granite monument to the Mormon Battalion in a park in Tucson. My folks were instrumental in organizing the dedication of the monument in 1937.
We drove to Columbus, NM on the border with Mexico. Leon filled up our car with gas a one pump and Keith and Mary filled up at another one. Then their cars wouldn’t work! We found out that diesel fuel had been mixed with the gas. After much hassle, the owner was contacted and he had the tanks cleaned out and filled with gas; no charge. By now it was late at night so we spent the night in Deming, 34 miles north.
Tuesday, Mary, Leon and I obtained Mexican insurance for our cars; Keith and Gina had obtained theirs earlier in Mesa. We drove to the border and had to wait for the Mexican border attendant to finish his lunch, then we were able to proceed on our way.
It was a slow 90 miles to Colonia Dublan, now part of Nuevo Casas Grandes. Roads were good in the country but terrible in the towns we passed through. Big chuck holes and unmarked large speed bumps.
We stayed at Motel Hacienda, formerly a Ramada Inn. It was built Spanish style around a large grassy patio with a swimming pool in one of the corners. Large trees and flowers made it a very pretty place. We ate lunch in the banquet room, very private and nice. It was fun being all together. Most of us spoke Spanish so we talked to the waiters and other hotel people.
Afterwards, we got into the cars and located some landmarks Fred had investigated. We located the corner where Nancy Abigail Clement Williams, my grandmother had lived, and where the blacksmith shop was located.
Dublan was much prettier than expected. Most homes looked like they had been transported straight from Utah. All the roads were dirt except the main one. The church block looked very prosperous, enclosed with a fence and a sidewalk. There were many trees and flowers. We met Fletcher Memmot, who had been a missionary in Argentina during WW II. He told us how to get to Colonia Juarez and the Academy. That night, he and his wife and two daughters visited us and brought maps, pictures and lovely peaches.
We drove to Colonia Juarez, about 8 miles from Colonia Dublan and saw all the beautiful orchards. We saw the Academy building, built in 1904. There are about 400 students, 80% LDS; a bishop’s recommend is needed and there is a long waiting list.
We drove back to Dublan before dark; it is not good to be out on the roads at night. The little Mexican towns are very poor and dirty but where the Mormons settled, the places are clean and neat.
Wednesday, Leon and I had to leave as we had planned on going east to visit Rob and Erika in Tennessee. The others stayed another day, locating the place outside of town where Dad was born. It was very special to have this trip with my parents, brother and sisters, and other family members.
Monday, June 1, 2009
1986-88
After we returned from our fabulous trip to Europe, we were able to get a new roof. With help from Brent, Doug, and I can’t remember who else, we got the job done, just before a rainstorm.
Doug had been attending Utah Valley Community College and had enrolled in an art class, or something like that, and the teacher planned a trip to Europe. Doug got to go and had a great time. The most important part of that trip was that he met Julie, also a student at UVCC. They hit it off really well and became engaged; either on the trip or shortly after returning home. They were married December 5, 1986 and the sealing was performed by my Dad.
In April of 1987, David received his PHD from UC Berkely. We were able to travel and witness this. We were really proud of him and his accomplishments.
Mark received his mission call to Des Moines, IA late that summer and in the fall, entered the MTC. Our last son to fill a mission. Many family members went to the MTC to see him off.
We had five young men from our ward enter the MTC that fall; one after the other gave their farewell talks, a week apart in Sacrament Meeting.
In a weak moment, we signed up to buy two lots in Aspen Hills; between Fairview and Mt. Pleasant. There was a stream with a waterfall and it was fun to go there for picnics. We parked the Dragin’ Wagon and the camper shell there. Many family members enjoyed visits and a few camped over night. We always thought we would build a cabin but it was not to be. Some vandals stole the metal supports on the camper shell and a bad winter snow caved in the Dragin’ Wagon so we cleaned up the lots. Eventually we sold the lots.
December brought another performance of Messiah. Leon was the conductor and Tricia and I sang in the Chorus. It was always a lot of fun to sing that great music.
My boss, Roger Plothow, had me, another secretary, himself, and the college president, attend a conference in Washington, D.C. Besides attending the meetings, I was able to visit the Smithsonian Museums, Ford’s Theater, The Washington Monument, Lincoln’s Memorial, Mt. Vernon, Arlington Cemetery, saw the Declaration of Independence and visited the White House. There were many more things we saw. It was a great time. One could purchase a ticket, ride a little bus around, get off and on again and continue seeing our capital. I’ll always be grateful to Roger for the nice trips I was able to take.
I was able to visit Washington D.C. another time; this time just Roger, someone else, and I went. After the conference, he said he wanted to visit the National Museum of Art with me. We would go into a room. He would sit on a bench while I walked around looking at the paintings, then we would go into another room and he would sit again and I would look. I got a kick out this. It was in Washington D.C. that I first tasted Key Lime Pie. It has been a favorite ever since.
In 1988, my Dad celebrated his 80th birthday and we had a big celebration in Mesa. Most of the family were there except Mark and Shane Morris; they were serving their missions. We had lots of singing and playing. We sang the grandkids’ songs and wedding songs that Mom wrote, plus her sacred ones. I was wonderful to be with the extended family and Mom and Dad
Doug had been attending Utah Valley Community College and had enrolled in an art class, or something like that, and the teacher planned a trip to Europe. Doug got to go and had a great time. The most important part of that trip was that he met Julie, also a student at UVCC. They hit it off really well and became engaged; either on the trip or shortly after returning home. They were married December 5, 1986 and the sealing was performed by my Dad.
In April of 1987, David received his PHD from UC Berkely. We were able to travel and witness this. We were really proud of him and his accomplishments.
Mark received his mission call to Des Moines, IA late that summer and in the fall, entered the MTC. Our last son to fill a mission. Many family members went to the MTC to see him off.
We had five young men from our ward enter the MTC that fall; one after the other gave their farewell talks, a week apart in Sacrament Meeting.
In a weak moment, we signed up to buy two lots in Aspen Hills; between Fairview and Mt. Pleasant. There was a stream with a waterfall and it was fun to go there for picnics. We parked the Dragin’ Wagon and the camper shell there. Many family members enjoyed visits and a few camped over night. We always thought we would build a cabin but it was not to be. Some vandals stole the metal supports on the camper shell and a bad winter snow caved in the Dragin’ Wagon so we cleaned up the lots. Eventually we sold the lots.
December brought another performance of Messiah. Leon was the conductor and Tricia and I sang in the Chorus. It was always a lot of fun to sing that great music.
My boss, Roger Plothow, had me, another secretary, himself, and the college president, attend a conference in Washington, D.C. Besides attending the meetings, I was able to visit the Smithsonian Museums, Ford’s Theater, The Washington Monument, Lincoln’s Memorial, Mt. Vernon, Arlington Cemetery, saw the Declaration of Independence and visited the White House. There were many more things we saw. It was a great time. One could purchase a ticket, ride a little bus around, get off and on again and continue seeing our capital. I’ll always be grateful to Roger for the nice trips I was able to take.
I was able to visit Washington D.C. another time; this time just Roger, someone else, and I went. After the conference, he said he wanted to visit the National Museum of Art with me. We would go into a room. He would sit on a bench while I walked around looking at the paintings, then we would go into another room and he would sit again and I would look. I got a kick out this. It was in Washington D.C. that I first tasted Key Lime Pie. It has been a favorite ever since.
In 1988, my Dad celebrated his 80th birthday and we had a big celebration in Mesa. Most of the family were there except Mark and Shane Morris; they were serving their missions. We had lots of singing and playing. We sang the grandkids’ songs and wedding songs that Mom wrote, plus her sacred ones. I was wonderful to be with the extended family and Mom and Dad
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
KS, TX & AZ trip
I’ve been asked to write about our great 2 ½ weeks trip that we just took. All together it was a marvelous time. The main purpose was to witness Laurisa’s wedding, see Tricia and Alan, plus visiting Alan and Peggy and my sister Gina and her husband John.
We left on Thursday, April 30. We drove to Denver, CO, enjoying the beautiful scenery which reminded us of our mission in Woodland Park, CO. The pine trees were so beautiful. The next day we drove to Manhattan, KS, and arrived at Alan and Peggy’s new house. It is right across from the other one they had rented. This is a much nicer one; it has a basement family room plus a bedroom and bath for Will and upstairs, three more bedrooms and a bathroom. The living room is large, reminiscent of their living room in their old Provo home. We enjoyed our time with them. Alan and Peggy graciously gave up their bed to us; so kind of them. We weren’t able to see Lauren and Ross because they were visiting in Houston, TX. We went to church with them and enjoyed their Gospel Doctrine teacher very much. He was an LDS Chaplain at Ft. Riley.
Monday, May 4 (my mother’s birthday) we drove to Oklahoma City to spend the night. We saw signs advertising a Cowboy Museum. It was located fairly close to our motel so we thought we would check it out. It was a great place to visit and we only saw part of it. There was a huge room in which they had built a frontier town. It had a saloon, blacksmith shop, stables, hotel, newspaper office, doctor’s office, and a mercantile store. It was most interesting. They also had galleries with lovely paintings and many bronzes by Remington and Russell. They also had cowboy movie memorabilia. They showed little excerpts of cowboy movies, from silent film days to the present. They also had a huge room with pictures and items from cowboy movie stars from silent films to today. John Wayne had a huge selection. There were pictures of John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Tom Mix, Tom Selleck, Glen Ford, Walter Brennan, Gene Autry, and so many more with saddles, boots, gloves and other items. It was a worthwhile place to visit.
As we were about to leave, I got a call on my little cell phone. It was Lauren! She had called her Dad and he asked her where she was. When she replied she was in Oklahoma City, he told her that we were there and gave her my cell phone number. It was great to hear from her.. We told her where our motel was and they came by. It was fun to see her, Ross and little Ethan. What a darling little boy, so smiley and happy. We walked across the motel parking lot to a Waffle House and had supper together. I’m so glad we were able to see them since we didn’t get to in Manhattan.
Tuesday, May 5, we drove on down to Austin, TX. It is always great to get to Tricia and Alan’s house. We have our own room with our own bathroom. Wednesday, May 6th, we went to the San Antonio Temple for Laurisa to take out her endowments. David, her fiancé, his parents and brother Daniel (who looks a lot like David and who is leaving for Argentina to serve his mission very soon) and Tannie and Jillian and I can’t remember who else was there. The temple is very beautiful with lots of stained glass and beautiful murals in the endowment room.
Thursday, the 7th, Leon had to buy a new camera as the old one just quit. We went to Target and got a nice one. Alan arrived that evening to photograph the wedding. Friday, the 8th, the Christoffersons came and spent the night, along with their daughter and baby. Laurisa also had a friend from BYU there. Laurisa, friend, Alex, and Daniel, David’s brother, all slept on couches. Tricia’s house lends itself to housing many people. David slept at Russell’s house.
Saturday the 9th, quite early, we all left for the temple. It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes for the trip. Elder Christofferson, of the Quorum of the Twelve and David’s uncle, performed the sealing. It was very special. Tannie and Dan, Trent and Cinthya, Russell and Jillian, Alex and his fianceé Rachel, Alan’s sister Janna and husband, Ryan and Leslie Barlow,
David’s parents, brother and sister, were all there. Tricia had arranged for babysitters to watch all the little ones while we were in the temple. James and Lonna Barlow had planned on being there but Gwen pinched her finger in the car door and they had to take her to the E.R. She was o.k. And they joined us at the restaurant. Alan took lots of pictures and it was fun watching him work and his patter. After the sealing we all went to an Italian restaurant for a nice meal.
Tricia had lots of friends to help with decorating and serving for the reception. The whole driveway had small white poles with white tulle lining the driveway with luminarias also lighting the way. Some young boys had the fun job of keeping the little candles lighted in the paper sacks. There was a dance floor with lights overhead, also more lights where the arch and wedding line stood. The tables were beautifully decorated as were also the backs of the chairs. A string quartet, Tricia’s friends, played for an hour; very enjoyable. There was also a DJ with more music. It was a very lovely affair.
Sunday morning, David and Laurisa came and opened gifts. Leon and I watched for a while and then Alex, Rachel, Leon and I went to Sacrament Meeting. People started leaving Sunday: Alan, all the Christoffersons, and Laurisa’s friend. It was nice to have it quiet again.
Monday, the 11th, Tricia, Alan, Leon and I drove to Corpus Christi for a mini vacation. We visited the USS Lexington, an aircraft carrier. They are always fun to visit and so huge! We found a good Mexican restaurant, then dropped Leon off at the motel and Tricia, Alan and I drove out on Padre Island. We walked down to the beach and waded in the Gulf of Mexico. The water was warm and it was a lovely experience. I really miss the beach, living in Utah, so this was special.
The next morning we drove along the shore, seeing the Gulf on one side and lovely homes on the other. We then went to a great museum. They have the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria; full-sized replicas of Columbus’s ships. They were built by the Spanish government in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the sailing to America. The ships had sailed around the world and finally wound up in Corpus Christi. The Niña is floating by a pier but the other two are in dry dock. We were able to go aboard the Pinta. They are so small to sail across the large ocean! We were told that at one time the Pinta and Santa Maria were in the water and a barge ran into them causing damage. Spain still owned the ships at that time and they had to have people from Spain come and repair them.
Wednesday the 13th was a quiet day with Tricia getting her house back in order. She and I sat in the spa for a while; the pool was still a little cold for me. We always enjoy being at their home.
Thursday, 14th we drove to Van Horn, TX and spent the night and drove next morning to Mesa, AZ to visit Gina and John. They have a lovely condo and are very hospitable. Saturday, They drove us to Phoenix to visit Bill Farnsworth, an old missionary friend from Uruguay. He had been the first mission secretary. He and his wife Ella are special people and it was great to visit with them. They have lived all over the world; he was an executive in a large bank. They lived in Uruguay, Brazil, London, California and I don’t know where else. He was from the Colonies in Mexico.
That afternoon, we were able to go visit Robyn, Rob, and their family. They have a nice home with a pool. She is a ball of fire, so fun to visit with. They plan on going back to live in Hawaii in a few years.
Sunday, we went to the Spanish Ward, as Gina and John are assigned there to help out. It was nice to hear Spanish spoken. Gina wasn’t feeling to well, so we left after Sacrament Meeting. She felt better in the afternoon so we went and visited Melanie and Boyd. They also have a lovely home. It was good to visit them and hear about their lodge in Heber, AZ. also about their kids. That evening we drove to Phoenix and visited Kevin and Marian. Also a lovely home. Their kids are great and we enjoyed visiting with all of them. Erica and Andrea both had spent time at the Jerusalem Center and we had fun talking about places we all had visited. Erica has graduated from BYU and is working in a law office; not her father’s. Andrea is still going to school at BYU and Kyle is a junior in high school.
Monday, we started home, planning on stopping on the way to spend the night but we kept right on going. We were ready to be home. Leon had been very good about stopping frequently and walking for his leg so I don’t think he had any problems with it. It is lovely to be home in our own bed.
We left on Thursday, April 30. We drove to Denver, CO, enjoying the beautiful scenery which reminded us of our mission in Woodland Park, CO. The pine trees were so beautiful. The next day we drove to Manhattan, KS, and arrived at Alan and Peggy’s new house. It is right across from the other one they had rented. This is a much nicer one; it has a basement family room plus a bedroom and bath for Will and upstairs, three more bedrooms and a bathroom. The living room is large, reminiscent of their living room in their old Provo home. We enjoyed our time with them. Alan and Peggy graciously gave up their bed to us; so kind of them. We weren’t able to see Lauren and Ross because they were visiting in Houston, TX. We went to church with them and enjoyed their Gospel Doctrine teacher very much. He was an LDS Chaplain at Ft. Riley.
Monday, May 4 (my mother’s birthday) we drove to Oklahoma City to spend the night. We saw signs advertising a Cowboy Museum. It was located fairly close to our motel so we thought we would check it out. It was a great place to visit and we only saw part of it. There was a huge room in which they had built a frontier town. It had a saloon, blacksmith shop, stables, hotel, newspaper office, doctor’s office, and a mercantile store. It was most interesting. They also had galleries with lovely paintings and many bronzes by Remington and Russell. They also had cowboy movie memorabilia. They showed little excerpts of cowboy movies, from silent film days to the present. They also had a huge room with pictures and items from cowboy movie stars from silent films to today. John Wayne had a huge selection. There were pictures of John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Tom Mix, Tom Selleck, Glen Ford, Walter Brennan, Gene Autry, and so many more with saddles, boots, gloves and other items. It was a worthwhile place to visit.
As we were about to leave, I got a call on my little cell phone. It was Lauren! She had called her Dad and he asked her where she was. When she replied she was in Oklahoma City, he told her that we were there and gave her my cell phone number. It was great to hear from her.. We told her where our motel was and they came by. It was fun to see her, Ross and little Ethan. What a darling little boy, so smiley and happy. We walked across the motel parking lot to a Waffle House and had supper together. I’m so glad we were able to see them since we didn’t get to in Manhattan.
Tuesday, May 5, we drove on down to Austin, TX. It is always great to get to Tricia and Alan’s house. We have our own room with our own bathroom. Wednesday, May 6th, we went to the San Antonio Temple for Laurisa to take out her endowments. David, her fiancé, his parents and brother Daniel (who looks a lot like David and who is leaving for Argentina to serve his mission very soon) and Tannie and Jillian and I can’t remember who else was there. The temple is very beautiful with lots of stained glass and beautiful murals in the endowment room.
Thursday, the 7th, Leon had to buy a new camera as the old one just quit. We went to Target and got a nice one. Alan arrived that evening to photograph the wedding. Friday, the 8th, the Christoffersons came and spent the night, along with their daughter and baby. Laurisa also had a friend from BYU there. Laurisa, friend, Alex, and Daniel, David’s brother, all slept on couches. Tricia’s house lends itself to housing many people. David slept at Russell’s house.
Saturday the 9th, quite early, we all left for the temple. It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes for the trip. Elder Christofferson, of the Quorum of the Twelve and David’s uncle, performed the sealing. It was very special. Tannie and Dan, Trent and Cinthya, Russell and Jillian, Alex and his fianceé Rachel, Alan’s sister Janna and husband, Ryan and Leslie Barlow,
David’s parents, brother and sister, were all there. Tricia had arranged for babysitters to watch all the little ones while we were in the temple. James and Lonna Barlow had planned on being there but Gwen pinched her finger in the car door and they had to take her to the E.R. She was o.k. And they joined us at the restaurant. Alan took lots of pictures and it was fun watching him work and his patter. After the sealing we all went to an Italian restaurant for a nice meal.
Tricia had lots of friends to help with decorating and serving for the reception. The whole driveway had small white poles with white tulle lining the driveway with luminarias also lighting the way. Some young boys had the fun job of keeping the little candles lighted in the paper sacks. There was a dance floor with lights overhead, also more lights where the arch and wedding line stood. The tables were beautifully decorated as were also the backs of the chairs. A string quartet, Tricia’s friends, played for an hour; very enjoyable. There was also a DJ with more music. It was a very lovely affair.
Sunday morning, David and Laurisa came and opened gifts. Leon and I watched for a while and then Alex, Rachel, Leon and I went to Sacrament Meeting. People started leaving Sunday: Alan, all the Christoffersons, and Laurisa’s friend. It was nice to have it quiet again.
Monday, the 11th, Tricia, Alan, Leon and I drove to Corpus Christi for a mini vacation. We visited the USS Lexington, an aircraft carrier. They are always fun to visit and so huge! We found a good Mexican restaurant, then dropped Leon off at the motel and Tricia, Alan and I drove out on Padre Island. We walked down to the beach and waded in the Gulf of Mexico. The water was warm and it was a lovely experience. I really miss the beach, living in Utah, so this was special.
The next morning we drove along the shore, seeing the Gulf on one side and lovely homes on the other. We then went to a great museum. They have the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria; full-sized replicas of Columbus’s ships. They were built by the Spanish government in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the sailing to America. The ships had sailed around the world and finally wound up in Corpus Christi. The Niña is floating by a pier but the other two are in dry dock. We were able to go aboard the Pinta. They are so small to sail across the large ocean! We were told that at one time the Pinta and Santa Maria were in the water and a barge ran into them causing damage. Spain still owned the ships at that time and they had to have people from Spain come and repair them.
Wednesday the 13th was a quiet day with Tricia getting her house back in order. She and I sat in the spa for a while; the pool was still a little cold for me. We always enjoy being at their home.
Thursday, 14th we drove to Van Horn, TX and spent the night and drove next morning to Mesa, AZ to visit Gina and John. They have a lovely condo and are very hospitable. Saturday, They drove us to Phoenix to visit Bill Farnsworth, an old missionary friend from Uruguay. He had been the first mission secretary. He and his wife Ella are special people and it was great to visit with them. They have lived all over the world; he was an executive in a large bank. They lived in Uruguay, Brazil, London, California and I don’t know where else. He was from the Colonies in Mexico.
That afternoon, we were able to go visit Robyn, Rob, and their family. They have a nice home with a pool. She is a ball of fire, so fun to visit with. They plan on going back to live in Hawaii in a few years.
Sunday, we went to the Spanish Ward, as Gina and John are assigned there to help out. It was nice to hear Spanish spoken. Gina wasn’t feeling to well, so we left after Sacrament Meeting. She felt better in the afternoon so we went and visited Melanie and Boyd. They also have a lovely home. It was good to visit them and hear about their lodge in Heber, AZ. also about their kids. That evening we drove to Phoenix and visited Kevin and Marian. Also a lovely home. Their kids are great and we enjoyed visiting with all of them. Erica and Andrea both had spent time at the Jerusalem Center and we had fun talking about places we all had visited. Erica has graduated from BYU and is working in a law office; not her father’s. Andrea is still going to school at BYU and Kyle is a junior in high school.
Monday, we started home, planning on stopping on the way to spend the night but we kept right on going. We were ready to be home. Leon had been very good about stopping frequently and walking for his leg so I don’t think he had any problems with it. It is lovely to be home in our own bed.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Rome!
We next drove to Rome! How exciting to visit that city. We unloaded our luggage and then dropped off the car. We then walked back. We walked all the rest of the time in Rome and saw so many wonderful. Our bed and breakfast place was on Via Cavour, the same street as the church that has the statue of Moses by Michelangelo. The one with the horns. It was very plain inside but loved seeing that statue.
Our room overlooked the street and that was so entertaining. Cars were parked every which way, double parked, triple parked and even on the sidewalk. at right angles, or at any angle, to the curb. People would walk down the middle of the street, two and three abreast, ignoring traffic. Our room has a shower in the corner with the toilet down the hall.
We saw the Spanish Steps but I was disappointed. Pictures always show them with flowers and clean. There were no flowers, it was dirty and tons of people. We walked across town along the Tiber river and saw Castello de Sant Angelo of Tosca fame (she jumped from it at the end of the opera); it was built as Emperor Hadrian’s Mausoleum. We then walked to St. Peter’s Square. Pictures can’t do it justice, it is huge!!! Inside the Basilica is truly beautiful, also huge. Lots of beautiful marble, gold, paintings and statues. We were able to see the "Pieta", just beautiful.
Walking back to the hotel we would look down in a vacant lot and see Roman ruins below ground level. We saw the huge white monument to Victor Emmanuel II "Altare della Patria" It looks like a big wedding cake.
Next day we visited the church "St. Peter in Chains" built to house the chains that bound St. Peter. It is famous for the tomb of Pope Julian II for whom Michelangelo did so much work. We then walked to the Colosseum. What a thrill to see and walk about it. We paid the extra fee and went up higher. I saw a little piece of brick and picked it up as a memento. What things occurred here years ago: duels, battles, hurts, etc. We truly enjoyed this. We walked to the Trevi Fountain in a drizzle. It was bigger than I had thought and so beautiful. I was surprised to see that it is surrounded by buildings and not in a big open space. We went to the Pantheon but it had closed about 45 minutes earlier. We had wanted to go to the Forum but with the rain coming down and having seen a lot of other ruins along the streets we didn’t feel too disappointed, just a little.
Bus tickets are sold in the tobacco shops so we bought two for in the morning. We thought it might be too far to walk to the train station with all our luggage. We really don’t have that much: two small suitcases, a garment bag and a carry-on bag.
The next morning our landlady gave us an early breakfast at 7:30 a.m. consisting of bread, butter, jam and grapefruit juice. We caught the bus about 7:50 a.m. arriving at the train station around 8:00 a.m. It took a long time to find where to buy tickets to get to the airport. The tickets cost L5,000 each and I now only have L4,000 left; everything worked out just right. It took about 45 minutes to get to the Leonardo da Vinci airport. There were guards with submachine guns patrolling and occasionally stopping and looking into luggage if you are Arabic. We were not stopped. It was a nice big airport. We boarded the plane about 10:30 a.m.
We enjoyed seeing the Cape Cod Hook from the air as we flew into Kennedy Airport in New York. It was great understanding every one. We had a few hour wait but customs did not check our luggage. We went all through Europe and back into the U.S. and no one checked the luggage; that really surprised me. Tricia and Rob met us at the SLC airport about 10:00 p.m. It was good to see them and be back but we had had a marvelous time, an unforgetable time, for which we are very grateful. It has been a wonderful 20 days and we still can’t quite believe all we’ve seen and that our kids made it possible.
Our room overlooked the street and that was so entertaining. Cars were parked every which way, double parked, triple parked and even on the sidewalk. at right angles, or at any angle, to the curb. People would walk down the middle of the street, two and three abreast, ignoring traffic. Our room has a shower in the corner with the toilet down the hall.
We saw the Spanish Steps but I was disappointed. Pictures always show them with flowers and clean. There were no flowers, it was dirty and tons of people. We walked across town along the Tiber river and saw Castello de Sant Angelo of Tosca fame (she jumped from it at the end of the opera); it was built as Emperor Hadrian’s Mausoleum. We then walked to St. Peter’s Square. Pictures can’t do it justice, it is huge!!! Inside the Basilica is truly beautiful, also huge. Lots of beautiful marble, gold, paintings and statues. We were able to see the "Pieta", just beautiful.
Walking back to the hotel we would look down in a vacant lot and see Roman ruins below ground level. We saw the huge white monument to Victor Emmanuel II "Altare della Patria" It looks like a big wedding cake.
Next day we visited the church "St. Peter in Chains" built to house the chains that bound St. Peter. It is famous for the tomb of Pope Julian II for whom Michelangelo did so much work. We then walked to the Colosseum. What a thrill to see and walk about it. We paid the extra fee and went up higher. I saw a little piece of brick and picked it up as a memento. What things occurred here years ago: duels, battles, hurts, etc. We truly enjoyed this. We walked to the Trevi Fountain in a drizzle. It was bigger than I had thought and so beautiful. I was surprised to see that it is surrounded by buildings and not in a big open space. We went to the Pantheon but it had closed about 45 minutes earlier. We had wanted to go to the Forum but with the rain coming down and having seen a lot of other ruins along the streets we didn’t feel too disappointed, just a little.
Bus tickets are sold in the tobacco shops so we bought two for in the morning. We thought it might be too far to walk to the train station with all our luggage. We really don’t have that much: two small suitcases, a garment bag and a carry-on bag.
The next morning our landlady gave us an early breakfast at 7:30 a.m. consisting of bread, butter, jam and grapefruit juice. We caught the bus about 7:50 a.m. arriving at the train station around 8:00 a.m. It took a long time to find where to buy tickets to get to the airport. The tickets cost L5,000 each and I now only have L4,000 left; everything worked out just right. It took about 45 minutes to get to the Leonardo da Vinci airport. There were guards with submachine guns patrolling and occasionally stopping and looking into luggage if you are Arabic. We were not stopped. It was a nice big airport. We boarded the plane about 10:30 a.m.
We enjoyed seeing the Cape Cod Hook from the air as we flew into Kennedy Airport in New York. It was great understanding every one. We had a few hour wait but customs did not check our luggage. We went all through Europe and back into the U.S. and no one checked the luggage; that really surprised me. Tricia and Rob met us at the SLC airport about 10:00 p.m. It was good to see them and be back but we had had a marvelous time, an unforgetable time, for which we are very grateful. It has been a wonderful 20 days and we still can’t quite believe all we’ve seen and that our kids made it possible.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Padova, Venice and Florence
Sunday, June 15, my 55th birthday and we celebrated by going to Venice! It was a bright, sunny day, the first sun we had seen on our trip; all the other days were cloudy. We walked to the train station, bought our tickets and traveled to Venice; no one checked our tickets. We took a Vaporetto, a boat which was like a bus, and got off near the Piazza San Marcos. People!! And Pigeons!!! We went inside the church of San Marcos, very ornate; mass was going on. We heard the bells pounded by two bronze Moor statues at noon. We saw the Bridge of Sighs and took pictures.
We walked along the Piazza and found a Wendy’s. Good bathroom stop and we enjoyed the food. We walked all the way back to the train station. Venice is truly a rabbit warren; very narrow streets, some tunnels. Luckily there were signs pointing the way to the station. It was just a maze, no straight streets and lots of little bridges going over small canals. We took the train back to Padova and again no one asked to see our tickets. We really enjoyed seeing Venice.
The next day, we tried to get out of Padova and got turned around again, then we saw signs leading out of the city towards Bologna. What a relief! South of Bologna the country consists of tall hills covered in green with houses or churches on top of the hills. We got off the freeway at the right place for Florence and had signs leading to the R.R. station where we could book a room. It was only two blocks away. A very dingy doorway and up two flights of dirty stairs. I wondered what I had gotten us into. We had a nice surprise. The room was clean with freshly painted walls, sparkling fixtures but no towels or soap. The only drawback was a noisy street.
We walked to the Duomo, the big church, the most beautiful outside of all the cathedrals we’ve seen. Pink, green and white marble. White flowers with pink centers, all made of marble, is the design on part of the cathedral. It is rather plain on the inside but vast and light. It was built in 1299. We saw the older Baptistry with Ghiberti doors, very beautiful. We walked to the Piazza di Poppolo where Michelangelo’s David was displayed. The one there now is a copy, the original is in the museum which was closed on Mondays. We walked on the Ponte Vecchio, the old medieval bridge with houses (shops) on either side. A great city to visit.
Coming back to our room we saw where a car had parked in a crosswalk and a bus couldn’t turn the corner. Lots of honking and shouting. A supervisor came and the bus backed up a little, then made the corner going over the curb. Such narrow streets. A policeman was called and the driver got his car. I don’t know if he got a ticket but he deserved one. Lots of motorcycles, motorbikes and bicycles.
The next day we drove to the city of Siena, still lots of beautiful, green hills. We drove into the city through Ponte Tufi, drove through the old medieval city, parked the car at the Duomo and walked to Il Campo,a large, open square where they hold the Palio, the famous horse races. I’m glad Alan suggested we visit Siena.
We walked along the Piazza and found a Wendy’s. Good bathroom stop and we enjoyed the food. We walked all the way back to the train station. Venice is truly a rabbit warren; very narrow streets, some tunnels. Luckily there were signs pointing the way to the station. It was just a maze, no straight streets and lots of little bridges going over small canals. We took the train back to Padova and again no one asked to see our tickets. We really enjoyed seeing Venice.
The next day, we tried to get out of Padova and got turned around again, then we saw signs leading out of the city towards Bologna. What a relief! South of Bologna the country consists of tall hills covered in green with houses or churches on top of the hills. We got off the freeway at the right place for Florence and had signs leading to the R.R. station where we could book a room. It was only two blocks away. A very dingy doorway and up two flights of dirty stairs. I wondered what I had gotten us into. We had a nice surprise. The room was clean with freshly painted walls, sparkling fixtures but no towels or soap. The only drawback was a noisy street.
We walked to the Duomo, the big church, the most beautiful outside of all the cathedrals we’ve seen. Pink, green and white marble. White flowers with pink centers, all made of marble, is the design on part of the cathedral. It is rather plain on the inside but vast and light. It was built in 1299. We saw the older Baptistry with Ghiberti doors, very beautiful. We walked to the Piazza di Poppolo where Michelangelo’s David was displayed. The one there now is a copy, the original is in the museum which was closed on Mondays. We walked on the Ponte Vecchio, the old medieval bridge with houses (shops) on either side. A great city to visit.
Coming back to our room we saw where a car had parked in a crosswalk and a bus couldn’t turn the corner. Lots of honking and shouting. A supervisor came and the bus backed up a little, then made the corner going over the curb. Such narrow streets. A policeman was called and the driver got his car. I don’t know if he got a ticket but he deserved one. Lots of motorcycles, motorbikes and bicycles.
The next day we drove to the city of Siena, still lots of beautiful, green hills. We drove into the city through Ponte Tufi, drove through the old medieval city, parked the car at the Duomo and walked to Il Campo,a large, open square where they hold the Palio, the famous horse races. I’m glad Alan suggested we visit Siena.
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