Which one is your favorite?

In memory of Paul Newman, give us your faorite Paul Newman movie.
Come on now, let's not all vote for "Cool Hand Luke".
My favorite was "The Sting"

You are all invited

While we were in Vancouver Julia told us about an experience the youth in their ward had recently. They read the entire Book of Mormon ALOUD in 24 hours. You really should get her to tell you the details, particularly the inspiring conclusion.

Having heard her story I told her about a wonderful Gospel Doctrine teacher back in La Grande who challenged those of us in her class to read the Book of Mormon in one month. She promised anyone who did so a jar of her home-made salsa, adding "And I make great salsa."
Shirley and I took her up on her challenge, as did several others. We did it, and can attest to the greatness of her salsa.

Julia said she thought she would like trying to read the Book of Mormon in one month. I told her if she would, I would join her. Her mom also promised to enroll.

So, here's the invitation ---no age limit. If you can read, you're invited.
Join us starting October 1 in reading the Book of Mormon by October 31st. That gives us 31 days. There are 531 pages to the BofM so that means we should read about 17 pages a day.
However, allowing for taking a day off (Saturday, Sunday, or whatever) once a week we would have 26 days. Do the math. 531 divided by 26 equals 20.4 pages a day.

I did a "test run" the other night and read five pages in about ten minutes. That means I can read 20 pages in about 40 minutes, which is 20 minutes less than one episode of "Lost", "Survivor" "Dancing With the Stars", "So You Think You Can Dance"or "Deal or No Deal", and considerably less time than any movie on Turner Classic Movies.

We're not challenging you. This is not a contest. It is an invitation to join us in an experience we believe you will find well worth your time. More than anything else, reading the book in one month gives you a really good feeling of the scope of the story and how one event leads inevitably to the next.

If you would like to join us, why not let us know on this blog or on Julia's. We'll keep you posted on what progress we are making.

Stay tuned.

Star Struck

Three years ago , a little more than a year before we moved here, we were in SLC visiting some of our family. While here some of us went to see "Always, Patsy Cline" at the Grand Theatre. It's a two-woman show with a six-man band on stage. Based on a true story, it tells of the friendship that grew between the popular singer and a Texas housewife who became one of Patsy's biggest fans.. The two corresponded through letters and postcards until Patsy was killed in a plane crash in 1963. The show is almost totally music, with the actress who plays Patsy on stage nearly all the time, singing all the numbers Patsy was known for.

I am not overly fond of country music and have never ever listened to the Grand Ole Opry.
But the actress who played the lead had Patsy Cline down pat; the woman who played the Texas housewife was a real hoot, and the live band (Joe Bob, Jim Bob, Billy Bob, Jay Bob, Ray Bob and Bob Bob) really rocked.

In short, all of us really liked the show.

Fast forward three years.

Reading the Deseret News one day shortly after we moved here, I ran across a column by the paper's new theatre critic, Erica Hansen. She claimed to know all the words (not just the lyrics, the whole script) of her favorite musical "The Music Man." I e-mailed her, quoting a line from the show and challenging her to give me the next line. To my surprise, she responded --with the next several lines. Over the past few months we have exchanged e-mails discussing a variety of things about theatre. (Is it "theatre" or is it "theater"? We both said it should be "theatre" but the Deseret News style sheet, or whatever, insists it must be written "theater".) Our most on-going "conversation" has been my chastising her for her continued use of "the willing suspension of belief." Even after I quoted Coleridge to her, she still will not concede that the correct term is "the willing suspension of DISBELIEF."

A few weeks ago I noticed a story about the upcoming production of "Always, Patsy Cline" starring Erica Hansen. I e-mailed her: "Is that YOU?" She replied that indeed it was; she was playing the role for the third time. I told her we had seen it three years ago and how much we liked it. She said she hoped we would come to see it again and if we did to be sure to come back stage and introduce myself.

By this time I had become an Erica Hansen fan. So last Friday, along with Barb and Dennis, Shirley and I saw the show again and stuck around to meet the star. When it was our turn in line, I shook her hand and said "You were so good tonight I had no problem suspending my disbelief."
She said "Richard!!" and gave me a big hug, then started telling Shirley, Barb and Dennis how much she enjoyed my giving her a bad time in my e-mails. At which point I told her I had been debating how to introduce myself and had toyed with the idea of just saying "Never worries about his line? Nor a doggone thing." Without batting an eye she came back with "He's just a
bang-beat, bell-ringin', big haul, great-goin', neck or nothin', rip-roarin', every time a bullseye, that's Professor Harold Hill, Harold Hill."

I couldn't believe it. How can anyone be so totally immersed in being Patsy Cline for two hours and then walk off stage and quote verbatim a line from "The Music Man"? She is amazing.

So, that's our evening at the theatre.

PS
Saturday morning I was channel hopping and got in on the last five minutes of "The Westerner", a 1940 film starring Gary Cooper and my all-time-favorite supporting actor, Walter Brennan.
(Did you know that in the first five years that Academy Awards were given for supporting actors, Walter Brennan won three of them?) I've seen it many times before so I couldn't resist watching the tail end of it again. Brennan plays a cantankerous old Judge Roy Bean, who has long admired the famous actress Lilly Langtree and longs to meet her. In the closing moments of the film, moments before he dies, he get his chance. After Friday night's experience, I found it easy to identify with the old judge.

Stay tuned.

Russell's Farewell

There should be pictures to go along with this because I got a few good ones. But even doing this with Firefox is not helping with my computer problem. For some unknown reason, I cannot get pictures into any programs, except email.
But enough of that.
We flew to Portland Saturday afternoon (thanks, Barb, for great chauffeuring). Got into PDX almost the same time Julia did, coming from California. Julie met all three of us and took us to Vancouver. Ben and Jax had arrived the day before so all of Julie's and Tom's family were there, except Chris, slaving away back in California.

Saturday evening we had an absolutely stunning view of the full moon almost directly over Mt. Hood. For us Oregonians it was enough to make you misty eyed. What a moment.

Saturday night we all went to a Filipino Restaurant in Portland which Tom and Julie had been to before. One of the entrees was so delicious I was about ready to re-up for a mission if they would promise to send me to the Philippines and let me teach "English as a second language."

The man who was running the place was from the town where Russell is going. They got to talking and the man wrote a "letter of introduction" to his sister (or someone) who still lived there. We told Russell he was off to a great start --- had a contact before he even left home.

Sunday the eight of us went to sacrament meeting. Russell gave an outstanding talk on the importance of gaining a personal testimony and ways we can do so. The high council speaker who was on the program with Russell told him to take all the time he wanted and Russell did.
His talk was extremely well organized and filled with scripture and personal experiences.

The high councilor had also served a mission in the Philippines and had some good advice for Russell. He said the people on the islands are very friendly and fond of giving the elders nick names. He said they would probably call Russell "Elder Giant."

After the block we had a great dinner at Julie's and Tom's, after which Ben and Jax had to return to Seattle and their jobs. It was good to see them.

Julia returned to California on Monday but not before she and I made a pact, which Julie quickly wanted to join, so we let her. (We're basically very friendly people.) Watch this blog for more details. Anyone wanting to join us in our plan, once you know what it is, is welcome to join. We promise you it will be well worth your time.

Monday evening Tom, Julie, Russell, Grandma and Grandpa went to a Canton Chinese restaurant in Vancouver which we had been to before. All you can eat of the widest and most delicious selections you can imagine. Truly fantastic. I went back for thirds.

Tuesday we did a bit of shopping at the Lloyd Center in Portland. We hadn't been there for years, and it has really been updated. Comfortable seating areas almost every thirty or forty feet. I bought a Clarity cordless phone/answering machine, which is supposed to be a great help for those of us poor souls living with hearing aids. The clerk told me the price ($89.97) and I said to her "You just made the most beautiful statement I've heard in almost two years." She had no idea what I meant, so I explained: "You just said $89.97. You didn't say $89.97 PLUS TAX."

That evening (6:00 p.m.) Julie drove us to the airport. We are convinced Tuesday evenings are the absolute best time to fly. No lines; plane was about 2/3rds full. SLC airport practically deserted at 8:45 p.m. when we arrived. Joe had been waiting in a "free parking" area; we made a call to his cell phone and he picked us up five minutes later. We're convinced Joe knows his way around the valley better than any of the taxi drivers we have taken. We were at our condo ramp in record time. Thanks so much, Joe. And to top it all off, he brought us a jar of jam Emma made. (That's what he told us and we believe him.)

Today has been a day of rest --except for my being "irked and peeved" at my computer and its inability to put pictures on my blog or anywhere else.

Stay tuned.

HELP !!!

I was wrong. It isn't "Windows Explorer" that shuts me down, it's MSN.
I click to add a picture and an error report pops up saying MSN needs to shut down, then it does just that. It apparently does no good to send the error report because you never hear anything back. Last night it got to the point where I couldn't even get back on the internet. I said a few choice words and called it quits for the night. Awoke this morning to Andrea's comment so took hope.....NOPE. And some of the pictures are really good, too.
How do I go about complaining to MSN? Bloggers of the world UNITE!!!

A day in the park

It was a beautiful day here in the SL valley. Clear skies; just enough breeze to keep all the 9/11 flags waving gently wherever we went; a slight touch of fall in the air.
We spent about three hours with Denise and Emma. Good to see the post-operative progress Denny is making. We'd tell you some of Emma's latest wise sayings, but that would take the fun away from their blog.

The four of us went to a beautiful park, pushed Emma in the swing (there is absolutely no end to how long Emma likes to be pushed in a swing --any swing.)Got a few pictures of her climbing, hanging from, or peeking out of every contraption on the play ground; sat in the shade while Emma refuted all claims that there is an energy shortage in this country; topped it off with Arctic Circle ice cream cones. (Two vanilla, one chocolate, one swirl.)

After leaving Denny and Emma, we drove out to look at the display of 3, 310 flags at the Sandy City Building. The flags are displayed each year on this date, one for each of the victims of seven years ago. It's quite impressive.

Now --What follows should be five or six pictures we took of all this. But there won't be any. I downloaded them from my camera; they're all filed nicely in "My Pictures/Misc." but do you think I can get them to show up here? "Not on your tintype..."(Music Man Anvil Salesman)
All I get is a message that Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. Now is a good time for any of you computer gurus out there to tell me what to do.

Stay tuned.

The English Sea Captain

Elizabeth didn't have those ten children all by heself. Here's her husband, William White, a sea captain. Born in England in 1830, died in Porterville, Utah in 1890 -- a long, long way from the Atlantic Ocean. Maybe it's from him, my great-grandfather, that I get my love of the ocean.

Stay tuned.

Another ancestor

This dignified lady is Elizabeth Pollow Warn, my great-grandmother.

The little girl is not identified but thought to be a granddaughter.

Elizabeth was born 30 June 1829 at St. Heliers Channel, England.

She married William White 16 Feb 1852.

She died 12 Sep 1906 in Logan, Utah.

She and William White had ten children, some born in England, others in Utah.

The sixth of their ten children was Ellen White, my grandmother, of whom I have very fond memories.

Lost in Translation

I've enjoyed a daily puzzle calendar one of my grandchildren gave me for Christmas. Here's today's puzzle. Thought you might like to take a crack at it. (Yes, I'm hoping for some replies.)

These figures of speech were translated by computer to another language, then back into English. What were the original figures of speech?

1. Again in the place of one.

2. The motion wins to the convincing argument.

3. Sweepings inside, sweepings towards outside.

4. The wise penny, hammer idiotic.

Enjoy.

A clearer picture

Here are good old Shadrach and Betsey again. This time I spelled her name correctly.
It 's a larger picture than the earlier one. I got it via email from the lady who has it on her blog. I filed it under "My Pictures" and printed a copy. It came out quite well; you can even see some tint in their cheeks, which suggests to me that the original must have been tinted. Hardly seems in keeping with Shadrach (or at least my mental concept of him) as a real hardy pioneer.
If you can't make a good copy from this, let me know. I'll forward what came to me via email.

Something old, something new

This picture should be important to most of you who will be reading this blog. I'm pretty sure none of you has ever seen it before. I hadn't either until about a week ago. Someone sent me an email that had something to do with genealogy and included an address I could click on for more information. So I did. And lo and behold, here was a picture of my great-grandfather, Shadrach Roundy with his wife, Betsy Quimby. I have a picture or two of Shadrach but had never seen this one of the two of them together.

I saved it into "My Pictures" and when I went to print it, it came out very small. Enlarging it only made matters worse. So I emailed the person who had this picture on her blog and asked her if, by any chance, she had the original which she could scan and send me via email. I seem to have better luck enlarging pictures I get as email attachments. She said she would be glad to as soon as she can find the photo album with the original picture in it. I'm hoping to hear from her soon.

Meanwhile, she told me about a new book being written on Shadrach's life, which should be coming out soon. I'll post more details if and when I hear more.

For those few who may not know the family connection, it goes like this:

Shadrach Roundy, oldest member of the 1847 Brigham Young company; one of the four who entered the Salt Lake Valley a couplel of days before Brigham and the rest of the company did.

Shadrach and Betsy had several children, one of whom was Jared Roundy. Jared's fourth (and last) wife was Ellen White.

Jared and Ellen had four children, one of whom was my mother, Julia Roundy Hiatt.

And you all know "the rest of the story." Shadrach is to me what I am to our fourteen great-grandchildren. Shadrach seems like "ancient history" to me. No doubt I will seem the same to others one day.

Stay tuned. At least I'm learning how to put pictures and text in the same blog.

What's in a name?

Thanks to some good advice from a more experienced blogger, you will note I have changed the name of the blog and made my profile comments less specific. If any of you have any other suggestions, by all means share them.

We had a great time, as usual, with Denny and Emma today, including hide and seek outdoors while Denise caught a few ZZZZZs. The weather was perfect, sunny and cool. We felt like we were on vacation. Grandma was the real contributor to the hide and seek game. Lazy Grandpa found it worked almost as well if he sat in the lawn chair and made guesses as to where Emma might be. "I'll bet she's behind the rock; no she's behind the car; no she's behind the chair....." Worked every time because Emma couldn't resist laughing and peeking out from her hiding place. Love three year olds.

It was great to see the progress Denny has made since we saw her last. This new way of doing hip surgery sure beats what Grandma had 14 years ago.

Only downer of the day was a flat tire. We might have tried making it the 15 miles back to our condo but since we belong to AAA, we made one phone call and within a half hour a friendly fellow (originally from Grants Pass, Oregon) showed up, used all his great power tools and had our toy spare on within five minutes. To anyone our age, that is well worth what it costs to belong to AAA. We've used it twice since we've been in Utah.

I think the days are long past when anyone who drove a car had an air pump to inflate a tire long enough to get to a "service station." That's fine with us.

Stay tuned.

A Good Read

Most of you out there on my Favorites List may already know about this book, but for the few who may not, I highly recommend it.

When our daughter Barbara saw it in the book store and noted that it said the author could prove that Joseph Smith did NOT write the Book of Mormon she said she wondered what it was available at Deseret Book. Then she had one of those "Oh, I see" moments, bought some copies and gave us one.

We have thoroughly enjoyed it. The author, John Hilton III, is a colleague of Tony's and shared the lectern (pulpit?) with him at one of their BYU Education Days classes. We got a chance to meet him after they had spoken. As you may also know, he and Tony are joint authors of the forthcoming book "Why?".

In case you can't tell from the picture, it's "The Little Book of Book of Mormon Evidences."

Try it; you'll like it.