Almost Christmas!

On Friday, 19 December, the Youngs rolled in from Arizona. They didn't hit any snow until Utah County, where the snow had been falling nonstop. With their arrival, the fun began: cousins, family visits, snow, snowmen, sledding, movies, games, food, Temple lights, and all kinds of fun.

Fresh arrivals from the Valley of the Sun

Finn and Harry show Grammy how the game is played

Winnie, Finn, and Maren with Lyler the snowman

Visiting while the second pan of baklava bakes

Finn and Max, home from sledding

The snow hat was good to Max's hair

Dinner at Greek Souvlaki in SLC before
visiting Grandma Lynn and seeing the lights

Harry, mesmerized by the Jazz game on the wall screen

The troops descend on Grandma Lynn

Temple Square

Katy took all the light shots with my nifty
mini tripod from the MTC Lost and Found

Assembly Hall

Little Harry and his dad

The man with the wild eyes!

Elevator to the top of the JSMB for a view

Voila, the view

The view from State Street as we head back to
the cars parked on Second Avenue

It was all very fun, but it was just the beginning!

OXO

D.

Yup, It's Winter

It looks like it will be a white Christmas. The snow just keeps coming. Uncle Stephen, Millie (yes, she and Emily have the snow-shoveling gene), and I have a running battle with the snow-plow guy. We clear the street in front of our houses and he plows it back. We throw it back in the street and he comes by again. He actually came by three times within about a half an hour. Of all the nerve!

Well at least it will be beautiful for Christmas and Finn and Harry can enjoy playing in the snow.

The piles are growing

With Millie in the neighborhood, she and Holman Hunt join in

The snow covered mountains behind Uncle's house,
early evening a couple of storms ago

There's more snow on the way. Enjoy the beach Anna and crew!

OXO

D.

The Week in Review

On Wednesday evening, the 10th, we had supper with the Taylors. Meagan made a great batch of ham bone and bean soup. We took a loaf of bread and shared a delicious meal.

Ollie, Meagan, and Meg

Meg, Phillip, and Kris

Meg and Ollie doing a bit of art

Thursday was Madeline's excellent choir concert, but alas, no photos. Perhaps her mother will get over her blogging malaise and post a few digital snapshots.

On Friday evening we went to P712 with "the group" for a Christmas fling. It certainly was not an overnight at Timp Lodge, but it was fun, nonetheless. Vern and Jerry, we thought of you fondly.

Colton made us some great food...

including my favorite braised shortribs

Ostergars, Freestones, and D. Taylors

Boyntons and S. Taylors

Exchanging white elephants at the
Ostergars after dinner

The genial hosts + Martha

On Saturday, Suzi Stratford Hines, of 1984-London-Study-Abroad fame, came by with her family for a short but very fun visit. She is another of the kind of friends that you can pick up with right where you left off many years ago. It was good to see her again.

Suzi and D.T.

Oh yes, and winter arrived on Saturday, too

Sunday, the family came for dinner joined by Chelsea Gibbs and Mia and Robby Wai. That's always good fun.

Emily, Chelsea, and Mia

Katy Kathryn finishing off the applesauce
with a flourish of some kind

That brings us up to date. Stay tuned for more fun when the Youngs arrive from Arizona at the weekend.

OXO

D.

Nothing To Do With Mister Peanut

You know, the Planter's Peanut mascot?

Exciting news! Thursday night just before bed, my foot started to feel like my heel was bruised. I quizzed Kris on the symptoms of her ailment a couple of years ago, did some Internet research, and self diagnosed plantar fasciitis.

The plantar fascia is a ligament band running from your heel to the ball of your foot. This band pulls on the heel bone, raising the arch of your foot as it pushes off the ground. But if your foot moves incorrectly, the plantar fascia may become strained. The fascia may swell and its tiny fibers may begin to fray, causing plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is often caused by poor foot mechanics. If your foot flattens too much, the fascia may overstretch and swell. If your foot flattens too little, the fascia may ache from being pulled too tight. So throw away those walking shoes that have seen thousands of miles back and forth to campus and all over London. You flip-flop wearers, also beware.

A can or tennis-size ball works well to stretch out the heel and arch

Not just for picnic coolers

The good news is that plantar fasciitis responds well to treatment: stretching, ice packs, and ibuprofen. I caught it early so I am having a quick and good recovery.

OXO

D.

Joy to Everyone

A link to this video appeared on the BYU homepage today. I thought the music -- by Stephen Jones, Dean of Fine Arts -- was nice, but I'm not a music wonk, so I don't know how well you will like it. The lyrics (also by Jones) and message are very appropriate to the season. What really captivated me, however, were the images taken by Mark Philbrick. I hope you enjoy them, too.



OXO

D.

Christmas at Heritage Park

Monday afternoon we drove to the WVC to deliver Christmas packages to the Hastings before they depart for Hawaii. We had supper at Paradise Bakery where we met Rob and then continued up to This is the Place Heritage Park to enjoy the "Candlelight Christmas." It snowed Monday and the park is high enough that there was lots of fresh snow. The place is always fun, but is particularly delightful on a winter evening at Christmas. We saw a puppet show, danced a reel, made sachets, visited the nativity in the barn, and all kinds of fun stuff. We took the train down to the Brigham Young house where the kids got to visit with Father Christmas. The driver of the train turned out to be Ranleigh Johnson, a missionary friend from years ago. It was a very fun evening.

Clara was dressed and ready and wanted to go outside

Paradise Bakery

Dickie and Krisy comparing matching scarves

The gang in front of Eagle Gate

Warming by the fire - thanks for the photo Anna

Pine Valley Meeting House

At the puppet show in the Meeting House

Andrus Halfway House

Making sachets of lavender, etc.

Clara can't put her arms down

Smoot Hall (the first BY Academy in Provo)

Grammy, Pop Pop, and Lucy on the train - thanks Anna

The rest of the train riders

That's it for now.

OXO

D.

Decorating Party

Well, I have to say that our decorating party Monday evening went better than Anna's. This party has been a long-standing family tradition that has been replicated by each of our kids as they launch their own families. It consists of dinner and decoration of the Christmas tree. The dinner has an established menu of French baguette, various cheeses including Boursin and Babybel (gouda), meat stick, sliced tomatoes and avacados, oxtail soup (we skipped the soup this year), and something sparkling to drink. One of the prime reasons for choosing Babybel is its red wax skin that happily becomes waxy red lips. The meal had it origin in England while we were there in 1984 and has continued until today.

"To Twismas"

The spread

Silly lips from Babybel wax

Getting the huge collection of toys/ornaments
from a lifetime of travels sorted out

Everything in it's place: the ultimate compulsion

The decoration was successful except that the star on top leaned forward, pushed by a tiny branch. So Tuesday morning I mounted the stepping stool to clip the little blighter. Well as you might suppose, I clipped the wire and the lights all died. I had to replace the top and bottom strands and we are now back in business. One has to laugh -- it's healthier than fuming and cursing.

Cut ends, but the star is straight

P.S. Congratulations to Rob and Anna on their new MacBook! (Or is it just Rob's?)

Rob and Katy using their MacBooks
simultaneously: the wonders of Wi-Fi!

That's all for now.

OXO

D.