The Rest of May 2016

Life is often repetitive with a few unusual bits thrown in for variety. So this post includes the usual morning walks, group dinner, and theater. The unusual includes graduation, the end of school, the arrival of the Youngs prior to their Italy/Greece/France trip, and Memorial Day.

 Group dinner at the Freestones

 Hale Center Theater

Clouds in Eagle's Pass 

 Lizzie introduced with the graduates

 

 Ditto for Meg 

 Taylor tradition: Meg gave closing remarks

 Grammy and EAC and mamma photobomber

 Lizzie rocks the maypole

 Meg et al. braided it perfectly

 The entire crew

 Lizzie et les parents

 Last-day celebration at La Capizza

 Beautiful sky on my walk

 Tom and Katy home from Mongolia

 Walking with Marigold

 Gavin's birthday

 Uncle sharing stories of the ancestors

 Dickie spinning yarns

 Many of the Taylors

 EAC keeping Pop Pop happy

 On the deck at Hank and Colette's

Relaxing Tennessee style

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Reno and More

Anna and Rob made a quick trip to New Mexico to look at houses and schools. The kids are super self sufficient, but Lucy had some AP tests looming large and she was relieved when we were able to head that way for a few days. I actually love shopping, cooking, and driving the "bus." So this was good fun.

Treats from Utah

Up extremely early to schlep Rob and Anna to RNO

This girl is a kick in the pants

Bella and I checked out Thomas Creek, which is running
high with spring runoff and LOTS of rain

The chokecherries are about to pop

I was happy to accompany Louisiana to her NHS induction

Brilliant girl!

Lucy gave me a tour of Galina and I got to see her paintings on display

Clara entertained the troops

Spring in the Sierra Nevada foothills

I can always count on Anna for a great hike

This one was up along Whites Creek

Such a wonderful spot

It's always sad to say goodbye

We came home on 10 May, and on the 11th we were invited to Katiana's Naturalization Ceremony at the Federal Court House in Salt Lake City. Afterwards Jeremy feted us at Tucano's in the Gateway Center near the courthouse. It was a really nice day and we genuinely appreciate being included.

Freshly-minted US citizen

Katiana, Jeremy, Lexi, Landon, and Christian Goff

Katiana and the Taylors

Lunch at Tucano's (Jeremy's parents, the Goffs, on the left)

So, we have enjoyed a pretty great week, but that's all for now.

OXO

D.

March to May 2016

The most exciting thing (literally) that has happened has been going on in my brain. A horrible falling-into-the-wall  bout of vertigo set off my panic attacks and anxiety after years of relative calm. The vertigo turned out to be benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) which I managed to fix with a maneuver I learned on the internet. But the anxiety and panic continued. So I enlisted the help of a neurologist and some generic Prozac, and had several sessions with a therapist. I canceled our trip to Texas and worked on my head instead. The good news is that after a month and a bit, I am feeling quite normal. The meds probably helped and I learned some great strategies for coping. So apart from that, life has continued much the same as always.

 Out for a walk at sunrise

 Greek food after a bench shopping in SLC

 Gelato!

 Spring on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail

 Dinner and ice cream with Ronny, Eva, and Heidi Daniels,

former home teachees

 New leaves in Rock Canyon

 Beautiful light on a splendid spring morning

 Family dinner at the Taylors

 Friday night out with Katy and Evy

 Chokecherries in bloom on the foothills

Sunrise over Timp

That's all for now.

OXO

D.