January 2026

The new year was suddenly upon us, and January was filled with family and fun. The traditioal Greek dinner was a winner. The kids headed home, Tony's history was published, The Group met at Ostergars, we began to distribute Tony's book, Tucker came to town for dinner out with us, we met up with the Colvers for dinner on their way to a funeral in South County, and Meagan spent most of the month with us preparing for the Disneyland Half Marathon with Meg.

Grammy and Madi serving up delicious Greek food

Millie and Maren doing the same

Dickie finally tucking in (last person in line)

The young-adult cousins gave into the younger binkers

for a game of hide and seek -- good lad Tucker

Farewell to the AZ cousins

Dinner at Saida with the Hastings before...

...they headed home to Santa Fe

Hot off the press

Dinner with The Group

Gordon Moore, Tony's colleague, and Chris Moore my BYU colleague

came for lunch and their copy of the Tony book

Mexican dinner in Orem with Tucker while Timp shows off

A fried fish for me

Sushi with the Colvers on their way south from Vernal

The gelato at Vinci was too much for young Arthur

Breakfast with the cousins (maybe the last one

at Market Street Grill)

La Casita with the HI Taylors

That's it for January.

OXO

D.

December 2025

December was like most Decembers, but a few new twists. In a move to make our lives as simple as possible in our old age, we didn't hang a garland on the portico; we opted for an old-fashioned string of big colored lights that we (as kids) and our children grew up with. They are cheery and bright. Inside, we put up a fake tree with glass stars and tiny red balls, just as Kris has always wanted to do. It was also festive and Christmasy and so easy to put up. The HI Taylors came to the mainland and just before the big day, the Youngs arrived from AZ. We fed the family, as usual, on the second Sunday and celebrated Madeline's 30th following dinner. We enjoyed a couple of meals out with the HI Taylors. On Christmas Eve we were joined for the most delicious prime rib dinner with meat from Heritage Craft Butchers in Orem. There were lots of late night of board games that Kris and I slept through in peace with our sound machine. Christmas morning we joined with extended HDT family at Ringers for brunch. Post-Christmas we joined our dear Hansen cousins in SLC for brunch at Kreg and Dorothy's. The HI Taylors flew home at the end of the month and the Hastings arrived from NM to fill their beds.

Cover choice for the Tony history book as the project finishes up

New "old" lights

That mountain is so damned wonderful

New tree and baubles

Second Sunday dinner with the binkers

Madi's cheesecake with broken candles

Oliver can pack away the Japanese hot pot

We can all pack away the eternally delicious food at La Casita

One of many game nights

Christmas Eve table with Kris's great new 

napkins from a Texas visit to Debby's

Carving the roast beef

Dinner featuring Phillip's Yorkshire puds

The north side of the table

The south side of the table

Everyone but Meagan who took the picture

The Youngs

The Ringers on Christmas morning

Some of the extended HDT family

Grammy showing the girlies her jewelry

Kris and Millie Kay at the Calders in SLC

Terrace Falls, SLC

Farewell to the HI Taylors - well, one of them

It was a great Christmas, and we are happy to have made it infinitely simpler with revised decorations. More to follow next month.

OXO

D.

November 2025

November seemed normal enough, but clearly I didn't get many photos. All the same old stuff plus Thanksgiving at Emily's.

Dinner with The Group at Millers

Artsy-fartsy photo of Fall through the rainy windshield

Breakfast with our dear cousins

Grammy making light and tender rolls

The crew at Emily's

A very heavy snow that lasted only five minutes:

very disappointing!

That's not much, but it's all there is. At least we can still walk and talk.

OXO

D.

October 2025

October started with a quick visit from Debra Sue Darling Gibbs who came for some kind of deal in Kamas with her niece.  We met with The Group for dinner. I had a month of tooth work ending with a root canal and a new crown (still waiting for the permanent crown). I attended the "No Kings" rally in Provo with Stephen and Ann (will we survive the reign of the orange a-hole? Good lard, I hope so!) We got together with Tucker and Madeline in SLC for dinner at Takashi and gelato at Dolcetti. We had Cousin's Breakfast the next day (no photos, but it DID happen), and Kris turned 73 for another year (she thought she was 73 all last year). We hid in our cave with the lights out on Halloween.

Early dinner with Debby at Avenues Proper 

A lovely view from the SLC Cemetery

Debby headed to California for a few days

Stop it! I take the pictures

My tooth - maybe before, maybe after the root canal -

I have no idea

A beautiful fall evening view of Timp from the Astles

The Group on the same evening 

Three libtards

We are in distress: I spend 80-90% of every g-damned

day thinking about the orange a-hole

Now for something lighter: the final show of Millie's cosmos

Takashi with these adult binkers

There's always room for ice cream - or gelato in this case

The birthday girl

Fish and smashed potatoes (I don't like to fry chips), and

the famous Lion House Sting of the Bee Cake

That's it for now.

OXO

D.