March 2026

 This year I turned 80. That was hard: serious old age! The rest of the month was fine with family, food and fun. We met with the Hansen Cousins twice so we could adjust to our new first-Sunday schedule. Debra Sue came to attend Gail Cheesman's (her lifelong Boise friend) wedding and hosted a fête at our house for her friend group. The Freestones hosted Group Dinner, Meg helped Grammy clear some stuff out of the basement storeroom, Madeline moved from Sandy to Spanish Fork to live at home for a few months, we celebrated my birthday at La Casita, I got a handsome Reyn Spooner shirt, we had another Cousins' Breakfast early so we wouldn't coincide with LDS Conference and Easter later in early April, and Oliver finished flight school. We hosted another fête to celebrate his accomplishment.

A dramatic start to March -- from our porch

Cousins in SLC

Debra Sue Darling Gibbs, the genial hostess

Dickie's flowers with Debby's gift bags

With Phil and Liz at their home

Meg with a painting from storage I never intend to finish

Madeline Alta sharing the gate code at the storage 

unit -- Emily photo bombing

Birthday at La Casita

Reyn's: best shirts ever

Second March breakfast with the cousins

He's a pilot now

That's all folks.

OXO

D.

February 2026

February is when one celebrates Valentines, but we are not so good at that anymore. Flowers and a treat from Trader Joe's, and I didn't even get a picture. But in other news Katy Greendoor had an art show where we met a few friends and family and saw some of her paintings. Rod and Vicki hosted Group Dinner, and we had our first real storm of the winter. My cousin John Arthur Taylor passed away. I was fortunate to visit him shortly before he decided to let go. The afternoon of his funeral Kris and I drove to Park City to watch Evelyn Alta's hockey game. I was impressed by how well she skated for a beginner, but also noticed she doesn't have the killer instinct of a bloodied, toothless hockey player. We had a lovely lunch with Cousins Hank and Kristy Nelson and the Hansen Cousins gave Market Street Grill a second chance. We finished the month with a delightful lunch with Tucker and Madeline, the SLC grandkids.

Ann and Katy Greendoor

A favorite Katy painting

The genial hosts served a delicious Italian dinner

It has been a dangerously disappointing winter

Cousin John Arthur

Hill buddies back together at the funeral

Evelyn Alta on ice

With the Nelsons for a Mexican lunch

Hansen Cousins -- including an appearance by HB

Thai lunch with these darling binkers

That's it for February.

OXO

D.

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.