My Personal TOUCHDOWN!

When I was in 9th grade in the old Antioch Junior High School (long gone now) we had gym class every day. We suited up in our grey shorts and tee shirts (gym uniform – everybody wore the same thing) and went out on the playing fields to do whatever our gym instructors wanted us to do.

The Murals

In the Salt Lake Temple, the walls in the various rooms are covered with beautiful murals. While the temple is not open to the public (only church members in good standing may enter), many smaller renditions of the murals can be seen in the work of the 5 art missionaries sent to Paris to prepare by studying with the masters of the Paris art scene. They were to return and paint appropriate murals on the walls. The most prominent among them was a Swiss-born artist, John C. Hafen. You can find out much more about him by Googling John C. Hafen, or Utah impressionism.

Wondering

From my admittedly imperfect point of view, wondering seems to me to be the key to many great discoveries. Scientists wonder. Clerics wonder. Philosophers wonder. Mathematicians wonder. Artists wonder. We all wonder many times in our lives about many things.

Practiced Ease

I have always been fascinated by the organ in the Tabernacle at Temple Square (and now, by the one in the Conference Center too). When I was very young, the organ seemed to be magical to me. It was impossibly huge, and the music it made was fascinating and mysterious. I couldn’t imagine where it came from. It had always existed as far as I was concerned, and was just part of the Tabernacle, which had always existed too. But www.lds.org describes the real history of the organ briefly:

Teaming with the Lord

The Savior has told us from Old Testament times that he would team with us to make our burdens lighter, to work out our salvation, and to advocate for us with the Father. In Leviticus 26:12-13 Jehovah tells us:

Your Personal Tree of Life

Behold the Cashew! A most unique fruit; both the seed and the fruit are highly edible and enjoyable, but the seed (nut) is difficult to obtain and the apple has a very short useful life.

Smoked Oysters

We learned to appreciate canned smoked oysters – a lifelong favorite – in Panama City, Florida. The Branch President and his wife showed up one Monday evening at our little beach house with a tin of smoked oysters, some sharp cheddar cheese, butter, Ritz crackers, and cocktail sauce. Once they got us to try them, we discovered that we loved them. Usually, they are a New Year’s Eve delicacy served just as we learned to eat them, and with sparkling apple cider. YUM!