Yea....Flowers

In my little red wagon.. awaiting attention

Lots of flowers are anxious to find their new home...
I love petunias... they're so hardy and colorful

The Front Door

I just planted and placed these flowers...they will blossom out huge... they do every year.

The Champlin Creek & the Canoe

Yes... for my birthday, Brad rummaged through his farmer's workshed and found the perfect gift! It's the original cattle-branding iron used by Henry, Irvin and Jay. It had a prominent place (out of place?) in my elegant home...

Brad shows Dayton the new 2800 walnut trees they planted on the 30 acre Kansas Ave. orchard... they're looking at the grafting he did and seeing if it took.

Emily and Rebecca take the canoe out after their ride down the Champlin Slough

Emily, Rebecca & Grandpa

Grandpa always feel good when he has these two beauties with him (who wouldn't?) Dayton's girls.

BYU's Coach LaVell Edwards and my son

This is the coolest picture.... years ago (obviously) I took Christian to a BYU game.. now everyone knows that the famous and crusty ole Coach Edwards never smiles (I mean, have you ever seen him smile?) He was coming out of the locker room after the game, so I told Christian to run up and stand right near him, and I'll try to sneak a picture... and just then, he saw what was happening, and he put his hand on the little guy's head and SMILED. What a champ! They should name a stadium after him.

Now he's older and has gone to the dark side.. I mean blonde side..

Steve and Melissa in NYC for the weekend

I love these people.. all so good and faithful, and kind and fun and funny and talented. How fun for Melissa to have sisters finally! This is her father-in-law, Doug Fowler at the end... and assorted brothers and sisters-in-law. But I keep thinking, how lucky they are to have Melissa join the gang.

They do enjoy a good (re: expensive ) meal.

More pics Minnesota Tornado

The Tornado

This is one of the least damaged houses hit by the tornado that took out 5 houses only ONE BLOCK away from my daughter's home in Rochester, Minnesota yesterday.... she called to say they hid in the basement, and when they emerged... Oh what devastation! She put the kids at the babysitter's and spent the next day helping with neighborhood clean up.

The Help

What a great book... set in 1963...it's about the black women who are the hired help for the society women in Jackson, Mississippi... there are SO MANY levels...and boundaries to discover. I highly recommend it... and especially... read the section on page 311 .....there are so many constraints that the woman and society put between each other....and I love the 'colored' dialect... the white-trashy Miss Celia is my fav character. I plan to open my first day of school in my literature classes with this page (311) and solicit discussion. Make this your summer read.

Trip to California

A beautiful sunset over the mountains near Wells, Nevada.

Here at the Salt Flats, and 80 mile stretch in the west desert of Utah.. I stopped for a few great shots

Here I am (in the car, can't you see me?) backing out of my driveway in Ogden, Utah.. the back is filled with goodies, treats, and lots of meals I've cooked for my dad in California, in an ice chest ... now that school's out, I want to spend some time with him. My trip has begun.

Macy the Dancing Queen

Beyonce... move over

My Vacation to Minnesota

Tough guy

The Cash man.. tough guy .. wearing the shark shirt I bought him..but here he looks like Spikey, my cockateil.

No toughness here.. just 3 sweet girls.... ready for church

Love Letters from the Front --- WWI

My grandfather, Henry D. Call, was just beginning his teaching career when he was called up to serve as a soldier on the front lines during WWI. Just before he left his home in Bountiful, Utah, he gave a diamond engagement ring to his sweetheart, my grandmother, Violet Wood. I have been transcribing their 1918-1919 historical and passionate love letters .... letters that were flying across the sea on wings of love (ok.. corny but true). This has been a wonderful project for me... see the sidebar on my blog and read some of them... There are 130 letters... I have typed up 30 so far. I am sending them out to my cousins/brothers/children/uncles..... Grandma and Grandpa Call both lived to be 84.. 5 children, 25 grandchildren and 92 gr. gr grandchildren.

To Violet from Henry

Henry Call

Violet Wood

more Hollywood Squares

Gary and Peter Marshall '78

Hollywood Squares

Isn't this funny? Gary was on Hollywood Squares in April, 1978. He was a UCLA student... Here he was contending against Miss L.A.County... Gary won $1,100 worth of prizes and cash.. It was in huge amount to us, poor students... Gary actually won $300 on a Bible question alone..."What did the Lord tell Moses from the burning bush?" (don't know the answer? see.. it pays to read the Bible)

Almost 35 years married! Wow...

And I'm still CRAZY about the guy... August 15th will be 35 years married...

Palindrome Paragraph

A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward . This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward . Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite..


This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant. Read as well as listen...forward and backward.

This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled "u @ 50" by AARP. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause.
So simple and yet so brilliant.
.

Eric Call arrives home

hummmm, looks like Eric won't miss his companion... cute girl...

This is Eileen, Elder Eric Call, and my brother, Dayton. Safely home.