Hello all you loved 'uns,

It's been long enough since we returned from our Logan Holiday that I've lost all the momentum and energy to improve everything in my life. Do you do that? I always get so inspired and motivated from the perspective and extra time that being away brings. Then I implement it for about four and a half days, dwindling quickly back into old habits and lethargy. But it's good while it lasts! On our recent return, I planned to repaint our whole house and redo the pantry! How manic and unrealistic! I got as far as picking out colors & sighing over the pathetic state of our 1890's pantry, then decided it was good enough. Plus reading books and watching movies is so much more satisfying, if not as useful. I did call some contractors about finishing our attic and engaged a landscape designer to overhaul our yard. So I'm good at getting other people to do things, I guess.

We had a great time in Utah:

• spent a good couple of weeks in Logan, doing the opera and parks and playing and watching cable tv, and attending Greg's 20th HS reunion

• did Lagoon, swearing off the Mouse Trap once and for all (Lauren's the most adventurous of us so she'll probably do it again)
• stayed with Greg's family at a great house in Deer Valley
• spent a fun few days with our friends the Whites at their place near Kamas--horse riding, four-wheeling, water-skiing, and staying up too late at night talking

The night we got back we arrived home at about midnight to a very mysterious, high-pitched noise in our house. We could hear it outside from the cab so we hurried in to investigate. It sounded like it was coming from beneath us but when we went in the basement, it was more up in the floor. We spent about a half an hour moving throughout the house, testing different locations. I lamented that our poor neighbors who share a wall with us had to live with this noise for weeks! Finally Lauren tracked it down to our luggage and, sure enough, it was. Sam's helicopter launcher (bday from Mom) had been activated and was whirring away in there. I wonder what the baggage handlers on the plane thought.

We're all getting geared up for school's start on Sept. 7. Maddy went to the school today to help her teacher from last year unpack all the boxes and get set up. We've done the clothes and school supply shopping and each has already anxiously packed their backpacks. Doesn't September make you feel like getting new pens and paper?

Sam has started keeping a tally of how many burps he's done, both per day and week...great statistician, he. So if anyone's interested in his data..... He's also (in his spare, non-burping time) anxiously awaiting Halloween and keeps saying, "MOM, it's almost SEPTEMBER, shouldn't we be thinking of costumes?" It's hard to believe, but yes, it's coming (although unfortunately for him I'm much more of a spur-of-the-moment costume mom). But he wants to be Harry Potter so I should be able to manage that.

Matt, thanks for your reading list...what a good idea. I've been pretty eclectic in my reading with some markedly beachy escape reads (very Brit chick lit). Here's the reading I'll admit to (or can remember):

• read Dad's copy of The Historian. Really enjoyable DaVinci Code-like novel with a Dracula theme.
• Kent Haruf's Plainsong. It's been out a while and received (or was nominated for?) a National Book Award. I love his sparse prose and character depth.
• I read Over Sea, Under Stone (Susan Cooper) to the kids. Didn't ever read it when I was younger but we all liked the mystery and setting. Four kids searching for the Holy Grail in Cornwall England. It's part of her Dark is Rising series & we're moving on to that one now. Anybody remember these?
• To add to Matt's books about writing: Annie Dillard's The Writing Life, Brenda Ueland's If You Want to Write...although it's hard to beat Bird by Bird and Writing Down the Bones.

Well, I've gone on long enough. How's your world? Sending love to you, A.

Dog days of summer. Woof.

Thanks for the great entries from Matt recently. Maybe we should have a gathering there in Nova Scotia sometime. How much was the house you rented? Your photos were wonderful, and I am getting used to the new look of your pared pate. You are looking good, though, with your outstanding (?) jawline, and great brow. You remind me of someone. A cross between Jeremy Bowen and my dad maybe. And a little Brig thrown in, too. Isn't it nice to have someone describe you through a patchwork of other people? The picture of you and the other cosmonauts (I guess that would be argonauts) is impressive. The few, the proud, the orange. Send it in to your local paper and tell them you were in N.Sc. for some special training prior to your inner seaspace expedition. Or maybe " Local men make the cut for the next Star Trek movie: Star Trek 14, Beyond the Sea - Whales, Tails and Nightingales. Okay, that didn't work. So sue me.
My trip to Ireland is a distant memory now, but it was fabulous while it lasted. A week of being very busy with lectures and three recitals a day plus a major concert every night at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, with very little down time or even time to eat. My dorm room was almost a mile away from the venues, so I walked int every morning prepared to spend the day, then hop the bus to the concert hall. Let me say this about the food at the cafeteria on campus - worse than any elementary or high school cafeteria. Luckily, I didn't sign up or pay for more than one meal a day there, and even then, I passed on two of those. I did take a bus in one early evening with a couple of women (sisters) from Illinois and we found some good food by St. Stephen's Green, then we just walked to the concert hall. Most of the music performed was great, but we heard some new music, very avant garde, where the performers did what would amount to instrument abuse, using the harp to make horrible sounds, literally striking the harp, doing everything but smash the poor thing at the end. Some of these new composers are trying way too hard to be original. I can appreciate abstract art, but give me something in the way of form, or at least take the music somewhere. Groans and whimpers and sounds of torture coming from the harp just don't do it for me. There was a fantastic Brazilian jazz harpist the last night, and along with a very fine Paraguayan harpist that same night, it was an amazing concert. The Braz. harpist came out in a black dress that had a long sort of train in the back, but not glitzy or fancy, and she had bare feet and played bossa nova, Jobim, blues, etc.
I took the bus over to Cork on Saturday, then a minivan to Sue's place, arriving around 5:00 p.m. where I was greeted by Sue and Erik. Jonathan was in Londond for a few days, but arrived on Monday. We had some great discussions and lots of laughter. Jonathan can make up a song at the drop of a hat, or rather a word. We left Sue's little haven on Tuesday to take Erik to the Shannon airport, then toured with Jonathan until Thurs., when he was to fly out. We had a great time at pubs, especially in Doolin, where the music was wonderful, all local musicians, and the food was good. We took a boat out to the Aran Islands the next morning, and enjoyed the beautiful island of Inisheen, seeing much of it by horse and cart. We had read that there was a beach there that was considered one of the most beautiful anywhere on the western seaboard. We got there, and had to laugh, because it amounted to about a 50 yard stretch of gray sand. They are very proud of their "beautiful, tropical beach" nonetheless. Lots of music in the restaurants and pubs, lots of interesting faces, and really lovely people. They call us darlin' and luv, etc. They were always surprised to learn that Sue lives in Ireland, and isn't an American tourist. She is always such good company and so good and friendly with people.
Hey, this is way too long. Sorry. Anyway, Sue and I had one day on our own before I left on Friday. Had a great bird experience outside Bunratty Castle, while we were eating in a restaurant overlooking the castle. It was dusk, and we looked out from our table by the window and say hundreds of birds flying in a swirl formation, around and around, sometimes turning and bumping into each other. But, oh, it was spectacular and went on for about ten minutes, when they settled in the silhouetted trees and the top of the castle walls. It was like a blessing for my last night in Ireland.
Of course, the fun just continued after I returned home, because Annie and the kids were here and we had some great times together: Went to Annie Get Your Gun (everyone), Kismet (Annie, Greg, Chris and your dad and I. Wonderful.), bowling for Sam's birthday, with his favorite birthday food: hot dogs, french fries and fruit (ah, the simple delights. It will be in later years that he will ask for duck with juniper berry and honey/quince glaze with baby beets and artichoke hearts with cranberry/wasabi coulis. We did discover a new restaurant here in Logan The Painted Table, which has a wonderful chef who loves to create unique and delicious things and we managed to eat there (Don't tell anyone, but I have been there four times. I took Erin Betz there on Friday for a little getaway and chat. She started her radiation and chemo treatments last week and has five weeks to go, five days a week. She had to give up her job and apartment in SLC and move home for the foreseeable future. She is amazing, though, and such a good person. She loves everyone and accepts everyone. A good heart in that woman. But her tumors are malignant, and they said they don't know if treatment will work, and that they will likely come back at some time even if they can reduce them. Such a horrible prospect. She says she has had some emotional meltdowns, but, my word, that is only natural, and she has a great attitude.She told me to tell Matt and Nancy hi, since she remembers you better.
We attended the great Kay Webber/Brockbank Education Fund walkathon on the 13th. Such a great event, with so many cousins and second cousins, etc. and a few friends of Kay and Bob as well. I know Kay was pleased with all the discussion and chatter, which she loved herself. Lots of good feelings and memories and goodwill. 
Oh, I forgot to mention the exciting news of Nancy and Dave's engagement. It was so sweet. We were standing around the kitchen late at night (Annie, Dad, me, and N and D) and Davd said, "Sooooooo. Nancy and I are thinking of eloping." Only on eloping, the inflection went up, like he was asking a question. Which he wasn't, just asking for our blessing. We are so happy for them, and they are so good to each other and for each other. Happiness. It's a good thing.
Well, that's the good and the bad of it here in our little valley. Fall is coming, and as you know,
it is my favorite time of year. Susie has invited Nancy T and me to PG (Pacific Grova Scotia) which she has rented the last of September, first of October. So now I have that essential "thing to look forward to that keeps me going. Why does it always involve travel outside of northern Utah? Your dad and I are starting to think about where we want to live when he (and I) retire. And we aren't sure we will stay here. In fact, I don't expect to stay here.
Love you all, dear ones.

More pictures - Canadian style

Hello dear ones,

Happy August! I'm very unready for the semester to start again, but since that always seems to be the case, why panic? I'll be teaching two beginning Spanish classes (one accelerated) and a course on Love and Marriage in Golden Age Spanish literature.

We had a great time in Nova Scotia - the cottage we rented for the week was Pacific Grovish, both in its couldn't-be-better ocean views as well as its wonderfully kitsch (bordering on tacky) humble decor. Lots of reading and Scrabble-playing. Highlights:

• The Bay of Fundy's tides. They have the biggest tides in the world, so much so that in narrow inlets, there is a phenomenon called the "tidal bore", which is basically a wave produced by the incoming tide. Here is a picture of the mud left behind at low tide (as well as someone's foot, also left behind by the tide?).
• Whale watching. We were able to see three humpback whales, several porpoises, and a bunch of seals. The whales were playing in the seaweed on the surface of the ocean, rolling around, occasionally showing us a fin or a back or a head or a tail. It was hard to time picture-taking, but I finally got a brochure- or poster-worthy shot of the tail. Also, we went on a "zodiac", which is a smaller moter-driven raft, instead of the larger, more imposing (to the whales) boats. The way we were dressed though, you'd think we had signed up for a space shuttle launch by mistake:
• Sea kayaking.
• The harbor towns, especially Lunenberg (a World Heritage site) and Blue Rocks. Pictures below. (Followed by a few pictures of Frank in Wilmot, Nova Scotia, which we can only imagine was named after him.)

What else? How were the Utah visits? What's going on?
Frank and I are toying with the idea of starting some kind of business (after we move from Indiana), perhaps a bed and breakfast or a bookstore. I really want to take a stab at writing, too. All pipe dreams at this point, but Frank has the business background and savvy (which I definitely don't have, but I'm a willing student). We've raided the libraries and used bookstores and now have an knee-high pile of books on both industries.
Speaking of which, have you all seen the book about "The King's English" (independent bookstore in Salt Lake)? It's a great memoir about the passion for books, the struggles of staying alive in the shadow of Barnes and Noble/Borders, and every chapter ends with lists of recommended books.
Speaking of which (part II), here is what I've read / am reading lately:

• Books about writing
• Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird; I'd give anything to be able to write like her.
• Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones; Have any of you read this? Really beautiful.

• Novels about Henry James (I don't know why I stumbled upon this genre within a genre within a genre, but there were at least three that came out in the last year or two)
• Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty; About a young graduate student studying Henry James in the Margaret Thatcher era in London. Won the Booker Prize, but I was underwhelmed by it.
• Colm Toibin, The Master; a historical/biographical novel about Henry James in his last writing years. Toibin really gets into Henry James as a deeply observant, conflicted individual. Very good.

• Really popular, arcane mysteries
• Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code
• Matthew Pearl, The Dante Club; I preferred this one much more than the Da Vinci Code, partly because I just read the Divine Comedy in Italy.
  

Well, I should get my day started. Love you all - keep in touch.

Matt