So Many Trips Down Memory Lane

Ah yes, memory lane, I am not sure what I was looking for when I ran across this picture of Ben and the baby girls, but it was a sweet moment borrowed from the past.

I also like this one, look at those big eyes, and that big tongue.  Yes, kids and grands bring endless joy.

And while we were busy getting ready for Cheryl's services, Becca was in DC keeping an eye on sweet Parks, while his mother works for a while there.

On Monday we met Rick and Wendi at the mortuary in Holladay.  Going up 45th south, I noticed how much Olympus, from this angle, looks like the top of a pair of lips.

Can you see it with a little help?  This is where Dad and I first kissed.  We met on Wednesday, on October 2nd, then met up for lunch at the institute a couple of times, before heading out to hike Olympus on Saturday morning.  After spending about 6 hours together, towards the base of the mountain we shared our first kiss.  I will always see this mountain this way ... funny memories. 

After our meeting at the mortuary, we went over to the cemetery to check on the site.  Here Dad holds the flag that is in place to show the workers where to dig.

The brothers.

Wendi, Rick, Dad and me. 

We went to lunch at La Cocina afterwards.  Before Grandpa Carlo came to live with us, after Grandma Connie's death, Dad used to stop by and take him to dinner once a week for several years.  It is also where the family met for lunch after Grandpa's funeral.  I like the hats and candles hanging from the ceiling.  Cute seasonal decor.

And speaking of seasonal decor, when Dad and I stopped to get some grout at Home Depot on the way home, I did a selfie with Frankenstein's Monster.  So many people have tons of this huge, pricey decor in their yards.  This guy was more than $300.  Scary!

Papa with his grout.  He'll be excited when life slows down and he can grout the shower in our spa room.

When we got home, we went through the stack of foot lockers and boxes that we've been storing for six years, first at Darby's and then at our house.  We took pics to send to Rick and Wendi to see what they wanted and what we can pass on to DI. Not sure where she got all the commemorative pewter plates, though. 

Here's a couple of family photos from Cheryl's wedding. Such a trip down memory lane for us.  Becca is the babe in arms here, so it's all our family except Spencer.  Cheryl and Craig were together for almost 10 years.  He sometimes comes into the antique mall, maybe about every 3 months, so I guess I'll tell him of her passing next time I see him.

Next it was off to the malls to get rid of my big Halloween decor that didn't sell at Fleaology.  First, we dropped the witch off at Treasures, and here you see that we worked the haunted clock into my little booth at The Grove. 

From there we met up with the Masons and Moes in Vineyard where we had dinner before going to see 6 Days in August together.

Here's the guys all set with their popcorn.  Yes, they shared.

On Wednesday morning we met up with family at the Morturary for the viewing. Here are all the girls.  8.5 month pregnant Katie, Charley, Brittany, Wendi, me, and Nell.

Then, Charley, Brittany, Wendi, Rick, Dad, me, Ashley, Kim, Nell, Davin, and Darby.  Bri and Elias came later.

Here are Rick and Dad with Cheryl's former Young Women's leader and lifetime friend Dorthy Smith Kotter, her daughter is to the far left, Lisa. 

Then it's off to the cemetery for the Grave Side Service.

I loved that we'd been to Jeff's Mom, Lucille's funeral where she had two granddaughters among her pall bearers.  We were short on men, and decided to let Cheryl's nieces step in. 

Here we see Rick, Ashely, Davin, Brittany, then on the other side, Kim, Dad, Darby and Elias.

Brittany said that doing this is high heels was a challenge. 

They put their boutonnieres on the coffin.

Dad conducted the service, asking people to share memories of Cheryl, in all there were thirty something people who attended either/and the viewing and/or the service.  Dad said the family prayer, and did the services at the cemetery.  About 10 people shared stories, including old friends, nieces, a fellow prison guard, Wendi and me and Dad. Then Dad dedicated the grave.

Here is Joanne Lindman, who lived next door to Dad, sitting with Mark Oviatt, also from their home ward.

Rick, John Boren, Dad and Ken Betts, also ward members.  Dad of course was best friends with John.

Then we headed to the Paradise Buffet on 45th and State, because Cheryl likes Asian food.  Here's Charlie with her decidedly Un-Asian choices.

Briahnna took this picture.

Elias checks out the dessert bar.

Darby, Kim and Ashley.

Me with Kim and her Mum.

Goodbye Darby, who happened to park by us.  It was all a lovely, simple service, and I think Cheryl was tickled to see so many devoted friends, some family, and to see 4 of her nieces (one grand) as pallbearers. 

On Thursday we were off on our multipurpose trip to the east.  It was first and foremost and antique trip.  He we stop at a mall ...

In the mall I met a lady with a missionary tag.  She and her friend/companion had finished their mission in Nauvoo and were heading home to Roosevelt Utah.  I told her my Dad was raised in Roosevelt, and she asked his name.  We both laughed when I told her he lived there in the late 19teens into the 1920's.

Here she is with her companion, they both knew the Parkers, who were our Mission Directors at Mosida.  Such a small world. The gal on the left had even been to a family reunion at Mosida when it first opened.  Great memories.

When I messaged Robyn about meeting them, I asked for pictures of what they are doing now in Nauvoo.  He works with the big horses.

And she works at this site.  How fun is that.

The next day we went to this antique store, as well as a couple of others. I thought it was the perfect name given out weeklong trip down memory lane.

We were amused by the name of this store.  I was 75% done shopping in this store and was set to spend about $15, yikes.  Then I went to a booth that had ironstone and antique pictures and frames.  It was all at wholesale prices, and I managed to spend more than a hundred in her booth.  Yeah.

On the drive I had some names come up on FB of people that I might know as we had friends in common.  This is Craig Brewster, who Claudia dated in College. (Claudia was my next door neighbor growing up, who was with me the night I met Dad at the dance at the U of U Institute of Religion.)

And this is Dickson Taylor who gave me my first kiss on my first date ... He evidently lives in Vernal now and must have served a senior mission. Ah that memory lane has so many different side roads.

 Then as we were driving on Saturday, I saw that we were coming to Defiance Ohio.  My Book Club had read, The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio, which was a true story, that I really loved.  I hurried and googled her home, where most of the book action took place.

The result was this selfie of Dad and me, to send to my book club.

It's kind of funny that the same cars are in the driveway, that were there in the picture I got online.

But we were not the only site seerers in the family that day.  Davin and Bri's family went to Capitol Reef.  It looks like it snowed a bit, and I love the picture of the snowman.  What a fun family. 

On Friday, Becca's family flew into DC, where she and Parks joined them for a day of visiting significant historical sites.  Then meeting Brittney at the end of her shift, they kissed the sweet baby goodbye, before continuing to travel adding more states to their list.

Trevor and Nell took Eva to see the fabulous BYU game, which will no doubt go down in history.

Good morning, Sunday and Cam's fourth birthday. I love that the picture of her on the top right is of her and her brother Van in India, where Eva's friend visited a couple of months ago on a humanitarian trip. 

We arrived late at the Kew's house in Cockeysville, around 11:30, yikes, where we spent the night.

I really miss Terry's talent in decor.  She so inspires me. So many great ideals, and such skill in display.  Her curation is remarkable.  It made me want a new house to start over, but what I really need is to learn to edit.

Cute nooks and crannies filled with fun Halloween decor.  Later when her 9-year-old granddaughter came, she took pictures of it all as well.

Here is their collection of art from the $100 show at the Springville Museum. She told me that she is able to buy from J Kirk Richard's gallery, when he does his business card show, which we actually missed this year. 

I loved the sprinkling of tiny pumpkins.

At church we met these missionaries.  The one on the left is from PG, and, as it turns out, and lives about 3 streets down from Trevor and Nell's house.

After church Terry had choir practice, and Steve drove us over to see Hillary and Rick's house.  The whole property, at 8 acres, was a little bit of heaven.  There's a large, wooded area,

A beautiful pond at the bottom of a hill.

And here Steve and Dad look down on me as I enjoy the shaded pond, with an island no less.

I mentioned my recent obsession with Edgar Allen Poe, when Steve said he is buried in Baltimore, and they had seen his grave.  I so wanted to go, but I knew we lacked the time, as we would be driving to DC after dinner that night, and there wasn't time to go before dinner. 

However, Steve mentioned that Spiro Agnew (as a consolation prize) was buried in the cemetery by their house.  I got this picture of it online ... and based on the structure behind it was able to find it.

Here we are with his grave. Later, at dinner with Hilary and her family, we found out that a member family lives in Agnew's home. 

Here we are!

We managed to leave in time to spend a half an hour finding a parking space, near Brittney's apartment, and got there around 8:30. 

A good night face timing session with Daddy.

Here Brit shows Spencer. 

Her apartment is the basement of a rowhouse.  Its eighteen feet wide, with the living room in front, then a roomy dining room/kitchen combo, from there the next block across had a small office, a hall and a bathroom laundry room, with a roomy bedroom at the back. sort of a charming exposed painted brick and a Victorian fireplace mixed with, flooring like ours and IKEA details. Brittney says it came fully furnished and rents by the month, the usual occupants are traveling nurses, and it a lovely neighborhood in DC near the National Zoo. 

We will be spending the next five days here, before meeting up with my Nephew Scott at his Mom's home in West Virginia.