19 August
Nearly every year at Education Week, I get a chance to sit at the Maxwell Institute booth in the Wilkinson Center.
20 August
I try to visit my mother at Summerfield Manor at least on a weekly basis. Here she is looking at the Deseret News article about my FAIR presentation, although her eyesight is diminishing with macular degeneration. She says she wants to die before she is completely blind.
21 August
Square dance fun at the big family home evening with a chuck wagon dinner, singing, stories, quilting, and fun.
22 August
A week ago, a young artist named Alex came around selling paintings by Israeli student artists. We looked through his portfolio, and Stephen and I liked this tree of life image enough to offer to pay $100 for it (in its unframed condition). Alex told us it was painted by Eli. Alex wanted to come in and visit with us since we told him we had lived three years in Israel—he wanted to practice his English. We invited him in and gave him a glass of cold water while we visited. He told us he could have someone come next week to stretch the canvas, which we agreed to. The appointed time came and Dimitri (Dima) arrived. He not only wanted to stretch it but to frame it, and we very much liked the first frame he showed us. So another $185 down the road, and we now own a piece of Israeli artwork (20"x24") painted by Eli, sold by Alex, and framed by Dimitri. It’s a good thing that both of us like it very much (it has found a home at the top of our stairs). Both Alex and Dimitri were originally from Russia and emigrated to Israel.
23 August
The annual Maxwell Institute retreat at Sundance was highlighted by a delicious lunch, which concluded with this beautiful, tasty cheesecake.
24 August
The annual university breakfast east of the library sported this sign announcing the theme.
25 August
Yesterday I went to work with all our evergreen fitzer bushes still fronting our property only to find them all pulled by the time I returned home (with our permission and blessings, of course).
