Independence Day Weekend

Polly and I helped at the Foothill neighborhood 4th of July breakfast Thursday morning after a very big downpour in the middle of the night.  It had the affect of cleaning the landscape for breakfast.  We got the eggs scrambled.  As I continued scrambling dozens and dozens of eggs, she and friends cooked them on the grill along with sliced ham, pancakes, Einstein bagels, OJ/coffee.  We worked along side a great crew.  A great breakfast and wonderful community gathering.  Neighbors greeting and meeting neighbors.  I love seeing the decorated bikes and the excited children dressed up for the 4th in red/white/blue.  I love eating breakfast on such a day in such pleasant surroundings.  No wonder the guys don't ever want to miss a 4th of July breakfast.  Remember last year's Boise Kiwanis Club Breakfast at the park?

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my Brazilian friends.  Kaue returned from his mission to my hometown, L.A. Spanish-speaking.  His family including Gonzaga grandparents returned to LA to visit.  It was delightful to sit with them at the computer and see photos and hear stories of his very successful mission.  When Polly, the boys and I were in LA at the temple visitor center Kaue was working out of the mission office assisting the president.  He knew Lennox Ward of my teen years and San Pedro Ward of my post-college years.  He worked with people returning and people new and people young and in their 80s.  Lots of wonderful Mexican food.  A very happy mission.  He is still connected to them, calling and encouraging them.  He has been able to keep Spanish and Portuguese separate pretty much. 

Kaue in Watts sitting on the Florence Avenue Blue-line station stairs.  Graffiti gang logos in the Watts riots area.

The Junot family live in Daybreak near the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.  His baby sister, Kristine now 3 is a darling as is Samara, my little buddies.  I happened to wear my lembranças necklace of Brazilian , UK, Egypt, Israel, dino, Native American charms.   They were captivated with the little silver stamp purse that opens.   They both have American girl dolls that they love and look a lot like them.  They both were excited to ride their bikes for me.  Kaue had finished his AA at LDS Busisiness College and will be at BYU civil engineering leading to architecture.  His sister Katharine will be going to UVU for ASL and dental hygiene.  Suella will be in middle school and Samara in Chinese immersion 1st grade.  The Gonzagas currently have two sister missionaries, one in Roma the other at Temple Square both sisters from their oldest daughter Monica that was less than two when we taught them.  The Gonzagas only son Mauricio and his wife have one more year of their mission and then their youngest son will leave for his mission.  I've lost track (about 9) of the number of missionaries from the family that we taught in Brazil 53 years ago.  Their last family reunion was 52 in number.  Santos is now its own mission!  When Norma and I were there it was two branches, Santos and São Vicente.  It is thrilling to me to have our Hannah, our first missionary from from the current generation now serving.  

The fly leaf of "LDS References" Sister Mills and I had given to the Gonzagas when they were baptized.  They really used it.  They were Protestants and knew the bible well.  This gave them a reference to learn the gospel from an LDS perspective.  It was well-used.

Apple pie has been a part of our friendship.  I had taught Suelena to make apple pie after they were baptized and it has become their family traditional dessert.  Last time they were here I took them a variation,  sliced apple pastry.  Yesterday I took them Polly's fresh blueberry pie in a favorite Ben Behunin pie plate with whipped cream.  The pie plate is very pretty impressionistic colors of the Utah mountain landscape.  

They totally surprised me with a beautiful gem stone treasure of an ara (aka macaw) perched on an amethyst geode.  Aras are common in parts of Brazil if you can imagine.  

We saw them in São Paulo groves of trees where orchids grew wild.  

I came home exhausted from trying to resurrect my Portuguese. and fell asleep reading Scott Carrier's "Prisoner of Zion: Muslims, Mormons and Other Misadventures", a collection of short stories.  It is not sleep inducing.  I was just very brain tired.  Carrier is a SLC native, non-Mormon, Peabody award winning, free-lance journalist.  I'm sure I've heard his contributions on NPR.  He has a personal life as well as a profession that influence his stories.  I had abandoned the book after a couple of stories that gave me the impression that if he was so misinformed on Mormon temple beliefs, what was credible on Muslims?  Then I read a 5-star Goodreads review that pointed me to his last story and I decided to take it up again.  I'm glad I did.  Its going to be a wrestle to write my own review.  

Happy Independence Day!