Categories
Essays Photos Travel

National Parks of Southwestern Utah and Northern Arizona

Part I Wally and I traveled from Las Vegas to visit Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Grand Canyon National Parks and Lake Powell Reservoir in May 2023. On the map above, Zion National Park is enclosed in a square on the lower left; Bryce Canyon National Park is in the middle of the map. This map […]

Categories
America in Crisis

Reform, not Pack, Supreme Court

I recently read a fascinating opinion piece in the New York Times, in which Ezra Klein posits several suggestions made by the commission appointed by President Biden last January or February. The title is “What a Reckoning at the Supreme Court Could Look Like” and appeared in this morning’s copy of the Times. Click the […]

Categories
Essays Spiritual Journey

Exile

            I am in exile. I first became cognizant of the exile when I came to Hawaiʻi in 1988. Later, I realized the exile in reality had begun spiritually and emotionally years earlier as I learned through my reading in LDS Church history that the claims of the church I had grown up believing were […]

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Garden

Garden 30 June 2023

My co-gardener, Maria, and I went shopping. Here are photos of our new additions and of the flowers already in the garden. The Crown Flower, oregano in right hand margin, Rosemary in upper left corner, and Gerbera “Daisies” (according to the tag in the pots when I purchased them two or three years ago) continue […]

Categories
America in Crisis

Call to Action

I agree with Representative Liz Cheney on perhaps only one issue. On all other issues, particularly concerning policy issues, I disagree with her. The one issue on which I agree takes precedence at this hour in our history. The Constitution of the United States must be protected from those who would destroy it.             She […]

Categories
America in Crisis

America the Beautiful

On this Fourth of July, as I watched the Macy’s fireworks display on television, I noted with mixed emotion the singing of “America the Beautiful.” I am happy they included it in the program, but I was disappointed that the choir and soloist sang only the first verse. I’m quoting the other verses here: 2) […]

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Garden

Garden, June 2022

Categories
Essays Family

Papa

                      Sometime in my late preteen years, I felt that we weren’t close enough for me to call him “dad” and I was too old to call him “daddy,” so I began calling him “Papa.” “Papa” seemed endearing enough that it would be acceptable, yet old fashioned enough that it would/could be somewhat formal as […]

Categories
Essays Family

Mom’s Legacy of Civil Rights

            Two or three days ago (in April 2022), major league baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson for the leadership he provided to major league baseball and to the American way of life. I immediately thought of Mary Jean’s being a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. She became a fan because that organization signed Jackie Robinson to […]