Boston Part 1

When I arrived in Boston on the Wed. night Jet Blue redeye from Long Beach it was somewhere around 5 AM. Brittany, as always, was happy and smiling upon picking me up. They live so close to the airport that all I have to do is call her when I land and about the time I've got my luggage she's pulling up to the curb. Travelling all night isn't bad when you figure you can pop an Ambien and sleep for a few hours. So I popped the pill, but didn't really sleep. Along with the time change and usual jet lag adjustment I was a little droopy the next day but didn't want to get too goofed up so tried to push on through until the next night. Aargh, I don't recover like I used to.

One of my favorite things to do when I visit them is sleep in Annie's bed at the opposite end so I can look out the apartment window onto the street below. They live on the 7th floor of student housing.

This is what I saw when I finally got in her room and put my suitcase down:

However, this is what it felt like:

Although I was beginning to feel totally messed up, I really enjoyed cracking open the window and letting the cold early morning air blow on my face, even for just a few minutes of a "mini-snooze". There's something wonderful about being under a toasty quilt with cold fresh air blowing on your face, sort of like hot chocolate with vanilla ice cream...or camping under the stars.

Having left sunny SoCal (and I was amused by the advice of those friends I made here telling me to be sure and bring a hat, gloves, and warm coat...as though I'd never been in cold weather before) I knew I'd be in for a bit of an adjustment. I wore my flipflops onto the plane but brought along my Austrian boots to wear off of it. Still and all, I'd forgotten really just how cold Boston can get. Reality set in on Valentine's Day when Brittany, Annie, and I walked over to Harvard Square to buy a T-shirt at the Coop for Baby Sawyer, lallygag at the Curious George Toy Store, and celebrate the holiday with a chocolate malt.

Another view from the apartment of the Charles River

Did I say it was cold? We're talking sweatshirt, fleece, scarf, hat, hood, gloves, turtleneck, etc. I was too lazy to pack my parka and didn't feel like wearing Brittany's. The only final damage was windburn on my cheeks (on my face).

There's a rubber duck here for everyone. Even Sherlock Holmes, Mackenna. Can you spot him?

Brittany told the guy at JPLicks we wanted one chocolate malt (with two scoops of malt) to split three ways. It was delicious. In fact it was so good we ordered another one with three scoops of malt. I dared Brittany to go back and order a third one with four scoops of malt but she chickened out.

Clearly the only smart ones of the bunch were Jordan and Jakey who stayed home and were nice and VARM practicing hoops.

Boston Part 2 coming later.

Happy Valentine's Day

Well, here we are, February 14th, and on this 10th day of things that I love I'm focusing on, you guessed it, LOVE. Today I'm including random photos capturing this all-consuming often elusive emotion. When I lived in TX I used to hostess Valentine's Day luncheons. Some of my friends are still living there. Some have moved away. And some have passed on. We sure had great times at those parties wearing crazy hats, sharing personal stories and celebrating LOVE together.


Brittany and Jordan got married in June, 2001, in Washington, D.C. Almost eight years later I'm out in Boston babysitting my two grandchildren so Britt and Jord can enjoy a much-needed Valentine's dinner together without having to pay $12/hour for a babysitter.

But I'm the real winner. Look what was waiting for me by my bed when I arrived at 5:00am on the redeye from Long Beach.

Last May my niece, Brittlyn, married Brandon Doyle. We all shared their love story, from the official engagement under the stars and the limo ride the previous December, to the dancing at the reception in the old red barn after the temple marriage.

In sorting through some of my parents' files I came across this newspaper clipping dated May, 1947, from The Deseret News.

Here are my folks at Ruth's Chris Steak House, celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary, April 29, 2007.

As a hardcore insomniac I believe the following quote sums it all up :

"You know you're in love when you can’t fall asleep, because reality is finally better than your dreams" -Dr. Seuss

Life's A Beach

I have no idea which beach I'm at but it's probably Ocean Beach in San Francisco or Stinson Beach in Marin County around 1952 or so. My sister, Cheryl, is in the background with Judy Young, the daughter of my parents' friend. And thus begins my love affair with the sea for day 9 of 10 during this celebration of love.

Today at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts I was completely overwhelmed with the beauty of a 15th century Chinese pen and ink landscape by Shen Zou, the patriarch of Suzhou painters during the Ming Dynasty. The translation of the calligraphy was:

The sullied world is wide with little room for peace,

So I seek a hut standing calmly by the water

Where wind comes, the moon visits, but no man intrudes;

Thus the idler may rest by the rail.

Monet's Fisherman's Cottage on the Cliffs at Varengeville

I'm so happy to be living near the ocean. Some people need mountains. Some people need lakes. Some people need the ocean. How 'bout you?

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Day 8 in my Valentine's Day countdown of things I love is friends. Not only do I have friends in all my brothers and sisters, but I've been fortunate enough to find and make friends wherever I've lived. Below is a picture of my 6th grade class at Harding School. On the middle row where the girls start you see from L to R: Martha, Sheila, Helen, Marilyn, Dorothy, and Janet. On the bottom row girls: Me, Gail, skip one, and Joan.

Fast forward to my 40th high school reunion in 2007 with a Bluebird/Campfire Girls Pre-Reunion earlier in the afternoon. Below, find on the back row, L-R: Marilyn, Sheila, Gail, Joan, Martha, Janet, Dorothy, Helen, and Me.

Before I moved to Dana Point, I had lunch with some of my friends at Pizza Antiqua, including Karen Madsen, and Charlotte Christensen.

The best part of all my moves as an adult is the people I've met, the people who have become my longtime friends. The one I've known since the day I was born, the one who moved across the street when I was 8, the ones who went through Harding, Portola, and ECHS with me, the roommates from BYU, the Benicia gal, the one who lived up the street in Danville, the ones in my Chicago book group, the ones who lived in my wards in TX, the recent ones in California, I love you all.

European Vacation

[in Germany, Clark peers down at a village in the hills and tears come to his eyes]

Clark Griswold: There it is, kids, my motherland.

Rusty Griswold: Dad, Grandma's from Chicago.

Clark Griswold: Shut up, Russ.

Okay, okay, I know I'm hung up on the motherland also, the mother being England, France and Germany/Austria.

It's a strange feeling to walk down the Getredigasse in Salzburg and see people who look like all my aunts and uncles, especially great-uncle Emil. Half the old men in Austria look like Emil. Bavaria is where is get the "roll out the barrels" side of me. Lili Marlene swears she saw Aunt Elaine there when we all know Elaine was still living outside Blackfoot, ID.

Overlooking Mondsee, Austria

Me, chatting it up with the locals (nein, I don't spreken zie deutsch) wondering what's up w/ the delay

In merry old England, my British roots take hold. Maybe that's why I was an English major?

Roaming around the Cotswolds brings out the quaint and teatime part of me

And yes, I am a Francophile. My great-great grandma Sarah Ann DeVoe expects it of me. Je t'aime francais, et je suis tres jolie quand je pense conernant tout choses francais. (Valerie, feel free to laugh at my feeble attempt at one of the mother tongues)

Long live justice, equality, liberty--- here I celebrate my independence

But, c'mon. Who wouldn't love visiting Europe when my brother-in-law, Kelly, sends us over there first class to celebrate Marlene's 50th birthday? Was that a great trip or what? I've been several times, but not having to fly coach made this particular trip extra fantastic! I like hobnobbing with the rich and famous.

Living the high life with Marlene, another happy wanderer

So I'm putting travelling in Europe as something I love for my post on Day 7. When my ship comes in I'm renting a house in the south of France for a month. Will it be lavendar season? Sunflower season? Cherry season? Surely not le mistral season! Can't wait to find out.

Knowing Better Now What I Didn't Know Then

Eli and Reggie, my firstborn and granddog

Baby Sawyer and Chelsea

Brittany, Jordan, Annie and Jake, rounding out the family

I love my children and grandchildren more than life itself. I honor them on Day 6 of things I love as Valentine's Day gets closer and closer. I remember 30+ years ago sitting in Tuesday morning Relief Society meetings in the old Berkeley Ward building on Walnut and Vine and listening to Marilyn Chamberlain, a mother of 5 young children, teach the mother education classes. The lesson was always well-prepared and she had excellent ideas that she shared with us, but what I enjoyed the most were the comments from the seasoned women in the room, the ones who had raised their families, had often already lost their husbands, and patiently listened to alot of the prattle back and forth between the young mothers and the mothers of teenagers. And then occasionally, and usually very quietly, one of these older women would insert somewhere into the discussion, "Just love them." While we were all buzzing about the hows, whens, and ifs..."Just love them," somehow seemed to be the advice that they knew would stand the test of time. I didn't always understand it back then. I wanted formulas and sure knowledge, self-help books and concrete guidance. I don't know if any of that mattered. In hindsight I think I'd throw out Dr. Spock as my resource for answers and concentrate more on the scriptures. Surely the Savior's words to us guided those of the wise old sisters, "As I have loved you, love one another".

And Don't Forget, It's TWO Scoops of Malt

This entry for day 5 of things I love is really my dad's fault. I recall many familty vacations when we'd be driving through a town somewhere and he'd say something like, "I remember this town had a really good chocolate malt. I'm just going to stop in here for a little bit and see if they still do". And then we'd all sit in the car while he'd go see if they still did. If we were really lucky we'd be invited in to join him. When I was a teenager he introduced me to "The Hippo"--a great burger joint in San Francisco on Van Ness Avenue that was known for mocha chocolate malts. Boy, those were deeeelicious. I also have yummy memories of chocolate malts at Edies, Blums, Mel's, and much later in life, the 59 Diner in Houston.

So it only stands to reason that I pass along my appreciation for the finer things in life, ie. a great chocolate malt, to my granddaughter, Annie. Boy have we enjoyed ourselves sipping through straws together. I can't wait to see her in a few days out in Boston. Whether it be freezing cold or icy snow falling all around, my new year's diet resolution will have to take a back seat during that one hour of bliss that surely will be ours as we share another malt together.

Annie shared her first malt at Friendly's in Morristown, NJ as we waited for brother Jake to be born. Just one sip and she never looked back. (June-06)

We slurped it down pretty quickly at Johnny Rockets in the Short Hills Mall, NJ (Mar-07)

By now she'd really gotten the hang of it at Mel's Diner in Granite Bay, CA (June-07)

Forget the fact that I'd never made it to the shower that day, we couldn't end her last visit here without a stop at Ruby's in Laguna Beach. (Jan-09)

While it's unclear how many more malt stops at malt shops in between the above pictured we've made, I think what's becoming very clear is why I had to make the new year's resolution in the first place.

Woman's Best Friend

Day 4 of things I love only requires one word............REGGIE

Warning! Family Reunion in Progress!

Woolf Family somewhere outside Ephraim, UT 1989

Day 3 in my countdown to Valentine's Day and things I love is FAMILY REUNIONS. On my mom's side of the family I have at least 50 first cousins along with my own 6 brothers and sisters. Throw in all the Babbel aunts and uncles, and as time passes, additional spouses and the next generation (and now the generation after that) and it makes for some pretty great memories. We've reunioned in Twin Falls, Swan Valley and the Sawtooths in Idaho and joined up throughout Utah.

We've gathered in San Francisco and Sonoma, California. In smaller groups we've accumulated all over the West. Our most recent cousins reunion was about an hour up the Spanish Fork, UT canyon two summers ago, and word's out we've got another one coming up this June. The crowd keeps growing as more and more crazy people join this mixed up group of fruits and nuts. I'm so proud to be one of them.

Babbel Family Reunion, Sonoma State College, CA 1983

My Grandpa and Grandma Babbel were immigrants from Germany (actually East Prussia). They both joined the Mormon church over there but didn't meet until they'd arrived in Salt Lake City. Grandma was 18; Grandpa was just a little bit older. My mom tells me that Grandma was very innocent and didn't realize just exactly the connection between making whoopie and babies until her third son was born. Fortunately she went on to have six more kids after that because my mom was number seven of nine.

My mom's brothers and sisters: Roy, Fred, Art and Byron Babbel, Vera McKnight, Mom, Pearl Schenk, Elaine Harper. (their brother, Norman died when he was 18). Showing off the leg was part of their glamour shot.

Father's Day in El Cerrito, CA 1985--gathering around the old family dinner table

The occasion doesn't have to be formal. Impromptu will do. Come as you are is even better. Where two or three gather together I say it's PARTY TIME--Jay, start playing the Hokey Pokey!

Holiness to the Lord -- The House of the Lord

In an effort to continue my affection for Valentine's Day I've decided to blog everyday up to and including February 14th about something I love. Today it's the temple, specifically 3 temples, that are favorites of mine.

The first one is the Oakland Temple.

Growing up in the Bay Area in the 60's gave me the great opportunity to make this 'my' temple. I attended the 1964 dedication, saw the prophet David O. McKay here, and received my own endowment in June, 1971. The view from the parking lot overlooking Oakland and out across to San Francisco is always breathtaking. I used to try for cheap laughs (actually I still do) by saying, "I love the Oakland Temple so much I got married there twice." I have an old tarnished gold charm of this temple I can't bare to throw away, even though it really is unsightly. But it reminds me of my hopes and dreams as a young girl including strength, purity, and forever families.

The next one is the Houston Temple.

I loved serving in this temple. Originally when I was called to be an ordinance worker for Friday nights I told the 2nd counselor of the temple presidency who extended the call that I couldn't do it that night, that was date night at the temple. He asked, "What do you have better to do?" I looked at him with a little bit of shock and said, "You're right...I'll be there!" Those Friday nights were some of my best Fridays ever, even after teaching early morning seminary, a full hectic realtor day, and then breaking away to serve from 4pm or 5pm til closing. Funny, now, how I can't remember when the shift started. All I know is every Friday night in the Houston Temple turned out to be my doorway to wonderful weekends concluding with quiet relaxing Sabbaths. For me the Houston Temple means light, personal revelation, and peace.

And now the Newport Beach Temple.

It has a similar footprint to the Sacramento Temple so it's very familiar. It also has a beautiful mural painted on all four walls in the endowment room. But the scene is of the coast in contrast to the Sierra foothills mural in the Sacramento Temple. Most of the walls are shades of blue with the ocean and the sky. The carpet is the color of wet sand. I was there today and saw something I've never seen before. In the Celestial Room the 6,000 crystals hanging on the 14 ft chandelier were reflecting the most amazing colors--sapphire blue, ruby red, quartz pink, aquamarine, emerald green, peridot lime, blazing amethyst. I couldn't stop staring at it. It was a rainy morning and there was just something about the modified light coming in through one of the windows on one side of the room that was orchestrating a magnificent prism parade. Imagine the most glorious white sparkly colorful Christmas tree hanging upside down from the ceiling. It was hard to tear myself away. This temple brings me warmth, familiarity, beauty, and love and the heart-felt desire that if I ever get a mansion in the sky I hope it's something like what I saw in the temple today.

Listen With Your Heart

I love Valentine's Day, yes I do. As a child I loved the drugstore cards that I spent so much time over deciding who got what, the elaborate construction paper-covered shoebox card receptacles, the miscellaneous decorations we made for the class parties, and the tiny red hots piled high in thin paper nut cups that always accompanied the creamy cupcakes brought in by loyal room mothers.

But the thing I love most about this holiday is all the hearts. I love hearts. In fact I heart hearts. The first "officially turning 12" gold necklace that I received from my parents was a small burnished gold heart from the jewelry counter of I. Magnin's in San Francisco. My first "officially becoming a teenager" ring I received, again from my parents, was a gold heart outlined in small garnets, again from I. Magnin's. (Now the location of Macy's in Union Square).

I am drawn to the image of the heart, the shape, the curves, the point. I collect heart rocks. And since having moved to Dana Point, I've increased my collection by a goodly number. I love the smooth feel, the mishapen outlines, the glistening sea-soaked heart-shaped rocks that find a way into my pockets and back home into my bowl on the fireplace hearth.

So imagine my great and wonderful surprise when I noticed that Baby Sawyer's ear is not only absolutely adorable, but also has a heart in it, in fact when you really study it, it's got 3 hearts, kind of like when you see a triangle within triangles. I have had the great blessing to be able to hold and cuddle and help this little one get to sleep over the past 2 months which has given me plenty of time to study his ears, especially his left ear, the one closest to his heart. I think this little boy will always have the reminder to "listen with his heart" (thank you Steven Covey) as his most noticeable physical heart is the one he'll be using to hear all that comes his way. He's clearly using his little heart ear (don't you love how the word ear is imbedded in the word heart?) to hear his mommy and me sing and talk to him while he smiles and coos back.

To see the 3rd heart you have to look at his ear in person

Sawyer happy with his new whale hoodie (Dana Point's Whale Festival is this month)

In Disney's, "Pocahontas", we find the lyrics of Listen With Your Heart to include:

Listen with your heart
You will understand
Let it break upon you
Like a wave upon the sand
Listen with your heart
You will understand

The art and heart of listening reminds me of the time it takes for my surf-refined heart rocks to become what they've become. Capo Beach is paying great dividends...many yet still to be discovered.