Gallicantu

I couldn't sleep beginning at 1:40 am our first night in Israel, I was so turned around. So I laid in my small arab hotel in my little Dick Van Dyke bed (Craig's term). At 2:30, Craig woke up in his. We tried hard for a long time not to disturb each other, and we stayed awake and still, a faint orange light coming through our curtains a few yards outside the old city wall of Jerusalem. I considered the Dome of the Rock gleaming through our window on the temple mount, Golgatha very nearby to the right, the Mount of Olives to the left. I happily imagined that, unlike the disciples, for one night i could perhaps have watched and waited with the Lord, being so awake! I considered Caiaphas' Palace (the church of Gallicantu)a few hundred yards away, and Jesus' imprisonment there during the longest night in the world, after the last supper, the intercessory prayer, the agony of Gethsemane, the skirmish and the forced walk to the chief priests. I remembered Jacob's night's wrestle with the Lord the same few stones cast from our room on Mt Moriah, and Abraham sleeping or waking the final night of his journey to lay his son on the alter there. I imagined an early light entering an empty tomb a half mile out of view. It was good to be there, awake.

Farewell

Bob and Micah's mom Lynn at Micah and Rachel's wedding, December 2008

Our friend Bob Fleming died yesterday here at our home.  His family had been tending to him every day and every night for the past couple of weeks, having gathered from Maryland, California and parts in between.   Bob made the very most of their minutes together as long as he possibly could.  His family recorded some of  his stories and one perfect May evening basked together singing with the guitar on the back patio.

Andrew and Ariel and Boys sent this fruit bouquet to the Fleming family.  It didn't survive past lunch

 Bob had visits from a couple of loved friends he met on Guam in the 1970's, including a man who, like himself, joined the church there during the Vietnam War.  Generous family members and friends kept us supplied with good food.

Farewell to a kind man who loved the beautiful in his world, and nothing more than his family.  We will miss you.

The last word Bob said to me was a very, very quiet "Thanks."  Thanks to you, my friend.

Last night as Micah conducted the Evergreen Junior High Band and Orchestra in their grand finale, the Theme from Star Wars, he used the baton of choice:  Bob's light saber!

Aaron Robert (x3) learning that it's not quite enough just to go backward when going downward.

Note: this is yesterday's post, rescued. (Written by Lark).

Happy Mother's Day, Mother!

Everything I know (and continue to learn) about motherhood and being a good mother, I learned from my own angel mother.  Among all the good things in life, my mother taught me to appreciate and love fine art.  I have selected some of my favorite paintings about mothers to dedicate to her.  I have chosen paintings that remind me of my mother, my relationship with her, moments from my childhood and the tenderness of a mother to a child.  Through my mothering of my own children, I have been amazed at how close a mother can be to a young child, and the tenderness of that relationship.  The way I speak to my babies and hold them close I learned as a babe in my own mother's arms.  Although I cannot remember those moments, the deep impression they made on me formed the basis for my relationship with her, my relationship with my own children, and will be the basis of the relationships of my children to their children.  I love you, Marmie!

Nora Kasten, "Mother and Child"

Young Mother - Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Berthe Morisot

I included this picture because it's called, "The Hard working Mother." Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, 1740

Mother and Child - Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881

Mother and Child, Emile Munier

'Edouard Manet'  The Laundry(the Laundress),1875

Marie Antoinette and her Children - Louise Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun, 1787

Mother and Children - William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1879

Mother and Daughter - Richard Gerstl, 1906

Heidi Malott

Mother - Joaquín Sorolla, 1895

Madame Vigee Lebrun and her daughter, Jeanne Lucie Louise - Louise Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun, 1789

Bella and Ida by the Window - Marc Chagall

Mother and child - Pablo Picasso, 1902

The following paintings are all by Mary Cassatt, who captured a mother's love and the close mother-child bond better than anyone.

Finally for you, here's your "Breakfast in Bed" on Mother's Day.

Papa is Here

Our friend Bob Fleming, Micah's Dad, is living with us now, after spending a couple of weeks at the University of Utah Hospital and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He arrived in Utah on moving day and Aaron's birthday, April 21st. They have bought a home together at 3160 Upland Dr.
Right now Bob is too weak for surgery or chemo therapy for his cancer. So he is in Grandma Galli's room, where the queen sized hospital bed she bought still works--but now we have only twin mattress for it! Here he can watch Aaron play and have fewer people poking at him.

Aaron was saying his name this morning: "Papa."

The photo of Laurel at the top of the blog shows her after a day's work preparing food we are feeding Bob. He's been taking it for most of two weeks in his G-tube, which he's had most of the time since his surgery last September. In case you are curious, here's what he has been eating until lately (and when we weren't looking in the hospital):
Water, Corn Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium & Calcium Caseinates, Soy Fiber, Soy Protein Isolate, Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Medium-Chain Triglycerides, Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Chloride, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Citrate, Ascorbic Acid, Choline Chloride, Magnesium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Carrageenan, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Zinc Sulfate, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Cupric Sulfate, Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Chromium Chloride, Sodium Molybdate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenate, Phylloquinone, Cyanocobalamin, and Vitamin D3.
Contains milk and soy ingredients.

Here's our magical mix (Recipe by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Specifically formulated for G-tube feeding):

Fresh juices of carrot, apple, melon, mango, lettuce, kale, spinach, parsley mixed with chopped sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, blended with avocado, fresh blueberries, strawberries, gogi berry juice, and two or more of the following: lightly steamed broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, collards, kale, ground flaxseed.

To this we add probiotics, plant based iron, garlic and oregano oil (remember, it doesn’t have to taste good!) As of today we are adding some herbs recommended by Dr. Elmore, a local chiropractor.

Micah, Laurel, Rachel and I have contributed to making and administrating this. It’s much easier to do at home, where nurses are not confronting us about the need for protein (there's lots of protein in this, and more was available through plant-based protein supplements, if the dietician wanted it).

FOOD, Glorious FOOD!

Special feature: Aaron at breakfast this morning!

Rosemary Pine Nut Hummus

This is delicious! After tasting Salt Lake Citris Grill's citrisgrill.com recipe, I went hunting on the internet and found this.  My changes are noted below.  I like to double the recipe in my Blendtec, processing it on the "dips" setting.  Dad really likes it.  He told me I had perfected the hummus art when I made the last batch.  It makes me want to make him some every day.


Rosemary Pine Nut Hummus

[Makes approximately 2 cups]

1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans (or white beans)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. or more fresh rosemary leaves, removed from stem (I use half of that maybe)
2 Tbsp. pine nuts
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I use 1sm clove fresh)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil (or more, if desired)
1/2 cup water (1/3 makes it less soupy)

Combine white beans/garbanzo beans, lemon juice, rosemary, pine nuts, and garlic powder (clove) in a food processor (or Blendtec). Process until well combined. With the food processor running, drizzle in olive oil through the chute, and then add water in tablespoon increments until texture and consistency have reached your preference. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with raw vegetables, stuffed in mushrooms, or with pita chips or crackers.

Earthing

Why have we never heard or talked about this?  Earthing, getting connected to the earth (especially by going barefoot) apparently now has lots of well-understood amazing health benefits.  We are now always "shoes off" outside.  We'll see how our floors hold up!
Check out this:

Interview about Earthing

Source

(Don't worry, it's not a movie, it's just audio so you can keep doing whatever you were going to do right after you sat down for a second to check GalliGals.  I think Meredith might be posting about it soon on ODL, so keep your eyes out for that.

DejNau Voo

Well, it IS Laurel in the painting!  We contacted artist Connie Lynn Reilly conniereilly.com.  She said she and her husband had taken "hundreds of photos," at the 2005 Nauvoo Pageant, including apparently at least one of ten year old Laurel Galli tuning up for another night in the Nauvoo band.  The painting is entitled "A Time to Listen" from Connie's "A Time to . . . " series taken from Ecclesiastes 3.  I had been to the exhibit twice and Laurel once before, but neither of us had seen it.   If you attend the exhibit, look at the wall furthest from the escalator.

Star of Wonder

That night we had another interesting "coincidence".  We admired a painting by Annie Henrie entitled "Balm of Gilead."  We had appreciated her work before, and long ago had a slight acquaintance with her father, fellow painter Cary Henrie when we lived in New York City.  I don't think we were even in the same ward for much of that time, but we knew of Cary partly because his uncle lived in Garden Park Ward.

That night, we talked about how nice it would be to meet Annie, and maybe even commission a piece from her.

Streams of Mercy Detail

Streams of Mercy

As we were leaving, we saw a family near the main entrance watching the film of artists represented in the competition.  Craig spotted a man I thought appeared no older than a very fit 45, and asked, "Is that Cary Henrie?"  I looked and said, "He looks too young!  And I don't remember what he looked like, anyway, but now that you mention it, it could be."  Craig approached him and said, "Excuse me, are you Cary Henrie?"  And he was!  What a surprise!  It would have to have been 25 years ago or more since we had last seen him.  He had no recollection of either of us, but was able to introduce us to Annie, who then talked to Laurel about the BYU art program.  They are interested in seeing the Minerva Teichert  paintings in Garden Park, and we are interested in seeing more of their work.  Life is increasingly leading to uncanny synergies--the Lord's signatures.  Attached are a couple of Annie's images.

Synergies popped up the night of the opening of the exhibit a few weeks ago too, when our friend from London Lisa DeLong knew Lance Harding, who had studied with her at the Princes School of Traditional Arts psta.org.uk.  Lance was a good friend of our friend Donna Nielsen donna-connections.blogspot.com, also there that evening.  Lance is researching sacred geometry with Vern Swanson, Garth Norman and John Pratt in Jerusalem at the temple mount. We heard Vern talk about it a couple of years ago at Ellie and Doug Stephens' home. Suffice it to say, cosmic energy was swirling then, too.  Who can untangle the Lord's web?