pioneer peach: make the air with music ring

break out the bonnets!

a 24th of july festivity:

i have a bushel of peaches

&

2 dozen ears of corn ($3.50/doz.).

summer is real!

we broke out our bonnets

miss provo was eating pie, but i got this shot of her attendants.

& went to the pioneer day extravaganza at veteran's park.

re-enactor in the sons of utah pioneer village.

our friend anna from cambridge, ma., who's been living in slc for one month,

anna from cambridge sharing her views on pioneer day, freedom & the first amendment

was approached by a news anchorish woman:

"i noticed your cute dress.  will you answer some questions for me?"

anna was interviewed on camera.  what does pioneer day mean to her?  what does freedom mean to her?  what rights does the first amendment protect?

anna passed with flying colors.

jacob, world class hoop dancer.

we watched jacob do the hoop dance.  we've been watching him progress in his skills since he was about five.  he's now one of the top dancers in the world.

heritage coffins

i loved this heritage coffin-making booth,

and of course we had to have a navajo taco.

navajo tacos are traditional on pioneer day.

currently, a dozen ears of corn are shucked and waiting to be grilled eaten with the shallot thyme butter i made sunday, and a peach pie is cooling on the counter.  the watermelon is sliced and chilling in the fridge.

peach pie cooling for tonight's pioneer day barbeque.

i only wish julie was here to celebrate one of my favorite holidays of the year.

the beehive is the beloved state symbol.

here's our classic mormon pioneer song.  i get teary every time i sing it.

bonnets at my barbeque

Come, come, ye saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell -
All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell-
All is well! All is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away, in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the saints, will be blessed.
We'll make the air, with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell -
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell-
All is well! All is well!

before summer ends to-do list

provo experimental music night.  

i just started planning classes for fall, which made me realize i have only about a month of summer break left.  we've done some fun things this year.  nothing major, but lots of little things and lots of festivities with family and friends.

lalage at an experimental music night in slc last saturday.  ingrid called my outfit "miss vampisham."  i said yes to this gig though i really wanted to stay home.  i'm practicing "yes" more.

because of doing the artist's way, i've been trying to live more. . . festively.  to not limit what i do so much, so i've been saying yes to a lot of things, and trying to get out of my natural introverted state and out of the house more.

anna's new shoes right after a summer rain storm at provo bicycle collective.

here's what i want to do before summer ends and ingrid returns to college:

1.  hike mt. timpanogas.

2. go tubing on the provo river.

3.  road trip to southern utah.

4. fancy back yard italian dinner with candles.

5.  grill more corn and peaches.

6. buy a new pioneer bonnet.

I Love a (LGBTQ) Parade

 

As per my usual Pride Day schedule, I attended my church meetings and then strolled with pride over the Pride March on 5th Avenue--the biggest, oldest LGBTQ Pride Parade in the world. 

The Pride Parade is held at this time of year because in 1969 in late June there was a riot at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village.  Judy Garland had just died and everyone was in a bad mood.   So when the police made their usual arrests at the bar, the patrons fought back.  They refused to take it anymore.  The first pride march was in 1970.  By the '80s in New York and San Francisco, they were huge and had corporate sponsorship.  Today's was the first Pride March held after last summer passage of laws here in New York state allowing same-sex couples to marry.  It held particular resonance for me, as the law took effect on Utah's Pioneer Day, July 24th.  (I think there were cosmic reasons for this.) 

I watched the Parade for hours and hours today.  My oldest kid met a friend of hers (out in 8th grade) at the march.  The crowds were so massive, that I spent a good part of the March in a French coffee shop, gnawing on acai vegan muffins (I know.  Weird, right?) while watching the Parade through the window.  

My favorite groups include the one pictured here.  (They did stunning covers of tunes by Lady Gaga, Men Without Hats, and James Brown.  They are seriously good, not to mention the flag corp and male baton twirler.)  Straight Mormons also marched with Affirmation--the LGBTQ Mormon Support Group.  I missed them, unfortunately. 

Lara, do you ever think the Mormon Church will loosen up and welcome their Mormon brothers and sisters as they are with full equality?  Many LGBTQ Mormons have experienced such tightness because of the church's policies.  Just saying, as I try to get out of my own tight place and live each day with more love.