Mudlarking

Several years ago when we visited England, cousin Rob took us "mudlarking" on the Thames River. When the tide is low people can scavenge for items of value, or anything of interest. A few years ago someone found a 2000 year old statue of Julius Cesar. A lot of things are still found that where discarded in the river after the great fire of 1666. We didn't find anything quite so interesting.


Rob and Lance on the Thames.

Glenn and Rob with St. Paul's in the background. Rob lives just a few blocks from the Catherdral.

Last week after talking to a ranger, I decided to go mudlarking out at the Great Salt Lake where Saltair used to stand. The first Saltair was built in 1893, burned down, was rebuilt, was abandoned and then burned down again in 1970. At one time it had the largest dance floor in the world.

Ted, Amy, Marge, Grandma Goodway, Grandma Bruerton near the enterance to Saltair, about 1922.

Saltair about 1900

All that remains of the great Saltair complex are some of the 2000 pilings that held the building above the water.

Next to the dance floor was one of the largest restaurants in the United States. (Can you imagine a resaurant anywhere near the lake?) Whenever dishes were broken they would be thrown over the railing into the water. Today, more than fifty years after Saltair closed it's doors for the last time, the area is covered with broken china, glasses and bottles.

Years ago we were supposed to get an antique china set but for some reason it never happened. We decided to go back to Saltair, collect all the broken china and glue it back together so we can finally have our antique china. You're all invited over for dinner when we finish.

You're also invited to take a tour with us, but first you'll have to help us get the bus running.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Happy Birthday, Sarah! We hope it's a great, relaxing day and that David fixes you a fantastic birthday dinner!

Another Happy Birthday!

It was seven years ago today that we closed on our house. We thought we would be here only a few years but after putting so much work into the place it's hard to move.

Also this year our house is 100 years old! We're planning a birthday party for this summer.

Seven years ago today


We closed on the house, but it wouldn't be inhabitable for a while.


Tearing up the "For Sale" sign.


The kitchen before gutting.


The bathroom before gutting.

Upstairs

Before gutting the upstairs to raise the ceilings and move back the walls.

Happy Birthday, Ari and Sophie!

Happy Birthday, Ari and Sophie! We can't believe you have already reached the BIG EIGHT! Congratulations! Since there are two of you we had to make a video for all the pictures. We don't understand the words to the song but the music made us think of you. Maybe your mom can translate.

Dream

Jeni has "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac on her Blog Playlist. It made me think of my favorite "Dream" song by Roy Orbison. I think the best thing to do for the cold, blustery January blahs is to just go to sleep and dream - whereever you are.

Erin needs help!

Erin says she needs needs help with her blog! She hasn't had anything interesting happen since she had her baby with Bill Cosby. I told her I'd help her out if she didn't come up with any ideas by midnight.

Everyone needs to help her out. To give her some ideas, I'm posting a baby picture and a college picture.

Good luck, Erin!

Jane with baby Erin Marie


Erin at Weber State.

Flashback Friday

A couple of days ago I was at Mom's house going through several old books. One of the books Mom had given to her father, Odell Sessions, as a birthday present. It's Little Known Facts About Well Known People, by Dale Carnegie, (the same man who wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People.)

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One of the short stories in the book is called "Christ was not born on Christmas Day"

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"About three hundred years ago, when New England was a far-removed colony of the British Crown, the wife of a village squire in Hadley, Massachusetts, walked across the fields one December Day and visited a German lady who was celebrating Christmas. This German lady had cut down a small pine tree in the forest, dragged it home through the snow, lighted it with candles, and her children were dancing around it, singing Christmas carols. Nothing wrong with that, was there?

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Yet the grim-faced Puritan fathers, who ruled New England then, hauled this woman before a council of village elders, thundered at her, denounced her, and threw her out of the Church, bag and baggage. And back in those days, that was tantamount to social ostracism.

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What had she done? She had committed the heathen sin of celebrating Christmas. The old Puritans despised Christmas. With wrathful voices, they denounced it from their pulpits. They branded it as an unholy pagan holiday and declared it was an insult to God. They even passed a law which heaped fines and public disgrace upon anyone who attempted to celebrate Christmas.

Why all this cry and uproar against the celebration of Christmas? For one thing, the old Puritans knew that Christ was not born on Christmas Day.

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Scholars were wrangling about the date of Christ's birth less than two hundred years after he died. Some claimed that he was born on May 20th - others contended that the correct date was April 19th (yeah, Jeni!). Still others denounced these dates as superstitions, and declared he was born on November 17th (yeah, Tom!) Modern scholars confess that we haven't the remotest idea about the exact time of the birth of Jesus.

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Even in Bethlehem, where Christ was born, Christmas will be celebrated this year at three different times. One group celebrates it on December 25th, another on January 6th (Yeah, Chelsea!), and still another sect on January 18th (Yeah, Sarah!). In Abyssinia, Christmas is celebrated every month of the year, except March.

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For thousands of years, the Romans, gorged with food, and drunk with wine, celebrated the feast of Saturnalia in December. Saturn was their god of Agriculture, and after they had gathered their crops for the season, they held high festival in his honor, decorating their houses with evergreen and holly, giving dolls to their children, and showering gifts upon one another.

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Centuries ago, old bald-headed (Yeah, Glenn!) Constantine rose up in the Roman Senate, straightened his gay-colored wig, and decreed that Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire. And when he did that, he ordered the Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ during the feast of Saturn, so he merged the two festivals into one.

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Many curious and colorfuls superstitions have grown up around Cristmas. Old women, pop-eyed with strange beliefs, declare that when the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, the bees sing the 100th Psalm, and they say that the sheep open their mouths and bleat the word "Bethlehem."

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One of my secretaries was raised in Louisiana, and she tells me that the negroes taught her that the cows literally get down on their knees and talk to one another on Christmas Eve. Well, maybe they do, down in Louisiana; but I was once a cowboy myself out in South Dakota; and if the cows out west ever talked on Christmas Eve, it must have been in hog Latin or pidgin English, for I couldn't understand them.

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However, over in Norway, the farmers give their cattle a tub of home-brewed ale on Christmas Eve - and those critters not noly talk - they lean up against the lamp posts and sing "Sweet Adeline!"

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Christmas may have been a pagan orgy thousands of years ago-but who cares? Today, it is the most happy and universal holiday in all the western world"

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(You are all invited over to Christmas dinner on January 18th as well as the 25th of every month except for March. Jeni and Tom will already be busy on April 19th and November 17th.)

Happy Birthday, Chelsea and Merry 12th Day of Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Chelsea! No wonder why you are so special, you were born on the 12th day of Christmas! Twenty-six years old! Who would believe it? Here are some pictures of your life in review. I don't know why there are so many pictures of you!

Flashback and Flash Way Back Friday

Happy New Year to everybody!

I just found this pictures of Mom with the kids. I don't know how I missed it for her birthday slideshow, I think it's a great picture.

Now flashing back from LaJean to Odell to James to Perrigrine Sessions.

On September 15, 1852, Perrigrine left Utah with 73 other men for a mission to Europe. According to the Church newspaper in England, "The Millennial Star," the missions were primarily to prepare the new members in Europe for the "Patriarchal Order or Plurality of Wives" once they arrived in Utah. The paper stated, "it is consistent with the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Perrigrine writes very interesting accounts about his trip across the Atlantic Ocean to England where he served. Here are some of the excerpts.

Dec 16, Left the docks (of New York) and Ankored in the river

Dec 20, Fair day and wind, the weather warm as summer and the passengers laying about the decks like pigs while the vessel rolling and pitching over waves mountain high.

Dec 24, Christmas morning, a heavy gale, the sea looking like mountains covered with snow and the wind blowing the snow. There we spent the day with some Catholics and all kinds of men and women whores and Masters cursing and swearing and drinking. Here the night was spent in this way with several fights to make it interesting to me. Some sick and groaning, vomiting and so thick that the room smelt like a pig pen more than the home of human beings. I cannot describe my feelings but suffice it to say that if Jonah was in the belly of hell so was I with my brethren. Here I lay in by berth and see the lice crawling on persons that made the scene more interesting while I am holding myself in my berth or else I should have been thrown out in the slush by the rolling of the vessel as the night passed off in this way.

Dec 25, Fair weather and warm but a heavy sea until evening the sea became calm and I preached to the Passengers with good attention. One or two of the Brethren sick but were healed by the laying of of hands. Wind Blowing.....

Dec 28, Cool weather and a man died and in a few minutes was sewed up in a blanket and thrown over board by the sailors with no other ceremony than God damn him except he has gone to the shark land. This scene is a novel one to me to see the spirit in mankind when at sea, not a friend to drop a tear.

Dec 30, Held meeting and the Gifts of the Gospel were enjoyed by us.

Dec 31, Fair wind and has been since we left port, have not changed Sail since we left New York.

Jan 1, 1853, A fine, fair day and saw some fish along side of the ship, they followed us all day. Here we spent the day on deck with everything but that which was good. I took a sever cold and was quite sick....

Jan 3, Fine weather and land in sight. It is the mountains in Ireland, this made us feel well although my health poor. Saw many vessels and five or six lighthouses. The wind raised and the ship had to cast Ancor, lay by the Irish channel that is narrow.

Jan 5, Rainy and cold. A pilot came on board with a steam tug and took us into Liverpool and at 2:00 in the afternoon landed in Liverpool. Went through the custom house from thence to Great Cross Hall Street to a public house kept by Mrs. Powel. Met with a large number of American Elders and some two hundred Saints from Denmark on their way to Salt Lake Valley.

Jan 6, Went to the Millennial Star Office in the evening. Held a meeting and I spoke in connection with others of the Elders. I was called to speak in a large hall and a large congregation and bore testimony of the blessings of God that had been over us since we left our homes.

Jan 8, Bought myself a suite of clothes and an umbrella with boots and hat, an umbrella as it rains every day. Got my appointment for labour to preside over the Manchester Conference.

Here's a map of the area where Perrigrine served. I wonder if Ethan was in any of these places?