Clueless in La Mesa

Thank you, Cousin Darleen!

2012-01-18T21:36:00.000-08:00

I like the story better this way!

Las Vegas January 2012

2012-01-15T22:54:00.001-08:00

Soccer was the main attraction. Go, Glory!

It was also a thrill to visit beloved relatives and cherished friends.

Oh, yes. We also partied and relaxed!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T06:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T14:34:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for Family, the Gospel, health, and for the many opportunities we enjoy in our lives. Specifically, thank you, Seth for being my guide, host, and friend during my trip to New York City. Thank you, Jasmine, Keila, Jason, Eric, Peter, and others for being friends to Seth. Thank you Adam & Karen for being there for me and holding my hand through my journeys. Thank you Dave, Dana, Brian & Callie for hosting me and going the extra miles. And, thank you, Lupe, for delaying our 36th anniversary in order for me to have my little adventure.

I can almost say that I touched the four corners of the connected USA: San Diego, Jacksonville, NYC, and Sacramento. Here are some photos from New York and New Jersey.

11:11:11 PST on 11-11-11

2011-11-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Veterans Day 2011.

I've been thinking of our US veterans with a grateful heart this day.

You can't see them, but I'm wearing my dad's fatigue pants from World War II. He was part of Americas Greatest Generation. The shirt is my own from my days at Fort Ord.

I wanted to document where I was and what I was doing at this interesting calendar moment. After this photo, I changed into work clothes and trimmed our western hedge in the front, where all was quiet.

¡Ochenta!

2011-10-20T06:29:00.001-07:00

On the actual day-of, we had a dinner celebration.

Two days earlier, we went to a concert by "Reunion", starring two members of the "Lettermen" and Ric De Azevedo. I saw the Lettermen in concert twice back in the sixties and seventies.

To see a generic YouTube recording of the group in concert, click on the cell phone photo we took that night. They were real heart-throbs back in the day!

Quiz, Part 3

2011-10-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

For Conley and Sierra: What color is this?

For Auburn: What are these letters?

For Caleb: What words do these letters stand for?

For Brandon: When do people use these letters?

For Samuel: How would you send these letters using Morse Code?

For any adult: What Seaworld attraction is featured in the above photos?

Quiz, Part 2

2011-10-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

Is Grandpa underwater? What is your evidence?

Quiz for the Grandchildren

2011-10-08T21:34:00.001-07:00

Clue #1

San Diego is famous for this attraction. What is it? (You may need to enlarge by cutting/pasting to another application.)

Clue #2

What does this woman appear to be carrying?

Clue #3

What event are these people watching?

Yes, Brandon & Caleb, it's the Shamu Show at Sea World! Here are the compete photographs. There's another quiz coming!

Emily Wilson Goes to Her Glory

2011-09-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

December 8, 1968 - September 15, 2011

Services held September 22, 2011 at Sweetwater Stake Center

Photo is from 2010: Emily with Mitt Romney at book signing at Deseret Book Store in La Jolla, California.

August 13, 2011 - Abuelito's Funeral

2011-08-14T07:48:00.001-07:00

Click photo to read Obituary

Click Dove to see Union-Tribune Death Notice

Click on this part of the program to see Cousin Walter's photographic memorial.

Alive and well in another time zone

2011-08-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Munich Zoo receives new species.

Hiking with My Buddy - Mission Trails

2011-07-18T19:25:00.001-07:00

Uphill struggle, but the wind is at our backs.
"Jesus is helping us!" my partner exclaims gleefuly.

Four miles on his own, and he still has energy to sprint to the finish!

And, he still has energy to play before a late lunch at McDonald's.

Ho-hum, another day in paradise!

2011-07-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

U.S. Ladies defeat France and advance to the World Cup finals. Great Peruvian dinner. Dollar special at Baskin Robbins. Life is beautiful!

Grandpa Goes Green

2011-06-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

To call attention to pollution in the oceans, the rangers and volunteers at Cabrillo National Monument collected trash gleaned from the tidepool area within the National Monument boundaries over a period of a few weeks. Here we are sealing it in a cage to make the point that conservation of our world resources starts with each one of us. Pay attention, Grand Kiddles. We're leaving you a mess! (The guy in the canoe is not a park ranger. He is a researcher actually in the one of the patches out at sea, from a stock photo. Some of the patches consist of microscopic particles of plastic, so clean-up is VERY difficult!)

Fathers Day 2011

2011-06-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

A tribute to the fathers of the next generation. I love and suppport you guys out there in the trenches!

Something I noticed during the Alumni Concert

2011-05-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

At least one of my offspring will understand the significance of these two photos.

Original post, for those who missed it

2011-05-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

New Riddle: Who is this?

2011-05-11T15:39:00.001-07:00

Science Riddle for My Grandsons

2011-04-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

Look at these pictures from Snow Canyon. See the dark, round pebbles in the crevices of the red sandstone? How do you think they got there?

Here are the observations I made at the time:
1. I took these pictures when we were standing at the TOP of the first series of sandstone outcrops that we climbed on. The sandy riverbed was way below, at the base of the outcrops. Photos of that area are also shown. There are bushes along the reverbed.
2. There were higher cliffs and bluffs in the canyon, but none seemed close enough for these pebbbles to have fallen from that source.
3. The pebbles had the appearance of round river rocks deposited along a dry river bed, but they did not have the smoothness of river rocks.
4. There were also some larger dark jagged rocks near the top of the sandstone. They may not part of the original riddle, but then again, they may be!
5. There was no evidence that the stones had been manipulated by humans. In fact, I was pleased to assume that visitors had left them alone, according to park rules. Of course, I could be wrong...but if YOU guys left them unmolested, perhaps others did, too.
6. You may make your own additional observatons from the photos. I'll be happy to answer questions and give more observations, if asked.

Brandon & Kathleen Tie the Knot!

2011-04-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, and welcome to the family, Brandon!

Celebrating Abuelito's 94 years today

2011-03-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

Remembering Clovis Hill

2011-03-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Dad would have been 91 today.

The circle of life...Mom turns 85 today.

2011-03-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Mom takes a call from Kathleen as she prepares to eat the Nielsons' wedding cake on her birthday. Outside, her back yard awaits a predicted downpour. There was a window of sunshine for the wedding in Temecula, and now it's back to business for Mother Nature.

Andrew's and Holland's Wedding

2011-03-20T17:03:00.001-07:00

We were so happy to be invited! The good feelings linger with us a day later. Best to you both, and welcome to the family, Holland!

München ob der Bancroft Creek

2011-02-22T23:52:00.000-08:00

Willkommen, Fruenden!

Thinking of My Artistic Son, Seth

2011-02-16T22:31:00.001-08:00

Nordstrom's, circa 1986-9.

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-14T23:04:00.001-08:00

Yakitory Part 2

Dr. Martin Luther King Day 2011

2011-01-18T15:48:00.001-08:00

Unexpected reunion of family & new friends in Culver City, California. Question of the evening: What causes would Dr. King embrace if he were alive today?

Las Vegas Cup 2011

2011-01-15T21:13:00.001-08:00

For my posterity.

2011-01-07T22:55:00.000-08:00

Consider the Thirteenth Article of Faith.

To every thing there is a season.

Alene's mortal body returns to San Diego; her immortal beauty returns to her Eternal Home

2011-01-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

Alene Johns Lunt, originally of eastern Arizona, died this past Wednesday in Mesa, Arizona. She lived in San Diego's east county for over forty years. She and Uncle Bert mentored my parents in the '50s, and they mentored my generation into the '90s. She was a woman of grace and conviction. She is buried next to her son, Mark, who was my closest cousin as a child. The California contingency of nieces, nephews, and in-laws witnessed as George Bock, son-in-law, dedicated her final resting place on "Mormon Hill" at Greenwood Cemetery.

Pictured are: Alene earlier in her life; Alene with Heaton Lunt and all his daughters-in-law; the nieces and nephews present at the grave dedication today, and; Bert with Carol, who is my mom and his sister.

At the dedication there were tears along with the smiles, but the Lunt sense of humor and perseverance was evident today.

Habari Gani?

2011-01-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

Imani!

Habari Gani?

2010-12-31T13:30:00.000-08:00

Kuumba!

Habari Gani?

2010-12-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

Nia!

In this New Haven church in the early 1960s, the Clovis Hill Family attended a sermon preached by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This is the view from the balcony in which we sat.

The second photo is from Washington, D.C. in August of this year.

Habari Gani?

2010-12-29T17:52:00.001-08:00

Ujamaa!

Habari Gani?

2010-12-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

Ujima!

Habari Gani?

2010-12-27T18:43:00.000-08:00

Kujichagulia!

Habari Gani?

2010-12-26T20:51:00.001-08:00

Umoja!

Christmas Morning 2010

2010-12-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

Staying Cozy at Christmas

2010-12-19T15:53:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-04T17:19:00.001-08:00

36 Years of Bliss!

2010-11-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

Dinner and a concert. How romantic! We celebrated our anniversary at "The Vagabond", aptly named for its international menu. It seemed an extension of our recent wanderings.

And Joel, thanks for the Beethoven afterward!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T18:25:00.000-08:00

I am thankful to Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, for the gift of forgiveness and the hope for eternal life with them. I am thankful for you - those present, and those viewing from afar - who are my family and friends.

My siblings will recognize the 1961-vintage pilgrim hat. My offspring will recognize the arms of my studio assistant, making last-minute adjustments to the pilgrim.

Long-lost cousins find each other!

2010-11-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome, Paul!

2010-11-15T20:28:00.001-08:00

Alive and well in Draper

2010-10-22T05:39:00.001-07:00

San Diego to Draper. Can YOU read while riding backwards?

Caleb's creations.

On the way to Chess Club.

Twenty-one Days. Five Countries.

2010-10-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

In no particular order: Germany (Bavaria), Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, and Italy. We also had brief layovers in Denmark & Canada.

The very last snapshot is of bread baked by hand from the original recipe in a mill and bakery built in 1210 in Salzburg. It's very heavy, but made for fine toast back in San Diego!

Bavarian Family Ties

2010-10-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

Of course the main reason we went to Europe was to be with our dear family. Auburn turned two the day we arrived. We are very proud of her, her parents, and of course, Conley!

Before and After

2010-10-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Upon the advice of our pension owner in Bad Hofgastein, Austria, we did something completely out of character for us. We spent an afternoon at a world-famous health spa, which involved a train ride through kilometers of caves until we reached an area where we were exposed to natural radon gas. We were treated like dignitaries, and I think you'll be impresseed with the results!

Mushrooms

2010-10-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

To the Scott Hill Family: No, this is not Bellagio Gardens. This is your Grandpa's back yard!

David's Posterity

2010-09-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

This is the summer of gatherings! We missed Darren & Tia by a day, and of course the actively-serving missionaries were not present, but we saw all the rest of Dave's & Dana's offspring and spouses last night at Mission Beach. What a wonderful group!

Adventure Base 100 Coming to a Location Near You!

2010-09-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

This traveling display will be at Salt Lake City South Town Center on September 24th & 25th. I went myself a few months ago (See my post dated January 9, 2010). I had this mock photograph taken that day, but have been saving it 'til now to catch your attention.

If you Utah Scouts and Scouters do go, I want you to know that in the trailer of the big semi there is a Scout Museum with displays from the various councils visited by the traveling event. The display from San Diego is an old Cub Scout leader uniform. It was donated to me in the 80's by a member of the Lemon Grove Ward, and I passed it along to the San Diego Imperial Counties Council last year. At the end of 2010, it will be placed in the National Boy Scout Museum, I am told. I'm always glad to see historic items spared from oblivion!

Respectfully consider this...(Edited since original post.)

2010-09-06T08:11:00.001-07:00

Grandma Carol Hill is interested in knowing who might be interested in some of the items in her home. Some of us may be interested in these items, and may even have spoken for them in the past. My generation will claim most of the items with the idea of eventually passing them along to our heirs. Some of you grand kids may have good reasons why you'd like to be considered for certain items. At the time of this post, Mom's mostly concerned about little nick knacks that may seem to have little or no value, but that may be special memories for someone in the family. Knowing that they have value to you will help her set them aside as she does some downsizing around her house.

Contrary to my original post, these items are not going to be passed along just yet. Rather, we are recording your input for future reference. There's more to processing this than I had originally thought!

Please continue to email me, Brad, with your expressions of interest. It has been very touching to read of your memories and special times with Mom. The data you are providing about your interest in specific items is very much appreciated, and is being recorded.

You will probably recognize pictured objects you have become attached to as you have visited Mom. You may also have memories of things that are not pictured here. Search your memories. Feel free to ask me questions.

Please be aware that Mom's health is stable, though she appreciates your prayers for her comfort.

Frederick Douglass (Third post from my trip to our nation's capitol)

2010-09-02T10:24:00.001-07:00

Today my bishop asked me what my most significant impression had been during my week in Washington DC. Without hesitation, I responded that I was most impressed by the person of Frederick Douglass.

On my first day in DC, I scanned my map of national monuments, and was intrigued by one monument that was two miles off the National Mall to the east, in a neighborhood called Anacostia. The monument was for Frederick Douglass. I had read juvenile biographies of Mr. Douglass, but had an embarrassingly myopic view of the magnitude of this visionary man. My awareness was so limited, that I had to take a minute to sort out the difference between Frederick Douglass and Steven A. Douglas, who were both contemporaries of Abraham Lincoln.

Anacostia, once a blue-collar suburb restricted to white people, is where Frederick Douglass defied zoning traditions and established his final residence. It was a downhill jog to the monument, so I made a morning workout of it, thinking to ride public transportation back to the National Mall. On the tour of the monument I learned that Douglass had a carriage, but that he insisted upon walking up to the city when he went. He was close to my age when he started this practice, and he continued it for eighteen years. Following his example, I too walked back up to the Mall.

I absorbed much of his history and philosophy at the monument. With these fresh in my mind, I was amazed at how frequently Mr. Douglass' influence surfaced around Washington, and how frequently he was referenced throughout the week. Pictured here is a page from my National Park Service Passport. This Frederick Douglass sticker from 1992 is the only individual monument sticker available on the Mall right now. (The stamped cancellations in my passport may help you identify some of the sights I photographed in my last post.) Also pictured here are a cover from a compact disk that Seth discovered in a used book store near DuPont Circle, and one of the backdrop panels Glenn Beck chose to use at the "Restoring Honor" Rally on 8-28.

I invite all of my readers to examine the life of Frederick Douglass, a courageous visionary, an exemplary patriarch and a great American.

Second post from Washington DC...more to follow

2010-09-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

This is a post about me and the the sights I saw while in the Washington DC area. Subsequent posts will feature things I learned while there, and experiences that merited reflection.

One of my goals on this trip was to visit the National Park Service assets in the National Capitol Area. I got twenty-nine new cancellations in my NPS Passport. (Four were actually from Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, which is in the Mid-Atlantic section of the Passport.)

Can you determine where I am in each of the photos in this collage? There are at least 44 shots. Most are near national monuments within the NPS, but others are part of the Smithsonian group of exhibits, or just scenes from the greater tri-state area.

My Nomination for the DC Area's "First Family" (First post from my trip to DC)

2010-09-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Los Tres Santos

2010-08-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Steve and I today climbed the third of southern California's highest peaks, San Antonio, also known as California's "Mount Baldy".

Tea Party Yesterday - Doctors United Against Obamacare

2010-08-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

At Spanish Landing, across the street from the Airport.

Mount San Jacinto: 10, 834 Feet

2010-08-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today Steve and I completed a beautiful hike to the summit of Southern California's second highest peak. On Veterans Day 2008, we hiked its highest peak, Mount San Gorgonio (11,503 Feet). I've posted pictures from that hike here also.

Steve challenges and nurtures me on these hikes - physically, spiritually, and intellectually.

Old Friends - BYU Days

2010-07-31T22:57:00.001-07:00

Paul and I were roommates for three of our four years in college. He is now a bishop in Midland, Texas. He's arranged a family reunion for his posterity, here at Sunset Cliffs.

Pine Valley Days Parade

2010-07-31T21:45:00.001-07:00

I only hit about a third of the notes. The other seven trombones carried the day!

The first three musicians from the left are sons of the bearded man, who is a pastor in Victorville. He is brother-in-law of the leader of our group.

Since many of you readers are either Mount Miguel alums, or related to one, feel free to participate in any of the three annual events we have: this one, Home Coming, and the Spring Concert. There is also the Mother Goose Parade, but it's always on Sunday. So, if you're ever in town when something's going on, climb aboard!

A little bit (bite) of the Big Apple

2010-07-31T21:30:00.001-07:00

We sat in Row "Z" (the Heights).

¡Feliz 28 de julio!

2010-07-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

Here you have the Himno Nacional in Quechua...two versions. I like the longer version. Wait twenty seconds for it to load. Lupe likes the version with contemporary instrumentation (Excluding the reference to Pisco!). I've also included a version in Spanish. I've omitted the version by Guns 'n Roses, but you can look for it on YouTube.
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Lupe and I celebrated the day with dinner and a Broadway show. More on that later!

Matthew & Jennifer Marry!

2010-07-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots from the reception, with cousins handling clean up afterward.

In the bull-pen, Daniel & Chelsea!

"Three Little Piggies"

2010-07-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Kathleen makes frequent trips to San Diego to help Mom, but only rarely does she have time to kick up her heels while in town. Here we are at the ferry landing in Coronado last Thursday. Notice, it's "Bar - B - Q". Notice also that we're taking out doggie bags.

By the dawn's early light...

2010-07-04T06:05:00.000-07:00

6:00 a.m. in La Mesa. What a glorious day!

Tie of the Day

2010-06-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

After two ties in South Africa, here's the tie I wore all day today following USA's third game.

Marvelous Family Reunion!

2010-06-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

We returned Tuesday from the trip of a lifetime! Thanks, Scott, for putting this all together!

Let's see, we joined the Johnson pioneers in Tulare, in the Central Valley last Thursday. At that elevation, swimming was just the ticket.

From there we headed east, and up. Up to nearly 8,000 feet. We saw two national parks, and spent the better part of three days in a wonderful resort, where we canoed, shot arrows and rifles, threw horseshoes, rode horseback, and made many international friends. We even watched the US-England World Cup preliminary match. Simon, we looked for you in the crowd!

Of course, Sierra was as much an attraction for us as the Sierra Nevadas. We had to stand in line to cuddle her. Note the last photo, showing her relaxed foot dangling from her travel bed. What great memories we will have of this adventure together!

Preschool Promotion: June 16 2010

2010-06-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Alex completed his year of preschool. Here he is walking away with his certificate, and posing with his proud Daddy.

Interestingly, Alex's classroom was my old kindergarten room back in 1955-6.

Tom Higdon Retirement Concert

2010-06-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

Some of you Lemon Grove Junior High/Middle School alums will appreciate this photo. Do you recognize everybody?

Flag Day in La Mesa - 2010

2010-06-07T04:27:00.000-07:00

Spring Valley Middle School. This is for Auburn, for Samuel, and for Seth.

Five months later...

2010-06-03T22:14:00.001-07:00

How are the rest of you doing?

Honoring Donald Seaman - Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-30T21:36:00.001-07:00

Donald J. Seaman
June 26, 1950 - December 15, 1969
Interred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

Donald was in my Sunday School class for years at the Blossom Lane Meeting House. He was always very quiet and unassuming. This is his sophomore Mil Memorias yearbook picture. He was not listed in the yearbook his junior year. He was listed in the index his senior year, but there was no photograph.

I heard second-hand that Donald had died in Vietnam. I do not know the details of his service, nor how his life was taken. Thank you, Donald, for your character and your commitment.

Honoring Vinny Ursillo - Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

April 11, 1946 - September 26, 1968
Interred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery October 1, 1968

Vinny lived on Roy Street, through the block from us. He was a friend of Kathleen's, and a member of the famous Class of '65. This is his senior picture form the school yearbook. He and Bobby Marshall, who lived across the street from us, were the neighborhood heroes. Together, they dominated our street football games, and later played four years on the Mount Miguel High School football teams.

To him, I was just somebody's kid brother, but I surely looked up to Vinny. Today I want to remember him, and ask you to think of him along with those you know who forfeited their own futures to preserve ours.

The monument shown here stands in front of the La Mesa American Legion Hall. Its bronze plaques list the names of some East County residents who lost their lives in the Vietnam Conflict. Thank you, Vinny.

LCPL Vincent James "Vinny" Ursillo

Old Town With Tía Silvia

2010-05-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

The Johnson House is a shop, not a restaurant. We actually ate at the Guadalajara.

And SOHO does not mean South Houston. It means "Save Our Heritage Organisation". This group targets old structures for preservation; in this case, the Whaley House.

Mothers Day, a Day Late

2010-05-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Mothers of the Year 2010

2010-05-09T00:03:00.001-07:00

We are so proud of the women in our family! Sasha and Jodi, thank you for your sacrifices.

Mothers Day, a Day Early

2010-05-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

Presidio Park, San Diego. The Díaz women are honored and celebrated.

Of course, the mothers ended up serving the menfolk. We are so pathetic!

Goooooooooooooooool!

2010-05-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

Conley Berendt Hill at birth.

Simon Lee Hill at birth.

The dynasty continues!

Alex Turns Five

2010-05-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

This is one of Seth's projects

2010-04-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

This magazine still came out in Better Homes and Gardens in June.

Seth was copywriter for this ad campaign. He gave us a peek into his professional world earlier this year, and we are so pleased with his success!

The TV commercial is out now, so keep an eye out for those little green men on Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, The View, and As the World Turns. You can preview the commercial by clicking on one of the first three images of this post.

PR Newswire, a professional public relations publication, posted an article about the product and the campaign.

There is a video game that supports the campaign. Click on the images to read the article and play the game.

El Cajon Peak Revisited (Nate & Randy, thank you for the inspiring morning!)

2010-04-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

Photos, in order of posting:

1. Nate greets the rising sun as it clears the peaks.
2 & 3. We ponder a spring along the trail.
4. After pondering, we refresh ourselves with water from the spring.
5 & 6. The yellow flowers are out in glory this week!
7. This poor white flower is in the death grasp of a parasite vine...the circle of life.
8. Nate checks the log of past hikers who reached the peak.
9. Randy sets up a group photo from the highest point on the peak.
10. Randy's photo.
11. Nate follows suit.
12. We view Mount San Jacinto, sixty miles distant.
13. I ponder my feet, planted on that highest point.
14. & 15. On the way up, I left a depression with the heel of my boot at a moist place in the trail . I wanted to see if water would accumulate for later consumption. It did accumulate, but I didn't consume it. I'll need to improve my technique if I want clear water.

Joel Receives the Priesthood Today

2010-04-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Joel was ordained a Deacon today, and received a wonderful blessing from his father.

Alex Goes to the Scout Fair

2010-04-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

Notice how leaders and scouts coached Alex to ensure his safety, success, and enjoyment. This is how things ought to be!

Mel's Funeral and Memorial

2010-04-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Obituary
Melvin J Romney was born on March 16, 1927 to Ernest Van Romney, Jr. and
Della Matheson. During his sleep, he peacefully left this mortal life
on March 30, 2010. His surviving loved ones rejoice in his reunion with
many loved ones.

Melvin was born in Lordsburg, New Mexico and raised in the small
community of Duncan, Arizona. He was born second in a family of seven
children. He was known for his hard work and kindness to all who knew
him. He was active in school and church. He graduated early from Duncan
High School in 1945 and enlisted in the navy for a year during World War
II. He then served an honorable mission for the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints in Australia. He attended Brigham Young University
where he fell in love with a local Duncan girl and good friend Eula
Lunt.

Eula Lunt and Melvin were married on June 20, 1950 in the Mesa, Arizona
temple and enjoyed 40 years of marriage prior to the passing of Eula.
They raised five children together in Phoenix, AZ, Salt Lake City, UT,
and Fullerton, CA.

He married D. Marci Blaisdell Faught in May,1992. He loved and treated
her seven children and many grandchildren as his own. Mel and Marci
served a mission in the Atlanta, Georgia temple and also served as
temple workers in the Los Angeles, California temple prior to Marcis
passing in 2003.

During his final years he loved visiting and admiring his grandchildren
and great-grandchildren and frequently traveled between California,
Utah, Nevada and Arizona. He spent much of his time living with his
beloved Uncle Jim Matheson in Springville, Utah.

Melvin was trained vocationally as a baker, but spent most of his
professional life in the produce business and as a truck driver for
grocery and drug stores. He was a very good mechanic and continually
helped neighbors and loved ones with their cars, even until the end of
his life. Mel also loved boating and the outdoors, especially Lake
Powell vacations with his family.

Melvin served the Lord faithfully in many church callings all of his
life. He is most remembered for his amazing capacity to love, serve and
sacrifice for his fellow man. He truly exemplified charity - the pure
love of Christ.

Survivors include his five children Donald M. Romney, Lynette Olson,
Richard L. Romney, Darleen Frank, and Darrell V. Romney; his seven
step-children Steven Faught, Jeff Faught, Troy Faught, Scott Faught,
Chris Kleven, Kelly Chamberlain and Darren Faught; 24 grandchildren and
22 great-grandchildren (with 2 more soon to come) of Eula and Melvin;
many grandchildren of Marci; his siblings Shirley Payne, Carol O'Dell,
and Spencer Romney.

Uncle Mel Passed Away

2010-03-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of my children really knew Uncle Mel Romney. He graced all of our Lunt Family gatherings, even after Aunt Eula died and he remarried. He was one of the kindest men you will ever meet. He was famous for his clear tenor voice. I will most remember a day and night I spent with him when he was trucking produce between Salt Lake and the west coast. To all of his children and grandchildren I send my love and empathy. We all know he's truckin' right now!

Thank you, Kirsten Nicole, for the great photo of Mel in his suit. The photos of Uncle Mel in his Hawaiian shirt were taken at our 2008 Lunt Reunion in American Fork.

El Cajón Mountain

2010-03-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

San Diego Back Country in the Spring

Thanks, Steve, for letting me tag along on this six-hour jaunt. 11.88 miles.

Ninety-three today!

2010-03-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

All descendants of Great Grandpa Díaz, I thought you'd like to know that he is well and taking nourishment. The salmon was the best ever!

No Apology

2010-03-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

Mitt Romney book signing, Deseret Book Store in La Jolla. To save gas, Lupe dropped me off early while she went to an appointment. I was second in line for the book signing. I got interviewed by Associated Press and by CNN. The AP reporter is pictured here. This first picture made it onto Governor Romney's website.

Now we have a signed copy of his new book. We also have father & son signatures in our 1966 World Book Encyclopedia. We got George W's in 1994, after a fireside here in La Mesa.

CPR Saturday in San Diego

2010-03-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

San Diego makes it easy once a year to qualify in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation skills. Now it's thirty chest compressions to two ventilations, and they're talking about possibly doing away with the ventilations altogether in the future. I encourage all family members to certify when you have an opportunity. You never know when you might need these skills!

March Whirlwind Trip

2010-03-10T22:40:00.000-08:00

Blessing, birthday, Boy Scouts, birthday. We love you all!

Missed Opportunities

2010-02-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a C40 Clipper, similar to the one that stranded me on the Navy airfield this morning. Actually, it stranded me yesterday afternoon, and I didn't find out about it 'til this morning. I ended up stiffing Simon in Jacksonville at the other end. It would have been great to spend time with Simon, and I'm sad about that. Still, the excitement leading up to this potential adventure was exhilarating! I'll continue to experiment with this military space-available program, and one day I may show up at an airport near you!

Letter from the First Lady on My Birthday

2010-02-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your notes and phone calls upon the occasion of my birthday. I had a lovely breakfast at Lupe's hands, and had a thoughtful walk around Lake Murray with John Price. In addition to family and friends, Michelle Obama contacted me today. She didn't know it was my birthday. She wants me to help children avoid obesity by moving more. So, grandkiddles, cub scouts, and neighbors, I'll help set an example and try to keep moving.

Today I ran a timed mile. You can see my result on the watch I wore. Slow! Samuel will surpass me in a couple of years. He was at 8:11 last July! Brandon and Caleb will follow in time. I believe all the other men in our family are faster than Grandpa right now.

I set a goal way back in 1972 to run a six-minute mile today. I could still do a 5:30 when I was Simon's age, and ran in the very low sixes when I was in my forties. I was a minute slow today. Seven minutes was my goal for age 70! Clearly, I have some training to do. My splits were 1:33; 3:21, and ; 5:17. I'll get back in shape. My times will drop. I'm throwing down the gauntlet, guys.

The First Lady's letter:

Good Afternoon,

I’m writing to share a startling prospect: due to rising levels of childhood obesity, our Nation’s youngest generation could actually face a shorter expected lifespan than its parents.

That’s unacceptable. As Americans, we all work tirelessly to provide a better world for the next generation. As a mother, I can tell you that nothing is as important as a child’s health.

The problem is clear. Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in this country have tripled. Today, obesity and excess weight threaten the health of one out of three American children.

It’s time for us to act. That's why I’m asking you to be part of Let's Move! -- a nationwide effort to solve the obesity epidemic within one generation.

Today, pediatricians treat children with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even Type II diabetes. Teachers see bullying and teasing in class. School counselors see kids with depression and low self-esteem. Coaches see kids struggling to keep up or stuck on the sidelines.

Obesity affects our economy as well. Our country spends nearly $150 billion treating obesity-related conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. We can expect that number to grow unless healthy changes occur.

I hope you’ll take a moment to join community leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, moms and dads across the country. Together, we will work to help our kids eat better and lead active, healthy lives.

Thank you,

Michelle

First Lady Michelle Obama
The White House

P.S. We’ve posted a special video about this effort to LetsMove.gov. Check it out.

Whale Watching/Intertidal Life Weekend 2010 at Cabrillo National Monument

2010-02-06T18:08:00.000-08:00

Today's events featured the annual puppet show and the grand opening of the redesigned whale overlook. Pictured are rangers, volunteers, and a professional musician. It was an honor to be part of the celebration!

Grand Opening of the Mormon Battalion Historic Site

2010-01-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

I'd place the new Center on the "must see" list for all who live in or visit San Diego. It's well designed, entertaining, and interactive. Anyone who desires can get an old fashioned photo for free, pan for "gold," use a hand-powered water pump, or play topical touch-screen computer games. Does anyone recognize the T-shirt I wore today?

The Site focuses solely on the Mormon Battalion and its historic contributions. The missionary hosts wear period clothing, and are like park interpreters as opposed to proselytizing missionaries.

Those of you who were in San Diego in 1997 will remember walking in the sesquicentennial march from Jack Murphy Stadium to Old Town. That's where the T-shirt came from. The 2010 Battalion entry to Old Town Plaza is shown here.

So the story goes...

2010-01-27T22:35:00.000-08:00

...there was this "speak-easy" in Ocean Beach back in the 20's. Storage for the booze was dug into the cliffs, and could be accessed via some sort of trap door under a house. An old friend, Kenny, and I checked out the caves today. If you know a more accurate history of these caves, let me know!

We recovered from our adventure over burgers at "Hodad's" in OB.
Kenny, I owe you one!

Haiti: In case you were wondering...

2010-01-16T07:20:00.001-08:00

Church Sending Team of Doctors to Assist in Haiti
SALT LAKE CITY 14 January 2010 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sending a team of doctors and medical supplies to Haiti immediately to help care for those injured by the devastating earthquake. The doctors will set up a temporary medical center in a Church meetinghouse in Port-au-Prince. The meetinghouse is largely undamaged by the quake.

“We’re finding one of the greatest needs is medical care. Entire hospitals have been destroyed. Medical supplies are scarce. So this temporary medical center will be a tremendous asset,” said Elder Francisco J. Viñas, the area president who oversees the Church in Haiti.

The doctors are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have volunteered their time and skills to assist people in Haiti who are in critical need of medical assistance.

Other urgent needs following the devastating earthquake continue to be water, medical care, shelter and food. The Church is responding to those needs by sending relief supplies in addition to the medical personnel. Some shipments have already arrived, others are in process, and more are being planned.

Two planes, each loaded with 80,000 pounds of supplies donated by the Church, are expected to leave for Haiti on Saturday and Sunday. The supplies on the planes include 15,000 personal filtration bottles, which can each filter and purify 400 gallons of water. Also included in the shipments are food, blankets, hygiene kits, tarps, tents and other necessities. The first flight will leave from Denver on Saturday, 16 January, and the second will leave from Miami that day or the following day. Additionally, hygiene kits and other supplies sent from the Dominican Republic by truck arrived in Haiti on Thursday.

Some of the Church’s meetinghouses in Port-Au-Prince are also being used as temporary shelters for displaced persons.

“Normal daily activity has come to a stop in Haiti. Helping to restore normalcy in the midst of devastation will be our greatest goal. Our focus will be on helping people become self-reliant again.” said Elder Viñas.

The Church continues to monitor the humanitarian situation on an ongoing basis to determine how to best help. Donations for relief efforts can be made at http://give.lds.org/emergencyresponse.

32 Miles from the Hill Mississippi Homestead. Mom, Simon, and I were here in December, 2001

2010-01-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

Elvis Fans Mark 75th Birthday

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS, Associated Press Writer - AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

Printed in the San Diego Union Tribune on January 9, 2010

TUPELO, Miss. — The simple white shotgun shack where Elvis Presley was born is so tiny it could easily fit inside a single room in the opulent Graceland mansion where he spent his final years - maybe in the Jungle Room with its green-carpeted ceiling.

On Friday, Elvis' 75th birthday, much of the focus was on Graceland, the international tourist attraction in Memphis that has become synonymous with the legend since his death in 1977. About three thousand people commemorated the event with his former wife, Priscilla Presley. But hundreds of fans converged on his birthplace in northeastern Mississippi for a different perspective on the man who reshaped popular music by blending elements of black and white, blues and bluegrass, gospel and rockabilly to become arguably its most popular figure, the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

The 15-by-30-foot home in Tupelo, built in 1934 by Presley's father, grandfather and uncle, was on the poor side of town, and his family only stayed in the home until Presley was 2 1/2 because they couldn't afford the payments.

"We are presenting the unknown Elvis, the little boy Elvis," says Dick Guyton, director of the foundation that runs the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo, a city of 36,000 that sits 100 miles southeast of Memphis.

Visitors to Graceland are loaded onto vans at a visitors' center, driven to the mansion and moved through in herds with a recorded tour on individual headsets. In Tupelo, only a few people at time can walk through the wood-framed home where Presley and his stillborn twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, entered the world on Jan. 8, 1935.

"It's just so tiny. Inconspicuous as a start, really," says 34-year-old Emma Daubert of Cameron, N.C., who recently visited with her parents, husband and daughter.

The boyhood home sits on a 15-acre site that includes a museum, a gift shop, a chapel with elaborate stained-glass windows, a statue of 13-year-old Elvis and, since 2008, the Assembly of God church the Presley family attended.

When Presley was a boy, Vernon Presley had trouble keeping a job and spent time in prison. Presley's mother, Gladys, had a hard life and kept close watch on her only surviving son, says Guy Harris, a boyhood friend of Presley. The Presleys lived several different places in Tupelo before Vernon moved the family to Memphis in 1948; 13-year-old Elvis played guitar for friends on his last day at Tupelo's Milam Junior High.

Harris, a 71-year-old retired police officer who still lives near Tupelo, says "there wasn't a bit of difference" in Presley before he became famous and after. Presley came back to his hometown several times to visit friends.

"He never did seem like he was on a higher level than us," Harris says.

The Harrises and the Presleys were so close that Harris' mother was in the room with Gladys when the Presley twins were born, he says. Harris says he, Presley and another friend, Odell Clark, liked to run in the woods and swim in a creek when they were children. Every fall, they'd go to the final Saturday night of the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in Tupelo.

One year after the Presleys had moved to Memphis, teenagers Harris and Clark were getting ready for the fair and they heard a knock.

"I went to the door and it was Elvis," Harris recalls. "I said, 'Boy, what are you doing?' And he said, 'It's the last Saturday night of the fair isn't it? I come to go with you.'"

Presley returned to Tupelo more before he became famous than after. He gave concerts at his hometown fairgrounds in 1956 and 1957. Guyton, who's four years younger than Presley, never met the singer but attended both concerts.

"He was a hometown boy. And I think that, more than anything, made it exciting for a lot of us," Guyton recalls. "Now certainly, I think the girls had other reasons for being excited."

Presley donated money from the 1957 concert to the city so it could buy his birthplace and surrounding acres, which were then up for sale. He wanted municipal leaders to use the space as a park - and Guyton says Presley was miffed that those plans never fully lived up to expectations.

A local garden club started restoring the tiny home in the mid-1970s, and opened it to the public. The birthplace now gets about 60,000 paying visitors a year and about another 20,000 who simply wander the grounds for free, Guyton says. Admission to the house, museum and church is $12 for adults and $6 for children. Elvis Presley Enterprises says Graceland gets about 600,000 visitors a year.

Guyton most visitors to the birthplace are serious fans who already know about Elvis' career - his music, his movies, his leading ladies. In Tupelo, they learn about his early life, including his love of gospel music.

The one-room church was carefully moved up a hill from its previous location, and it was restored with simple wooden pews and a series of movie screens that are lowered from the ceiling along the front and side walls. A film recreates what services were like in the 1930s and '40s.

The small museum shows short films that give context to the Depression-era poverty in which Elvis started his life.

Artifacts include a photo of 10-year-old Elvis with other children who participated in a talent show at the 1945 Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. He sang "Old Shep" and won $5 for second place.

The museum displays the last silk scarf Presley is believed to have autographed and tossed to a fan at his final concert on June 26, 1977, in Indianapolis. The woman who received the scarf, Mary Diane Abshier of Spencer, Ind., died several years ago, and her husband, Allen, mailed the it to the birthplace.

The museum also features a collection of 1970s clothing and photos from the late Janelle McComb, a Tupelo woman who was 13 years older than Presley and became one of his close friends in the final years of his life.

Guyton says he believes the over-the-top opulence - the big collars, the lacy shirts, the fancy cars - were Presley's reaction to having grown up in poverty. With money, anything went.

"That was ultimately his demise," Guyton says. "Nobody could say no to anything he wanted."

Boy Scout Centennial: This post is for the Seth, Simon, Scott, and the Grandsons.

2010-01-09T20:38:00.000-08:00

I started Cub Scouts in 1958 and was involved as a boy or adult leader until 1969. Around 1978, I got involved again as a leader and have only had small breaks in service since then. Today I made a point of visiting Adventure Base 100, the touring centennial exhibit. These photos are of my afternoon. When the display gets to Salt Lake (September 24-5) and New York (November 25), perhaps the Hill/Johnson scouts, future scouts, and scout alumni will be motivated to celebrate Boy Scouts of America by visiting this historic exhibit. The exhibit was launched at this year's Rose Parade,and will conclude at the 2010 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.