President Skaggs In Memoriam and Patriotic Concert

You may remember in our February 28 posting that we showed to photos of an F/A-18 Super Hornet that Gary made for President Jim Skaggs of the California Anaheim Mission presidency. He was thrilled to receive it, and said that when he retired (he is 53 now) that would be the gift of choice --except a manufactured model, not Gary's hand-painted one. Anyway, he was overjoyed with it. This past Friday morning around 6 our new friend left us. While it's devastating to have him gone, we are at the same time happy that is he is free from this cancer which ravaged his body from who knows where. It's a real mystery. The funeral will be Saturday.

The day lily outside of our apartment is one of Signe's favorite flowers, especially since it can be grown in Utah.

The bouquet of roses to the right is from our next-door neighbor Nancy, who attended Friday night's patriotic concert at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. She was so thrilled at our wonderful concert, that this was her way of showing appreciation to us -- especially the Irish song "Danny Boy." Yes, another concert with the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization (OCMCO): with guest artist Collin Raye, a country singer who has two Grammy's to his name, including "Love, Me." (It's on YouTube.) He was wonderful to sing with, and we were both honored to be part of another production almost as good as Messiah in America from March. Four-year old children sang "The Pledge of Allegiance," and then there were about 15 more numbers, ending with "Amazing Grace," complete with bagpipes. When we sang "God Bless the U.S.A." last night and got to the words "I'll stand up next to you," the whole audience stood up in a wave. It was so incredible for all of us in the hall! Collin told us that we were the finest collection of musical talent that he has seen anywhere in the nation. It was a fun evening, but very emotional. Gary was glad that he had his hankie in his tuxedo pocket!

Three nights before our concert (Tuesday) we had two kinds of excitement. Brother and Sister Brague of our Palmyra Ward gave us two tickets to the Pacific Symphony playing with the Magical Strings of Youth. This group consisted of 62 violinists from 4 years old on up to high school -- from Chicago and Orange County. They have played in front of the pope and the President of the United States. They have amazing talent, no matter what they played. Signe said that it's the first concert she's ever gone to where every piece she has played sometime in her life. You can watch them yourselves on YouTube: Magical Strings of Youth. There are several clips.

Well, when we got home we had seven messages on our cell phone. The children were trying to contact us to tell us that our 7-year old grandson Gabriel Hale was lost in the mountains above Diamond Fork (near Spanish Fork Canyon) while hiking with his cousins and others while on a Bradford Reunion at a cabin. Of course Karl and Ana were frantic: neighbors and family helped look for him, as well as rescue people and two helicopters. After being lost for 8 hours (from 4 p.m. until about 12:30 a.m.), he was found by one of the searchers. Our fervent prayers for his safe recovery were answered! All's well that ends well! (Including this blog.)

Tree Trimmers and Identical Twins

June gloom brings June blooms! We see these beautiful hibiscus blooms each morning as we go into the office. They are Signe's favorite flowers down here. They are well taken care of by Elder Monney, who maintains the cars.

On Friday we were treated by the trimming of a really scraggly palm tree at the back of our parking lot at the office. A young man climbed the tree and cut off all the dead branches. It was amazing to watch him work. What is even more amazing is that there are so many kinds of palm trees down here: we've begun to notice the difference even more the longer we've been here.

In the last blog we told you about the realignment of the Orange Stake. By doing so our Palmyra ward is larger: that benefits our ward choir considerably. Sister Hess is one of the finest ward choir directors we've ever known, and now she (and the ward) are blessed by a wonderful choir of over 20 singers -- all good. Our rehearsal today was incredible! The changes in the ward have also meant changes in leadership. Now get this: our new bishopric second counselor and the executive secretary in our ward are 50-something year-old identical twins with almost identical beards. When they sit on the stand together it's hard to tell them apart!

Yesterday was Gary's birthday and tomorrow is Signe's but we celebrated both yesterday since we have 16 new missionaries arriving this week. We explored the area some more and attended one baptism in Fullerton, where Gary helped out by playing the hymns on the piano. But Friday night was the real celebration: the senior office staff treated us to dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Garden Grove. Then we wandered Garden Grove's old main street area where the locals show off their antique and classic cars every Friday night. Many of them brought back old memories: Model T's up through '56 Chevys and a Cadillac with the big fins! Then we went to the Gem Theatre down the street for a production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof. The music and the acting were both very good, and the small theatre meant that we had close seats -- four rows from the stage. So it was a fun evening for all of us!

A New Discovery

On Memorial Day we discovered a memorial park in honor of Jack Fisher, a local World War I hero. The nice thing about the park is that it's less than a mile from our apartment. The flowers and flowering trees on the way there were quite profuse, especially the purple-flowered jacaranda trees which festooned all of the neighborhood by us. Their brilliance is not given justice by the photo below: they are incredible blooms!

The smile on Gary's face, as we sat reading and relaxing in Fisher Park under the shade and oxygen-giving aroma of a eucalyptus tree, is very revealing. Gary was feeling so good that he hadn't felt so healthy since before his back surgery in March 2007. Then this past Friday Dr. Francis put Gary on once weekly adjustments since he is doing so well. We definitely consider this a miracle! Even Gary's countenance shows the lifting of the burden of ill health that was once there a month ago when he could hardly walk or get out of bed.

We had 19 baptisms this weekend, including our ward's own Joseph Smith, who lives on Palmyra Street and was born in Baton Rouge. We attended three baptisms this weekend on behalf of the President.

By the way, the next two photos of flowers we could not identify, but there were clearly very lovely. And while Signe was taking a photo of the jacaranda tree at the bottom, Gary parked the car under another jacaranda tree, opened the door, and was met by the sweetest and most wonderful flower aroma he can ever remember! No wonder these beautiful trees are so plentiful here in Orange County, although certainly not as plentiful as the ubiquitous palm tree.

Flowers Everywhere!

Although we have seen flowers year-round in Orange County, they are in even greater profusion in the spring -- just like everywhere else. The Lily of the Nile, with the hardy stems and blue flowers, are Gary's favorite. The red flower is a Day Lily. The white one is a Calla Lily. All of these photos were taken just a few steps from our apartment. The fourth is not a flower but a bud which turns into a palm tree frond. There are many of them near our front door. In any case, they are a visual feast when we leave our apartment for the office and return in the evening. Yesterday we even went on a picnic to the Fairview Park about a mile from the beach. Quiet and reading was what we sought -- and got. Gary was able to watch remote control gliders noislessly soar around the park as the Harbor Soaring Society did their Saturday thing at the park before the ocean breezes got too strong in the afternoon.

The work is going well as before, but it has become more routine, and so not as reportable on the blog. The missionary work is still exciting, and both of us love being around these 165 19 through 23 year-old young people. (Maybe they make us feel younger!) It is wonderful to see people's lives change so dramatically. Today Jesus was baptized (well, it was really Angela Diaz de Jesus, a Hispanic man) and next week Joseph Smith, a man about our age, will be baptized into our ward.

Our Orange Stake, with its 7 wards, was reduced to 6 wards last week: this was necessary because our 3rd ward and the Tustin 5th ward were becoming too small. Our new Palmyra Ward is vibrant, friendly, and service-oriented: if this morning's meetings were any indication. (Our choir sang "Make Us One" this morning as a plea for unity of faith, charity and love.)

Thanks to your prayers, Signe's efforts at traction on Gary's right leg, our chiropractor, and a lot of swimming (30 lengths last night) Gary is almost back to normal. We are both very grateful, because it was not looking very good for about a month. (It's too early in our retirement for either of us to have a disability.)

The Orange County Mormon Choral Organization and orchestra are preparing for our June 18/19 freedom concert with country and western star Collin Ray. The orchestra was paid high compliments the other night by a person who works with several of the orchestras in the area. Our reputation is really skyrocketing! We both feel very blessed to be a part of this 'musical movement.' In fact, Gary is even taking a voice master class from the bass singer John Huntington, who has quite a reputation himself in Southern California.

Finally, it is hard to believe that come Tuesday, June 1, we will have been on our mission for a year! How time flies!

God's Amazing Creations: People, Trees, Flowers

We've discovered a fun place to take our visitors: a HUGE Ficus tree, over 150 years old, in Anaheim. When Amy's family came to visit, we told them we wanted to show them a tree (the kids weren't very excited at the prospect!), but when we got there, they were amazed, as you can see.

Another wonderful thing about Southern California is the year-round blooming flora. The newest showing its glory everywhere around here is bushes and bushes filled with these beautiful Hibiscus! It makes Signe want to pick one and put it in her hair!
Gary's back condition is improving, thanks to his swimming 20 lengths a day in the cold water of the swimming pool. The cold cuts down the inflammation, and the strokes are great exercise.

Last week we took our next-door neighbor out to dinner. She not only had befriended us when we first moved into Portofino, but she informed us about the Orange Mormon Choir, and was ushering the night of our performance March 31, exclaiming how wonderful it was (even though she is not LDS). We went to a nice restaurant of her choice -- in Orange. It turns out that she is an environmental activist and is helping collect hair to make booms to soak up the oil spill in the Gulf. She also knows a lot about green building and tries to educate everyone she can.

Both Sides of Health

We've not had much to say on the blog in the last couple of weeks; or maybe it was because we were so busy that everything since the last time has been anti-climactic. Our activities have been pretty routine lately, so we have felt no need to be repetitious here.

Gary has been busy giving priesthood blessings lately, especially to five of the sister missionaries who haven't felt well. Two weeks ago, however, an LDS worker at the University of California at Irvine hospital called the mission office and asked if someone could come right away to administer a blessing to a 27-year old man who had been in a bad accident and who had coded twice already that day. Signe dropped Gary off there. This poor man had more tubes and machines hooked up to him than I knew possible, and although he was still in a coma, Gary gave him a blessing, partly including his mother and father and family who were there in the ICU. The parents pulled the plug on him 6 days later. Gary said the administration was the most unusual he has been a part of, since it was more spirit communicating with spirit.

But now on the other side of the coin, these past two weeks have been spent trying to get Gary feeling better. Three times in his life he has been told he would never walk again: the first time as a child when he contracted polio, the second when his back was broken in a car accident in 1963, and in 2007 following an operation on his spine. So Gary feels like he his back is operating on borrowed time. He is therefore not surprised that his scoliosis is so bad in the lumbar that it is pinching the nerves on his right side, causing not only incredible pain but some immobility. Thanks to Signe and our chiropractor, Dr. Francis, traction and adjustments are being made to Gary's back so that he won't lose any more mobility and so that the pain can be lessened enough so that he won't have to take any more pain killers. He is grateful and accepting of whatever, but he could use your prayers.

69th Grandchild and 5 Generations

This is a picture of 5 generations of Slangerups: Wanda Lorraine Wiley Slangerup, Signe Marie Slangerup Hale Gillum, MaryJane Hale Clark Hansen, Camilla Gwendolyn Clark Smith and Adrienne Smith. It was taken on the occasion of Signe's Mom's 91st birthday in March this year.

Also, a fun side-note: in Signe's 69th birth year, our 69th grandchild was born, and on her 70th , we'll welcome our 70th! (Karl & Ana's 7th boy!)