MRI

First MRI. I was calm and I felt completely comfortable with the procedure. However, my body did not get the message. I could feel every single breath I took and had to concentrate on breathing shallowly so that I didn't move. The results? Of course, I get to wait for the doctor's call; however, the technician was kind enough to tell me that the muscle in my upper right arm is definitely torn. How that happened? I have no idea.

Wild Fires

For the past several days we have been aware of a smell of wood burning in the air. A few days have been hazy. All of this is because of wild fires burning here in Utah. I was impressed today when the following letter was read in Church today.

Wildfires: Church leaders ask members to remember firefighters in prayers

Published: Friday, June 29, 2012

Deseret News photo

Fire near Herriman, Utah. June 29, 2012.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued the following statement:
“As requested by Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert, the Church is pleased to come together in prayer with other Utahns during this difficult time. We are mindful of those in Utah and neighboring states who have been impacted by wildfires. We encourage individuals, families and congregations to pray for the safety of firefighters, protection of lives and homes and favorable weather conditions to help control the many wildfires currently burning.”

Western wildfires devastate; Church members unharmed
Residents ordered to evacuate from 10-alarm Rose Crest Fire in Herriman
Fire breaks out near Rose Canyon; evacuations in place

RENO, Nev. (AP) – A firefighting aircraft crashed into rugged terrain near the Utah-Nevada border as it dropped retardant on a 5,000-acre wildfire, killing the two Idaho men on board. Find a Forecast Find your local weather with The Weather Channel zip-code lookup: By Scott G Winterton, AP The crash scene of an air tanker is seen from the air on Monday near Hamblin Valley, Utah. The plane crashed Sunday afternoon, as it dropped retardant on a wildfire, killing pilots Todd Neal Tompkins and Ronnie Edwin Chambless, both of Boise, Idaho. Enlarge By Scott G Winterton, AP The crash scene of an air tanker is seen from the air on Monday near Hamblin Valley, Utah. The plane crashed Sunday afternoon, as it dropped retardant on a wildfire, killing pilots Todd Neal Tompkins and Ronnie Edwin Chambless, both of Boise, Idaho. Sponsored Links The air tanker went down Sunday afternoon in the Hamblin Valley area of western Utah, Bureau of Land Management officials said. A helicopter crew saw the crash and told ground crews that "it didn't look good," Iron County sheriff's Detective Sgt. Jody Edwards in Utah told The Salt Lake Tribune. The two pilots were fighting the fire, which was sparked Friday by lightning in eastern Nevada. It has spread into Utah, though most of the blaze remained in Nevada, about 150 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Ground and air crews held the fire back from the wreckage, giving sheriff's deputies enough time to drive and hike to the site and confirm that the pilots had died, Edwards said. The fire later overwhelmed the crash site, Edwards said. A medical examiner was helping authorities recover the bodies Sunday night. The weather was windy and hot, creating "explosive fire conditions," said Tom Harbour, the fire and aviation operations director for the U.S. Forest Service. The terrain was rolling hills with pine, juniper and cheat grass, a thin wispy grass that carries fire quickly. There was no immediate word on what caused the crash

More Lily and Gigi/Bridget

When Kimberly asks Lily who is in her family, she lists herself, mom and dad, Rex and Gee.  Therefore Gigi seems like an obvious shortening of her name.  I am missing them very much.

Lily is only 2 and 1/2 years old.  Yesterday Kimberly put a lock on her refrigerator to keep Lily out and to prevent her from pouring her own apple juice in a cup and all over the floor.  By the afternoon, Lily had figured out how to undo the lock.

Visiting Graves

William George Stewart

William George Stewart March 10, 1946 - February 17, 2012
Columbus, Georgia
William George Stewart, born March 10, 19466 in Hurricane, Utah passed away Friday, February 17, while vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with his oldest daughter.  A graduate of Columbus High School and Georgia Tech, Bill was devoted to his beloved wife of forty years and his four children, for whom he worked tirelessly and selflessly throughout his life.  He grew up in a large loving family with five brothers and a sister, all of whom he cherished.  Bill learned his selflessness and devotion to family from his own parents, the late William s. and LaDean Stewart, who founded Contiinental Cleaners.  Bill managed and co-owned the company with his brother Greg until he retired last December, and was respected by his employees, vendors, customers and competitors.  In recent years, he struggled bravely withh many health issues without complaint, but he spent his last day sitting on the beach and dipping his toes in the ocean.
He is survived by his wife, Gail, His children Steven (Julia), Beth, Richard, and Katherine, two grandchildren, Victoria and Nathan, five brothers, a sister and their spouses: Gary (Carol), Steve (Ann), Dean (Sweet), Greg (Janice), Larry (Billie), Linda Gawrych (Ed); twenty-one nieces and nephews; a mother-in-law, Rennie Bevers; a sister-in-law, Linda Phillips; a much-loved extended family in Utah and elsewhere; and a devoted chocolate lab, Angel.
Funeral services for Mr. Stewart will be 11:00 am, Wednesday, February 22, 2012 in the chapel of Striffler-Hamby Mortuary 4071 Macon Road, Columbus.  Visitation for Mr. Stewart will be from 5-7 pm, Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at the funeral home. 

Dear Elaine,

With regret I must tell you that we buried Bill on Wednesday at Park Hill Cemetery.  I know he would have wanted you to know.

He never fully recovered, I think, from his quintuple bypass last summer and has had so many health issues in the past years after his cancer including high blood pressure, diabetes, stomach problems, herniated discs, heart issues, and others.  He had reached the point where he was only comfortable in his bed and recliner, but still continued to do many things that he wanted and loved to do despite the pain and discomfort he experienced.  As you no doubt know, traveling was his passion, and when our daughter asked if he would like to accompany her to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, he became very excited about going with her.  He even went to the tanning booth for some sessions so, as he said, he wouldn't be "pasty white."  

Unfortunately, he was stricken in Cabo with blood clots, at least one of which went to his heart.  The children and I are devastated, as I know you will be, but we take comfort that he died in a paradise where he had a day and a half of joy.  He had said many times he never wanted to live past 65, and he definitely did not want to become an invalid.  In two weeks, he would have been 66.  He, Richard, and I had the six weeks after he retired in December.  They were good times despite his ill health.

My best to you and your family.  I am sorry to give you this news, but I think he would have wanted me to let you know.

Gail

My granddaughters

 I have had a wonderful time getting to know my two little granddaughters.  Both of them are delightful and bring joy into my life.  Lily is 2 and 1/2 years old and Bridget or Gigi is 2 and 1/2 months old.

Columbus, Georgia

 In September of 1966 when I was seventeen years old, my family moved to Columbus, Georgia from Longueuil, Quebec.  Longueuil is on the South Shore of Montreal.  My father retired early from the Royal Canadian Air Force and chose to live close to my sister Margaret Fisher Hemsley and her small family living there.  (She was married to Syd Hemsley and had two children, Robert Dee and Elaine.)

School had already started and I enrolled in high school at Jordan Vocational High School (Jerdan).  Our bishop Bill Meadows taught there and it was only a few blocks from where we were living.  The school was built during the depression era as a work project.  Among the architectural features were wood floors.  And no air conditioning.  I remember sitting in a physics class in a lab leaning against the black lab table.  Pools of perspiration formed around my arms.  At seventeen this was my first encounter with such hot and humid weather.
Moving in my last year of high school was challenging for me.  I never made any friends and struggled with unhappiness and depression.  Most people assumed that I must be a freshman (14 years old) at the high school since no one had ever seen me before.  Every day began with "home room" and a Bible reading. The school was segregated and for the first time in my high school experience there were no black students at the school.  Neither one of these characteristics would exist today in the United States.

 Our family attended church at the Howard street meeting house of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Presently the building is being renovated and is closed but it still stands in a quiet neighborhood only a few blocks away from the high school.

 Kimberly took me to the center of the old city.  She says that you go "uptown" to the old shopping district.  It is apparently still vibrant and has lots of cafes and clubs that local people attend.  

 A couple of churches in the area.  The old building above is an Anglican church.  

 This is an octagonal house. 

 The old train station.  

 A few of the stately older houses on Broadway.  

 Down some of the busy streets in the old shopping area runs railroad track.  One time Will and Kimberly happened to be there when a train slowly rumbled along the street.  

 Plantation shutters

 Heritage park with several statues and displays of past industries in the area such as smelting ore, milling cotton and baking bricks.  

The Heritage Park was constructed long after our family left Columbus in 1967.

In the 1970 Columbus had a population of 154,168.  As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. 

Actually still alive and doing well

It has been such a long time since I have posted anything on my blog.  Since I last wrote, I have returned to Utah to live in our home in Provo again.  I have been to Las Vegas and Loughlin, Nevada.

Now I am currently in Columbus, Georgia with our daughter Kimberly and her two little girls, Lily and Bridget.

The last month has just flown by.  One of these days, I will get around to posting some pictures from our travels in Europe.  We went to Vienna and Innsbruck before leaving for the United States.  Both were beautiful cities.