IN DEFENSE OF MINERVA 1888-1976

"In heaven,
there will be red"

One of the most prolific painters in church history, was Minerva Teichert. She painted early pioneer life and western history she also did an entire series of work depicting Book of Mormon scenes but could interest no one in the church to purchase them. In the end she donated most of the series to BYU.
Minerva's work is very stylized and can be recognized long before you find her signature. Her work has appeared often in Church publications and as cover art for many books.
One of the crowning achievements of her life occurred at the age of 57, when she was called on a mission and with one assistant painted the murals for the world room in the Manti temple.
Minerva Kohlhepp was born in North Ogden, but grew up homestead farming in the vicinity of American Falls, Idaho. Her father encouraged her childhood sketching and she soon developed an "indomitable will to succeed and excel in the field of art." She taught school to raise enough money to go to Chicago for her art studies. When she had raised the money, her father would not let her go alone. It was arranged for her to be "set apart" as an LDS missionary so that she could travel with a church group.
She became the first known female artist to pursue her painting lessons with the specific and official blessings of the LDS hierarchy. When money ran low in Chicago, she put together a roping act for the New York stage. This is when she began her custom of wearing her distinctive head band. She became very good friends with her teacher, Robert Henri. He encouraged her to go home and "paint the Mormon story." And this is what she determined to do with her life. Here is an excerpt from her own autobiographical life sketch, written in 1947:

"I married my cowboy sweetheart, which was right. My first son was born while my husband was serving in France. I painted stage scenery to pay for his birth. I painted what I loved for the Pocatello Tabernacle "Not Alone", and got thirty-eight dollars for it. . . .For the next ten years I helped in the hay fields. My first three little boys grew up beside a haystack. . . .When the American Falls Dam went in I was the last white woman out of the Snake River Bottoms. . . .I spent most of the mornings for the next fifteen years in the milk house. The children must be educated, etc. I painted after they were tucked into bed at night.......

I must paint. It's a disease."

NEW TEMPLE

Today I had the opportunity to visit the new Oquirrh Mountain temple. I went with my staff at work to inspect the fine art that is hanging throughout the temple. some will need to be redone before the open house but for the most part they are beautiful. One of the managing GA's did not like a particular artists work, so several of her paintings are being replaced.
If you went to the Draper open house so you think you don't need to see this one. Don't be mistaken, it is unique and beautiful, with gorgeous marble and wood work, cut glass and beautiful furnishings. Don't miss the chance to see this great work before it is dedicated.

Open House Reservations will be made available to the general public starting Monday, May 4, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. by contacting the reservation call center at 1-800-521-5105, 801-240-7645, or online at www.lds.org/reservations.

INDIAN ART OR ANCIENT GRAFFITI

These days when a group of young men go out hunting, if things get boring they start shooting up road signs or tin cans or what ever else seems to be good sport.
Well in ancient times when the native Americans went out hunting they would gather in the shade of an over hanging cliff and practice their art. I have often wondered if they are really trying to tell story with their art or if it is just ancient graffiti by bored young men out for the hunt.
what ever it is, I find it fascinating and love to locate examples of this ancient art.
We found these great looking specimens in various locations within about a half mile of each other. They are located on a dirt road between the town of Thompson, Utah and the old ghost town of Sego, (see post "ghost towns" 4/23). The road is not to bad at all, we traveled it with our Hyundai Tucson while pulling our trailer.

GHOST TOWNS

While on a road trip to Moab, Utah we decided to check out a ghost town that I had read about. The town of Sego, Utah was founded in 1911. It began as a coal mining operation, but almost as soon as it began the water table dropped and things soon went from bad to worse. By 1947 the town was nearly deserted and the whole town was sold at auction in Moab.
The stone building was the company store. the wooden structure that is about to fall was the boarding house. There are also several other stone buildings scattered about the site that are in various stages of collapse.
To get to Sego you take the Thompson exit that is just east of Crescent junction, on I-70. Sego is about 4 miles North of Thompson. Thompson itself is all but a ghost town. there are still a few people living there but all the business have closed. there is a deserted cafe, hotel, motel and a once used train station which is probably responsible for the town being there in the first place.

GEOCACHING

For any of you that don't know, one of the things we do for fun is to go geocaching. It's a great way to get outside and get a little exercise and fresh air. And our grandchildren love it. Geocaching is an outdoor game that you play with a hand held gps. Other cacher's hide things then put the coordinates on a web site. Then you take the coordinates and go see if you can find where it is hidden.
Sarah was up visiting for the weekend so we decided to do some caching and even hide one of our own. We also placed our first "travel bug". A travel bug is a dog tag type piece that has a tracking number that can also be entered in the web site and then you can track the item as it moves around the country or even the world.
We attached our tag to a little white bear with a "I love Utah" sweater on, we are hoping that he will travel across the country to visit our son David and his wife in Tennessee.
If you want to see where "Utah" has been on his travels you can visit him at geocaching.com. his tracking number is 3BK8N3

IF YOU JUST SMILE!

It should be spring but it is snowing. The economy is in the tanks, the stock market is diving, gas prices rising, and I'm still too fat......etc. etc. etc......SO SMILE ANYWAY!

Zane, Tessa, Aaron, Quinton, Sarah, Maddison, Matthew, Drake

SMILE

Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though its breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, youll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
Youll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
Thats the time you must keep on trying
Smile, whats the use of crying?
Youll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

Charlie Chaplin

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

March 20;
Today is the day I married my sweet heart 39 years ago.
We were married in the Salt Lake Temple for time and for all eternity
We have had good times and we have had bad times but we have always stuck it out together, knowing that there is a brighter future that awaits us.

We have 4 wonderful children and 8 of the best grandchildren in the world, and we hope more to come (grandchildren not children).

So happy anniversary Karen, and may we have many more years together as we set in our recliners together and watch the world go by. And everyone but us getting older, Because we are timeless and look just the same as we did 39 years ago.

I love you more than words can say. THANKS.

NO TAKERS

I can't believe no one wants a free dinner!
Karen, try as she did, never got it. Now she is disqualified because she knows where it is.

So, a clue........or 2.
The picture was taken just off I-80 somewhere between the 2 Utah borders
At the base of the sign is a pile of cinder block that was once a gas station, and with the pile of block you will find assorted other garbage like; old mattresses, tree stumps, carpet, etc. because everybody knows "1big pile of garbage is better than 2 little piles".
So for any regular reader of this blog, that is not a total stranger, to identify where this photo was taken, wins dinner at the Rio Grande Cafe of course I get to go with you.
All you have to do is identify the freeway exit where this sign resides.

DIESEL OR NO DIESEL

Does any body else have a case of spring fever. Utah is beautiful after a spring snow storm. It cleans the air and makes everything look fresh and clean. Today was one of those beautiful days. Not much going on at work so I took the afternoon and went to do a little geocaching. Just found one cache, but I can't tell you were it is. You have to guess that one.
So for any regular reader of this blog, that is not a total stranger, to identify where this photo was taken, wins dinner at the Rio Grande Cafe of course I get to go with you. The picture was taken on 3/12/09 and is within a 50 mile radius of Stansbury Park.
This is a test to see if anybody really is reading my blogs, ever!

NO FREE STUFF

Nobody has free stuff anymore. Unless you count toothpicks at restaurants.
I remember going on long road trips as a kid and all the gas stations had "free" maps. They were printed and distributed by the gas companies as a way to get you to patronize their establishments. Some also had "free" popcorn and of course you did not need to get out of the car. there was an attendant to fill your car with gas, wash your windows, check your tires and oil. And all without being asked, it was called "service" which is why gas stations were known for years as service stations.
As a kid I used to walk to the service station that was close to our house and check out all the new maps. I had quite a collection of maps, for places I had never been or would never go. But hey they were free. It is probably guys like me that brought and end to the free maps. I still love maps and love to plan road trips that I might still never take. I love road trips. I even went by auto once from Chicago to Salt Lake City. Not by choice. I was in Chicago on 9/11 and it was the only way we had to get home 23 and 1/2 hours from downtown Chicago to the Salt Lake Airport.