Mesa and Snowflake Temples

Temple #36

Mesa, AZ

Some temples (Vegas, Reno, Bountiful, Oquirrh Mt, Manti, etc) are built on hills and others (San Diego, Portland, DC, Boise, etc) are very visible from highways or major roads. The Mesa temple is on flat land, and since it’s a flat temple it kind of blends in and is a little easy to miss. It is absolutely gorgeous, however, with huge grounds full of fruit trees.

We started in the visitor’s center, which has vintage pictures from the groundbreaking, dedication, and construction. Heber J. Grant dedicated it. There was a picture of a temple in front of a window and Josh said, “Hey, it’s the Laie temple,” but then he looked up and realized that the view in the picture is the same as through the window. I had a good laugh. 

The temple has a reflecting pool between the visitor’s center and the (south side?) of the temple. We walked the whole way around. On the walls of the temple, toward the top, are friezes depicting the gathering of the tribes of Israel. I liked that detail. 

When we got to the front (which also has a reflecting pool) we saw a crowd of people just standing around. They were in jeans and t-shirts! I was astounded! Apparently, since there is nothing to do in Mesa, people come to the temple grounds and stand around. Bizarre.

Mesa is definitely one of the more unique temples in which we have been. It is built to resemble Solomon’s temple (though Josh and I had a huge fight about whether Herod's temple and Solomon's temple are technically the same design), and from far away I think it looks like a library. Inside, there is such beautiful woodwork. The session was super full, and Josh and I didn’t even get to sit down in the chapel! But everyone made it in, and they were very efficient. We stayed in the same room the entire time (I guess it used to be progressive until they remodeled) until the very end, right before the veil. It looked like the veil was really short, and I panicked since there were easily 200 people in the session, but then they opened it up further.

Temple #37

Snowflake, AZ

Snowflake is about three hours from Mesa, so on the way we read (on Wikipedia) about the town. Did you know it wasn't named after the snowfall? (Though it does snow there-- more on that later). Instead, it was named after town founders Erastus Snow and William Jordan Flake. 

The thing is, when we first got there, it was bright, sunny, and kind of looked like this:

But when we woke up in the morning, everything looked like this:

Because we had gone to a later session, we didn't take pictures until the next day, which is why there is snow in all of our pictures.

I almost didn't get to go to this temple because I realized about half an hour before the session starting that I had forgotten my wallet (including my temple recommend) back at the house my sister had rented. We got it all sorted out (it may have involved a call to BishBrenn or the Stake President). I was glad, though, because the Snowflake temple is very unique.

The Snowflake temple workers are among the nicest I have encountered so far, and that’s saying quite a lot since temple workers are generally the nicest people I meet (which makes sense—the temple usually puts me in a good mood as well). One of them told me later that she was worried we wouldn’t make it on time and was so glad we came. We spent some time talking with the men at the front desk about the game (of course), but also about other temples we’ve visited and about the Snowflake temple.

I’ve been really impressed with the Arizona temples (though we still have more to see). One of the defining features of the Snowflake temple is a beautiful, three-paned, stained-glass window that depicts Christ teaching people. Apparently it was originally in a catholic cathedral but was bought by Deseret Industries through an auction and then donated to the church. It was hand-picked by President Hinckley to be in the Snowflake temple. Another defining feature is the staircase, which is unique for a smaller temple. To get to the ordinance rooms, you go up a staircase to the right and framed above the staircase are Native American, hand-woven blankets. This temple has various features (designs in the Celestial room, decorative pottery) that reflect the cultural heritage of the area. They also have a “Children of Lehi” session each month. Josh and I were debating about whether this meant the session was done in a tribal dialect or if it just meant that it was a time where Native Americans could be in the majority.

The ordinance room had, what I term, a “geography-specific mural,” which means that it was painted to resemble the surrounding nature. I couldn’t see it too well because I was in a back, far corner. I have to commend Arizonans on their temple attendance—both the Snowflake and Mesa sessions we attended were filled to capacity. I expected it in Mesa, but Snowflake is in the middle of nowhere.

I highly recommend visiting these temples if you can. It's totally worth it. 

30 Books Before I'm 30: The Blind Assassin

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

"Ten days after the war ended, my sister drove a car off a bridge. The bridge was being repaired: she went right through the Danger sign. [...] I was informed of the accident by a policeman: the car was mine, and they'd traced the license. His tone was respectful: no doubt he recognized Richard's name."

I need to start out by saying that I loved this book, but I had a hard time getting into it. The book is set up both with chapters of the general narrative and also chapters from a science fiction novel entitled The Blind Assassin that one of the characters has written. It took me a few chapters before I got into the flow of it. The story is about two sisters from a wealthy Canadian family during the 1920s and beyond. There's a bit of mystery to it, but Atwood doesn't underestimate her readers by assuming the "reveal" will be a huge shock. There's love, there's death, there's evil and greed-- the whole gamut of human emotions. 

What I Liked: I became very invested in the characters and the setting and the storyline. I genuinely wanted to find out what happened, and even though I wasn't completely surprised by the ending, but there was something I didn't quite expect (I'm not going to give you a hint-- you need to read it for yourself).

What I Didn't Like: It was long (500+ pages). Also, as with any novel that addresses two storylines (in this case the narrative and the science fiction novel), it can be a bit jarring to go back and forth. 

This Book Would Be Best if Read: Over a long weekend, without breaks.

I Would Recommend This Book to: Anyone with an interest in the Depression and/or female protagonists. Although this is technically a love story, it isn't sappy, and the main focus is the relationship between the protagonist and her sister.

If You Liked This Book, I Would Also Recommend: Dancing Girls, also by Margaret Atwood. I've heard that The Robber Bride and The Handmaid's Tale are good, but I haven't read them. Atonement by Ian McEwan.

Up Next: Suite Francaise (because I'm already halfway done)

10 down, 20 to go

It's a sad day in Glendale, AZ

This was my view of the field from my seat:

And this was my view of my husband at the end of the game:

He was a little sad. It was tough to lose. But we also walked off with about twenty of these things:

We have accumulated so many game day cups over the years, we practically never use anything else! 

It's depressing when your favorite team loses, but we certainly have had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'll update a little more about our trip in the next couple posts. (Spoiler alert: the ShepAlder temple tally is up to 37!)

GO DUCKS!

A New Year

Josh and I ushered in the new year here:

where we watched fireworks and listened to live music.

It was cold and we had to bundle up.

I couldn't find my snow pants, but thankfully I have four sisters and a mom who own snow pants, so I just borrowed some.

I also forgot gloves. Josh packed my hat, otherwise I would have really been in trouble.

Later, Josh played football on the PS3 with our nephew Brad while our nieces Alice and Katie gave him a makeover. (And by "makeover" I mean they hit him in the face with the hat until he put it on).

On New Year's Day we went to Eugene to watch the Rose Bowl with my family. My dad went to U of Wisconsin, so he was really disappointed with the outcome. They also went to the last basketball game at Mac Court. Josh was impressed that the Duck rocked out on the drum set.

We really are blessed with wonderful family and friends. 2010 was pretty rough, but I have faith things will get better in 2011. 

30 Books Before I'm 30: The Dante Club

The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl

"Do not ask what brings Dante to man but what brings man to Dante-- to personally enter his sphere, though it is forever severe and unforgiving."

I couldn't quite pinpoint, at first, what it was that made this book so difficult for me to finish. I mean, one would think (as I did when I bought it) that this type of thing would be like manna for me-- mystery and literature references!? How could I not be in heaven? But this book was a slow-starter and it took me no less than five tries to get through it all. And toward the end, I plowed through only because I had a pile of library books I needed to read before their return date.

The Dante Club is a story about a series of fictional murders that took place using Dante's Inferno as a blueprint. The main characters (Longfellow, Lowell, O.W. Holmes, etc.) were all real people, and the story centers around Longfellow's translation of Dante to English, but none of the action really took place. I don't know if I found that more confusing or annoying, but I had a really hard time at first keeping people straight and trying to determine how much about everyone I needed to know beforehand (nothing, as it turned out). The ending was interesting and not necessarily more or less predictable than other murder mysteries. I'm not sure that I would recommend this book to anyone.

What I Liked: The action of this book takes place in Boston around the end of the Civil War, and I really liked the depiction of these soldiers coming home and not really knowing what to do with themselves or where to go for help. This was several decades before PTSD was even described as "shell-shock," and I thought that it was an interesting glimpse into the lives of Civil War soldiers without actually reading a book (or watching Ken Burns's fabulous documentary). 

What I Didn't Like: There was a lot I didn't like. There were too many characters introduced too quickly, and I didn't know whether I was supposed to remember them all or whether the action in the first 20 or so pages was of utmost importance (it wasn't). Also, the author clearly did a lot of research (and tells you so in the "Historical Note," but that might have caused him to include unimportant details just to show off his knowledge. I felt like the book dragged in (lots of) places. 

I Would Recommend this Book to: No one. Not even Dante fans. Sorry.

Up Next: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood because I checked it out of the library and  I've already started it. Holy cow, it's thick.

Side-note: I'm starting to get worried I might not finish my list since it is already 5 months past my 29th birthday and I haven't even read a third of what I had planned. Can I blame it on grad school and just have another 29th birthday next year? We'll see.

30 Books Before I'm 30: Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy M. Montgomery

"There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I were just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting."

I loved this story about an orphan who is mistakenly sent to an elderly brother and sister who wanted a boy to help with the farm. Of course from seeing the movie I loved it for the romantic aspects (Gilbert Blythe! Swoon!), but reading the book made me appreciate this beautiful world Montgomery created where the worst thing that can happen is that a girl can get accidentally drunk on what she thought was raspberry cordial. 

What I Liked: Of course I loved that the main character is a dreamer who wins over the hearts of the surly people in her town. I actually really like that she has a major flaw (red hair and a red-hot anger when people make fun of her for it) and that she is beautiful in her own way. I love that she's smart and that people love her for who she is. 

I like that, though there is a hint of romance between Anne and Gilbert, the first book isn't really about that. Instead, it's about Anne's relationships with other people and their relationships with her. It's about stubbornness and compromise, friendship and redefining family.

No wonder this book is such a comforting read! It transported me back to an earlier time in my development where I didn't worry about things the way I do now. 

What I Didn't Like: I have to admit that I cried. And it was in public, which was embarrassing. If you know the story then you'll know when during the story it was, but I'm not going to spoil anything. I even knew it was coming and I still cried. So, beware.

Gems of Wisdom: Kindle books highlight things for you sometimes, and this particular book had a lot of highlights. So I thought I'd share some of these gems of wisdom.

"Isn't is splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive-- it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything would it? THere's be no scope for imagination then, would there?"

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there ae so many of them in the world."

"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

"I get tired od other girls-- there is such a provoking and eternal sameness about them. Anne has as any shades as a rainbow and every shade is the prettiest while it lasts. I don't know that she is as amusing as she was when she was a child, but she makes me love her, and I like people who make me love them. It saves me so much more trouble in making myself love them."

"Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing."

"We resent the thought that anything can please us when someone we love is no longer here to share the pleasure with us, and we almost feel as if we were unfaithful to our sorrow when we find our interest in life returning to us."

This Book Would be Best if Read: Before bed. The chapters are short and they usually leave a good feeling in the gut. I read this book almost entirely on my plane ride from Portland to Austin. It's really short and really easy to read.

I Would Recommend This Book To: Pre-pubescent girls (younger than 13 because my niece is 13 and would probably think this book was way corny).

If You Like This Book, You Might Also Like: The films, of course, Anne of Avonlea (which I immediately began after finishing the first one) and other books in the series, Road to Avonlea (the television series)

Up Next: I've given up on Women of Covenant for the time being, so next (after finishing Anne of Avonlea) I'll be moving on to either The Dante Club, The House of the Spirits, or The Poisonwood Bible. Just keeping my options open.

30 Books Before I'm 30: Balancing Act

Balancing Act: The Authorized Biography of Angela Lansbury by Martin Gottfried

"As to her self-editing and reserved nature, it does not qualify the genuineness of her warmth. Angela Lansbury is as concerned, as sensitive, and as sympathetic as anyone might want in a friend. It is just that while she can offer compassion, she cannot readily give of herself. 'I don't have a best friend,' she says. 'I never did,' and she adds, genuinely puzzled, 'Why would I?'"

All right, so I know I said I was reading this next, but it was really dry. So I started reading Balancing Act instead (concurrently, really, though I pretty much stopped reading the other one for awhile).

This book was written by a good friend of Lansbury's (a stage critic, apparently, who never wrote her a bad review), so of course the book is (mostly) complimentary. It's a general biography, and unless you're interested in her, this book probably won't be your cup of tea. Also, because this is an "authorized" biography, there are zero juicy details (and considering I've become addicted to this, it was kind of a let-down).

What I Liked: I like Angela Lansbury, so all of this book was interesting since I knew practically zero about her private life. I liked that there were details about her theater career that I wouldn't otherwise know (since I've only seen her on Broadway once and wasn't around for the Mame-era Lansbury).

What I Didn't Like: The problem with this author is that he is a friend of Lansbury's so he only wrote what she allowed him to write (not that she was standing over him at the computer, but I wouldn't write nasty things about my friends either). He was also a theater critic, so he wrote predominantly about her theater life. He wrote off Bedknobs and Broomsticks as a piece of fluff (which made me sad, since that movie was such a positive part of my childhood-- I mean, how can you be sad when people are dancing around with clothing and cartoon fish?) He also devoted less than 30 pages on Murder, She Wrote, and most of that was about how Lansbury resented being compared to Jessica Fletcher (though, in fairness to her, she took that comparison seriously and made sure to choose future projects that would be in keeping with her Jessica Fletcher persona). 


I'm glad I read this book, but I think sometimes the less you know about a person, the better. The Angela Lansbury that exists in my head is much more comforting than the one that exists in real life. And I know the two aren't comparable, I'm not an idiot, but I wish I didn't read in print that Lansbury resents people for idealizing her. 

This Book Would be Best if Read: During a long weekend, while cuddling with cats and listening to the original Broadway cast recording of Sweeney Todd.

I Would Recommend This Book To: Someone who knows who Angela Lansbury is. I mean, that's helpful.

If You Like This Book, You May Also Like: The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Sweeney Todd

Up Next: Anne of Green Gables (I kind of need a comfort read).