Sky View High School Graduation Diploma

 http://whilhelmsthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/11/sky-view-high-school-graduation-1975.html
 I posted about graduation once before, but found my diploma, which has a picture of the school as it appeared in 1975.  I know there have been several additions to the school since.  I also found my tassels.

 

Logan Institute Graduation 1981

I was very proud of graduating form Institute.  One reason for that is I had to go the extra mile to make it happen.  I took a journal writing class from the grandparents of Kamran Preece (little leaguer).  To get a passing grade in the class, you had to write so many journal entries of different types.  I hadn't gotten them done during the course, but tracked them down and finished them before graduation.  Other classes I enjoyed were the Old Testament services from Brother Dorigatti.  I also took religions of the world which also gave university credit, the Book of Mormon series, and also sang in the choir one year.

Interesting that Laurie Nelson and I are the only two from Hyrum Stake.  There were also Vic Saunders and someone from Hyrum North stake, which must have just recently been created.

Jupiter's Red Spot Is Shrinking; Global Warming?

http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_25776442/jupiters-great-red-spot-is-shrinking-fast

Tell me what you think, is the red spot shrinking causing our global warming, or is our global warming causing the red spot to shrink?  It has to be something we did is my thought.

Geneve's Wedding

Geneve is my niece.  She is the third child of Clyde and Sara, and these are pictures of her wedding.  She was married to Mike Moosman April 29, 1995.  We had moved to California before she was married, and only I and Natalia flew back to participate.  Sheri was very pregnant with Caleb.  There are no pictures of it, but I sang "Sun Rise, Sun Set" from Fiddler on the Roof for the wedding. 

Clyde

Sara and Joey

Natalia, Linsey, Nicole and Joshua

Kathy and Dillon

Missy? Natalia, Shelly

Kathy Krista

Aaron Jed, Missy, Natalia, Shelly, Dillon, Amber, Linsey

Joey

Shellie, Amber, Linsey

Clyde, Sara, Geneve, Mike

Clyde and Geneve

Sara, Joshua, Nicole, Natalia, Shellie, Amber

Geneve, Dillon, Mike

Geneve and Mike

Geneve and Sara

Charlie, Jessie, Diane, Dad, Connie, Billy, Sara, Clyde, Geneve, Mike, Joey, Linsey, Brandt, Krista, Dianna, Mom, Matt, Michael, Aaron, Dustin, Katharine, Sue, Weldon, Trevor, Amber, Dillon, Shellie, Nicole, Natalie, Natalia, Missy, Joshua and Travis

Dianna, Natalie, Dad, Diane

Geneve and Clyde singing

"Sunrise, Sunset"  Billy and Mom

Poetry I like: Rudyard Kipling Mandalay

 I like historical poetry, and this is one from WWII.  The road to Mandalay was to reinforce Burma, Southeast Asia and China.  It was a vital connection, because they had to go around the Chinese to reinforce people who were vital to the defeat of Japan.  Because the road to Burma had been cut, they had to make a new road, and pipeline through the jungle.  That they were able to do this is a miracle.  http://bwardlehistory.blogspot.com/2014/05/documentary-review-victory-at-sea-road.html

Rudyard Kipling

Mandalay

By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea,
There's a Burma girl a-settin', and I know she thinks o' me;
For the wind is in the palm-trees, and the temple-bells they say:
"Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!"
    Come you back to Mandalay,
    Where the old Flotilla lay:
    Can't you 'ear their paddles chunkin' from Rangoon to Mandalay?
    On the road to Mandalay,
    Where the flyin'-fishes play,
    An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!
 
'Er petticoat was yaller an' 'er little cap was green,
An' 'er name was Supi-yaw-lat -- jes' the same as Theebaw's Queen,
An' I seed her first a-smokin' of a whackin' white cheroot,
An' a-wastin' Christian kisses on an 'eathen idol's foot:
    Bloomin' idol made o'mud --
    Wot they called the Great Gawd Budd --
    Plucky lot she cared for idols when I kissed 'er where she stud!
    On the road to Mandalay . . .
 
When the mist was on the rice-fields an' the sun was droppin' slow,
She'd git 'er little banjo an' she'd sing "Kulla-lo-lo!"
With 'er arm upon my shoulder an' 'er cheek agin' my cheek
We useter watch the steamers an' the hathis pilin' teak.
    Elephints a-pilin' teak
    In the sludgy, squdgy creek,
    Where the silence 'ung that 'eavy you was 'arf afraid to speak!
    On the road to Mandalay . . .
 
But that's all shove be'ind me -- long ago an' fur away,
An' there ain't no 'busses runnin' from the Bank to Mandalay;
An' I'm learnin' 'ere in London what the ten-year soldier tells:
"If you've 'eard the East a-callin', you won't never 'eed naught else."
    No! you won't 'eed nothin' else
    But them spicy garlic smells,
    An' the sunshine an' the palm-trees an' the tinkly temple-bells;
    On the road to Mandalay . . .
 
I am sick o' wastin' leather on these gritty pavin'-stones,
An' the blasted Henglish drizzle wakes the fever in my bones;
Tho' I walks with fifty 'ousemaids outer Chelsea to the Strand,
An' they talks a lot o' lovin', but wot do they understand?
    Beefy face an' grubby 'and --
    Law! wot do they understand?
    I've a neater, sweeter maiden in a cleaner, greener land!
    On the road to Mandalay . . .
 
Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst,
Where there aren't no Ten Commandments an' a man can raise a thirst;
For the temple-bells are callin', an' it's there that I would be --
By the old Moulmein Pagoda, looking lazy at the sea;
    On the road to Mandalay,
    Where the old Flotilla lay,
    With our sick beneath the awnings when we went to Mandalay!
    On the road to Mandalay,
    Where the flyin'-fishes play,
    An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!

Have I Ever Been Persecuted for my Beliefs

After listening to Elder Hollands conference this April, it got me thinking about whether or not I have ever been persecuted for my faith.  I grew up in a sheltered environment, with very little to challenge me, although there were those who hinted at ridicule, I never took them serious.  In Argentina the worse I think was people would drive by and say "Go Home Germans" but I never really took this seriously either.  I was not a German.  In my first area there was a man, with obvious mental health issues, who looked like Moses, and he would yell at us from his window when we walked by.  I also remember meeting a protestant minister who wanted to yell at us because we didn't believe in drinking coffee.
After my mission, I can't say there has been much real challenge to my face; at least not directly.  However I am very much offended when people said they would not vote for Mitt Romney because he was Mormon.  I feel that shows some bigotry.  Also the coinage of Proposition H8 I think shows some anger.  It is OK for people to have different opinions and not have anything at all to do with hate. 
So specifically, I must say my persecutions have been mild.  However collectively, I feel the general sense of persecution against those who stand up for morality.  We are in that age the Isaiah foresaw when good is called evil and evil is called good.
Isisah 5: 20-21:  20 ¶Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prident in their own sight!

May Day Dance Festival; Hyrum, Utah

When I attended Lincoln Elementary grades 2nd through 4th, every year we put on a May Day dance for the community.  Often the dances were paired off with girls, and that was a tragic event for an elementary student, mostly.
I don't remember what we danced in second grade, but we did a version of the Mexican Hat Dance in third grade.  I was paired with Leslie Clawson, who lived down the street from me and was very cute.  I always wanted to know her better, but was too shy.  Anyway, there I was paired with her for one of our two dances.  However I had a wart on my hand that same year.  Nothing came of that.
Fourth grade was the most important year in school for the May Day dance.  The fourth graders always did the maypole dance.  This involved dancing around first, but at some point in the dance, you grave the streamers on the ground and then start weaving back an forth with those around you.  If you do the dance right, it makes a very intricate weave.  Our year the weather must have been poor, as we were in the Elite Hall for the dance.  The poles were like volley ball polls which were anchored in a cemented tire.
Our weave was not working very well.  Too often people weren't making the weave, which screwed up the pattern.  If that was the worse, then we would have said "oh well" and moved on.  However that wasn't the worse.  Some how in dancing around, there was more pull on one side of the maypole than the other.  I guess our circle around the pole was oblong or something.  Any way, with the extra pull on one side, the pole started to be pulled over.  In fact it was tipping over which would have been a tragedy and could have been dangerous.  I don't know who it was, but one of the boys dropped his streamer, ran over to the pole and pulled it back and then sat on the tire thing for the  rest of the day.  We were kept from a major tragedy and embarrassment.