Another day at the Madsens
I happily read Garry's post over at IMCA about his first of Friday nights out with Vanessa. We have had a wonderfully typical day -- a convergence of sorts -- at our house.
Marcie and daughter Sarah Duston have been visiting for BYU's Women's Conference (Thursday and Friday). The Dustons are dear friends first met in England while Paul was serving as an Army Intelligence officer in the now-defunct "Silk Purse" (aerial command post) mission at RAF Mildenhall, and I was Deputy SJA at the RAF Mildenhall base legal office. We spent a week together in a stone cottage in the highlands of Scotland. Also lots of dinners at each others' homes, and multiple pilgrimages by the ladies to Stoke-on-Trent to the china second stores (still have some unbroken china to prove it). Abbie Duston (drama Sterling Scholar at Tuachahn High School for the performing arts in St. George) arrived today.
We had a wonderful lunch with the Dustons and with Astrid Guygon Høst and her husband Frederick and daughter Clara. Like the Dustons, we met Astrid in England where she and her sister were exchange students from France staying with our British friends the Steeles. Astrid met Frederick (who is Norwegian) while both were studying at the University of Utah. Remarkable -- a French girl and a Norwegian boy come to Salt Lake City to meet. Even more remarkable, Frederick is continuing a rotating internship for GE in Salt Lake City so they're back for six months. And they have an adorable daughter, Clara, born three months premature, now six months old. Such wonderful people, so well matched.
My wife's sister, Carrie, and children Jane and Mitchell, also joined us for lunch. Carrie was able to provide Frederick with a list of museums and other sights to visit when he and Astrid are in New York next week. While we were visiting after lunch, friend Suzanne Cutler, and her three sons Christopher, Steven, and Alexander, dropped by. My wife coached Suzanne when she delivered Alexander three months ago (and her husband was on reserve Army duty). He's now in training in Montana (for six months) before he departs for Iraq for a one-year active duty tour.
Shaun and Allie Chapman also dropped by after lunch to drop off some freezer jam she had made with her grandmother today. Shaun Joseph Chapman was one of Jed's choice missionary companions in the Morristown New Jersey (Spanish-speaking) Mission. Allie is expecting, and we joke that they will be providing us our first grandchild (since they are now so much a part of our family).
The Chapmans spent some time visiting with Bruno Correa (pronounced "Co-HAY-uh"), another of Jed's missionary companions who is from Brazil by way of Florida. Bruno has been staying with us since January and is going to BYU in Accounting/Finance, and is an intern at our firm.
Our lives have been enriched by our many friends from many parts. There is good society in our home, and we are glad to be such a happy crossroads.
Marcie and daughter Sarah Duston have been visiting for BYU's Women's Conference (Thursday and Friday). The Dustons are dear friends first met in England while Paul was serving as an Army Intelligence officer in the now-defunct "Silk Purse" (aerial command post) mission at RAF Mildenhall, and I was Deputy SJA at the RAF Mildenhall base legal office. We spent a week together in a stone cottage in the highlands of Scotland. Also lots of dinners at each others' homes, and multiple pilgrimages by the ladies to Stoke-on-Trent to the china second stores (still have some unbroken china to prove it). Abbie Duston (drama Sterling Scholar at Tuachahn High School for the performing arts in St. George) arrived today.
We had a wonderful lunch with the Dustons and with Astrid Guygon Høst and her husband Frederick and daughter Clara. Like the Dustons, we met Astrid in England where she and her sister were exchange students from France staying with our British friends the Steeles. Astrid met Frederick (who is Norwegian) while both were studying at the University of Utah. Remarkable -- a French girl and a Norwegian boy come to Salt Lake City to meet. Even more remarkable, Frederick is continuing a rotating internship for GE in Salt Lake City so they're back for six months. And they have an adorable daughter, Clara, born three months premature, now six months old. Such wonderful people, so well matched.
My wife's sister, Carrie, and children Jane and Mitchell, also joined us for lunch. Carrie was able to provide Frederick with a list of museums and other sights to visit when he and Astrid are in New York next week. While we were visiting after lunch, friend Suzanne Cutler, and her three sons Christopher, Steven, and Alexander, dropped by. My wife coached Suzanne when she delivered Alexander three months ago (and her husband was on reserve Army duty). He's now in training in Montana (for six months) before he departs for Iraq for a one-year active duty tour.
Shaun and Allie Chapman also dropped by after lunch to drop off some freezer jam she had made with her grandmother today. Shaun Joseph Chapman was one of Jed's choice missionary companions in the Morristown New Jersey (Spanish-speaking) Mission. Allie is expecting, and we joke that they will be providing us our first grandchild (since they are now so much a part of our family).
The Chapmans spent some time visiting with Bruno Correa (pronounced "Co-HAY-uh"), another of Jed's missionary companions who is from Brazil by way of Florida. Bruno has been staying with us since January and is going to BYU in Accounting/Finance, and is an intern at our firm.
Our lives have been enriched by our many friends from many parts. There is good society in our home, and we are glad to be such a happy crossroads.
posted by Barney at 6:44 PM
2 Comments:
Julie, at Happy Catholic, also gave me some good feedback on the Vanessa post. She sent it via e-mail, because as you know, IMCA only allows comments by members. However, the membership list is by no means closed, and I have invited Julie aboard. At some point, I think she would be a good fit for OB as well, as her political views seem to be close to ours. (She has some good posts about Iraq, for instance.)
I enjoyed the rest of the post as well, even though I don't know most of the people you mentioned. But knowing what I know about the caliber of your friendships, I'm sure these are folks I would enjoy as much as you do. I liked Dr. Johnson's comment about friendship being the wine of life, and in the case of you and Cindy and us, the wine has mellowed and improved with age.
We cherish our friendship with you, Garry.
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