Oregon Summer

Hi family,

 

Our Oregon Summer is elusive.  Judging from the photos attached, you wouldn't think so, but we think Summer came last month for about a week.  It's been cool, overcast and raining the last few days.  But warmer weather is on the way.

 

Our stay at SunRiver was fun.  All the Portland clan except Kirsten and Mathias (Kirsten had gigs with Trash Can Joe on the 4th holiday) showed up.  We made some good memories.  One of the great improvements was that each family was assigned a meal to buy, prepare and serve and cleanup.  Taking turns like that led to creativity and energy and variety we all enjoyed.  (note the hamburger picture).  Well, almost all of us.  I stuck to my diet, but I forgot my protein shakes and tried the nearest equivalent I could buy in Bend but it was not very palatable.    One of the great products of our family get together was the Tyveck mural we made for Arden.  Everyone, including (!!) me contributed to the art but of course, Kaaren assembled it all for the group.

 

One of the highlights for Kaaren and me was our canoe trip down the Dechutes after everyone else had left.  Monday morning we ran the Dechutes (and got a ride back to our car) just the two of us and the only other traffic we encountered on the whole trip was a fellow on a surfboard.  Very quiet and lovely end to our trip. (If you don't count the almost 3 hours of cleanup).  

 

Thank you all who came for the time and energy you brought to this family vacation.  It was worth it.

 

We have nine chickens now, not chicks.   They are beautiful and Kaaren is taking good care of them.  I'll try to remember a picture in the near future of them in their quarters (the old greenhouse).

 

We also have raspberries, marionberries(huge and plentiful), boysenberries, and of course blackberries we are trying to get rid of.  We also have tomatoes and beans on the way; Kirsten has chard and kale and peas and other things.  The garden is good.

 

I am working hard on my IFR rating, flying about twice each week and studying at night for the exams.  It is a great experience and I love every minute of it.  My partner, Colin, and I are doing it together with the same instructor - Ron Magnus who sang in the West Linn Community Chorus for years with me.  I've actually been flying in the clouds several times and am getting the hang of navigating without seeing anything outside.  As a matter of fact, I've flown for 7 or 8 hours lately in beautiful weather not seeing a thing except for a moment at takeoff and a few moments prior to landing.  It's the most challenging thing I've done, maneuvering in 3 dimensions while operating radios and navigation equipment of several types and receiving and acknowledging instructions over the radio, etc.

 

Last Friday, Kaaren and I saw the first local production of The Producers at the Lakewood theater.  We laughed so hard.  It was a really tremendous production.  I had forgotten how funny the show was. We still start laughing spontaneously, thinking of moments in the play.  For me, the gay Nazi was so over the top it makes me laugh to remember his character. 

 

The next day, Saturday, Kaaren and I visited the Oregon Garden.  It was very peaceful and inspiring to Kaaren to think of all the new projects she has in mind for me - for our gardens.  Especially intriguing was the hobbit house. 

 

Kirsten and Mathias will be in Ottawa for the next week.  Kirsten is coming home tonight from her gig at the Oregon Country Faire.  Kaaren and I went once when Kirsten played with March Forth there and we loved it. 

 

We are enjoying having Molly around.  We are enjoying having each other around.  It is a good time for us.

 

We are looking forward to Bryce's performance 23,24,25 July as Harold Hill in Music Man.  It's being performed in Sherwood by a community theater group there.  I hope at least you Portland Pixtons will show up to cheer him on.

 

I'm listening to French language CDs in my car as I drive.  Getting ready to be not quite as dumb an American as possible next month.  We will be in France with Brittany and Bob August 14-30, and Kaaren will then go on to England to visit family there.  I will spend one night in Frankfurt to visit friends on the way home.

 

Bon nuit und Guten Abend,

 

Dad

Arden's Blessing NYC

You've likely already seen some of these pictures I took during my visit to NYC for Arden's blessing.   After the blessing we picnicked on the Hudson River at the foot of the George Washington Bridge. I was interested in the structure of the thing (enormous engineering feat) and while I was taking some pictures a security guard came up to me to say picture taking was forbidden.  Has our culture come to this?

 

Joining in Arden's blessing was a privilege for me. Bob gave a great blessing but the best part was that Arden was looking up at  Bob and smiling broadly the whole time (I peeked). It was a very sweet moment.  Their ward is so diverse and interesting - as is all of NYC.  I was handed a bulletin at the door by a large black woman in a fire engine red dress and lipstick to match.  A latino ward was meeting in the building.  In Britt's ward were people of many colors and languages and talents.  They announced a fireside next Sunday - the speaker was a woman - not a member of the Church - who was the United Nations Ambassador from Bangladesh.  NYC is the cross roads of the world and so the Church there is very stimulating.

 

  Britt is a good mom.  She and Arden seem to have figured out a rhythm that they can both survive; and Bob seems to be a great support and doting father who does more than just "dote."  He made us some great meals while I was there, including a "steak" dinner compatible with my current diet.

 

I got in late Sunday night and so it was back to work on Monday.  What a world we live in where I can be in NYC on Saturday and Sunday and back in the office on Monday.

Mathias Birthday

Family,

 

Today was Mathias 30th birthday and we had a family dinner and romp on the lawn for him.  Here are some pictures from today.  Before he blew out his candle, Kirsten and Skye sang happy birthday to him, Metropolitan Opera style.  It was funny and just perfect for him.  We also had a good time playing frisbee on the lawn and generally romping around, enjoying the spring day.

 

Earlier, Kaaren and I were the speakers at our ward sacrament meeting.  To our great honor, Mathias and Kirsten showed up.  Kaaren spoke about service and I spoke about the question by an ancient lawyer - "And who is my neighbor."  I'll attach some of my notes, though of course, you won't hear the jokes and tears that went with it.  Ask Courtney about my opening remark that got a huge laugh and started things off well for my talk. It is a very humbling thing to speak to this ward.  There is so much strength and service and devotion going on all around us - most of which we never see, so as I sat on the podium waiting to speak, my eyes filled with tears as I looked into the faces of our friends and neighbors in this ward, thinking of their devotion to the gospel and their feelings of charity for each other.  I felt so honored and humbled to be asked to address them.  I wish you could hear Kaaren's talk.  Every time she talks I learn new things about her boarding school.

 

After our meeting block, I went to hear the spring concert of the West Linn Community Chorus.  It was wonderful to see old friends, to hear them sing and wave at me and give me lots of hugs.  They sang a broadway themed program at a new church in Oregon City that donated the space and sound system.  The local TV station filmed it and the  West Linn Tidings photographer showed up, so they are doing a good job of community outreach (publicity).

 

Yesterday I puttered around the house, taking care of so many chores gone undone here, while Kaaren worked her marvelous art  through the day with a group of breast cancer "survivors" in downtown Portland. I mowed the lawn, put in new skylights, moved canoes and junk and cleaned up stuff, trimmed  drain pipes we just installed and did some shopping with Molly. I trimmed some bushes, swept stuff and cleaned stuff in the house.  I'm still sore.

 

Kaaren and I both spent the evening at our dining room table with scriptures and papers gathering our thoughts.

 

Kaaren's birthday is this coming Thursday.  She will be 63.   What happened to us?  It seems like yesterday we were both 23 and planning our wedding.  Your time here is precious. Enjoy it.

 

love,

 

Dad

Fwd: [PIXTON] Weekend at MOm's

Family,

 

Here are some photos from my weekend at Mom's in Occidental - on Saturday I helped Bob and TJ put in a new underground power line to Mom's well - about 200 feet from the house.  It was fun to work together on a project.

 

That evening after General Priesthood Meeting Shauna and Rick brought a dinner out and joined us.  I was really nice to get together. 

 

A funny thing.  We took a break Saturday for sandwiches Mom made.  We ate them in the house while conference was on the TV.  I saw TJ ignoring our conversation at the table and focusing on the conference talk.  I doubt he's ever heard one before.  It wasn't the most charismatic speaker of the weekend, but I wondered for a moment if some of that "gospel" was going in his head/heart.  What was he thinking about this?  In a few minutes he answered my question without my asking.  TJ said:  "I'd rather labor in the ditch that watch this."

 

That reminded me of a thought I'd been entertaining over the weekend.  It's the Savior's words to the effect that "he that has ears to hear.."  He was talking, of course, about spiritual ears - having a heart tuned to hear to the "word."  Sometimes I don't have my spiritual "ears" on.  "Hearing" takes some preparation.  I think it takes some practice and humility and seeking and all that stuff to learn how to "hear."  And sometimes we can think we are listening but not "hear." I won't belabor the point.  It's just something I have to occasionally work on for myself.

 

Spring arrived in Portland on Saturday. Warm temperatures, clear skies ( and it seemed to me like it was just happening in California) and leaves budding.  But it was all over by Tuesday night.  Today the overcast and showers are back.

 

I want some more pictures of Arden!  How about you?  Where are they, for pete's sake?

 

For those of you close to home, I am planning on doing a family easter egg hunt and dinner for Easter - as soon after your meetings as we can get together.  4:30 PM?  You can bring a side dish and/or a dessert.  I'm planning on cooking meat and potatoes and vegetable.  Please rsvp.

 

Now it's late and I need to retire.  I miss Kaaren. I'm not a very good bachelor.  But I did the dishes and the kitchen is clean!

 

love,

 

Dad

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Quick note

Family,

 

Here are some pictures of the highlights of the week.  Bryce was one of the younger brothers in the stake play - Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  The cowboy song (with Bryce doing a low bass feature) was hilarious and sticks in my mind all day.

 

I gave a lesson in the Gospel Essentials class today - on the Temple.  Here are a couple of the illustrations I used.  We talked about the temple in antiquity including the influence of the Great Temple in Egypt.  Did you know that the Great Temple (what we today call the Great Pyramid) was already 1000 years old when Moses was in Egypt?  Then we talked about what questions people have about the temple and how we can best answer them.  It was fun.

 

Kaaren has been sick with the flu for the last couple of days.  She is now on the mend.

 

It has been raining for 3 days now without stopping.  And it is cold and misty at night and foggy in the mornings. We are into the winter season already.

 

We are remodeling our bathroom - finally.  Our contractor we found for Keizer apartment work is doing it.  Also replacing our windows in the house.  Logan helped me put in the shower pan yesterday.  It was fun.

 

I guess you know that Kaaren is going to New York for a meeting with Amy and a potential large publisher - Scholastic - of children's books.

 

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving this coming week.  Forrest and Kaarina will join the extended Portland Pixton family.

 

I am singing with the Portland Mormon Choir and Orchestra and quite enjoying it.

 

That is all for this evening.  Tired and need to join Kaaren in bed.  We bought a new mattress yesterday and we need to try it out.

 

love,

 

Dad

We're home!

Family,

We arrived safely today from Hong Kong. Courtney and children picked us up. We check 5 bags (including the huge packed jar from Beijing) and carried on the rest. We needed two carts to haul all our luggage. Only one bag didn't make it with us and it has been found and will be delivered to our home this afternoon.

We left Hong Kong on Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007 at 12:30 and flew east through the rest of a day, a night and another morning over the international date line, arriving after a stop in SFO at PDX at 1 PM on Tuesday - the "same" day.

The house is beautiful and clean - Bryce cleaned all the carpets while we were gone! And Courtney and Bryce cleaned counter surfaces in the kitchen. We really have a wonderful home and it was such a pleasure to come home to this special place. Colors in the trees are vibrant now and were a pleasant splash to the senses. I fired up the spa, turned on the water heater in our west bedroom wing and we unpacked our Chinese jar and placed it on the fireplace threshhold where it looks great.

The grandchildren are playing in the house and sound happy. They were glad to see us.

Thank you, Mark and Elaine, for everything. It was a magical visit and vacation.

Here's a last word at about the photos I have sent to the flickr site to help you get the most of it. I like to go there the simple way to me -

1. just go to www.pixtonfamily.com and then click on one of the pictures. It will take you to the latest photos uploaded on the flickr site.
2. Regardless of which photos you initially see, click on the blue text to the right of the screen that says "tompixton's photostream". That will take you to a group of photos with the separate "albums" shown on the right of the screen.
3. Choose which group ("album") of photos to see by clicking on the album you want.
4. You will then see all the photos in that album grouped on the right and the first one in the set shown larger on the left.
5. You can look at individual photos by clicking on them - the title of the photo (if I had time to make one) will be at the top of the photo. However, I think the best way to look at the photos is:
6. click on "view as slideshow" . That will show the photos the largest and will move you through them pretty quickly. You can move your curser over the arrows to the right and left of the photo to move along or go back faster. Also
7. move the curse to the middle of the photo - over an "i" watermark and click it. That will reveal the title of the photo, which otherwise doesn't appear in the slideshow.
8. Lastly, another tip. You can press F-11 and the photo will displayed over the full screen. Press F-11 again return to normal display.

There. I hope that makes the photos more enjoyable and you can get as much of a kick out of them as I do.

love,

Dad

Art Museum and Last Walk in Hong Kong and Kowloon

Family,
Here are some pictures from our adventures today. Hong Kong park through the green house and aviary and then to The Peak of the island where there are tourist shops and restaurants. A steep tram takes tourists to the top, but we took a taxi - much faster, cheaper and no lines. We had a great dinner at a restaurant overlooking the city below: German potatoe soup, tandoori salmon and tanfoori sea bass. Much pollution today which you can see from the photos taken at dusk. The view from The Peak actually improves at night because the lights of the cities cut through the smog.

In looking at the cities below, what you are seeing is Hong Kong from the south, at the peak of the island. Then there is a bay inbetween Hong Kong and Kowloon on the north. To the north of Kowloon, and not very visible in the photos is the area called New Territories. All three "cities" were controlled by the British until finally ceeded back to China in 1997. In ten years the place has thrived with the communist government pretty much leaving the capitalist system in place. Some hope this will be a good influence on mainland china - to influence their city mayors and managers to adopt the best of the system that has worked so well here.

I learned something yesterday that perhaps some of you already learned in school but I didn't. Hong Kong was just an empty island in the early 1800's but after the British fought with China over opium smuggling they were profiteering by (the Opium Wars - when Governer Linn of China destroyed all the opium on ships etc that could be found to attempt to stamp out the addiction of millions of Chinese to opium sold by British traders for Chinese silver) China ceded Hong Kong Island to the British to allow them a place to repair their ships and post personnel there for that purpose. But they used it also to continue their massive opium smuggling. Hong Kong grew as a place for trading, refiting ships and smuggling opium. In sum, Hong Kong has no natural resources except a harbor and lots of rocky island. It was founded and continues today solely for the purpose of trading and making money. Since most of the island is solid, steep rock, all housing and business is crammed on very little buildable space - hence the high density.

Many people here are very, very wealthy. You can get a picture of the vast wealth when you see the pictures of the high rise business buildings, but there is more in the elegant apartment buildings and houses that are crammed on the edges of the island. I will attempt to take some pictures of the more routine things that explain the daily way of life here. But Mark and Elaine, guests of the State Department, don't live a routine life. Fifteen years ago they lived in Windsor, not far from our house there, in a small house and struggled to make ends meet until he finally got word that he passed the foreign service exam and got hired. (He actually had passed the exam 10 years earlier, but that is another story). Now, after living all over the world and enjoying a reasonably comfortable salary, they live in a fancy high rise apartment that rents for $10,000 per month and rising. They drive a $150 Nissan but park it in the garage where I found mostly Mercedes and BMWs. An occasionally Porsche, etc. Most native people here live in much more cramped quarters and live modestly. But the super rich are super rich and there are lots and lots of them. Recently, an owner of a great house up at The Peak turned down an offer of $700 million for the house. Many people here have a home in Hong Kong and in Manhattan and in London. Such is life for some.

An interesting note on security. The Consulate General here is provided with a BMW. This would be expensive enough, but he needs special security, so BMW offers a special secure vehicle for persons of political importance. This one has glass 1 and 1/2 inch thick, armor all around, etc. and costs $250,000. There are many employees of the State Department here and Mark Johnsen's job is to manage the properties that house the offices and the homes and apartments the US owns. In Hong Kong, her manages property that tallies approximately $1 billion.

I thought of another thing that might interest you boys. There are no private airplanes in Hong Kong or Beijing. None. The only things in the air are commercial and military airliners and helicopters. I imagine someone might bring in a private Gulfstream or such a large jet airplane that can travel from another mainland but it can only land at the main, commercial international airports. Think of the relative freedom we enjoy compared to most of the world.

This morning Kaaren and Elaine went for a walk - about 7 miles - in the forest. I slept, read and wrote and dealt with business and family stuff by internet.

It has been a good day.

Any good news from home?

love,

Dad

Hong Kong Park and The Peak

Family,
Here are some pictures from our adventures today. Hong Kong park through the green house and aviary and then to The Peak of the island where there are tourist shops and restaurants. A steep tram takes tourists to the top, but we took a taxi - much faster, cheaper and no lines. We had a great dinner at a restaurant overlooking the city below: German potatoe soup, tandoori salmon and tanfoori sea bass. Much pollution today which you can see from the photos taken at dusk. The view from The Peak actually improves at night because the lights of the cities cut through the smog.

In looking at the cities below, what you are seeing is Hong Kong from the south, at the peak of the island. Then there is a bay inbetween Hong Kong and Kowloon on the north. To the north of Kowloon, and not very visible in the photos is the area called New Territories. All three "cities" were controlled by the British until finally ceeded back to China in 1997. In ten years the place has thrived with the communist government pretty much leaving the capitalist system in place. Some hope this will be a good influence on mainland china - to influence their city mayors and managers to adopt the best of the system that has worked so well here.

I learned something yesterday that perhaps some of you already learned in school but I didn't. Hong Kong was just an empty island in the early 1800's but after the British fought with China over opium smuggling they were profiteering by (the Opium Wars - when Governer Linn of China destroyed all the opium on ships etc that could be found to attempt to stamp out the addiction of millions of Chinese to opium sold by British traders for Chinese silver) China ceded Hong Kong Island to the British to allow them a place to repair their ships and post personnel there for that purpose. But they used it also to continue their massive opium smuggling. Hong Kong grew as a place for trading, refiting ships and smuggling opium. In sum, Hong Kong has no natural resources except a harbor and lots of rocky island. It was founded and continues today solely for the purpose of trading and making money. Since most of the island is solid, steep rock, all housing and business is crammed on very little buildable space - hence the high density.

Many people here are very, very wealthy. You can get a picture of the vast wealth when you see the pictures of the high rise business buildings, but there is more in the elegant apartment buildings and houses that are crammed on the edges of the island. I will attempt to take some pictures of the more routine things that explain the daily way of life here. But Mark and Elaine, guests of the State Department, don't live a routine life. Fifteen years ago they lived in Windsor, not far from our house there, in a small house and struggled to make ends meet until he finally got word that he passed the foreign service exam and got hired. (He actually had passed the exam 10 years earlier, but that is another story). Now, after living all over the world and enjoying a reasonably comfortable salary, they live in a fancy high rise apartment that rents for $10,000 per month and rising. They drive a $150 Nissan but park it in the garage where I found mostly Mercedes and BMWs. An occasionally Porsche, etc. Most native people here live in much more cramped quarters and live modestly. But the super rich are super rich and there are lots and lots of them. Recently, an owner of a great house up at The Peak turned down an offer of $700 million for the house. Many people here have a home in Hong Kong and in Manhattan and in London. Such is life for some.

An interesting note on security. The Consulate General here is provided with a BMW. This would be expensive enough, but he needs special security, so BMW offers a special secure vehicle for persons of political importance. This one has glass 1 and 1/2 inch thick, armor all around, etc. and costs $250,000. There are many employees of the State Department here and Mark Johnsen's job is to manage the properties that house the offices and the homes and apartments the US owns. In Hong Kong, her manages property that tallies approximately $1 billion.

I thought of another thing that might interest you boys. There are no private airplanes in Hong Kong or Beijing. None. The only things in the air are commercial and military airliners and helicopters. I imagine someone might bring in a private Gulfstream or such a large jet airplane that can travel from another mainland but it can only land at the main, commercial international airports. Think of the relative freedom we enjoy compared to most of the world.

This morning Kaaren and Elaine went for a walk - about 7 miles - in the forest. I slept, read and wrote and dealt with business and family stuff by internet.

It has been a good day.

Any good news from home?

love,

Dad

Slowing Down

Family,
Here are a few photos from the last day or so. Visiting the Hong Kong history museum in Kowloon and some more photos of architecture in downtown Hong Kong.

We are slowing down somewhat - this morning I slept late with a CPAC device on my face - trying it out. Kaaren and Elaine went for a hike and we are repacking and talking and considering how to best use the time we have left.

Also taking care of emails and questions from contractors, schools, law office, clients, and family back home. It takes time and we have just slowed down to take the time to deal with some of this business.

Yesterday, we went the consulate to meet with Mark and Elaine at work. Elaine and her nurse practitioner, Rena, diagnosed the dark spot on my back as ---- and Elaine used some cold gas to freeze it off. Kaaren and Elaine went to a Relief Society dinner - homemaking meeting and Mark and I went to get a hamburger and drove up to the "Peak" where we had a terrific view of both sides of Hong Kong Island. I'll try to get a photo today. It's an unbelieveable sight of world commerce focusing on one small place on the planet with extraordinarily wealthy results.

Not feeling very thoughtful at the moment - just thought I'd pass along some photos and say that I'm actually beginning to feel relaxed.

love,

Dad

No birds or ducks in China lakes and ponds

Family,
Talking with Brittany on the phone this morning reminded me about something I was going to write about but forgot. It's short.

If you look at the photo of us on the boat in the Beijing Hutong, you may notice that there are no ducks in the lake. They've all been eaten. Seeing a bird in Beijing and in Hong Kong is rare. I can count on one hand the birds I've seen in 12 days, except for one flock of doves flying at one point in Beijing, but that was it. No geese, ever. No pidgeons, no gulls at the sea shore. Nothing. I wrote earlier that there are a few feral dogs loose near Stanley Park - dogs that got loose from their masters - but they retreat into the forest when threatened. People eat dogs here, too. Of course, there are birds, and one hears them occasionally, but like I said, I've only seen a handful.

That is all.

Dad