oceanside to la canada

August 27, one of the first things to do is fly to San Diego and pick up the Jetta. Then we drove to Oceanside. Here is a photo of Oceanside pier shot over the roof of the Jetta. Is this where we should have a beach house someday?



Next, we were in La Canada the same weekend as the fires! This is a picture from Angeles Crest Highway. Do you see the small helicopter above the flames on the mountainside? Other years we watched fires in Alta Dena and Glendale. Why did we think it would never happen here?



As we worked at the house a lot of old neighbors stopped by to say hello. Here is Susan Watley and her daughters. They say Hi to their old babysitter, Rachel. Some strangers also stopped at our u-haul and asked if we were evacuating. No, we just picked this weekend to clean out the basement!



It was a hot and sweaty day. Ash was gently settling on everything. The truck is loaded to go the dump. The boxes will get loaded and driven to Provo.



California is certainly beautiful and exciting. The fires are a dramatic display of nature. We are grateful that La Canada was saved from casualties or serious loss of property. Onward to Utah!


Here I am at the Angeles Crest Shell Station on the day that "10,000 Homes Are Threatened."

Provo - Home Sweet Home

We are in Provo now. Katie and Larry and Sarah have transformed our townhouse into a whole new place. Thank you! It will be a very nice place to live and I am so grateful.



This morning, Monday, at 9:00 two shipments will be delivered to the house: the container from Germany, and the storage from Andy's in La Canada. There is no room, but it will be fun to be reunited with our things and start feathering our nest.



This is the same container as it left our house in Frankfurt in July.

Enkoping, Sweden

Dad and I are spending these days visiting the area where his grandfather, John Waldemar Zackrison, was born and the family came from.

Yesterday we were in Enkoping. We went to the little local museum and spent a lot of time with an enthusiastic curator named Bengt Swenson. (Is that name Swedish enough for you?) He telephoned "the old man who remembers everything about the old farms." Today Swenson as arranged for us to go and meet the man and talk some more. We think this will be fun.

Then in the evening we are suppose to meet the Swede, Torbjorn Malm, that has corresponded with Jan a lot about common ancestors on the Widfeldt side. I hope we can skype Jan into the visit.

This is a wonderful time of having "the hearts of the children turn to the hearts of the fathers." It whets my appetite for coming back with more of the family. I'm planning the trip as we go along.




Bengt Swenson told us that he has become good friends with a BYU professor of European history named Craig Harline (father of Johnny Harline for you BYU football fans.) Their wives met at Ellis Island in one of those remarkable encounters. Swenson's wife was at Ellis Island with a friend who was searching for family names that had gone to America.

As she waited with her friend at the computers at the exhibit, she started putting in the name of a line of her family that had moved to America -- Harline -- but nothing was coming up. She kept trying and the line behind her grew longer. Finally the two woman standing in line right behind her asked her if she was from Sweden? The ladies confessed that they were looking over her shoulder and couldn't help but notice that she was searching the very name, from the Swedish side, that they were there to search, from the American side, - Harline. The two families have been close friends ever since.

Bengt Swenson used this experience to create an exhibit in his small museum. The Harlines joined the Church in the same area the Zackrison's did. Did they know each other? They preceeded the Zackrisons to Salt Lake City by about 5 years. Because of his friendship our curator friend feels very kindly toward Mormons.



Bengt Swenson had an exhibit showing this butcher cart. Axel Zackrison worked as a butcher in Sweden. John Waldemar Zackrison was also a butcher in Salt Lake City.

Florence

Just strolling and having ice cream with David -- Michelangelo's masterpiece as a part of daily life in Florence.

VENICE

But it's happy stress :)

Aug 21 Fly FRA to SLC!

Aug 16-19 Sweden

Aug 14-15 Florence

Aug 13 Rome

Aug 12 Venice

John says farewell to his colleagues

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

As many of you know, I have now finished my assignment as the Area Legal Counsel for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Frankfurt, Germany, and Dorothy and I are now in the process of moving back to live in Provo, Utah. It has been an absolutely fantastic experience, on every level, and much of the reason for that has to do with those with whom we have been privileged to work – the valiant senior missionaries, the dedicated staff, the inspired leaders and the many lawyers of the Europe Area. Thank you for your kindness, your tireless and patient assistance, and your interest in the work of the Office of General Counsel.

My replacement is Dave Colton, who has the same contact information that I used to have ((Work) +49 69 5480 2223; (Mobile) +49 170 222 9614; sdcolton@ldschurch.org). Please direct all inquiries for the Europe Area Office of General Counsel to him.

Upon our arrival in Utah, I will continue helping the Church with international legal matters. I will be “Of Counsel” with Kirton & McConkie. In addition, I will have an assignment as the Director of the newly constituted International Coordinating Committee of the Church. My Church e-mail address will continue to function, and you can contact me there (zackrisonja@ldschurch.org). My contact information at Kirton & McConkie will be:

John A. Zackrison
Kirton & McConkie
1800 Eagle Gate Tower
60 East South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Office: (801) 328-3600 (gen’l.); (801) 321-4837 (direct)
Fax: (801) 321-4893
jzackrison@kmclaw.com

Thanks again for being such wonderful friends and colleagues during our time here in Europe. You have all helped reinforce our firm conviction that the work we are engaged in is indeed the Lord’s work, and that He is watching over it and attending to its every detail. May you continue to be blessed in your good and faithful work.

Warmly with kind regards, John Zackrison

Slovakia one last time

I'm actually on a shopping trip while dad is in England for three days. It is a long drive through some beautiful country side. You are struck by the natural beauty of the country side and villages contrasted to the waste caused by a misbegotten former political system.
Vienna Airport. Europcar Rental. Drive 5 hours. More later.

Paris Flea Market

I went to one of the Paris Flea Markets at Ponte de St Ouen after John left for Madrid. The treasures found at the market range from the raggitty to the sublime. It was a fun place to wonder.



My eye was drawn to these chandeliers. And I admired this chocolate pot. It's called a flea market, but I didn't see any Les Puces.

Paris - Le Cordon Bleu

This morning I took a three hour class at the famous cooking school in Paris, Le Cordon Bleu. It was a demonstration called "Cuisine Des Amis" or "Cooking for Friends." I took a million pictures and hope to prepare our menu for many friends in Provo soon. Saltimbocca style sauteed veal, polenta with herbs and green asparagus.




Stunning what I don't know about cooking. Much of what I learned today I will never remember, but I think that how to make pesto sauce and reduction of au jus will stay with me. How did I never learn about "reduction" of sauces. Thickening by flour may be a thing of my past. The interpreter said Chef Patrick Terrien is the happiest chef at the school. He was very charming.

Will sweet baby Huck be totally excited to get a new outfit from Paris? I wish I could snuggle him --he is so new.