Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 Subject: The Saga of a Steel Magnolia in Utah

Hi All,

It's been a quiet week. Katherine slept for the first two days of the week, and then she woke up hungry and asking when the next driving lesson would arrive.

We are planning our next outing this weekend. So far, Cedar Breaks National Monument is the next destination. I am planning to leave early on Friday to get in early enough to set up camp and do some hiking before it gets too late. I'll let you know in the next addition of 'Steel Magnolia'.

Movies Du Jour: 'Escape From L.A.' was a fast paced film that was classic Kurt Russell/Snake. 'The Phantom' was a fun, campy comic book story that came to life on the screen. Both were fun in different ways and I'll enjoy having them in my video library when the time comes. I also have to admit that seeing 'The Phantom' after seeing 'Escape From L.A.' was a big mistake. We should have gone to see the 'Geriatric Aliens from Pasadena' or some other similar film, it would have been a better mix.

Weather is still hot and dry in the days, but the mornings and evenings are wonderfully cool. Humidity still very low so the static hair do has come back into fashion.

The Burger Bar produced another winner this week. Chocolate Raspberry milkshakes. A true gastronomic experience.

My friend Dan, from Philly, visited Salt Lake this week. When he called to say 'hi', I suggested that we meet at the Burger Bar for shakes and such on Sunday afternoon. Well, we arrived only to find the place closed up tight. I forgot, again, that this place rolls up the sidewalks on Sunday. Ok, plan B. We adjourned to the SconeCutter for snacks. Now, let me explain a little about the scones in Utah. My experience with scones are that they are a biscuit, with egg and cream added, and baked till they are a golden brown. Then, they are served warm, with a dusting of powdered sugar, berries and clotted cream on the side. Not so here. In Utah a scone is really Navaho Fry Bread. Never had it? Ok, I'll describe my first experience with it. July, the summer of 1986, at the Four Corners Monument. We stopped to see the Monument and take pictures. Well, since this is Navaho country, they were running the place. We wandered through the displays of jewelry, clothing and all kinds of stuff before we reached the food vendors. Tiny, wizened ladies wearing beautiful dresses, were making Fry Bread behind the counter and we watched a minute before deciding to try it. I remember watching their faces and smiling at them, they smiled back and their entire face would become a mass of wrinkles surrounding two twinkling black eyes. I thought that they were the most beautiful people that I had ever seen because they reminded me of my own grandmothers who are now departed. My own mother is Cherokee and she would have been at home and at peace with them. Grandmomma pinched a piece of dough out of a big bowl and patted it out into a circle about 6 inches around before she poked her finger in the middle. Then...she slid the circle of dough into a vat of bubbling lard. Heaven on Earth! After a minute, the sizzling circle floated to the top and turned over as neatly as the cute little doughnuts that you get on Jackson Square. They served the hot bread on a plate and you could sprinkle powdered sugar or cinnamon on it. It was a treat that I'll never forget, the sweet bread and the red rock country are a part of me forever. Back to Dan. We had Scones/Fry Bread and talked for hours before he had to leave. It was good to see a friend, even a Yankee, out here.

Katherine and I are in extreme cat hair withdrawal. I am considering flying a few cats out to get my daily cat hair quota.

Jokes: You know you are in Utah because the man driving the city bus is wearing running shoes.

You know you are in Utah because the city bus that you are riding has a bike rack on the front bumper.

Okay, enough! Take care and write when you can.

See ya soon.

Jan Noble, steel_magnolia@mindspring.com

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