Well, not that big of city--Salt Lake has a population of around 220,000 people and is the center of the Salt Lake Valley population of over 1,222,000 people--so doesn't really match the Dallas/Ft. Worth area or Hong Kong for us in size--but downtown Salt Lake is pretty at Christmas time, especially around Temple Square. We enjoyed our overnight Christmas get-away a couple of years ago with Gary's mom that we decided to do it again this year.
We headed down on Friday night in time to check into our hotel and make the walk across Temple Square to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building before it got too crazy on a Friday night. Once again our goal was to participate in the "Light Of the World" charitable giving vending machines.
View from the same hotel as last time we did this:
The Salt Lake Temple will be closed on December 29 along with much of Temple Square for the next 4-5 years old to make improvements to the grounds and to restore the Temple and to also make it more earthquake-proof. Because of the impending closing, I went with some friends (Gary stayed home with Jena who was sick that weekend.) to a session in November. I rarely attend sessions there because of the distance and length of time involved but it was a sweet experience to be there. My parents, Gary's parents, and my grandparents were took out their endowments here and were married here and in a sweet way, I felt a sweet connection with the past while there.
Standing outside of the temple again in December brought back those memories again.
Again as I entered into the lobby where the vending machines were located, I felt that strong feeling of charity and love which I have felt each time. Again, as I have mentioned in the past, there is nothing more unique or special about using the vending machines for donating than anyone can do by giving money from their own homes or by reaching out to the many thousands of worthwhile charities around the world. Giving of what we have is an important part of helping those around us and money and time are both valuable things to share. But there is a feeling of being part of something special and sweet and to hear individuals and families talk while in line and as they chose items is a privilege.
This year (I am sure in an effort to speed things up) we were handed a list of items which were available in the vending machines to be donated. It was a Giving Machine Menu. It listed some agencies and then items with a variety of price points that you could select from. Again, as we waited in line, I loved to hear the people talk about the items and why they were choosing certain things. One family with several children were letting each child pick something. One child picked eye exams and glasses for children as her donation. Her mother said, "That is a good idea. You know how much getting glasses has helped you this year and now other children will have that same chance." This was a little girl of probably 7 to 8 years old. Getting glasses might not have been her first choice when it happened, but she figured out it helped her and she saw it as a way she wanted to help others.
On our way down from Syracuse, Gary was teasing me about buying a sheep again this year. I reminded him that it was a goat that we had donated a few years ago and that they didn't offer sheep.
BUT there on the menu was a sheep for the CHurch World Service organization. I knew we needed to donate a sheep, so that was our choice. Gary's mom wanted to donate for polio vaccines for children. Jena picked art supplies for a local charity in Salt Lake.
Like any vending machine, you push the right number and something falls down to the bottom of the machine. The difference is that you don't pull anything out. 100% of the money is given to the identified/selected charities.
Closeup of the tree in the lobby of the building--
While waiting in line and while donating, sweet Christmas songs were being sung by a choir on the upper balcony. The sights and sounds of Christmas surround us on every side.
We walked back out to the Temple Square about 10 minutes before 5 and the Christmas lights were not yet on. Gary's mom was the one that suggested that we wait for the lights to come on.
Inner temple lights were on---
Selvie while we waited---
The natural lights of the sky were changing as the sun began to sink in the west. It is a bit hard to see but on the other side of the pond is a family getting professional pictures taken. Don't know the story but we wondered if they had just been sealed as a family or perhaps one of the children had been added to their family. It was fun to watch the dad and three boys in suits and the mom and daughter in white dresses as they posed by the temple and then by the pond.
First lights were on the temple itself and come on every evening year around at dusk. They looked green and then a few minutes later, the more familiar white.
And shortly after five o'clock, they turned on----
Our hotel in the back ground--to the west of Temple Square.
A look back at the temple--
Gates and walls will be changed along with many other significant changes to the grounds surrounding the temple. Very glad to have this last time to visit it and look forward to visiting it again when the changes are completed. They have announced that there will be Christmas lights around the area depending on where work is being done over the next five years, but not the whole area.
The Assembly Hall---
A quick change of clothes and dinner at a local restaurant and then off to the MAIN EVENT--a "Piano Guys" concert.
Here we are taking the normal pre-concert selvies--You might be able to tell if you are versed in Utah Jazz that we are attending the concert at the Vivint Smart Home Arena where the Jazz play basketball when they are at home. Except for the sections behind the stage, the place was packed to see "two dudes play classic music with a piano and a cello." (their description of themselves.)
The concert was AMAZING!!! We laughed, we cheered, we were amazed, and at least, I cried. Again the talents that people have (and have worked so hard to develop) are incredible. Check out their youtube videos.
One that they played at the concert is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOO5qRjVFLw
They played the video on a huge screen while playing the music on stage. At one point near the end the stage went dark for a minute and then when the lights came up there were a group of performers playing the bagpipes live. So powerful (and after seeing this scenery, Scotland has leapfrogged up on my list of places to visit. Watch the video and you will see what I mean.)
One fun moment was during the intermission, I was checking facebook and noticed that a friend of mine had posted a picture of her and her husband at this very concert. I quickly texted her and we figured out we were a section apart and they were about 10 rows down from us. I was able to run down and have a quick hug and conversation with my friend, Eileen Bradford (she is a friend we have know since Hong Kong days.) How fun is that!
We were able to walk home from the concert to our hotel which was very nice......
Morning views out our hotel window as the sun was coming up over the mountains to the east--
And we headed back to regular Saturday stuff--bowling for Gary and Jena, then ushering for Jena and I with Meggan and then getting ready for Sunday. A perfect get-away!!!
