Friends For A Visit

Our friends, Marcie and Kevin Carter, came to Arkansas for her to visit with some of her elderly relatives.  Their schedule worked out to spend a day with us on Friday, June 30.  We met for breakfast at IHOP in Ft. Smith, then headed to the Parley P. Pratt Memorial, the Bentonville Temple Open House, and then the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and then dinner at Slim Chickens.  They spent the night in Bentonville, but we headed home and (of course) took a new road through the hills of NW Arkansas, stopping in Devil's Den State Park along the way.

Marcie and Kevin served as zone leaders for the Library zone in the Church History Library.  They are from Kaysville.  We grew to love them as we served together and plan for many more times of being together.  They are currently waiting for their next mission call.  It was so fun to be with them and to share some time and conversation together.  Marcie said it was the perfect day.  I agreed!

Parley P. Pratt Memorial near Alma, AR

Bentonville Temple on a pretty June day----The back of the temple

Us with the Carters....

Crystal Bridges Museum of America Art--the buildings and setting itself are also works of art.

"We the People" made with shoe strings.....

An artist (whose name I forgot to take a picture of) drew several pieces of art with George Washington as the feature person.....

I loved the little sayings he put throughout the painting to represent aspects of Washington...in his opinion anyway.

One room featured art work related to the American Flag

One section was a collection of photos with flags in them by unknown photographers.  Some the flag was featured but in others, it was just "accidently there".  It was touching if you are a flag lover like me!

Jena taking a break,,,,

Art posing as a light fixture---one early example of the Tiffany light

Based on the Good Humor ads from the 1980s or so, this is a play with the alphabet. Who thinks of these things?  My mind does not work that way.

The buildings are built over a creek which created some ponds around which the museum is built.

In the above picture, you can see the faint reflection of the orange and green from the art work below.  This is an interesting piece (called Loopy Doos or something like that).  The artist designed it and then taught art students how to paint it.  There is one exactly like it in another museum in the east--both the same but painted on site.

All types of art...on the walls, floors and ceilings.

Jena tried to copy the pose of the Pinochle 

Kevin Carter pondering this art piece

Art inside and outside...

A heart hanging over a dining area.  I sent a picture to Sister Janet Newbold who collects heart pictures.  She loved it!

This is a row of gauze hanging down to provide "places of quiet reflection" and other stuff.  I didn't really get it...

But art can be that way and it is okay.  That is the beauty of art.  It speaks to us in its own way and perhaps it is different for each of us. I highly recommend you visit this museum if you are ever in Bentonville.  Glad we could share it with the Carters!