This is the fifth picture I tried to upload but the first that worked so I'm going for it.Preview of coming attractions: Excerpt from journal October 17, 1978:
Saturday night after the kids went to bed, Mike let Enoch get up. We read several stories in The Friend together. Then we tried to find hidden pictures. We found nearly everything but a ghost. Mike came out of the bathroom and found it in a second. Enoch and I laughed. Then we went to del Prados to deliver a tiny carrot birthday cake. Enoch carried it with one blue candle. A friend visiting at del Prados asked if Enoch is our only child. We laughed. It was nice to have a little time with E. Austin alone.
October 23: Yesterday afternoon Enoch and I played Oh H---. He won, the little rascal. Kept getting the "trumpets." Later, looking the movie section in the newspaper, Enoch said, "I wish they had Charlie Chaplin II." (We had gone to see a Charlie Chaplin movie on campus a while before.)
Rereading my old journals made me remember what good company you've always been, Enoch. I love you very much and hope you have a happy, happy birthday and a happy year.
19 comments:
Enoch was the first member of the family that Christian introduced me to. Amy had just had Ada and Christian suggested that we go visit. We drove up to NY in a 12 passenger van. It was pouring rain. We went with our friends Buffy and Diego. When we got there poor Amy probably wanted to just rest and we, clueless, just hung out. Enoch was super nice to me and like always the perfect host. When we left he gave us a bag of cookies. I just found out that Amy was looking forward to those cookies that a friend brought over for her. ooops. I'm glad she forgave us for taking away her cookies. It was great to be able to visit them in NY as often as we could. Enoch has always been hospitable. One time we arrived late at night and I was saying how much I wanted soft serve frozen yogurt. Enoch got up and immediately said, oh I'll take you let's go find some. I convinced it was alright, we didn't have to go. So instead Enoch got some ice cream and microwave it for me so it would be soft. I was SO impressed with his gesture that I ended up eating it even though I got a stomach ache. When Enoch found out that I was lactose intolerant he would always get soy milk before we came to visit.
Enoch and Amy let Iris live with them for a summer. I will always be thankful for that. It was so good for Iris, in so many ways. When my mom came to visit Enoch picked her up from the airport. She asked Iris how she would recognize him. Iris responded. “Well, if he has his kids with him then he'll for sure have one of them on his shoulder." When my mom stepped off the plane she spotted Enoch and sure enough he had Ada on his shoulder. Enoch is a wonderful father. I don't want to speak for Amy but... I know he's a very good husband too. And he's a wonderful brother-in-law. I love you very much Enoch. I am so glad you are Christian’s brother. Happy Birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ENOCH! You are an inspiration.
I had only seen Enoch from a distance when I was asked by Adrian Pulfer, the head of graphic design at BYU, to recommend Enoch for a position at the design firm I was working. He had just graduated and was soon moving to New York. I had been at Slover and Company for a short time, and though intense, made the requested recommendation. To this day I still wish I could remember in detail the conversation I had with Susan because the exact wording would later come to haunt me.
Susan's family worked for a traveling carnival. She was exposed to all kinds of strange human anomalies. The 600 pound fat man, the siamese twins, the woman with the beard, etc. Somehow during our conversation she was left with the impression that Enoch, though a very talented designer, looked a bit strange. Recalling her early years in the carnival she did not know how to proceed. I suppose it must have been out of curiosity that she met with Enoch. To her surprise he was strikingly handsome (and talented). He was hired on the spot.
Little did I know that Enoch would be such a great friend to me. We worked together for years and continue to. Enoch is an example of kindness, selflessness, patience, and much more. When I was fortunate enough to be blessed with the birth of my first son I honored Enoch by naming him Enoch Austin Meredith.
happy birthday Enoch - thanks for always treating me like family when I came to Brooklyn.
My final project as a senior at BYU was to create a full-blown marketing strategy and integrated campaign for Hallmark (the greeting card company). My team and I worked our tails off the entire semester to put together something amazing.
Although he had no official connection to the project, Enoch volunteered to design the deliverable in QuarkXpress. He spent hours doing it. Needless to say, it was amazing and to this day (more than ten years later), it still looks good.
At the end of the semester--before our final Hallmark presentation-- I ended up pulling three all-nighters in a row to get everything ready. By the time we finished the written report, we had only a couple hours to print / bind / and deliver the presentation to my professors. Due to the lack of sleep, I was hitting a wall and was struggling to pull it all together. Enoch, out of nowhere, came along to save the day---overseeing the final steps of production and getting it out the door on-time.
That's sort of the story of my friendship with Enoch. Just when I feel like I can't do it anymore, he comes along and saves the day. He's so great!
Happy birthday Enoch!!!
Even though I've exhausted my birthday wishes to my sister today (her 35th as well), I will add some here for Enoch.
Ridiculously nice. Overly accomodating. Eminently giving. Extraordinary father. Phenomenal designer. And one of the coolest cats I know. I'm proud to know him and consider him my friend.
Cheers mate and happy birthday!
Enoch has a gift of empathy and kindness. I remember when we were in Springville and Enoch was I think 2 or 3. I was very sad and Enoch was very concerned. I was there the night after Mike died and he took Christian on a skateboard ride cradled in his arms when C. was upset by a dream. Moonlit ride. Such great company recently riding along to the airport to take Sienna and Tony and stopping at Foodland on the way back where he insisted on buying everything I had in my cart. What great fun to know Amy better and to be with Ezra, Ada and Tenney. Definite highlight of my trip. Happy 35th Enoch from your adoring aunt. I guess you can run for President now.
Enoch is my other son. I enjoyed the time he lived with us in Lake Arrowhead during his senior year. I remember the mornings he, Travis and Morgan would come home and make breakfast after seminary. They would have contests who could make the biggest pancake then flip it without missing the pan. There were term papers (ugh) formal date dinners, sports events, talent nights, prom, graduation..such fun.
Enoch has always treated me with such love and respect. I'm so happy he is still a part of my life through his work and friendship with Travis. I know he and Amy have been Sara and Travis' family away from family. Happy birthday.
Enoch got us started surfing. What greater gift can you get than a lifetime of good waves? I don't remember him being too mad when Christian broke his new Eric Arakawa board while he was on his mission. He took us to the Na Pali coast to hike in 92 maybe, and then kayaking it this last year, which was awesome. And then when we went to pay our part of the trip, gave me a quote that was much less than half of the actual cost. He lent me his skate pads when I decided to start trying to learn to skate pools and gave me a board for Christmas. Thank you, its been super fun. Even though we don't have that many opportunities to hang out, we totally look up to you. It's nice that there is at least one of us that has a real job. Happy 35th. (You should think about running for President, the field is pretty weak this time around. I would vote for you.) We hope you guys can make it to Japan while we're here. Jesse
I remember the first time we paddled out to goats together. It was way too big for me. I didn't have a leash but enoch encouraged me to come anyway. Of course I got worked and had to swim in but enoch has always been good at encouraging me to do new and difficult things. The first time I actually figured out how to snowboard was with enoch. I can't say that I'v ever figured out skateboarding but I still have fun skating with him whenever we're around. I love visiting enoch because whenever I'm around enoch I always learn new things, see cool videos, or hear good music, not to mention the settlers games, and constant supply of ice cream and cold cereal. Enoch has always been a positive influence for good in my life. Thanks for being a great older brother.
We love Enoch. So generous and kind. Never ending games of ratatatcat and Uno. If you can make it to Japan, I can promise the best cereal assortment the country offers (8 kinds) and plenty of milk to go on it (in liter containers). But all worth it for you. Happy birthday.
wow. it has probably been 18 years since i've seen enoch but what a fun, amazing collection of memories i carry from back in those high school days. travis just found a funny old "groupy" picture of all of us, it would be nice to get together once again. happy birthday enoch! after reading all of the wonderful comments on this blog, it sounds like you haven't changed a bit!
Happy Birthday, Enoch! Thanks for always being such a great boss and a great friend!
enoch is one of the best helpers i've ever met. he is always willing to do anything, for anyone, at any time. one of the most meaningful things enoch has done for me is when i was having my 2nd baby. he stayed the night with scout, while travis, amy and i were at the hospital. no one had ever been able to get scout to sleep but me, but i knew enoch would be up for the challenge. he took excellent care of her. the next day, he came to my rescue once again by bringing me bagels and cream cheese with vitamin water when i found the hospital food intolerable.
my kids think of him as their 2nd father. no one is more fun and exciting. or has such vast knowledge about everything from credit card benefits to rice cookers.
we love you enoch! so glad you were born.
For those who may not know, the other boy in the picture Pam posted is his cousin Eric Boucher. They are about 2 weeks apart in age.
Enoch,
Have a happy birthday. We love you and think you are soooooooooooooooooooo cool. Much love, Grimsmans
Happy birthday Brother E! Still being at the Y, I hear stories about Enoch and his hombres all the time from the faculty. He is legendary. I only got to work with him for a few short months, but it was fast growth under his tutelage.
Posted on bahalf of Louis Mattsson...
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Enoch and his sweet family let 2 poor swedish students (aka me and my friend Maria stay)take over their cool apartment in Brooklyn during 2 weeks when we spent our Christmas/New years Holiday in NYC 2 years ago. I'll never forget that amazing trip or the kindness he and his family showed me and Maria.
I also remember him and Travis visiting my family in Gothenburg years and years ago. There was something about him that immediately made me like him then. Laid-back, cool, funny and impressively furry legs! haha
Palmers- You are such WONDERFUL and good people. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY Enoch!
Louise Mattsson Waller, Stockholm Sweden
I loved reading all of these comments. It was cool to get a broader picture of Enoch and his amazing influence, generosity and grace. Happy belated birthday! I enjoy every minute I get to spend with you, and it is never enough. Love, Colleen
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