Yes, I am.

I was eating my breakfast of fish, egg, cucumber and grapefruit when she sat down next to Ruth and I.  Kathy is from Minnesota who gardens at the arboretum.  "Are you guys leaving soon?"  "Have a seat, we`ll stick around for a bit."  Her dark bangs are cut super short and her glasses have the personality of a turquiose cheetah.  She`s a character.

Our conversations lead toward talking about the differences between gardening in the USA vs. the UK and Europe.  Kathy asks where I am from.

"Oh!  Well that explains it."

She turns to Ruth and leans forward to explain it." 

"Salt Lake City is just this different place.  I mean it`s just different.  Before it was a dry and barren desert with nothing.  Then this group of people migrated out and established a communuity.  And there`s this lake of salt.  The land there is very unique.  It`s just different.  But not only is the terrain different.  The people are different.  Mormons live there - these Mormons.  They are VERY secluded and reserved and racist.  They don`t like outsiders and are strange...da da da da da."

"Well, I think you may have to wrong idea of what Mormons are."

She turns to me and her eyes widen a bit.

"I am a Mormon."

"YOU ARE A MORMON!!!! 

But...!!"

She looks me up and down.

"Your clothes!"

"Yeah, what about `em."

I was in jeans, scoop neck t-shirt, and my black converse.  Pretty basic.  Pretty normal.  She was surprised by how much skin I was showing for being a Mormon and all. 

We chat for a while and all the positive things she thinks about Mormons come out.  Like, all the women are beautiful, just beautiful.

"Tell them about the vault."

"Well...there`s this vault, and it`s in the mountain...." 
She says she`s going to sit next to me later on.  She has lots of questions.  And she has and it`s been great.  I have been able to clear up preconceived ideas which are not so spot on. 

The other day at breakfast she walked by and looked at my tray of food choices.  "Oh you are so smart.  I am just going to do everything that you do...."  "...will I be more protected if I stand close to you?"  Like I said, she`s a character.

Her most recent comentary....

"You have such a pure look in your eyes.  A real purity...

...but not innocence."

****

While having dinner on the canal last night John asked, "Are you Mormon?" 

"Yes."

"OH, THAT`S GREAT!!!" 

With a huge smile and a laugh, "So that`s why you never get a beer.  That`s just great.  Wonderful."

Every group needs their token Mormon friend.