Tuesday, October 31, 2017

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!  We hope all the kids had fun with costumes, carnivals, trick-or treating, trunk-or-treating, or whatever made this unusual day fun.  It would be fun to see pictures of their activities.

The temple experience was wonderful again today and I noticed how peaceful it feels there.  The more I participate in the ordinances the more meaning they have.  So often when I was much younger, I didn’t really appreciate the significance of the blessings and promises that are available to each one of us.  That meaning deepens every day.  I hope that each of you has an opportunity to participate in the initiatory ordinance every once in a while, and that you will also be sealing patrons.  Really listen to the words and seek for the Spirit to enlighten your mind as you hear the promised blessings.  So awesome!!

Here are more pictures from Glade’s adventures yesterday.

This is a reflecting pond.   The water runs right through the center of the photo 

and you can see a perfectly reflected image.

This is the "ghost" of the caverns because of its appearance.

More stalactites

This was a wide formation that looked like a huge drape.  It was spectacular!!

This is one of the tallest formations in the caverns.

Stalactites increase in length by one inch every 100 years.

Stalagmites increase by 1 cubic inch every 300 years.

This is an organ that a man built in the caverns.  It took him three years. 

 The sounds are produced by solenoids and magnified by the environment.

There was an old-car museum that housed this 1906 Cadillac  

At that time it sold for $9,500 as a new car.

This is a covered wagon!

This is a 1914 Locomobile that could travel 70 miles per hour.

These three photos are in the Shenandoah Valley.   Glade is hiking part of the famous

Appalachian Trail that goes from Maine to Georgia.

There were a few fall colors, but nothing as bright as expected.

This is a very unusual solid rock formation.  It looks like a stack of cut logs, but the whole thing is made of rock and goes up a steep incline on a hill about 35-40 feet.   The hill goes much higher.  You won't be able to understand the wonder of this formation from the photo, but it was pretty amazing. 

Good-bye October; Hello November!!  Time is flying right along with all the leaves.

Love you all--Good Night  :)   

Monday, October 30, 2017

It rained most of the night—real rain since we could finally hear it hitting the windows.  It was quite cold this morning measuring in the forty’s and blowing a little, but the sun was shining.  An excursion was planned to the Luray Caverns in Virginia.  People car pooled for the two-hour drive and Glade went with our next-door neighbors.  They didn’t get back here until about 7:00 p.m.  I opted to stay home and take care of some things I needed to do here.  It was cold and windy and I didn’t particularly want to hike.  I know—missed an opportunity, right?  It’s okay 😊.   My day included a trip to the stake center to practice the piano and I spent a wonderful hour playing Christmas music!  Tis almost the season.

Glade took some great pictures.  I’ll start adding them here but will probably have to finish in tomorrow’s blog.  It’s getting late and we have to get up early. 

Photo of the arrival.  There was a fantastic old car museum on the left.  

Tomorrow's post will show a few highlights.  Glade said it was pretty amazing.

This is just a highlight of the cavern.

This is my awesome husband doing what he loves--hiking in the great outdoors!

Good Night, Everybody!

Sunday, October 29, 2017

The ground was wet this morning and there was evidence of rain, like puddles and soggy leaves, before and after church; but we never really saw it rain.  Perhaps it mists, or the humidity reaches the max, or whatever; it is a mystery!  It was nearly dark by the time our block of meetings was over at 5:30 today and next week it will be totally dark as we change from Daylight Savings Time. 

I have loved the cool overcast days of this last week and am reminded of all those wonderful childhood memories of dusk in the fall when home was so warm and welcoming after the chill of the darkening evenings.  I wish I could paint a picture for you and use words that would create a feeling for you of what it was like.  But alas, I’m just a novice with a memory.

The furnace hummed and pushed comforting warm air from all the floor vents, and a simple supper in the making filled the air with an aroma that promised yummy food.  As children we spent hours together playing games like Sorry (only it was called “Pollyanna”) and Animal Rummy.  Curled up on the couch, we read books and wrote plays.  We played jacks for hours and colored in our coloring books until the crayons were short and our arms were tired.  We learned poems and sang our favorite songs while the brisk winds scattered dry leaves outside.  It was always a feeling of safety, coziness, warmth, and happiness.  Does anyone remember the Little Lulu coloring pages I sent in the fall when we were in Honduras?  Those pages still evoke some of my favorite memories.  Pictures are worth a thousand words and can bring a memory to the mind in seconds!   I so hope my children have fond memories of home during my favorite season.

We have resorted to buying bottled drinking water.  At first, we thought we could tolerate the tap water but soon found we couldn’t do it.  It makes it hard to drink enough water during the day.        

Except for the bishop, our ward bishopric was reorganized today and Glade was called to be the Executive Secretary!  This will be a new experience for him and might stretch him a little since he has always had a secretary both in Church callings and in his profession, but has never been one.  He hopes to improve his computer and communications skills.  He wants me to be the secretary to the secretary  😊

I pray that you all will find spiritual strength to sustain you as you keep your covenants and follow the counsel of our prophet and the Word of the Lord in the scriptures.  It is imperative that we bolster our testimonies in order to stand with the righteous in these latter days and not succumb to the enticings of the destroyer.  You all are in our prayers every day. 

Love you so much!  😊

It would be nice to get an email or a text from you once in a while—just sayin’  . . .

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Three beautiful white-tail deer ran across the street near us this morning and scampered up the inclined lawn of a big house in our neighborhood.   Who would think there would be so much wildlife right within the city limits!   It’s probably not that rare actually—except in Rigby where we only see moose!  You all have seen deer on lawns in Provo, in Logan, and wild horses in Reno.  It just makes the morning walk awesome—especially with all the lush trees and rich colors. 

There are about 25 senior missionaries here from Arizona, and one newly-arrived couple braved the cool morning to take a walk.  They laughed when we passed them as they were all bundled up while some of the local runners were out in short pants and t-shirts!

Glade and I led a session tonight that was filled with young single adults who came as a ward and had a chapel meeting prior to the session.  It was great!!  They bring a great spirit with them and exude so much energy. 

Also in the session was a Latino couple who were doing work for his parents.  After the session, we attended the sealings they did for his parents and her grandparents.  It was very emotional and they were so happy to be doing this work for their relatives.  I was happy that I understood most of what the sealer was telling them as there was quite a bit of conversation about getting children sealed to these couples later.  During the sealing, which of course was in Spanish, it took us right back to a beautiful sealing room in Honduras.  Loved it!!

All is well here.  Hope all is well wherever you are, my sweet family.  Love and hugs!!  😊

Friday, October 27, 2017

Friday’s are our shortest shift, but since it’s at night we start out tired!  We’re just feeling our age I guess.  There is only one other missionary couple on this shift; the rest are district workers who are local.  Local means from any place in the temple district and that covers a lot of miles.  I’m still amazed at the sacrifices people make to serve in the temple, especially after putting in a long work day and then coming to work a shift.  It’s quite humbling.

Love you all and would love to hear from you 😊   Have a great week-end.  It’s almost November!! 

Thursday, October 26, 2018

Glade went to “The Sweat Shop” this morning so I walked by myself.  It is a safe route with runners, school kids, and early dog walkers interspersed along the way.  I had to get back in time to go to the Church to practice, which was fun because I took chapel-appropriate Christmas music and played it on the baby grand.  It was awesome!!!  It’s getting cold enough to consider the approaching season realistically.

Last night, I decided to organize the family names that were ready for sealings.  I put together parents who needed to be sealed to each other and then added their children’s cards so they could become a family.  Then there were lots of individual sealings for spouses, sons to parents, and daughters to parents.  It was getting late, and although I hadn’t counted on doing the whole stack, I just kept going until it was finished.  I took the names to the temple this morning not knowing if ordinance workers could do their own names when they were assigned to be sealing patrons.  I have never had that assignment before.

While visiting with the shift director, I asked her if an ordinance worker patron could do his or her own names, and she said definitely yes.  For the first time, that assignment was on my sheet today and was scheduled for an hour and a half.  Aside from director positions, nothing lasts that long.  She remembered giving me that assignment and told me that she really prays for direction when placing the workers for the next shift.  

So here I was with an hour and a half at the end of the shift having the chance to do sealings.  Glade wasn’t there since he was veil coordinator; but I was there and gave the sealers—I was there through two of them—all my organized names and we went to work.  There were a few couples who came in to have a few family names sealed, but the rest of the time was spent on the names I took.  What a coincidence!  Someone on those cards was a little anxious to get this work done today!!  What a blessing to have parents sealed to each other and children sealed to their parents.  It was beautiful.

I know that Heavenly Father directs His work.  We see tender mercies and small miracles every day.  Old people may forget their lines, people still have serious health issues, and parents grieve over struggling family members; but blessings are bounteous, the work goes on, knowledge increases, and testimonies are strengthened.  The Lord’s hand is in our lives. 

The last of the lingering roses in DC

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Glade dropped me off at the temple about 6:00 a.m. this morning to start my new Wednesday assignment.  Coupled with that was a new position as Initiatory Director, so I had a busy day.  Nothing is terribly difficult; it is just a matter of staying organized and REMEMBERING everything!  And the temple is so big that you have to cover a lot of ground traveling from floor to floor.  It is amazing.

There were sweet experiences today as patrons emotionally shared their temple experiences.  Participating in this work every day really changes a person.  One of the workers who is leaving soon spoke in Church Sunday and talked about how being here has changed him and he feels like a much better person for having been here and having worked in the temple.  He said he is afraid that after going home he is going to become the person he used to be, and he doesn’t want that to happen.  He wasn’t a bad person, by any means, but has just become so much better. Perhaps it is that way with most missionaries.  If you put in your best work, it does change you; but the temporal world seeks to re-stamp it’s influence when the experience is over.  We will fight to keep that from happening!  😊

It's definitely cooler here now as it probably is everywhere else!  The leaves are really starting to show their colors--and the lights for the trees on the temple grounds just keep going up every day.  Wow, it takes a lot of time and work.  We can’t wait to see it finished in all its glory!

Love you all.  Enjoy every breathe and sight of this fall season.  (To capitalize or not, the seasons of the year.  I usually do, but read that it is correct not to.  Oh, well.)

Happy Birthday to Emily today, and to Ava and Isla a few days ago!

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

It was a really busy day and that is good.  We rotate from assignment to assignment about every hour unless we serve as a director or lead a session.  The time just flies.  But new responsibilities are looming and the training just keeps on coming.  It is more than a little intimidating, but sometimes it is just sink or swim and we pray for inspiration.

Glade and I helped as patrons in sealings first thing this morning.  A couple had brought  family names and the sister shared that one was her father and the other names were also family members.  She said it had been a long time in the works and had finally reached the point where they could do these ordinances today.  We hugged and shared in her happiness as she and her husband helped with this work.  When we see families doing work for other family members, the ordinances take on new perspective and become more real!

With a new assignment I have to be at the temple about two hours early tomorrow.  Hope I can be a fast learner.  The powers that be tend to leave you on your own way too soon. 

Good Night and Much Love to Everyone😊

Monday, October 23, 2017 

A kind couple from North Ogden who have been here quite a while offered to show us the ropes of using the metro and the train to get into the city.  We thought it was going to be a short drive to the metro station and a tutorial, but their plan was to actually take the train into the Mall and see some of the sights there.  So, after our walk, we hurried to shower and change and started off on our adventure. 

We got our passes, learned how to add more money to them as needed, maneuvered the turnstiles, found the metro train (subway), and took the red line into the city.  It was a beautiful day—sort of overcast, a slight breath of moving air to disperse the humidity a little, and the perfect temperature.  We only stayed for a few hours and didn’t rush since it is so easy to get there and back.  It will be nice to go often and not have to stress over having to see everything in one trip like on a vacation. 

We spent most of our time in the Museum of Natural History and loved it just as we would have if we were kids.  Do any of our children remember being there?  I’ve overdone the photos again, but it is pretty easy to scan quickly through them.  Maybe some of the kids would like to see the animals.   We found a food stand close by and had a delicious chicken sandwich!

And talk about squirrel haven—they are just everywhere and we actually saw a white one today.  The photo isn’t too great since I was hurrying to catch the “circulating” bus that takes tourists around the major attractions, and couldn’t get a good shot.

We racked up about 16,000 steps and just under eight miles walking today.  It was all good, but we are really tired tonight.  We still managed to get some laundry done and take care of some business things tonight, but we are ready to crash!!!

A lady who lives on the street where we walk has several beehives all around her property!

We're finally starting to get more color in the trees!  Some of you have 

better examples of beautiful fall color, but we'll get there.  

This black squirrel is not saving this nut for winter but is having it for breakfast!!

Captured this on our walk. 

This little scavenger has picked up a nut and proceeded to dig a hole to bury it.

  If you look at this on your computer instead of your phone, you can enlarge it and get a better view.

 There is a white squirrel at the base of this tree on the right side.

Thinker on a Rock--or something like that! 

Look at that face!! 

This creature can eat leaves from trees, but it still has to have water. 

What a hard way to get a drink! 

Has it's own striped leggings!!

This is a brown bear that is said to have evolved into a polar bear eventually.

This made us think of Jeff and his new adventure  The next photo describes the bones 

and the third is a picture with the skeleton covered with a body. 

It was increasing in numbers very rapidly as we stood and watched it. 

That's All!  Good Night!!

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Sundays are busy, even for seniors like us.  Between home teaching, visiting teaching, a separate trip to the church for choir practice, closing up the building after church, and attending the block—where we gave the prayers in Sacrament Meeting—there was little time for personal study and family history. 

I’m trying to organize the remaining family names we found and printed in St. George to take to the temple here for help in getting them finished before the two-year mark is up.  The temple won’t take them after that until you print new cards.  The names go back into the system or become “temple names” and anyone can do the work unless you reserve the names again.

One brother who is leaving this mission soon spoke in Sacrament meeting today and shared the concept that we are always an example by the way we live and who we are—either an example for good or an example of bad choices.  That’s a given, but the context in which he gave examples was very impressionable and made me realize how important our example really is.  We may never know the impact we have had on someone’s life because of the way our example impressed him or her.  Maybe someone was impressed to look into the Church and hear the missionaries because of our integrity and devotion to being a follower of Christ.  Or, maybe someone’s faith was weakened because of something even small and thoughtless that we may have done that belied our beliefs and appeared hypocritical.  My prayer is to always be that example for good so that if it comes back to haunt me, I will love the haunt!!  😊     

The ducks lifted off the water before I could capture a photo this morning, but the deer were cooperative and let me get a couple of pics before they disappeared into the trees.  They are beautiful and the early morning setting remains wonderfully serene although punctuated by waves of scampering squirrels.

Glade and I led the 8:00 p.m. session tonight and were nearly the last ones out of the temple.  I was able to do some Spanish and that was fun.  It is a lot of work but we are loving it!  

There are two deer just left of center in the above photo.

This is so fun--like having them live in our back yard!

Friday, October 20, 2017

This Friday was a restful day as compared to the last few Fridays and we were grateful.  Our early walk was cool enough that we could see our breath, but it was still so beautiful and we will be sad when the trees are all bare and it is winter-y.

There was a couple from Idaho Falls in the temple today who were vacationing here and visiting a son who lives in the area.  It was quite a coincidence to run into them.  They were trying to find their way out of the temple 😊

Last week we found a kind of glue trap for spiders, etc., and I put several in my closet.  I have been leaving the light on in the closet—it is a large walk-in closet—all the time, except for sleeping; and we bought a small fan that runs in the closet, too, to keep it a little dryer in hopes that it will discourage those creepy camel crickets!  I did find one in a trap this morning, but other than that, and one I saw tonight in the bathroom, we haven’t seen so many.  Maybe all the efforts plus the Raid I spray periodically are helping. 

Good Night, Everyone.   

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Thursdays are our longest days and we arrive home tired.  Friday and Saturday are late-starting days, so we have some restful mornings on the horizon.

The afternoon was rather quiet with only a few patrons in the temple, but attendance really picked up later.  There can be lots and lots of people there, but it is so big that hallways and ordinance areas are never really teaming with activity--at least not usually.  There are six large ordinance rooms and they are all on the fourth floor.  It takes forever to walk the perimeter.  The rooms all feed into a large central celestial room that is amazing. 

We are loving our work, all the great people here, and the feeling that pervades the walls of the House of the Lord.  Good night everyone.  Sending hugs and all our love.    

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

The two most intimidating responsibilities on a shift for me are 1) working in the office answering the phone, and 2) acting as Endowment Director.  Those were both on my schedule this morning!  Practice makes perfect, however; and hard things make us better and stronger, right?  It all worked out great, and does get easier each time. 

Pres. Folger called us into his office at noon and asked us if we would be Assistant Shift Coordinators for Wednesday mornings.  We’re not sure we are ready for this and don’t know exactly what we have said “yes” to; but, of course, we did say yes.  There is always more to learn, more training to do, and new experiences waiting in the wings.  Our brains have just got to keep functioning because there is more to do!!!  We are counting on your prayers!  Thanks.

The following information on the Washington DC Temple was in a binder I was looking through in the office and thought it might be of interest to you.

1.    The temple grounds cover 57 acres.

2.    Ground-breaking took place December 7, 1968.

3.    The temple was dedicated by Pres. Kimball on November 19, 1974.

4.    The temple exterior is constructed of 175,000 square feet of Alabama marble and 23,000 square feet of granite.

5.    The windows are of marble planed to 5/8-inch thickness which allows light to be visible from both inside and outside the temple.

6.    The stained-glass windows at either end of the temple are 132 feet high, seven feet wide, and are of one-inch faceted pieces of glass.

7.    The temple has seven floors and a total of 160,000 square feet.

8.    The highest of the spires is 288 feet high.

9.    The 2 ½ ton figure of the Angel Moroni stands 18 feet tall and is covered with gold leaf.

10  The temple faces East in accordance with the scripture in Matt 24:27, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

You can't see the beauty of the stained-glass because it is so small in the photo posted here, but the narrow dark line going all the way from bottom to top of the far-right side of the temple in the photo is where the glass is.  It has very bright colors at the bottom including reds and blues, and gradually changes colors towards the top until it is all light blues and whites at the top—symbolic, of course.  You can see the glass up close from the inside in the stair wells and can actually lean over and view it from top to bottom!  It just makes you dizzy, but is so beautiful.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Working in the temple was great today.  We love being busy and love our work.  Our goal is to become proficient in all of the ordinance workers' responsibilities, and we’re getting there a step at a time.

There are beautiful deer in our neighborhood and we have come upon them two different times but haven’t been able to act fast enough to get a photo.  Glade saw some today, but a couple walking their dog couldn’t keep it contained and the deer bolted!  Maybe another time. 

We have home teachers!  And they came to our apartment tonight.  We haven’t had any for a really long time and it was delightful to visit with them and hear their message.  As per our discussion, I encourage each of you to record your personal experiences, especially spiritual experiences, to at some point in time share with your children and grandchildren.  The faith and testimony you express could impact and change the life of a family member.  With a little focus, time, and soul-searching, you will be able to recall important things to share.   :) 

These are our home teachers:  Brother Chin and Brother Stowers  

Monday, October 16, 2017

Lots of housekeeping things kept us busy after our walk—shopping, laundry, and cleaning.  Since we worked six days last week and had church responsibilities to take care of, we were really behind. 

We went back to the mall where I bought Wal-flowers—plug-in air fresheners—because we learned that we can’t burn candles in a Church-owned building which includes our apartment.  Did I write that already?  Sorry to be redundant if I did.  The fragrance is “Leaves” and smells wonderful.  

The collector in me took over this morning and I started picking up leaves along the walking path—just couldn’t help myself.  I have collected leaves in Cleveland, in New England, in Honduras, and every place else where they are beautiful.  Not many of the trees are in full color yet and I'm a little worried about what I'll do when they are!!

Good night all—sent with love.  😊

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Glade went to choir practice this morning while I finished preparations for my Relief Society lesson and finalized prelude music.  I figured out how to make copies from my printer, but couldn’t get them centered or enlarged just right.  That will wait for another day. 

The organ playing went well and after getting over the initial stage fright, I actually enjoyed playing.  However, when I started the introduction for the closing song, no sound would come from the pipes.  I checked everything, and all seemed to be in order.  The other organist was sitting fairly close to the front of the chapel and we exchanged a knowing glance that something was wrong.  She had experienced this one other time while practicing and knew that a circuit breaker had tripped.  Luckily, she had the key to the closet on the rostrum, opened the door, turned on the light, reset the breaker, and we were good to go!  It was a little peculiar, but expedited without confusion or fuss.  I was so glad she was there with the key and knew what to do.  Piano accompaniment would have worked just fine, but the organ was better.

Glade sang with the choir today and it was beautiful.  There seemed to be more men than women and their section was very strong.  Loved it!! 

The RS lesson went pretty well.  I didn’t have to bribe anyone with the Hershey treats but shared them after the lesson anyway.  I’m just so relieved tonight that it is finished.  It has been a very long time since I have taught a class. 

Two single senior missionary sisters invited us and another couple to dinner after our meetings.  It was so kind of them and it really helped to not have to worry about dinner after our busy day.  We ate brownies and ice cream for dessert so had to take a bit of a walk in the dark afterward to help us sleep tonight.  It is so pleasant and beautiful outside in spite of the humidity.  That still challenges me!

Tons of love to our incredible family whom we both love so much!

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Busy, busy day, but it was a great one.  We walked our three miles, stopped at Safeway to get little chocolate treats for the sisters after my Relief Society lesson tomorrow so that they might overlook my inadequacies, went to the Farmer's Market to get Great Harvest bread and a fresh tomato, had a long organ practice at the Church, reviewed my lesson, and then worked the night shift at the temple.  

We are just loving our work here in the temple.  They needed me to help with Spanish ordinances and I loved it.  Then Glade and I helped in a session together again.  Last night, we were patrons and were able to do endowments for two of our family names.  We meet so many people from Utah and Idaho and often have a connection to people we both know.

It is amazing to me that so many people know the endowment session process so well and need very little help to finish it.  That, to me, means they are regular attenders and many are young couples!  I am impressed that they take time to travel great distances in awful traffic to come often.  One sister last night said that it took her over an hour and a half in the traffic to get to the temple.  Then, when she was finished, she had to return home late; and I so hoped that the traffic was lighter and she made better time.  Many of the district workers travel great distances to serve.  And sometimes it is not the distance that is the issue so much as it is the crazy traffic.  Scott is right.  It is unbelievable.  Many take their turn being late--ordinance workers, temple presidency members, patrons, and everyone else except the temple missionaries.

We see a few young kids on our walks as parents accompany them to bus stops, and I realized that we don’t see kids very often and haven’t for quite a while, and I miss them!  But there must be a few around who are going to celebrate Halloween as evidenced by a few decorated yards.  So I took a couple of pictures for kids.  There are also a few from the Farmer's Market.

This is a little corner strip mall with a garden shop that we pass everyday.  

I'll be so sad when fall turns to winter and the pumpkins and gorgeous fall flowers are gone!