Monday, 28 July 2014

We woke up to overcast skies and by the minute they darkened and darkened until they could not hold their load any longer.  They dumped rain, rain, and more rain down upon us.  The rain gutter outside our bedroom window must be clogged as the rain found a different path and ran right off the roof, splashing and splattering on our window ledge and the one below us.  It sounded as though river rapids were upon us!  It continued to rain and rain and then began to ease up but still rained all through the morning.

We went out in the rain to catch the bus at 10:15 a.m.  We rode to Crawley and spent three hours at the mall, shopping and checking out the stores and shops.  We had lunch at McDonalds.  While we were in the mall the rain stopped and the sky cleared up.  It turned a beautiful blue with nary a cloud to be seen.  On our way home, though, we noticed dark clouds gathering toward the south and by late afternoon it was raining again.

The rain was a wonderful blessing for the grounds and the flowers.  They soaked it up, every drop.

In Crawley, we ran into President and Sister Johnson and Brother Davey from the ward.   Sister Smith was on the bus with us to and from, but went her way with shopping.

We cleaned the flat; vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing, shining, dusting, washing, and drying.  We also defrosted the frig as it had collected a good stand of ice in the back.  I mended a pair of pants and ironed six shirts.  Dad and I both worked on paperwork and I did some family history research.  We both did some reading as well.

After supper, I went over to visit Sister Hale and Sister Freeman in the Manor house.  When I got outside it was lightly raining and I was too lazy to go back in for an umbrella.  I made my visits and in about an hour I was headed back to the flat.  It was still lightly raining, so I decided to take a shortcut through the Accommodations Centre.  When I exited the door near the Lodge, I saw the most stunning sunset; clouds swirling around with sunlight reflecting off of them in the most beautiful shade of orange gold!  It was glorious to behold.  I then turned to look at the temple and there it stood reflecting the light in a brilliant shade of pink and a rainbow arching over it!  It was amazing, and I did not have a camera with me.  I started running to the flat as I knew the picture would soon change. By the time I got back out, this is what I captured:

From Home:

Everyone has a thought on baby Eliza:  Gabe, Henry & Lorili.

Sunday And New Missionaries, 27 Jul 2014

Elder and Sister Blake joined us for dinner this afternoon.  They are from England and arrived on Friday to begin their mission.  They will be here for one year.  It was a delightful afternoon with good food and great conversation in getting to know them and them getting to know us.  We were able to give them a few pointers on missionary life here and they were happy for that.  (Wow, have we been here that long?)

We discovered they are in #46 at the Accommodations Centre, the room we were in!  Somehow that seemed to mean something.  Elder Blake served his younger mission in Colorado so he was more familiar with words and phrases we use.  He was a funeral director before their mission.  He had a story or two to share!

I had choir rehearsal, we did the week's planning, and we called Bob for a chat and even got to talk to Charly.  They are all doing well and Charly says summer is almost over; school is on the horizon.

From Home:

Isabel earned her Young Womanhood Medallion.

Quite the brothers, Jack & Pearson!

The Temple Week; 22-26 Jul 2014

Tuesday:  We are back in the temple today, working the late shift.  Dad and I were to lead the first session but his rota was changed, so I went as the follower and he was off to other duties.  We did finish in dealings together and that was a nice ending to the day.

I have been stopping by the beautiful flower beds here and pulling weeds.  It may sound crazy, but I miss that from home.  It is a good physical and emotional release.  I did again this evening as I headed home.  I just stop by the rubbish bins and pop 'em in!

We made a quick trip to Crawley this morning for a few items from the grocery store and the drug store.

The weather is cooler today - less humidity - the greatest difference.

Wednesday:  We took a taxi to East Grinstead to see the osteopath.  The adjustments were wonderful and we should be good for a month or more.  He has really helped our bodies get back to where they should be.

Dad has been communicating with a Bishop in the Burnley, where he served his mission.  He is trying to locate Julie Mutters, a girl he and his companion taught and baptized those many years ago. So, today, Dad and I were sought out by Margaret, a sister-in-law to Julie!  She even remembers Dad from his mission.  We had very delightful conversations and it appears our trip to Burnley in September will be a wonderful opportunity.


From Home:

And Eliza is dreaming:  "I came from Heaven a short time ago, it is true.  Lived there and loved there with people I know just like you. . . . . . . ."

Thursday:  Today is Pioneer Day.  No celebration here in our area, not even a mention of it at church.  This is a little surprising, or should I say different from what we are used to in the states.

We were off on the shopping trip this morning.  I have been looking for the supplements I take and today I found a store that has them.  They were having a half price sale as well, so that was nice.  The Wade's came over before our shift to discuss car details.  Their mission is completed the end of August and we will purchase their car at that time.  Dad is ready to have a car to drive!

Our shift went well with being busy.  I was assigned clothing/till with Sister George as my mentor.  She did a great job as she worked in banking for 30 years and is very comfortable handling money.  We handled only one transaction, so there is definitely more for me to learn.  I can hand out clothing though, and she gave me tips on that.  I cannot officially run the till until I am properly trained by Sister Hyde from the office.

We had separate preparation meetings today and Dad and I gave the spiritual thoughts.  The topic was "Enhancing The Temple Experience."  I thought mine was scheduled for Friday because that is what it said on Dad's rota.   Boy, I was glad I had prepared it ahead.

Dad:  "And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any clean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it; Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God."  (D&C 97:15-16)

Me:  Happy Pioneer Day!  When the first Nauvoo temple was dedicated, more than 5,000 saints flooded the doors to receive their ordinances.  They came during the day and into the night to receive the strength, power, and blessings of temple covenants to sustain them during their journey west.

Patrons come to this temple, in our day, for the very same purpose - to be strengthened, empowered, and spiritually prepared for their daily journeys in life.

As temple workers we have been called and set apart to administer these ordinances.  The patron becomes our #1 priority.  We help enhance their temple experience by leaving behind all personal affairs when we come each day to serve and by following the counsel found in the Kirtland temple dedicatory prayer:

“That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord, that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord; that thy glory may rest down upon thy people and that all people who shall enter may feel thy power.”  (D&C 109:9,12,13)

Friday:  This was our long day as there is an 8 p.m. session.  Before I knew it, in preparation meeting, they asked if I would give my spiritual thought again so the men could hear it.  I pointed out that the rota said Sister Wade had the assignment.  She was not prepared and they said the men needed to hear mine anyway and the sisters said they wanted to hear it again as well.  So, I gave it again.

I was in clothing/till all day and then Sister Hyde came after 7 p.m. to begin my training.  We were not extremely busy before that so Sister George and I had plenty of time to visit and get to know one another better.  It was after 8 p.m. by the time we cashed out and got the money counted and put in the safe.  Dad stayed later as he helped with the last session.

Saturday:  We began at 10 a.m. with preparation meeting and worked with the other shift until 12:15 p.m., when they went home.  I was busy the first two hours and then in clothing/till with Sister Wade. She is very good and helped me learn to recognize the different coins by pulling a bunch out and then asking me to give her back a certain amount.  We did this several time and it was a great help in learning them.  They have more than we do and all the different shapes can be confusing.  

You have a go at it!  Give me 83p change.

 Handing out the clothing helped me get more familiar with where everything is.  Sister Wade asked me to count out change for a patron and I did it right.  She said not to tell anyone!

We ended the day with being assigned a wedding/sealing.  Here in England, you cannot get married in the temple.  The patrons get married civilly, then come to the temple to be sealed.  Dad was the groom escort and I was the guest escort.  It was after 6 p.m. before we arrived at our flat.

Minibus Excursion, 21 Jul 2014

We were up and off on an excursion at 9 a.m.  There were more to go than seats in the minibus, so two cars went with four in each.  Dad and I rode with Brother & Sister Curley, the outing planners.  They are English through and through and are very well aware of English life, travel, and how to speak the Queen's English!   Therefore, we were the lead car.

Mulberry Restaurant

Sister Curley and I were in the back seat while Dad and Brother Curley were in the front.  Sister Curley had map in hand and could read it like any good book.  She doesn't believe in  sat navs and did the navigating as he drove.   There were times a wrong turn was made or a road was missed and she simply looked for the next alternative route and picked up where to go next.  As Dad says:  "You can't get there from here."  There are more twists and turns; round abouts and roads going off in every direction than you can shake a stick at!

The trip was very delightful as we sped around curves and corners of the most beautiful countryside roads in England.  We drove through tree tunneled lanes, one after another; dark as we entered, and some with high banks on either side.  It was as if the road had been scooped out of the dirt.  Sister Curley assured us it was not, but that the dirt banks had built up over hundreds of years of time.  One such tunnel was walled with thick tree trunks and roots.  It was as if they could have been large boulders, they were so closely fitted together.

On occasion the hedges along the road would thin out enough for us to look out over the rolling hills and valleys of farmland.  They grow mainly hops, wheat, and other grains.  We saw fields of sheep, cows, and some horses.  The homes were amazing as they ranged from very old to new and from very small to large.  Many of them had flower gardens growing at the entrance into their property or up next to the building.  They were in many different colors and sizes.  And, we saw many red telephone booths along the way!  I think they still work as there were phones in them.

We drove through towns with buildings and homes up and down each side of the road; the front doors so close, we could have stepped out of the car and knocked.  Some roads were very very narrow and Brother Curley pulled over and stopped more than once when meeting on-coming traffic for them to safely pass.  They would slowed down until they moved on.  We in turn would reverse the order on occasion.

Our first stop was Bodiam Castle.  It sits in the heart of the High Weald and was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III.  It was a working estate with farmland, wharf and flour mill.  It was built on the river Rother that Sir Dalyngrigge diverted to create the moat.  It is the typical medical castle, built in a square with round towers on each corner and a gatehouse in the center of one wall.

It has a moat all the way around it, but no drawbridge.

Dad at the gate.

As I took pictures, I thought of all the adventures  that may have occurred on these grounds!

We walked up the 60 steps of the northwest tower.  Along the way we looked out through the windows.  The steps were very steep and the top half were very thick and narrow.


The view was fantastic out across the countryside.  The northeast tower shows what it looks like where we were standing on the northwest tower.

There are crops of hops behind the information center.  Note the buildings with a cone shaped top; they are an oast house, a hop kiln, used for drying hops as part of the brewing process.

The inside of the castle is all ruins, as you can see.  Notice the local castle help; they explained some of the medical ailments of the time and what herbs and procedures were used to treat them.

Dad at the castle gate.  Ducks and fish in the moat.

Our travels took us into the county of Kent.  We learned that it is famous for its cherries.  As Sister Curley says:  "You haven't eaten cherries until you eat cherries from Kent!"  We saw them for sale all along the road.  She promised we would stop on the way home.  We scored better than that - there was a cherry stand at the car park at the castle.  We paid £6 for 2 kilos.  And, yes, they were delicious.  Dad and I ate them before we finished at the castle and bought another carton when we left.  

We next headed to Bateman's.

Bateman's is the home of Rudyard Kipling.  It is a 17th century house built of sandstone.  It sits on 300 acres of rolling countryside.  We did not make it all the way around, across, or over, but we did have a most delicious lunch at the Mulberry Restaurant.  I had a goat cheese and spinach tart and Dad had a sausage and apple pie.  Each was complimented with a fresh garden salad.  We sat outside and enjoyed the beauty of the day.

What is unique about the restaurant is they grow their own vegetables and herbs.  Can you see the onions in the bottom photo?  We watched them gather vegetables as they prepared dishes.


It was a fantastic tour in the home and getting a feel for what life was at the turn of the 20th century.  There are many rooms and each one is filled with furniture and personal effects of the Kipling family.

A look at his study where he did his writing.  The bookcase is on the opposite wall of the table with the typewriter.

 Notice the carpeting covering the stairs.  Dad is in one of the maze paths on the grounds.

There were many paths to follow and each led to more area to explore.

The top photo is the mill.  They still mill their own flour for all the baking and cooking.  The stones to grind the wheat are very large.  It is water-powered from the pond out back and on Wednesdays and Saturdays they have volunteer millers who come in and do the process.  The two other photos are buildings next to the mill.

Another oast house.  This one has been converted into a gift shop with amazing items to purchase that represent Kipling's life and his property.  The path leads to the mill.  Vegetation and blooms are everywhere and beautiful to see.

Dad wore out with walking and picture taking.  Doing what he does best - sitting!

Chickens roaming freely, how many can you see?

The missionaries taking a break.  Some were more tired than others.  Sister Hale is really taking it easy.  Brother Davis is wishing he had thought of it first and Sister Adler is busy talking.

What more can we say; it was an absolutely fabulous day!

Sunday And Slightly Cooler, 20 Jul 2014

Today is my dad's birthday.  I have been doing family history and my ancestors seem close at the moment.  I have been communicating with Croslin relatives and sending information back and forth through ancestry.com.  I am hoping we can all work together to extend the line.

My dad and I on my wedding day, 8 Dec 1967.

Dad and special grandchildren, Bobby & Jeanna.

Better weather today in not being so warm and the air is actually cool with a slight breeze and overcast skies.  Very nice.  We attended church and enjoyed the talks and lessons.  We learned about the Holy Ghost.  He is a life long companion if we are keeping the commandments and then listening when he does direct us.

Sister Smith and Sister Marsh joined us for dinner this afternoon.  We enjoyed the food and getting to know one another a little better.  Sister Marsh and her family has traveled and lived all over the world.  Her experiences were interesting.

We attended the monthly fireside at the Visitors' Centre where Sister Smith and Sister Hale told of their conversation stories under the title of, "Why I Believe."  They were both amazing stories and each recognized events in their lives before being introduced to the gospel where the Holy Ghost had prompted them.

From Home:

From John & Kristy Farar.  Welcome to earth, little Weston!

Saturday, 19 Jul 2014

The baptistry was very busy today.  We had two sessions on our shift and there were two on the afternoon shift.  Brother and Sister Reid were our assistants for the day and they were wonderful.  It has been several years since they worked in the baptistry so they were somewhat familiar with it and we worked well together.

The weather is humid in the mornings and then increases as the day proceeds.  We had rain all through the night but none during the day.  The inside the temple was extremely humid.  We were sticky and sweaty all the day long.  The engineers worked hard at trying to keep things cool with running down the temperature on the air conditioning and bringing fans into the areas.  At the end of our shift I took cards to be recorded and, ah, I found the cool spot!  Their office was heavenly!  I could have stayed in there all day.

We were exhausted and tired when we got home.  We each changed into relaxing clothes, turned on the fan, and took naps.  It was a relief from the riggers of the day.  We spent the late afternoon doing computer business and family history.  We ate dinner and then walked over to the accommodations center to put our names on the next excursion that will be in August.  We noticed it was movie night so we popped in to watch "Ice Age."  We enjoyed the animation and the diversion from the humidity.

Back at the flat, we started hearing a sound like coyotes howling outside.  We listened again and then went to the window to see if it was animal or man.  There was Sisters, Hale, Adler, Freeman, George, and a new sister, Sister Bustamonte, walking around with a made up ghost on a broom handle.  They were going around the lodge "scaring" the residence.  The Murdoch's, next door, threw candy at them and Dad invited them in for biscuits and ice cream.  They came in and we had a nice time visiting, greeting Sister Bustamonte, and enjoying the refreshments.

"I love to see the temple."

This Week In The Temple, 15-18 Jul 2014

Tuesday - We are on the AM shift this week and are baptistry coordinators.  The French saints are here for the week and they have baptisms scheduled for each morning, beginning at 8:15 a.m.  We were to the temple bright and early to ready the area and be there to greet them upon arrival.  Sister Pilgrim, who speaks French, is the coordinator for them this week as they have their own sessions and several of them are temple workers and others are in training.  They are preparing to be able to work in their temple in Paris when it opens sometime in 2016.  

Sister Pilgrim greeted us to be sure we were ready for them.  She did some further training with us which was very helpful and it was good to have her around for questions and clarification here and there.  We had stacks and stacks of family file cards they brought with them and the youth went to it, completing almost 200 baptisms.

We had a father and two daughters in from Gilbert, AZ, to do baptisms.  You can imagine the great conversation we had.  Their story is unique.  The father's mother joined the church in England many years ago.  They had planned this month's vacation here in England to baptize their eight year old son in the same river his grandmother was baptized in, and they were able to do that.  The grandmother was scheduled to come with them but her plans changed last October.  They had all gone to Rocky Point for a family outing and for the first time in her life, the grandmother, at age 64, got on a four wheeler.  There was an accident and she died.  Needless to say, the planned baptismal event was not all they had hoped for but carried through with it as a memory for the grandson.

Well, today we got our heads on straight and remembered we had missed calling Carter and Pearson on their birthdays!  We had sent cards which was somewhat of a redemption.  We gave them calls and enjoyed talking with them and their parents.  Their families are healthy and enjoying the summer at present.

The evening was perfect for a walk and picture taking.

Ducks by the pond.  A path through the grounds.  Beautiful flowers.

Wednesday - Another baptismal day.  We were busy and found little time for other assignments.  The weather has held steady with being pleasant for the last couple of days.  We have turned the fan on in the late afternoon when we get home as our windows face west, right into the summer sun.

I have been reading in the Book of Kings about the building of the temple.  David did not build it due to his people being at war during his reign, but he had accumulated a lot of resources and supplies for it to be buildt during the reign of King Solomon.  As we worked in the baptistry today, I stood by the font and admired the 12 oxen that bear its weight.  Each one represents one of the sons of Israel and his tribe.  We know Joseph has two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh because Ruben relinquished his birthright due to sin.  We have fonts in our temples today fashioned after the order of the one in King Solomon's temple.

"And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other; it was round all about, and his height was five cubits, compassing the sea round about; the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.  It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward."  (I Kings 7:23-25)

The oxen here in the London temple are beautiful, each one with a distinct expression.  Their shoulders are broad, sturdy, muscular, showing forth strength and the ability to carry very heavy loads.  Their hooves are sure-footed and evenly placed to bear the burden on their backs.  Their representation of the House of Israel is the same; each tribe bears the weight of the gospel and the responsibility to keep the commandments and ordinances that will bring them back to the Father.  This is a reminder to me that the gospel is the same today, yesterday, and forever.

We went for a walk in the evening and took pictures.  We visited with other temple workers that were out for a walk.  It was relaxing and enjoyable.

"The temple is a house of God; a place of love and beauty. . ."

Thursday - Someone said summer was over?  I am not sure I believe that.  It was 86º F today with bright sunshine.  Now, for Yuma, that may not seem very hot and it really isn't, yet here it is a bit warm as we do not have any cooling in our flat.  The A/C in the baptistry is limited and we were sweating all the time we were in there today.  I called the engineers at one point and they came and did, I don't know what, but it began to be a little cooler, not much though.  We ran the table fan in our flat and with the windows open, it was quite nice.  We were sticky with high humidity today as well.

We were again early to the baptistry for the French session.  They arrived with 8 youth in tow.  Everything was readied and away they went and in a goodly fashion the 100 + baptisms and confirmations were done and they were on their way in less than 2 hours.  We cleaned up the area and got the towels and laundry loaded into the washers.

Two sisters came in at 10 a.m. for their scheduled baptism session.  They each had family file cards and they did 10 baptisms of temple file as well.  Dad did the baptizing.  It was a neat little session as neither one of them have done proxy baptisms before.  They were excited to do this work for their ancestors.  We traded out the loads in the washers into the dryers and put the new load in to wash.  We had lunch and Dad was off to other assignments.  I was back in the laundry folding clothing and towels.  Sister Strong and Brother Davis each took a turn to help in getting things ready for the afternoon shift.  We were finished up and I had a half hour for other assignments before going home.

We were off on the weekly shopping trip and Dad's appointment with the osteopath.  Most of the little shops and stores do not have air conditioning, so it was very unpleasant to be in them.  I stopped at a card shop and was sweating profusely, it literally was dripping off my face and down my neck.   We walked into Sainsbury's grocery store, and was met with cold, refreshing air conditioning!  Oh, it felt wonderful.  I told Dad we needed to go slow and be the last ones out so as to enjoy the cold longer!  We were able to find everything on our list and we were all back to our flats around 6:30 p.m.

And, we did remember to call Hanna for her birthday!  We had a delightful conversation with her.

From Home:  Jack continues to work hard in Peru.

Elder Morty and his companion.

Friday -  The humidity was pretty thick when we went to bed last night.  I had the fan blowing on me and was able to go to sleep.  About 1:30 a.m., we awoke to loud, loud thunder and flashing lightening which was shortly followed by rain.  It was a down pour, the most for us since we have been here.

The day brought sunshine and wasn't as humid as yesterday.  The flat felt pretty comfortable with the fan blowing.

I spoke with Juliann and she gave me a report on their trip to Rocky Point and Adellae's swimming.

The flowers are beautiful!

Out the door of the lodge.

The French had their last baptismal session this morning.  They were quick and efficient and were on their way.  I was in the laundry at the end when Dad came in with Tessa Tracy, one of the girls.  Since Tuesday, she and I have established a little friendship.  She seeks me out each day and even out on the grounds in the evening and we visit.  She does speak fairly good English, so we can communicate, although the other night she asked me if I was going to the campfire.  I wasn't sure what she meant and I started looking around for a campfire, not imagining one on the temple grounds.  I repeated the word campfire back to her and she said it again and then she said:  "Oh, what is it?  Oh, fireside!"  We had a good laugh.  Anyway, when she came into the laundry she greeted me and thanked me for all the help I gave her this week.  She said she really likes me and is so happy we met.  She hopes to serve a mission on Temple Square and asked that I pray for her to do that.  We exchanged several hugs and good-byes with bright smiles, and she was on her way.  She is sweet and we hope she will serve a mission on Temple Square.

We went to bed with humidity, thunder, and rain.

Monday, 14 Jul 2014

Our day off was filled with cleaning, laundry, computer stuff, and a trip to town.

While waiting for the bus, we got some neat pictures of the temple spire.

Can you guess what I learned to do?  Thank you, Jeanna, for Pic Collage!

We caught the bus to Crawley and stopped in at Boots Drug Store for Dad to clear up a double charge on our card.  We caught another bus that took us on into East Grinstead.  We were on a milk run that took us through several neighborhoods and neighboring towns.  It was a double decker, so we sat on  top, right in front and had quite the view.

Driving through the neighborhood.  Some of the streets through the forest.  Interesting street signs.

At East Grinstead, Dad went to the bank and got cash.  Our supply we brought with us is beginning to run out.  I walked to the surgery to see Mr. Self for an adjustment.  Again, it felt good and I think I am just about fixed.  We caught another bus to Lingfield.  While waiting for the bus, we saw some temple workers on another bus that stopped.  We asked them how they were getting home and they said they were going to Felbridge and taking a taxi from there.  We told them the bus we were waiting for would go to Lingfield and then a bus would go on to Newchapel from there.  They got off their bus and waited with us for the one to Lingfield.

While waiting, we also saw a lady we had ridden the bus with last week and had even walked awhile together as we were going in the same direction.  We had a friendly conversation with one another.  The bus arrived and we all got on.  At Lingfield, though, we missed the connecting bus.  Another one was not due for two hours.  So, we called a taxi and made it home in half an hour.

From Home:

The Umphress family in northern California on vacation.

Adellae high tailing it out!

Mom and baby girl, Brynlyn.

Sunday And A Bye, 13 July 2014

We were headed off to church in the minibus and Dad told everyone that Friday the 13th came on Sunday this week.  There were chuckles here and there.  The silliest part of the day was that we forgot to call Pearson for his 13th birthday!  Oh, we are so bad with remembering to call.

The meetings went well with talks and lessons and participating in discussions. A counselor in the bishopric spoke on applying what we learn.  He told the following story:

There were some turkeys watching eagles flying one day.  The turkeys started talking about how fun it must be to be able to fly and soar up in the sky like the eagles.  They then came up with the idea to ask the eagles if they would teach them to fly.  The eagles weren't sure that would be such a good idea.  The turkeys continued to pester them until they finally agreed to teach them to fly.

An open field was selected for the location and they all agreed to meet on a particular day.  Everyone showed up and the lessons began.  The eagles were patient and repeated procedures over and over again while the turkeys exerted forth effort, paid attention to instructions, and applied what they were being taught.

The first day was not very successful but the turkeys liked what they were learning and the eagles agreed to come back the next day.  With each day, the turkeys began making progress from barely getting off the ground until the day came that they soared.  The excitement of the eagles and the turkeys over their success was astounding!

When the turkeys landed back down on the ground, they graciously thanked the eagles for their patience and persistence in helping them achieve their goal - and then they walked home.

Do we eagerly and regularly come to church, listen to the talks, participate in class discussions, and then go home without giving thought to changing our lives for the better?

We enjoyed chicken strips and mashed potatoes for dinner and I made a pineapple upside down cake, which we took to the Bye.  The Christensen's  last day is Wednesday.  They have been great to help us feel welcome and settled in knowing how to do things, what foods to buy, and have given us some of their things.  We will miss them.

Elder & Sister Christensen

A Busy Saturday And No Rain, 12 Jul 2014

There was no rain today!  That was helpful with many patrons in the temple and on the grounds.  We had 17 new patrons which took extra effort on our part to help them have a good experience.  We found ourselves coming and going at times to be sure everything was covered and handled properly.  There were over 300 patrons in for sessions alone.

The wall unit air conditioner in the area I was working in started making a very loud noise.  It sounded like the fan was hitting against something.  We had to turn it off close to the end of our shift and that caused the area to get quite warm.  We closed down a half hour early to avoid the stuffy heat.

At home, we got our temple clothes in the wash, I fixed dinner, and we went over to the reading room to have a good Internet connection to be a part of Marissa's baptism at 7 p.m. our time - 11 a.m. her time.

Marissa Brown, baptized by her father, 12 July 2014, Gilbert, AZ.

Tyler's family was there, along with Katie's family, Juliann's family, and Bobby & Mariah.  It was so nice to see everyone!  Everyone seems taller, more grown up, and beautiful!  We were surprised when Bobby and Mariah came into view and we got to say hi to them!

Katie gave a fun talk on baptism that included "The Four Bears of Baptism."  She used four different Care Bears; one for "Bear His Name," "Bear One Another's Burdens," "Bear To The End."

Bobby & Mariah sang:  Baptism, When I Am Baptized, and I Like My Birthdays.  He played the ukulele and they sounded beautiful.  The words were so clear and meaningful.  It was such a treat to hear them sing.

Afterward we spoke briefly with Tyler.  He asked if we wanted them to face time us at the luncheon so we could see the good food we were missing.  I said:  "No, that will only make us sadder!"

Congratulations, Marissa.  We are so happy you made the choice to be baptized.  You are always in our prayers.

We stopped by the piano room to run through our song we are working on.  We had barely begun when Elder and Sister Parkinson came in.  That ended the music and we sat and visited.  Sister Homann, the French lady with all the family cards was cooking their dinner in the kitchen.  She came over to let us know that one of the hobs (stove top) was not working properly and that it is a hazard and should be reported.

Sister Parkinson found Brother Beer, the head of security, out in the car park and he came in to have a look.  We showed him the situation and he identified the problem immediately.

He said:  "The reason it broke was because it was made here, referring to England."

We all smiled, not sure how to respond.

He continued:  "Anything made here is no good.  Now, if it is from Germany or America, it will last. Japan is good too, but from here, nah I don't even bother.  I have learned to pay attention to where things are made any more."

He provided more information:  "If it is from here, that usually means it was made in Poland, or here, and either place is no good.  I have learned."

He got "Danger" signs and taped them across the hob so no one would use it.  He said it is an easy fix with replacing it with a new hob that can be purchased right off the shelf.  As he came back out of the kitchen and headed for the door, he said:  "That should do it.  Only my daughter would be daft enough to use it now."

We did laugh at that and he smiled, saying:  "She's 26, you know and still isn't very smart.  The Lord gave us one daughter and we got her!"

"We love her, though, and do all we can to help her," he added.

After that remark, he came over and sat down and told us one story after another about himself while growing up.  He joined the church as an adult, so his stories were quite amusing.  He had our attention so off he went on one after another, beginning with being an alter boy in the catholic church to his time in the military and then when in security.  He was in the military police and told of three instances of when he was "stitched up."  At first we didn't ask what that meant but couldn't understand how the phrase applied to what he was saying.

A half hour or so into the stories, we asked the meaning and he said:  "Well, you know, when someone makes a jest of you, etc."

"Oh," Dad said, "Like getting set up."

"Yes, yes, that is what you say in America," he replied in recognition.

We also learned from him how to pronounce the car name, Jaguar, here.  It is Jag-u-ar.  We see a lot of them around as well as Mercedes, Audis, Porch, Peugeot, Mini Coopers, etc.

It turned into a very eventful and informative evening.  Brother Beer knows how to spin a story using his rich English accent and body language.  You felt like you were right in the middle of what was going on.

Friday and more rain, 11 Jul 2014

We made a quick trip into Crawley this morning to pick up meds for Dad and I found a rain coat.  Go figure - it is still raining and I did not bring one as I don't even own one.  We found one on sale and with a good fit.  I caught up on the blog, Dad was on the Internet, we ate, and headed off to the temple.

Friday is a longer day with an 8 p.m. session.  My area was busy and we were constant with patrons and assigning sisters to various tasks.  Dad and I were both on the 9:35 p.m. veil, so we were home just after 10 p.m.  Jeanna called and we had a great time talking with her.  Their vacation is going well with Jay at basketball camp and then Hanna and Jere to hang out with.  We read their blog each day and relish in memories of when our children were all home and we went on vacations.

Waiting for the bus in the rain.

Summer is over? 9 & 10 Jul 2014

Wednesday:  We woke up to rain and it continued throughout the morning.  We were inside catching up on things in the flat, like laundry and ironing, the blog, emails, etc.  It rained off and on and the umbrella was needed when we walked to the temple for our shift.

The engineers (handyman) came by this morning and took care of a few repairs:  squeaky doors, broken door inside the freezer, sharp corner on one of the cabinet doors in the kitchen, and adjusted the water temperature on the shower handle.

The temple shift went well with low attendance.  I asked some of the locals if the rain would keep people away.  They said it would not; since the people can’t be outside in the garden, they will go places instead. 

Thursday:  Happy Birthday Carter!

Enjoy that cake!  What a happy little guy!

Another rainy day it was and we were off to shopping with the minibus group.  We were short in number, only seven of us.  We went at 9 a.m. and it seemed as though several were still asleep; they were not their usual jovial happy selves.  The excursion went well with Dad picking up the dry cleaning, me buying a blouse, stopping by the produce man, and getting our food.  

The glitch of the outing was me loosing our "trolley" (shopping cart) in the store.  I had parked it and then went off to look at produce.  When I found what I wanted and then turned to put it in the trolley, I could not find it.  I thought and then retraced my steps to locate it.  No luck.  Dad came along with his hands full as well.  I explained the dilemma and he was off looking for it too.  We looked a good ten minutes before I went to customer service to explain the situation.  They made a public announcement for shoppers to check their trolleys as one had gone missing.  We then continued our search for it.  I walked around a stand of produce and wah lah, there it was!  I sure felt dumb.  I truly must be getting old!  Help!!!!!!!  We were home by 11 am, put things away, had lunch, rested some, and got ready to go to the temple for our shift.

The weather has turned colder. The locals say summer is over.  What?  I wasn't even sure they had summer.  Yes, it is over.  Their summer is usually May - mid July.  Go figure.  Anyway, the temp has been in the teens celsius = low 60's fahrenheit.  The sweater s have come out!  The clouds continue to skitter across the sky, change colors, and then drop some rain.

I was waiting for it to get hot and muggy.  Maybe it is yet to come.  Hmmmmmm.

From Home:

Adellae wins the backstroke.  She is in the swim cap.

Tuesday, 8 Jul 2014

Yesterday I took the umbrella when we made our day's trip to East Grinstead because the clouds looked like they could mean something.  There was more sun shining this morning than yesterday when we went to Lingfield for Dad's perscriptions, so I decided not to take it.  That was not a good idea as we got caught in rain.  It first started raining as we were walking around the town.  We found a pond with a walk around it and benches here and there.  We found one snuggled under a tree and sat down until it let up.

We also enjoyed watching the ducks.

1 duck, 2 ducks, 3 ducks, 4. . . . .

5 ducks, 6 duck, 7 ducks more.

We stopped in at the local grocery store and found a couple of bargains we could not pass up and then were out to the bus stop.  We boarded and were on our way home.  Halfway there it began to rain, this time, harder.  We got off in it and walked to the lodge.  We were both wet when we got in.  I think I will take my umbrella next time!

We are on the afternoon shift this week and reported for duty at 2 p.m.  We were not extremely busy but there seemed to be enough to keep us occupied.  A couple from France had arrived earlier in the day and had 2000 family file cards printed!  You should see the stack, it is amazing.  They began in the baptistry and got 50 done.  It will be quite a process for sure.  President Johnson had a conversation with them and explained we do not have the time or man power to complete them all by the end of the week.  The couple plans to be in the temple each day, all day long, through Friday.

During the afternoon, we heard loud thunder and were told it rained really hard for a very long time.  Without windows to look out, it was hard to know just how much rain fell.  Everything was went outside when we went home at 8:30 p.m.

From Home:

Spencer, the proud grandpa of Laityn, 3 weeks (Bradon), and Cannon, 2 weeks (Logan).

Our "Off" Day, 7 Jul 2014

Dad made a thorough check of the bus schedules and planned out our route for the day.  Before we left, though, we did some house cleaning and laundry.  I have figured out that if I wash small loads of clothes more often, they dry in a reasonable amount of time.  Dad took out the trash and replenished our toilet paper and dish soap.

We caught the bus to Lingfield at 11:44.  When we arrived, we walked to the surgery where Dad met with the nurse to verify the medications he will need.  She said the prescriptions would be ready tomorrow.  On our way back to the bus stop we noted where the post office is and the local grocery store.

We caught the bus into East Grinstead where we had our chiropractor appointments at 3:30 p.m.   We got there at noon and walked to McDonald's for lunch.  It is interesting that at home in America, McDonald's was not on our eat out list.  We only went there when we had grandchildren or were meeting grandchildren there to eat.  The American food is good every now and then.  We had a Twix McFlurry that was delicious.  When soft serve becomes your favorite you know there is a problem!

We had a good walk through town and without having to be on a schedule to hook up with others, we were able to take our time and check things out.  We came across this sign and immediately started laughing.

Dennis was here!!!!

We walked up the street we come to on shopping day, on around the corner and towards where we park when we come in the van.  We passed the cleaners where Dad left two of his suits for cleaning and then walked on to find the surgery we would be going to for our appointments.  Dad had put it in his phone so we could use the gps function.  Streets are not very well marked here and there are definitely not street signs on every corner.  We were looking for Ship Street and were standing across the street from a building named Ship something, I can't remember.

So, we thought that maybe the street it faced could be Ship Street.  We started walking up it and Dad opened the gps.  Sure enough, it was Ship Street and within 5 minutes were standing in front of the surgery.  Now that we knew where we needed to be later in the day, we headed off for some sight seeing.

It was a beautiful day weather wise , thus walking and being about was so pleasant.  Clouds billowed across the sky, some dark, and some the purest white.  There was plenty of sunshine for warmth and the breeze was fresh.

We walked in and out of shops, up and down streets, and in and around corners.  We read the shop names and smiled at some of them.  We thought of the age of the buildings, the narrow streets, the wares for sale, and the people going here and there.  At one point I felt like I was standing in the middle of a Jane Austin novel!

An antique shop that had lots and lots of things in it.  There was too much for us even to look at.  Most shops are teeny tiny and loaded with things to sell.  You barely have room to walk, much less turn around.

Dad found a gun store!  You would not believe all the rifles the man has inside!  The shop owner was shooting' the bull with a customer when we entered and picked right up with us when they left.  He told us the building was built in the 1600's.  Of course there has been some upkeep since then and modernizations along the way.

Each time we go into East Grinstead to shop, we have seen the bell tower of a very old building.  Well, today we were able to see that very old building.  Follow the sidewalk to the right of the gun shop and you walk right to the Parish Church of St. Swithun.  The church stands on the highest ground in the town and dates back to 1220, with being rebuilt in 1789l.

The bell was struck twice at 2 p.m., followed by chimes.

A cemetery surrounded the church.  We saw one headstone dated in the 1700's and many of them are moss covered or the lettering is completely weathered away.  Halie, we thought of you.  The grounds are beautiful and there is a rose garden in the back where we saw mothers with young children enjoying the scenery.

The day carried on and it was time for our appointments.  We met with Mr. Self, they do not address doctors as doctors here.  We both felt he was very competent in our adjustments and we left feeling much better.  While waiting for Bob, I sat on the bench outside the surgery and a lady joined me as she was waiting for her son to pick her up.  We struck up a conversation and I learned about her life.  She wanted to know what brought me to England and I was able to tell her about the temple.  She has seen it, even attended the open house when it was remodeled in 1992.  She is an avid genealogist and has researched at various family history centers and noted that the Mormon church is the leader in genealogy records.  She indicated that she liked to read.

I asked:  "Have you read the Book of Mormon?"
Lady:  "On no.  I'm dyed in the wool Anglican.  What, you have one to give me?"  She chuckles.
I gesture with my hands that I have none, and reply:  "No.  No.  I don't have one to give you.  I just thought if you liked to read and had not read it, I would see that you got one."
We both laughed and carried on our conversation.

We finished up with our appointments and headed back to catch the bus to Felbridge.  We got on and road for about ten minutes and then got off, heading out on our two mile walk home.  The weather was very pleasant and the breeze felt quite nice.  We stopped at the Peacock for a bite to eat for supper, and then on home.  It had been a busy enjoyable day for us.