Temple Week #33 And A Birthday: 20 - 25 January 2015

 You have a birthday, shout hooray!  Yes, I did have a birthday and it was a very nice day indeed!  My gift was a nice cuddly puppy!  He breathes and makes puppy sounds but is weened from needing food and is definitely potty trained.  He is the best kind of puppy yet and I get pleasure out of petting him.  We came home from the first time we left him alone and he had not chewed up any of Bob's shoes.  I guess he is a real keeper!

The day was filled with emails, texts, and phone calls from children, family, and friends and we went to TGI Friday's for lunch.  I had chicken fingers and fries.  It was lovely.  The sun showed its face for about an hour when we came out of the restaurant and we enjoyed walking in its rays.

The morning sun coming through the trees across our back yard.

A text from Katie:  Dang it!  I've been thinking about you all day but never had my phone handy when I did!  It's been a crazy day with lots of extra kids to watch and a Liza girl who didn't want to be put down.  At all.  So this is a day late on your end of the world, but here in Arizona it's still the 22nd!  Barely!  I love you dearly!  Happy happy birthday!

From Sister Jones in our ward back home.

The rest of the week was filled with a trip to Maidstone with Sister George to check out their mall and buy shoes.  We enjoyed lunch at Pizza Hut and then on the way home, we were stuck on the motorway for over two hours due to a wreck.  It was a long two hours and we were so relieve to get past the area.  We pulled into the rest area just after getting clear of it and there were the Rogers, other temple missionaries coming back from their weekend.  We were all surprised to see one another.

We did grocery shopping, had the kitchen faucet repaired, I went for routine blood tests and called Mason on his birthday.  He turned 8 years old and had his baptism on Friday.  We are so happy he has made the decision to be baptized.

We were on the late shift in the temple and a couple of nights due to low attendance, several of us workers were sent on the last session.  It was nice to be there together doing the same thing and then have fellow workers assist us at the end.  I assisted a couple of new patrons during the week with one speaking only Spanish.  I also assisted a deaf sister.  She was very thoughtful and was happy to be in the temple.

We were planning a big trip to Europe for the temple maintenance break in March, but we found out none of the requests were approved.  So, we are regrouping and making alternate plans.  There are definitely lots of places to see so we will not be disappointed.  

Late Arrival Cards:

Gabe made the card.

Temple Week #32, 13 - 19 January 2015

We were on the early shift and again, the temple was slow.  Dad and I did two sessions and I did a third one as they sent a group of us workers on one.   Saturday arrived, and oh my, the patrons came in the numbers.  I was in clothing & till and by the time my shift was over, I had taken in almost £500.  What a day it was!  I hardly had time to even sit down and it was very nice to have another worker to help.  At one point, they sent two and I ran out of change right in the middle of the queue.  I dashed off to get more and came back to assist the patrons.  Sister Scarlett came another time to replenish change.  There were regular patrons, new patrons, new missionaries, a bride & groom, patrons unable to pay, and brother workers renting jackets.  I made an error and had to correct it once I had a moment.  So, my shift ended with me having covered almost all the scenarios that can occur at the till.  I was very tired, but a good tired from being busy.

On Wednesday, Dad and I picked up Natalie Green and Natalie Senior from the ward and brought them to watch "Meet The Mormons."  They were so excited to be able to come and really enjoyed it. Natalie S. said it gave her hope and Natalie G said she could feel the spirit of the movie and was so excited to have the gospel in her life.  It was really wonderful we could bring them to watch it.  After we took them home, we stopped by Sainsbury's and picked up groceries.

Natalie Senior, Me, Bob, and Natalie Green in front.

We had a treat on Saturday when Sam Jarvis his wife Melanie, and sons, Sam age 13, and Nathan age 11 came in.  Their friend, Angela from their branch in Sicily was with them.  Sam grew up in Yuma.  They had contacted us earlier in the week about coming and we were excited to see them.  We enjoyed visiting and helping them plan their day in London on Sunday.  They wanted to eat English pub food, so we took them to the Wiremill where we all enjoyed a delicious meal.

Melanie, Sam, Nathan, Sam, and Angela.

Dad and I were to lunch in the cafeteria and met an American senior couple who is serving a mission in the Preston temple.  We enjoyed conversation and when we mentioned we had worked in the Mesa temple before coming over, they say they had worked in the Boston temple as well.  I then asked:  "Did you know Sister Farar who was secretary to the president?"  Brother Dennecker replied:  "Sure do.  She is super and if you wanted to know anything in the temple, she was the one to ask!"

Monday, we took Sister George to her hometown of Maidstone to shop at a well known shoe store in England, named Hotter.  The shoes are very nice and comfortable.  We both found a white pair for the temple and I got a pair for everyday and excursion walking.  We had a great time with her showing us the sites and ended with lunch at Pizza Hut.  We had the buffet and enjoyed the food.  We left out at 1 p.m., headed for home and were able to follow her directions out of the town and on to the motorway.  About 1:45 p.m., we ended up in a very long and slow moving queue.  There was an accident way up the road with two lanes closed and before that, there were two places where other roads merged onto the motorway.  We were in the queue for 2 hrs. and 20 min.  It was unbelievable and we were all very happy to reach home at 5 p.m.

The Borough of Greenwich, 12 January 2015

We went on a van trip today with the group to the Borough of Greenwich in London.  In spite of the cloudy and very windy weather, we enjoyed new sights and experiences.  Our first stop was the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Meridian, known as the Prime Meridian.  It was here we experienced what it would have been like when the discovery was made that the stars and the sun and the earth move on a fixed axis, thus creating time.  The observatory was ready in June of 1676 for the first Royal Astronomer, John Flamsteed to take up residence.  John was to apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfection of the art of navigation.

Mr. Lloyd's Standard Telescope, 153.83 feet above the mean level of the sea.  (Phil: Trans: 1831)

How would it be to sit in the chair, lean back, open the roof, and gaze through the telescope into the heavens?

Standing East and West at the same time!

The red ball drops each day at 5 minutes to 1 p.m., for all the world to set their clocks to the correct time.

From the observatory we walked down the hill along the path into the Borough of Greenwich.  When we came out onto the street, the Cutty Sark was straight ahead.

 The path down from the observatory.

The backside of the Queen's house, the National Meritime Museum on the left, and the Thames separating Greenwich from London.

The Cutty Sark is a British "clipper" ship built in 1869.  It was one of the last tea clippers to be built and was the fastest, traveling up to almost 20 miles an hour.  It is of original composite construction of a wooden hull on an iron frame.  

Having lunch under the ship.  Hey, look! There is a dinner bell like ours!

Ropes, ropes, and more ropes!  A clipper ship is reliant upon miles and miles of ropes.

In the hold we saw shipping containers of the many varieties of tea the ship hauled.

We had flat lizard with us!

Our next stop was the National Maritime Museum.  We viewed various water craft and their parts as well as Lord Horatio Nelson's jacket that sustained the fatal bullet-hole.

Note the hole in the left shoulder.  The bullet shattered the shoulder, punctured the lung, and lodged in his spine.  The Battle of Traflagar was a naval engagement of the Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish navies, occurring on 21 October 1805.  The British came off victorious. 

The Queen's House was built 1616-1619 for Anne of Denmark, queen of King James I of England.  It is known as the first classical building to have been constructed in Britian.  This is a view of the ceiling in the Queen's bedroom.  I wonder how she enjoyed it while in bed, seeing that there would be a canopy on the bed.

 The black and while tiled floor is amazing.  Many of the houses and buildings have floors in this style.

From the Queen's House, views back up the hill from whence we came.

Not sure what it is, but it does make a nice picture.

Week #31, 6 - 11 January 2015

We are on the same assignment as last week in the temple.  The patrons are slow in coming, but there seems to be things to do.  The presidency has made some changes and we are learning how to implement them with the least amount of disruption.  It is hard to teach old dogs new tricks and just when we get settled in to one way, they change.  It does keep us on our toes.

The 2014 grandbabies continue to grow and we love getting photos and videos and even voices from them on occasion.

Collins is trying to be content while mommy is busy in the kitchen.

Dry wading pool acts as a perfect playpen for Eliza outside.

The week was filled with shopping, getting hair cuts, and going to Bluewater to find a pair of white Sketchers for me.  I am having issues with my feet and my black Sketchers I wear when we are out and about seem to work well.  We found the shoes and had lunch at Five Guys.  It was my first time to eat there and I enjoyed the food.

It was another week of no sun, plenty of clouds, and rain.  In fact, our trip to Bluewater was in pouring rain.  It stopped about the time we got home and the sun did come out for a couple of hours!  Hallelujah!  We had a couple of hours of sun again, on Friday and then back to rain on Saturday.  We woke up Sunday to clear skies and plenty of sunshine until about 3 p.m., when it clouded up and was raining by 6 p.m.

The sun was trying desperately to peak out one morning, but the clouds kept getting in its way.

The good news is though, we bought a sun lamp.  I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, due to lack of sunshine.  Without the sunshine some chemical in my head is lacking and things go awry.  Of course that is nothing new, but using the lamp during the morning time has begun to help.  Before I was very lethargic and ready for bed when it got pitch dark at 5 p.m. each day.  I wasn't very social and just wanted my own space.  The doctor said the lamp would help and she has ordered blood tests for levels of Vitamin D.

 Danny & Cheryl's family got together over the holidays.  Everyone was there except Dennis' son who is on a mission, and of course Damond, who is watching from above.

Darren & Cody Farar with Kennadie-14, Danny-11, and Ashley-9, and Brooklynn-6.

Bob and I both gave spiritual thoughts during preparation meetings this week.  He used 3 Nephi 27:27 -. . .Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be?  Verily I say unto you, even as I am.  As we work to develop Christlike Attributes, when we focus on how He lived, we will know how to live.

I shared this experience:  I heard that on Boxing Day, the queue for Selfridges was 5,000.  I couldn't possibly imagine what I would stand in a line like that for.  I had no sooner asked the question than I knew the answer:  I would stand in that kind of a line to see the Savior, to see His hands, kiss His feet, and to feel His embrace.  We are all standing in that queue each day as we keep the commandments, repent, and be forgiving.  And, one day we will see the Savior.

One morning, when the sun came out after the rain, squirrels showed up in our back yard.  I opened the window and stuck my head out to feel the sun when I spotted one at the base of our building.  He was definitely begging and was most attentive as I talked to him.

"Please, I am hungry, do you have something for me?"

I dropped down a piece of bread and he sat quietly eating it.