Sunday, April 27, dawned early for Erik. He got up and started cooking potatoes for Compartir. Erik had a big pot on the stove and the instant pot going as well. Ten pounds of potatoes; I think he thought that I was crazy (nothing new). I told him that the Relief Society (Sociadad de Soccoro) president showed me what size of dish to bring. In our apartment there are disposible aluminum pans for taking to events. We decided which one to use and Erik finished up the potatoes while I got ready for church. Our Branch President was expecting us for 10:30 am to meet for a few moments. According to Erik we needed to leave at 9:45 am. Nearly made it on time, hahaha. President Hall convinced us to join the little choir to learn a song. So, 10 minutes chatting with him and then 10 minutes singing. Basically it seems to be a missionary choir.

President Hall asked us to speak the last week of May. I’m not sure how this is going to work because one of us doesn’t speak Spanish. The Lord could provide a miracle! Our topic will be the blessings of the temple.

Compartir was fun to see. Relief Society sisters served the meal while members moved through the line. I brought a nut bar to eat. We were able to meet some more members. The Relief Society president told me that the potatoes were good and I told her that, thanks to Erik, the potatoes were delicious and prepared for today. She was surprised! After our VERY busy Saturday at the temple, my dear husband pulled through to help me out.

I made a couple of pizzas for supper. I got the dough recipe from The Loopy Whisk. They turned out really well. We have plenty of leftovers for coming days. After kneading by hand for 10 minutes, I decided that I was going to look for a stand mixer (which the recipe recommends).

Monday dawned with anticipation in the air. Unfortunately, we did not receive our mail in ballots for the federal election in Canada until today, the day of the election. It was very disappointing. We had a list of things to do (Preparation Day). Of course, laundry leads my list and I had the bedding in the washer before 7 am. Erik was working on our shopping list. We needed to go to Costco and pick up specific items.

Driving to east Rochester to the Costco, We see 5 police cruisers on the side of highway 31 with officers in their flak jackets, conferring about the upcoming takedown. I also spotted two Chinook helicopters flying above us. These are military aircraft which can carry up to 10 tons of cargo. They are massive and fast.

We arrived at Costco by 10:30 am. As we cruise the aisles, Erik says, “We already have so many dollars in the cart and don’t have anything off our list yet!” Focus, more focus! One of the things we were looking for was lawn chairs to pack in the car to go picnicking and visiting places. Nothing appealed to us, so we will look elsewhere. We finished the store and headed to the car to load up.

Getting home, we unloaded and started sorting items and where to put things. Unbelievably, we realized that we needed to head to a grocery store for a few items, but first, Erik had a dental appointment in Phelps. I wanted to go along because that meant I would get to see new places. Phelps is another delightful little town. When we entered the office, I asked if there were any fabric stores in town. There weren’t any to be had, so I settled into the waiting room to read old magazines. I picked up “Mary Jane’s Farm” magazine. It was right up my alley, filled with homemaking items, focusing on more natural and organic processes. I was surprised to see an article about one of my vendors from my quilt shop days. Julie left the corporate world and started her own quilt pattern company called, “Patch Abilities”. Then I looked at the age of the magazine and it was 9 years old!!! Julie’s company is still going strong with really cute ideas and patterns today. Despite the magazines being really old, they were in good condition and helped to pass the time. Unfortunately, Erik is going to need a crown and a little cavity filled.

We stopped in Newark quickly to pick up a few produce items. The two of us do not need a ten pound bag of apples from Costco so we opted to shop for these items locally in a grocery store. Then we raced home to meet a repair man. Our bedroom ceiling fan does not operate independantly from the pot lights. The repair man was someone that we knew! He wired the fan separate from the pot lights so that it runs from the pull chains now; delightful.

Tuesday morning brought the news about the Canadian federal election. It wasn’t the outcome that I was hoping for but I know that it’s not over until it’s over. I tend to the conservative/libertarian mindset. Being raised in the military and my pioneering ancestors, I was taught to work things out for myself if I can and not expect the collective to bail me out. It’s probably why I am extremely independant and think out of the box about how to fix situations; it’s not over until it’s over. My husband has a very calm mindset and in each situation his thoughts are, “Nothing is ever as good as it seems and nothing is ever as bad as it seems.” I don’t agree with him but we are two different people who are eternal companions. If we can forge a life together in peace and love, we have a hope that all will be well in the end.

As we went to the temple for our shift, I knew that being in the Lord’s house would bring peace to my heart and solace to my mind. The focus of being there is about service and love. That focus helps block out all the world’s noisy raucus that clamours in our heads on a day to day basis.

I absolutely love the new temple missionaries who have arrived. Working with them is so much fun as I get to know them. Sister Stevens and I both have a love of Mexican food, as she was raised in California. I see a great collaboration happening! My tortilla press has arrived and now the fun can begin.

It was an incredible 27C today in Palmyra. The sun was shining and it felt so good to have the warmth. We are still on a roller coaster of temperatures so I better enjoy it while it’s here.

My neighbor lent me her seasoning for pizza sauce. It’s from Utah and a company called Shirley J. makes it. The great thing is that it is gluten free. I went to the website and ordered a couple of their seasonings that are gluten free. It’s flavour was really good and on days (who am I kidding) that I don’t have a lot of time to make pizza sauce from scratch with the San Marzano tomatoes, I’ll definitely use the seasoning, simply added to a can of tomato sauce.

On Wednesday morning, Erik went for his walk and I got on my rebounder. When he returned, he came upstairs to report his walk about. He was grinning so hard, so I took my earbud out to see what was going on. It turns out that he was so anxious to get going that he forgot to wear his rucksack equipment and to top it all off, he grabbed the wrong nametag to clip to his jacket. Instead of “Elder Naglis”, he was wearing, “Sister Naglis”. He said that he even stopped and talked to two guys on his walk. Maybe they would be wondering, “What kind of church is THAT?” That’s our big giggle of the day.

https://theloopywhisk.com/2024/08/24/easy-gluten-free-sandwich-bread/#wprm-recipe-container-19321

I made bread early this afternoon. Now that I have a stand mixer to knead the psyllium mixture into the flour mixture without leaving lumps. Everything went really well and I have decided that this was the best recipe yet, for gluten free bread. I took a slice to the temple with my French butter on it. Ooo la la! Tres bon!

Thursday weather was going to hit 19C today. We prepared for the late shift at the temple. Erik went walking with his rucksacking equipment and I bounced. When doing the late shift, meals are wonkadoodle. We keep food in the fridge for quick grab-and-go’s.

My experience with the health insurance is driving me loco. We are supposed to go to the Aetna website and lookup a practioner who is listed. They sort them by nearness to me. Everyone that I called was either not there anymore or not taking new patients. I might as well have shot myself in the foot as trying to get anywhere. It’s so frustrating when the website is so out of date. I’m starting to think out of the box. Here’s my dilemma; I use a continuous glucose moniter to check my blood sugar. I can buy them in Canada with no issues. In the USA, a person needs a prescription to buy them. Well, how on earth are these a controlled product? What nefarious reason would they need to be by prescription only? My guess, is that it is all about the mighty dollar. Shall I freewheel it (no CGM)? Shall I pay out of pocket to see a physician? In my mind the missionary health insurance is a scam. I asked one of the Historic Site missionaries on how to deal with the health issurance and she shuddered and said, “It’s a problem!” I am still pondering.

Oh, Friday…back to Rochester for a Costco return and a pickup of a few items. Friday being our day off, it gives us a chance to catch up on any laundry that needs doing before Monday and to prepare for our Saturday shift. We are still sorting kitchen implements and tossing the broken and rusted items in the trash.

We went to the temple president’s house to help him set up tables and chairs for a dinner/meeting they are hosting Sunday evening. That didn’t take long and we were back home.

I wanted to make Sopes today, so I dug out our griddle and made the dough. Erik heated up the black beans. The griddle was hotter than I realized and I ended up burning my thumbs and forefingers, flipping the sopes and pinching the edges. Erik asked me if I wanted a spatula and I told him that Mexican women use their bare hands to flip them. Well, I paid the price on that one and again will turn to my ministering angels to help me out. I’m sure they shake their heads and go, “Oh, Cheryl!!!” Anyway, we enjoyed eating them and of course, we have sopes to put in the freezer for future use.

Saturday, we work the early shift and I managed to get myself there looking presentable. Leaving the house early is a trial for me in some ways because I don’t feel like I’m really awake and functioning. I saw my schedule for the day and it seemed like I had some free blocks of time. I like to be busy but I was reminded that the Lord knows where and how He needs me. I had two very special experiences today that were a clear reminder that I am on the Lord’s errand. I had the opportunity to visit with a woman who had travelled with her group for four hours to come to Palmyra. I invited her to sit and visit with me while she waited. We connected so well and she was one who said to me, “God gave you to me today when I really needed you. You were meant to be here today for me.” When I was moving on to another assignment, I hugged her and told her that I loved her and she replied the same to me. What a wonderful experience to have met and helped her.

One of the bonuses of being at the temple all week is that I have learned processes where I can help train others. The reason that I know a lot about the laundry system, is because I am always asking questions and then filing that information away for future use. It’s nice to be needed and feel useful.

I love that other temple workers are welcoming us and being friendly. Sometimes I think it is hard for them. Maybe feeling like we are invading their space, but we are simply there to help and support.

We go home and have a midday type of meal, and put our feet up for a bit. Then I get on my rebounder to finish getting my exercise done for the day. Erik decided to bake some black bean brownies. He shared some with our neighbors and Tonya said that she would feed it to Rick and later tell him that they were made with black beans, hahaha!

That was our week; I’m sure there are many things that I have forgotten to write about. Others are sacred and I need to keep them in my heart but I know that we are all known to our father in heaven. He knows what we need and when we need it. Sometimes, we get impatient and think we know best but truly, “Father knows best”. We get those reminders if we pay attention. It’s takes some humility and grace to acknowledge that we are not in charge and when we try to take control, it usually doesn’t go as well as hoped. Every so often I get a reminder from God, to let go and let Him do his job. Stay well and until next week, hasta luego.