When I think back over the past week, it has been a week of incredible highs and lows. Which reminds me that we have opposition in all things. 2 Nephi 2:11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. As I was pondering on the events of the week, one morning my scripture reading had me in Alma 17, where the sons of Mosiah had been on missions for fourteen years. In Alma 17:5, I read, Now these are the circumstances which attended them in their journeyings, for they had many afflictions; they did suffer much, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in the spirit. As I was reading this, it gave me pause and I realized that I am not exempt from suffering while on my mission. I’ve only been on this mission for three months and it’s been a whirlwind thus far. When I got to verse 10, And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted. It’s true, I have felt the comforting hand of the Lord this week. While the winds of the world are swirling and pushing against us, we can have comfort in knowing who we are as children of God as well as knowing that we are capable of overcoming when we turn to Him.

Monday brought heat warnings again and it was 34C with high humidity so we decided to stay home in the air conditioning and try to stay comfortable. The usual chores were done and we stayed cool. What an incredible blessing to have air conditioning! Our friends, the Stevens do not have central air conditioning and their apartment is a heat box. They have a little floor unit in their bedroom that attaches to the window. It was so hot they wanted to get a thermometer to see how hot it was in their bedroom upstairs.

Another round of sugar ants arrived. During the last round, I pulled one out of my ear and I was ready to move. I saw one on my arm and I was about to lose my shizel. My belief is that bugs can live outside and I will live inside. Each to their own environment! We laid down an ant trap and watched the frenzy occur. Is this to desensitize me? I have received bug bites here which I think are spider bites and I’m wondering what my guardian angels are up to when stuff like this happens.

On Monday night, I experienced pain as I was going to bed and I knew what it was. Around one in the morning, I was whimpering and decided to call upon my ministering angels. Sure enough, the pain eased so that I could sleep. I explained to them that I needed help because I was going to work a shift first thing in the morning and needed help. I arose in the morning and prepared for our shift. I could feel that I wasn’t well but the pain stayed away during the shift. I was reminded that I needed to go to urgent care and get this issue looked after. On the drive home, I was feeling more unwell. I told Erik that we were heading to Newark to the urgent care. I was seen quickly and received a prescription for an antibiotic. I learned a hot tip from my fellow temple workers. There is a product in the USA that is over the counter in the pharmacy, called AZO. AZO has a line of products that deal with menopause, urinary and bladder relief, yeast infections. Some products in the USA need a prescription that we don’t need a prescription for in Canada and vice versa. Tuesday ended with me feeling like I had been tossed around a barrel and I was ready for bed.

Wednesday was a lovely day where I had an incredible experience in the temple. I was told that there was a disabled lady who would need some help during the endowment ordinance. I told the shift coordinator not to worry because the Lord knows her needs and that He would send her to me. Sure enough, I was able to look after her and I had the distinct impression that it was like I was presenting perfection to the Lord. Was I worthy to do that? I was weeping as the Spirit overcame me while I was helping this sister to complete the ordinance. The next endowment session was starting, and I was told that the same sister would be in the session and again, I knew that I would be helping her. Sure enough, I had the second opportunity to present perfection to the Lord. Our temple recorder talked with me later and said, “You were having quite the experience!” There are no coincidences in life; everything is according to a grand design and we must choose our path.

Wednesday evening, we headed to Rochester with Wanda and Mark Stevens to attend a free event for Concerts in the Park. It was held at Ontario Beach Park. The park itself was very well built, with lots of picnic shelters. My first impression was of the heavy police presence. We arrived around 6 pm to set up our lawn chairs. Many people were already there. The band was to start at 7 pm.

Poor Mark had a headache and wasn’t feeling well. The band was to play 60’s and 70’s hits. Wanda and I sat together and tried to decipher each song. Do you see where I am going with this? It turned out that watching the crowd was far more entertaining than listening to the poor band struggle. There was a dance area in front of the bandstand and many people filled it. This experience reminds me of a Leanne Morgan comedy bit about her and her husband attending a Journey concert not too long ago. Look it up because what she described in her video was pretty acurate for this evening. Lots of walkers and canes abounded along with motorized wheelchairs. Marks’s prediction was that the evening would be over by 8 pm. Erik got up and scouted out the beach. Wanda headed to the washrooms. I told her, “Don’t talk to anyone and keep to yourself!” Mark decided that he better accompany her. There were food vendors doing a hopping business (ice cream, hotdogs, etc.)

Sure enough, at 8 p.m., we saw people starting to pack up and leave. By 8:15, I couldn’t take it anymore, and we decided en masse to pack up, take our chairs to the car, and walk to the beach. It was wild walking past drug induced people and the smell of Mary Jane everywhere. Mark wondered how we were going to explain ourselves to the temple president. What a weird predicament to get ourselves into!

We also saw a group of moms and daughters selling Girl Scout cookies. Because we enrolled our daughters in the Girl Guide organization, Erik wanted to support the Girl Scouts and went off to buy some cookies. He came back with a gluten free version and Caramel deLites (Samoas), which Wanda declared were the best flavor. There was not a better crowd to sell to, a concert full of grandpas and grandmas!

The beach was a lovely sand beach but when we arrived at the water, the odor that I had been smelling went to a whole new level of disgusting, then to gagging. All along the shore, it looked and smelled like sewage from an outhouse. It makes me gag, even writing about it. There were beach volleyball games going on and we decided to walk along the boardwalk. I needed to get more steps in for the day. Along the way, I stop and talk to locals and ask about the effluent in the lake. My advice was, “Don’t get in the lake!!!!” Farther along, there were people swimming and I thought, “Wow, they must be immune to the toxicity!” More Mary Jane as we walked along and finally decided to head back to the car and leave the city. Dan Nabrotsky warned me not to go to downtown Rochester but he didn’t say anything about Ontario Beach Park. The heavy police presence is for the fighting. Oye! But what a beautiful sunset sky we saw.

Thursday dawned with me having eye issues. My left eye was very swollen and the surrounding tissue was red. I was cleaning the tub and bent over to get into the corner of the tile and the tub and hit my head on the tub controller. But the irritation in the eye started a couple of days ago and I don’t think that thumping my head off of the controller helped at all. I had bruising on my left cheek bone and everything hurt. I held warm compresses to my eye for awhile and then we headed off to the temple. By Friday morning, I arose, looked in the mirror and determined that I looked like an ogre. I better do something about this issue. I am not inclined to share a photo of my latest predicament!

Erik had made arrangements for us to go to the Wilson’s home (Bob and Ivana). Ivana is from Slovenia and they are hoping to serve a mission there. I have been learning some phrases in Slovenian. Grandmother is Babica, similar to Russian (Babushka).

We went to pick cherries. They have both sour cherries and sweet cherries. I was also able to pick some strawberries whilst Erik was on the ladder picking cherries. Their highbush blueberries will be ready in a couple of weeks. One of my loves is eating fresh asparagus and Bob invited me to snap off what I wanted and I ate them in the garden. Neither of them like asparagus and I asked why they were in the garden. Bob’s great grandparents planted them. The Wilson’s are in their early 80’s. Imagine how long ago those asparagus were planted! The farm used to be much larger but Bob started selling off farmland and they have 10 acres remaining. Many varieties of apples are grown on their acreage.

On the way home, we stopped in Newark for groceries and I went to the pharmacy looking for Polysporin eye drops. No such thing is to be found; need a prescription. Off to the urgent care again! The doctor said that I came in just in time. Eye issues progress rapidly and I didn’t have pink eye but instead Blepheritis. The whole eye socket was now involved and painful. I must have scratched my eyelid or inside my eye at some point to start this problem. I was now prescribed another antibiotic (for someone who shuns drugs as much as I can, I was overwhelmed at this point). Antihistimine drops were to be used as well. By my Saturday shift, I had a lot of explaining to do, hahaha! While working with patrons, I had to explain that I was not contagious. One of the patrons told me that she knew the moral of this story; don’t do cleaning! Another missionary said nearly the identical thing, “I think that you need to learn to not do cleaning!”

Two weeks ago, we were involved in an outside tour of the temple for a Stake Youth Conference. Erik and I were assigned to the Celestial Room Window and that side of the temple. We went to the temple to scope out our responsibilities and I ended up practicing on a family with young children. They were a delight and I felt that we would be fine. Two more families sidled up to us to catch what we were saying and we shared the presentation again. In our Celestial Room, the stained glass has a representation of the “Tree of Life”. There are 12 round crystals representing the fruit on the tree. We also have moon phases representing different events. In the middle of the wall above the Celestial Room window, the moon phase shown is of April 6, 2000. This is the date that the Palmyra Temple was dedicated. The moon phases are depicted avery two weeks going around the temple. Even when I have the opportunity to meet patrons in the foyer, I tell them a little about the exterior and what to look for. It helps to extend their experience amongst the Church historic sites.

What a week! Tears of joy and of sorrow were happening. I needed to prepare my family history lesson for our Spanish Branch. Erik seemed more worried than I was. I was trying to survive one day at a time. We decided to bring a Canada Day cake to the temple for July 1. That will need to be ordered. Times roll forth and we look forward to another week of learning and growth.

When life hands you difficulties, where do your thoughts lead you? Many years ago, I learned to think that there was something that I was to learn from the situation. So, this past week, full of ups and downs, I pondered on what I was to learn. It will be ongoing as I try to decipher the messages from the Lord.

This is very true! No matter the obstacles, we can find a way. The Lord does remind me on occasion that my ways are not His ways and I need to slow down and consider another way that I may not have thought about. There are days that I think that I am worrying about things in my life needlessly. Fear does not come from God. I put my trust in Him and know that He holds my eternal welfare in His hands.

Much love and gratitude to you all; be well, be kind to others, and definitely to yourself!

This has been a beautiful week of connecting and opening hearts to others. We love serving in the house of the Lord and with that comes incredible experiences of joy and love. I especially enjoy when the Lord puts me in the path of others that will uplift and strengthen me. I hope that I am able to do the same for them. This week, I met a wonderful woman who was celebrating her 60th wedding anniversary by coming to Palmyra and performing sealings in the temple with her husband. I had a few minutes to visit with her and she told me the story of her wedding and it was incredible. She was married on the same day as her friend and she says that she borrowed the day with her friend. The two couples were sealed in the Mesa temple in the sealing room; one after the other. Unfortunately, her friend passed away two years ago. I pondered on the fact at how connected those two families are. The daughter of the woman who passed away, made sure to call this lady and had the opportunity to talk about the anniversary and her mom who is now on the other side of the veil. The 60 plus years that these two families have been joined on earth continues on the other side.

We are enjoying the special groups who book baptistry sessions in the temple. They come from all over the United States. It is so surprising to me because in Canada, I only know of Stake Baptistry days done in the temple of their district. My biggest temple trip as a youth was when we lived in Ontario and the closest temple was Washington, D.C. where we travelled to once a year. It was a really big deal and I still have in my memory the drive at night coming along the parkway and seeing the temple all lit up as if it was rising into the night sky. We would travel in cars with our leaders. Today many tour buses drive up to the Palmyra temple and unload our eager patrons. One of our groups this past week was all boys on their High Adventure camp. They told me it was for the boys to experience hiking and camping in a area that provided an experiece that stretched them and helped them to learn new skills. I was a little worried about how they would arrive, but they were all showered and dressed as if they were ready to pass the sacrament on a Sunday. They were incredible young men. I noticed the tie of a 12 year old and how uniquely he had created the knot. I asked him about it and he said that he designed it himself. It was so beautifully done! As they were leaving, they reminded me that I still had to explain what a “Cream Can” dinner was. That was a unique conversation to be having in the foyer of the temple!

This is a way to cook for a family without a lot of work. Erik and I bought three of these items for a family reunion. Ours are a little bigger and can feed 15 people from each one. The above model will feed 10 people. This is an updated version of the old milk can cookers used by ranchers and farmers to cook meals over campfires while everyone worked. My first experience was at a dinner held at the home of Premachuk’s, west of Olds. We were shocked to learn that we didn’t need to bring anything beyond either a salad or a dessert. This is seriously, one of the best tasting meals! To me, everything tastes better eaten outdoors. Fresh and flavorful, food cooked in this unique cooker maintains its natural flavor because the steam does not leach away the flavors and nutrients. Because it works over any heat source, the CanCooker works great on campfires, camp stoves, propane stoves, charcoal or gas grills, turkey fryers, stove tops, and more. And because you simply load it up with food, put it on the fire, and wait about an hour, you can keep working or playing until your meal comes out hot and ready to eat! Once the cooking time is finished, you simply empty the can cooker into a large bowl and everyone serves themselves.

We put the following foods into ours which is the 10 gallon can. Cut recipe in half for the smaller can.

• 12 -15 potatoes, washed and cut in half
• 6 onions, left whole (I do quarter my onions)
• 12 carrots, cut into 3 to 4 inch chunks
• 2 heads cabbage, quartered
• 1 whole stock of celery
• 12 ears corn on the cob, cut in half (stand them up on the bottom of the can)
• 12 bratwursts (Italian sausages are good, as are spicier versions.) or
• 12 other sausages (Italian sausages are good, as are spicier versions.)
• 1 liter of broth of your choice, beef, chicken stock or water.
• 1 bottle of Italian salad dressing
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Layer potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, corn and sausages in the cream can in the order listed.
2. Pour in the liquids and season with salt and pepper. (Can also add garlic, Montreal Steak seasoning, or whatever other seasonings you prefer.).
3. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and steam on propane burner for about one hour, or on grated fire pit, make sure it steams well. There is a vent and you start timing when the steam is coming out of the vent. Ours usually take about 40 minutes after coming up to temperature.

Don’t just use one kind of sausage and don’t be afraid to add at least some spicy sausage as it will add some nice flavor. It is not absolutely necessary to cook the sausage before adding to the can, some people say it will taste better if you grill it beforehand (if it is not already cooked when you buy the package). We have used Kolbassa and Farmer’s Sausage. You can also add broccoli and cauliflower to the recipe if you want.

Do not overcook,  it will cook the flavor right out of the meal. The can doesn’t need to be spewing steam like a locomotive, just nice steam output. You want some good pressure, but not enough to blow the lid off.

There are so many different recipes to use in the can cooker! We’re pretty boring and keep doing the same thing because we enjoy it so much. Tis the season for getting the can cookers out and creating memories with your family and friends.

This week we thought it best to use our museum passes because the end of the month is nearly here. We headed over to the Palmyra Historical museum. We were able to experience more than 200 years of history in this former hotel and tavern, built in 1826. This museum features 23 themed rooms so that there is something for everyone.

One of the most interesting to me was a small display about Increase Lapham, born and raised in Palmyra in 1811. He is considered the “Father of the U.S. Weather Service”, which is based upon his lobbying of Congress and the Smithsonian Institute to create an agency to forecast storms on the Great Lakes and both coasts. When the agency was created through the U.S. Secretary of War, Lapham made the first such accurate Great Lakes storm warning from Chicago.

One of the rooms was a display of so many dolls. I really, really don’t like them and find them incredibly creepy and disturbing. I was not much of a doll person as a child and this room verified that nothing has changed!

Another room had beautiful embroidery of samplers and other household goods. Oh, the days when every young woman must learn to stitch and create samplers to show off her work. We have a beautiful large sampler framed and hangs in the Bride’s room in the temple.

The last part of the museum tour was the Coverlet museum. Incredibly fascinating. They have a short video with history of coverlets.

I did purchase a modern coverlet produced in a factory that has all the historic buildings of Palmyra on it. It is a great piece to remind me of our stay here. Erik found a Christmas ornament with Lock 29 on it which also came home with us.

The heat and humidity is rising sharply and it feels like the coast of southern Mexico. I am extremely grateful for the air conditioning in our apartment. I am grateful for dresses and skirts and blouses. After what felt like interminable rain, we are now under heat warnings. Thus meal salads have become a staple and cool smoothies.

https://www.eatyourselfskinny.com/tropical-green-smoothie-bowl/#wprm-recipe-container-15196

This is delightful dish for breakfast; something light and refreshing.

One of the other temple missionaries (whose website I included a few weeks ago), found an art studio in Canadaigua and went for studio time to work on a painting. She had a great time and I feel incouraged to put paint to paper and try out some ideas that have been floating through my mind.

Oh, Walmart…the store where you can buy fireworks, haha. We ran into a couple of guys who saw our nametags and stopped for a chat. The one fellow said that he had better things to spend his money on than fireworks that last 2 seconds and cost a lot of money. I agree with him on these store bought fireworks.

So much truth in this quote! This is how I try to live my life. Where I am on the path isn’t the same as you but we can certainly help each other along this journey of mortality. As Craig Mills once said to my husband, “Cheryl has skills and gifts that you don’t have and you have skills and gifts that she doesn’t have. That is why you make a great couple!” We work together to fill in the inadequacies of each other. By having love in our hearts instead of judgement, we can help each other along the way. So, my friends, a little less Judgey, McJudgey pants and a lot more lovey dovey kindness. I am always working on this. Thank goodness that God sees my imperfections and forgives me for them as we should forgive others.

Have a wonderful week, stay hydrated and be well!

Our usual Sunday took us to Rochester for church. It was Relief Society and Elder’s Quorum meetings first for us and then Sacrament meeting afterwards. To be honest, I still get nervous because I am still trying to understand the Puerto Rican accent. I am worried that I am not keeping up with what is happening in the class. This week we had a different teacher and she actually had more discussion going on than other teachers. We each get a copy of the conference talk and then take turns reading paragraphs. She started the conversation with asking, “Who knows about Sinbad?” I’m not a movie buff so, I sat and listened because I was wondering if she was really asking about Sinbad the movie. Oh, yeah, she was! She was comparing characteristics between him and us.

Erik is going to have to bless the sacrament in two weeks (in Spanish). I am going to record the prayers in Spanish for him (slowly) so that he can try and do it. I have an interview with the Branch President next Sunday morning. Oh, dear! We are stretching and growing.

Monday dawned with beautiful sunshine but we knew the forecast was for thunderstorms and possible flooding in the afternoon. We still have not gone to Hill Cumorah or the Sacred Grove because the weather has not been dry enough. At the temple, when groups tour the Sacred Grove and then come to the temple, we end up with bits of the Sacred Grove in the temple on the floors.

This morning we started our laundry and headed to Hill Cumorah. Erik made some granola this morning and then we headed out. I am sadly lacking hiking pants and had to wear a skirt and a t-shirt for our jaunt. We went to the newly renovated Visitor’s Center at Hill Cumorah. They have had their soft opening and some features were not available on the displays but we did watch the film in the theater. Then we headed on the trail to the monument of Moroni on the top of the hill. We veered off onto a dirt trail and I made sure to watch the tree roots so that I could stay upright. Getting to the top, a lovely young lady offered to take a photo of the two of us in front of the monument. We decided to take the paved path back down the hill. Again, I was recording the birds on the hill. I am so fascinated by the variety of birds and really enjoyed hearing them.

Indigo Bunting, Song Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, American Redstart and Red-eyed Vireo.

We moved on to the Welcome Center at the Smith Farm. The tours run every fifteen minutes and we signed up for one and then while waiting decided to go to the Sacred Grove. If I get in the woods, I want to stay and wander amongst the trees. There are many trails and benches to explore and to be able to sit and meditate. I saw a family of boys entering the grove with notebooks to write their experiences in. The birds here were different than just up the road at the Hill Cumorah. I saw many chipmunks today and also came close to a deer in the grove. The grove was beautiful and was easy to stay in and experience the calm and peace of the woodlands. We missed our scheduled tour and signed up for the 12:15 pm tour.

We started at the log home which actually sits in Wayne county. The Smith farm was 100 acres. I love the fencing that marked their land. The article below explains the history of the farm.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/sacred-grove-and-smith-family-farm?lang=eng

The humidity was at 80% and I was soaking wet by the time we had hiked Cumorah and hiked through the Sacred Grove. My electrolytes went down quickly and I was ready for a refill of fluids. We headed for home to prepare ourselves for our week of service at the temple.

Our Friday jaunt took us to the George Eastman museum in Rochester. His company was Eastman Kodak. I am entralled with the architecture of this State and it was a delight to see the home turned into a museum. The George Eastman Museum is located in Rochester, New York, on the estate of George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography and motion picture film. Founded in 1947 as an independent nonprofit institution, it is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the oldest film archives. The museum holds unparalleled collections—encompassing several million objects; in fields of photography, cinema, photgraphic cinematographic technology, and photographically illustrated books. The institution is also a longtime leader in film preservation and photographic conservation.

After purchasing the 8.5-acre East Avenue property in 1902, George Eastman hired architect J. Foster Warner (1859–1937) to build a Colonial Revival mansion based on the design of the Root House in Buffalo, New York. Warner, Eastman, and landscape architect Alling S. DeForest (1875–1957) created an urban estate complete with working farmland, formal gardens, greenhouses, stables, barns, pastures, and the 35,000-square-foot, fifty-room residence made of reinforced concrete. It was finished in 1905, which I thought was an incredible feat considering the size of the home and the details that went into it. It cost George, $335,000 USD to construct this home. In today’s dollars, it would be over $12,000,000. We were allowed to tour the main floor and the second floor.

Eastman’s house presented a classical facade of decorative craftsmanship. Beneath this exterior were modern conveniences such as an electrical generator, an internal telephone system with 21 stations, a built-in vacuum cleaning system, a central clock network, an elevator, and a great pipe organ, which made the home itself an instrument, a center of the city’s rich musical life from 1905 until Eastman’s death in 1932. Eastman was involved in every aspect of the construction, paying close attention to detail and requiring the use of high-quality materials.

There was an interesting story told about the elephant head in the conservatory. George had gone on a couple of safaris in Africa and brought home a few animals that he had shot. An elephant head with only one tusk was brought back to Rochester. The single tusk was mounted on a stand while the elephant head received two new tusks, carved out of wood. Eventually, the elephant head was donated to the local zoo for exhibiting. The head was lost and Eastman commissioned a replacement head, made of plaster, to be put back into the conservatory. Talk about “the elephant in the room!”

We were able to view a few of the galleries showing special exhibits, and then had lunch in the restaurant. Erik had a signature dish which was the Corn Mash | Roasted corn seasoned and mashed with roasted red pepper on sourdough. Hot, open with melted cheddar, apricot BBQ glaze, french fried onions. He chose a side of ginger pickled carrots. It was something we had never seen before. I had what they call “Over Greens”. You choose a sandwich filling and they simply serve it over greens. We also enjoyed country fair style lemonade with a Butterfly Pea flower shot. Everything went down well!

I decided to finally make pickled red onions and they turned out very well; we are both big fans of them. We are putting them on sandwiches, tacos, and salads. I did put the beet in mine and the jar contents turned a beautiful red color.

https://pinchofyummy.com/recipes/quick-pickled-onions-easy

Erik is not a fan of raw onions whereas I can eat them like an apple. I was surprised that he liked them but then again, they are pickled. Give them a whirl!

Earlier, I decided to try making two loaves of bread at the same time. My KitchenAid was pretty warm by the time I finished kneading the dough. I will probably go back to making one loaf at a time in the mixer. I let the loaves completely cool, slice them and then put them in bread bags for the freezer. We simply take out a slice or two at a time.

It was my mom’s 83 birthday this week. I have a tradition for my family where I sing a couple of birthday songs for them. Since my mom doesn’t have a phone, I recorded a song and sent it to my sister who I asked to show it to mom. Dad tells me that they had a birthday party for her and it went well.

I love this quote because a lot of us run around trying to prove our worth to someone, some group, some job, something, maybe ourselves. My sister, Tracy and I had a short conversation about this. As we try to prove ourselves, I think that we need to understand that our worth is within us already. As you stand and deliver, others will see your worth. If you are afraid of standing and delivering, it will be difficult to progress. I love that God knows us individually and provides for us along our journey. Our actions do not need to be some huge, grandiose expression. Living each day to the best of your ability is sufficient. I had a conversation in the temple this week about hair with another lady. As I am losing so much hair off the top of my head, I remember that God promises us that we will be restored. In Luke 12:7 it says, “But even the very hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Then there is a scripture in Alma 40:23, “The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost, but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.” So, while we age and things fall apart, I have hope in the resurrection and being restored.

The lady that I was talking with told me that she had been asking and praying about this very thing. I have been blessed to receive a vision of myself as an exhalted being and I live for the day that, yes, my hair will be restored. I have seen it and I know that God is aware of each of us. This lady was so grateful that we had the conversation about hair. There are no coincidences, we are put in people’s paths for a reason and they for us.

I know that my worth does not depend on whether I have hair or not. My worth is how I choose to live as the Savior lives and follow His example; having charity, love and compassion for my fellowman.

Stay well, do well and breath deeply.

Neal A Maxwell has told us, “God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability” (“It’s Service, Not Status, That Counts,” Ensign July 1975). I have loved this quote for many years because I have a loyal heart. I am loyal to God, family and friends. Because of this loyalty which in turn can also be dependability for me, I stand in amazement at how God increases my capabilities to do things that I wonder how on earth I could possibly do them. There are days in this past week that I thought to myself, “Are you sure you can pull this off?” The gentle reminder is that I am not on my own and neither are any of you. Yes, there are days that I am gobsmacked by what I have accomplished and have a knowledge that those instances where I felt overwhelmed, heavenly hands stepped in to help me.

Erik and I have been asked to fill in as shift coordinators at the temple on Wednesday evening shifts. Thanks to our experience in the Calgary temple, we have an idea of what needs to be done. This means that we will prepare the shift schedule with all the assignments for the workers on that shift. We oversee the shift and in my own terms, “We are good at putting out fires.” When unusual circumstances pop up and they do regularly, Erik and I are versed in how to handle situations quickly and kindly.

We had our first Wednesday evening shift this week and praise God, everything went well. It gives such a feeling of peace and happiness to know that we are stepping up and using the skills and talents that we have been blessed with.

This week we have switched Saturdays with our neighbors. They will work a double shift this week and we will work a double next Saturday. That gave us the opportunity to book a walking tour in Palmyra which also allows us into 5 museums this month. We started at the Pal-Mac Aqueduct Canal Park.

During the presentation, we learned about the aqueduct and how it was used. Palmyra-Macedon Aqueduct Park is a tribute to the remnants of past iterations of the Erie Canal, which continues to pass through here, just not in the same manner as before. In the early 1800s, engineers had to segregate the canalway from natural waterways—to control flooding. At this very spot, a wooden aqueduct with stone abutments, carried the canal over Ganargua Creek (often called Mud Creek).

As the years went on, and the canal was rebuilt larger and more advanced, other flood-control measures made aqueducts like these unnecessary, and they were dismantled. The canal was moved slightly to the north, and a portion of the former aqueduct was modified into a flood-control outlet that dumps into Ganargua Creek. This outlet is the waterfall. The stone abutments still stand, covered in greenery and crumbling. The southern canal towpath now serves as part of the Canalway Trail, carrying hikers and cyclists over the creek.

We learned that the waterfall is no longer in use and they brought in tons of rock to fill in where the aqueduct was crumbling and disintergrating. There is a power house built where the creek goes through just south of the Erie Canal. It amazes me that the original canal was called Clinton’s Ditch (named after the Governor, Dewitt Clinton) and all 96 miles were dug by hand. There is a bridge which is the orginal bridge built over the ditch but now I call it the bridge to nowhere. The canal used to flow there and now because of diversions, it’s a bridge to nowhere. The park is kept up nicely and the bridge has a fascinating story of how flooding moved the bridge into a farmer’s field and his cows were using the bridge. It was decided to move the bridge back and restore it to it’s former glory instead of being a cow’s footbridge.

We are loving living in Palmyra, “The Queen of Canal Towns”. Good fortune smiled upon us whilst on the walking tour. I heard a klaxon and wondered what it could be. It seems a boat had called ahead to use the lock. Our group waited and chatted with the lock operator. He used to be an operator down at Lyons where there is another lock. It was absolutely fascinating to watch the boat enter the lock and then pull up alongside the edge of the canal. Then the lock operator closed the lock behind the boat and once the water had finished rushing through the lower part, the next part of the lock opened so that they could carry on towards Lyons. I chatted with the men on the boat as they were moving the boat for an uncle.

Someone thought they saw a snapping turtle in the canal, but when I went to look, the realization hit that said turtle was actually a dead raccoon. I thought I saw air bubbles coming from the “turtle,” but in fact, it was a decomposing raccoon.

Notice that I am sparing you the photo of the “turtle”. In New York State, we see opossums and raccoons on the road, not surviving the impact of vehicles. So different from Alberta, where we see porcupines, skunks, and gophers on the road. The deer are smaller here and yes, unfortunately, are casualties as well.

We watched a trio of kayakers coming through the creek side which later merges with the canal. They were paddling with a young child and had gorgeous weather for their journey. The Canada geese were also paddling down the creek with their goslings. A glorious day, it was!

On Monday, I had an appointment Canadaigua with the nurse practioner. Erik dropped me off and I went into the clinic. Funny thing, they weigh you every appointment! I know that I’m fluffy, but I actually appreciated that my weight was lower than the previous month, hahaha. After the appointment, we drove to the pier and walked down the boathouse row. The hot dog vendor told us that back in the 70’s, boathouses sold for between 5 & 7 thousand dollars. Now they sell for $250,000. Now, they are fixed up and are quite nice inside, enough that a person could live there. We’ve been told that Canadaigua lake is the warmest of the Finger Lakes.

Erik and I wanted to drive along the shore line and look at properties and the views that they had. It was spectacular and brought tears to my eyes to see the beauty and serenity of that area. We drove far enough that we ended up turning around at Wegman’s organic farm. It’s interesting that the grocery store supplies it’s own organic produce. What a lovely day!

There are a few ice cream shops around and I said to Erik that we were going to Pulcini’s on highway 21, just a couple of miles north of Palmyra. We ended up chatting with the owner, Dave, and he explained how he got into the business and how he is set up. His family orginated from Italy and I asked him how they ended up in Palmyra. Everyone has a story and I love to learn about everyone’s life. Dave was the only boy in a family with 5 sisters! The set up for the business is in the countryside and he even has a little trail to walk the property. Erik and I opted to walk after having our ice cream. We saw fruit trees, a little grape orchard and a large garden. A delightful place to stop with wet wipes available for cleaning up and plenty of picnic tables and shade. I already know what I want to try on our next stop at Pulcini’s.

https://magichouserecipes.com/recipes/best-broccoli-salad-bacon

This week was a broccoli/cauliflower salad week. I made a large salad and it stays well in the fridge. Next week, Erik asked for 7 Layer salad, another of our favorites. We popped up to Walworth to the Tops grocery store for a few needed items and now we are set for another week. I’m trying to decide what to cook for Erik for Father’s Day. So, far he has requested tacos. I’m also thinking of a brownie cheesecake to end the meal (and of course, carry on throughout the week).

I was super excited to have a couple of dresses arrive by post. I’m obsessed with April Cornell clothing and have learned to pace myself to shop the sales. The weather is trying to warm up and unfortunately, the air quality has alerts because of the fires in Canada. Warmer air is wonderful and our walks allow us conversation with locals as people get out and sit on their porches.

I had to learn a hard lesson this past week. It was like a perfect storm of things that conspired against me. I am trying to figure out how I should proceed. Everything is for my good and as uncomfortable as it was, I will use it to better myself and help others. The doubt can creep in or it may simply body slam you into thinking that you have erred from a place of no return. Thank goodness for the atonement of Jesus Christ that allows us all to come back. We may need our moments of reflection to consider our way and choose our path but He is always standing there with His hands outstretched waiting for us to join Him.

Have a week of joy and stay safe!

On Sunday, May 25, was our big day for giving talks in Rochester 5th Branch. We were both speaking about the temple. Erik was worried that our talks would be much the same but they were not. He spoke in English with Sister Hall being his translator. I spoke in Spanish. The slight glitch was that 2nd Ward took too much time in the chapel and we got a late start. Erik’s talk took 20 minutes and I knew that my talk was at least 15 minutes. We had an intermediate hymn and President Hall spoke for a couple of minutes, so my time was pretty tight. I received the tap on the elbow that my time was up and I wrapped it up quickly. As we were leaving the building, Brother Perez came up to us and thanked us for our talks and said, “You were speaking to a General Authority!” I was still shaking from giving my first talk in Spanish, getting cut off, and now to hear that a General Authority was in the congregation, was too much!

Erik was speaking with a gentleman before sacrament meeting and I sidled up to my husband and joined the end of their conversation. The man was impressed that I taught myself Spanish with an app. I replied that I simply make time for it and do it diligently, but he didn’t want me to brush it off and told me again that what I have accomplished was very impressive. We didn’t know his name and Erik had asked him if he was visiting and he replied, “Yes, with my family to see the historic sites.” It turns out that he is Elder Uceda! He sat in the congregation with his family. Brother Perez asked him if he could introduce him and he didn’t want to do that. A very humble man in our midst.

When Monday rolled around, I asked Erik what he wanted to do. He mentioned that he would like to do a challenging hike. I was quite fine with staying home and creating some art. Plans changed and we ended up on another fantastic hike in a top rated American State Park. We travelled with the Stevens’ again. Letchworth State Park is ranked as number one by popular vote in all of America. It’s like the Grand Canyon of the east.

Our morning prayer included having the opportunity to talk about our mission and the gospel today and I knew that wouldn’t be an issue for me. It takes nearly two hours to drive to Letchworth State Park. A we drove through the towns on the way, we noticed parade line ups and in one town we were held up by parade participants finishing their route. It was Memorial Day in the USA.

It was a glorious sunny day and we were very happy for that. This hike is a completely different experience from Watkin’s Glen. This park does not allow park goers to get close to the water in the areas where we were. You can hike along a trail between the Lower, Middle and Upper Falls. As well, you can choose to drive between the falls, park and go to a viewing area. This park allows dogs and I was in dog heaven.

We started out from near the middle falls and decided that we needed a group photo. I asked a Spanish lady if she would do that and then when I was speaking Spanish, she realized that she attends the same church as us when she saw our nametags. She noted a special rock with a plaque that we needed to make sure that we saw. She was the only one in her family who spoke Spanish and was grateful that I spoke to her.

The scenery was spectacular and impressive. It’s hard to catch the majesty of the surroundings on an iPhone. As we started descending, I said to myself, “What goes down, must come up!” There were tricky tree roots and worn stone slab steps. My short legs have a challenge to deal with trails like that. I did remember to bring my walking poles and they help for stability.

I love to help people take group photos so that they are all included, so I spent time meeting people and helping them with their shots, making sure to include the beautiful scenery with them. One fellow that I met, gave me a guitar pick with his band name on it. He saw my nametag and said, “Oh, if you watch some of our videos, there’s some bad words, be careful!” How sweet and considerate of him! Thank you Richie, for telling me about your life and how you handle the challenges and the good times.

The sweetest puppy came by me and of course, I turned into a puddle of mush, baby talking to him and loving on him (with permission). He was 11 weeks old and his name was Titan. He was a Saint Bernard mix with all of his puppy fluff intact, no adult fur yet. He pressed himself into me as I told him that he was such a good kid and deserved all the love. Titan’s mother rejected the litter when they were only 3 days old and the owners took him when he was only 5 weeks old. Such an incredible little fellow, who won’t be little for long.

The next dog was a miniature Schnauzer. She was a little old lady of 13 years. She too, relished the break time and pressed into me for some love. I was enjoying every second of loving on her too.

I saw a large doodle type dog doing multiple rounds of the hike; his owner said that the dog loves to hike and just keeps going. Once was enough for me!

A funny incident but not really was an Asian couple who were carrying a little Yorkie. The woman was very upset with her husband and would give him a piece of her mind and then stride away, carrying the dog. The poor husband would catch up and then she would haul him behind a tree and give him what for all over again. I sure hope that was a momentary incident that they corrected. Talk about airing your laundry in public!

Since it was Memorial Day, there were a number of people at Letchworth but nothing that made it unbearable. We met an artist set up, painting one of the scenes in front of him. Another couple came to pick up an original painting that a fellow had commissioned for his bride to be. It was the scene where he had proposed to his bride. What a great gift!

We started for home and wanted some lunch but surprisingly, not a thing was open. This is the difference between rural and city. The city always seems to be open and going, whereas rural areas take time to rest and play. We drove all the way to Macedon which is the closest town to Palmyra and stopped at a diner that was just opening. I wasn’t sure if I would get a safe meal there but we decided to try it. Lyndon told us that the thing in Rochester, NY was the Garbage Plate, known for it’s unique blend of ingredients. It’s essentially a plate piled high with various sides like home fries, french fries, macaroni salad, or baked beans, topped with a meat choice (burgers, hot dogs, sausages, etc.) and Rochester-style meat sauce. 

Erik chose the hamburger version and Wanda chose the hot dog version. They each chose home fries (which in Canada, we call hash browns, large cut), and the macaroni salad. Erik’s take was that it was diner food and since we were in a diner, that’s what you are going to get. To me it looked like a dog’s breakfast. If you were in an upscale restaurant, you would have a nicer version and could make some healthier choices. One Garbage Plate under our belts (hahaha).

We were back to rain, rain and more rain during the week. I don’t mind because we are in the temple during the week and it’s the best place to be. Our normal Friday off was not to be this week because we had a large tour of 3 tour buses and we were required to work from 1 pm to 6 pm. We arrived at the temple at noon and ended up staying until 7 pm. The tour group was fantastic. 150 youth who had just graduated from high school arrived with very organized tour leaders. If all the young people of the world were like these kids, I know the world would be in good hands. They were very courteous and polite and were very thankful for our service for them in the temple. One young man made sure to read my nametag, looked me in the eye and thanked me by name for helping them. I always read people’s nametags and thank them personally for helping me in stores, so I really appreciated that he did that.

When I went out to the waiting room to check on the next group to come in, I asked some of the young men about their mission calls. The first young man was called to serve in the Mexico City South East mission. I said something to him in Spanish and he just looked like a deer caught in the headlights and I said, “Oh, you’re waiting for the MTC (Missionary Training Center)!” If you need a foreign language to be taught to you, you’ll spend a little more time in the MTC, being taught the language. Another young man asked me how I learned to speak Spanish and I told him that I use Duolingo. He was incredulous that I could speak so well with just the app. Then our conversation became really funny because on Duolingo there is a feature called a Streak, which is how many days in a row you do lessons. He asked me if I had a 100 day streak and I said, “Much higher!” He guessed 200 days and I again replied, “Much higher.” “400 days?” “Higher!” “1000 days?” “Higher still.” Finally I told him that on that day I had a 2685 day streak. The first young man quickly did the math on his phone and said, “Sister Naglis, that’s 9 years!!!!” “Yes, of not missing a day.” They were so impressed and I hope that I inspired them to enjoy and continue their language journey. So many young men had already received their mission calls and it was fun to hear about where everyone was going. What a fantastic group of young people!

On Friday morning before heading to the temple, I had to go and get some bloodwork done. It was incredibly easy. I had asked the clinic if I needed a paper requisition to get it done but they had already put it in their system and said that when I arrived, they would know who I was and what was needed. We drove to Newark to the lab and bingo, bango, bongo, in and out in no time at all. No waiting; simply check in and into the lab for the blood draw.

By Friday night, my body was very tired and sore from being on my feet for 7 hours. There’s a saying, “I feel like I’ve been rode hard and put away wet!” If you’re a horse person, you know this saying. I need a massage!!! I need my Karen Taylor!!! Karen has been my massage therapist for over 15 years and she is the best! Erik rubbed my feet for a couple of minutes and that helped a little.

Saturday morning, I was again assigned to the Baptistry and spent the shift helping patrons until 1 pm. I had some patrons personally thank me for being so courteous and helpful and so organized. It means a lot to me to hear that. It really is joyful to help people and help them feel the love of God in His house.

The new blooms of the week are still a mystery to me. There are enormous green leafed trees now sporting white blooms. The ground is starting to look like snow has fallen. Every week there is something new to marvel at.

Birds that I have heard lately: Gray Catbird, Yellow Warbler, Northern Flicker, Chimney Swift, Mourning Dove, Common Yellowthroat, Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Blackpoll Warbler, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and of course the American Robin. Isn’t that amazing? Beautiful songbirds and I am fascinated by the variety.

Sometimes, I receive this reminder from the Lord. Last fall He told me to get out of the way and let Him do his job. I need to let go of the doorknob and allow God to do His will and let myself follow His path. It’s a fine line for me because I know that He loves effort and so I try hard to do good and do well in all things. When He reminds me that I need to let go and let Him intercede, the peace is so calming and lets me feel like I can breath again.

Okay, friends, Let Go of the Doorknob and have a fantastic week!