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.