Have you ever thought about times in your life when something strange happens or there is eminent danger that you have just escaped? You think to yourself, “That was a close call!” Or there are times when things work out so beautifully (like traffic lights all working in your favor)? Do you wonder sometimes about a path taken that didn’t work out the way you were hoping?

I could tell so many stories of my life where I wondered these very things. My belief is that our ancestors who have passed on, are our guardian angels. I also call them our ministering angels. Once I tapped into the power that they bring into our lives through the love of God, I started calling upon my ministering angels to help me and others.

My very first time calling on them was about 14 years ago. I always prayed throughout my life for help with various issues, but this particular time, I was extremely sick with a migraine. I experienced all the auras and after vomiting and dealing with everything, I headed home to try to rest. Erik was on a contract job in India and it was the middle of the afternoon. I didn’t have anyone to call and get a blessing of healing. It was the month of June and I went to the back deck where we had a hammock in the shade. I laid down in abject misery and was in no place to even help myself. Suddenly, out of my mouth (I had never said these words before), I asked Heavenly Father to send my ministering angels to me to help. I was looking skyward and I saw a host of angels zooming towards me, with my paternal grandmother leading the charge. Immediately, I fell asleep, to awaken two hours later. I sat up in shock, because the migraine and symptoms were completely gone and I didn’t have a mosquito bite (June in Alberta, that was a miracle all on it’s own). I felt totally rested and as I was pondering on what just happened, I also thanked Heavenly Father for the respite from the migraine. It was such a momentous event that I put it into my heart and mind for thought. Was that a rare, once in a lifetime occurance? Was I worthy of such mercy? How DID that happen?

I carried on with life, raising teenagers and young adults. I have always known that Heavenly Father loves me. The Saviour loves me and as I realized that their mercy does extend to little, imperfect me, I knew that this miracle of my ministering angels was truth and I was a witness to the love from my ancestors as well. Since then I had the occasion to call upon my ministering angels for more help in the years that have passed. I also learned and saw that I can use this opportunity to help others who are in desperate need.

I have used ministering angels for both my mother and my father. The veil is very thin for me and I am able to see the angels doing their work as I pray in faith. Both my parents lives were spared because of faith and prayers and their ministering angels. It’s kind of funny to me because we personally only know about two or three generations beyond ours, here on the earth. When I see angels that I don’t recognize, my thoughts are always, “Who ARE you and where are you in the generational chart?” We have so much love being directed towards us, that it is mind boggling.

I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to see a missionary who had served in our little Branch in Rochester. Elder McDonald was at the temple with his new companion. He had been transfered south east of us, down to the Owego Stake. He told me that he was so busy because he was the only Spanish speaking missionary in the Stake and he travelled the entire Stake boundaries to visit with people. With that time on the road, this past week they encountered a cow and it demolished their car. Just imagine the ministering angels attending to them during this accident. Neither missionary sustained any injuries; not even a scratch was to be found on them. The prayers of both of their families and their home congregations as well as the world, showed us that their time to cross the veil was not to be had that day. Heavenly protection was afforded to them and will have a huge impact on them for their whole lives.

Many of us can tell stories and testimonies of how we have been saved from harm and danger in our lives. Some events are very dramatic, others are subtle. Even on days when we are distracted, we may not realize that we are in the prescence of saving angels. As we reflect, we will come to understand that there was no earthly way that we were saved.

There is a General Conference talk by Elder Taylor G. Godoy from April 2024. It was titled, “Call, Don’t Fall.” The message is so beautifully given about how we can call out to God and we will not fall. As he explains that sometimes we feel like the “call” has not been heard because we don’t receive an immediate response or answer that suits us. Personally, I am reminded of this when I am waiting on the Lord and He tells me, “Your ways are not my ways.”

I hope that you will call on your ministering angels because with the state of our world, we need all the help that we can get. There are definitely times that heavenly intervention is needed. The following list if from Elder Godoy.

I suggest you consider the following:

1. Always think of the Lord as your first option for help.
2. Call, don’t fall. Turn to God in sincere prayer.
3. After praying, do all you can to obtain the blessings you prayed for.
4. Humble yourselves to accept the answer in His time and His way.
5. Don’t stop! Keep moving forward on the covenant path while you wait for an answer.

Our fantabulous news this week is that our granddaughter was born a week early. Little Miss Penny arrived on August 23. We are so excited to meet her next month. I am still bowled over by the fact that our youngest grandson is going to be one year old in a month. The first year of a baby’s life seems to fly past (especially for grandparents). Mom and baby are doing well. I haven’t heard how the big brother is handling his dethroning yet. I was so happy to hear that Jasmin and Lyndon’s Ward is organizing meals for them this coming week. That is a lovely help for them. A very big thank you to my cousin, Janice, who reached out to me to know what Lyndon’s favorite food is.

It’s been a week of no sugar and I have handled it well. No big detox symptoms are happening. One day I caught Erik in the breakroom of the temple eating a square. He’s trying to support me on this journey and I caught him red handed! The next time, he said that he wasn’t eating any contraband in there. The best news is that my blood sugar levels are dropping. My supplements have arrived that go along with the program and now I’m ready to drop kick this autoimmune issue to the curb.

I can’t believe that it’s been eight months of using my rebounder. I have had to replace two bungee cords but I am in it for the win. Pam Lacusta was my example for closing all her rings on the Apple watch. I have been closing all my rings so far this year. One day on the way here, it was too late and I needed to go to bed and I didn’t get my activity ring closed. I was devastated! Other than that, I am striving to stay active and build my core muscles back.

I had the lovely opportunity to see members of my Branch come to the baptistry this past week. I may have been a little irreverant upon seeing them walk through the stained glass doors of the baptistry. Hugs all around and sharing news of our past week was going on while everyone was getting ready. There is such a feeling of joy when you are with your “tribe”.

Have a fantastic week and know that we appreciate your prayers and thoughts for us. Lots of love to you all!

It’s been super hot out east, here in New York. Erik and I think that the trees are experiencing heat stress. We’ve seen trees dropping leaves all around us. Before we know it, the “Leaf People” will be arriving to see the array of colors that will be showing in the trees. The Utah visitors have headed home if they have children because school has started for them. New York state has the regular post Labor Day reentry to school. I am every grateful for our air conditioning in the house and our vehicle. It’s the air cooled seats in the vehicle that bring me comfort and gratitude.

We served the last large baptistry group for the season. They were comprised of a Tri-Stake Youth Conference from New York state. Their leaders were so helpful in organizing the teens. We were hoping that they would come to the temple in a continuous stream but they sent one group an hour. The tender mercy in that was that one of our two dryers decided to stop working and if it had been a constant stream of people, we would never have been able to keep up with the laundry.

I received the results from my extensive bloodwork. Everytime I would ask my doctors in Canada, why my systems were failing, they didn’t have an answer for me. I was doing my own research by reading studies and trying to determine what the core issue was. Here’s how I know the Lord is aware of my needs, I found a functional medicine clinic in Arizona and attended a master class for five days (evenings) and I was intrigued by their plan and that they were going to find the root cause of my disfunction. We drove an hour away for the laboratory that was used for the work. Plus I submitted a test to determine toxins such as molds, heavy metals and environmental toxins.

I finally feel like I have hope and that we can correct the problems. In Canada, the wait to get into a functional medicine clinic is lengthy. So far, I have learned that I am not a type 2 diabetic. I also learned why my thyroid is not functioning and not working with my body. A plan is in place and I will be on their program for eight months. Isn’t it interesting that I have eight months left in the USA? There are no coincidences!

Thus the past week has been focused on getting the results and having appointments (virtual) to determine the course of action. There is much to learn and apply but I am determined. When I explained my resolve to get better, I likened it to my Duolingo study. I told the nurse that I have studied Spanish for over nine years without missing a day, so I’m pretty sure that I will be able to follow the protocol.

Phase one is all about preparing the body to detox and frankly, I’m a little concerned about it. I remember when I decided to go off of sugar about 12 years ago. The first five days, I thought I was going to die. The headaches, vomiting, fever, and general weakness just about did me in. By day three, I started begging the Lord for an Advil (haha). He told me that all the symptoms were the toxins dying and I was not to give in to them. He told me to get a tea towel and lay a line of ice down the middle and roll it up; then place it around my neck. Then to get another tea towel and soak it in cold water, wring it out, and place it on my head. The towel on my head was dry in about thirty minutes and within 5 minutes the headache was gone as was the nausea. Everything started looking up after that. Coming out the other end gave me an incredible feeling of gratitude!

This week has been birthday week in our family. My sister, Tanya kicks off the 16th with her birthday. Then on the 17th is our grandson, Carter. The 18th is our daughter, Kaitlin. On the 24th is my brother-in-law, Kerry. I love to send voice messages, singing Primary birthday songs to everyone. As we were chatting with Carter (the Ninja Creami King), he shared a simple recipe for the Creami; fill the Creami container with fresh blackberries and then top it up with milk of your choice, freeze and then process in the Creami. They are very blessed because at the bottom of their driveway are a lot of blackberry bushes.

At long last I finished my sling purse. It was completed in fits and bits but finally is ready to use.

I had a muffin baking day on Monday last week. Double chocolate zucchini, carrot/zucchini, and apple muffins. Very low sugar in the recipes except for the apple because it was a copycat recipe for the Costco muffins, which we know are just little cakes! Mark brought us vegetables from his garden and I was able to use them in the muffins. Now I will be making muffins that will be more protein packed. Everything is gluten free and they freeze well. The double chocolate muffins are from http://www.asaucykitchen.com. It won’t let me link the website. You can also check out my Pinterest page and look under muffins.

https://www.homeremediesseasy.com/2025/06/carrot-cake-zucchini-muffins-moist_1.html?m=1

This week, the Red Deer Stake had Elder Soares visit and speak. We decided to zoom into the meeting in lieu of going to Rochester 5th Branch.

It was a great conference with the theme that we must be actively preparing for the second coming of our Savior. I loved his analogy of filling in the gaps where we may be lacking so when spiritual erosion occurs, we can be ready to withstand the challenges of these last days. We know that we will experience challenges and trials that may be bitter but we can look forward with faith in knowing our Savior will always be there for us. Reinforce your spiritual foundations so that you can stand strong in the face of adversary.

My sister’s stake in Edmonton had the same theme on the same day. I love to check myself regularly to see where I am on the path and where I can be making improvements that will bring me closer to my Savior and father in heaven.

Have a fantastic week! Fill in your gaps and stay strong; love to all!

This past week, a couple who have been serving as Facilities Management missionaries completed their very long mission and headed home. The Dabb’s were first called to Oklahoma to a church ranch to serve. They spent two years there and then were moved to Palmyra to the Syracuse New York mission, serving a year here. They are very hardworking and we will certainly miss them. We will also be losing the Christiansons, who served a six month temple mission here and returned for July and August to help out at the temple. Then the site missionaries will be finishing some of their missions; the Defords and the Grows will be heading out. There is a couple serving at the Church Distribution Center and they have extended their mission by a year. They have decided to move to Penn Yan after that and maybe in five years or so, returning to the west. Senior missionaries are at a lot of crossroads in their lives. Many have decided to downsize their homes or at least move to a single story home. A few couples are not returning to the place they left from. It’s fascinating to me to hear everyone’s story and learn about their decisions. We still are undecided as to where we will go after our mission. We thought that we would return to Mexico for an extended stay but then again, maybe we will just go on another mission. The Lord has something in store for us and time will tell.

Our family is having some momentous occasions soon. We will be blessed with another grandchild in a couple of weeks and also a wedding next month. Erik keeps reminding me that I have a quilt to make. It’s just that we are extremely busy with our shifts at the temple and also trying to stay healthy with exercise and good food. Neither of those magically appear and take concentrated effort. My sister, Tracy, called me last night and she gave me some good insights into things to take into consideration with my body. I find it supremely easy to look after others and help them but then disregard helping myself. I did a little exercise last night upon going to bed and it was very eye opening!

On Monday the 4th of August, the Wayne County Fair started up. It brought back so many memories of the Mountain View County Fair in Olds, Alberta that our kids grew up with. As I homeschooled the kids, I was always looking for interesting projects for them to be involved with. When the bench show book was available, I would sit with each child and make a list of which entries they would like to make a project for. The incentive was that if they earned a ribbon, there was a monetary reward and thus they would have money to spend at the fair. They worked hard and our house was a “Fair Tornado” the week before the fair. All baking items were done the day before fair entries had to be submitted. It was a crazy zoo with all five children at our house but we were really productive.

The Wayne County Fair book was 177 pages long so I had high hopes to see some amazing entries. Erik went on his walk-about on Monday morning and the gates were open for free, so he decided to take a look around. He sent me some photos and I was thinking, “That rascal!!! Going to the fair without me!!” There were a lot of rabbits and chickens entered. One barn of cattle was available. Our friends, the Stevens asked us to go to the fair on Friday at 5:30 pm. The plan was to see a bit of the fair and then attend the demolition derby. Wanda’s sister, Joyce flew into town for a visit and she came with us. As we entered the building for the bench show, my hopes were dashed as the entries were few and not the quality that I was expecting to see. Joyce and I both wanted to see quilts and it wasn’t inspiring to see what was on show. Mountain View County put on a well oiled production for the bench show with security for the precious work on display. My brain immediately starts thinking of ways to improve the show. My thoughts then led me to say, “Stay in your lane, Girl!”

We then headed to the cattle barn and I saw a few breeds of dairy cows that I had never seen before. When I saw the Herefords near the back of the barn, my heart leapt because these were cattle that we have in Alberta. The show cows are very pampered with special feed and fans. The teenagers standing on guard with pitchforks to immediately scoop cow piles as they emerge was really funny, because one girl got a pile right on her boot as she was scooping another pile. But, hey, a cow’s got to go, right?

The only horses I saw on show were a mama Percheron and her two month old foal. The weather has been in the 32-33 celcius range and mama, Trudy was standing oh, so still, while her foal was napping in the straw.

From there, we saw a small riding ring with a junior barrel racing event going on, so we stopped to watch. You can tell when a horse hasn’t run a circuit and the rider is taking everything nice and slow to teach their horse the pattern. Others were zipping like they knew what was expected from them.

We stopped at the US Army display and they had swag that they were giving away. I picked up a ball cap for my dad. He started his military career in Alabama and I thought he would enjoy this cap. The men loved that I was a Canadian military brat. When you know, you know!

It was time to experience the demolition derby…doo, doo, doo! Neither Erik or I had gone to one so we didn’t really know what to expect, except for cars crashing into each other. The grandstand seats were nothing like the Olds grandstand. There was no overhead cover, just jimmy-rigged collapsible risers. We were able to procur seating on the second row from the ground but that put us closer to the action. The derby was to start at 8 pm and we all agreed that it should have started at 6 pm. The carnival rides were going on behind us and the track of the infield was where the derby was to take place. Firetrucks were stationed on the other side of the track; two from Palmyra and one from Sodus. As the sun was setting, the lighting was not very bright and it set the stage for what was about to happen. I am always scouting my surroundings and looking for potential trouble. There was a lot going on with so many people trying to find seats and then people getting up to go get food and drinks. The cars eventually paraded past us as some were going to enter from one side of the track while other cars would enter from the opposite side. The derby field was basically a section of the race track; like a big rectangle. Mark and Wanda had been to derby’s before and were excited for the event. Erik is looking for food; I’m scanning for danger, Wanda and Joyce are exhausted from their trip to Niagra earlier. Mark is sitting to my right and was trying to explain what was going to happen.

Then it felt like all hell had broken loose! The 4-cylinder heat was lining up and the klaxon sounded and my head didn’t know where to look because it was craziness in all directions. The fellow to our lower left was so excited and loves demolition derby. He jumped right up and was cheering it all on. You can see him in the video. After all the crashing came to a stop, the heat was over and the heavy equipment came in to remove all the vehicles and smashed up parts. What I learned from the first heat, is that if you are ever driving through a zombie apocolyps, just keep going, even if your wheels are falling off or you lost your bumpers and don’t have a trunk left anymore. JUST KEEP GOING!!

Heat two was the 8-cylinder cars; the big boats from the 80’s. In the middle of that heat, I see a fellow off to my right about 20 feet away. My spidey senses immediately went off and I knew that something was about to happen that wasn’t going to be good. Sure enough, a fight starts and more people get involved and then the crowd surges. My thoughts were, “The crowd will start moving and they’re coming my way and we’re about to be trampled and that’s how people die!!!” Thank goodness, the police were at the ready and quickly stopped the commotion. They hauled a few people away. Is this just another night hanging out with the rednecks? After all, we are rural New York State and it’s looking a little rough. By 10 pm, we all decided to head home. All in all, it looked to me like a scene from Dante’s Hell; dark, smoky, angry people screaming, garbage strewn around, dirt spraying, fires starting in cars, and drivers being taken out by ambulance crews.

It turns out that this is not a typical demolition derby. Mark and Wanda had never seen such goings on before. My lesson was that I don’t ever have to do that AGAIN! My sister and others concurred with that sentiment. In this day and age, it’s probably not a good idea to be where crowds gather and danger is lurking around the corner. My guardian angels were probably shaking their heads.

The interesting story to come out of the fair was the chicken that Erik took a photo of for me was of a chicken that belonged to someone I know from the temple. That beautiful chicken was named Cherry Pie but was formerly known as Buttons. How curious that Erik managed to take a photo of that bird!

We went to BJ’s Wholesale club in Victor and I saw a robot going up and down the aisles taking inventory of the shelves. It made noise as it moved along, so customers didn’t get run over, I’m sure.

After our Saturday at the temple (Erik and I worked a double shift), we headed home but the parade was just starting and we couldn’t get to our home. Everything was blocked off so we headed to Marion to Casa Mexicana for supper. It was so delicious and I was obviously starving because I cleaned my plate. Erik ordered the Molcajete and it looked amazing. He had some to take home for lunch another day.

We are continuing our heat wave. I am ever grateful for air conditioning in this old house. Erik walked down to the lock (29) and was able to see a couple of boats going through. He talked to one of the owners that was moored at Palmyra and they were doing the Great American Loop in their boat.

I am getting close to redoing my scripture study. On August 15, I start the Old Testament and will finish it on February 14. I have lost track of how many years I have been following this schedule that I set up for myself. I am finishing the Pearl of Great Price and the Book of Mormon this week. I will start the Book of Mormon again and I always do a 90 day reading schedule with it. I do have my Spanish scriptures to use as well for this year’s study. I know that I received the greatest peace through studying the scriptures. Everything else falls into place because I make this a priority in my life.

I too, add my testimony to this advice. I have learned and continue to learn so much from the scriptures. Many years ago, I wanted to know more about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father and I decided that the best way to do that was to study the scriptures to learn their ways. So, I buckled down and became a diligent student of the word of God. I love to listen to what other people learn and to be able to share insights is so much fun.

Go to your scriptures for answers and insight into what God wants you to know. You may be surprised at what will come into your mind as you work out your mortal probation.

Carry on, do well, and above all, be kind and compassionate.

This past week has been fun with finding connections to the past and, of course, making connections for the future. I always remember that Jon Bytheway coined the contents of the book of Isaiah as the three “C’s”; Christ, Current events and Coming events. As I read this book throughout the year, I like to identify these elements. These elements also can be parts of our lives. We can have Christ in our lives, we are experiencing current events and we look forward to coming events. As I am able to explain to patrons at the temple what makes temples so special, I am able to hear their feelings and thoughts on temples. Erik and I are fortunate to serve in the baptistry for the large bookings and we are blessed to meet so many youth and their leaders as well as their parents. Their journeys to Palymra always have interesting stories of faith and perserverance. Our patrons come from all over the United States as well as other parts of the world.

I was contacted by Duolingo (a language app that I use to study Spanish, French, & Russian). I was about to complete the Spanish course and they wanted me to be tested by an independant company to see what I have learned over the years. The test was overseen by a docent and was done on my laptop. I thought that it would be a good idea to see the results. The test took an hour and a half to do and involved, reading, writing, speaking and listening. One of my issues is that I don’t get enough conversation in Spanish to be able to improve my skills and the test results show that I am an intermediate learner. I earned a gift certificate for my time and am determined to keep practicing. I was looking for Spanish scriptures in large print, indexed and a leather cover. Not to be found in USA or Canada. What are other senior Spanish people using to read their scriptures? I opted for a Quad version in regular print. My English/Spanish Book of Mormon is in really small print and I need my readers in a well lit area. Onward and upward I go!

I met a young lady this past week who came from New Hampshire. Her last name was the same as a former missionary who served in the Olds Ward. What are the chances that they could be related? As we were wrapping us, I asked her if she had an uncle Shea. Yes, she did!!! I told her that he served part of his mission in my Ward in Alberta. He is married and has three children and became a lawyer. I sent Shea a message about meeting his niece and received a message with a fond memory of us. We were the last home in which he had a meal with members before returning home to New Hampshire. I asked him what he would like to eat and he gave me a menu. Shea wanted grilled cheese sandwiches, Caesar salad, clam chowder, and cheesecake for dessert. He still remembers that menu and was so happy to have been fed his favorite foods.

I also had the opportunity to meet a dad and daughter from Utah. They asked me where I was from and I said Alberta. I hope it’s safe to say Alberta to people from Utah. Most Americans don’t know where Alberta is. When I told them, the dad said that his daughter-in-law was from Airdrie. Her parents were Brent and Karen Forsyth. We worked with the Forsyths in the Calgary temple on the Saturday afternoon shift. I absolutely love them!

Erik and I took a trip to Auburn for me to get labwork done. It was a lovely drive and then the GPS took us right beside the Correctional Facility. I looked at the imposing grey walls with frequent guard towers and wondered what lay on the other side of those walls. I did some research and found some nasty facts that makes me shake my head. It was constructed in 1816 as the second prison in New York State. It is the site of the first electric chair execution in 1890. It’s also the namesake of the “Auburn System”, a correctional system in which prisoners were housed in solitary confinement in large rectangular buildings, and forced to participate in penal labor under silence that was enforced at all times. Auburn’s role in introducing the electric chair contributed greatly to the historicity of the prison as it was soon adopted by many other prisons for being considered more humane than hanging, despite initial controversy. At the time of the prison’s founding, it was the town of Auburn’s largest structure. The prison is among the oldest functional prisons in the United States.

In its early years, the prison charged a fee to tourists in order to raise funds for the prison. Eventually, to discourage most visitors, the fee was increased. In the 1840s, adult tourists paid twenty-five cents, whereas the children’s admittance fee was half the price. Tourists would be escorted through the prison’s factory floors and observe prisoners at work directly, or escorted through tunnels, and remain out of sight, allowing tourists to watch prisoners while they labored. The Auburn Prison attracted enormous amounts of tourists in the middle of the nineteenth century, which added to the town’s local economy and service industries. There is quite a lot of information on the system and how prisoners were kept. It was fascinating, nonetheless but unnerving.

We stopped at Reese’s Dairy Bar on the way home for a little treat. Wanda says that they have the best ice cream. Erik chose a Guava scoop and I chose a sundae. Not a good choice on my behalf; the ride home was a little uncomfortable as I obviously ate something that wasn’t good for me. It tasted really good though, hahaha!

We also stopped at BJ’s Wholesale Club which reminded us of the Real Canadian Wholesale Club. This one does require a membership like Costco. It might not be exactly what we need because there are many items that are definitely bulk and not one offs. It was interesting to see all the goods and see what was similar and yet different than Costco.

We had a very full week at the temple including Friday which we normally have as our day off. The days are counting down that where we won’t be getting big groups anymore as the youth head back to school. The temple president commented on how smoothly we (the temple missionaries) handle the groups. That’s a plus!

That’s how I try to live my life. While in the temple, we treat our patrons and fellow workers with love and kindness to foster a feeling of connectivity and welcome. I certainly make mistakes and try to make amends if needed. I had a situation this past week that hurt my heart. I went to the celestial room and told God that I just wanted my heart to be pure before Him. He responded with, “Your heart is pure before me, now carry on.”

Share your joy by being kind and loving; ten una buena semana (¡have a good week)!