We have changed schedules at the temple; nothing drastic just a few time adjustments. Plus our schedule has moved a little to accomodate the missionaries who have finished their missions. We said good bye to the Kinnersley’s, the Whitehead’s and the Steven’s. It feels so surreal to be at the temple without them. They finished up on Wednesday and we drove over to the Whitehead’s apartment on Thursday morning to say goodbye. The rain was coming down heavily while they were packing their vehicle. They planned to go to Ohio for the first leg of their journey. Kinnersley’s left around noon to head back to Utah. The Steven’s came back on Thursday night to do some temple work. They left Friday morning, heading to Pittsburgh.

Eileen Whitehead is an artist who I have mentioned before. She graciously painted the Palmyra Temple and then Charlie had copies made for each of us. I love that we have that artwork and how special it is to us because we know the artist well.

As well, our laundry contract workers have finished up their contracts for the summer. We loved having them because it made working in the baptistry so much smoother and not having to run to the laundry and move loads around and put them away. Kathy Wales is our regular employee in the laundry and she is part time and now will be training workers again to work in the laundry. We have one washer for clothing and one washer for towels. Each washer load has a specific cycle for each type of load. The washers have automatic dispensers for detergent. Kathy and I like to have the jumpsuits right side out and zipped up for washing. This takes a little extra time but it is worth it to not have jumpsuit legs stuck inside and then take much longer to dry thoroughly. I enjoy working in the little laundry room and getting everything folded and put away.

Erik and I now work a double shift on Saturdays in addition to our Tuesday through Thursday shifts. This past Friday, I received a call from the shift coordinator who told me that she only had six women available for her shift and would I be willing to come to their shift. Erik and I agreed and off we went. By Saturday around 2:15 pm, my eyes were drooping and I needed fresh air. The temple president happened to be walking by and I said, “I would love to stick my head outside and get fresh air because of doing the Friday late shift and then a double today.” He looked at me and said, “Sure, go ahead and do that!” I didn’t wait for him to change his mind and off I went. I did a lap around the outside of the temple and felt awake and ready to go again.

Poor Erik, he indulged in sweet treats brought to the temple and by Sunday morning was experiencing a headache. He also thinks that he was dehydrated. One of our patrons brought these amazing caramel apples with various coatings. Candy apples were my go-to choice if I wanted something special. Not any longer because of my protocol that I am following but I looked at them and could appreciate all the work that went into making them.

On the second and fourth Saturdays, the shift coordinator practically brings a picnic to the temple for the workers. Two types of chicken salad, two types of cookies, dipping crackers, tortilla chips and it goes on! When I was preparing my lunch to take to the temple, I asked Erik if he was taking anything to eat and his reply was, “Oh, it’s chicken salad day at the temple!”

Renee’s Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

3 large chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 bouillon cube (chicken)

1/2 cup Miracle Whip

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Place chicken pieces into a stock pot and cover with water. Add bouillon cube and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let cook until water reduces (at least an hour). Remove the chicken from the stock pot and finely cube the meat. It will be very tender. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix thoroughly. Cover and chill. Serve as you please.

Our Halloween was spent at the temple and thus was an evening spent in service which I love. I received some photos from what our grandkids dressed up as for the evening. Dear sweet little Penny (2 months old) had a penguin costume that she wasn’t very happy about. She got changed into a little ghost outfit and that seemed to be much better. Henry was a fireman and he’s nearly 3. Our grandson’s on Vancouver Island dressed up as a construction worker and as an American. I’ll leave that to your imagination. My daughter asked what I thought he was and I wondered if he was dressed up as his Grandpa Blum. Our Calgary grandkids are in a new neighborhood this year and loved Halloween.

Our granddaughter Penny received her name and blessing at church on Sunday. Lyndon gave us 20 minute notice and we were at church in Sunday School. Erik and I excused ourselves and found an empty classroom to join with the Zoom link to their sacrament meeting. She looked so beautiful. Jasmin told me that Penny wore the same dress and booties that she wore for her blessing as a baby. My guess is that upon comparing the photos of the two of them, it would be hard to tell who was who. Lyndon did a great job and proudly showed his beautiful baby girl to the congregation.

The Blue Jays loss was a topic of conversation everywhere we went. Well done but not to be, just like the Calgary Stampeders losing the Western Semi-final in the CFL. Sad day for our teams but oh, well, life goes on.

Erik was able to get some lovely shots of deer on his hikes this week. My great find was a Maine Coon cat in a cat backpack. The couple told me that they actually have two Maine Coons who are brothers. The cats are nearly two years old. These cats will continue growing and maturing until they are five years old.

I had the pleasure of talking with my aunt Laura on Sunday evening. Laura and her husband Rob served their first mission in the Auckland New Zealand mission for 23 months. They lived in the Cook Islands on the atoll of Niue, which is it’s own country. It is one of the world’s largest coral islands. They are doing a service mission now at the Bishop’s Storehouse in Lethbridge until January 2027. We were discussing missions and deciding upon when to apply for the next one.

Serving others helps us to feel fulfilled and useful. Sometimes I need to slow down and remember President Monson’s advice, “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.” When ever I feel pressured to make a decision, I slow myself down and think about who needs to be loved in that instance.

“Indolent and unworthy the beggar may be—but that is not your concern: It is better, said Joseph Smith, to feed ten impostors than to run the risk of turning away one honest petition.” I was chatting with the sister missionaries in our Branch and they mentioned that some people who come to the community food bank are just coming because the food is free. But we need to remember the one who truly has need and I believe that need is going to increase in the coming days.

Keep your community in mind and be a support to your neighbors. Check in on them and ask if they need anything. Most importantly, it’s usually conversation and acknowledgment that they are alive and needing. Have eyes to see and a heart to act; be well and know that you are loved.