Our fellow Canadians are celebrating Thanksgiving today as I write this message. I worked on a baby quilt for a friend’s newest grandbaby that is coming and I sent Erik to the grocery store with a list. While not getting together with our family, the next best thing for me to do is service for others. When we lose ourselves in service, we also lose sight of our own infirmities and sadness.

Erik roasted a chicken, while I prepared the veggies and we had a nice meal together. Tomorrow, I will focus on the pumpkin pie. Eating super clean makes a person think outside of the box to create tasty dishes that are also nutritious.

Last week was anniversary week for three couples who are temple missionaries; Mark & Wanda Stevens were on the 7th, Erik & I were on the 9th, and Rick & Tonya Gurr were on the 10th. The Stevens were celebrating their 9th anniversary. We were celebrating our 43rd and the Gurr’s were celebrating their 50th anniversary. I wanted to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary and told Erik that we would bring cake to the temple for their shift on the 10th.

The Stevens told us about Dinosaur Barbeque in Rochester and said it was a really interesting restaurant because it is in the old train station building overlooking the Genesee River. It took me a bit to get excited about going out on our anniversary, but once we were there, I was glad that we came. We parked on the bridge that crosses the river and saw the Central Rochester Public Library across the road from the restaurant. It is impressive! Built in 1936, it is known as the Rundel Memorial Library building. We found the meal delicious and I had leftovers for later.

On Friday, Erik wanted to go to the Priesthood Restoration Site in Oakland Township Pennsylvania. It was a 2-1/2 hour drive to get there and we left at 8:45 am. The final exit to get to the site was closed so we drove an extra 9 miles to the next exit ramp. We filled up with gas and then took a back road to our destination. I can’t tell you enough, how much I love the back roads of America! I saw one home that would have me moving there in a heartbeat; it was so idyllic.

We arrived at the Visitor’s Center and waited for the next tour which included two reconstructed homes, statues, and historic landscapes. Erik and I also walked to the McKune Cemetery where Joseph and Emma buried their first child, a son. His grandparents, Isaac & Elizabeth Hale have headstones are next to his headstone.

This is Joseph and Emma’s first home. It is on a piece of land (13.5 acres) that Joseph purchased from Emma’s brother and father. It was wonderful to be in the place where much of the translation of the Book of Mormon took place. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints website has information on the Priesthood Restoration site and all the components. We learned more about the history of the Hale family and the events that occurred in the translation of the Book of Mormon.

It was interesting to Erik and I that Isaac Hale made his living hunting and selling venison. That was a lot of work to do and we imagined what it entailed.

We then drove to the Susquehanna river where Joseph and Oliver Cowdery baptised each other. It was a lovely quiet place to contemplate the return of the priesthood to the earth.

The Susquehanna river flows at quite a clip and was the source of shipping goods. At 444 miles long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States. It’s historically significant as an ancient route for Native American tribes and a crucial transportation and trade artery for early settlers. The river is also celebrated for its natural beauty, scenic landscape, recreational opportunities like kayaking and fishing, and the numerous islands and historic sites along its banks.

We stopped in Auburn to pick up a couple of cakes to celebrate the Gurr’s anniversary and headed straight to the temple to drop them off. A 50th anniversary deserves celebration!

Saturday was upside-down sky day. The clouds had the sun shining from the bottoms, and everything looked upside down. To an artist’s eye, it was unusual. We did our morning shift, went home for lunch, and then returned for a special baptistry booking at 6 pm. A ward came from Connecticut to do a group session. The youth said they had been travelling for seven hours! Saturday night was spent at a couple of AirBnB’s.

Sunday was Rochester Stake Conference. The Whiteheads drove and we were their passengers to the Stake Center. Charlie and Eileen attend the Batavia Branch. There was a Primary Choir during the meeting and they sang, “As I Have Loved You” in English, Spanish and then ASL. While they were signing, the congregation sang the words. Three Primary aged children spoke and three youth spoke in conference. They all did such a good job. I was impressed that a young man was asked to say the closing prayer at the beginning of the meeting and he did it without balking!

One of the most interesting things I saw was after the conference was over. To preface this, when we arrived to the parking lot, parking lot attendants were directing traffic. One man was holding a big sign that said, “Tailgating? Flash your Headlights!” The four of us were wondering what on earth that was about. Later we learned that if you were going to tailgate, you were directed to park in a certain area of the parking lot. This all started when a mother brought food for her family because they lived quite a distance from Rochester. Then the Stake President said that if any one wanted to participate, they could. It is now tradition to tailgate after Stake Conference. People open up their vehicles and share food and visit. Personally, I think the concept is brilliant because there is no cleanup of tables, chairs or dishes. Everyone is responsible for their own garbage and cleanup. Unfortunately in Alberta, Stake Conference time is not particularly great weather for tailgating unless you are extremely hardy. Well, come to think of it, we dress for ice fishing and other winter activities. Just throw on some snow pants over your dress and Bob’s your uncle!

My prayers are always full of gratitude. I truly am grateful for all things, come what may. Life doesn’t always turn out the way you thought. I’ll bet if you look back at the past fifteen years of your life, you probably couldn’t have guessed at how it was going to go. Despite all the hardships and trials that we endure, it is important to have gratitide. President Nelson expressed this very well.

I’m over a month into my gratitude journal. Everyday had to be three different things to be grateful for and nothing could repeat. It has been simple as I know to be grateful for the little things.

Enjoy your week! Consider journaling your gratitude. Think on these things to be able to rise above the world and the loss of values in society. Keep your heart in line with goodly virtues and you can find joy and happiness.

This week was a time for rejuvenation and rest (to a point). We had our usual duties with extra things thrown in for something different. Monday was coming back to the USA. It felt so good to be back in our own vehicle and the huge sigh of relief after crossing the border with a feeling like, “Ah, we’re home!” Seeing the New York license plates again felt good. It was a sense of, “You’re where you are supposed to be.”

We did some laundry upon arriving to our house after unpacking everything. Erik and I were exhausted and went to bed early. I think it took us a few days to get our mojo back after our whirlwind trips. Tuesday morning we went to our shift at the temple and it was so fun to see everyone again and see the improvements that were made in the temple. The weather is still so glorious and we will enjoy it while it lasts. This week the weather has been in the high 20’s celcius and we are still using our air conditioning.

On Wednesday, it was lovely to see our shift coordinators return after four months off to recover from health issues. We filled in for them and was awesome to see them come back, looking better than ever.

I called the pharmacy to refill the sensor prescription. They don’t usually have them in stock, so I call a few days before the last one ends. This way I should have uninterrupted usage.

It felt great to be back on the rebounder after our travels. Bouncing moves things in your body and gets the lymphatic system draining. Ten minutes on the rebounder is equal to 33 minutes of running (as for the benefits). I like to do thirty minutes on the rebounder and always feel great afterwards. One of my heel wounds from my wedding shoes is still not happy. The ankles are looking better but the poor achilles area is not healed. I’m back to putting a bandage on it. War wounds, I call them.

I had the opportunity to visit with my cousin, Shannon on Zoom on Thursday. It was so good to see her face and hear her voice. She has the most wonderful smile that reminds me of when we were children.

Friday took us to Auburn for me to get bloodwork done. The ladies who run the lab love me and told me that they wish all their patients were as pleasant as I am. I believe that when you treat others with respect and love, it will come back to you. We went to a very large Wegman’s for groceries. It was amazing! The managers do a great job at stocking the store.

On the way home, I said to Erik that it would be fun to stop in at a Bass Pro Sports in the USA to see the difference from Canada. Erik was able to purchase a couple of long sleeved shirts and I found some warm socks. We wanted to see the hunting area and headed to the gun section. My mind was blown with the array of arms. There is a handgun that I wanted to buy when I received my PAL but Lyndon reminded me that it was prohibited in Canada. Well, I got to see something very similar to “The Judge”.

It was fun to see the camping section with all the cooking opportunities; smokers, pits, barbeques and flat tops. We did see the salt guns to be used on flies, but as my cousin says, it’s not for her house because it leaves a little salt pile while doing the fly in. I did see a funny little shooter that has a string attached.

Isn’t that a hoot? It sells for $4.99. I’m not a fan of flies AT ALL and this is something that could be handy.

This past week has been difficuilt emotionally because of the passing of President Nelson but especially because of the hateful vitriol spewed at our church resulting in deaths and injuries and the loss of a building. Some days I feel like it’s getting more dangerous to be a Christian depending on what part of the world you live in. People are being killed who believe in Christ.

The best thing to happen this weekend was General Conference. While rage consumes extremists in Africa, Africa is also seeing huge growth in Christianity. In the past three years, nearly one million people joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints around the world. I have always felt that as Christians, we need to band together in prayer and love to thwart the advances of the adversary. If we struggle with what other Christians practice and believe, it’s harder to follow the Savior’s teachings. He taught us to love one another.

It’s cute to see the memes pop up immediately after a session of conference. People are paying attention and being filled with joy at the messages that are delivered. We love our leaders of our church and I look forward to each conference with such anticipation.

Families have conference traditions for snacks. We found a bag of churro chips made by Siete. They are grain free and were delicious for a little snack. Even the apostles have bowls of snacks for conference. There are always a few speakers who touch people’s hearts so strongly with their enthusiasm and “joie de vivre”. Are you a note taker? Sometimes I am and other times, I crochet while listening to talks. I love to ask people what their biggest take away is from conference. It’s great to hear someone elses’s perspective. Did you have a question and receive an answer? This conference I did not have a question. I felt that the question that I had was answered previous to conference.

Elder Cuvelier talked about being a disciple of Christ and being called by the name of Christ. He said that the greatest sermons are not heard but seen “in the quiet, unassuming actions and deeds observed in the lives of ordinary people who, trying to be like Jesus, go about doing good.”

“Our identity isn’t defined by the world,” he said. “But our discipleship is defined by the ordinances we receive, the covenants we keep, and the love we show to God and neighbor by simply doing good.”

I believe that we can continue to do good whereever we are and show love to the people we meet. I look forward to the conference issue where all the talks are printed. I felt like I needed to read some talks to unpack them more fully.

I have ordered these journals from Deseret Book, and they are great for making notes and studying the talks.

This painting by Julie Rogers shows the love our Savior has for us individually and I know that one day I will see Him face to face and will rejoice in our reunion. Meanwhile, I will try to live a life of charity and compassion until that time.

Have a great week and remember to choose God!

It’s been a very busy two weeks. The Palymra temple went into it’s two week maintenance which is scheduled twice a year. We had asked for permission to go to Calgary for our son’s wedding as well as to go to Vermont to see Joseph Smith’s birthplace. As well, two weeks ago, I was asked to do a 30 day gratitude journal where I write three things each day and no days are to be repeated.

We headed out on Tuesday the 16th to go along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail towards the Thousand Islands. The plan was to only be gone for two days on this trip because of getting ourselves ready to go to Alberta. The road we took was the I-90 towards Syracuse and then took the I-81 north to Watertown. I vividly remember seeing Canada across the water and getting excited. We were so perplexed over a very high arching bridge that we missed the exit to highway 12. If we had gone farther across the bridge too Wellesly Island, we were going to end up in Canada. Although, without passports, we wouldn’t have gone very far. Thus, it was a backup to the exit and then we went to the Welcome Center for a bathroom break and information. The guide there told us that she usually drives straight east into the Adirondacks. By going north is was going to be a longer journey. We wanted to see everything so, we headed north. It was beautiful to see the St. Lawrence river and we actually saw a tanker ship along the way.

I had a Zoom meeting at 2:30 pm so we were looking for a place to pull over that would have a cell signal. Massena seemed to be the place for everything to work out. We pulled into a park along a little river and ate lunch. The town boasted the Massena Springs, a pair of sulfur springs, one hot and the other cold, reputed to possess healing powers known to the Native Americans before European settlement. In 1820, an Army veteran, Captain John Polley, hoping to capitalize on the properties, opened a hotel and began to advertise them. By 1858, three hotels, numerous rental cottages, a bathing house, and a plant that bottled and sold the spring water, had been built. By about 1900, the Springs’ status as a popular resort had faded. We could still smell an odor of sulphur where we were. My meeting only took 45 minutes and then we were on our way.

From Massena, we headed south going via Brasher Falls. As we headed to Fort Jackson, a very curious event occured. We were supposed to cross the St. Regis river but the bridge was being reconstructed and of course was impassable. Erik stops the vehicle and says, “This has Panama vibes!” Back story: We were in a van with friends after doing a week long cruise. Our group wanted to find a beach on the east coast of Panama. It turns out that the waters and beaches were filthy and strewn with so much garbage (definitely not swimmable). Then we came upon a bridge which had collapsed in the middle into the little river below. Erik and I got out of the van and made a determination that we could quite possibly drive the van across the broken bridge without getting hung up. All the buses could not cross because of their length. Keith was driving and we encouraged him to give it a go. The women in the back of the van were yelling and saying NO!! Keith proceeded with all the bally-hooing going on and we did make it!

We got out at Fort Jackson to take photos of the bridge and right beside the river was an old cemetery (the cemeteries in New York are all old). I was drawn to a gravesite with one large headstone and then smaller ones on either side depicting the adults and children.

I looked at the main headstone and was drawn to Sarah who was Orman’s second wife. I said to her, “Hey, Sarah, you and I are nearly birthday twins!” Her birthday is two days before mine. Her birth year was 1829 which was my phone number for 25 years. I wondered why I was drawn to her and decided to look up her information on Family Search. All of her ordinances were done in the 1950’s in the Salt Lake temple! I will check on her children as well to see what has happened with them. A very curious experience to be had that day because as I say, “We’re in the middle of Podunk-Nowhere and I come across this!”

Onward we went after the detour and ended up on highway 30 heading south again. We had entered the Adirondack mountains. I have always loved geology, and of course, I had to see what made up these mountains. In October, the vistas are going to be stunning with the fall colors. The Adirondacks are a massif of mountains in northeastern New York, which form a circular dome approximately 260 kms wide.

The word Adirondack is thought to come from the Mohawk word atirǫ́·taks meaning “eaters of trees”. Another early use of the name, spelled Rontaks, was in 1729 by French missionary Joesph-Francois Lafitou. He explained that the word was used by the Iroquois as a derogatory term for groups of Algonquians who did not practice agriculture and therefore sometimes had to eat tree bark to survive harsh winters.The Mohawks had no written language, so Europeans used various phonetic spellings of the word, including Achkokx, Rondaxe, and Adirondax. The Adirondacks were thought to be uplifted by a hot spot in the Canadian Shield. As we cruised along and I saw the rocks, I kept saying, “Hello Canada!”

We stayed in Lake Placid for the night. This was the location of the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980. It reminded us of downtown Banff, very bougie and lots of interesting people walking the sidewalks. Our room had a lovely view of the lake and a bed so comfortable that I wanted to stay and get more rest. I slept incredibly well that night.

We arose and headed to catch the Essex Ferry to Vermont. We arrived too early because they only run once an hour during off season, so we went to Willsboro to find a restroom. This is another lovely picturesque village. Again lots of bougie homes because this is where Lake Champlain is. This lake is shared with New York, Vermont and Quebec. It is the thirteenth largest lake (by area) in the USA. Whilst waiting in line for the ferry to arrive, Erik was asked (because we wear missionary nametags) about the ferry and how safe it was. He wanted to say, “Don’t park in the front or the back because those are the ones that go off the ferry in the lake!” Alas, he only shared those words with me.

Lake Champlain

Driving north to Burlington, we then took highway 89 to get to Sharon, Vermont. We drove past the capital city, Montpelier, which is the smallest capital city in the USA. It has a population of less than 8,000 people. The landscape changed to a more rolling hills scenario dotted with farms.

As we found our way to the Solomon and Lydia Mack homesite, again I was struck as to the small rural area that it was in. Very, very beautiful woods are to be found and it was such a joy to wander and see the foundations of the buildings. The memorial was erected for the 100th anniversary of Joseph’s birth, December 23, 1905. The granite stone was made 38-1/2 feet tall for the years of Joseph’s life. The granite shaft weighed 99 tons and a miracle had to happen to get it erected on time. We saw the hearthstone from the home as well as the front step stone. We were invited to drive through the woods to the Solomon Mack home foundation. It was so beautiful! Later we ate our lunch at a picnic shelter on the land.

It was to be a very long drive back to Palmyra that day. We stopped at a rest stop for a bit and were able to see a boat going through the lock there. Again, people were piloting the boat for the owners. It was quite a large vessel and would be quite comfortable to do the Great American Loop in.

By the time we got home we were pooched and ready for bed. The next morning, Erik feels prompted to go to the temple to see if anyone needs his help with anything. I stayed home to hem my dress for the wedding. Erik, indeed found a project that would take him a couple of days to complete. He met some interesting people who get assigned to travel to temples for maintenance. One couple does all the painting touch-ups for wood. Another fellow does the reupholstery and comes with a portable industrial sewing machine.

On Saturday, the 20th, The Purple Painted Lady Festival was starting so we made our way to it. It is a massive undertaking with nearly 400 vendors and 25 food trucks and 5 bands, held over two days. Around 14,000 people come to this festival which is held on her farm. My dear husband patiently attended with me and let me see the sights. I purchased an embroidered tea towel for Lyndon that talks about Rochester’s “Garbage Plate”. We also found a gentleman who builds pipe organs but does some wooden laser cut maps of the Finger Lakes. I purchased one that shows all the lakes. It definitely was quite the experience to see it all and the impressive organization of this event. Trish also has a store front called The Purple Painted Lady full of eclectic items to peruse.

On Sunday, September 21, we had an incredibly special experience in the Sacred Grove with Elder Bednar and three Seventy’s (Elder MacKay, Elder Martinez and Elder Bednar Jr.) who joined him. We were able to spend an hour at the Gathering Place in the Grove to hear Elder Bednar speak. He told us (Senior missionaries) how grateful the Brethren were for us leaving our homes to go and serve. He understood the sacrifice it is to leave children and grandchildren behind to go around the world to serve others. Then we go home, love on our grandchildren and children and go out on another mission. Elder Bednar wanted to look into the eyes of each of us who were there. September 21 is significant because it is the anniversary of angel Moroni coming to visit Joseph Smith. Then Elder Bednar left to rededicate the Hill Cumorah Visitor Center which had been updated and rejuvenated. We had to get on the road to Hamilton, Ontario to catch our flight to Calgary, so we listened to the broadcast on our phone while we were driving.

We spent the night in Niagra Falls (Canadian side) with a view of the falls. There are fireworks at 10 pm that are short but gorgeous. As well, lights are projected onto both American and Canadian falls. In the morning, we headed to the Hamilton airport for our flight. Porter Airlines was something I wanted to experience and our flight was a tad hellish. A family of five was seated directly behind us and the oldest child was constantly hitting the back of my seat as well as all the screaming, it was misery. Four and a half hours… I was done! The tender mercy at the end of the flight was the family in front of us stood and I asked them if they were from Calgary. They said that they were from Hamilton but had recently moved to Airdrie. They returned the question and I explained that we were serving a mission for our church at the temple in Palmyra. The mom had noticed our nametags and told us that they had been sealed in the Toronto temple and later left the church for twenty years. They decided to come back to church and were very happy to be in Airdrie with friends at church. The youngest daughter is going to be 12 next year and is excited to be attending Young Women’s and going to the temple.

We picked up our rental car and drove to Lethbridge to see Lyndon, Jasmin, Henry and new baby, Penny. On Tuesday morning, Erik and Henry harvested the grapes, washed them, bagged them and into the freezer they went. I have to say that I absolutely love having conversations with a nearly three year old. Henry later took us on a walk around the neighborhood with his wagon. When Lyndon came home from work, the three of us drove to Calgary to the AirBnB.

It was a blast to be with our children in Calgary. Leah figured that it had been six years since we had all been together.

Wednesday was river rafting out of Canmore. Eleven of us were on one raft and it was uber cold! I think it was only 9 C to start. We saw Elk in the river watching us as well as a Bald Eagle fighting with crows over a carcass. Our river guide Dino gave us interesting facts about the Canmore area and history. This time of year, the river is quite low, so there was not a chance of going overboard.

Our group was bused back to Canmore and we headed to lunch at the Flatbread Company. With all of us crunched in tight it was going to be hard not to get glutenized (didn’t work out so well in the end). Afterwards, we went to Lovely (which is completely gluten free) for ice cream. Then it was off to a little hike through town to get some steps in. Canmore has cell towers made up to look like trees and I found a sprig of what looked like a fake Christmas tree and realized that it probably came from the cell tower. A train came through town as we were crossing the tracks and Mason (13) pumped his fist for the whistle to blow and the engineer came through, much to Mason’s delight.

Erik and I and the grandsons drove back to Calgary along the 1A and saw some beautiful sights. The horses on the side of the road were so pretty. We also saw a herd of Big Horned sheep on the side of a mountain along our journey.

Thursday was a rehearsal dinner at Kaitlin and Brian’s new home in Altadore. Braeden smoked a brisket and some of Katina’s family came to. We finally got to meet her brother and sister-in-law as well as their son. Her dad’s youngest brother and his wife came. Katina asked her uncle to walk her down the aisle as her dad had passed away. He was so honored to do so because his children are all boys. We went to the park with Finn and Ainsley. Mason and Carter were worn out by playing with the little cousins. That night, Mason said to me, “Oh, I’m already sore!”

Friday….Wedding Day!! Erik and I made a fatal error by leaving too late for the wedding which was being held at the zoo. We realized that Deerfoot Trail was absolutely the wrong road to take to get there because of construction. We were sick to our stomachs and couldn’t believe the pickle we were in. Everything went well and the flower girls did so well. Leah was the matron of honor and Kaitlin was Braeden’s Best Woman. Katina looked stunning in her dress with her flowers. Dinner was at Grazers in the zoo and between the ceremony and the dinner, guests were able to visit zoo exhibits. Katina had the entire meal made gluten free and then after a short program, we danced and I was able to meet guests from Katina’s side of the family. We delivered Kaitlin back to her house as Brian had left earlier with the kids. I saw one of the flower girls (2 yrs old) with a steak knife under the table trying to stab people and cutting at the chair while my grandson, Charlie had a table knife to his dad’s jugular; so crazy!! Back to the AirBnB by midnight.

Unfortunately, we were all thrown out of bed at 7 am because the guests in the basement were burning food and the smoke alarms throughout the house were going off. What a rude awakening! We all wanted to do something so Erik found out the the Fish Hatchery was open and off we all went. Braeden and Katina joined us and we were able to see other wedding parties getting photos done in the park beside the Hatchery. Another beautiful fall day, considering that you never know what the weather could be in September in Calgary.

Renate left Saturday morning for her flight back to Victoria. Leah left Saturday night for her flight back to Victoria. Lyndon and Jasmin left for Lethbridge right after the wedding dinner. Our flight was an hour before Meaghan and Dallin’s flight on Sunday. We were trying to figure out all the food that needed to be eaten before leaving. Dallin’s friend, Russell joined us at the hatchery and for dinner at the AirBnB.

We checked out and headed for the airport. We missed the entrance for the car rental for our company and went in another way. We were going the wrong way and one gentleman took pity on us and lifted a pylon so that we could sneak through. I had my window rolled down to ask him how to get to the Thrifty car return. As he lifted the pylon, he said, “I’m only doing this because of this beautiful woman.” Well, I thanked him and we made it to the return.

Everything went smoothly on the return flight, including being able to hook up to Porter’s wifi on the flight. We chose emergency exit seats and the relief was immense. I didn’t feel claustrophobic and anxious because we had a little extra room. Porter uses the Embraer 195-E2 planes as well as Dash 8-400. The seating was 2 by 2 which I like because I sit by my husband.

We had wanted to zoom in on our Branch Conference in Rochester but they couldn’t get the wifi connection strong enough. We are looking forward to General Conference this coming weekend. Two weeks of adventures is a lot to write about and takes quite some time. Hopefully, I don’t have to do this again before the end of our mission.

This past week was all about family and carrying on our connections. We made hay while the sun was shining!

I know this to be true. There can be a lot of experiences with families that can either build or destroy relationships but it takes everyone pulling their part of the rope to get the family farther along the path with unity. I love my family, both near and far and look forward to the eternities with them.

Stick together and be like plywood; strong together meanwhile one ply is weak and breaks more easily. When you have the strength of family, you can overcome and be buoyed up with love and counsel that helps you.

Have a fantastic week! Stay strong and don’t let the outside world drag you around like a merry-go-round out of control. Your strengths are greater than you know. Lots of love to you all!

The past week was incredibly emotional on so many fronts. Mid week, I looked at what had happened thus far and it literally felt like I had been on a roller coaster; huge highs of joy and then ocean bottom depths of sorrow. We are constantly being prepared for the days ahead that will definitely sort evil from good. I was reading my patriarchal blessing (this is a specific blessing given to each person and gives advice, counsel and direction for their lives). As I was wondering about the timing of this mission, the Lord reminded me that I would be kept safe because I was in His house. Sure enough, my patriarchal blessing confirms that very thing. It was a great reminder to me to know that God loves me and knows of my devotion to Him.

On Monday, the Clay’s invited the temple missionaries to come to their home for a pizza party and a boat ride around their lake, Owasco Lake. Owasco is the third eastern most lake in the Finger Lakes and the sixth largest. The name is derived from the Iroquois word dwas-co, meaning bridge on the water. It was a beautiful day and we drove out with the Gurr’s. Marc Clay is a sealer at the Palymra temple, so we’ve gotten to know them by working with them. The Clay’s home sits lakeside and has incredible views. Eight of the temple missionaries made it to the party and were in for a wonderful evening. Marc loaded us on their pontoon boat and gave us a tour of the lake and where certain family members resided. We loved the viewing of the homes and some of us picked out homes that we would dream of living in.

After our cruise around the lake, we headed to the kitchen to make pizza. The Clay’s have a pizza oven that cooks a pizza in 90 seconds. I stayed in the sunroom to avoid getting “glutenized” and watched as everyone created their pizzas. We contributed by bringing salads. Kathy had something special for dessert for everyone. Great conversation flowed and plenty of pizza was had. For dessert, Kathy made her famous cream puffs. It was so cute, because she was telling us how she makes them and Marc didn’t want her to share her recipe and techniques. She covered the tops of the cream puffs with ganache and they looked beautiful. Erik was able to bring an extra one home because I couldn’t eat them.

Tuesday morning at the temple, our preparation meeting was quite possibly the most spiritual prep meeting that I had ever been in throughout my years as an ordinance worker. Tears were flowing from a number of us as we discussed how the temple has impacted our lives. We were being completely enveloped in the spirit of the Lord. Afterwards, a few of us were talking about how beautiful the meeting was and we felt like something momentous was going to happen in the world. Tuesday was a day of utter joy and gladness.

Wednesday was spent being busy doing our duties at the temple. We arrived home and I received a text from my son, who was fervently asking me to pray for Charlie Kirk. I didn’t know what was going on because we had been in the house of the Lord for the day. The roller coaster loop was taking a dip and I was in shock. The momentous event has been put in motion. We were about to see the reactions and the fallout. On Tuesday, while assigned to the Celestial room, I asked the Lord if there was anything that He wanted me to see or know. He showed me a magnificant lion roaring and said the Savior is about to roar. So many world events are occuring that show the population changing and wanting changes. I cannot be thrown off course by these because I know where my faith lies and that I am protected. I refuse to allow myself to be afraid and worry about everything. I am not in charge and I will continue with what I know to be true in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I spent five and one half hours on Friday, sewing quilt blocks for Penny’s quilt. I was having a struggle because the pattern had errors and I had to purchase more fabric and then keep cutting patches to sew. My goal was to get the entire quilt top put together for Saturday and take it to be long armed. Well….another fatal error in the pattern had me cutting the sashing the wrong size, ugh! I had to resign myself to the fact that the quilt top wasn’t going to be put together and I hit a funky sadness that my goal wasn’t going to be met because the “math wasn’t mathing” in the pattern. All things for a reason and I realized that I was tired from sewing so many hours the day before.

My latest doctor visit (I sound like an old person), had the doctors perplexed and they have now referred me to an endocrinologist, which I will see early November. I am staying the course with my AIP protocol and waiting on the Lord’s promise for a wonderful and miraculous healing.

On Sunday, I actually volunteered to give the opening prayer in Relief Society (Sociedad de Socorro). I probably shocked the Relief Society president, haha! A little growth here, a little growth there, helps Cheryl become a more rounded person. Next Sunday we will be on the road heading to Hamilton for our flight to Calgary. The following Sunday we will be at the Calgary airport flying back to Hamilton while our Branch has Branch Conference. The next Sunday is General Conference and then it’s Stake Conference!!! We won’t be back with our Branch for a month!

We are being prepared for our Savior to return and we must not delay our preparation. Many people have commented to me, “You are a great example of doing what the Lord tells you!” The caveat in my patriarchal blessing is, “Don’t fail Him!” With that admonishment from the Lord, I try hard to do as He commands. I recognize my petulant attitude which can creep in and quickly repent so that I am on the right side of my Heavenly Father. Constancy is my comfort and as the world is spinning and seemingly out of control, I am always trying to find my footing to stay upright. It’s why I make sure to get my water in each day, do my exercise, read my scriptures, pray, create nutritious meals and love my fellowman.

Stay strong, my friends and family. We love you and pray for your well-being!

It’s been two weeks in a row of sailing on Seneca Lake with gorgeous weather and great company. We have learned a lot about races and boats and lakes. I also have acquired another birthday twin in Gennaro Fazio, although I am five years older than him.

We also celebrated the birthday of one of our temple missionaries, Charlie Whitehead. He put out the call that they were going to Casa Mexicana in Marion and invited any who could come to join him and Eileen. Eight of us showed up to enjoy each other’s company and tasty food. The waiter mentioned that he had seen all eight of us in the restaurant separately but never together.

I was able to stick to my AIP protocol for my meal and it was delicious. We sang to Charlie and then the Kinnersley’s gifted Charlie a lovely piece of artwork that depicted the Savior using the names of the Savior.

Woven into the fabric of His robe are His fifty-two names. I appreciate this art piece not only because it’s of the Savior but I love creating ink drawings. The link below shows how the author studied the various names of Christ and came up with a list of 115!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2023/12/digital-only/115-names-and-titles-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng

I decided to move along on Penny’s “Big Girl” quilt and discovered that I was short fabric for some of the blocks. I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked down to the quilt shop to see what I could find. High humidity and 25°C did not make for a comfortable jaunt. I’m standing in the quilt shop, with perspiration running down my face, and trying to put a sane thought pattern together. I came away with more fabric and was able to get the next blocks all cut out and ready for sewing.

By Friday, I had to run into Newark for bloodwork in the morning. That didn’t take very long and then two doors down is a Marshall’s where I was able to find some glass storage containers for food. Part of my protocol is removing all plastic from my life and it’s easier than I thought. I did find some great sets of containers and was able to meet a Spanish mom and her adult daughter. Later, farther back in the store, the mom says to me, “Oh, you’re Canadian…that’s why you’re so nice!” Well, thank you for the compliment but personally, I have found everyone to be delightful and easy to get along with. Some people are startled when I start up a conversation with them, but then I am able to loosen them up and get to know them.

I have had a number of people say to me, “Oh, you must be Canadian because I can tell by your accent.” It’s just like I am really enjoying the New York accent. One of the youth who came to the temple said, “I could tell you are Canadian because you sound like my mom who is from Canada.”

Our daughter, Kaitlin, and her family moved into their new home this past week. It’s a very exciting time for them as their oldest child starts kindergarten and the youngest goes to daycare for the first time. Lots of changes in their lives.

Our B.C. grandsons went back to school: one to grade 8 and the other to grade 10.

Saturday was a VERY special day for us because our little Spanish Branch was booked into the temple for a session to accompany a member who was receiving his endowment ordinance. The endowment ordinance is where we covenant with God in five areas:

• Law of Obedience, which includes striving to keep Heavenly Father’s commandments.
• Law of Sacrifice, which means sacrificing to support the Lord’s work and repenting with a broken heart and contrite spirit.
• Law of the Gospel, which includes exercising faith in Jesus Christ, making and honoring essential covenants with God, enduring to the end, and striving to love God and our neighbor.
• Law of Chastity, which means abstaining from sexual relations outside of a legal marriage between a man and a woman, which is according to God’s law.
• Law of Consecration, which means dedicating our time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed us to building up Jesus Christ’s Church on the earth.

It was such a joyful day and Erik and I were given the opportunity to be officiators for that session. It was wonderful to have so many Spanish people together, serving and supporting their brother, son and brother in Christ. Afterwards we gathered outside of the temple and they asked Erik and I to join them for photos.

Erik woke up with a slight headache on Sunday and we didn’t leave on time for me to be at choir practice. Alexandra said that even though we won’t be there for Branch Conference, it would be good for my Spanish practice to be there. Si, es la verdad! The branch is going together to Kirtland, Ohio to see the historic site on September 20. It turns out that Elder Bednar, who is coming to rededicate the Hill Cumorah Visitor’s Center is also going to be speaking to the Youth of the area that same evening at 7 pm. We had a short meeting after sacrament meeting to see if people wanted to change the trip to the 27th but the vote was for the 20th. Our two youth are 14 and 16 and are brother and sister. I love those two kids like they are my grandkids and every Sunday I talk to them to see how their week went.

After church, we prepared some food for our picnic with the Fazio’s. We met them again at the Seneca Yacht Club and enjoyed a sumptuous repast together. Gennaro made some sausage stuffed tortellini that Erik and him ate. Christine cooked some fresh beets and made a beautiful green salad. Erik made some black bean brownies and I looked after myself with a salad with mackerel and loads of other veggies. The sun was gorgeous and later we experienced the full moon rising in the evening sky after our sail on the lake.

Monday is when I usually publish my blog, but I was so late because of a very full day. I went to Canadaigua for a doctor’s appointment. Cholesterol is heading in the right direction but that silly A1C is so out of control. We discussed some options and then she told me that I am a “special case” because I am doing all the things that western medicine has recommended but my body does not respond positively to it. Now I am booked for an endocrinologist appoinment in November. Hopefully, the numbers will show a vast improvement by then.

Elder Ballard recounts an adventure of white water rafting:

At the beginning of the trip, one of the experienced river guides reviewed important safety instructions, emphasizing three rules that would ensure the group’s safe travel through the rapids. “Rule number one: stay in the boat! Rule number two: always wear a life jacket! Rule number three: always hold on with both hands!” He then said again, with even more emphasis, “Above all, remember rule number one: stay in the boat!”

This adventure reminds me of our mortal journey. Most of us experience periods in our lives where the tranquil waters of life are appreciated. At other times, we encounter white-water rapids that are metaphorically comparable to those found in the 14-mile stretch through Cataract Canyon—challenges that may include physical and mental health issues, the death of a loved one, dashed dreams and hopes, and—for some—even a crisis of faith when faced with life’s problems, questions, and doubts.Let’s think about rule number one: stay in the boat!

President Brigham Young commonly employed “the Old Ship Zion” as a metaphor for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He said on one occasion: “We are in the midst of the ocean. A storm comes on, and, as sailors say, she labors very hard. ‘I am not going to stay here,’ says one; ‘I don’t believe this is the “Ship Zion.”’ ‘But we are in the midst of the ocean.’ ‘I don’t care, I am not going to stay here.’ Off goes the coat, and he jumps overboard. Will he not be drowned? Yes. So with those who leave this Church. It is the ‘Old Ship Zion,’ let us stay in it.”

On another occasion, President Young said that he also worried about people losing their way when they were being blessed—when life was good: “It is in calm weather, when the old ship of Zion is sailing with a gentle breeze, [and] when all is quiet on deck, that some of the brethren want to go out in the whaling boats to have … a swim, and some get drowned, others drifted away, and others again get back to the ship. Let us stick to the old ship and she will carry us [safely] into the harbor; you need not be concerned.”

And finally, President Young reminded the Saints: “We are on the old ship Zion. … [God] is at the helm and will stay there. … All is right, sing Hallelujah, for the Lord is here. He dictates, guides and directs. If the people will have implicit confidence in their God, never forsake their covenants nor their God, He will guide us right.”

Given the challenges we all face today, how do we stay on the Old Ship Zion?

Here is how. We need to experience a continuing conversion by increasing our faith in Jesus Christ and our faithfulness to His gospel throughout our lives—not just once but regularly. Alma asked, “And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren [and sisters], if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?”

This was a great talk given in October 2014 General Conference. I love the water of the oceans and lakes and was riveted to this talk back then, eleven years ago. May we ever stay on the Old Ship Zion, supporting each other, showing love and the charity of Christ to all.

Just like that, it’s September! August flew by so quickly. As Erik and I were travelling to buy groceries, I mentioned that it was incredible that a whole summer went by and we didn’t even put our toes in the water. We saw many bodies of water but nothing that spoke to us and welcomed us in. New York State did have a mighty hot, humid summer and that drove lake temperatures so high that the blue green algae was blooming.

On Tuesday, we had a youth conference in our area that were staying at the Seneca Lake Camp. They were from Barrie, Ontario Stake. When I was fourteen years old I moved into the Barrie, Ontario area as my dad was posted (military) to Camp Borden which is just 18 kilometers from Barrie. I became friends with another young lady who was in the same grade as me. Our families attended the Barrie Branch. After a year of attending school on the base, I wasn’t interested in attending again. My dad helped me make arrangements to move west to Sardis, B.C. and live with his mother and his sister. A year earlier, my grandma could see the writing on the wall, so to say, and told me that if I ever needed a place to stay, I could let her know and she would take me in. Our family situation was strained because of my mom’s mental illness. Being the oldest child, I felt the onus to take on the responsibility of helping in the home with my three younger sisters and household chores. It was a struggle over the years and I wasn’t happy with schooling because I wasn’t being challenged enough. It all came to a head when I was turning fifteen and was ready to run; where, I don’t know but I had had enough of the pressure. It was truly a sad situation because Bipolar Disorder was not properly diagnosed and treated with much success until the late 1970’s. Our lives were rounds of watching our dear mother sink and rise. At age fifteen, I flew the coop and went west, leaving behind my family but finding a savior in my grandma. She relieved the pressure and helped me to be a better person.

After a year, my parents wanted me to come home and I agreed on the condition that I could go to school in Barrie instead of on the base. They made arrangements with the Addy family so that I could live with them until my dad could buy a little car for me to commute. Shirley and Bob Addy have six children and they lived in a beautiful heritage home in Barrie. I was put in Suzanne’s room with her and we went to seminary together and to school. The school was good for me, as they had a big theater and put on big productions every year. That year, 1979-80, we put on “Guys & Dolls”. I was over the moon with the opportunity to help design and paint sets for the musical. I even became part of the stage crew and was THE curtain girl, drawing and closing the huge stage curtains. I loved the kindness shown to me by the Addy family and it also helped me form myself into a better person. Shirley ran a tight ship and we all were assigned chores. She came in to the kitchen one night when I was doing dishes and was shocked that the blender carafe came apart. They had been using it without unscrewing the base and cleaning the rubber gasket. She was really happy to know about that!

Shirley and I have kept in touch over the years by exchanging Christmas cards and letters. I was saddened to hear of Bob’s passing. They have been faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and were great in the service to the church and community.

When I told the youth from the Youth Stake Conference that I was in fact, Canadian and had lived in Barrie one time, they were very surprised. I told them about living with the Addy family and one of the leaders told me that Lynda Addy was one of their camp cooks. So, in “Cheryl” fashion, I told Erik that we were going to Seneca Lake Camp immediately after our shift. We went home, changed clothing, ate lunch and hit the road. It was about a 45 minute drive. We were greeted by Elder Dixon who is serving at the camp for 18 months with his wife. They are from Washington State. He immediately grabbed a golf cart and asked to give us a tour of the camp which we were very happy to do. The camp is on 200 acres of land and has many amenities and specialized areas. The senior missionaries who serve there, bring their own RV and have full services at their sites. When we arrived at the camp kitchen, I walked in and spottted Lynda right away. She hasn’t hardly changed at all. On the other hand, she didn’t recognize me, haha! Linda is number three in the Addy family. I always remember her as very smart, serious but easy to get along with. She filled me in on where all her siblings are at and as we got caught up, I was feeling so full of joy to have this connection despite it being 45 years since I saw her. I have stayed in touch with Suzanne over the years and learned that she needs extra prayers and ministering right now.

We finally received some photos of our newest princess after a reminder to my son. She is such a sweet pea! We will watch her change quickly over the next year. Big brother looks like he is having a good time and really enjoying time with his dad as momma looks after his sister.

It’s week three of my AIP program (Auto Immune Protocol). Everything is going really well and I have been pleasantly surprised by my ease into the program and not having any detoxing symptoms. Carry, on, carry on, carry on!! Are you singing it?

With the Barrie Stake Youth, they finished up our season of big groups. Temple life will settle into a quiet time for months. The six month temple missionaries only have two months left of their missions. We have made some incredible friends with other temple workers. I can honestly say how much I love them.

One of our friends and her husband invited us and the Stevens to go sailing with them. They have a 30 foot sailboat and the Fazios are ardent sailors. We each brought snacks to share on board. Christine met us at the Seneca Yacht Club and we headed to the boat to meet Gennaro, her husband. It was a sunset cruise and we sailed for three hours. Seneca Lake is one of the finger lakes and is 618 feet deep (180 m) in the center and is 38 miles long (61 kms). The width averages nearly 5 kms wide.

The sky was blue with clouds scudding to the south. We sailed south for 1-1/2 hours and had snacks along the way with the Fazio’s pointing out scenic buildings and points of interest. The wind had picked up and was starting to white cap. Gennaro said that it was time to head back so we needed to batten down the hatches and get ready for the tack back. Meanwhile he asked Erik if he wanted to man the helm. Erik agreed and Mark was wondering if this was such a good idea. I think that we did get to a 30 degree angle on the boat and I was bracing my feet which was difficult when you are as short as I am. Gennaro did want us to experience the opportunity and he put up both the main sail and the jib. It was hilarious and we received instruction on when to tack and everyone was scrambling. One time it looked like a game of Twister as we were trying to get everything done.

It was an absolutely beautiful evening full of laughter as we got to know each other better. The food was good, the sky was perfect, and the company was the best! The wind started dying down after the sunset, and we lowered the sails as Gennaro turned on the engine to get us to the pier and moored. He was spending the night on the boat because there was a regatta in the morning. We would definitely love to do that again!

So from very old friends to new friends, it was a great week. Elder Dixon was prepping us hard to consider a mission at the camp. To start, you need an RV, which we don’t have. We are open to the possibilities of whatever the Lord puts in our path.

This is so true. I have watched this in action throughout my life and the lives of others. Friendships can be revolutionary and help the world to be a much better place that can be full of love and happiness, peace and warmth. Choose wisely and you will be blessed. You will also be a blessing to others when you act in charity and kindness.

Have a fantastic week as kids & grandkids go back to school or off to university. Be well and may you all have the smoothest sailing possible with Jesus Christ at the helm of your boat.

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.