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)!

My husband and I are two different people who look at the world in two completely different ways. I am always scouting everyone and everything around me to see who might need help or if there is danger. Erik’s motto has been, “Nothing is ever as bad as it seems, and nothing is ever as good as it seems.” Whereas I take great delight in little things and in events. When he took a personality test at his job years ago during a course, Erik was basically a flatline in the middle of the chart. Nothing really bothers him, but then nothing ever gets him super excited. This week was a time of reflection for me and looking at how closely we can work together yet think very differently.

EFY (Especially for Youth) was back in Palmyra. The youth take great joy in coming to the temple. They tell me and their leaders that coming to the temple is the highlight of their week at EFY. On the first day, I was checking the youth into the session and while I was waiting for everyone to gather and make sure they had everything they needed, a young lad of fourteen years of age, says to me, “Hey, Cheryl!” This was done in a flirty manner and I was a little shocked! First of all, who is brave enough to say that to a woman in the temple and second of all, I am a grandma!! He had this look on his face of oh, oh, am I in trouble? Then I smiled at him and high fived him. That little imp needs to use his powers for good. I learned that he and a buddy had already caused a rucus at EFY and it was only day two. Their leader said that they had slept in the bus from the Hill Cumorah to the temple (a five minute ride). I said to her, “You know they were up all night and finally hit the wall?”

Being able to chat and share experiences with them is such a joy. One girl who drove with her mom from Mississppi, told me that she had been to a few temples but when she entered the Palmyra temple, she was immediately overwhelmed by the spirit of the temple. That is the power of Palmyra. Knowing what occurred only a quarter mile away in the Sacred Grove is what brings people to this area to feel the spirit.

The temple maintenance manager needed a couple of pairs of pants hemmed. There is a saying, “Don’t ever ask a quilter to hem your pants!” It didn’t take me long to decide to help him out. He had left a note on them about where the belt was compared to the floor. I called him and asked him what measurement his inseam was. Poor Brad wasn’t sure what that was so I talked him through it. Then Erik said that we should just drive up to the maintenance barn and see him in person. Brad had told me that he thought his inseam was 24 inches. I said, “I don’t think so because that would make you a gorilla!” We had a lovely visit with Brad and learned more about his life. I now know that I will hem the pants to a 28 inch inseam. He was close but four inches is a big deal, hahaha! I always look at people and notice the length of their torsos and legs. Many of us are very disproportionate to a degree and you will recognize that when you are shopping for clothes. The perils of being a seamstress and a quilter are always watching and figuring measurements out.

While walking around town this week, I spotted the most amazing tree. It’s called the Silk Tree also known as the Mimosa Tree. When I read up on the characteristics of this tree, it is simply a tree that we all could use for medicinal purposes, skin and garden. We couldn’t grow it in Alberta because we don’t have the growing zones for it.

On Friday, we decided to go to Penn Yan and scout around. That area is home to Amish and Mennonite communities. Erik and I went to Golden Lane fabric store first. This is a Mennonite store that supplies fabric for dressmaking as well as quilting. They also sell the men’s suits and hats, oh, so many types of hats worn by the Mennonites. Even women’s bonnets were for sale. I did purchase an apron pattern that the owner had drawn up and was selling for $1.70. I was able to purchase some hankies that had scriptures printed on them with beautiful artwork. I use them to wipe my brow and neck (like a lady, hahaha).

We went to another Mennonite grocery store/cafe called Oak Hill. I picked up a few grocery items and then we were on our way to another shop. You can find these little shops on the farms where they live. They will carry household goods as well as sewing notions, fabric and baby supplies as well as toys.

Then it was time to go waterfall hunting. Erik had Google Maps take us to Cascade Falls, but Google wanted to take us through a farm that led to a cliff with a two-hundred-foot drop to the falls. The farmer gave us correct directions, and off we went. We parked and walked to the falls. It was an easy walk, but it was quite humid because of the intermittent rain showers. There was a nice little pavilion that is at the bottom of Cascade Falls.

From there, we drove to the next point to see Seneca Mills Falls. The trail was quite well defined and made for good bike riding, horseback riding, walking, or running. This is part of the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail. I spotted some little red berry bushes and told Erik not to do any sampling. He was slightly offended and said that he had no plans to eat those berries. They are called Morrow’s Honeysuckle, with mildly toxic effects to humans if consumed. They are toxic to dogs and cats. These Finger Lakes are phenomenal, and it’s interesting to imagine what the glaciers did as they gouged out these areas.

On our way home we stopped at one more Mennonite store. This one was run by a single lady who does alterations and sells homegoods from the store. I loved the hitching post outside for the horse and buggies to be parked. It was laundry day for many families and the clotheslines were so picturesque. With the rain showers, many loads were getting a second special rinse.

Erik decided to bake a loaf of bread on Saturday after our shift. He said, “It’s not the prettiest loaf but it’ll be good anyway.” It was a very tasty loaf. I had made Dr. Berg’s recipe last week and those loaves were really good. I liked Dr. Berg’s recipe because it was very low carbohydrates. My blood glucose is not playing nice and I have arranged for extraordinary blood work to get the bottom of this issue and probably other issues. I will have to go to Auburn for the lab work but we must do what we can to stay healthy. Auburn is an hour east of us.

It’s amazing to think that we have been on our mission for four months. While I was in the temple, I met a lady who looked at my nametag and said, “There’s a Cheryl Naglis in Alberta.” I said, “That’s ME!” Her daughter had served two times in the Lacombe Ward while we were there. Then on the day that Sarah was married in the Calgary temple, I was working a shift and was able to see her in all her wedding finery. What a joy to see her on her wedding day! She told her mother-in-law and mom that I was the lady who told her not to settle for just any guy; but the perfect guy will find you and honor who you are. It was delightful to be able to visit with Sarah’s parents and get a photo outside of the temple together.

Take time to notice all the things in your life. It’s important to be aware and see where you can help another person. One of the measures of our manner of living is how we treat others when no one is watching. Kindness and love are the manner in which we need to live. Sweep the negativity right out of your door (not even under the mat). We need to not hide our light under a bushel but let it shine to the world.

Choose to be a light and have a wonderful week with joy and kindness.

It has been a week of feelings of inadequacy as well as tender mercies. Sometimes there are things that occur that make us shake our heads and wonder how we got ourselves into that pickle. We can blame ourselves and, of course the adversary wants us to have self doubt and think that we are failures. On the other hand, our father in heaven knows our potential and is so forgiving with our errors. So many times, I am shown the quote:

If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for your life, rest in this. You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful.

Think on this quote and it’s a clear reminder that God’s plan will not be thwarted and you are His child and can overcome all things. God’s plans will always be greater and more beautiful than all your disappointments.

Our grandsons who live on Vancouver Island have been wanting a Ninja Creami for the past two years and they have been saving money to purchase one. Simultaneously, Erik and I both said, “Let’s buy a Creami for them!” Erik went online and found that Costco had them on sale and he ordered one and had it delivered to their address. Then we discovered that they were planning a trip to Alberta for a sibling get-together. The delivery was delayed by a day and we were anxiously waiting to see if the timing would work out. Meanwhile our daughter and son-in-law were purchasing a house on their street for additional rental income. Lots of stress was happening in their home as everyone was watching events play out that were mind boggling. When our daughter saw the UPS truck pull up, she took a photo and then was shocked to see the Ninja Creami box. She covered the box with a sheet and later the boys were able to uncover it and there was some serious joy in their household. Our daughter said that it was the perfect thing to happen while the world swirled around them and stress ensued. The next morning, they were on the ferry heading to the mainland.

We have been waiting for boats to stop in at the Palmyra inlet and Erik was able to catch one that was mooring for the night. He was able to chat with the couple and learned about their experience on the canal.

https://www.houseboating.org/Harriet-Houseboat

It’s a cute little houseboat and the website shows you what it entails with the details about the Erie Canal and what you can experience.

We received news that our grandpuppy, Jeff, had run his course on earth. Jeff was a Great Dane mix rescue puppy. Our son Braeden needed some companionship and brought Jeff home in February of 2019. He was born near the end of November 2018. We have many special memories of Jeff and his short life. Jeff was an epic dog and I have decided to write a book about him. We lived next door to Braeden and he would put Jeff in a crate for the day. I took it upon myself to bring him to us because I could hear him crying like a baby and would tell Erik to go get Jeff and bring him over. Erik and I were involved with a lot of his puppy training and socialization. He was presumed to be a forty pound dog at maturity and he well exceded that! Topping out at 135 pounds, he was a force to be reckoned with.

My heart was aching when I heard the news and then I saw Jeff through the veil looking back at us. Then, without all the pains of an earthly body, he started doing skippity hops and zoomies. I hope our other beloved pets are all together with Jeff.

Friday was a day for exploring. We headed south to Taughannock Falls just outside of Ithaca. This landmark was impressive and is the tallest free falling waterfall east of the Mississippi river. We opted to go to the overlook and it was awesome! You can also hike to the lower part of the falls but Wanda told me that the overlook had a better view of the whole picture.

From the falls we headed into Ithaca. I was on a double-fold mission. There was a quilt shop that I needed to find and I wanted to check out the ice cream made by the Cayuga Creamery. We drove downtown to the quilt shop and it was delightful. I had a specific pattern that I was shopping for and so wasn’t able to enjoy the whole atmosphere of the shop. An employee, Toby, was so wonderful to work with and we had a great time. The owner, Linda, came to chat with us and of course, the conversation turns to our nametags and how a best friend of hers, joined the church and now lives out west. Linda, herself has relatives in the Grande Prairie area of Alberta.

After leaving the shop, we headed to a Thai restaurant and ate some lunch before searching for the Ithaca Falls. They were spectacular!!! You can get up close and personal with them. On the way out, I saw a German Weimaraner dog. She came right up to me and leaned against me, just like how Jeff would. The owner expressed surprise and said, “I’m shocked, because she doesn’t usually go up to strangers!” I knew that Jeff was hugging me.

We drove according to the GPS and found the Cayuga Creamery. As we parked, I had a big shock. I saw a dog exactly like Jeff. A Great Dane with the identical markings of Jeff. I jumped out of the car and chased down the owner with his two dogs. I explained about Jeff and was so surprised to see his dog with the exact same markings. His dog’s name was Ollie and she was three years old. The Black Lab was Ellie and was four years old. Jeff had markings similar to a beagle but had spots (freckles on his legs). I tell you, there are tender mercies everywhere you look!

We bought our scoops of ice cream and then headed back to the car to go back to Palmyra. We drove alongside the west side of Cayuga Lake which is one of the finger lakes. It is 40 miles long; being the longest and second deepest of the finger lakes. We were driving along the scenic byway and it was so interesting to see the homes and farms along the way. I’ve posted a photo of the type of barn we are seeing with the stone foundation.

I struggled with my temple shift schedule although at first, I didn’t. Four sisters showed up that were supposed to be on my schedule but weren’t. I was devastated because I know these temple workers can drive from a considerable distance to come to their shifts. We look after the Wednesday shifts on the first, third and fifth weeks. I didn’t understand what I did wrong and why it happened. The next morning, I received a call from one of the workers and she told me what happened when she left. She offered to give another worker a drive home and they discussed some tender moments that have happened in their lives. When she called me, she reminded me that God is aware of me and that the schedule was out of my hands and that God was in control. Things do happen that we aren’t necessarily in control of. When I am in leadership positions, I really strive hard to do everything correctly and when things happen that change the course of the day, I start to blame myself and then start thinking, “There must be a reason for this.” That call was an incredible tender mercy for me.

The next tender mercy was to see Sister Jill Cosman at our Branch on Sunday. She is from the Lacombe Ward as well. She has had a rough start to her mission and we embraced for a long time and shared some tears. Her companion was given permission to come to a baptism on Sunday for William’s wife, Katrina. I was thrilled to see Sister Cosman and we were able to catch up and talk about the trials and joys of being on a mission. Another incredible tender mercy!

A new Elder just arrived in the Syracuse New York mission. He wasn’t assigned to a Spanish speaking mission but here he is on his first week and giving a talk in Sacrament meeting in Spanish. Elder Knox is a champ! He is from Arizona. We had Compartir (Linger Longer) after the baptism and I was able to ask William about the food in Venezuela. He told me that sometime, him and Katrina would love to visit Canada. My cupcakes that I brought were a hit and there were no leftovers.

This recipe really is awesome!

The website is: meaningfuleats.com/gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes/ ( I can’t embed the url).

I know this exactly!

Elder Bednar has coined this beautifully. Tender mercies are given to us personally and are given to us for strength and guidance. I know that I am loved through these tender mercies. The peace they bring is so heartwarming and comforting. How we receive them are through faith, obediance and humility.

1 Nephi 1:20 But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

What a week! Many heartaches and many tears but in the end, so much joy.

Stay true and faithful, my friends. Enjoy your tender mercies and again when you receive them, have a little or a lot of Vitamin G. Gratitude brings even more mercies and blessings into your lives.

What a week of events! The big news in Rochester this week has been the mountain lion. So many memes have been created from this event. One fellow was interviewed for television and he is so funny with his retelling of the encounter. People are taking advantage of this rare event to promote their businesses.

The mountain lion was even made a parade marshall in a meme. In western Canada we wouldn’t have this much fun with a big kitty but hey, let’s enjoy the fun of it all.

On Wednesday, we decided to attend the Concert on the Beach to hear the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. One of the temple matrons, who heard our account of going to the park for the 60’s & 70’s band, said, “I told you guys not to go!” There is so much police presence now, that I think the ruffians are kept at bay and there were so many people who came to listen. I did a rough guestimate and came up with a couple thousand people. The theme for the night was beach/ocean music. They were so good and the conductor had a good sense of humor. People were wearing a paper headband that looked like a shark with an open mouth. That was my clue that we were going to hear water themed music. When the orchestra did the “Jaws” theme near the end, all the orchestra members put on the paper shark hats.

Did you know that you can use Google to identify not only photos of things but also use it to identify songs? Press the microphone button in the search bar and then press the search for songs or music icon. Bingo, bango, bongo…the song is identified and you feel so smart, hahaha! I used it to identify some of the songs. I recognised the song from “The Little Mermaid”, Under the Sea. My girls watched that VHS movie over many times and could sing the song, which I’m sure many kids from the 80’s could do. The theme from Pirates of the Caribbean was very well done as was all the music.

Erik had cut up a watermelon to snack on during the concert and we had a great time. We managed to get to the farmer’s market which is only a block from us and we met most of the vendors and chatted about their goods. Erik bought a little basket of Black Caps.

These are also known as Thimbleberry berries. They are wild and tiny in the woods. The berries had been picked by a young girl, and Erik wanted to support her entrepreneurial spirit. The family lived on a farm, and her dad told us about their family and his dreams for them. They are trying to be more self-sustaining by raising beef and are looking to add lambs to their mix. This little gal was the oldest of the children, and she wants a greenhouse for next year. The dad said that groceries are so expensive, and to raise a family, it isn’t easy. When he goes to the grocery store for breakfast items, he’s stressed about how much it costs. We commiserated with him and explained the steep rise of groceries in Canada as well. Dad sells one beef cow a month during the markets as well as pork. I love that they are working hard to figure out how best to live and survive.

I was also at a Mexican family’s stand, buying a big honeydew melon. The granddaughter was slicing chunks to give taste testers a try. I talked to her grandfather and discovered a Mexican run restaurant in Sodus. We will be going there. I told him that we were disappointed in trying to find good Mexican food and he gave us this tip. I looked at the menu and it does look promising.

We met a family from Alberta on the temple grounds. This is my first close encounter; the grandmother is from the same Ward (congregation) as our son, Lyndon and his family. Our cousin Janice (Wayne) Bunny are also in that Ward. The rest of the family is from the Riverbend Stake in Edmonton. Erik was able to take family photos of them in front of the temple.

This week EFY (Especially for Youth) was here at the temple for a couple of days. These youth come from all over the USA, including Hawaii. Again, I am in awe of their faith and reverence in the temple. I had the opportunity to talk with a couple of small groups about the Sacred Grove and the significance of symbols on the outside of the temple. As I am able to share some of my experiences with the youth, they are always grateful. I talk to them as if they are adults and treat them as adults. They appreciate that I don’t talk down to them or treat them like little children. Aren’t we all like little children to the Lord? We can all have spiritual experiences if we slow ourselves down enough to listen and to earnestly want to know what the Lord has to tell us. Many times, I think that we know what He’s going to tell us and then we don’t bother asking. You may be very surprised at what His answer would be. If I told you how many times, I am trying to wrestle out a problem and find a solution and the Lord reminds me, “Your ways are not My ways.” Then, I stop and ask what His solution is. Our hurry scurry lifestyles aren’t conducive to hearing His voice.

On Tuesday evening, we decided to go for a little hike but forgot that we came home from our shift later than usual and as we were driving, Erik notes that it’s already 8 pm. We went to a little hike along Ganargua Creek. It’s simply idylic and at spots you can get to the creek’s edge. It was hard to stop for longer than 20 seconds because the mosquitoes were out in full force and they were eager for a meal. Erik wanted me to take photos to identify some plants and I said, “Get your own app, I don’t want to be eaten alive!” Then he was randomly picking berries and popping them in his mouth!!!! AHHHHH; I thought he was crazy! He asked me what they were after eating them. Good heavens! The flora here is very different from out west and I think that we should err on the side of caution. We met a couple along the trail and Erik asked them if they knew what he was eating. We decided that the berries were Black Caps. As it was getting darker, we thought it prudent to head back to the car. Seeing the woman that we met previously, she explained that she had lost her key fob to the car and asked if we had seen it. Knowing the length of grass, I knew it was going to take a miracle to find them. We immediately started praying to find the key fob. I found a black axel cover but no fob. When we were at the cars, Erik looked around and under the car to see if it could possibly have fallen at the beginning of their hike. As I asked the Lord if the fob was near me, He said, “No.” Shortly, the woman appeared at the trail head and told us that she had found her key fob on the trail!! She told us that she had been praying for it and I told her that we were praying as well. She only had one key fob, but we were prepared to drive them to their home to get something figured out. Alls well that ends well.

I don’t have time to make cookies very often but this week I decided to try a new recipe. I’m not a fan of raisins so what I like to do is chop up dates into small pieces and replace the raisins with the dates in a recipe. They are amazing in cookies and it has been a happy experiment.

• https://www.fodmapeveryday.com/recipes/one-bowl-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/

I had to lend my guardian angels to Erik this week. He still isn’t feeling on top of his game. The sore throat has continued for far too long. He went to get it checked and it isn’t Strep throat. Maybe it’s the use of air conditioning when we aren’t used to it. I also asked for his ministering angels to get to work, please; swords and shields at the ready!! He felt much better the next morning and was able to work our shift at the temple.

The joy I felt when a member of our branch came to the temple with his dad, his son and a recent convert to the church! The dad wanted his grandson to perform the baptism by proxy for his brother that had passed away a few months ago. The dad told me that it was very exciting and emotional for him and brought tears to his eyes. When William, the new convert saw Erik in his white suit, he was in awe and impressed. We have watched the transformation of William since he started learning about the gospel. He has hope now and a sense of purpose. Being able to officiate in the sacrament ordinance has been very special for him. His wife will be getting baptized this coming Saturday. Their faith has grown by leaps and bounds and has made me appreciate how the Lord can work in each of our lives.

I am trying to listen and tune out the world. I know that what the Lord says and promises will come to us.

When you feel like you are hanging on to the last thread, it’s time to step back and take some deep breaths. Reflect on what God has promised you. I find great solace in reflecting on the covenants that I have made with God and what He promises me as a reward for keeping up my end.

In this world of turmoil and confusion, we can rely and must rely on the arm of God to lead us through it all. Look for the light which is the light of Christ that gives us all hope, peace and joy.

Stay well, be safe and show love where ever you can.

I have a story to tell you that started about four years ago. We were living in Calgary and had just come home from the temple. As I entered our office and went towards my computer, I noticed a necklace sitting in front of my computer. It was not anything that I had ever seen before and I asked Erik if he knew about this necklace. It was a carnelian stone with a hasp and attached to a very old chain. Neither of us had ever seen it before. You can guess what I did next; I asked God where this necklace had come from. He told me that my ancestors had brought it for me. So, I presumed that I was to wear it. The chain was very old and I was concerned that it wasn’t strong so I changed the chain out for a slim gold chain that I had. I wore it for a couple of months, taking it off occasionally and then being told to put it back on. I knew that my ancestors gave it to me for a reason and I researched the meaning of this stone. It is for courage, vitality and creativity. Historically it was used for healing and protection. In my heart, I knew that this stone was given to me for me to know that I was being protected. After a couple of months, I became worried about the hasp and it looked to me like it may release at any moment. After getting out of the shower one day, the stone did come out of the hasp. I thought to myself, “Is that the end of that protection?” No, of course not! I was at the Lacombe Farmer’s Market and found myself at a stone booth where the owner created bracelets and necklaces from stones. I was immediately taken with a carnelian bracelet that was made of carnelian beads. When I put it on, a peace came over me and I knew that I was to purchase this bracelet.

I never took that bracelet off for four years. On our journey to Palmyra, we stopped at a rest stop in Iowa and while getting back into the car, the bracelet broke apart and beads were shot everywhere. I tried to gather them up and found them under my seat, in my door storage compartment, in the console and even in the outer pocket of my purse. At first I was dismayed and disheartened about the loss of this bracelet. It took me three months to finally order some elastic cord to restring the bracelet. It turns out that two beads were missing. Both Erik and I went back over the car searching for the lost beads. Finally, he said that maybe a used jewelry store would have something that I could add to the bracelet to make it work.

We were walking down Main Street and we entered a store where they sell stones and other new age items as well as incense. I had been told not to go into the “witchy” store by someone here in Palmyra. I did check with the other side of the veil and they gave me the go ahead. I asked about carnelian beads and they showed me some bracelets already made, but nothing resonated with me. I spoke with the owner of the store and she noticed my missionary namebadge and made mention of it. We chatted and I explained about my bracelet breaking and she immediately said, “Your bracelet served it’s purpose.” I knew without a doubt that she was correct. I carried on looking at stones and came across a white stone bracelet. It called to me and I put it on and felt such relief. Upon reading the properties of moonstone, I understood why this bracelet was chosen for me. Moonstone is good for intuition, balance and protection. It can help with digestion and relaxation, deflecting negativity and easing emotional trauma. Moonstone has been worn by travelers for protection. The first night that I slept with this bracelet, I slept 11 hours! I really needed that rest.

I have loved the earth and it’s natural wonders as well as flora and fauna. I know that God created everything for a purpose and within each creation there is a natural frequency of energy. I will enjoy the blessings of moonstone and will watch to discern what is being shown to me. There is much more to be seen than what the naked eye sees and I was blessed with that gift to discern and learn of God’s mysteries.

Maybe I should have been a geologist! When we renovated our house on the Olds acreage, we bought a beautiful granite slab for the kitchen. I was overcome upon entering the granite warehouse and seeing the majesty of God’s creations. After the kitchen was completed, I would come into the kitchen every morning and kiss the granite and thank God for making something so gorgeous and full of beauty. There’s that Vitamin G in action; gratitude!

On Sunday, I was teaching family history in Spanish to the Branch. It was difficult because we are such a diverse group and I didn’t know what stage everyone was at. We have new converts who needed to find the FamilySearch app and others who were members but didn’t have a device to look at and then there were members with laptops and tablets. I wanted everyone to have the opportunity to have an account and be able to start searching. One of the many things I love about the FamilySearch site is being able to enter memories of events in our lives. I said, that because I was 62 years old, I have a lot of memories that I could be recording. We can enter photos and when I saw someone with photos, I had them go around the classroom to show others. Erik ran his laptop attached to the TV screen so that everyone could see the website. The Branch is trying to organize a temple trip and I reminded them that not everyone has to come and do an Endowment session; some people can do baptisms for their ancestors. Antepasados is Spanish for forefathers. Erik put a photo of his mom up on the screen and I was able to tell them about my relationship with her.

Erik has been able to connect with far away family members who are also doing geneology and they are sharing imformation. We are so excited to find family in Latvia and be able to add them to FamilySearch. A distant cousin of his went to Riga (capital of Latvia) and hand wrote the information and then returned home to enter it into a website. We are so grateful for her work. One day, I hope that our family will be able to go to Latvia to see where Erik’s dad was raised.

I was concerned that not much happened in the class but people did make progress and that was a good feeling. I love teaching but teaching in another language is a whole new ball of wax. As we show our willingness, the Lord expands our capabilities.

Sunday evening, we sat on the front porch of our house and watched the tours walking by. They are all headed to Alvin Smith’s gravesite. It was so hot, but they had air conditioned buses to get back onto.

On Monday, our landlord brought out his pressure washer again. The first time, there was no hose which makes it pretty difficult to use. But this time, everything was ready including a step ladder. The cobwebs were out of control around our house with lots of pollen trapped in the webs. Erik got to work and did the north side and east side of the house. It looks 100% better. The house has white siding and it really needed a washing. We came home and found a gift certificate to Cheesecake Factory in our mailbox as thanks for the work on the house. Now, it’s the gutters that need to be tackled, hahaha!

Our neighbors, the Gurrs, planted cucumber plants in two buckets and placed them at the front of the house. They have grown so much that Tonya and Rick scrounged up two resin trellis panels and tied them to the front porch. Erik was amazed at how big the cucumbers were already. Tonya told me that these are the variety she has grown at home and they are delightful. With gratitude, I look forward to tasting the bounty.

By then end of the week, we were looking forward to celebrating Independance Day with the temple missionaries. The cake that I brought for Canada Day was a big hit. Erik wasn’t well and ended up staying home that day. The photo was taken of the cake in the box so it’s not great, but you get the idea.

Since Friday was Independance Day, the temple was closed and we all gathered at the Stafford Road house for the get-together. They put a dual flag together of the American and Canadian flags and hung it in a bush. I made a dessert that was a combo of Blueberry Salad and Strawberry Pretzel Salad. I wanted something with red, white and blue in it. I may be more patriotic than the rest of them. I lead the cheer that was done in the movie, “Raising the Bar”, by T.C. Christensen.

For the Red – Hurrah! For the White – Hurrah! For the Blue – Hurrah!

Hands thrown in the air for the hurrahs. God bless America and the Canadians within it.

I thought I heard a cat meowing and went in search of it. The other missionaries couldn’t hear it but I was determined to find the kitty. Then I turned on my Merlin app to hear the birds in the vicinity. Lo and behold, one of the birds was a Grey Catbird! I was exchanging meows with a bird, hahaha! While looking for the cat, a fox scooted by to head to the little copse of trees behind the house.

On Saturday, Erik & I were the Baptistry coordinators and he started looking sickly the longer the shift went on. His eyes became watery and red and he developed a cough. He wondered if he had developed an allergy to our environment. On our way home from the temple, we headed to the drugstore and I bought some eye drops for allergies as well as some cold medicine and more cough drops. He was heading downhill fast and when we got home, he took something and laid himself down. The poor man was suffering; was it a “man cold”? It doesn’t matter, I made some soup and apple crisp for him on Sunday and he was starting to look a little better.

Yes, some days, we feel all of the above or any one of them, but there is hope in knowing that God’s love is for each of us, no matter where we are on the path of life. While we look for grace from God, may we also extend that grace to each other and ourselves. I saw a sticker on a car that was quite negative and then underneath that sticker was another that talked about not having hate. Don’t spew hate and then say you don’t have hate for anyone. We must be mindful of our thoughts and words as we navigate our journey here with others who are just as vulnerable and needing love as ourselves.

Be joyful, look for tiny miracles everyday in your life, have gratitude for all that comes your way despite it not always being what you were hoping for. The outcome will always bring you closer to your Heavenly Father as you work out your salvation before Him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Directions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a wonderful week, stay hydrated and be well!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay well, do well and breath deeply.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a week of joy and stay safe!