Goodness
me! I do feel like things are moving
right along. Part of that, I am sure, is
my inconsistency in writing. I will
write everything down and actually get it on the blog but then it takes forever
to get the pictures posted. Then it is
the next week and I think I need to leave a space of time, so who knows when I
am writing and posting. Believe you me,
it is not me knowing a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g!
I actually
haven’t heard any new words or sayings this week, but I thought it would be fun
to have a little LIE section. No, I am
not telling lies about anyone but it stands for Living in England. There are some major differences.LIE ~ Driving:
Driving would of course be #1. It does take a while and even now we would love to pull out into the right lane which of course is the wrong lane. Then the streets are SO narrow. Next, the streets are always winding and turning. Trees are overhanging the roads so you can’t see anything. You feel like you are in a tunnel most of the time even when you are in the wide open areas. The speed limits seem very high to these dangerous conditions (at least to us senior tourists). However, the speed limits are not near high enough for the average traveler as they prefer to go much faster and are very irritated when you slow them down. JOY!
1. Not now!
Really – seriously – it is already Sunday morning. Last week we had church at 5 PM and now they are expecting me to be ready by 9:30 AM. I was a bit exhausted from the entire week and really was not in the mood to get up and at it so early. Oh well!
Brad actually beat me to the kitchen and had a roast with potatoes and carrots in the roaster pan. We headed to church where the meetings were very nice. Home again and the roast looked good so we called to invite Brown’s. (Mulholland’s have company from Calgary) Brown’s had already cooked as well so we just had a nice little meal by ourselves.
We cleaned up and had a bit of a nap. Brown’s rang the bell and said they would like us to come over and play games that night. We had planned on going to the fireside but decided it would be nice to be with friends.
We played Farkel and Rook. Brick would have been delighted. (Brick is Brad’s father that loved to play Rook almost as much as he loved to play golf. Before you were over the threshold of their door he would be asking if you wanted to play Rook.)
We made it home and caught 2 of the children at home. Nice to chat!
Really – seriously – it is already Sunday morning. Last week we had church at 5 PM and now they are expecting me to be ready by 9:30 AM. I was a bit exhausted from the entire week and really was not in the mood to get up and at it so early. Oh well!
Brad actually beat me to the kitchen and had a roast with potatoes and carrots in the roaster pan. We headed to church where the meetings were very nice. Home again and the roast looked good so we called to invite Brown’s. (Mulholland’s have company from Calgary) Brown’s had already cooked as well so we just had a nice little meal by ourselves.
We cleaned up and had a bit of a nap. Brown’s rang the bell and said they would like us to come over and play games that night. We had planned on going to the fireside but decided it would be nice to be with friends.
We played Farkel and Rook. Brick would have been delighted. (Brick is Brad’s father that loved to play Rook almost as much as he loved to play golf. Before you were over the threshold of their door he would be asking if you wanted to play Rook.)
We made it home and caught 2 of the children at home. Nice to chat!
Fall pictures at the London Temple.
I love this pompous grass!
2. I made other plans.
It was a very late start to the day by the time we woke up and actually moved out of bed. We really didn’t have anything to do and so we decided to do nothing. Actually we went down and exercised for a while and then came up for a nap. We really couldn’t sleep so we got up and put the sheets in to wash. We fixed a bit of lunch and then decided it was now time for a nap. This time it worked. We got up actually before I wanted to but I needed to bake a cake for the ‘Hi and Bye’. The cake looked like it was going to work. I was very worried and asked Brad to have the corner piece to check. It was okay so we went on our way.
Well, the cake didn’t work. First off, I used the wrong brown sugar which we will talk about later in LIE. Second, we have no idea how or why but there was a huge burned spot in the middle of the pan that started to stretch out to burn the bottom of the cake. If you just ate the top it wasn’t too bad if you don’t mind a bit of a crunch when you bite.
We had 7 people doing ‘hi’s’ and 2 people doing ‘bye’s’ and they did very well (in other words, it didn't last forever). Crocker’s gave their ‘hi’ and they brought the house down. Brother Crocker brought a bag with Allie in it but we never got to meet Allie but he sure had us laughing with it. The funniest thing about the night was when President Erwin, who evidently writes a song about everyone for their bye, had written a song about Prentice’s and used the wrong man’s name for Collin Prentice. It was really funny.
It was a very late start to the day by the time we woke up and actually moved out of bed. We really didn’t have anything to do and so we decided to do nothing. Actually we went down and exercised for a while and then came up for a nap. We really couldn’t sleep so we got up and put the sheets in to wash. We fixed a bit of lunch and then decided it was now time for a nap. This time it worked. We got up actually before I wanted to but I needed to bake a cake for the ‘Hi and Bye’. The cake looked like it was going to work. I was very worried and asked Brad to have the corner piece to check. It was okay so we went on our way.
Well, the cake didn’t work. First off, I used the wrong brown sugar which we will talk about later in LIE. Second, we have no idea how or why but there was a huge burned spot in the middle of the pan that started to stretch out to burn the bottom of the cake. If you just ate the top it wasn’t too bad if you don’t mind a bit of a crunch when you bite.
We had 7 people doing ‘hi’s’ and 2 people doing ‘bye’s’ and they did very well (in other words, it didn't last forever). Crocker’s gave their ‘hi’ and they brought the house down. Brother Crocker brought a bag with Allie in it but we never got to meet Allie but he sure had us laughing with it. The funniest thing about the night was when President Erwin, who evidently writes a song about everyone for their bye, had written a song about Prentice’s and used the wrong man’s name for Collin Prentice. It was really funny.
This week is dedicated to family photo's.
This is our 2013 BHP 2-3-4 family reunion.
This is our 2013 BHP 2-3-4 family reunion.
3. Emails –
Happy Birthday Jake!
Every morning I check the email very first thing just praying I will get an email. I usually do – Bealls, Vacations to Go, LDS Living, and London Theatre Ticket office – Joy! But not today!!! We had 6 emails from our ‘surrogate’ daughter Annette (Turtle) Ricks all with pictures of our house and the hike around the top of the Butte, an email from my best friend, Janet with funny pictures, an email from our Navajo granddaughter, Sister Kelsey Curley – who is serving a mission in Casper, Wyoming, and email from our Oriental granddaughter, Miao Haoyu – so cute, and a Jacquie Lawson thank you from our home teachers. It was like the best day EVER! I also got emails this week from Brittan on his mission and 3 of our children – 2 with pictures, our good friends from Michigan with pictures as well, and an email from a niece on her mission. Ahhhhhhh! I had so many I couldn’t even read/see them all.
We were at the temple early where this week we are greeting the people as they come into the locker room and getting them ready for the instruction session. I like that as I get to see everybody. A lady I was helping looked at me and said that she really couldn’t hear what I said because she was deaf but she could sure feel the spirit when I spoke to her. One man was walking past and then he came back and said my smile was the best one of the day. Nice! The day went smoothly but a little low on patrons.
We came home and Betty and I exercised. I baked bread while Brad fixed supper. Brad wanted some cinnamon rolls so we baked up some of those as well. Our cutest Home Teachers brought us some Brandson Pickles which taste like chili sauce so we gave them some cinnamon rolls. That was fun! Good Bread. Then supper, then our book and we waited forever to call Jake for his birthday. He was so funny. He said, “oh, hi, Grandma,” which made me assume I had the right number. I asked him how old he was and he said 11. Then I asked him what day it was and he said Tuesday. I then asked what number day and he said the 14th. I then asked who I was talking to and he said Jake. “So, if it is Jake, and it is the 14th, isn’t it your birthday and aren’t you 12?” He then agreed. He hadn’t seen his card and couldn’t open the computer till his mother came home and said he would call me back. I told him it was 11:30 PM and I couldn’t wait. He was so cute about letting me get to sleep. Cute call!
Every morning I check the email very first thing just praying I will get an email. I usually do – Bealls, Vacations to Go, LDS Living, and London Theatre Ticket office – Joy! But not today!!! We had 6 emails from our ‘surrogate’ daughter Annette (Turtle) Ricks all with pictures of our house and the hike around the top of the Butte, an email from my best friend, Janet with funny pictures, an email from our Navajo granddaughter, Sister Kelsey Curley – who is serving a mission in Casper, Wyoming, and email from our Oriental granddaughter, Miao Haoyu – so cute, and a Jacquie Lawson thank you from our home teachers. It was like the best day EVER! I also got emails this week from Brittan on his mission and 3 of our children – 2 with pictures, our good friends from Michigan with pictures as well, and an email from a niece on her mission. Ahhhhhhh! I had so many I couldn’t even read/see them all.
We were at the temple early where this week we are greeting the people as they come into the locker room and getting them ready for the instruction session. I like that as I get to see everybody. A lady I was helping looked at me and said that she really couldn’t hear what I said because she was deaf but she could sure feel the spirit when I spoke to her. One man was walking past and then he came back and said my smile was the best one of the day. Nice! The day went smoothly but a little low on patrons.
We came home and Betty and I exercised. I baked bread while Brad fixed supper. Brad wanted some cinnamon rolls so we baked up some of those as well. Our cutest Home Teachers brought us some Brandson Pickles which taste like chili sauce so we gave them some cinnamon rolls. That was fun! Good Bread. Then supper, then our book and we waited forever to call Jake for his birthday. He was so funny. He said, “oh, hi, Grandma,” which made me assume I had the right number. I asked him how old he was and he said 11. Then I asked him what day it was and he said Tuesday. I then asked what number day and he said the 14th. I then asked who I was talking to and he said Jake. “So, if it is Jake, and it is the 14th, isn’t it your birthday and aren’t you 12?” He then agreed. He hadn’t seen his card and couldn’t open the computer till his mother came home and said he would call me back. I told him it was 11:30 PM and I couldn’t wait. He was so cute about letting me get to sleep. Cute call!
An old picture of the now 12 year old Jacob Parkinson.
Brian's family at the 2013 Family Reunion - Island Park, Idaho.
4. Lovely magnifying glass!
Good day at the temple. I must tell you the sweetest thing that happened today. We have a little ordinance worker named Sister Rodriguez. She is really short, very old and can hardly hear and barely see. She keeps a magnifying glass up her sleeve and then pulls it out to read the names on the cards. Sister Askew, one of my favorite patrons, made a magnifying glass that hangs on white ribbon so Sister Rodriguez can wear it just like a necklace – handy for her to use. Sister Rodriguez was so excited. Lovely! After our shift we did a session at the temple just for us and then hurried home and drove over to Lingfield to buy some milk and check with surgery on getting a flu shot (jab). They couldn’t do it today and didn’t know when for sure. Home to supper and our book – Good Day.
Good day at the temple. I must tell you the sweetest thing that happened today. We have a little ordinance worker named Sister Rodriguez. She is really short, very old and can hardly hear and barely see. She keeps a magnifying glass up her sleeve and then pulls it out to read the names on the cards. Sister Askew, one of my favorite patrons, made a magnifying glass that hangs on white ribbon so Sister Rodriguez can wear it just like a necklace – handy for her to use. Sister Rodriguez was so excited. Lovely! After our shift we did a session at the temple just for us and then hurried home and drove over to Lingfield to buy some milk and check with surgery on getting a flu shot (jab). They couldn’t do it today and didn’t know when for sure. Home to supper and our book – Good Day.
Katie's family, minus Katie (below) with broken and dislocated toe.
5. Old Friends
It was a very nice day at the temple as so many of the people I have met before are coming so I feel like I am with old friends again. Sister Askew, Sister Taylor, Sister Prime, Sister Phillips, Sister Shearing, Sister Rickus, Sister Kitts, Sister Norton, Sister Woolf, and a new Sister McCormick, and Sister Hall. I love friends!
I must tell you about Sister Shearer. She will ask you to help you read the name on the card as her sight is failing. Then she will ask what year. After you tell her, she will then tell you all about this person and how she is connected. Amazing since some of them were born in the 1700's.
After the temple we headed out with the shopping van and bought our groceries and got Brad a JAB at Boots. Home to supper and our book.
Kaiya, Brooklyn, and Eric in Mountain Home, Idaho!
Sarah and Kaiya!
It was a very nice day at the temple as so many of the people I have met before are coming so I feel like I am with old friends again. Sister Askew, Sister Taylor, Sister Prime, Sister Phillips, Sister Shearing, Sister Rickus, Sister Kitts, Sister Norton, Sister Woolf, and a new Sister McCormick, and Sister Hall. I love friends!
I must tell you about Sister Shearer. She will ask you to help you read the name on the card as her sight is failing. Then she will ask what year. After you tell her, she will then tell you all about this person and how she is connected. Amazing since some of them were born in the 1700's.
After the temple we headed out with the shopping van and bought our groceries and got Brad a JAB at Boots. Home to supper and our book.
Eric's family at Island Park.
Kaiya, Brooklyn, and Eric in Mountain Home, Idaho!
My three angels, Kaiya, Brooklyn, and Sarah Parkinson.
Sarah and Kaiya!
Eric buys a motorcycle.
6. Guardian Angels
Friday was just a lovely day. It started early with Sister Askew finding me and giving me some crumpled paper in my hands to make sure it was given to Sister Rodriguez. She said she had watched Sister Rodriguez eat these little small sandwiches for lunch all week and wanted to give her something to help her out as she thought Sister Rodriguez was looking thinner. After she walked away I found Sister Callaghan to ask her how we should do this task and I opened my hand to find not only one £10 but two. Sister Callaghan wrote a cute note from a Guardian Angel and then we took it up to sealings where Sister Rodriguez was working and left it with the
coordinator to give to her. Later we saw her telling Sister Erwin about it and she was just crying. Very, very sweet.
After our session we exercised with Betty. I am now up to 100 curls in different styles and feeling very accomplished. However, Brad is the one losing the weight and he is feeling even more accomplished.
At 5:30 we went to the accommodations center to have supper with Murdoch’s (they fly out tomorrow morning), the Callaghan’s, and the cooks – the Blakes. She fixed us a root crumble. Okay – a root crumble is potatoes, carrots, turnips, swede (yellow turnip) in a sauce with cheese/nut crumble over the top. It was very good. Brad nearly died when he found out he was eating turnips, but he really liked the swede. They had also bought yummy desserts. Then we sat and talked and laughed for a good long while. Dishes, home, book and to bed as we start very early tomorrow.
Neil's family at Island Park.
Cowboy Gus!
Cowboy Ty on little Rosie, Cowboy Neil on big Rosie.
Y Fans, until Tyson Hill broke his leg!
Friday was just a lovely day. It started early with Sister Askew finding me and giving me some crumpled paper in my hands to make sure it was given to Sister Rodriguez. She said she had watched Sister Rodriguez eat these little small sandwiches for lunch all week and wanted to give her something to help her out as she thought Sister Rodriguez was looking thinner. After she walked away I found Sister Callaghan to ask her how we should do this task and I opened my hand to find not only one £10 but two. Sister Callaghan wrote a cute note from a Guardian Angel and then we took it up to sealings where Sister Rodriguez was working and left it with the
coordinator to give to her. Later we saw her telling Sister Erwin about it and she was just crying. Very, very sweet.
After our session we exercised with Betty. I am now up to 100 curls in different styles and feeling very accomplished. However, Brad is the one losing the weight and he is feeling even more accomplished.
At 5:30 we went to the accommodations center to have supper with Murdoch’s (they fly out tomorrow morning), the Callaghan’s, and the cooks – the Blakes. She fixed us a root crumble. Okay – a root crumble is potatoes, carrots, turnips, swede (yellow turnip) in a sauce with cheese/nut crumble over the top. It was very good. Brad nearly died when he found out he was eating turnips, but he really liked the swede. They had also bought yummy desserts. Then we sat and talked and laughed for a good long while. Dishes, home, book and to bed as we start very early tomorrow.
Neil's family at Island Park.
Cowboy Gus!
Cowboy Ty on little Rosie, Cowboy Neil on big Rosie.
Y Fans, until Tyson Hill broke his leg!
6. Dorothy Ann Maughan
We made it to our 7:30 AM start and had a very nice day.
When you go through an instruction session a new patron goes through for themselves. A returning patron can either bring a family file name of one of their ancestors or use a temple file name that someone has sent in and asked the temple to have done for them. We have a folder of these temple file names we prepare each morning for patrons to do. Thursday morning I noticed a Dorothy Ann Maughan. Brad’s grandmother was Ida Maughan Parkinson so I instantly recognized her as a relative and had a huge desire to do this name myself. I had no time to do it Thursday so we put it to the back to see if I couldn’t do it later. Friday I got my rota for next week and realized there would be no time next week, I was busy all day Friday and Saturday as well. I was sitting there staring at that name with tears almost running down my face when Sister Johnson walked by. She came back and asked why I was so sad. I explained that this was my grandmother’s name and I really wanted to do it but had no time. Sister Johnson told me she had been waiting a long time and to just put it in the pile realizing the important thing was that the name got done. Saturday morning when I opened the names for the day, Dorothy Ann Maughan was right on the top. I still sat it to the side wondering. One of the first patrons of the day that needed a name was Sister Anderson from the visitor’s center. I went and got Dorothy Ann Maughan and gave it to her explaining my connection. Grandma Ida was from Cache Valley, Utah where Sister Anderson was from so she immediately had a connection as well. I gave her the name and started to cry and when she tried to say the name she started to cry as well. Very touching experience for us!!
I was walking in the chapel and saw Sister Johnson (temple president’s wife or matron) and she stepped back and gave me a big wave that was like something I would do. I was so impressed.
Our surrogate grandson - Sam Ricks
standing to the side of our house ready to hike our butte.
Now our surrogate granddaughter Sarah Ricks joins in.
We made it to our 7:30 AM start and had a very nice day.
When you go through an instruction session a new patron goes through for themselves. A returning patron can either bring a family file name of one of their ancestors or use a temple file name that someone has sent in and asked the temple to have done for them. We have a folder of these temple file names we prepare each morning for patrons to do. Thursday morning I noticed a Dorothy Ann Maughan. Brad’s grandmother was Ida Maughan Parkinson so I instantly recognized her as a relative and had a huge desire to do this name myself. I had no time to do it Thursday so we put it to the back to see if I couldn’t do it later. Friday I got my rota for next week and realized there would be no time next week, I was busy all day Friday and Saturday as well. I was sitting there staring at that name with tears almost running down my face when Sister Johnson walked by. She came back and asked why I was so sad. I explained that this was my grandmother’s name and I really wanted to do it but had no time. Sister Johnson told me she had been waiting a long time and to just put it in the pile realizing the important thing was that the name got done. Saturday morning when I opened the names for the day, Dorothy Ann Maughan was right on the top. I still sat it to the side wondering. One of the first patrons of the day that needed a name was Sister Anderson from the visitor’s center. I went and got Dorothy Ann Maughan and gave it to her explaining my connection. Grandma Ida was from Cache Valley, Utah where Sister Anderson was from so she immediately had a connection as well. I gave her the name and started to cry and when she tried to say the name she started to cry as well. Very touching experience for us!!
I was walking in the chapel and saw Sister Johnson (temple president’s wife or matron) and she stepped back and gave me a big wave that was like something I would do. I was so impressed.
Pictures taken at the Butte hike we do from our home in Idaho on Monday, October 13th.
Our surrogate family -- Neal, Annette, Sarah and Sam Ricks.
Our surrogate family -- Neal, Annette, Sarah and Sam Ricks.
Our surrogate grandson - Sam Ricks
standing to the side of our house ready to hike our butte.
Now our surrogate granddaughter Sarah Ricks joins in.
I always get
a kick out of Sister Venables (she is the one doing Beesley names) as she comes
with about 2 minutes to change into her white clothing and make the
session. Another good friend and quite
the quick change artist. Then I hear
this “is she here?” I come around the
door of my little office and here are my 3 friends that I say are joined at the
hip. I can’t even remember their names
but we have so much fun together. It was
quite the reunion in our tiny little hallway.
We had 5 female new patrons (don’t know how many males) today so it was
a busy day. They also had one of the
biggest sessions in baptistery ever and it was Blake’s very first baptistery
experience and Sister Blake was just about undone. I saw Sister Hall in the cafeteria and she
asked when my shift was over. I told her
2:00 so she really hurried so she could do another session and say good-bye
before I left. I was rather touched with
that. Very sweet lady.
Brad fixed loch salmon for supper so I was in heaven there as well. Then we went over to Mullholland’s for cake (which Blake’s had given them. Sister Blake is quite the lady.) It was actually the very time they were having the funeral for Brian’s mother in Calgary so it was an interesting night with a lot of reflective memories and stories. We were glad to be with them. Anyhow, pretty good day. Pretty good week.
Brad fixed loch salmon for supper so I was in heaven there as well. Then we went over to Mullholland’s for cake (which Blake’s had given them. Sister Blake is quite the lady.) It was actually the very time they were having the funeral for Brian’s mother in Calgary so it was an interesting night with a lot of reflective memories and stories. We were glad to be with them. Anyhow, pretty good day. Pretty good week.
Our Navajo Granddaughter -- Sister Kelsey Curley's first baptisms.
So we are
safe, sound and satisfied after week 23 is in the history books. If I were to give it a name, I would say it
was the friends week. So many wonderful
emails from friends and family, and so many experiences with friends here in
England. Yes, I am very satisfied with
this week!
You are
never taller than when you are on your knees,
Enjoy the
fall colors and weather,
Our love,
The Parkinson's
The Parkinson's
