Keeping Lists Is Fun!

When I first started going to the temple many years ago, there was a place in the Oakland Temple before you entered the Ordinance Room that had little slips of paper and pencils (not the Prayer Roll) where you could write down if you so desired the information about the person for whom you were serving as proxy since you turned in the actual paper you were originally given. You could then slip this into your pocket. I liked this a lot because I would go home and record this on a list I was keeping. It made me feel good to see the names again and to think of all the people that I had served. Then one day in the mid 1980's the slips and pencils disappeared; I'm not sure the reason but that was the end of my list. . .

. . . until the Sacramento Temple.

I remembered my treasured list (which I still have) and how much it meant to me, and I thought of an idea as we began attending a new temple. I decided that I would memorize the information on each name and record it after the session in a tablet I started keeping in my temple bag. This was no easy task as I'm now approaching (well, actually I've entered) the inevitable phase in life in which your short-term memory fails you and I need eyeglasses to read the smaller print on the cards. It has been a challenge to memorize the information before the lights go out, so to speak, and then remember it for later recording. But I am happy to report that I have been able to remember every one so far! Just to give you an idea of what this involved, I've listed some of the places that I have had to memorize (including the spelling) over the past almost 3 years. Don't forget in most cases I also had a name and a birthdate to memorize as well.

Rozzo, Goerz-Gadisca Kronlaenda, Austria

Katholisch, Kirchhundem, Westfalen, Prussia

Ribeira Seca, Calheta, Sao Jorge, Acores

Kvernes, More Og Rohnsdal, Norway

El Sagrario, Tepic, Nayarita, Mexico

Santiago Apostal Mocarsi Potosi Bolivia

Of, Tarutino, Bessarabia, Russia

San Julian, Mopute, Lambayeque, Peru

Purisima Concepcion, Hidalgo, Mexico

San Francisco de Asis Toracari Potosi, Bolivia

El Segrario, Tehuacan, Puebla, Mexico

Askereon, Dybvaag, Aut-Adger, Norway

Sao Carlos Borromeu, Sao Carlos cidade, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Rishojden, Hjulesjo, Orebro Ian, Sweden

There were a few easy ones as well. Here are 3 that I had no problem with:

Ukraine

Missouri, USA

Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

All of this is just a build up to another book I want to recommend. It's another one that I haven't even finished but it is so fabulous in just the first few chapters, I want everyone to read it!

Here is a quote that has special meaning to me because of my beloved list: (p. 31) "Wilford Woodruff, who dedicated the Salt Lake Temple taught that there will be few if any who do not receive the ordinances of the temple when they are performed for them. Elder John W. Taylor, while attending the Manti Temple dedication, concluded that only one in ten would refuse the ordinances."

Keep on adding to those lists!!

Garden Update, by Jove!

I love how the British call their yards, "gardens"! Since my "garden" or yard to you Yankees, is a big part of my life, I thought I would give you an update:

(note: all photos were taken today or within the past week)
Still getting zucchini:

Got tons of green beans:

And the tomatoes are ready!

Flowers are still blooming:

The fruit trees are ripening:

And of course, my roses are still going strong!

Tally Ho!

I Love Relief Society!

Last Thursday I got back from a Relief Society Enrichment activity, and after some fun visiting and a half hour's worth of effort, I came home with FIVE freezer meals.

Come on over for dinner!

(Just give me enough notice to get something thawed!)

Going Up?

Dan is in the middle of overseeing a renovation of the 4-story League building in downtown Sacramento. They moved out of the building early in January and are hoping to move back in at the end of August. It is often the topic of conversation at the dinner table, and I have been astounded at the magnitude and expense of the problems that keep coming up. There have been many!
Here is what I learned about today: OSHA came to do an inspection of the construction site. This is NOT the inspection that will be done when the construction is completed but was a check to see that the construction area is safe right now. They discovered that the elevators were not at the current moment accessible to blind or deaf users. (As far as we know there are no blind or deaf workers at the construction site and the elevators will be accessible to blind and deaf users when the construction is completed.) Because the elevators are not currently accessible to blind and deaf users even though there aren't any on the site, the inspector said you can do either of the following: 1) Don't use the elevators any more during the construction (Hmm--how to load heavy stuff to the fourth floor?); or 2) Hire a representative from the elevator company to operate the elevators and escort construction workers up and down. The person you hire must be at the site at all the hours that there are construction workers there.

Who makes up these laws?

One of the infamous elevators:

Other sights at the construction site:

Here Is What I've Been Up To Today!

Pioneers and Microphones!

One of the best purchases I have made as a grandparent is our microphone! Everyone loves to talk into a microphone, especially kids. Last night MaryAnn was here with Hannah and Joshua for Family Home Evening. Hannah led us in the Opening Song by singing into the microphone!

She volunteered to give the prayer because she could say it into the microphone!

Even Joshua took some turns with the microphone!

MaryAnn gave a wonderful lesson about the Pioneers:

She showed the kids how to shiver if you had to walk into ice water to help rescue handcart pioneers:

Then we let he kids put ice cubes into the wading pool:

Now they had to walk through the icy water:

Hannah posed for this picture because in our hot weather, that water actually felt pretty good!

Say it into the microphone: Happy Pioneer Day!

A Fun Visit!

Enjoy some photos of our fun time with Jeff and Suzie and their four children: Sam, Eleanor, Peter and Penny.

The train at the Folsom Zoo:

Who's in there?

Sam lost his first tooth!