Week of the "Linger Longer"

Hello to All:

This week is the last week that we will have the old Temple Presidency here with us. They are actually all being housed in the Accommodation Center too. We will be have what they call “A Linger-Longer” for them on Saturday and Sunday. We have all been put to good use in the preparations doing parts on the programs and cooking up good English food. In fact, we spent a wonderful morning with Sis. Cook today learning how to make real English Trifle and Caramel Short Bread.  We will be cooking up a storm on Friday. These are definitely recipes that I will bring home when the time comes. I did learn several things in our little cooking class. Some of these recipes will be hard to duplicate in the U.S. because we just don’t have all the correct ingredients at hand there. I also found out that the English do not like sweetened whipped cream, in fact, their trifle is not as sweet as what one would expect. Sis. Cook asked us afterward if we didn’t like the less sweetened whipped cream on our trifle and I had to be honest and say that I would prefer to sweeten my whipped cream. Guess that’s the American way. But anyone who knows me, knows how addicted I am to sugar and sweets. By the way, one doesn’t go to the candy store it’s the "sweets shop." 

Here Sister Cook is teaching us to make real English Trifle and Caramel shortbread bars in
the Accommodation Center kitchen

We were all put to work!

We all got to taste!!!

Busy as bees chopping and slicing

Sister Cook in the middle giving instructions

Tell what's next please!

The dishes must be done as well!

We put anyone to work who happened by....President and Sister Lowry included.

Sometimes we need a little sip with something that has "ethyl" in it. 
(Don't tell)

We have started to take some classes, taught by some of the other temple workers, on how to navigate through the new “Family Tree” that the Church has put out. It is a huge data base, and I mean HUGE. For the most part we have been learning how to correct all the mistakes that were made when all the records were combined. At least Niel has been doing some cleaning up. I’ll let you know more as we get deeper into it.

Also, the sister missionaries at the Visitors Center are going to teach how to blog, "missionary blog" that is. I don’t expect to become very proficient at it, but at least I’ll understand what my daughters and daughters-in-law are doing and how they do it. 

Love,

Carolee, mom and grandma

Weekly messages from gma and gpa....

Hello everyone. We hope you are well and happy (most of the time). As I am writing this, it is Monday night, raining outside (what else is new), and I’m trying to put off the last of the cleaning of our old flat, #52.  There is just a small amount to do, the shower, cupboards and the refrigerator. Is that a small amount? I have to keep the shower door open in order to bend over and scrub them and the walls clean and the refrigerator is below the countertop, so that means a lot of bending over or being on my knees. Being on my knees isn’t too bad, but the hard part is getting up, I need a crane and a winch.

On Sunday, we visited the East Grinstead Ward again. We really enjoy the feeling there and the ward members are very friendly, especially if you are wearing a missionary badge. In Relief Society, we had an interesting discussion about what things we are going to be called upon to do in the coming years, as Church members and as missionary members. We separated into groups to discuss each different topic the teacher gave us and I felt that our topic was extremely insightful. It talked about how we as member missionaries will have to do a lot of sacrificing in the latter days to get the word out to the world. It reminded me of a talk given by Elder Robert Hales last year in October. He said that 30 years ago he was giving a speech at BYU. In the speech, he described the dividing line between the Church and the world. He said it was like we, as Latter-day Saints were on one side of the pulpit and the world was on the other side, with about two feet separating us. He then said that today, 30 years later, the Church was still on one side of the pulpit, but the world is across the room, out the door and around the corner. There really is a great divide between how we believe and act and how the world functions today and therefore, we will have to really do a lot of sacrificing to bring the two closer. It will be a monumental task for those who have been sent to the earth at this time. But the Lord needs us to do it. There is no question about that. How many of us are ready and willing to dig in and get started?  Let me give you a quote from one of my little “quote books”.

                President Spencer W. Kimball once said, “There will come a time when everyone will have to lay everything on the altar of sacrifice.”  Brother John Hafen added to this that everyone who is willing to offer their all in sacrifice and, do it willingly, will find in the end that what they thought was sacrifice really isn’t.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, sacrificing, as we are doing by being here, really hasn’t been as difficult as we thought it would be. It has been an absolute joy and privilege to serve these people in England. Our work in the temple has helped and guided us to become truly better people. The Lord really does bless those who are willing to do His will. So, don’t be afraid to extend a friendly handshake to a non-member or share the comforting knowledge of the Plan of Salvation with those who might be floundering in life. We have our foundation and testimony and there are so many in the world who are floating around without direction or an anchor. What we have is so precious, peace, happiness, joy and I could go on forever, but you know what I mean. Get ready to do a little sacrificing in behalf of the Lord and see what comes back. Plant seeds, be a good example and the blessings will come showering down on you.  Oh, that reminds me, I have a shower to clean, don’t I.

Well, it’s now Friday and many things have taken place since Monday. We managed to get to Bucklebury and Highclere (kind of) and the Reading Records Office. Then, I finished cleaning good ole #52 and turned the keys in. Let me tell you, it is cleaner now than when we first moved in and I have the bad back to prove it.  Today, we had a really nice trip down to and little town called Titchfield and then went up to Winchester to the records office there. On both trips, the villages and churches and countryside we saw was absolutely breath-taking. We loved every minute of it.  Niel was very impressed with how completely dedicated the English are in keeping their records. It was interesting to look at all the micro fiches and record books.  However, I really struck out. Do these people really want me to find them? I have my doubts because I tried everything I could think of and had the people at the records office running hither and yon to assist me, but, alas, to no avail. I’ll keep trying though. The Littlefield’s, who went with us, were extremely successful. He found one name and when he put that name into the Family Search program on his computer it opened up the great divide. He is now, in some of his lines, into the dark ages. Only because his lines go into royalty and the Church has done a remarkable job of connecting all the royals together. It is really mind-boggling. I hope you enjoy the pictures that we sent and we will be sending more. Sadly, Highclere Castle is only open for two months of the year. I guess they make enough money in those two months to support their castle for the rest of the year. We only had our iphones to take pictures from afar. Our good camera with the zoom lens is waiting for the cables we left home to come with Jill and Steven soon. My future in family research may be in learning to read German script.

We are sorry to be so late with this letter. I’ll do better next week.  (That sounds like what I say every month with my visiting teaching!)

Love to all, be good and kind to one another.                                                           

Love: Mom, Carolee

Dear All,

I think we can see the end of the temple construction. During the shut-down, someone detected a natural gas leak. They decided to replace the line from the temple to the street. In doing so, the backhoe severed the main electrical feed to the temple and surrounding businesses and homes. Could have been a tragedy but fortunately no one was injured or killed. There were sparks and smoke. The temple was a topic of negative conversation by those without power, I’m sure. It took them a couple of days to repair the line. Meanwhile there was a dark day and night and then the sound of a large generator. We also have not had hot water as the gas line is still under repair. But we’ll make it. By the way, the UK must not have a “Blue Stake” system.

I have been putting the miles on Ian’s and Maggie’s car chauffeuring your mother and others to their desired destinations. I’m ready to hang up the car keys and return to temple work. We are preparing for Jill and Steven’s arrival. Hope we can show them a good time.  It will be so good to see someone from home.

Love and Appreciation to you all,  Dad and Granddad

Titchfield Abbey

At the front of the Abbey. Carolee and the Littlefields

The front door. This is how people used to enter

Inside the Abbey

This is what we drove our car through to get to the Abbey

We ate at this pub across the street and just had to get over to see these westies. 

Some of the handmade tiles that have been found in the excavation

The old well

Highclere Castle and Looking for Ancestors

Highclere Castle from afar, as close as we could get.

Sorry, the castle was closed. It it only open during the summer for 2 months

Sheep grazing everywhere around the castle

Headstone of a relative?

The rock around this entry way is all done in flint.

Notice the oddity of the big black fly in the glass!

The windows are beautiful but simple compared with some of the 

large churches we have been in.

"The Vickerage" A charming house across the yard from the church

Parish Church. Some of the Wigmore and Minall family are buried here.

Record's office

Looking through years of micro fiche trying to find 

Mary Mildenhall or Minall or her father-in-law...to no avail. 

Time spent in Nottingham with the Turners and Chats Worth

The following are some of the many pictures we took on our long weekend to Nottingham. What a wonderful place to visit.  Maybe, someday, we’ll even visit the Sherwood Forest. We only drove past it this time. Visiting with the Turners (Ian, Maggie, Jacob, Emilie, Ross, Megan, Lawrence, Martin and Jesse) was awe inspiring, fun, relaxing and just wonderful. They were the absolute best hosts ever. We wanted for nothing. They "wined and dined" us, fed and carted us around all weekend. We even did a little shopping. I was able to get the handbag I needed so badly at the local TJ Maxx. The shopping there is to die for! We ate the best Italian place on earth. Needless to say, I’ve had all the pasta and pizza I can handle. We were able to watch most of Conference, but will finish off the one or two sessions we couldn’t get to. It made me a little home sick, well—maybe I was just overly emotional watching all the Church Leaders and thinking how far away they were. The talks were wonderful, really just what I and the rest of us needed. What comfort it is to have the messages that the Lord wants us to hear and incorporate into our lives every six months. We are truly blessed. 

This an overhead view of the Turner's home in Nottingham.

Originally there were two barns which were connected in the middle by the taller bldg. There will be a covered swimming pool in the back.

By the way, we are looking at the rear of the house.

Front gate. Opens by remote.

Front of the Turner's home, and Ian's Car...too fast for us!

Big, wooden, round topped door w/hammered cast iron accessories. 

The back garden...There are a lot of little brown bunnies hopping around. 

Grandma loves the birds too. 

It was very difficult to leave. I could have stayed here forever! Thank you Ian and Maggie!!

Chats worth from kinda far off. Does it look familiar? Hint: Pride and Prejudice 

The Stables, the carriages with horses come thru this gate.

Inside the stables. We had lunch here and tried to not spend too much money in the shops. 

(But I did anyway, mom.) 

Outside entrance. You enter from the back?

Beautiful painting everywhere, even the ceilings

This geode was as tall as Dylan or Treven!

Chapel alter

Buffet table where they display some of their finery

Carved wood molding throughout

Silver ware

Giant crystals, many of them. Ian quite liked them!

Extremely tall bed

Statue Hall. Do your remember this hall?

Statue...Yes, she's there.

We have returned to the Accommodation Center and are in the process of moving to a larger flat on the same floor. It is surprising how much two people can accumulate in four months. We are about half way done and too tired to finish in one day. The new room we have chosen is, as I said, in the Accommodation Center, we decided not to move to the Lodge because this room is quite large and comfy. The view is looking directly at the temple and can’t be beat.  We will sent pictures when everything is put away. 

Christmas decorations are beginning to show up in all the stores. Halloween is celebrated, but not as much as Christmas. We are looking forward to Guy Fox day, where a lot of people build big bon-fires and shoot off fireworks etc. The Turner’s are having a computerized and synchronized fireworks display, with music, courteous of Jacob, who had figured all of it out himself. We will miss seeing it for sure.

We are looking forward to studying the conference messages and will let you know what messages really hit home and where we need to improve.  Hope you do too.

Love to All, Carolee (Mom, Granny)

In the last couple of days we have experienced a power outage in the temple complex. Some emergency generators did come on, but our flat was pitch black by 6:30pm. Gets dark over here early now. The problem occurred when a temple maintenance crew was told there were no utility lines in there way as they were putting in a new natural gas line. Guess what?  There was! They do not have Blue Stakes here. The outage not only affected the temple but sixteen other businesses, homes, farms and estates. Notta good! We have a huge generator in the temple parking lot keeping things on the go while they fix the problem.  Latest news on the temple HVAC remodel is that it is not on time – but close. I’ve checked out the new video equipment in the endowment rooms and it too is not ready to go.

All is well,  

Love,  Dad and Granddad