.......what a week..............

Whew..........it's been a long time! But Oh!!!! What a week we have had!!

Last Monday was Jerry's funeral........a stormy, overcast, Alabama winter day. I hoped the rain would stop while we were at the cemetery, but not so.........and the wind was blowing, which made it cold. We already had aching hearts which the rain and cold did not improve!! As we had driven out to the cemetery, we went past a huge power plant we had seen from the highway--and I wondered if it were a nuclear plant because of the shape of the towers. Roger decided he wanted to drive right by it. So we did. WOW!!!! And it's not a nuclear plant. It's coal.........and why not!?!?? It's sitting right in the middle of very large coal fields. (As a side note, I wrote down the names of some towns/cities here in Alabama, just for fun--Coal Fire, Coaling, Coker, Coalburg--you think they have coal around here??? And iron--Red Mountain and Irondale.........they were harder to find) Anyway.......I'm always amazed at the size of these kinds of things and marvel that we--humans--know how to make something so massive and that we expect it to remain standing!!! Okay.........I'll stop talking and give you some pictures:

This is the bottom of the huge cooling towers. You can see the curtains of water at the bottom (you might have to look carefully and maybe with some imagination and/or actual knowledge).

See the train cars full of coal?

 

 It wasn't long before the road we were following was "closed" with a HUGE pile of dirt and rocks dumped across it, so we turned onto another "back" road and kept going........the road continued to deteriorate, but any of you who know my knight in shining armor also know that a little thing like that wouldn't stop him! ............so glad it didn't...........(and that we made it back to civilization safely!)

This is what's left of an open pit coal mine...........at least we are assuming that's what it is.........

 

...........because a little farther along the rough, pothole-y road, we found this............(picture taken through the windshield because of said rain)

.........all deserted and abandoned............sad..............

 

It was beautiful in the "back woods"............These gorgeous little trees still have not dropped their leaves. I wish I knew what they are.

After a time, we saw a house here and one there. Then a few bunched together--kind of--you know, that feeling of an idyllic life where there are no cares, no dirt, and the food magically appears on the table already prepared? And then it dumped us right into Ensley!!!!!! Where we wanted to be!!!! So fun!!!!! And the food had magically appeared!!! We ate with the family at the church.........and the sisters from the branch--the Relief Society president, the branch president's wife and the Relief Society secretary who was baptized in June, just after we got here. I felt guilty that I didn't stay to help, but we really needed to get some things done at the office for zone conference in Montgomery the next day.

Zone conference was wonderful!! And, thankfully, the weather was nice as we had to inspect the cars. Can I just say I LOVE ZONE CONFERENCES!!!!! (I'm not yelling, just emphasizing!!!) I love to stand with those wonderful young people and recite D&C 4 (I'm even getting so I can say most of it) and then a "poem": There is no chance, no destiny, no fate can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul. Then the declaration "We are Preach My Gospel and white handbook missionaries and we are steadfast in Christ!" I absolutely, totally love it!!!! Such affirmation!! 

Wednesday was a catch up day and kind of hard. I came home later than I should have to get dinner for the Elders in Ensley.......it was good to be with them. 

Thursday and Friday were more zone conferences. And we were again thankful for good weather. So pleasant......... After lunch yesterday (Friday) at zone conference we jumped in the truck and headed to Selma. We had to get the rest of the mission furniture out of a house (President Hanks took two of the four Elders out of Selma so we needed to close an apartment--which was really a house with holes in the floor!!!!! I am not kidding!!) Then to Alexander City--we got there about 6:00--to do the same thing. An apartment this time without the holes. We were really glad to finally turn north toward "home". We stopped in Sylacauga for something to eat. Mistake. We should have stopped sooner and at a different restaurant. 

There are some really poor areas in Alabama. Makes my heart ache. I have been so blessed. My whole life. I would not want to live in the house we moved the Elders out of, and there were places that looked much worse than that! I'm learning more reasons why all this needs to end.

OH!!!!! something REALLY COOL!!!!!! go to https://www.justserve.org/ and check it out!!! This is one of the neatest things the Church has ever done!!!! 

And now I'll stop. The coming week also looks pretty busy, as we have two more zone conferences at the end of it, and we need to move some Sisters somewhere in there. I'm so thankful Elder and Sister Mason are coming!! But we've got about four more weeks of double duty.

February MLC

We had MLC again today...........RAH!!!!!! One of my very most favorite events here. We get to meet with the leadership of the mission and learn from President and Sister Hanks. Stupendous!!!!! I just don't think there is any way I can communicate what a wonderful blessing this is! I really wish I could  have all of you in my pocket for these meetings. AND!!!!! Remember, January was "Book of Mormon month" and each companionship was challenged to share 40 copies of the Book of Mormon? Not just hand them out, but have a conversation with someone, share a scripture and hand them an open book! I have maxed out my order for the last three months trying to keep up to them!!! When I ordered everything I could the first of January, I suddenly realized I wouldn't have anything for them at this meeting today!! YIKES!!! And just to give you perspective........they wanted 1640 today!! Needless to say, I didn't have them. I had almost half though, thanks to the secretary in the Georgia Macon Mission. I called her two weeks ago and asked if she would order 800 books and have them shipped to me. She was willing. So the Books came yesterday and we loaded them off the truck right into the van. (Occasionally I do a smart thing.) Then I got on the computer to make my order on the 2nd. I ordered 800 to send to Macon, then 840 for us. That was all I could order. We will take them to zone conferences next week. We had quite the juggling act. I hope I juggled well. Come to think of it, I don't know what we'll do for MLC next month! AGH!!!!!

And I'm very grateful to say our lunch was a grand slam!! We had stew, bread/butter, clemetines and banana splits with a variety of toppings. Sister Hanks made a fudge sauce to die for!!! Ohhhhhhhhhh. We agreed to swap recipes. Roger peeled about 30 carrots last night which I chopped up and put back in the frig then chopped four very large onions and browned 8 pounds of stew meat. When we got to the church this morning--an hour later than I wanted to be there--I dumped the meat, onions and carrots into three 6-quart crocks (from crock pots), one large--6 quart--stainless "Dutch oven" I brought with me and other spices; covered them and put them all in the oven. I was a little nervous about half way through fearing that it might not be completely cooked. Turns out it was cooked "to a turn". I was so thankful!!! Father in heaven has blessed me so many times! The missionaries kept filling their bowls and we hauled the pans out to the table. We had one large pan left which I will take to Ensley tomorrow night for the Elders there. It just worked out so well!! And they loved it!! We had a really cold, wintry day here, so it even fit with the weather.

I had asked Roger and Elder Newman to dish the ice cream, but by the time we got back to the kitchen the sisters were doing it!!!! And such beautiful, lovely sisters!

The one just peeking into the picture and the one with the scarf are "brand new" sisters.........they have come since we got here and this was their first leadership council meeting. They are so impressive! and darling......which is probably needless to say. Wonderful! Wonderful Day!!!! I absolutely, totally love this opportunity!!!!

.....enormous loveliness...........

Just discovered (again) a very good thing about digital pictures! The camera records what day!!! And now that I'm worse than ever at keeping track of time and days, thank goodness I can look at the pictures I took and they will tell me what day they were taken! Sooooo...............

The day after going to Locust Fork we drove out to Trussville. (Cool name!!) we had to take a car to the Elders so theirs could be fixed. I wish I had started taking pictures of cemeteries when we first got here. They have some of the most enormous old cemeteries I have ever seen! We drive by one nearly every week on our way to church and I wish I could just take an afternoon and wander through it. I also find myself wishing I could photograph it for "1,000,000 graves".......oooooo........that would be a mammoth project! But so cool!!!!! Anyway.........I digress.........

After dropping off the car and Roger was driving so I was free to gawk--which I do whenever he drives. We drove past an old cemetery and in it the most enormous magnolia tree!!!!! A huge tree by any standards! But a magnolia!!!?!?!?? I would love to see it in bloom! We drove in at the end of the cemetery--onto the grass but obviously where people park to walk into the cemetery. It's there, behind the other trees.........

Roger drove really slowly so I could take some pictures from the street. While I like to find a "good shot", I am also a lazy photographer. If I can stay in the car, I will. Besides, I didn't know how much time we had to spare and he had already turned around for me. Such a patient man!

You can tell I wasn't really paying attention to the "form" of the photo..........as I cut off the top of the tree...........I remember saying I couldn't get the whole thing in the picture. But now I see I have plenty of the rock wall! :-)

Thursday warmed up really nicely and we determined that we had time to go walk around "Star Lake". It's really a drainage "lake". They built a dam above the golf course, so now the neighborhood has a lovely little lake with the requisite geese and ducks--even a magnificent pair of swans. When there has been no rain for a couple of weeks there is quite a large "beach" area for the birds. No people are allowed in the water. I hate to imagine how dirty it is! Anyway........it's a lovely little place for a walk. We have gone there before and I have told you about it. Well........Thursday night was spectacular!!!! It was not anywhere close to this yellow..........in fact......there was no yellow at all!

 It was all pink and lavender like these pictures..........and there are two of them.......just because I like them both and I can...........

 There are lots of geese and ducks there. It's fun to watch them stand straight on their heads. At least, I think that's what they are doing, as their tails are straight in the air! And they can hold their breath for an unbelievable length of time! You can see the wake of one lone duck swimming across the lake and the ripples catching the colors of the sunset. So lovely.......... We were a little later last night, and before we got in the car, most of them had tucked their beaks under their wings as they floated softly on the water...........

I get more and more convinced these are bald cypress........but probably because I don't know anything else they could be.......not from a vast knowledge of trees, but out of my limited knowledge! I'm excited to see them begin to put out their new spring leaves.........I wonder what they will look like? ...........Yeah........Roger was wondering what in the world I could be taking a picture of!!!

...rainy day in....Alabama.........

Roger and I took a car out to the missionaries in Locust Fork today. I wished so badly we could have taken a nice, slow, leisurely drive so I could have taken lots of pictures. But I had to drive. (Our car, so we had a way to get back. The first missionary car has to have some work done on it.) Drat! We had rain all day long..........not a heavy downpour like we get sometimes, but steady respectable rain. Locust Fork is north-east in the hills.....pretty place. Remember when I told you about the big white house on the hill that I would love to live in? Well. It's for sale!!!! And it includes a farm and a big, lovely white barn with a red roof and beautiful white fences. The clouds were way low. The mist wafted through the little meadows and among the trees. There were some of those smaller trees with pretty golden leaves under the tall pines............everything soaking wet and dripping. It was one of those days I would just like to get lost in some out-of-the-way place, listen to the rain and drink hot chocolate. There were a few "waterfalls" along the road caused by all of the rain.........like I said, I could have taken a hundred pictures today. As it was, I got just three, through the windshield, dodging the wipers........they're not very good, but they are all I have. It was almost too dark when I took those............by the way.......our wonderful missionaries were out tracting when I called to see where we could meet them and exchange cars. Good young men!

Don't know why this one is so blue?????

......Jinx...........REALLY!?!!?????

Alabama keeps surprising us. It's snowing!!!!! It started about 2:30 this afternoon--so tiny they couldn't really be called flakes, but you can see from the pictures that they did stick a little on the cars. The temperature has continued to slowly fall.........it's only 30 now. We'll see what it's like in the morning.

Sooooooo...........when it started to snow we thought we might leave the office early, come home and have a nice relaxing time. Roger hoped we wouldn't have to go out to "rescue" some missionaries. I said we would just call a lock smith. Well.............you guessed it............some Elders called to say they had locked their keys in the car. And they were too close to call a lock smith!!!! So we wore our causal clothes and drove to Bessemer. That's when I got the pictures of the snow........... I'm so thankful it wasn't sticking to the roads..........

.....a month or two days...........

I feel I've lived a month in two days..........whew! Here's the run down.......... We had books to take to the missionaries in the northwest part of the mission and the sisters also needed a new mattress. Thankfully, we were able to do both in one trip. And it was so good to see those missionaries!!! (Elder Fanos is up there and looking really good). They were having a district activity and also their p-day, so they were at the library writing home..........and updating the status of their referrals......I hope............

We had a great drive--pretty straight up and back. We stopped when we saw a whole yard full of marble and granite slabs.........I think I might be able to get a piece of Alabama marble!!! RAH!!!!! Anyone else want one? for candy and other such essentials?

Coming back through Birmingham we stopped at the Ford dealership to pick up one of the four new cars that arrived. We are so excited to have some new cars! and I got to drive it to the office! Roger was driving the 12 passenger van. After making sure the most important things were "tied up" for the day, we drove back to the hospital to see Donna. Yeah. She's in there again. And this time she's dealing with a dilemma as to whether she should have surgery or not. I don't know how one can make the kind of decision she has to make. We are praying for her and trying to lend her all the love and reassurance we can give her. It was good to see her again.

It was a long day.............

Today we got up and going in time to go back to get the other three cars. The Newmans met us at the office at 8:30 and after picking up the cars we dropped them all at u-haul to get the hitches for the bike racks. Back to the office for just a bit. Roger and I went to the DMV to get the "tags" (license plates) for all of them. It took a bit longer than we wanted. Went to the Birmingham stake center for a special broadcast--all the missionaries all over the world were to watch it live.......but really it was 7:00 a.m. in Hawaii and 7:00 p.m. in Finland......the other side of the world were going to watch it "when they woke up". Elder Clayton conducted the meeting. Elder Andersen, Elder Bednar, Elder Waddell, Sister Oscarson, Elder Clayton, and Elder Oaks all spoke. It was wonderful to be included! I kept trying to think how I could use their teachings when I get home. It was so good. Afterward, Pres. Hanks gave some training. He is doing interviews this month, and he trains whenever he gets a chance. Again.........I wished I had known some of it long ago. He is so good to teach them life skills along with how to be a better missionary. It's just plain fun to be part of it all. Then it was "home" for a bite of lunch, and Roger went to the office so he could get one of the cars ready for some Elders to take. I stayed here to start cooking for the Elders in Ensley. I got the potatoes in the oven when Roger called and needed the tools from the trunk of our car, so I ran over to the office. It's a good thing I went because I needed to take care of a couple of things..........a referral that was "escalated"; so I called the Elders I had assigned it to, sent a reply to the email, and figured out that someone who had called the temple with a request for a visit was really in the Tennessee Nashville mission and called Nashville to pass along the information. When I finally got back home I had to really hurry to get everything ready so we could be to Ensley on time. (We have dinner with the Elders every Wednesday night. I love it!!!) After dinner we had a special meeting with the stake president and branch council and missionaries, then we split up in twos and went to visit some of the less active members of the branch. I went with the Relief Society president. I was glad to be involved. She took me back to the church. I thought I would practice the organ till Roger came, but the young men president came in and we visited till Roger returned. The young men president is the father of the three little Primary girls. Roger and I came home, put on some "relaxing" clothes, washed the dishes and now we have just finished watching a couple of episodes of "Hogan's Heroes". Well..........I watched. Roger slept through most of the second one. We are tired............. but I find I love the life of a missionary!! However, I do find myself hoping tomorrow will be a little slower...................

....pay day!.....

Sorry......but I guess with me it's either feast or famine. Sadly, I think that's the way I am about many things: reading, books, fabric, sewing, cooking, sleeping, yard work, vegetable gardens, preparedness and food storage........you get the idea. I have a real hard time being temperate about things. If you're "in" be in all the way. Don't sit on the fence! That said, I'm pretty good at acquiescence.........even when I have an opinion!! And sometimes that is not so good............

At any rate, you aren't here to hear my philosophizing......so I'll stop. But I do need to give you some background info here........... The funds contributed to "Book of Mormon" on the donation slip purchase Book of Mormons to send to the missions for the missionaries to give away. Each mission is allocated a number of books each month. (I don't know if that changes with the difference in donations from month to month--I have not paid attention to that. I'm still learning here!) Anyway, Pres. Hanks has declared January "Book of Mormon month" in the Alabama Birmingham Mission and challenged each companionship to give away 40 books! Some of the missionaries have set a goal of double that, and some have already given away 2/3 of that. I ordered all the books I could to be here by the first of December as we were going to see all the missionaries at the Christmas devotionals. We knew there were not enough, but that I could order somewhere around 1400 on December 1st and they would be here before MLC on January 5th. But the missionaries kept giving them away!!!!!! So then we didn't have enough for everyone at MLC!!! Since we were in the office on January 1, I put in an order then for all the books they would allow. They arrived last Friday. I texted the zones I knew had not got all they wanted at MLC. (We tried to figure out as best we could to get the missionaries farthest out covered and we could drive to closer areas and still let the ones close have enough to get them through. I am lousy at that kind of planning. And my stomach goes into hyper-drive!) Anyway, I made the assistants help with that decision and felt okay about it. So........yesterday Roger and I took 17 boxes of books to the Madison and Huntsville zones. It was a totally gorgeous day for a drive. We left here about 9:00--having loaded the car the night before. Drove straight up I-65, stopped in Madison at the ZL's apartment, gave them books and mail, then drove over to Huntsville. And there is that Saturn V rocket!!!! Oh my heart!!! I wish we could send off another one and I would have a front row seat!!!!

The Huntsville elders were just going to lunch so they could go do some service. We asked them to meet us someplace they would like to go--that they wouldn't go themselves--and we could have lunch together. Talk about a delightful treat!! Two absolutely, totally wonderful Elders that we got to spend an hour with! Such a privilege!! One is Mark Littleford's grandson. He's a great missionary!! And his companion is not a whit less! Also, we had a really fun server who was baptized when she was 13 years old!!! Obviously, she did not understand then.......and still doesn't. She declined our invitation. We ate the "The Blue Plate Cafe". Scrumptious food!!!! I had pot roast...........wow! Afterward, we put the books in their car and we headed home.

We had not gone far when Roger said, "Isn't there another road we can take so we can see some of the country?" I whipped out my trusty map. Found a "county road" at the next exit and we left the Interstate--heading west a little before south again. I'm so glad we did!!! We found ourselves in Danville--the home of the yummy "Old Cookstove" restaurant where we ate with the senior couples a few months ago. I don't know the names of the other little towns. Part of the road follows along a ridge that was the boundary between the Creek and Chocktaw "lands".

I loved these smaller, "under-story" trees with the pretty golden leaves still clinging to them. It gave such a .........fairyland............dainty............ don't know...........if I had an idea "why" I don't remember it. They just made me smile.

And I enjoy driving through these "tunnels" with the beautiful blue sky for a ceiling. The pines are so tall and pretty with the bare deciduous trees among them. We drove through a wildlife preserve--or something like that, though we didn't see anything......... stopped for a short nap in a very small town with a blinking red light at the intersection. Roger was getting sleepy. We had plenty of time and he didn't want to miss anything. Besides, I didn't want to drive either! We both had a refreshing nap.

We finally came to where we had to get on a "highway", but I had seen signs about a natural bridge. We decided to check it out. It was less than a mile past the highway. So glad we did!!!

It's the longest natural arch east of the Rockies. And while not like our arches in Utah, it was worth the effort to see it. The sandstone washed out and left the layers with the iron in them. Interesting! And we could walk in, under it. I had to fight down my claustrophobia and succeeded enough to where I could "hike" around the little trail around the walls. Glad I did that too! (I'm always afraid something is going to fall on me!) In the following pictures, you can see the pipe "railing" if you look closely.

There were two small, spindly trees reaching up to the sunlight.

This is the rock face a little farther along the trail! I wish I had a picture of the whole thing, but I didn't know what it would look like in the picture and my phone as at 1% of the battery! There were only about four other people there. It was a little chilly, but we had our coats and it was quiet and peaceful. Such a sweet bonus. Wish we had known about it when we were in the area with the senior couples.............

When we saw Nauvoo on the GPS we had to go check it out! Where in the world did they come up with the name Nauvoo?????? I don't even know who to ask!

 It's been here a while........

And you had to see the bird house gourds. I'm sure you've seen them before. But I'm surprised at how prevalent they are here.........and lots of them all together. The little goats were cute too, and this isn't a very good picture because I was in a real hurry..........don't remember why............

I have wanted to go back to see Rebecca--Marjorie's daughter. So when Roger suggested we get off the beaten path, I planned the route with the plan that we would come fairly close to her house. And it worked!!!! Thankfully, we still had her address in the GPS and she was home and let us in. It was dark by this time. She asked who we were before opening the door. It was good to see her again. She was glad to see us and grateful we would come. We had a really good visit with her--this was only the second night she had spent alone. I had taken a Book of Mormon with the intent to give it to her and she received it gladly, with the promise she would read Jesus' visit to the Nephites. She even left it open on the arm of her chair. I prayed/pray she will feel the power in the book and read more and more. She is a lovely, delightful woman. We hugged her goodbye and wished her well. She will be moving in a few weeks and then she's getting married sometime this year. I sincerely wish her the best.

We drove straight to Ensley--without much time to spare--for a baptism! Remember, I told you about the man whose daughter is serving in Nebraska? Well. He was baptized last night! He is so happy! We took him to stake conference this morning and he can hardly keep at least one foot on the ground! Made me think of Donna and how she says it feels like it's always Christmas! Why can't everyone see that following the Savior makes people happy!?!?!??? Such a simple thing..........and yet so hard to get people to see it...........

I'll stop. This is plenty long. Sorry. But we did have a really wonderful day. So grateful I can share it with you!