Sunday, November 17, 2013

November 17 2013 Weekly Letter

Australia Sunday Nov 17, 2013
Dear Family and Friends:
Here it is the middle of November, where is the time going?  I guess when you keep busy the time goes by fast, and we do keep busy.  On Tuesday morning we had a devotional piped in from the service center in Auckland, New Zealand.  The speaker was Elder Hallstrom of the Seventies and his wife.  They gave excellent talks and we really enjoyed it.  As we were waiting for it to begin, we were watching the people come in and I mentioned to Sister Williams one gentleman looked like Paul Gray from our service center.  We both decided it did look like him but probably wasn’t.  LeeAnn came in and sat behind us and said there is Paul.  A few of the finance people from our center were over there for meetings.  The talks were great, they have lived in Asia for several years, and now he is over the Pacific region.  We had a fairly quiet week as far as meetings and such.  We sent in 17000 images on Friday.  It helps to have a couple of over 4000 days. One of the cards this week said that a man was on a boat and he died and was buried under a breadfruit tree on an island.  It did not tell the island, but told the name of the boat.  Dad looked it up and it said a lady died during child birth and is also buried on an island.  Interesting things.
It rained last Sunday night, Monday and Tues until late afternoon.  We drove to work those two days.  Tues, Wed and Thurs. afternoon’s we walked up to a field just west of the Temple and walked around it.  Four times around is a mile.  I haven’t made the mile yet but I will.  Of course Dad does very easily.  I could blame Loren and Tami because they sent me Kim’s new book and I wanted to finish it so I took it with me and sat on the bench and read after walking around once.  Friday after work we walked up to the mall to get a few things.  It was sprinkling when we walked home.  Friday night I marked and cut off the 2 skirts I needed to hem up, and last night I got the sewing machine working and hemmed them.  We will take the machine back tomorrow.  The Australians never have manuals for anything.  When we moved into this flat with a new dryer, washer, dishwasher and oven and no manuals.  Sister Williams looked them up on line and copied off how to work the dishwasher and oven. I was surprised I got the sewing machine threaded on the 2nd time of trying.  We don’t use the dishwasher, it is easier to just wash our few dishes after each meal.  It rained off and on all night Friday and yesterday.  We took Elder and Sister Moore, and Elder and Sister Archibald to Parklea.  Dad drove and Elder Williams drove.  That is the huge indoor flea market.  We really didn’t need anything so we looked around and bought a few souvenirs, and some grapes and green beans.  We had the beans today and they are not as good as the ones we have been getting at the market.  The grapes are delicious however.  Dad took some pictures of the different stands, we will try to get them posted tomorrow.  We ate lunch there, they have about anything you want.  We had Hawaiian burgers with sautéed onions and pineapple.  They were super good.  Some of the others had pizza and others had wraps.  After lunch it had cleared up a little, still cloudy so we took the new missionaries over to Windsor, walking through the Historic district.  We went in some really cute shops.  If I had a lot of money I would have bought a lot.  When we got down to the water wheel a group of little girls all dressed up in their Sunday best, came over eating ice cream cones.  We talked to one of the mothers and took pictures of them for her.  She said they were celebrating her daughters 8th birthday and had been to high tea, and then to get ice cream.  Made me a little homesick for my grandkids.  Okay, a lot homesick.  We got home around 5.
Tomorrow is FHE, the Feils are in charge of dinner, and the Tanners the lesson and dessert.  Elder Tanner posted on Mormon Times Friday an article stating that the bush fires in the Blue Mountains are the worst they have had in a decade, and told about all the members that helped out.  It was a great article.  He is in public affairs.  Tomorrow afternoon we have a meeting for the Christmas Social.  We have decided not to have it catered because they were not going to do what we wanted so we are going to do it.  We will make salads and buy and cook the meat.  It is only for about 60 people so we should be able to handle that.  We are probably going to start meeting weekly to make sure it is completely planned.  It is going to be so fun. 
Friday Mark sent some pictures from Africa.  One of a lion, an alligator, and hippo’s taken out from his Hotel back door.  They were great pictures.
We talked to Loren today to see how Krey’s football game went.  It was the championship game in region I believe.  They won really big so this is their 2nd undefeated season.  Congratulations to Krey and your team. 
It rained most of last night and most of today.  
The rain is so needed so know one feels bad about it.  I am amazed at how things are greening up with just the rain last week, so this is a bonus.  The grounds crew have been putting the Christmas lights in the trees this week with a cherry picker.  It is going to be so pretty.  They have to replace a lot of the lights each year because the birds eat the wires.  Someone asked why they don’t take them down and they said that is too much work???
We have had a quiet Sunday afternoon.  We are both writing new talks for next weekend at Taree.  We haven’t decided if we will stay overnight or drive up Sunday morning.  Their meeting doesn’t start until 10 AM but that is a lot of sitting in the car as it is just over 3 hour drive.  We will see.
A Happy Birthday to Amberlie today, or tomorrow at your house.  31 years ago your birth made us grandparents for the first time, and now you have made us great grandparents.
Prayers and Hugs for all of you:

Mum and Dad

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