Sunday, 10 May 2020
I haven't been at all good about posting and there is so much going on with the pandemic that I should be posting.
I'm still living with Scott and Julie and it has been a wonderful experience. We have a sacrament meeting in their home each Sunday morning. It has been a sacred experience for the 3 of us to sing a hymn and partake of the sacrament. We watch a couple of General Conference talks and have a 2nd hour discussion. We take turns choosing the talks and leading the 2nd hour discussion. Julie chooses the hymns and she does a great job, choosing hymns that go along with what we will be discussing the 2nd hour.
Things have been shut down by order of the Governor in an attempt to stop the spread of the Corono virus. The Temples were all closed, world-wide. Scott & Julie's mission start date was pushed back to 26 June. My youngest grandson received his mission call to the France Paris Mission. He is to enter the Provo MTC on 1 July. He's very excited and I'm excited for him to learn French so he can help me with my French ancestor's research (in 2 years).
I have been driving to the casita each day to water my tomato plants but decided I couldn't afford the price of the tomatoes. It took an hour out of my day and I was having to fill my gas tank too often and, more to the point, one very small tomato was all I had to show for it.
Yesterday Scott was able to get a haircut for the first time in 2 months. Deseret Book opened on Friday. I went to the store for the first time last week and completely forgot to take a mask. I felt comfortable without one and I was careful to observe the 6' rule around others. The employees all had masks and gloves but about half of the people didn't. I realized wearing masks prevents us from seeing smiles and that's a loss.
I wept with joy as I read on Friday that 17 of the Temples would be open for very limited ordinances and with space restrictions. I look forward to phase 4 when I can attend the Temple and do the ordinances for my ancestors.
Scott and Julie have been absolutely wonderful. I spend most of the day indexing and reviewing projects. Once a week, the ROC missionaries have a Zoom meeting and it's been wonderful to be able to see their familiar faces and talk to each other a little.
I'm thankful for a living Prophet who has given wise and uplifting counsel as we have gone through this for 2 months. Technology is wonderful and it is being used in new ways. With schools closed, teachers are doing online classes. General Conference was wonderful but different with it not being held in the Conference Center and with no congregation/audience. But the messages were powerful and uplifting.
Scott, Julie and I take turns preparing dinner. We have each made bread and it has been wonderful. Scott made regular white bread and French bread. I made a loaf of French bread and Julie has made delicious whole wheat bread. With just the 3 of us, we usually have enough for two dinners. They used to go out for dinner each Saturday night, but with restaurants closed, we order and pick up something from a restaurant each Saturday night for dinner.
We have played games and put puzzles together and watched a little TV. I have been able to go for a walk each weekday morning. I keep going a little earlier to beat the heat, although it has not been as hot as normal, according to Julie. The highest has been 107 and that was only one day. The coming week, the highs will be in the mid 90s each day.
I've been able to do a lot of family history and had some good success in finding additional ancestors and that's always exciting.
I've been able to get my hair cut because I continue to go to the young wife and mother who has been cutting mine and Sister Tolman's hair since we arrived. She does it in her home and she's been okay with me coming and I've been okay with going. She does a good job.
I keep in touch with family and friends through phone calls and emails/texts. I look forward to being back in the ROC but have been told it may be September before it opens. I am thinking it will be earlier than that. We'll see.
I had to go to a doctor to have my thyroid prescription renewed. I had to do the whole protocol things with a mask and filling out all the new-patient paperwork in my car and waiting for the nurse to come and get me and take me back to an exam room. All the chairs in the waiting area had "do not sit" signs. The experience itself was fine and the good thing is that I am now a known patient there so if I have to see a doctor in the next 13 months, I should be able to get in without difficulty.
Back home in Bountiful, in addition to the pandemic, and the fire last Fall that destroyed two homes in my ward, they had a 5.7 earthquake, with aftershocks. It was centered in Magna and I haven't heard of any damage in Bountiful but some places in SLC and south SLC suffered damage.
President Nelson invited everyone to join in a worldwide fast and prayer on Good Friday, to pray for an end to the pandemic, for protection of the medical personnel caring for patients, for financial recovery and for return to normalcy. Sister Wendy Nelson compared this pandemic to the cricket invasion of the pioneers' crops, with the miracle of the seagulls and encouraged us to expect miracles. Our Father in Heaven and our Savior have all power. Do we put our faith and trust in Them?
