Sunday, May 31, 2015

 To say it has been an interesting week would be an understatement!  What started off as a relatively 'nice easy pace' turned into a whirlwind!!

Monday was Memorial Day.  John VonCannon (my cousin) and his wife Carol invited us up to visit them.  Carol is pretty much bedridden right now because she just found out she has bone cancer in her lower leg and has to stay off of it until they do surgery.  SO, we picked up some Mexican food and took it to them.  I also made a cherry sonker in my sonker dish and off we went.  We had a great visit.

 These are the gates to their home.  They gave us the code so we could open the 'doors' and let ourselves in!

They were both asking me about my new Apple Watch and I was demonstrating how the camera worked on it.  John and Carol were 'ready' when the foto took but I was still figuring out what to do!

By the time we got home in the evening the storms had moved in.  And they were pretty fierce!

Again, being a fairly easy pace the early part of the week meant I could get a couple of projects finished that I had going......this being one of them.  This is a 'square' I crocheted for the 'World's Largest Stocking Project'!  It will be huge when it is finished.  Can't wait to see how it turns out!

I got another doily made and sent to a sweet gal in Kentucky that we had met a couple of weeks earlier......Sister Deckard.

We decided we needed to start eating more healthy.....and here is the beginning of that process.  It was a really good salad!  Andy BTW....love our new little rain-boot salt and pepper shaker set.  Got the set at CardSmart in PTC.

Instead of reaching for chocolate for a snack, I found a really good recipe for ENERGY BALLS that is good for you and good tasting.

Lucy-Goosey really likes being with us.  Even if it means she sits on the back of Wayne's recliner and watch him work.

OR it could mean laying on the back of the sofa.  She is such a pretty cat and so long.

We actually got out for a walk a couple of days this week....meet Jeremy our Postiman.  He is such a friendly guy and knows us well!!

Friday at about 5:30 p.m. our world changed from the 'calm' during the week to 'fast-paced' and tense couple of days.  Sister Bennion, Mission President's wife in the Georgia Atlanta North Mission, called.  She told Wayne that a set of their sister missionaries had just been in a car accident.  Their car had been hit broadside by a semi-truck and the sister driver was killed instantly and the sister companion was medivac to the Atlanta Medical Trauma Center.  Wayne and I were asked by President Bennion to go to the AMTC and take care of things there while he went to the accident scene and meet with the police investigating the accident.  We were happy to do so.  A few hours later President and Sister Bennion joined us, along with a group of ward members in which the sisters were serving.  Wayne and President Bennion had a lot to talk about......plans for both sisters.  How to handle everything.  This all took place while the sister was in brain surgery.  At about 2:00 a.m. she was out of her surgery (which took 5 hours) and after she spent about 1 hour in recovery a few of the folks were allowed to see her.  This was just such an awful experience but fortunately the sisters never knew what hit them. President Bennion had to go to the morgue and get release of the body and make preparations to have it shipped to the sisters home and family.  This is just a very difficult thing to go through and not an experience that anyone wants to have to take care of or go through.

Over the course of the weekend we made 4 trips to the hospital.  One of them being Saturday night when President Bennion requested that we be there to greet the sister missionary's family who had just flown in from Utah.  Hence, the sunset Atlanta Sky Scape!  It was pretty but we wished we didn't have to be there for the purpose we were there for.

On Sunday afternoon Wayne and I along with Sister Mason, the Mission Nurse for the Georgia Atlanta Mission, went to see our little missionary.  Not much has changed.  She is still in critical condition and in a coma.  The ward where they were serving had prepared some get well cards to hang in her room.  That was so sweet of them.  

As we were leaving the hospital tonight we noticed this wreath hanging on the Anesthesia's office door!  Just so classic for the Atlanta area.  Everyone and their mother are Braves fames.  And they are not afraid to let you know it! 

It has been a rough few days.  We will stay tuned and see where we go from her with our sweet sister missionary!  Everyone.....please drive safely and watch out for the other driver!  Love y'all......

Sunday, May 24, 2015

 ANOTHER WHIRLWIND WEEK!!!  We finished our touring of the Tennessee Nashville Mission and headed over the the western part of North Carolina for a couple of days.  You caught that on last weeks post.  On Monday of this week we toured the BALTIMORE ESTATES in Asheville, North Carolina.  What an amazing place!  So worth the pricey price tag attached to the visit.  Would do it again in a heartbeat!

The GARDENS and VIEWS were just outstanding.

It was peak season for the flowers!  Perfect time to be there.

The architecture was just amazing as well......

On TUESDAY we headed back to PTC.  Well, wouldn't you know it......we saw a BROWN SIGN along the highway that said CARL SANDBERG HOME!  SO of course we had to stop and see that.  It was a very fascinating home to see.....in FlatRock, N.C.

I got two more doily gifts made this week......I surely enjoy making these.  Easy and fun....

Transfer Meeting was on Wednesday for the Georgia Atlanta Mission.  We LOVE the missionaries we get to rub shoulders with and we LOVE attending these meetings.....so much enthusiasm from the missionaries!!

And just like that......we got TWO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS in the mail.....one from Tim-A-Do and .......

one from Emsley!  How on earth can these grandchildren be that old.....we surely have not aged that much have we!!!

As we took a walk around the neighborhood we noticed all of the American Flags being put up in preparation for MEMORIAL DAY this weekend!

On Saturday morning we had a GAM Senior get-together luncheon at the Sparberry Barbque in Newnan, GA.  It was fun to be with everyone....and the food was good too......

We just couldn't quit talking and visiting with each other.  We never seem to have enough time to visit.

Once we finally left the restaurant we headed up to the Atlanta Temple.

Back down at the 515, there was a BIG GRADUATION PARTY happening....Tim's!  Apparently, it was perfect in every way.....weather, tons of people coming, Tim having a GREAT time!!!  So wish we could have been there.

BUT....back down in PTC, we had our own little 'party' going.  We had the elders over for an impromptu dinner.......they had not eaten and we were hungry as well.

I told them I was making cucumber, cheese and bacon sandwiches like I used to fix in Finland.  We learned this from the Finns!!!  They are delicious!

It was suggested to us by Sister Harding, the GAM Mission President's wife, that we should take a foto with our red/white/blue attire today.  So.....why not!!  We did.

And thus ends another week.  Can't believe we have less than a year to go!  Where does the time go!!??  Loving our mission!

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Having finished our Zone Conferences in the Kentucky Louisville Mission, we were headed down to the Tennessee Nashville Mission for the week.  We decided to stop in Bowling Green, KY to visit the Corvette Museum!  It was quite the fascinating place.  Seeing the SINKHOLE which opened up in March 2014 was especially interesting.....and the loss of a LOT of expensive cars that fell in that ginormous hole.  Oh my!

One of the Hampton Inn's that we stayed in had this restaurant right next door.....and with the name of JONATHAN'S GRILLE we could not resist eating there.  It was actually pretty good.  And we had lots of thoughts of Jonathan!!

Fun that one of the Zone Conferences was held at the stake center building which is adjacent to the Nashville Tennessee Temple.  It was closed for a 2-week maintenance time.  Sad that we didn't get to attend the temple but at least we got to see it and walk around.

Part of the Zone Conferences consist of the Missionaries helping to check their own cars to make sure they are in good working order.  Here a couple of sisters are checking the oil with a dipstick!  Bless their hearts.  They really do a great job in taking care of their cars!  Good that they get to learn how to do things like this.

It is always fun to see how 'decorative' the Relief Society gets with the luncheons they serve for the missionaries.  They put so much work into what they do and it is greatly appreciated by all of the missionaries.  This week they celebrated Cinco de Mayo!!!  Very festive!

Elder/Dr. Allgaier took some time to do a little 'computer training' with Sister Crawford, one of the 2 nurses in this mission.  He has to keep everything running smoothly.  Sister Crawford is trying hard to learn how to use the computer well.  

I LOVE the interactions the missionaries have with each other.  As I was sitting in the foyer and talking with some of them, this Sister said to this Elder as he walked by that they were 'related'!!  "What do you mean" he says.......they ended up to be 2nd cousins.  Their mothers being 1st cousins!  They had never met before.  I took this foto and emailed it to both of them so they can share with their respective families when they write home on Preparation Day!!  How fun.....small world.

We managed to have someone take our foto in front of the Nashville Tennessee Temple.

This has got to be the CUTEST grill I have E.V.E.R. seen!!!  I wanted one sooooooo badly!  A PINK PIG...so figure.  We saw this as we were driving from one city in Tennessee to another.  We surely see some very interesting things from time to time.

We thought this chapel was interesting because the steeple was 'placed' in the front yard rather than on top of the building.  We figured there must have been some kind of 'uproar' from the neighbors about the steeple being higher than other steeples in the neighborhood....especially since it doesn't have a cross on it!!

This sweet sister missionary noticed I had an apple watch on.  She was asking how it worked and about some of the features.  I told her I could even take fotos with it.....hence, the demo foto of the two of us!

Got the doily for Sister Romano finished......will give it to her when we see her in the South Carolina Columbia Mission the first part of June.  She is the mission nurse there.

The BATMAN BUILDING became the thing we saw in downtown Nashville on a daily basis this week.  We were in, around and through Nashville for the entire week.  We got to where we could find our way around pretty well....and recognized a LOT of things!

Another clever table centerpiece......very plain and simple.......the Book of Mormon on cork board with little marble stones placed around!  Very ingenious!  

The Zone Conference fotos are always so much fun to watch as they are being taken.  This one was no exception.  President and Sister Anderson are so wonderful with their 250 missionaries!!

This was probably our last time to see Sister Crawford, one of the mission nurses.  She will be completing her mission in September and we won't be back there before that.  She has done well.....

We decided to spend the weekend in the western part, mountains, of North Carolina.  We love going there.  And why not.  It is part of our mission.  The GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS are just gorgeous.

We spent Saturday night in Franklin, N.C.  We visited the historic JAIL in town which had been turned into a Gem and Mineral Museum.  The jail part of the building was very neat to see.

Our Hampton Inn had a really neat Bar-B-Que Restaurant night next door.....again, able to walk there and get a little exercise!  And the food was fantastic!

We attended church in the Franklin Branch today.  It was a very nice meeting.  They have a very nice chapel.  I especially fell in love with one of the paintings in the chapel.....entitled Mary, learning from Jesus....with Martha working in the background but still able to listen.  I often feel like 'Martha'.

 As we were headed out of town and drove toward Hendersonville, N.C. we noticed an INDIAN MOUND at the edge of town.  We had to stop and check it out.

This is the sign posted at the mound.

 And today, of course, is a very special day.....STEVEN AND SAM have birthdays!!!  How fun for Steven to have one of his sons born on HIS day!!  HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVEN AND SAM!!!!  We wish we could have been with you.....but we will next year!!!  :-)

And we close this post this week with yet one more beautiful sunset from our hotel room in Hendersonville, N.C.

It will be good to be back to PTC in just 2 short days!  Two weeks is a long time to be on a road trip!!  Even the Zone Leaders in PTC called us yesterday wanting to know when we would be home!  They miss us!!!  :-)  Love our mission.....