1000 Mile Week

Yup----I believe we're going to hit 1000 miles traveling this week. Believe me, my backside knows it too. One would think it would get to be flatter than a pancake, but alas....I think it all travels to the gut.....We've mixed some pleasure with the business, o course.

Tuesday we went out to the Cape and did a mini workshop for 5 people in the Brewster Branch. The senior couple in that ward set it up for us and then we went out to eat with the couple. And oh, do they have challenges!! We thought they should have a going thing out there..being the Cape and having lots of people that would love being so active in church. How wrong....they have an average attendance of 35 at Sacrament meeting. The missionary couple does ALL the home teaching. They just don't have the people to do it. Problem with apathy too. And with the possibility the senior couple won't be replaced, who will keep in contact with those people??? The previous branch president had asked to be released and after a couple further requests to be released, he just quit coming to church. And he hasn't been back!!! Another interesting fact about the Cape. It used to be a peninsula but at some point the dug a big waterway thru with two bridges and now the Cape is actually an island.....along with the problems of being an island. Higher prices for gas, food, higher taxes...like we paid 26% food tax on our lunch. Don't covet living on Cape Cod.....

Thursday was senior day at the Temple with the missionaries going home. Fortunately, no senior couples left. Thursday evening we went to Nashua Stake and did a presentation to the bishoprics.

Then yesterday we took off for Vermont. Enroute we stopped in Claremont, NH and took a couple of missionaries out for lunch. We finally tracked down Andrew's best friend from high school. They were in student government together and were quite the energetic pair. BTW, for you uninformed...Andrew is our 20 yr old grandson!! I texted Andrew that we were on our way to have lunch with Elder Sheen and he said to give him a hug.......
Now, I remember Elder Sheen with an afro hair do, jumping over seats, dancing on stage..a totally uninhibited high school guy. What a change!!! A grownup, obedient, cheerful,investigator seeking missionary that seems to love what he's doing!!






Then we headed up to Sharon, Vermont to the Joseph Smith Birthplace memorial. It's actually in South Royalton......and it's not actually the spot where he was born, but it's close. And in a beautiful area. Vermont is beautiful country, winding roads up "almost" mountains, little villages that exist in the valleys but the only reason you know that is because you see the steeple of the village church; trees that cover those almost mountains so thickly that even Bigfoot wouldn't be able to get through; wisps of clouds and fog rising out of the dense trees---it almost looks like the smoke from numerous campfires scattered all around. And most amazing, the higher you go, the trees are already changing and it's still August!!!










So here's the photos of the memorial and the grounds. It's really out in the "boonies" with only very small villages around. Homes are VERY far apart. "Camp Joseph" is right on the road were girls camp and the boy scouts come to camp. I think I might include a couple more that I want to keep.







We found a little town called White River Juntion and spent the night there. The ONLY going thing on a Friday night in that town was the China Moon Chinese Buffet. There were a few people sitting on their front porches but that was IT. Ohhh, I love my city life!!




Today (Saturday) we drove further north and toured the Ben and Jerry's original ice cream plant in Waterbury, Vermont. It was pouring down rain as a result of the front coming from the west and the remants of tropical storm Danny colliding. But there were a respectable number of visitors there. The flavor of the day was triple caramel crunch and it was yummy. I love the picture where you can stand in front of a mirror that makes you look soooooo skinny while you're eating your ice cream.











Then we actually did what we went up to do in Vermont. We met the Wallaces and the Stones, who are Church Service Missionaries in employment. They all work full time and do their work on Saturdays. There are only two stakes in Vermont and most of the towns are very small and spread out but there are a number of wards that may have around 100 attending meetings. Sure is a different world out here. Anyway, we met at Applebee's in Berlin (near Montpelier) and had our discussion over good food........

Now it's Sunday and we have an hour at home. Went to a ward in Nashua.....Curtis Hansen's ward....and did a fifth Sunday presentation on provident living. And we made another connection there. We met Paul and Kent Stokes younger sister. The boys were friends of Rick and Dan in high school and we connected on a number of familiar names. She is hot to move back to Salt Lake and their house is currently for sale. And we met another couple that both graduated from Kearns High!! Now we're leaving to go to New Haven, Conn for a two hour fireside on employment issues they have. So it'll be late home tonight. Thursday night we have 3 stakes that asked us to come and present to Priesthood leadership meetings. So we're doing one, Brother Joe from New York is doing one and the third is being done by their Stake Employment specialist...who knows more than we do!!!.. Where were these requests on all the nights we had nothing to do????

The Kennedy funeral was quite the affair here, as you can imagine. The last of the Massachusetts dynasty. TV was totally turned over to the festivities for 3 days. I had a hard time getting the weather report!!! Fortunately the sun is out today and driving is much nicer.