Sunday Morning After The Storm

The day dawn is breaking.....

The world is awaking.....

The clouds of night's darkness........

Are fleeing away.....

Bright be thy dawn  from east to west.......

Beautiful Sunday of peace and rest.

"Blizzard" of 2016

That's what the newscasters have labelled it: "Blizzard of 2016".  Well, it ain't necessarily a blizzard yet, but it's a whopping snowstorm!  It snowed all afternoon yesterday and all through the night.  And it isn't done yet!  It's supposed to snow all day today.  The weather people kept telling us there would be winds picking up during the night leading to a guaranteed power outage, but that hasn't happened....yet.  We are prepared with our puny flashlights and token candles.  All I really want is a batter-operated curling iron!

The snow frenzy started early last week.  Grocery stores were crowded, shopping carts were brimming, and shelves were empty.  Especially the bread, milk, and tp shelves.  Apparently it's a standing newscasters' joke to "be sure and stock up on milk, bread, and toilet paper"....so everyone obeys!

We can't point too much at others and their frenzy.  We had to go out yesterday and brave the storm that hadn't even begun yet.  I needed a prescription refill.  It was  bumper-to-bumper traffic.  Everyone was either going on  last-minute errands, or leaving work early to beat the storm.

The temple closed early yesterday and will be closed again today.  The two weddings and the own endowments were rescheduled.  Both sealings were performed yesterday instead of today.  One of the couples who had their sealing yesterday instead of today, had flown here from Seattle.  They should have enjoyed a Seattle wedding instead!  We saw them at the recommend desk as they were coming in.  They looked a bit rattled!  No reception today!  The wedding party has resigned themselves to a private snowed-in-at-the-hotel weekend. They said it will take about twenty years to finally see the bright side of the situation.

Our Sunday meetings have all been cancelled.  We really could have walked to Church, but everyone is protecting us old people, and telling us it is too dangerous to walk.  Maybe they are right!  After having looked outside at the depth of the snow, we could be buried and never found for two months.

I will take more pictures as the snow depth increases.  But for now.....

Taken around 9am this morning

And, no, this isn't your dad being a brave shoveler

They hire the work out, so the old missionaries won't have coronaries

Why bother to clear the walks? No one is going anywhere.

After-Christmas Apartment Decor

Our "subject pool" is getting pretty empty.  Sorry!  If we were to talk more extensively about the Temple, blog posts would really be flowing.  But here's all I've got for the moment:

Pictured below:
The find for the month of October!  A lovely floral arrangement from Goodwill.  It is perfect!  And it only cost $4.00!  Well, $3.60 after the senior discount.

I found the two rugs positioned under the table that are pretending to be one, in the  freebie pile in the laundry room.  Freebies keep popping up everywhere!

Do you recognize the table runner?  Talk about multi-functional.  It started out as a garish pillow sham, morphed into becoming a Christmas tree skirt, and is now a "lovely" table runner.

Pictured below:
The lamp is also from the laundry freebie pile!  I was a happy camper the day I found the rugs AND the lamp all at the same time.

Gary won the jar of candy at the Senior-Style New Year's Eve party held in our apartment building.  (The whole thing was over by 8pm.) He guessed the exact number of chocolate kisses: 127.  I bet he can't guess how many kisses are in the jar now?

Pictured below:
Thanks for Christmas care packages, we have decor and a family portrait to fill our book case.

Pictured below:
Our door decor is our second most favorite because it was inspired by Kurt and Joel.  They made and sent us the two largest snowflakes.  I looked on the internet and learned how to make the smaller ones.  That's why I didn't send Sunday emails to everyone last Sunday.  I was having too much fun creating snowflakes and making a huge paper mess.

But our most favorite of all the decor in the whole apartment is our bulletin board full of family pictures. (And thank you for adding to our collection at Christmastime.) As we sit at our computers, we look at all you beautiful people every day.  We are so blessed to have you! We love you.

Small Glimpse of Williamsburg

Laurel has requested we send pictures of our trip to Williamsburg.  Sorry to say, we didn't take very many.  Don't ask me why.  But here's what we have:


Some lady filling her ox cart with wood.

One of the homes was interactive.  They encouraged participation with activities such as playing parlor games, making Christmas decor, and playing the spinet.  I think they changed their minds with the "participation" thing after they heard me playing!

I don't know why the video doesn't work.  Any suggestions?  Maybe it's a good thing it can't be heard.

Sorry.  That's all there is.  You might try "Googling" Williamsburg to see more.

Festival of Lights

Have you assumed I would make a post of the Temple lights?  I don't want to disappoint.  These pictures were taken just last night, so the Christmas crowds are long gone.  Just a week ago, the Temple grounds and Visitors' Center were jammed full of people.

Visitors' Center and reflective pond

If you look carefully, you can see the Christus and the model of the Temple through the window.

Inside the Visitors' Center.

The picture below was taken out the Visitors' Center window towards the Temple.  Notice the reflection of the Christus (which was behind me) in the window.  Aren't I just the most clever photographer ever?

The following pictures are just a few of the trees different wards and stakes have decorated.

The following is the section your dad and I decorated.  Is that my imagination, or is there a dark spot where I refused to put lights close to that beastly spider and web? (See blog post: "Putting Up The Lights".)

Below, the same section, but farther away with a lighted tree in the foreground.

A cute couple watched me hover over my favorite spot taking pictures.  They offered to take my picture.
What a good way to cover up the dark spider home! (Please excuse the horrible white-nylon fashion statement! I'm too lazy to wear anything but white nylons when going to the temple.)

A clever way to cover up that shepherd's bum elbow, don't you think? (See blog post: "Putting Up The Lights".)

The Temple looked so ethereal this night of misting rain and fog.  But this Grand Old Lady looks gorgeous no matter what. (She's 41 years old.)

So sad.  It will all start coming down this next week.  And even sadder, we missionaries will be part of the take down on a cold, below-freezing Monday morning.  Pray for us!