WEEK 7 - A Good Week - Just Hung Around

Total Exposures Filmed  10,268 to date

We are going to post a running total of the number of exposures that we have taken.  It will help us and you understand the progress that we are making.

An update on Lilian.  I just finished talking to Debbie, Lilians daughter.  She brought her mom home from the rest home two months ago. Debbie lives in Lilian and Bob's home on the Delaware Coast.  Lilian is failing quickly and they do not expect her to live more than a few more days.  I seems a bit curious about the timing of putting her on our blog last week?  I will keep you informed.  






We had a very good week microfilming.  We received another evalutation of the rolls that we submitted two weeks ago.  We were very pleased to see that we only had about an hour and a half of retakes to make.  I thought that we would be redoing the entire week's work.  Not so.  We are starting to develop some comfort level with this work.  I am also impressed each day how important it is to preserve these records.  Based on the conditions of some of these books, whole records would be lost without our efforts at this particular time.  

THE CUSHING WARD

We told you earlier about the inpromptu combined youth Sunday School class that we taught the second week here.  The following Sunday was General Conference.  The next Sunday they nabbed us again to teach the same class.  We did fine.  They gave us the lesson material as we were walking into the class.  The lesson was on Perfecting the Saints and the importance of having unity within the church.  I went out to our car and got a 20 foot length of 1" nylon rope, then came back into the class and told them I would hang them if they were not perfectly attentive.  Actually I took a shoe lace from the Bishop's son and we took turns breaking it.  My rope  represented about 100 shoe lace which they could not break.  Then we went on to have a fair lesson on the importance of supporting each other in the Gosepel and the Church.  Grandma took the ipod from the Bishop's son.  He was rather surprised at her resolve to keep him quite.  They seem to be generally respectfull kids.  Remember the young man that I mentioned earlier who laid on the chairs during class?  This time he was very attentive and participated intelligently.  


So, Saturday night the 5th,  as we were hurrrying back to get Grandpa's credit card,in between earthquakes, I got a call from Brother Hubble, second councilor,  he said that they could not depend on the teacher to show on Sunday and asked if we would give the lesson again.  I told him that I had already started to prepare the lesson just in case and that we would be happy to help out.  So we gave the lesson last Sunday again.  We are pleased to be able to help and give dependable support which they are not always accustomed to, here. 


The Sacrament Meeting today was most uplifting and focused on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Also my heart was warmed to have John Griswald bless the sacrament for us.  John is a recent convert of less than a year.  I would guess he is about fifty and his new wife about 30.  They are expecting their first child in February.  His wife is from Cedar City area.  Her family is in the cattle business and apparently hold a substantial amount of land in Utah.  She helps here aging father run the ranch.   I have it, from a good source, that John and his family are one of the top ten cattle producers in Oklahoma.  He spends his time split between Oklahoma and South Dakota running their vast operations.  His wife will take over the operation in Utah.  She works on the Utah ranch at least two weeks out of the month.   I have no clue how much land he has, but I do know that his operation here in Central Oklahoma runs a traditional cattle operation.  They have 30 cowhands that live on the place and they all eat meals together.   I was touched by his humble attitude toward the sacrament and the submissiveness of this hardened cowboy to the things of the Lord.  

SUMMER ON THE UDY RANCH

left to right, Grandpa, Aunt Renee, Aunt Margaret Ann,
and Uncle Gary.

I dearly love this photo and these people, my brother and sisters.  Fun and laughter together is an important quality of our family.  This photo was taken at the Nielson Family summer reunion at Farrell and Margaret Ann's summer property above Malad Idaho and next to the Caribou National Forest.  It is a beautiful place and we had a grand time camping, eating, and laughing together.  Thanks Farrell and Margaret Ann and your family.  

THE GREEN BEAST

My only complaint about the reunion is that the Green Beast ended up in my family.  Now it is in Oklahoma with us.  I don't think this thing is even church approved for missionary work.   By the way, that is now his name "THE GREEN BEAST".  This is not a frog he is a beast.

I have seriously thought about getting him a passport and sending him to Libya .  He and Moammar Gadhafi would get along well.  They certainly look like they are related, but I will have to admit that the Green Beast is a bit more pleasant. 




No, on the other hand, he will show up in some unexpected place, in some unexpected package, or someones innocent mailbox to haunt you until you can figure out how to pawn him off to some other poor soul.  

This is actually the end of the parade, hence the horses.  

Before and after them there were scores of cars and trucks

with Veterans riding and waving.  You cannot tell here,

but there were many people standing   and waving 

miniature flags.  

VETERANS DAY IN CHANDLER

I am sure that I have just forgotten, but I do not remember a Veterans Day Parade in Utah.  In Oklahoma it seems that many towns have parades on this day.  We were impressed with the turnout and the enthusiasm for the Vets.  We purposely went to the Boomerang Diner to have breakfast and see the parade.  We have made good friends with the folks at the 

Boomerang.  The cooks and the waitresses are always happy and they really go out of their way to take care of us.  The cook, John is a slender black man with a huge personality.   He always brings our food to us himself. On this morning he came out after we were seated.  He grabbed each of our hands with both of his and said,  " how are two of my favorite people today".  It is nice for us to be making good friends and some are even starting to feel almost like family.  I am starting to think that we will miss them when we leave Chandler.  

11/11/11/11/11/11

Grandma has been very focused on the historic occurance of the 11th year, the 11th month, the 11th day, and the 11th hour.  She mentioned, weeks ago, that the the elevens were coming and that we could not miss this momentus occasion.  When all elevens came around on Friday morning, we were busy preparing a video for Holden's birthday which was the same day.  So, on Friday night she made me find a countdown site on the computer that we could take this picture.  

KENDRICK OKLAHOMA PIG BBQ

These fireman were so friendly.  They made it clear that
they were taking a photo of their finest firemen.  

We saw a poster the other day advertising a Fireman's Pig Smoke.  We have never been to Kendrick Oklahoma so we decided to adventure out into the countryside.  Kendrick is a very small town about 15 miles northeast of Chandler.  There are only two paved roads leading there.  We found Kendrick to contain about 100 homes loosely clustered in about 16 square blocks.  It was very strange to see such a small town so compact and yet so isolated.  There was one store that was still in business.  It was like a general mercantile store out of the past.  We wandered into the fire hall and paid $7 per plate.  All of the food came from the folks in the community.  The firemen smoked the pork.  The food was ok, the best part was that we were eating the best that they had and they did it themselves.  Truely local food.  Everyone there knew everyone else.  I am convinced that we were the only people there who where not family or friends.  But they made us feel most comfortable and were very congenial.  We went out back to take a photo of the firemen cooks and the smoker.  I do believe that everyone in Oklahoma has a smoker.  I think, for some families it is their second vehicle.  


We have decided that, aside from our microfilming, the most meaningful missionary work that we can do is to get out into the communities, visit them on their turf, and make friends.  So that is why we ended up in Kendrick Saturday Night.  

ONLY IN OKLAHOMA SPOT

Well, I have been reading about the natural calamities that have occurred recently in Oklahoma and decided to give you some facts about this state that verify that this is a unique locale.  A recent article in the Washington Post, prompted by the recent earthquakes, claims that mother nature, during 2011, set some historical records in Oklahoma.  Here they are:

1. Strongest, recorded earthquake of 5.6 on November 5th

2. Most earthquakes ever recorded in a year, more than 1,000 (average is 50)

3. Hottest July ever, for any state in the nation.  120 degrees were common.

4. Coldest temperature ever recorded in the State at -31 degrees on Feb 10

5. Heaviest snowfall on state record with 27 inches in 24 hours on Feb 10

Biggest hailstone ever in OK at 6".  This

could do some serious damage to  my car.  

Forget the car.  I would not want to be in

a car during this.  

6. Highest windspeed on record at 151 mph on May 24

7. Biggest hailstone on record at 6" dia. on May 23

There have also been two other significant second place records this year

1. Second driest year in recorded history since 1921 (the Great Dust Bowl).  

2. Second highest number of Tornados at 104 ( the average is 62).

THE WORST HARD TIMES

By the way, on our way out here, we listened to a book titled, " The Worst Hard Time".  It was about the Dust Bowl of the 1920s in the Oklahoma Panhandle.  Settlers had plowed up the praire sod so extensively that, when draught came, the top soil was taken up by the feirce winds. During the day, It was common for the sun to be blocked as if it was night.  Each night families would wet clothes, sheets, and blankets and hang them over the windows and doors to reduce the dust coming through the cracks.  Still they would awaken to find 6 inches of dust everywhere in the house.  Many died from pheumonia caused by mud in their lungs.  Many who had the means, left for California and other places.  They were beaten by the conditions.  Those who stayed were as tuff as they get.  Many decided to stick it out or die trying.  They are the tuff ones who's decendents make up Oklahoma today.  These are rugged, determined folks who live here.  Folks who put great stock in traditional values, patriotism, and religion.       Sound familiar?      So much for this weeks history lesson. 

Dang. I quess this, pretty much, crushes our hopes of anyone ever coming to visit us in Oklahoma.

As for Grandpa, I am going to stop reading about calamities in Oklahoma.  Living in fear of anything is very unhealthy.  I think being prepared means living life in faith and proceeding with confidence.  However, we are getting a 72 hour kit to keep in our car, anyway. 

We grabbed this photo Saturday Night on a way back from  the Firemans Pig Smoke.  There is beauty all around when there is love in Oklahoma.  


Have a wonderful week.  We will.  Love Grandma and Grandpa