Ma's Place: "Life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change."

This has been a crazy, busy week. The stomach virus bug is working its way through the mission bringing along it's friends Nausea, Vomiting and Body Aches and Pain. I finally made a sticky with the instructions for care since it involved a little more than take ibuprofen with food and I'll check in on you in two days. I could copy and paste. However, in my dreams I was still writing: "Rest your stomach. When you have stopped vomiting, begin with sips of water and if you can tolerate that, slowly increase your fluid intake so that you don't become dehydrated. Avoid fatty and spicy foods and eat a bland diet for a couple of days until your stomach is completely better. When you can eat, take two ibuprofen with food every 4-6 hours for body aches and pains." I don't want you to think I'm complaining. It is just difficult to put into words the things that I do that can seem to occupy so much time.

I took a sister to the dentist about 1/3 of the way out onto Long Island Tuesday because she had been transferred into the city. The dentist was doing a free root canal for her so it wasn't wise to cancel and reschedule to an area she could easily get to. I went to the doctor Friday with a sister who doesn't speak English very well because she felt insecure going even with her companion. I love my work! Love spending time with the missionaries and getting to know them better.

Saturday morning I helped clean the church and then did some grocery shopping. Saturday evening President and Sister Reynolds hosted a dinner at the mission home for all of the senior couples. It was a very nice evening getting to know the couples who live too far away to come to FHE on Monday nights at my place. Elder and Sister Prince will be leaving Thursday or Friday. The new couple, the Williams, have arrived from Seattle to take the place of the Princes.

Elder and Sister Prince.

Sunday evening I was invited to dinner at Elder and Sister Duke's home. The Princes and Williams were there too so we could all get better acquainted with them. Sister Williams does not walk so I am losing my walking partner when Sister Prince leaves. It will be difficult to see them go but I am sure their family is waiting anxiously to see them. They will be returning home to Texas.

City by night from the bridge.

City from the bridge by day.

Saturday afternoon before the dinner at the mission home, Sister Prince and I walked over into the crescent area. A few posts ago, I wrote about Rego Park where I live. To refresh your memory: "many houses in southern Rego Park are in the colonial, English, and Tudor styles with slate roofs. There are also two and multi-family townhouses, detached wood-frame houses. This is especially so in an area called the Crescents, named for its semicircular shaped streets emanating in a concentric pattern from Alderton Street, between Woodhaven Boulevard and the Long Island Rail Road's Main Line.[4] The Crescents contain many Tudor and single-family homes, as well as large lawns and tree plantings on the sidewalks." (From Wikipedia)

The homes there are beautiful. It reminds me of the Harvard area of SLC. The streets are not quite so tree-lined as on Harvard but the home construction and types are similar.

Crescent neighborhood of Rego Park.

Long, narrow lots with stand alone homes.

Sister Prince

Another beautiful home. Looks a little newer but maybe just remodeled.

There is an elementary school in the neighborhood. Very nice. It has a playground and yard that is not asphalt. I have included a picture of a plaque on the school telling about William Sidney Mount. I Googled him on Sunday afternoon. Interesting man.

"William Sidney Mount (November 26, 1807 - November 19, 1868) was an American painter best known for his genre paintings, although he also painted landscapes and portraits. He was a contemporary of the Hudson River School.

William SIDNEY Mount

William Mount was born in Setauket, Long Island, New York, on November 26, 1807 to Thomas Shepard Mount and his wife, Julia Ann Hawkins. He trained at the National Academy of Design in New York, New York, and in 1832 was made a full Academician. He died in Setauket, Long Island, on November 19, 1868.

Although he started as a history painter, Mount moved to depicting scenes from everyday life. Two of his more famous paintings are Eel Spearing at Setauket (1845, New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown) and Bargaining for a Horse (1835, New-York Historical Society, New York City).

Bargaining for a horse by William Sydney Mount.

The largest collection of his works is located in the Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages.

His home and studio, the William Sidney Mount House, is a National Historic Landmark. One of the local elementary schools in The Three Village Central School District is named in his honor, as is PS 174 elementary school in Rego Park, Queens. A residential building is named after him on the Stony Brook University campus."

At our dinner on Saturday night, it was suggested that we meet together monthly for a senior's outing. Each couple is supposed to host a dinner, excursion, an evening at a play or something of that nature. I think I will suggest we go to the Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages. I looked at the website. They have over 200 carriages on display along with the art. Some of the displays are outside so I am thinking a late spring date would be good.

I have a difficult time seeing the sisters and elders leave to go home. I know it is part of the mission- the call and the release- but I grow to love these people and don't want to part with them. I am feeling especially sad to see the Princes leave. Change is good, but also hard at the same time. Made me think of a saying I once heard: "Life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change." I know that through change we grow so I am going to look at this change as an opportunity to grow. Thank goodness for modern technology. I can still stay in touch with these wonderful friends.

I love you my family and friends.