Ma's Place: Really, family is everything

I seem to have started a tradition - Monday lunch at Mizumi. I ran into two of the Korean sisters that I hadn't treated to lunch, I promptly invited them and they gratefully accepted. Again, I had the usual plate of sushi and other delicious edibles. I didn't eat as much as I usually do because, yes Jim I was in the area again, I had to save space for a Crunchie. So off we went to The French Workshop Artisan Bakery. The Crunchie is good but I think the Duke wins. I may have to do one more taste test to make sure!!

Sisters Fields and Yu

Crunchie

Tuesday I went into Manhattan to take care of some business at LDS Family Services. The people/counselors who work there are really nice and most helpful to our missionaries.

The rest of the week has been business as usual: Four more tick bites, someone stepped on a nail doing service, toothache, rashes, insect bites, allergies, stubbed toe that took off the nail, ingrown toe nail, anxiety, back ache, retainer that came loose, insurance problems. Need I go on? I love the missionaries. They are so cute and apologize profusely for "bothering" me. I try to explain that I am here to be bothered. If they didn't call me, I would be out of a job.

Friday I took Sarita, an investigator, to lunch at Olive Garden. She is a "permagator" as the missionaries call people who have been taking the lessons and then keep moving their baptism date. She talked about how much she loved coming to church because it gave her a peaceful feeling. I told her that she should go to the temple in Manhattan. I explained how beautiful and peaceful it is there. She liked the idea and asked about going there. I told her that after she is baptized, she could go there and perform ordinances for her ancestors. She was interested in doing some genealogy so maybe things will progress for her.

On Saturday I drove to Jamaica to pick up Elder and Sister Palmer and then we drove to Far Rockaway to meet Elder and Sister Lilly. From there we rode with them to Jones Beach State Park in Bethpage for an air show. It is a yearly event that "kicks off" Memorial Day celebrations and the summer season. It was a lot of fun. I expected it to be beastly hot but I was pleasantly surprised that the breeze off the Atlantic was cool. I was perfectly comfortable but Sister Lilly spent the day wrapped in a beach towel because she was cold.

Beach views.

Cute bird and flowers.

The beach was a massive sea of people and umbrellas.

My new ride. Just watch out now for Sister Petersen. She's prepared for these New York streets!!

I didn't really see much of the town of Bethpage but here is a little interesting info:

Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County. The name Bethpage comes from the Quaker Thomas Powell, who named the area after the Biblical town Bethphage, which was between Jericho and Jerusalem in the Holy Land. Present-day Bethpage was part of the 1695 Bethpage Purchase.

From 1936 until 1994, Bethpage was home to the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, which made, among other things, the F-14 Tomcat, the Navy version of the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark and the Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) for moon landings, and for this reason Bethpage is mentioned in the film Apollo 13.

Today, Monday, the ward had a BBQ in the parking lot to celebrate Memorial Day and then I went grocery shopping. Stop & Shop had corn on the cob 10 ears for $2 so I got corn for our FHE BBQ. It was surprisingly tender and sweet. It made me homesick thinking of the corn we've grown in our garden.

My family face-timed me while they were at the cemetery visiting Kay. They took marigolds to decorate his grave and his favorite wintergreen mints for him to enjoy with them. Again, I was homesick to be with my family at this time and to give them all hugs and kisses.

Decorations of marigolds because that's what Kay always liked to plant in front our home. The
pine cones (a few of these came from our home) because he loved the trees in our yard.
His favorite wintergreen mints. Coins because Kay's father was very generous and if anyone
came to him needing money, he would help them. Kay followed this example.
Whenever he saw someone on the street in need, he would always give them a couple dollars
or whatever he had in his pocket. Now, my children & grandchildren put money on his grave so
he can continue helping others.

As I was walking this week I saw some peonies. It brought back memories of my parents. We lived in Las Vegas but every Memorial Day my parents would pack us into the car and off we would go to decorate the family graves in Idaho. It was a ritual that was never missed regardless of wind, rain, sleet, snow, illness.... We NEVER missed! We would leave after my dad's work on Friday. He would drive all night, drive from cemetery to cemetery putting peonies and flags (iris flowers) on every grave, visit family and then leave Sunday afternoon. My dad would drive all night so he could be in Vegas for work Monday morning. Looking back I'm in awe first that my dad could physically do this driving-without-sleep-marathon and second that my parents had such great dedication and reverence for their ancestors to continue a tradition that their parents held. I remember my mom being frantic if it had been cold and the peonies and flags weren't blooming. Those flowers were the traditional flowers of decoration. I think in her mind no other flower would do! After we drove to Idaho Dad would drive from place to place until they found the peonies and flags to buy. I love these memories. It makes me sad that I haven't carried on this tradition as my parents did. I do honor and respect my parents and ancestors. I appreciate that my children are doing the "decorating" in my absence.

Peonies

Flags (Iris)

I feel blessed to be here serving the Lord and I wouldn't pass up this opportunity but there are many times that I miss those family gatherings on the kitchen floor on Sunday evenings or in the driveway sitting in the evening coolness watching the sun set, basketball games and bike riding. The laughing and joking, teasing and playfulness are things that I truly miss.

Really, family is everything. No wonder it is the eternal unit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My greatest role is that of wife, mother, and grandmother.

On Wednesday, my Uncle Norman Andersen passed away. He was my mother's youngest brother. He would have been 90 in just a few weeks. He battled cancer for many years and was ever faithful and valiant. My love to him and to Tanga, his wife, and his family.