Car Accident & Fall Harvest Festival.

I spoke too soon last week.  I’m not the sophisticated New York driver that I boasted I was. Thursday evening in a downpour on my way back from checking on some missionaries on Long Island, I slowed WAY down to try to find the place I was supposed to turn left.  Along came an SUV and smashed into me from behind.  The other driver was irate that I had stopped in the middle of the road and demanded to know why I had done that.  I was very subdued and didn’t argue with him which made him even angrier. 

  

The policeman was very nice and sent us on our way after taking what seemed like forever to fill out the accident report.  Both cars were drivable but I admit, I was a little shaken. I was not injured in any way and neither was the other driver.  But it did cause me to be overly cautious on the way home.  The dark night and the rain added to the drama.

Now that I have that confession of being boastful and the consequences out of the way, it has been a good week.  No major illnesses.  Coughs, sore throats, and stuffy/runny noses are still the major complaints. 

We have two new senior couples and they were able to come to our FHE last Monday.  It is fun to get acquainted with new friends.  I always enjoy the opportunity to get together and visit and to eat.  We take turns preparing the meals.  I like the variety that comes with different people.

Tuesday I went to Brooklyn to visit with some sisters.  They told me about a Mexican restaurant they wanted to try so we did.  Good food plus horchata.

Sisters Hall and Figaro

Wednesday and Thursday I went into Manhattan with some sisters to appointments there.  I like the opportunity to spend time traveling with the missionaries.  Then we had lunch /dinner afterward.  Good times!!

Sisters Pew and Brinton

Sisters Borges and Panoussi

I liked this colorful building in Manhattan and the store name.

Sign in an apartment window on 87th Street

Thursday after I returned from Manhattan, I drove out to South Shore on Long Island to take Sister Hammarstrom to lunch.  She is going home on Tuesday.  She lived in the apartment above me when I came to the mission a year ago.  I spent last Halloween with her and her companion.  On the way back to Rego Park where I live, I stopped to see two more sisters and took them to dinner in Valley Stream.  

Sisters Allen and Hammarstrom and our delicious meal at Outback.

 

Friday I went to Bushwick for lunch and to visit some sisters there.  Mexican food again but with a twist of Jamaican thrown in. 

 

Sister Hilliard and Dos Santos

Saturday, I went grocery shopping so I could stock up on things that I can’t carry as I will probably be without a car for a couple of weeks while mine is being repaired.  I will take it to the shop one day next week when the repairman can begin on it.  Elder Williams takes the mission cars to a body shop in Flushing.  He talked to the owner and he agreed to work on my car.  There are stores, including Costco, within walking distance of my apartment so I don’t really need a car except when I need to check on and visit missionaries.  If it becomes necessary, I will rent a car.

Saturday afternoon was the ward Fall Harvest Festival.  It was sponsored by the Primary.  Someone called me Friday afternoon and asked me to bring chili.  I agreed so I got up early in the morning to put it together in the crockpot before I went grocery shopping.  I had hamburger in the freezer but my supply of beans was limited.  I had a couple of cans of pinto beans, a couple of cans of small pink beans, a can of red kidney beans, two cans of black beans, and a can of chili con carne.  I opened them all, dumped them in the crockpot and put in the cooked hamburger with onions and garlic.  I added a bunch of taco seasoning, some Montreal steak seasoning, chili powder, tomatoes, plain and stewed and Prego spaghetti sauce.  Someone once told me that cinnamon brings out the flavor of the cumin so I added a dash of cinnamon.  Also, I add brown sugar to anything and everything just because I like brown sugar.  Sounds awful but somebody liked it because, SURPRISE, my chili took first place in the chili cook-off.  I didn’t realize it was a competition or I would have done a better job.

Cupcake walk and the crowd

Sisters Talaboc and Grimsman. They live in the apartment above me.  Elder Syme.

Elders Christie, Smith, Honey, Sakurada, Syme, and Woodmansee

Table of chili entries and my prize- the plant

Eating doughnuts- no hands allowed

Sunday our ward choir sang in Sacrament Meeting and then we spent the second and third hour in the chapel for Primary practicing our program which will be on November 20^th.  I remember from programs in the past that the practices ALWAYS seem to be a disaster and then everything falls into place on program day.  I have faith that this will be the case this time too because the practice was a disaster.  No one seemed to remember the words to the songs and the children were restless and rowdy. 

The day ended on a very spiritual note as I was invited to the baptism of a young Spanish speaking woman, Laura, from Colombia.   I became acquainted with her when the sister missionaries brought her to dinner at my home one evening and I had the opportunity to help her with her English.  The baptism was in Spanish but the language of the Spirit is universal.  I managed to shed a few tears.  I discovered that I can’t sing A Child’s Prayer or The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning in either language without tears.   Music speaks to my heart.

Laura and the bishop of the Spanish Ward

I pray that you, my family and friends, will have a good week ahead and that the Spirit may guide you in all you do.

I love you.

Happy Halloween from the wicked witch!

Sister Talaboc is from the Philippines. She and Sister Grimsman had eaten sapin-sapin at the home
of an investigator. When they asked if I liked it I told them I'd never eaten it. They bought one and
brought it home for me to try. I liked it ok but it really didn't have a lot of flavor. I liked the texture though.

A Filipino native 3 color layered dessert, made from rice flour, glutinous rice, coconut milk, sugar,
milk and water, flavored with coconut sport and purple yam. Sprinkled on top with coconut curds or flakes.