My Heavenly Father Loves Me

Wednesday, the 13th, was the last of the mega-zone conferences.  It was in Dyker Heights.

Sister Krause was wearing a dress with pineapple figures on it.
I had on my apron with lemons on it so we did a "fruits" picture.

Dyker Heights chapel

Dyker Heights is a residential neighborhood in the southwest corner of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is sandwiched between Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, and Gravesend Bay.

The neighborhood of Dyker Heights lies within the boundaries of the then-Dutch town of New Utrecht settled in 1657. The area that is now known as Dyker Heights was not developed in the 17th or 18th centuries because the land was too sloped for farming; it remained common woodland until the mid-19th century. The trees of this forest were used by the townsfolk as a source of firewood and construction material. When the agricultural industry of New Utrecht changed from the farming grains to the cultivation of market garden produce, the trees were cleared for tomatoes, cabbages, and potatoes, among other produce.

Walter Loveridge Johnson in October 1895 started Dyker Heights on his parents' property. Johnson named his development "Dyker Heights" after the Dyker Meadow and Beach, which his development overlooks. The meadow and beach received their name from either the Van Dykes (an original New Utrecht family) who built the dykes to drain the meadow, or for the dykes that the Van Dykes built.

I helped with the luncheon.  As soon as we had things cleaned up and put I away, I headed for home. I didn't want to be caught in rush hour traffic.  They are doing construction on the Kosciuszko Bridge and it takes about 30-45 extra minutes of drive time due to the construction slow-down.  In rush hour it is worse!

I followed this truck for quite a few miles.

View of Lower Manhattan from the 278.

There are several areas in Brooklyn where there are Hasidic Jewish communities.
I admire them for the commitment they make in their dress. Modesty is foremost:  Long overcoats
and hats for men (no matter the temperature) and modest skirts and sleeves past the elbows for women,
stockings to cover their legs, and married women cover their hair with wigs or scarves or both.
When I go to Brooklyn I always notice people crossing on the bridge above the roadway.

Picture from the Internet of the original Kosciuszko Bridge- the one being replaced.

The Kosciuszko Bridge  refers to two bridges that span Newtown Creek between the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, connecting Greenpoint, Brooklyn and Maspeth, Queens. It is a part of Interstate 278, which is also locally known as the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway or BQE.

The original bridge is a truss bridge that opened in 1939, replacing the Penny Bridge that connected Meeker Avenue in Brooklyn to Review Avenue and Laurel Hill Boulevard in Queens, and is the only bridge over Newtown Creek that is not a drawbridge. It was named in honor of Tadeusz Ko?ciuszko, a Polish volunteer who was a General in the American Revolutionary War. Two of the bridge towers were surmounted with eagles, one with the Polish eagle and the other the American eagle.

In 2014, a contract was awarded and work begun to build a replacement bridge with more capacity. This new bridge has the same name as the original bridge.

Thursday I went into Manhattan with a missionary to an appointment.  I enjoy watching the people on the trains.  You can tell a lot about a person by their feet/shoes.  I also have noticed people's lips.  It is an interesting aspect of one's appearance.  Everyone has two peaks and a valley or a cupid's bow feature.  Some women accentuate the peaks and valley and others are just natural.  Some lip peaks and valley are more like rolling hills.   Even men can have high peaks.  Some top lips are full and bigger than the bottom lip.  Others are just the opposite.  I got a picture of feet but it is impossible to get pictures of lips without being noticed.  Didn't want to be considered a pervert. See what 45 minutes on a train can cause me to do.  My mind just takes off and I see and think the funniest things: Thursday it was feet and lips.

Feet on the train:  construction workers, runners, shoppers,
medical person (turned away from me), sandals for cool comfort, etc.

Tile mural at Lexinton and 59th St station

Cupid's bow

Every day I get calls from the missionaries but Friday and Saturday for some reason were particularly busy.  I was trying to get my reports finished but it took a while.  We have a stomach virus going through the mission so I gave a lot of advice for nausea and vomiting treatment and the BRAT diet for diarrhea.  Had other usual calls:  a couple of tick bites, 3 new cases of bedbugs, a sprained ankle, an allergic reaction, pink eye, reaction to a medication (not allergic but nausea), migraine, etc.

Lunch on Saturday with Elders Hilton and Wu

Saturday night a diabetic missionary called with a blood glucose level over 600.  Apparently the insulin pump needle/tubing was blocked in some way.  Removed the pump and used a syringe until the blood glucose stabilized at a safe level.  So starting at 8:30 PM the missionary took the blood glucose level every hour and called me and I would help decide what the dosage of insulin should be.  By 6:30 AM the level was back to a safe level.  I slept between phone calls but the missionary and companion didn't sleep.  Interesting night.  Brought back a lot of memories of working with diabetics in the hospital before there were pumps and modern equipment that makes a diabetic's life easier and better.

In the days of roaming dinosaurs, we used "sliding scales" to determine the amount
of insulin a patient was to receive. Now the patient programs in what their glucose level
is and the pump calculates the insulin dosage and injects it automatically.

Saturday I went to Home Depot.  I wanted to get some dowels and a 2 x 3 so that I could make rhythm instruments for the Primary.  I had the dowels cut into 5 inch lengths and the 2 x 3 cut into 4 inch lengths.  I bought some sand paper and came home and sanded them so no one would get slivers.  Then I glued sand paper on some of the blocks so they could be slid together for a raspy noise.   (Only had 5 children in Primary but they had fun with the rhythm blocks and sticks as we sang pioneer songs.)

Going to Home Depot had a strange effect on me.  The smell of the wood and being in the store took me back to the summer before Kay became too sick to go out.  We worked on our apartments fixing them up and improving them.  That summer we spent a lot of time at Home Depot picking up materials and things to do our work.  The smell of the new cut lumber also made me think of Kay and his shop and how he loved working there making new things and refinishing old things.  He could spend hours cutting, sanding, gluing, using his lathe, and being creative.  Fond memories of good times, hard work, and lots of love.

Too often in the rush and crunch of daily life and work, I think that I didn't/don't appreciate the good and beautiful things I had/have.  My time as a child, a teenager, a student, a wife, a mother, a grandmother were/are wonderful.  The things I have experienced, some quite difficult, have taught me and helped me to grow.  I know that I often take the trials, gifts and blessings I have for granted and I don't show the appreciation that I should.  I am blessed.  I know that all I have and enjoy comes from a loving Father in Heaven.

In Primary today we sang "My Heavenly Father Loves Me."  It caused me this afternoon to ponder about my life and the beauties of this world, my memories, and my family.

Whenever I hear the song of a bird
Or look at the blue, blue sky,
Whenever I feel the rain on my face
Or the wind as it rushes by,
Whenever I touch a velvet rose
Or walk by our lilac tree,
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heav'nly Father created for me.

He gave me my eyes that I might see
The color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears that I might hear
The magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart:
I thank him rev'rently
For all his creations, of which I'm a part.
Yes, I know Heav'nly Father loves me.

I have deep gratitude for Kay, for my children and grandchildren, for my parents and brother and sister and for Kay's family.  I have the best friends and support system.  I love my ward family at home and my mission family here in New York.  I am grateful for the restoration of the Gospel in these latter days and for my membership in the Church.  I am grateful for my Savior and His atonement and sacrifice for me.  I love Him and my Heavenly Father.  The knowledge that Kay and I and our children and grandchildren are an eternal family is my greatest blessing.

I love you my family and friends.

Along the sidewalk going up the hill to my apartment are weeds in the grass.
The weeds actually have beautiful flowers in them. At home I spent many hours trying to
get rid of morning glory whose roots go to China. Here along the sidewalk, they are pretty.

I don't know what this is but I like it.

This moss and weed in the cracks of the steps at my back door caught my eye.

Very lovely Sisters Steninger and McDowell adorn the sidewalk along with these lavender flowers.
I like the interesting petals.

Tiny little daisy-like flowers about the size of my pinky fingernail.

Leaving tracks on those around us

Mega-zone conferences this week.  There are four stakes within the mission boundaries, so the conferences are held by stake.  The first on Thursday was in Plainview about 25 miles (1 hour 20 minutes) from my apartment out on Long Island.  It was a beautiful day.  I wasn’t helping with the lunch so I was able to enjoy the whole conference.  The speakers were inspiring and I enjoyed the spirit of the meeting.

Plainview chapel

Friday the conference was in Little Neck, also on the island but only about 10 miles away.  It normally would take only about 30 minutes but due to an accident and traffic backing up, it took almost an hour.  I did help with the lunch and the clean-up.

Saturday I played catch-up on my work.  My apartment needed a good cleaning and I also did a little grocery shopping. 

Monday morning early, 10:00, Sisters Anderson and Zambito and I went to Costco.  The line outside the door waiting to get in reminded me of waiting in line at the DI to get all of those bargains as soon as the door opened. Then I went to Jamaica to go to lunch with Sisters Fouts and Cate.  We ate at a Dominican place.  I had black beans and rice, pork ribs, plantains, and yucca.   It was a fun afternoon and then back home for FHE.

Sisters Anderson and Zambito

Sister Cate and Me; Sister Fouts; a yummy lunch!

Today, Tuesday, was the third of the zone conferences in Woodside.  It was held in my own stake so I was there in 15 minutes.  I helped with the lunch, and then sat in on the last part of the conference.  It is great working with the other senior couples who come to help.

Elder and Sister Martino, Sister Williams, Sister and Elder Johnson, Sister Zenger

Being with the missionaries in these conferences and other settings gives me so much pleasure.  I love to watch them interact with each other.  They joke, play around, recite “miracles” that have happened recently in their lives, talk about plans and people they are teaching, etc.  They are happy and that makes me happy!

I like to make cookies.  I suppose you didn’t know that but now you do.  I like to make them but then I have to get them out of the house ASAP because I have little will power and I end up eating them.  Luckily for me, the missionaries come to my rescue.  I call them my taste testers/quality control gang.  I usually get thumbs up.  Monday night I got a thumbs down.  I really like angel food cake so I thought that cookies made out of angel food cake mix would be tasty.  I found a recipe for coconut macaroons using the cake mix.  You add cocoa to half of the dough so I figured YUM.  Coconut and cocoa - how could you go wrong!!  They looked beautiful if I do say so myself, but I have to admit that my test gang was right with the thumbs down stamp of disapproval.  Looks can be deceiving.  They tasted a lot like baking powder tastes with kind of a tangy/tart flavor.  I think I won’t make that recipe again.  You never know ‘til you try.

As I was enjoying the flowers of the neighborhood on my walk one day this week, I noticed that a cat had crossed the sidewalk while the cement was wet. (I took a picture but accidentally deleted it, so you’ll have to use your imagination.)  I then noticed as I walked along that many people had written their names in the cement.  I’m sure they thought that their names would be there forever, after all, cement is hard and indestructible.  But in looking around more, the cement was beginning to crack and slough off in many areas.  That made me begin to think about how we can leave our tracks or mark on those around us.  We can interact with people in such a way that they will forever remember us for the good or positive things we have done for them.

Or on the other hand, will we be remembered for the negative way we’ve acted or the things we’ve said?   I thought about that as I walked.  What kind of memory will people have of me?  Will I be like the names in the cement that is cracking and wasting away taking the names with it, or will I be an influence for good making enduring memories for the people with whom I interact?  My goal is to be a good influence in the lives of others.  To be an example of a disciple of my Savior.  To have love for others as He did.  Makes me know that I have to try harder every day to walk in His footsteps.

It’s been a great week.  I love my Savior.  I love the missionaries.  I love the work I am called to do.

I love you my family and friends.

Clouds and shadows at sunset

Bumblebee on the flowers

Gorgeous hydrangeas

My African violets are beginning to bloom again

Clear day for a good view of the city

My flag, my flag, my country's flag

Wow!!  Where has the time gone???  It has been over a week since I wrote last.  Where to begin?

Tuesday I spent at the mission home helping to prepare dinner for the departing missionaries.  Anthea is on vacation so I was helper #1 and only.  Sister Reynolds (mission president's wife) had most of the main course, baked beans, put together so all I had to do was put it in the oven and cut up vegetables and fruit for trays.  President cooked hamburgers and hot dogs.  The missionaries loved having a BBQ dinner.

As always, I was touched by their departing testimonies and the spirit I felt there.  Each of the missionaries has experiences they shared and stories of how their testimonies were made stronger on their missions.

Elders Osborn , Cottle, Bingham, Chinchilla

Elders Johnson, Ng, Hussein

Sisters Seo, Lemmon, Cluff, Batsuuri

Sister Batsuuri going home to Mongolia and Sister Seo going home to Korea came back with me to my apartment after dinner and devotional to spend the night.  All of the other missionaries had to be at the airport at 7:00 AM Wednesday morning.  The two foreign sisters didn't have to be at the airport until 4:00 PM.  They didn't want to get up at 5:00 AM and then sit in the van and office until they left for the airport, so I got to take them to lunch and entertain them most of Wednesday.  Glad I had the air mattresses and bedding.  We had a good sleep-over. Sister Batsuuri would take 2 days to get home with an 11 hour layover in Russia.  She speaks Russian so she was set.  Sister Seo's flight was 16 hours.  Sister Batsuuri also speaks Korean so it was fun to listen to them babble back and forth.

I spent Thursday and Friday playing catch up on the work I hadn't done on Tuesday and Wednesday and preparing and sending my weekly reports.  Saturday is the day we get ready for Sunday.  Right?  You know the song:  Saturday is a special day.  It's the day we get ready for Sunday.  We clean the house, and we shop at the store…. And we prepare singing time so we won't have to work until Monday.  I enjoy my calling as Primary chorister.  We have 15 children if they are all there. I walked to Target and bought 15 flags just in case they all came (We have never had more than 11 or 12 in attendance since I've been here.) so they could wave them as we sang My Flag, My Flag.  They didn't know the song but it is a "catchy" one so they learned it quickly.

I first talked about Moroni and the Title of Liberty.  Alma 46:10-13

10 Yea, we see that Amalickiah, because he was a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words, that he led away the hearts of many people to do wickedly; yea, and to seek to destroy the church of God, and to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted unto them, or which blessing God had sent upon the face of the land for the righteous' sake.

11 And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.

12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it-In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children-and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.

13 And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land-

It brings tears to my eyes to think of the blessing that my freedom is to me.  I next talked to them about our modern day flag or title of liberty.  Many people have died to give us liberty and to protect our freedom and country.  I shared that some of my ancestors came to this country in search of religious freedom. Francis Eaton, my 12th great grandfather brought his family to America on the Mayflower and then many more of my great grandfathers since 1630 helped to build this country in New England and west and then fought to preserve this liberty in the Revolutionary War and other wars since.

It gave more meaning, at least for me, when we waved our flags and sang:

My flag, my flag, my country's flag,
I love to see you wave;
My flag, my flag, my country's flag,
The banner of the brave.
Wave on, wave on forever,
The banner of the free;
Wave on, wave on forever,
The flag of liberty.


I was happy I had 15 flags.  We had 5 visitors.  I used 14 flags. The rolls in the basket had random songs or an option to choose a favorite song.  Fun singing time.

At the end of Primary I gave each of them a flag to take home.  I told them to respect it.  To keep it clean.  To not let it touch the ground.  On my way out of the building, I smiled as I heard one of the older children reminding a younger one that he needed to be more careful because his flag was touching the ground. I love my calling!!

Medically, it has been a bit busier than last week.  More bedbug bites, cut thumb, influenza, strep throat, nausea and vomiting, constipation, costochondritis (an inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone), depression/anxiety, dermatitis, a filling that fell out, an allergic reaction to seafood, warts, mosquito bites, TMJ, twisted ankle, knee pain, etc.  Luckily no ticks nor poison ivy.  All are surviving and healing.

I have only walked two days this week.  I hate when I don't force myself to get out and go.  I want to tell you about a neighbor.  Mrs. Ghandi lives in the apartment building across the street.  She is afraid to walk on the streets so she walks either in the church parking lot or in the driveway next to my house. Back and forth. Back and forth.  BORING!!  I talk to her frequently especially when I am on my way to my own walk.   I've invited her to come to church with me but she says she is afraid to come into the church.  (She seems to be afraid of a lot of things.)

Monday there was a 4th of July breakfast at the ward.   I was pleasantly surprised to see her at the 4th of July breakfast. She enjoyed the pancakes, breakfast casseroles that didn't contain pork, and fruit.  She took a large plate of food home to her husband.   Cute lady.

Mrs Ghandi

Horsano family

After the breakfast, I went to the mission home for a senior missionary BBQ.  The mission home is in Port Washington.  The neighborhood where the home is located reminds me of Pepperwood.  It is not in a gated community like Pepperwood but the streets and homes are similar.

Mission Home/neighborhood

I returned home just after dark thinking I would go up on the bridge crossing the Long Island Railroad lines and see if I could see fireworks in Manhattan.  I saw some neighborhood fireworks through the trees but it started raining before anything occurred in Manhattan if it did.  So I retreated to the cool, dry air of my home and listened to the fireworks around me.  I missed my family.  I knew that somewhere in Sandy/Draper/Herriman/South Jordan there would be a party going on with lots of squeals of delight and oooo's and awwww's.  I looked at last year's pictures fondly and with good memories.  The next morning on my walk across the bridge, I saw the empty fireworks containers that had landed there.

Last year

This year through the trees.

Tuesday I went to lunch with Sisters Snow and Brinton.  They took me to a great Thai place. 
Enjoy my Thai food!  Then when I returned home I found several sisters waiting to greet me.  Their companions were at the temple so I got to visit with them.  When their companions returned, we made pancakes and bacon.

Pad Thai noodles, drunken noodles, red curry

Dessert was coconut custard with pandan sauce.
Pandan is a tropical tree or shrub with fibrous, edible fruit.

Sisters Brinton and Snow

Sisters Fields and Krause

Sisters Fouts and Cate

Sisters Zambito, ?, Fields, Krause, Fouts, Anderson, Cate, ?, Dos Santos
(The two question marks I'm embarrassed to say, I don't know their names.
They are staying with the sisters upstairs until they can go to the Macedonian Embassy tomorrow.
They are serving in the Adriatic South Mission. I will learn their names before they leave though!)

It has been a wonderful week.  I love the missionaries.  I love my calling.  I love my Savior and the Gospel.

I love you my family and friends.

I got my DNA results.  My dad hired professional genealogists many years ago to do family research.
The DNA results confirm what they reported.

A favorite pic

Every neighborhood seems to have its own deli/market, cafe etc.
I like the brickwork on the bottom building.

Graffiti artist at work.  The light changed so I didn't get to see the finished product.

Houses of worship

The root system here shows that the brick/cement border has recently been removed.
It was curious to me the rectangular root system.

These row houses look like a picture puzzle.