On Sunday 24 November we attended the Plantation Ward with Sue.  Services were from 9 am - 12 pm with sacrament meeting first.  David had to work at the UPS Store that he manages.  Many ward members were glad to see Sue.

Plantation, FL 33325

851 NW 112th Ave.

David's UPS van

At home we watched a talk from October General Conference by Elder S. Gifford Nielsen of the Seventy.

He has served in the LDS Church in many capacities, including elders quorum president, bishop, president of the Houston Texas South Stake, mission president’s counselor, and area seventy. He was released as an area seventy on April 6, 2013, and called as a general authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy.  After high school, he remained in Provo and began attending Brigham Young University (BYU), where he was an All-American quarterback, under head coach Lavell Edwards. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.  He was selected in the third round of the 1978 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers, the team with which he spent his entire NFL career. Nielsen played six seasons as a part-time quarterback. He served as backup to in 1978-81. He played the most games in his last two seasons, 1982–83, when he shared quarterbacking duties. 

Elder S. Gifford Nielsen 

Brigham Young University Logo

I read "The Mystery of Marie Roget" and "The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe.  It was fun to read more of C. Auguste Dupin, the first true detective in fiction.  Dupin in "The Purloined Letter" reminded me so much of Sherlock Holmes.

I posted the following to Facebook:  27 years ago, President Thomas S. Monson boldly declared: “Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but as the determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well.”

On Monday 25 November I read "The Adventure of the Red Circle" by Arthur Conan Doyle and "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe.  Conan Doyle's was a Sherlock Holmes short story.  Over the years I have read and reread Sherlock Holmes numerous times.

Sherlock Holmes in a 1904 illustration by Sidney Paget

Basil Rathbone as Sherlock

Jeremy Brett as Sherlock

On Tuesday 26 November I finished reading "The Trial of William Tinkling," a child's story by Charles Dickens.  We shopped at Home Depot, Target, and Winn-Dixie.

I liked the picture of Home Depot with the palm trees.

Winn-Dixie

Super Target

On Wednesday 27 November we shopped at Home Depot, Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods.  I read the blogs of the Brown's who are serving a full-time mission in Hungary, the Moulder's who are serving a full-time mission in Sarawak, Borneo, the Powell's who are serving a full-time mission in London, and the Metallo's who are serving a full-time mission in Armenia.  I read "The Tailor of Gloucester" and "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny" by Beatrix Potter.

Plantation, Florida

On Thursday 28 November we celebrated Thanksgiving.  We are so thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ and His wonderful Atonement and resurrection!  And the restoration of the Gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr.  We enjoyed our Thanksgiving feast at the home of Eileen's brother Russ and his wife Gail.  Russ did most of the cooking and everything was delicious!  Of course, we also watched three NFL football games throughout the day.  It was good to see the Detroit Lions win on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in 10 years!

Thanksgiving feast!

Thanksgiving crudite made by David

Granddaughter Megan, daughter Sue,
Eileen, and Ben

Sue, Megan, and son-in-law David

Nephew Ryan and Eileen's brother Russ

Russ and Gail's home

I finished reading "John Wayne: the Westerns" by David Morrell and the guidebook from the Shirley Plantation that we visited in Virginia in October.

The Great House at Shirley Plantation

On Friday 29 November I finished reading "The House of Darkness" by Ellery Queen.  We went back to Russell’s for leftovers and watched the University of Central Florida versus the University of South Florida  football game which was won by UCF, 23-20.  UCF is 10-1 for the season and was ranked 19th in the country at the start of the game.  Our granddaughter Megan graduated from UCF.

UCF Logo

On Saturday 30 November we participated in the Shop Small® on Small Business Saturday® with American Express.  We went to the British Depot near Sue's home.  Eileen bought scones, Devonshire Double Cream, and little jars of salmon spread and crab spread.  I bought a roll of frozen Scottish haggis.

In the evening we enjoyed dinner at Landlubber's Raw Bar & Grill in Plantation.

While at the restaurant we watched several football games on the numerous televisions.  One of them was the Alabama - Auburn game.  When we got home we put the game on and watched the unbelievable conclusion as Auburn ran back the field goal attempt for 109 yards to win the game, 34-28.  They had scored a touchdown just seconds earlier to tie the game at 28 apiece!

Last but not least, I finished reading "The Fair Maid of Perth" by Sir Walter Scott.  It took eight months reading on my iPhone, having begun on 27 March.  I have read and am reading numerous Sir Walter Scott novels.  I remember the first was "Ivanhoe" followed by "Rob Roy," "A Legend of Montrose," "Waverley," "Quentin Durward," "The Bride of Lammermoor," and "Old Mortality."  I am currently enjoying "The Heart of Midlothian, Vol. 2."  I also enjoyed the story by author Washington Irving of his visit to Scott in Abbotsford, Scott's home in Melrose, Scotland.  On our tour/cruise around the U.K. in August we visited Edinburgh and admired the Scott Monument and the statue of Sir Walter Scott.

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

The Scott Monument in Edinburgh

Statue of Sir Walter Scott
on the Scott Monument

Scott's home at Abbotsford