On Sunday 30 March I read a lot of the New York Times e-mail that I get every morning, especially today about the upcoming baseball season. I only hope that the Yankees can win as many as last year. No postseason again :( I have been Yankee fan for about 60 years.
We again attended the Plantation Ward. It was Fast Sunday due to General Conference the following weekend. Members of the ward bore their testimonies following the administration of the sacrament (communion or the Holy Eucharist for our non-LDS readers).
The members sharing their testimonies came to the podium in a constant flow with no lag at all between them. Many of them spoke of their visits to the temple. A member of the mission presidency bore his testimony and invited the two elders, i.e., young missionaries, to bear their testimonies. The last member to speak was the Fort Lauderdale Stake president President Richards.
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| Plantation Ward building |
The closing hymn was #135, "My Redeemer Lives," written by President Gordon B. Hinckley. The lyrics are inspiring!
1. I know that my Redeemer lives,
Triumphant Savior, Son of God,
Victorious over pain and death,
My King, my Leader, and my Lord.
2. He lives, my one sure rock of faith,
The one bright hope of men on earth,
The beacon to a better way,
The light beyond the veil of death.
3. Oh, give me thy sweet Spirit still,
The peace that comes alone from thee,
The faith to walk the lonely road
That leads to thine eternity.
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| President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) |
We again enjoyed the Sunday School class period in the Family History Center. Eileen did some research and I watched some videos associated with my new calling as a family history consultant. It was pretty neat as the Family Search person on the videos was Merrill White, a Family Search Department manager we knew on our mission in Salt Lake City.
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| Merrill White |
As this was the 5th Sunday there was a combined priesthood / Relief Society meeting for the third hour. Discussed were fast and testimony meetings, the temple open house, and upcoming general conference. Sister Richards, the stake president's wife, told of the VIP tours that she and her husband led at the open house and bore her testimony.
Eileen finished making her crawfish étouffée and white rice.
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| crawfish étouffée |
We all met at our niece Kristen's home in Davie for a get-together. Russ and Gail, Kristen's parents and Eileen's brother and his wife, were there as well as David, Sue, their daughter Megan, and her boy friend Dave. A big addition to the house is in the works and Kristen's husband Matt showed us around. Kristen has a stepson Ashton and two children Brooke and Cooper.
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| Matt and Kristen's |
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| Matt and Kristen's |
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| Eileen, Gail, and Brooke |
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| Matt and Kristen's patio |
Sue and David left early as Sue is not doing well. We wait to hear what the doctors will do next to try to contain her cancer. The procedures these past two months did not help and her cancer is spreading.
We enjoyed the sugar-free peach cobbler that Russ made and no- sugar-added vanilla ice cream.
When we got back to Sue's, we began to pack. I put the bar up in the back seat of the car and hung up all of our clothes.
On Monday 31 March we were up and finished packing. I filled up the gas tank at a Mobil station for $3.569, the lowest price around according to the GasBuddy app. I ran into Publix to get two loaves of Cuban bread for Sabrina Bayless and a veggie wrap for Sue.
Cuban bread is a fairly simple white bread, similar to French bread and Italian bread, but has a slightly different baking method and ingredient list (in particular, it generally includes a small amount of fat in the form of lard or vegetable shortening); it is usually made in long, baguette-like loaves. It is a staple of Cuban-American cuisine and is traditionally the bread of choice when making an authentic Cuban sandwich. Wikipedia
Before we left I gave Sue a priesthood blessing (James 5:14). "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." We said goodbye and headed for Brooker at 11:45.
At 3 pm we stopped at the Turkey Lake Service Plaza and had lunch at the Nature's Table, getting two wraps and Greek salads. There are 27 of them in Florida. www.naturestable.com.
We got to Russ's about 5:30 pm. Russ had put up two of the beeminators and both of them were collecting bees and even a wasp!
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| Beeminator at Russ's |
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| Beeminator at Russ's |
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| Russ's in Brooker |
On Tuesday 1 April we left Russ's about 8:30 am. We got three gallons of gas in Jasper, Florida, for $3.559 and then filled up at Sam's Club in Valdosta for $3.349.
We stopped at the Cracker Barrel in Valdosta for breakfast. I enjoyed my pecan pancakes and Eileen had the smokehouse breakfast.
At home I noticed first that the front porch was all clear of debris from the trees and then I saw that the driveway was also all cleaned off. I saw that all of the leaves were gone from the lawn and the grass was cut. I called Clay Collins and found that he and his C-Scapes crew had been here yesterday!
After unloading the car and putting everything away we enjoyed some supper. Then I worked on our income tax paperwork which I had planned on doing the day we decided to go to Florida.
We watched the latter part of the Atlanta Braves - Milwaukee Brewers baseball game as the Braves won, 5-2.
On Wednesday 2 April we contacted Drs. Codelli in Blue Ridge and Shorr in Cumming for printouts of our dental expenses for 2013. We drove to Blue Ridge to renew Eileen's driver's license and then to Dr. Codelli where we got our printouts.
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| Mountain Periodontics in Blue Ridge |
At the Blue Ridge DDS office it took about 50 minutes and Eileen's license was renewed with no problem. She got a temporary one until the new one comes in the mail.
Back in Ellijay we went to the bank to get income tax statements, then to the post office to pick up our mail that had been on hold for two weeks and turn in another hold form for the next three weeks. We got the new edition of the Times-Courier at R&A Orchards and a no-sugar-added fried apple pie. They have the best fried pies around!
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| R&A Orchards on GA 52 East |
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| Delicious fried pie |
Along Big Creek Road we saw these lovely Bartlett Pear trees.
It took a while at home to go through all of the mail that had been on hold. Two of our prescriptions came from Express Scripts!
We got a call from Comtek in Salt Lake City that my M-175 transmitter was repaired. They will send it to Colleen's address in Arizona.
We headed south a little after 2 pm and went first to our dentist Dr. Shorr in Canton to pick up the printouts of our dental expenses for 2013. Dr. Codelli is our periodontist and Dr. Shorr is our dentist. We alternate between the two. We had gone to Dr. Codelli originally for my gum surgery and later two dental implants.
Next we negotiated our way through very busy Marietta to find the Dress Barn in Austell. Eileen got two items which had not been available at the Dress Barn in Woodstock. The sales lady said "yes" to my two Book of Mormon questions!
We headed to the LDS stake center in Marietta, arriving before anyone was there. So we backtracked a ways on Sandy Plains Road to have a light supper at the Buddha's Delight Mandarin Chinese and Thai Restaurant. It was very good and we got back to the stake center by 6:50.
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| Marietta East Stake Center |
In Arizona Colleen had her laparoscopic hysterectomy surgery. Sean reported that it went well.
I finished up the income tax paperwork. We hit the hay and I finished reading "Doctor Syn On The High Seas" by Russell Thorndyke (1885-1972).
On Thursday 3 April we finished packing by noon and left home a little before 2 pm. We dropped off our income tax paperwork at Painter's Tax Service, got two back issues of the Times-Courier, and went by the bank and post office, mailing a box to Liam.
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| Community & Southern Bank |
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| Times-Courier office |
Traffic was heavy and we reached the Sleep Inn in College Park about 4:30 pm. The gal at the front desk said yes to my two Book of Mormon questions! She said, "Latter-day Saints?" I said, "yes". She said that she was looking forward to getting it!
I made arrangements to leave our car parked at the Sleep Inn until we return on the 25th.
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| Sleep Inn in College Park, GA |
We walked to supper at the Ruby Tuesday next door and enjoyed our meal there.
Eileen said that as we were getting back late on the 25th she'd like us to stay at the Sleep Inn that night, so I made a reservation for that night.
Colleen came home from the hospital in Arizona.
On Friday 4 April we went up at 4:30 am! We took the shuttle at 6 am to the airport. By 6:45 we were at our gate B17. Somehow our boarding passes showed "TSA PRECHK" so we "zipped" through security, not needing to remove our shoes or take our laptops out of their cases!
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| Delta in Atlanta |
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| Delta in Atlanta |
We were in first class for the first time as the price was less than $100 extra! We were in seats 1A and 1B. Breakfast was yummy with a cheese omelet, red potatoes, two chicken sausages, a warm bagel and cream cheese, and fruit (orange slices, pineapple slices, blueberries, and a strawberry).
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| Yummy hot breakfast |
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| Yummy fruit |
The flight itself was fine. I took several pictures out the window by my seat. Departure and arrival were on time.
On the flight I finished reading "The Pilots of Pomona A Story of the Orkney Islands" by Robert Leighton (1859-1934). Unfortunately this Robert Leighton was not to be found on Wikipedia :(
As we proceeded down an escalator towards the baggage claim, we saw an interesting airplane display overhead.
We fairly quickly got our luggage and Sean, Colleen, and the boys picked us up by the curb.
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| Ashton, Spencer, and Tanner |
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| Ashton, Spencer, and Tanne |
On Saturday 5 April we watched the first session of the 184th Annual General Conference at 9 am local time. President Thomas S. Monson, our beloved prophet, opened the session followed by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Then Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy spoke followed by Elder Carlos H. Amado of the Seventy.
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| President Thomas S. Monson |
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| Elder Jeffrey R. Holland |
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| Elder Carlos H. Amado |
The Tabernacle Choir and congregation sang "Choose the Right."
Sister Linda S. Reeves, second counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, spoke followed by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Then President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, gave the concluding talk of the session.
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| Linda S. Reeves |
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| Elder Neil L. Andersen |
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| President Henry B. Eyring |
I posted the following on Facebook from the April 4th British Zone Crier newsletter:
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7

"Conference time is a season of spiritual revival when knowledge and testimony are increased and solidified that God lives and blesses those who are faithful. It is a time when an understanding that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, is burned into the hearts of those who have the determination to serve him and keep his commandments. Conference is the time when our leaders give us inspired direction in the conduct of our lives, a time when souls are stirred and resolutions are made to be better husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, more obedient sons and daughters, better friends and neighbors." President Howard W. Hunter
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| President Howard W. Hunter (1907-1995) |
We watched the second session of the 184th Annual General Conference at 1 pm local time. Elders Russell M. Nelson and Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke. Elder Nelson quoted from 2 Nephi 15:20. "Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
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| Elder Russell M. Nelson |
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| Elder Richard G. Scott |
The Orem Institute choir and congregation sang "We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet."
Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke followed by Elders Claudio D. Zivic and W. Craig Zwick of the Seventy. Then Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave the concluding talk of the session. Elder Cook quoted from D&C 128:22: "Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free."
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| Elder Robert D. Hales |
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| Elder Claudio D. Zivic |
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| Elder W. Craig Zwick |
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| Elder Quentin L. Cook |
The closing hymn was "High on the Mountain Top" which I tried to memorize several months ago.
I had ordered one bottle of tart cherry concentrate to be shipped to Colleen's and it arrived via FedEx this afternoon.
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| Coloma Tart Cherry Concentrate |
I went to Fry's for some groceries and got gas at Circle K for $3.339.
I watched the priesthood session of the 184th Annual General Conference at 5 pm local time. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke followed by Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy. I need to study and ponder Elder Hallstrom's talk. Mormon 9:29 29 "See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out." Then Brother Randall L. Ridd, second counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, spoke. He was also excellent!
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| Elder Dallin H. Oaks |
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| Elder Donald L. Hallstrom |
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| Randall L. Ridd |
The priesthood choir from BYU-Idaho and congregation sang "Rejoice the Lord is King."
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, and President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, spoke. It was amazing that Elder Hallstrom, Brother Ridd, and President Uchtdorf all were on "the same sheet of music" and were talking to me! The closing talk of the session was given by our beloved prophet President Thomas S. Monson.
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| President Dieter F. Uchtdorf |
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| President Henry B. Eyring |
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| President Thomas S. Monson |
On Thursday 3 April we finished packing by noon and left home a little before 2 pm. We dropped off our income tax paperwork at Painter's Tax Service, got two back issues of the Times-Courier, and went by the bank and post office, mailing a box to Liam.
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