December 2023

 Emily needed some help with washing her hair. Lewis subbed in the Mission Office and took the calls and accepted all of the mail and packages that are involved with a Mission. Emily is so cheerful even right after surgery. Ella is delightful and I love to be with this family. She will need help this month. Her children are very helpful and complain very little. Edgar is a good cook and he is helpful when he is home. The sisters volunteered some of their quick and easy dinners. I typed them up and brought a few items that I didn't think she already had on hand. We also bought several packages of Sukhi's Tikka Masala from Costco. It is cooked and only needs heating up. Someone in the ward brought this product to them and the whole family liked it. 

Mindy is updating the Morris Directory for Christmas time. I am so grateful that she is willing to keep that going. Our family is huge these days. Huge and wonderful. 

I was so happy to view President Nelson's video in connection with the annual Christmas Devotional. It seemed so personal to me. I need to watch it often. This is the link: https://youtu.be/OtVTdadTx2TnaU?si=L8a3ph1kw0Hgi4Va  It is on YouTube The Light of Jesus Christ. Christmas Message. President Nelson.

We drove to Palmdale to help drive back 10 brand-new Volkswagons. Tiguan is the model. I thought it was great. Thankfully we all got them back to Ventura in brand-new shape. We were short one person so we went again with Brothe Nixon who is the car coordinator to get the last one. I haven't made that drive for many decades. I enjoyed it. Lots more going on in that region than I had seen before. When we got back Lewis made bread and we took a loaf to the Ramirez family. We are hoping that they will come to the Branch Christmas dinner this week. They were not at home but the dad, Carlos talked with us through the doorbell with his phone even though they were out shopping. 

We have visited with several families. They all liked the bread. One house was at the end of a long lane where you could only see orchards and fields green with plants. The sun was setting and the colors over the mountains were beautiful. I had never seen more of Somis than the houses on Lewis Road. We caught the sister of the woman who is a member. And we talked with the son of a member on Murray Avenue. Across the street all the way east to the corner. Turned out that these three didn't come to the dinner but we tried. Emily had her drain removed and is feeling better with that out of her body. She is a trooper and doing well. The most useful thing I was able to do was sew on Emmett's new badges.

We went to the Court of Honor with the Arellanos. Emmett got three merit badges and his Star award. He is so great. He doesn't mind being up in front of people. Emily wants him to be in the school play and he agrees to get involved. 

We had a Senior Missionary Dinner at the home of Presidente and Sister Rodriguez. They made fajitas and we all brought things. Everything was delicious. We brought Mexican rice and brownies. Afterward, we sang Christmas carols and had fun talking with each other. It was a lovely way to share in Christmas cheer. The next day was the Ponderosa Branch Christmas dinner. I was amazed at how lovely the cultural hall looked. there was a huge painting of the Salt Lake Temple and a winter scene. There was a velvet chair in front and fluffy white "snow" on the ground. It was perfect for the guests to take photos of each other after the dinner. There was also a new painting on wood of a Christmasy scene with the lettering of the Ponderosa Branch prominently featured. Brother Rivera made the first one a year ago and the second one for this occasion. They also had a huge screen and a full DJ set up for the dance after the dinner. President and Sister Parra bought lots of food. They brought 9 Costco roasted chickens in case not enough food arrived. It wasn't early but things did roll in. So much delicious food and desserts. Lots of drink choices. We brought enchiladas, rice, a big salad and brownies. Everyone was delighted with the food, the families and friends that came, the video of the Savior, the music to listen to, and the opportunity to sing two Christmas carols. People took a ton of photos. A large frame had been painted with Christmas symbols and families held it up in front of them for a group photo.  Brother Stevenson was Santa's brother and worked in the toy shop at the beginning and during the dinner. Later he was Santa himself at the end with a lap to sit on and there were little gifts for the children. He addressed the group in Spanish and they were impressed. Trudy Yeates had been invited so she could play the piano for the carols. Also, Sister Parra's friend Sarah was there so we had a nice time with English conversation. A father and his daughter came. Turned out that she speaks no Spanish so the English was appreciated. He is a member or is close to becoming a member and came to see Elder Nelson who is returning home in a few days. He had a lot of appreciative remarks about the missionaries. He has a lot of respect for the manner in which they taught and shared but never pushed and showed respect for his perspective. It was a perfect day to begin to build the Ponderosa that will be more powerful as we move forward. 

The El Camino Real Ward had their Primary Program and it was wonderful. They had a young girl who likes to be a chorister so she helped. She was adorable signalling to stand up and sit down. The person at the microphone to assist each child with their lines was a Primary girl. She did a great job. The Primary president is the Bishop's wife. She was in the congregation so all of the children could see her. It was a lovely Sacrament Meeting. In the Ponderosa Branch, the President and his wife are in Mexico for the week. Brother Law is still in Utah with a sick grandchild (though he attends all of the leader's meetings via Zoom.) Brother Rivera was all alone. Carlos and his family came and they joined us for Sunday School also. Yay. The Gonzalez couple came for the first time in a very long time. And Georgina the grandma with the precocious granddaughter came again as well. 

Emmett received his Patriarchal Blessing today. Emily was in tears telling us what a special experience that was for their family. 

Edgar's Birthday. We had a wonderful birthday dinner with cakes. His brother Omar and his family came to celebrate. It was a very pleasant afternoon. The Camarillo Christmas Program was after that but we bowed out. We were tired. 

We continue to deliver bread that Lewis has made. We had plans to go Christmas caroling with the leaders of Ponderosa but sickness struck and that hasn't happened yet. Our medical things are coming together. We have both been tested and received refills on our pills. I learned that Jo Ann Stockwell broke her hip and I am chatting with her by phone. Katy, my ministering sister has asked me for our address. I have written a Christmas Letter. I used too many words but it is hard to cover a year on one page. 

November 29th is Emily's last surgery. At least that is what we are all praying for. We were asked to go to the Mission Tour Conference in the Ventura Stake Center. It is a twice-a-year Mission Tour. Elder and Sister Makay and Elder and Sister Dushku. (I assume that Elder Makay is a member of the GA Seventies and Elder Dushku is an Area Seventy.) They and their wives are very good speakers and love visiting with the missionaries. I loved how the women spoke as well as their husbands and were also excellent speakers with perhaps even more love for the missionaries. Including the Senior Missionaries. All of the southern part of the mission was in attendance and the 2 northern groups were joining in on Zoom. Three days and we each get one day live. 

Aaron asked for photos of the Pettingill/Barnard group when Jen was a teenager. I don’t have the negatives so I asked Paige to take a photo of the photo. Maybe that will work for him. I sent him a couple of photos of the two of us and some of Lewis’ parents. Hopefully, it will suit his desire to add Jen’s side of the family to their heritage corner. Lewis put up the photos of his parents and one of Deanna on Family Search. I finally ate the persimmon from our neighbor. I liked it. Lewis was not impressed.

Emily’s surgery didn’t begin until the afternoon. Edgar got her home but she didn’t “wake up” until bedtime. She did have some nausea but the pain level was not severe. We went to read with Yayo and the sisters.

Went to Emily’s house. She was up and eating. She is uncomfortable but doing pretty well. She needs to keep her elbows down. So she will just have little T-Rex arms for a month. We did laundry and I swept the floors. I made their favorite soup, Chup. Busy household when the kids get home. They are selling more and delivering the already-purchased poinsettias tonight. Evan is delivering. Ella is going to accompany him. Emmett and Edgar are selling in front of a store. We brought home one for our apartment. It is lovely and bigger than I thought it would be. Merry Christmas is coming.

The Poinsettia adventure turned out to be very lucrative. Edgar, Emmett, Evan, and Ella all sold many. The income paid for this summer Scout campout and lots more as well. They were quite a bit larger than this and only cost $12.00 each. Good deal for everyone. 

El Camino Real Ward had Edwardo speak and he gave a sincere talk. I was proud of him. Luis always is involved with the Sacrament every week. Hope these young men stay on the covenant path. Sister Andrews moved way up north. I will miss her. We still have Sister Woolley and she has a newbie who was born as a Spanish speaker. Her last name is Santa Maria. Sister Bradford left but her two former companions in their trio are ready to keep it going. Sister Barker and Sister Moon.

Ponderosa Branch – We went to the early meeting. We have two brand new male missionaries and that is all. Presidente Parra was concerned that there were 80 people at the dinner and we don’t know the contact info for all of the investigators. I hope they have the info. They should have it all on the app that we don’t have access to. They seem to be great missionaries and we should be able to keep the momentum rolling. There was a new woman in Sacrament Meeting. She came in later and I didn’t get a chance to speak with her. She seems comfortable and involved. Hope so. The attendance was very small. The missionaries spoke and did a very good job. I was able to understand them because they speak the complete words and native speakers don’t always. We rehearsed. We are a choir and will sing one carol next week as we meet with the Valley Vista Ward. Christmas is coming! We chatted with Emily a bit. She had been hurting but the pain was diminishing. Edgar is out of town. The kids are helping. I keep trying to offer assistance but she hasn’t called us yet. 

6:00 Sacrament Meeting – El Camino Real holds a late Sacrament Meeting for those who work on Sundays. This is the only way the field workers can come to church. There is usually 10 or more members and investigators. We got to sit next to Cynthia who has her baptism scheduled for next Saturday. That is very inconvenient because that is when the Morris Cookie Party is scheduled in Palmdale. But the mission comes first. This woman is not a field worker. She speaks English very well. We will need to get to know her. We already talked about the Temple excursion happening on January 6^th. She started to cry at the end of the Sacrament. I felt that we all should be crying. The Spirit was really there and the talks were simple and strong. Our Bishop closed his talk by singing a Spanish carol that I had never heard before. It was beautiful. We are privileged to be here. Brother Bacigalupi talked with us afterward and suggested that we go to the Mission Leader meetings with the young missionaries. We will ask for permission. I hope that works out and doesn’t happen at a time when we need to be in Camarillo.

David is at work but Jenny and Andrew are sick. Some flu virus that is clingy. Hope they are all feeling well soon. Lewis made 3 more loaves of bread. We went to the Mission Office and gave a loaf to the Perrys. President and Sister Rodriguez were there and we forgot one for them. We went to the Cardiologist that Kaiser assigned Lewis to. They took his blood pressure and did an electrocardiogram. His LDL was 136 and it should be under 100. His blood pressure 169/90.  Not good numbers. The doctor talked him into taking a different cholesterol-lowering prescription. He will take the statin that he recommended and the blood pressure med as well. We went to Winco and decided to get a big box of fishy crackers and a very big bag of M&Ms for our white elephant gifts on Christmas Eve. Sent the Morris Directory and Christmas letters to our kids.

Lewis made bread. We delivered a loaf to Evarardo Corral. In the sunlight, we could find a way to enter the property. He is a very active member but the only one in his family as far as I know. There were a couple of places we still couldn’t find and people who were not a home. We found Carlos Pallo da Costa. He is a college student studying to work in a doctor’s office and is nearly certified. He hasn’t been to church in quite a while. He said that he is not very comfortable with Spanish. His mother came out to thank us for making the bread and bringing it to her son. She told us that she was born in Portugal and lived in Spain where her children were born. She said she has been here for 23 years. She is not a member but she knows Julia Zurcher and admires her. She speaks English very well and lives in an impressive house in Lakeshore, behind where we used to live. She lives next to the lake. Wve we went back again to try to find Ismael on Glen Drive. We found Diego who said Ismael left about a year ago. We gave the bread to Diago and invited him to church. When we went to the English Connect class. Lewis told the missionaries that they should visit Diego. Unfortunately, no one came to the class tonight. We asked the missionaries again to please call us when they need help to teach a female who lives alone or whenever we could be helpful. 

I finished sending the Christmas Letter to all the people. We have a lot of family and even some wonderful friends. We learned that we are needed to carry the office tomorrow. We made cornbread and another soup. Presidente Parra suggested that the leaders fast beginning Wednesday evening. We stopped eating at 2:00 and are glad to join that effort. We are fasting for President Law of the branch. He had a heart attack. We went with the sisters to visit Yayo but the elders came as well and the sisters went to visit with someone else. Yayo had cut his hair and it needed some help so after we read chapter 4 of Jacob in the Book of Mormon, we excused ourselves and the elders stayed a little longer to help with the haircut. Our first time with elders on a visit. They are invested and inspired as well. Yay for missionaries.

Zone Conference was held at the Thousand Oaks Stake Center with two chapels (kind of like the one in Van Nuys when I was young.) Each of the 11 districts had been given a Book of Mormon prophet and they were to respond to the qualities that were taught by that prophet to his people. They also were to perform a musical number. It was fun to hear from each missionary, and they had fun musical ideas. Voices with and without piano, cello, guitars, violin and went from very simple to fairly impressive. It was both fun and inspiring as the missionaries told what had been significant to them personally. The Senior Missionaries had Elder Parry assigned to speak and we all sang Silent Night together. The food was delicious. They had pulled port and tender slices of beef, fancy and delicious mashed potatoes, salad, and orange and banana pieces plus fluffy rolls. The desserts were amazing but I didn’t go look and see what was on that big table. The missionaries felt like they had a special Christmas dinner. The tables we decorated and the napkins were the nicest I have ever seen that are disposable. President Rodriguez spoke about choosing a gift for Jesus Christ that we would individually focus on all year. He passed out little boxes and a card inside to write out our gift. This is a thoughtful commitment he is asking for and an important opportunity for us.

We got there early enough to help set up the table settings. The office missionaries had made the meal. President and Sister Rodrigues cooked the meat (I think). Sister Moon made 50 pounds of potatoes. They all worked very hard, planned, and executed all of the plans. They have another one tomorrow.

The showstopper was the pinata and the Rodrigues. She put on the blindfold and he moved the pinata at just the right time.  They set it up in the cultural hall and it must have been industrial grade. All of the women and about half of the guys got three swats and no candy was appearing. They were very good at manipulating the pinata. Finally, they let some guys pound it without the blindfold. They had to tear it apart with their hands to get all of the candy out. It was fun to watch and the missionaries enjoyed every minute of the activity.

Lewis and I went in early and started washing dishes. We haven’t done any cleanup so far and wanted to help. We did almost all of the dishwashing. It was hard on Lewis’ back but we did make it a lot easier for them to get the job done. We found out later that we missed the photo. Oh well. They borrowed the SLC Temple painting that President Rivera made and hung it on the wall in the cultural hall. It is beautiful and lots of the missionaries took lots of photos.

In the evening we went with Sister Moon and Sister Barker to visit Francisco Plascencia. We also went with them to visit a young man who is an investigator. His apartment is surprising and colorful because he has the walls lined with small boxes of plastic toys. Things like Pokémon - Floor to ceiling. I thought there couldn’t be children because they would want to play with them but we did meet a 5-year-old girl. Nothing was out of order and she spoke amazingly well with all of the adults. The visits open and close with prayer. There are scriptures and discussions.  The missionaries do well and grow close to the people they teach. A member joined us for the second visit. That is great because over time missionaries disappear and the members usually remain. 

Lewis made more bread. We took a loaf to Francisco Plascencia. He was pleased. We always read the Book of Mormon together. I do the Duolingo lessons a couple of times a day and the We Believe app

The El Camino Ward had a lovely meeting. Several musical numbers. The missionaries sang. The girl who plays the piano sang an amazing very timely Christmas song that I had never heard before. Four men sang together with another one on his guitar. A woman spoke and I understood little. She spoke very softly. Bishop Mario Corona gave a wonderful talk. I like him. Very sincere and open with his feelings. He is a good man! Cynthia found us after the meeting. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find her. She said she found a job and will start right after Christmas. She is happy and I hope that it will be a good experience for her. The Spanish people are so much more open than gringos are. They want to greet everyone and wish each person a Felix Navidad. We could learn from them. This is the little Christmas tree that a member gave to me.

Then we went to the Ponderosa Branch in Camarillo. We practiced our song - Angels We Have Heard on High. Last week Sister Parra drilled us in how best to sing. She was very helpful. Brother Zurcher is back so he took over. We were meeting in the chapel with the Valley Vista ward (Emily’s ward). The program was 7 different songs. There was the ward choir, four men, a mom, and two small children, the Lassen Family, the Primary – Ella was the tallest one. Come January we won’t have any grandchildren in Primary any more. But we do have great-grandchildren. They sang a song that I had never heard before. It was all about Joy and they sang it with a lot of enthusiasm and joy. It was perfect. And there was the Ponderosa choir. It was anyone they could find that would practice and show up. I was surprised that it turned out so well. Everyone had red on top and black skirts or pants. And in my humble opinion, it was well sung. I was happy to be part of it. And I got to get a hug from Charlene Bushman before the meeting started.Then both President Parra and Bishop Sean Terry each spoke. They were short talks but very relevant and heart-felt. It was a beautiful day. 

This is Ella singing with the Primary. She will be a Young Woman in January.

We went home and went back at 4:00 with a salad for Christmas Eve dinner. The Oxnard Arellanos were delayed but it all came together. We had Lucy, Omar and his family, Christian and his son, and Mizraim's daughter, Letzea, who is probably 26 and is an engineer in Mexico. She drove to the border and flew from Texas. In Mexico, she was clipped by another car that was passing, and her car was flipped five times before it came to rest. Fortunately, she is still living. She is a beautiful girl and her ribs are very sore indeed and she has many bruises. The insurance is taking care of everything and she will recover. The car at fault never even stopped to see if she was all right. She speaks English quite well as do the rest of them except for Lucy. I had difficulty understanding Lucy but we all had a great time and enjoyed the delicious food. After dinner and dessert, we played the white elephant game. Everyone brought a wrapped present. We got random numbers and we opened presents in order. Each person could get a present from the pile or they could steal a previously opened present. We all had fun and everyone was at least mildly happy with their present. There were a lot of cosmetic items (I got a package of bath bombs) watches, toys, candy, fish crackers. The little boys got presents chosen for them so they were thrilled. It was a very comfortable time with good people and we all enjoyed ourselves. The Arellano group went to see the Christmas lights but we chose to go home. Lucy had spent all of her time finishing Ella’s blanket. She made a fluffy soft blanket with elephants and Ella’s name. She crocheted all of the edges. She spent a lot of time and love. Very kind of Lucy. Ella was pleased.

We learned that Khristine is still struggling. One ear is quite a bit better but the almost normal ear is now worse. She can’t sleep. They are trying so many different things to relax her enough to sleep. Doctors say she must wait two more weeks for the procedure to heal. David says that Jenny and Andrew are getting better but are still coughing. Her father is still sick as well. No fun but it will get better over time. Dan is on his trip. Tea is not feeling very well. Beverly is babysitting Jessica’s dog and enjoying the company. She says she needs the two weeks to rest up and be ready to go back to school. Leiann, Cary, and Paige spent time with the Walkers. They all had a great time together. We talked with Christie. Travis will have a long difficult recovery from his ankle fusion. When it is healed, he will need to spend time with the therapists to learn to walk differently and help his muscles strengthen and work in a new way. Nancy is still sick but improving. Christmas did happen and they all enjoyed being together. 

We loved spending time with the Arellanos. We went over in the afternoon and watched a silly movie and played games. We enjoyed enchiladas that contained cheese and chopped-up Migas mixed with a Hatch chili salsa. They were very good and everyone loved the fruit salad. Lovely day to wind down and enjoy being together. We are still enjoying all of the treats. Yummy. My sister Chris sent a supply of her signature chocolate-covered toffee. I do like it. We also got a gift box from The Somis Nut House and a big selection of nuts from Emily as well. Emily gave me a beautiful necklace that has a tree in a circle. Perfect for my push for family history and also for the new emphasis on the scriptures beginning with the Tree of Life and ending with the Tree of Life again when the Savior returns. I love it. Emily also bought me a box of Almond Roca which is a very long tradition. I still love them. Rich and Khristine sent us the newest book by President Nelson, Heart of the Matter. I’m thrilled to have that. Sister Russell gave us a lovely card and each of us now has a Christmas ornament that has our names, the dates, and the name of our mission. It is the perfect way to honor this mission each year. We received lots of cards and good wishes and we thank all who reached out to us!

Went to the doctor for Lewis’ appointment. His blood pressure is too high and his LDL number is too high. The doctor wasn’t to worried about his A1C but it is 6.6 and 6.5 is the top value for pre-diabetes. Lewis needs to improve his eating and so does his wife. I asked to have Dr. Cruz be my doctor too since I haven’t met the one that was assigned to me. I will go on Thursday and see what he has to say to me. I will ask about my coughing and my skin problems. We went to the English Collect class at the Oxnard Stake Center. Sisters Barker and Moon had been asked to teach the class. Everyone had earlier appointments. The class started late but Hermano Gonzalez of the bishopric was there and Victor and Edwardo. The sisters were teaching how to pray in English. It went well. Sister Woolley and Sister Santa Maria came in near the end with Luis. It was his birthday and he had a big pizza and a big bottle of soda. But first, they taught a lesson on the First Vision. It was very touching I thought and it looked like the others were feeling it also. Victor must be an investigator. I haven’t met him yet. Edwardo and Luis are members and involved with the Sacrament each week. I’m glad I was there. Lots of energy and informality with Luis but he is serious about the Gospel and anxious to share it with others. Perhaps Victor will join them as a member. It isn’t an easy thing to learn English but they are putting in the effort and can make progress. Lewis felt he needed to have a piece of pizza so he didn’t make Luis uncomfortable. He enjoyed eating it. 

Went for a walk as always. It is 52 degrees in the mornings but the sky is clear now. I dived into our book from Khristine. It is wonderful! Everyone should read The Heart of the Matter by President Nelson. So lovely to have the good wishes and lovely photos from family members. Leiann had included a gift card from Deseret Books as well as our box of fruit and nuts. I wrote an email to the church to find out if there is an employment office near here and how to learn more about Pathway.

More of November

We typed the current member list of the Ponderosa Branch into a spreadsheet. That took a couple of hours. I am out of practice with spreadsheets! We met with the Elders at the Gonzales meeting house and shared the list with the two companionships that work in Camarillo.  We went to find our 1/3 of the list and made some progress. We were just visiting the ones that are not active. We couldn’t find many at home. One house said that the people on our list didn’t live there. We took some time to find an apartment near the Stake Center. All of the buildings had numbers and then different numbers for every apartment. We finally found the right one but no one was home. 

Went to El Camino Real Ward in Oxnard. President Thunell was on the stand. It was Fast Sunday. There were not as many people rushing to the stand to bear their testimony but the time was filled up. I’m guessing that the youth were invited to bear their testimonies last month. And they did. Relief Society was a good experience. The teacher is relaxed and the sisters are willing to contribute. They seem to know each other well and act like friends.

The Ponderosa Branch was filling up today. Sister Victoria Branch and a young woman next to her got my attention and asked me to come talk with them. They are both temple workers and the annual devotional was at 1:30 today. The workers could each invite one guest if they wished. They asked me if we would like to go. I remember being in that huge solemn assembly room several times and would love to go again. The first time I was in that room was when my Dad took me up the elevator and showed me the room when it was empty. It seemed so huge. We also got to go to the devotionals when we worked in that temple. So, I accepted their invitation. Lewis was talking with President Parra about the people we and the missionaries were visiting. 

The meeting was conducted by Presidente Parra. He is very well-spoken and comfortable in front of people. There was a new couple (very elderly) who were visiting for the first time. Hermana Parra was sitting with them. He welcomed them and everyone and after the Sacrament, he bore his testimony first. He began by telling a story. He is a good storyteller and gave us all the details of how stressful it is to wait in the security line at the LA airport and worry about making your flight. He was going to Ecuador and asked the man in front of him if he could go ahead because he was worried about getting on the plane before it departed. The man in front said, “That flight is not going anywhere.” Then Pte Parra was very worried that the flight had been delayed or canceled. There are not a lot of flights to that destination and he didn’t want to miss it. He had an important business meeting to attend. When they finally got to the conveyor belt, the man in front of him turned back and told him. “You will be just fine. That flight isn’t going anywhere until I get on the plane. I am the captain of that flight.” 

Many people bore their testimony and the time was filled. We had to get up and leave in order to get to the temple on time. 

Victoria had invited us to go with them but she forgot that she had all of her cleaning equipment in the back seat of her car. So they went with us. It was fun to talk with her. The other girl (I learned later) is a service missionary and she said she needed to sleep during the drive. Victoria did not have the card with her that she needed in order to bring a guest. So, they called Sister Blickenstaff (Her husband was formerly the Stake President) who had a card with her and she didn’t need it for someone else. She waited for us to arrive and we all got in the temple. We all had our recommends. Victoria had to go to the office to confirm she was a worker. It all worked out and we went to the solemn assembly room. The Southern California LDS Choir was singing. The music was amazing for me. There are very few voices compared with the Tabernacle Choir but the quality seemed equal to me. They had three men with flutes that added so much in addition to the organ. It was very impressive. I loved being there. But it was loud. The girl said she needed to sit somewhere else. The devotional itself was wonderful. The Temple Presidency spoke and a GA Seventy. I was happy that we were able to be there. But we didn’t know how to find the girl after the meeting was over. It turned out that Sister Blickenstaff had told me that she had something in her car for Sister (unheard by me) and would see us out front, but I thought she was speaking of her sister and didn’t think of the missionary. I didn’t hear the we will meet you part. We waited a long time at the exit in the front of the temple, where we entered. Lewis went to see if she was waiting at the car. We didn’t know that people exited from many different doors. But finally, we went back toward the visitor center and found them. Sister Blickenstaff is on a service mission herself shepherding the young missionaries that are serving that type of mission. So they were friends and I was clueless until it all came together. It was a lovely day and we enjoyed our adventures. Lewis did a lot of driving.

It was interesting that the day was so full. We got home at dinner time. Lewis had not eaten (except for water) since Friday dinner. I ate breakfast on Saturday but had fasted since then. We were very hungry but we had been fine (except for feeling hungry) all that time. I can do intermittent fasting if the day doesn’t require a lot of energy and I am busy and distracted from thinking about food. We ate the soup that was in the refrigerator and toast. It tasted wonderful and we enjoyed a couple of chocolate peanut candies as well.

We walked as we always do and then went to Food Share and spent a shift filling boxes with food. This time Lewis did boxes and I added the flyers. There was another lady helping with the boxes and things went very fast. I had a hard time separating the flyers and getting two of them into each box. It was kind of fun trying to keep up. When we have to get more supplies, it breaks it up the rhythm but we were pretty efficient. Wonderful people volunteer here. The lady we worked with has been involved for 2 years. The other side was a very nice older man who would wait when I got behind. 

We went to Winco afterward and brought home more produce and bulk items. We are so blessed to have good food available to us. We love to eat and we need to be satisfied with fewer treats. Self-control is the only problem. I also went to the lab at Kaiser Permanente and had my blood drawn for a TSH and a lipid test. We went to the Mission Office. I got a copy of all the missionaries that are in the Camarillo Zone with photos. That will be helpful. It was nice to get to chat a bit with the office people. 

I had a fun time with Emily and my sisters. I went to pick up Emily and then asked her to drive to Thousand Oaks since I didn’t know where the restaurant was. She works on that street so she knows it very well. We went to Café Rio which is one of my favorites. I never get tired of Mexican food and rice and beans are on my diet. The same menu has higher prices here. Another advantage of Idaho. Christ wasn’t feeling great so she stayed home. Kathy, Jeanine, Mindy, and Gracie came. Emily shared her cancer journey so far. She and Kathy spent a lot of time talking. As we left Kathy said that Emily is a special person. I certainly agree with her. There was a big family there also and before they left they asked if one of us would take their photo. One of the girls recognized Jeanine. They had been in the same ward. Emily jumped up to help them. We enjoyed our food and the chance to be together even more. I did just fine driving at night. I just need to keep up my skills by driving more often. Below is Emily, Kathy, Jeri, Jeanine, Mindy, Gracie. Chris wasn't feeling well.

Went walking and made yogurt. I have been reading a chapter of the Book of Mormon every day with Lewis. We are now having him read the chapter in English while I follow along with the Spanish. Then I read it in Spanish and he corrects my pronunciation. I am a lot better than I was at home but I am not speaking Spanish very well. Duolingo helps but can’t do magic. Lewis’ fake butter is pretty good. The yogurt was a failure but I do have very healthy milk (full of probiotics) for my cereal. 

Went to a new experience with Food Share. Lewis ended up carrying too many boxes. He was very tired. We went to Costco but there wasn’t a single open parking spot. We will have to go at opening time on Monday. 

Got up early and found the Royal Palms Mobil Home Park. Lots of people have volunteered. We got a complete training and snacks and drinks. The Red Cross has partnered with the Oxnard Fire Department and they are offering fire alarm checks and replacements as needed for free. There have been very sad fires where family members have been killed or hospitalized for up to a year from burn injuries. They are trying to make alarms available to all. It doubles the chances that a family will survive a fire in their home. The alarms are the new lithium battery kind that doesn’t need to be replaced for 10 years. We were given a map with about 15 addresses. We spent more than 3 hours and installed 11 fire alarms. We had a ladder, two bags of supplies, and a clipboard to fill out the paperwork. Also, the alarms and the tools. Maybe a third of them we not at home. Two different men said they had all the alarms they needed and they all worked so they declined. We did get invited in by about 6 mobile homes. They were all very grateful and one mom gave us two water bottles to thank us for coming. There were little kids and single men and older people. One didn’t have any alarms at all. Most were old and several didn’t work at all. Lewis got up on the step ladder and did the installation. I talked about how they need to make a plan for any fire emergency and explained how important it is for the whole family to have a meeting place so that it is clear that everyone is out of the house. They say you have only 2 minutes to exit in safety. We also taught about earthquakes and advised that people get low and be next to an interior wall if you cannot exit safely. I had to get signatures and fill out information about the people living at that address in case they needed additional help. They also have bed shakers available for those who are deaf and cannot hear a fire alarm. It was an interesting morning and I think we did some good today. Almost half of the people spoke Spanish and it was very good to have Lewis able to talk with them.

We got back in time for Lewis to hear BYU losing the football game. I wrote out my Sacrament Meeting talk and translated it with Google. Lewis went over the translation and changed a few things. I need to pare it down a bit.

The sisters texted to see if we were coming to the English Connect class and we said yes. Then Lewis got a call from Presidente Parra at 6:20 pm. We had been invited to go to dinner at his home at 6:00 along with President and Sister Rodriguez, Hermano y Hermana Zurcher, and the Ponderosa Branch missionaries. Elder Nelson is leaving soon and President Parra wanted to thank everyone and ensure that we all had the same goals. He said he wants to align the branch’s goal with the goals of the mission as well as with the stake goals.  There was a good discussion about what that meant and I understood most of it. All of the conversation was in Spanish. It was great to hear everyone speaking. I was able to understand much of it. What a privilege it is to be in groups who want to work together and make good things happen. I find that some people are much easier to understand than others.

 Presidente. Parra had a video the family made of his father on his mission in 1961 in Oaxaca, Mexico. He heard a voice in the middle of the night tell him to get off the train. He woke up his companion and told him that they needed to immediately get dressed and get off the train. They got off at the next stop which was in the middle of nowhere. The spirit told him to walk in a certain direction and they went 17 miles to a little town. The two missionaries stayed on a small hill and sang hymns as loudly as they could. Eventually, some of the townspeople went up to talk with them. Over time they taught all of the people and most wanted to be baptized. They ordained an Elder and taught him how to be a leader. That area became a very strong branch and they were true pioneers in Mexico. 

It turns out that Sister Parra, Brother Parra, President Rodriguez, and Hermano Zurcher are all closely connected. Their parents were long-time friends with each other. They have heard many stories about the parents of each other. It is a small world in the Church. The food was delicious. I just had a very small sampling since we had already eaten dinner. The people are wonderful and I’m so glad we did not miss out on this lovely experience. Thank you for calling us, Presidente Parra. We never got it on the calendar and forgot all about the invitation. They sent all of us on our way with a loaf of homemade banana bread. 

Went to El Camino Real. Sister Soto (as a councilor in the RS) was the speaker along with a high councilor. They both gave very good talks. They had Sister Woolley translate from Spanish to English with headphones for those who preferred to listen in English. The stake high councilor and a couple of others took advantage of the headphones. Pepe was the teacher for the investigators Sunday School class. There were about 4 or 5 investigators. Go missionaries.

In Ponderosa Branch it was looking pretty scant but more people came in late. There was one woman there for the first time. She had a granddaughter who was very cute and very curious. Sister Victoria Branch is amazingly friendly and outgoing. She acted like they were old friends. Maybe they are. The Stake RS president spoke at our meeting. Sister Branch translated for her. She ended by reading her testimony in Spanish. Good for her. She was nervous but did a good job. There was another high councilor as well. Our Sunday School class began with everyone giving a short introduction of themselves. I muffed it. Very frustrating that sometimes I cannot come up with words I know. Oh well. We were challenged to find scriptures to answer the question about the relative importance of faith vs works. It was a good discussion. 

The Parrys invited us to come to their home at 6:00 for a Parry Pie Party. It is a family tradition for them for many years. Those that work in the office knew of this plan earlier and brought pies. We asked but didn’t have time to make one after church and before the party. The Russells, the Nixons, the Moons and the Parrys were all there as well as one missionary who is staying there for just a couple of days. We had a fun time. They are a lively group. Brother Parry is a former race car driver and worked with a club that held races at the Bonneville Salt Flats in CA. They also went to He said that the fastest he has ever driven was 150 mph and it wasn’t in a car he owned. He says that there is a design (shaped like a cigar with the wheels tucked underneath) that can reach 500 mpg. Sister Russell is an amazing woman with a lot of interesting stories. We remembered favorite songs over the decades. I am obviously out of the know but had fun learning lots of fun stories everyone was telling. Hope we didn’t scare the new missionary. The pies were delicious and we ate sparingly but enjoyed every bite. And there was candy for dessert. They want us to stay in the office on Tuesday from 9-3:00, the Russells will be out of town and the rest of them will be in Thousand Oaks for interviews and lunch and all the interviews for the missionaries. 

Today is our 33^rd Wedding Anniversary! The Santa Anas are back and there are leaves and branches flying all around us. We went to Winco and Costco to get the things we needed to make our contributions to Thanksgiving on Thursday. Lewis had his phone updated and couldn’t get into it this morning. He spent a lot of time on the phone with Apple. He ended up downloading everything on my phone and then modifying it. I had to fix several things but I think my phone will continue to work for me and hopefully all my connections will remain in place. So far, so good. We decided that we didn’t want to walk the Spanish Missions in this wind. We stayed home and listened to our mystery book. We ordered a veggie pizza and bought it home to enjoy as a celebration. Yummy. After 33 years we are very happy and look forward to being married to each other for forever. How blessed we are.

Went to the mission office at 8:45 and found the Russells working. They are flying to Oregon at 1:00 to welcome home a grandson. They haven’t seen him in several years and are closer to him here than from their home in Kentucky. She taught us how to process the mail and showed me where keys were that might be needed. The Parrys came in at about 10:00. Lewis agreed to sit at the reception desk so I could work on my computer. That put him in charge of the music which he likes. He left at lunchtime to get us Subway sandwiches. The Nixons got back at 2:30 or so. She made most of the lunch for the missionaries so she was tired. She asked if we had time to come tomorrow. We can so we will come again. She has company coming for Thanksgiving and needs some time to prepare. She has a cup of pumpkin pie and another one of a fruit cobbler. Lewis and I enjoyed the treats. I was able to do my computer stuff and add more photos to some blog posts. And I finished up my talk for Sunday. We went to the English Connect class with the Elders but no one showed up. 

We went to the Mission Office on Wednesday and got there nice and early. Brother Nixon came in at about 10:00 and needed to take care of having the oil changed in the big transit van. President Rodriguez came to participate in a long Zoom meeting. Lewis answered the phone and sorted packages and letters. We will go with the Hermanas and visit with Yayo this evening. 

Thanksgiving is a time for gathering and gratitude.

In his 2020 message about the power of gratitude, President Russell M. Nelson said: “Over my nine and a half decades of life, I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription. Does gratitude spare us from sorrow, sadness, grief and pain? No, but it does soothe our feelings. It provides us with a greater perspective on the very purpose and joy of life.”

We made the Stuffing/Dressing and the fancy green beans. We also brought pumpkin and apple pies and whipped cream. Emily is looking great. She is planning on the surgery next Wednesday. She will talk with the radiologist on Tuesday. She is feeling pretty settled that this surgery can conquer the margin problem and make it OK to not do the radiation. Because she had so many lymph nodes removed, she has to be careful of Lymphedema and must protect her left arm. No IVs in that arm, etc. If you get it – it doesn’t go away. The radiation makes Lymphedema more likely to surface in the future. 

Omar, Iris, the two daughters and the two grandsons came to join us. It is fun how Evan and Ella interact with Emily and Ired. Emily's twins are four years old today. They were born on Thanksgiving. So perhaps every 4 years it will be on Thanksgiving Day again. They have fun together. The food was delicious. Emily made my Mom’s orange rolls that were as light as a feather. She also makes a salad with lots of ingredients including bacon bits that everyone loves. The turkey looked pretty enough for a picture.  I didn’t eat any because everything else was so good. Iris said she liked the stuffing and usually she doesn’t enjoy it. She brought mashed potatoes with bacon bits and yellow and some other things added in. Very good. She also made a green spaghetti dish that we loved. It is made with serrano peppers and sour cream plus more things. Spicy and tasty. Most people took some green beans. I thought the sliced almonds were a nice addition as well as the miso and lemon juice We all got plenty of wonderful food and enjoyed it all. We had to wait a bit for dessert because our tummies were full. Emily made a cheesecake for Emmett as well as the rest of us and we had three different pies. I tried a pecan pie for the first time and it was delicious. We all played games and a Minion movie was happening in the living room. Omar, Emily, Lewis, and I played Rummy Cubes and had fun. Then we played dominoes. Iris and the kids played some other games. It was a day that reminded us to be grateful for all of our blessings. I took some copies of Favorites to fill out and a list of fun questions to consider and to remind us of family stories. They took some home to work on their family history by filling them out. It was a lovely day. 

We went to the library so I could read some children's books in Spanish. Lewis bought two discarded books for me for 30 cents. One is about the sun and another about elephants. I am reading the Book of Mormon at least one chapter every day. Susan found a paper that was an idea for a Beach House skit in the family talent show. It was something Lydia and Kate were working on. We had a lot of missionaries at that time and they were advertising a pill that would prevent family members from leaving home and make other family members sad. When they return they are happy that they had the experience but it is true that the family misses them when they are far away. 

We gave our talks in the El Camino Real Ward on November 26th. Lewis gave a great talk with a personal example of the rewards of living the law of tithing. I got through my talk just fine. But I am not comfortable yet. We learn that Peggy Snyder has cancer again. Lewis was so annoyed by his keyboard that we bought one that was familiar. Life improved. I put some more things up on Collectionaire. President Parra and his wife took both the missionary companionship and us to dinner at Boulevard Burgers. It was fun and we had time to talk about goals and expectations. He wanted to know what President Rodriguez's goals were and how could the branch help us to be successful. It was great to see that President Parra wants to follow the Stake President and the Mission President and work with them to do the will of the Lord. We all need to follow true leaders. 

Emily had her last surgery. At least that is what we all are praying for. Edgar was with her. We had a Mission Tour Conference in the Ventura Stake Center. There were two members of the Quorum of 70 who spoke to us. They were dynamic and engaging. Their wives spoke as well. President and Sister Rodgriguez spoke as well. We enjoyed lunch with the missionaries in this southern end of the mission. They have two more days and will speak to all of the mission. I took a lot of notes and the quality of the time we spent with them was excellent. And I noticed that the Ventural chapel has a beautiful chandelier. I don't remember ever seeing one in any of our meetinghouses before. 

Went to Emily’s house. She was up and eating. She is uncomfortable but doing pretty well. She needs to keep her elbows down. So she will just have little T-Rex arms for a month. We did laundry and I swept the floors. I made their favorite soup, Chup. Busy household when the kids get home. They are selling more and delivering the already-purchased poinsettias tonight. Evan is delivering. Ella is going to accompany him. Emmett and Edgar are selling in front of a store. We brought home one for our apartment. It is lovely and bigger than I thought it would be. Merry Christmas is coming.

November

Leiann posted on Instagram - "Today ends our Grand Adventure of an epic 82 days, 13,001 miles, 31 states, 12 National Parks, 16 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint Temples and numerous State Capital Buildings. We now know for ourselves the diversity & beauty of this amazing country. However, it is the people who have made these memories so special. We look back with gratitude in our hearts for all the memories made!" I am impressed. They did their due diligence in planning and spent months seeing more of the USA. They had a great time and I am happy they could fulfill their dream for their first extended road trip. 

This was on the Church News - At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019 and early 2020, the Church counted some 69,000 young teaching and service missionaries and senior missionaries. The pandemic resulted in international closures and restrictions and the resulting return of many missionaries — some released from service and others reassigned, mostly to home countries. The number grew to 56,000 at the end of 2021, to 65,000 at the end of 2022, and to more than 72,000 today, which includes nearly 5,300 senior missionaries. Combined, today’s missionaries serve in more than 150 countries and teach in more than 60 languages.

Another visit with Yayo. We went to the temple to do an endowment session. Maps sent us down Highway 1 and loved seeing the ocean and so many things I hadn't seen in many years. As we got back in the car, Leiann called. They would like to come and visit for several days. Yay! They were in St. George and arrived at our house at bedtime. What a treat and we have the time to spend time with them.

We all four went for a walk. We didn’t even get to the Asian man's front yard garden when I hit an upraised part of the sidewalk and fell forward. I hit my knee, and my shoulders, and the finale was hitting the cement with my head just outside of my left eye. It was a surprise. I scared Lewis and Cary and Leiann but I was OK. I wanted to just remain in place for a few moments and then I was able to get up and walk back home and get up the stairs. No pain. A little blood on my left elbow. I got a bandage on my elbow and on my face and I was fine. 

We ate cooked cereal for breakfast and headed out for the mission office. Leiann and Cary wanted to chat a bit with the people they knew. It was transfer day. We learned that there will be two sets of Spanish-speaking Elders living in Camarillo so the new branch will get a lot of attention. One spent time in Camarillo a year ago so he knows many of the players. Both companionships have an experienced Elder and a new Elder. We will see how it plays out. There won’t be any Hermanas living in Camarillo. I’m a little sad about that.

We went to the Ventura Pier for a walk and a Beach House Taco lunch stop. That was fun. The weather is perfect. It is November and the sun is shining, the skies are clear and there is a vast ocean and very few people because it is not summer. So Cal has its advantages. 

We had my orange tofu with a stir fry and it was received well by Cary and Leiann. We played Rumi cubes and I decided that I like the game now that I understand how to play it.

Today is Ventur County Farm Day. Leiann is signed up and suggested that we visit a few of the places she had seen last year. The weather is still wonderful. We ate breakfast and headed out. We first went to a place where they raise alpacas. They are so very cute. There were two baby ones born just last week.

Leiann said that her horse riding lessons when she was young were at one of the nearby properties. We saw one that might have been it. I cannot remember enough to identify it. There weren’t any signs or any horses in sight but a big ring. No English riding jumps but they could have been there many years ago. 

Next, we went to OttoSons Nursery in Fillmore. It is an amazingly beautiful place. They seem to specialize in roses. Leiann went last year and they invited her back anytime to walk in their rose garden. It has been upgraded some more and has a gazebo with a little river and pond. There are Koi near the gazebo with a profusion of roses and many other beautiful plants. We talked with a girl working there and she said that they do not have a permit to host weddings but they welcome people to come for bridal photos or even a bride luncheon or something like that. Maybe Ella would be happy about that. It is a large and looks like a very successful enterprise. So much beauty and how nice of them to share it with people who would like to walk through. 

This is a red rose. Cary asked the girl trimming the flowers if he would have one to give to his wife on their wedding anniversary. She smiled and cut him a beautiful rose with a very long stem.

Then we went to the Camulos Museum and met a lady that was so very fun. She loves the place and is enthusiastic and engaging. She is a descendant of the second family that purchased much of the 4 thousand acres given as a land grant from Spain. It was the Del Valle family. She showed us a picture of her ancestor. She was full of fun stories and we had a great time. I now feel a bit of kinship with a place I never heard of before. She grew up in Northridge, Cary in Reseda, and Leiann and I in Van Nuys. She lives in Newbury Park and drives to Camulos a lot to volunteer. She said that the manager of the whole property is a man who is a member of our church. She said, "He is a very good guy and very busy because he is in charge of a lot of people." This is a photo of a quilt made by a supporter that features many of the citrus logos from many years ago when fruit was a major crop. It still is. 

The brochure said: Rancho Camulos Museum is a 40-acre NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK situated within an 1800 acre working ranch. It is the best remaining example of a Spanish-Mexican rancho in its original rural environment and is noted for its literary significance as the setting for Helen Hunt Jackson’s novel Ramona. Rancho Camulos is dedicated to researching, collecting, preserving, and interpreting the diverse cultural heritage and agricultural history of Southern California from 1853 to 1943. Through the restoration of its buildings and grounds, Rancho Camulos seeks to connect the past with the present by offering programs that will educate and enrich all audiences.

They shared these fruits and nuts from trees on the property

We had to stop at the Fillmore hatchery and see the fish. The fish food is free now but the buckets were empty. Too many birds in there perhaps. 

We went to a fun bakery in Filmore but they were out of sandwiches. We went to one Mexican restaurant and it was too full. We went to a second and it was practically empty. It was expensive. But we really did enjoy our BRC - bean, rice, and cheese burrito. There was a whole lot of cheese and it wasn’t melted. They asked if we wanted salsa and chips and we said yes. Cary and Leiann had offered to pay for lunch. I’m sure they got stiffed a bit but it was delicious and we enjoyed our time together. 

Camarillo Stake Conference Adult Meeting – I was impressed with the meeting. Wonderful people speaking wise words with love.

The Spanish-speaking member of the Stake presidency (Adam Basua) gave a super talk about our relationships at home. He showed an interview between Elder Bednar and Elder Hollans’s daughter, Mary and son, Matthew. He asked them questions about what it was like to be in their parent’s home during their growing-up years. So simple but tender and amazing. I couldn’t find it on YouTube. Maybe will be available later. He said he had a very hard time watching many old video tapes he took of his children when they were young. He was critical and harsh when they didn’t conform to his directions in the films. He said that he learned he needed to repent, apologize, and do better. It was uncomfortable but things were better. We need to evaluate our parenting, all of our relationships, and become better. He also referred to Elder Holland's tribute to his wife when she died recently. I did find a related video: 

https://youtu.be/YWnMAJSxsvc?si=nI59q4G-w3cUsILI - "Ye shall have joy with me"

Our Mission Leaders each spoke. Sister Rodriguez talked about honoring the truth of our fathers. She has a connection with Pte. Parra and Brother Zurcher’s father was a dear friend of Sister Rodriguez’s father. Such lovely connections. President Rodreguez said We all want to go to Heaven but none of us want to die. We need to make a heaven here in our homes and wards. In Christ, there is peace and joy. He blesses us and changes us. Heaven is our destination but it is also our ongoing transformation. Share Jesus Christ with your friends.  

On Sunday - Camarillo Stake Conference – Evan Arellano was the first speaker. He talked about the little things we need to do daily to get where we want to go. Search, Ponder, Pray. He compared it with soccer. It is a big interest for him and he wants to improve his ability to play soccer better. He and his friends get together often and practice the skills needed to handle the ball well. They spend a lot of time with the ball. Evan said that if we constantly work on the small decisions, we will be ready for the big decisions that face us in life. I don’t remember ever hearing this phrase before – Evan said, “Jesus Christ deserves our love.” I am going to remember that. Evan closed by saying that Jesus Christ loves us and will help us to make good decisions.

A YW said her family goes to the temple to do baptisms weekly. She found that she was looking at it as just another obligation. But a worker said, “Thank you for putting the world aside for a few hours.” It helped her to focus more on what she could contribute and less on the time it took to make the trip. She was very close to the family dog and very sad when he died. She said that every family member thought that the dog was their favorite family member. She had difficulty letting go of the sadness but felt comforted and encouraged when she prayed about her feelings in the temple. She said that she has a testimony that the temple can change us.

A YM reminded us of President Nelson’s “Think Celestial”.  He suggested that those who don’t love going should be going more often rather than less often. He reminded us that we receive power in the temple because of the covenants we make or remember. He said, “The temple helps me feel like my real self.”

Another YW appreciated that the temple is where we understand the important gift of family. The sealing ordinances make that very clear. Family relationships are important. and so is our relationship with our Savior. She said that sometimes she asks questions and sometimes she argues when she prays. This mortal experience is hard. Living as Jesus Christ wants us to is a challenge on purpose and strengthens us. She appreciates the power of the temple.

Brother and Sister Mann of the temple presidency spoke and complimented the Camarillo Stake for their attendance.

President Bramwell spoke. I loved his analogy. He said he learned that we should not speed up but rather slow down when we come to a yellow light. He reminded us that Jesus Christ is always the answer. We must follow Him. He pointed out that prophets in the scriptures are often taken to a faraway place and given a totally new perspective. We need to allow that to happen in our lives as well. How would we respond if we had personally experienced their vision? We can improve and bless others.

President Thunell quoted Evan and said he agreed that we need to spend time with the things that will help us improve ourselves. At the time of Helaman’s army, Amalickiah ruled the social media of his day. But the “sons of Helaman” who were his army were confident and without fear. They said, “If we do not doubt, the Lord will help us.” They actually cared more about the safety of their families than they did about their own lives. “Our mothers knew.” We are on the earth now but it isn’t our home. Learn consecration. Make regular things holy. Put aside things that are not important. Are we getting ready to return? 

He asked the patriarch to speak. He said he had to learn how to have the Spirit always with him. His #1 suggestion was to get rid of all contention. He said it is possible. He learned to put away anything negative. He said he is sad that he waited until he received this calling to actually do these things. He testified that HF loves each one of us and wants us to return and live with him forever. Read again how the people lived in the promised land after Jesus Christ came to visit them.

It was an excellent stake conference. We are in a good place. We went to Emily’s house for dinner. She had a very large zucchini lasagna a ward member made that we all enjoyed. We and Snyders brought salad, bread, and pumpkin pies. We love to hang out at their house. After dinner, we played Scum with everyone except Emmett. I went from scum to King in one round. Overall, my game was not impressive. But I did enjoy the royal moment. 

Today is our fun day with Emily to visit the Snyder’s favorite spots in the Ventura Mission. Emily was able to drive to our apartment and we all squeezed into our little car. It worked just fine with the three women in the back seat. We headed north and got to SLO (San Luis Obispo)for lunch. It is Cary’s favorite sandwich place and I think they have more fans now. We all enjoyed our sandwiches. The bread is substantial but soft. One of their regulars is the Bobbie. I have no idea why they named it that. It is Thanksgiving day food in a sandwich and it was very, very good. Emily had a bar-b-que chicken sandwich that had some coleslaw in it as well as other things and she was very happy too. She said they had crunchy cheesy onion pieces that put it over the top. 

Then we had to go to SloDoCo because it is right there. They have a very extensive selection. Different kinds of donuts and all the flavors and all the toppings. Lots of embellishments if you want that. What kid wouldn’t? They did have one labeled Green Bean Casserole. We didn’t buy it and are very confused about how good it might be. They also have a large selection of gluten-free donuts. Emily got two for Emmett. He has to pass up treats fairly often so he will be happy tonight. 

Next, we went to Montana de Oro State Park. We went quite a distance to get to the cove but it was wonderful. The sand is very large and there are several colors. Leiann wanted to collect small rocks and shells. I helped. It was fun to choose tiny and small rocks in lots of shapes and colors. At the shoreline, there was a fun swishing sound as the rocks moved and tumbled in the water as the waves retreated. In Tenerife the rocks were larger and the sound louder and more of a clicking noise. Island rocks were probably all lava and heavier as well. Both are fun to listen to in addition to the constant sound of the waves splashing onto the beach. I would not mind having the opportunity to visit this cove with very few other people present often. There is a big cave to explore at low tide. Leiann lost her phone. It had fallen out of her pocket. But thankfully she was able to find it quickly.

Then we went back down to Avila Beach and drove out onto the pier. You have to pay 75 cents to park. We went down below the pier and could walk around underneath it. There is one place that has what looks like a stable platform and is tied to the pier so it can’t float off but when you walk on it, you feel like you are walking on stiff water. There were people fishing off the dock. There is a wooden structure filled with seal lions basking in the sun. We even found an otter. Lots of birds. There was a boat offloading big 300-pound bundles of eels. Lewis talked to the guy and he said they will be sent to South Korea. We didn’t eat there but enjoyed seeing all the things. It was beautiful in the bay, the beautiful homes and hotels.

We went to Pismo Beach. We parked in the lot of the SeaCrest Hotel. Snyders have stayed there a couple of times. Expensive but so lovely. We walked behind the rooms and over the sea. Many of their rooms have incredible views plus a swimming pool and jacuzzies. They  can go down a long stairway to the beach below. Cary says there are caves and they have to check them as the tide changes so people won’t get stuck and unable to return. We went to the main beach park with the big letters spelling out Pismo Beach. We stopped at a little park with a beautiful view and tons of birds and an otter in the water. Amazingly beautiful when the weather is lovely. We are enjoying our time here. Especially when we have family members to share it with.

We went to Rusty’s in Santa Barbara for dinner. It is a pizza place with a good salad bar. We loved it all. We met a couple on vacation who asked Leainn and me about our missions. She said she hoped they could also enjoy a future mission in a beautiful location.

We spent the whole day just having a wonderful time. Thank you Snyders for finding a good time everywhere and enjoying our beautiful earth. It was bedtime when we arrived home. Emily had to drive a little bit more. It was a very memorable day. 

Poor Edgar has a new problem with his tenants in Ohio. Today a couple left for work, worked all day, and then found that they had left the water running and the two floors in their apartment were flooded. That is not a good thing to do. Be sure to also turn off a faucet spigot as often as you turn one on. We empathize with landlords. So many things can go wrong. 

We went to the Sotos for their Family Home Evening. Only two men were able to come but we had a good time together. Edwardo Ruiz came. He is a young adult and has been a member for 3 months. He has been to the temple to do baptisms and has received the priesthood. He has a strong desire to go on a mission which is a great thing. Hermano Francisco Ayala is the ward Temple and Family History leader and is doing a great job. He is following up with all the new converts and encouraging all of the members to do more family history and to attend the temple as often as possible. It takes so much more time to get to the temple as well as more time to do an endowment session when compared with our little Boise Temple. We need to appreciate Boise more. They had invited Francisco P. whom we visited last week with the Hermanas. Brother Soto suggested that Lewis text the Exec. Secretary to the Bishop to remind him that he needs his priesthood interview to be done. Sister Soto chose to talk about President Nelson’s admonishment to Think Celestial. She gave each of us a quote from his talk and we discussed what that would look like in our own lives. We had a good discussion and it was good to get to know more about these people. The Sotos are doing a good work with these Family Home Evenings in their home with treats afterward. Lewis’ carrot-cake cupcakes were a big hit and each of the males had two. 

Leiann and Cary are still with us. Cary scrubbed the two kitchen rugs. They look much better. So kind of him. 

We picked up Emily at 9:00 am and went to the temple. All five of us enjoyed the opportunity to do an endowment session in the LA Temple. 

After that, we went to the J. Paul Getty Villa in Pacific Palisade. It took Leiann making the reservations to get us there and I am so glad. Emily had come with a middle school group a few years ago and all the statues without clothes were a bit of an awkward situation. The kids spent most of the time on their phones. We were a bit more mature and were amazed at the incredibly old and beautiful statues and carvings. The building is a copy of a famous home in Italy and filled with things made centuries ago. Everything is real and precious. We walked on floors and looked at the walls that were certainly worthy of a museum. The spaces are filled with works of art. Some are pristine and many are damaged. I think we enjoyed the gardens even more. Leiann wants to recreate one section of the gardens for a new wedding venue. It is so lovely to wander and be unable to see any other houses or buildings. We felt we were in another time and place. It is free to visit but you have to pay for parking. Go and enjoy the experience if you have a chance. 

We were very hungry after spending all day with beauty and traffic. We went to Wood Ranch in Camarillo and enjoyed a very delicious dinner with some of our favorite people. I had a Barbeque Salad with tri-tip. Haven’t had steak for a very long time. Everyone was happy with their dinner and we agreed that we enjoyed a very special day with good memories.