IN A GOOD CAUSE...

NY PALMYRA (SPECIAL EDITION) EFY students are living in the Inn with us this week.  There are 160 youth and their leaders from BYU attending the temple and roaming the Palmyra neighborhood.  It has also been raining all week which makes it hard for them to tour the area.

"In the mid-1970s, Ron Hills and other BYU employees developed a program to “create an Education Week for teenagers where youth could interact with other young people from various places in the country, rather than just with those from their own ward or stake.” That program was called Especially For Youth (EFY)."  

Some of our own children participated in EFY years ago.  We remember the enthusiasm they had for the friends they met and the counselors they learned from.   It has been fun to be around all these youth.  The laundry has increased in the temple this week with all their baptisms they have participated in, but even that has been a pleasure to deal with as we watch these youth do service for the benefit of others.  The heavens must be pleased with their efforts.  It has been raining most the week, tears of joy!  We recognized a young man from the Cortland Ward here.  He said he is enjoying being at EFY.  This is the lobby in the motel on Saturday...as all are saying their farewells to friends and counselors.  Parent's are picking up local children and a couple of the missionaries took youth to the airport from their hometowns.  Tonight the Inn will be quiet again.

"Why are there so many songs about rainbows/and what's on the other side?"

Remember President Brighton's beautiful garden?  Well, some of the missionaries have been helping President keep critters out, but alas, a family of Raccoon's have learned many ways to invade this garden.  He said, "I heard a couple of them arguing over the ears of corn last night.  They stripped it clean of any ears."  All that effort and poor President has been invaded...too sad...and to think he has been hoeing very noxious weeds for months and helping this garden to grow so well.  We are still praying he receives some reward for his diligent efforts in this garden.  There has been plenty of sunshine and rain for a good crop.  President said, "If you see any raccoon's on the road please don't swerve!"  Ha.

Sister Dawson, whom I serve in the temple office with on Thursday evenings brought me some Plouts to sample.  Her husband has planted several trees in their orchard here in Macedon, New York.

He bought a bunch in California for his family to taste and she shared with me.  I've been eating them in my morning yogart...yum!  They were created by Floyd Zaiger. "As the Zaigers have continued to cross and backcross their increasingly complex hybrids, they've released dozens of pluots, each with a slightly different lineage. While it's surely true that one variety's family tree shakes out around 75 percent plum to 25 percent apricot (or even 60 percent and 40 percent), it's not correct to say that all pluots are three-quarters plum and one-quarter apricot (or three-fifths and two-fifths). Best just to say that pluots are mostly plum and leave it at that. To this, I like to add my own silent postscript. A pluot is like Mary Magdalene: It's chronically misunderstood". Chip Brantley is the author of The Perfect Fruit, a book about pluots.

Their nick name is Dinosaur Eggs!

Thank's for introducing us to Plouts, Sister Dawson, we had another Genealogy lesson from the fruit industry. I feel like I am back in my Botany Class at BYU! Perhaps the seed of the Plout can cure cancer. That would be nice.

My fun for the week happened Thursday morning in the temple, July 31, 2014.  I was working in the office when a President of the Green Branch of the Owego New York Stake phoned with some information.  A family in his branch is being sealed tomorrow with their children.  The forth child was baptized on Saturday and the President was just making sure this information had made it to the temple.  Anyway, after giving the information to the temple presidency I decided to follow up and make sure it was all ready for tomorrow.  Pres. Cahoon gave me a note and told me to phone the President back to check on some things.  I couldn't read Pres. Cahoons handwriting, so did some sleuth work and found the number.  I also found the President's first name was Kermit!  He is the Branch President of The Green Branch...ha!  I must be overworked because I found this so funny and have been smiling all morning.  

 "O we go"!  

On Friday we went for a drive and found Morgan's Market where we purchased corn, raspberries and some peach salsa...Then we drove up to Lake Ontario again and had lunch at the park there.  We are sitting at a picnic table and it is a beautiful day...our selfie.

 A speed boat is passing by.

 There were tons of chairs set up for a wedding this afternoon, so Art took a picture of me with the starfish!

 Then I took a picture of him skipping rocks on the coast line.  We visited with a lady who was born and raised in Ontario that had her sister and grandson on a picnic with her.  Such a beautiful lake and park.

We drove to Little Sodus Bay on Lake Ontario on Saturday.  This little bay is in Fair Haven, New York.

We finally found a place to swim at Fair Haven Beach State Park on Lake Ontario.  Of course we just paid $8.00 to drive through and enjoy looking at the fun everyone was having.  This whole drive today was so beautiful and the weather was perfect...love New York!

This weekend is my 50th class reunion at Idaho Fall's High School.  It certainly doesn't seem like 50 years have passed.  Elder Bushman and I graduated the same year.  His reunion was in June.

My friend Paula sent me pictures of our friends and the events.  We all look 50 years older..Ha! 

After our meetings in Cortland we drove to the Carman's to visit.  They live in Marathon, New York.  Just north of their farm are Amish farms.  We drove that road to go back to Palmyra.  We saw several of their beautiful farms and about 20 of their buggies at one farm and passed several heading home.  

Several have purchased antique farm equipment from Brother Carman as he retires from farming.  He said they are wonderful neighbors.  

It's been a great week.  As I look out the "Inn" window there is a "Brigadoon" mist in the field across the street.  It was caused by the afternoon heavy rains which we drove home in from Cortland.  I have not witnessed any rainbow's here yet, but will continue watching the sky's for them.  May each of you have rainbow's after the storms in this life as promised in Ephesians:1:13-14.  Blessing's to you and each of you! 

August 3, 2014