LAKE-EFFECT SNOW

Monday, 17 November 2014

I went out to the car to go swimming this morning and the car was covered in snow.  It was a moist heavy snow and was easily brushed off.  I was told by our lifeguard that this was a lake-effect snow.
The snow has not let up all morning...here we go...

This is a floral display by the fireplace.  This just gives the place a nice look.

These are three of the Inn's help that we have grown to love and depend on.  Patty serves in the dining room, Christy is the head housekeeper, and Brother Green keeps the repairs caught up.  Thank you for all you do for the missionaries who dwell in this Inn.  Br. Green told me a Christmas Story.  He said that he took 11 of the older bedspreads and blankets, from the Inn, to a care center.  The officer said that they had 16 letters requesting warmer bedding for Christmas...the Inn answered 11 of those requests.  Merry Christmas!

 This is a window as we enter the dining room.  We have Joseph Smith dressed in white.  He stands as a sentinel over the Inn.  He matches the white of the snow outdoors.  It is nice to see this statue each morning when I enter the Inn after returning from the high school swim.

Just a little trivia.  I learned this is a Sharon Fruit,  a form of Persimmon, without seeds that has its origin in Sharon Valley, Israel.  It has a interesting center.  It is called Triumph.  It crunches like an apple at this stage of development.  It was good.

Heather learned that three of her cousins have had the heart surgery that she needs.  I hope you girls don't mind that I put your pictures on my blog.  These girls are family of Art's cousin Karen Bradford.  The three oldest  of these beautiful women had the surgery Heather needs and they all seem to be doing well.  Aren't they beautiful.  You girls give me hope...thank you for sharing your miracles with Heather.  You have been a comfort to us.

Heather just sent me this beautiful photo of her family this week.  Thank you for sharing this with your parents Binky!   We now just pray you have good veins to keep you pumping...and we love you with all our hearts.   

We have been watching Pope Francis and Elder Eyring in Rome this week.  What a wonderful time to be serving in the temple as this summit is being discussed.  I believe Our Heavenly Father is proud of His family this week.  Elder Eyring, thank you for the presentation you gave on Tuesday the 18th.  We are thankful for your life and service.  May God watch over you always.

All the new missionaries have arrived.  We met the McGarry's,  from Pingree Idaho,  last evening.  They are living in the Inn with us, totally on the opposite end from us.  We will be serving with all three new couples this evening in the Palmyra Temple.   Pictures will follow next week. 

I went swimming this morning, Wednesday 19 November 2014, when it was 14 degrees outside!  I took this picture when I returned.  We can see the Palmyra Stake building from the Inn window...nice.  

As it was snowing outside this morning, we entered the temple doors...Thursday, 20 November 2014 as quickly as we could climb the hill.  The wind was blowing as we walked up the hill from the car.  I was freezing when we got into the foyer.  We are now asked to remove our shoes before entering the temple so we do not bring in the salt etc. left on the walks to melt the ice.  President joked that as we enter in our stocking feet we collect all the fallen water off the floor..."just hang your socks up to dry and they should be dry when you finish your service for the day"! Ha!  

For those wondering what it is like inside the temple.

'The temple is a peaceful, sacred place, set apart from the cares and turmoil of the world.  All areas of the temple are beautifully and carefully maintained to preserve a spirit of reverence.  Because it is the Lord's house, and because of the sacred work performed there, in the temple we can feel the Spirit abundantly and feel close to the Lord.  There we can receive personal revelation and spiritual strength to help us overcome our trials.  This is part of the reason we are encouraged to attend the temple regularly.'

Friday, 21 November 2014

We received a message from our son Todd this week.

He and his family are in Disney World...again!  We love the sweaters!  Tell Mickey, Merry Christmas, from us too!  Ha...when Todd was little we took him to Disneyland and he was looking at Mickey and Mickey said, "Get lost kid".  Guess what Mickey, Todd is helping to pay your salary now...no hard feelings from this son.  Merry Christmas to all the Disney characters!

I thought I would share my Christmas decorations with you all.  I heard a song on the BYU radio channel this morning.."I will be forever grateful for the path that takes me Home.  My children walk the path and the path back Home goes on.  I will be grateful, evermore, for the path that takes me Home."   I don't know who wrote and sang this, but thank you!  This path outside our Inn window takes us to the Palmyra Stake Center and the Temple...our pathway Home.  Merry Christmas from the Palmyra Inn!  Oh! and Happy Thanksgiving from Grandma's House! 

"When There's Love At Home!"

Sunday 23, 2014 

We taught our Sunday School class and then also taught Relief Society and Priesthood.  That made for a full day in Cortland NY.  We then were invited to Moravia, New York to have a meal with Ted and Robin Roberson and family.  They have six children , the oldest boy is married and lives in Utah, Katelyn is second and she is in our Sunday School Class, Ashley (she looks just like Anne of Green Gables...and I missed getting her in these pictures), Ezra, Ivan Charles and Owen Joseph.  They made a feast that was so delicious.  Thank you for inviting us to your home.  Their boys were entertaining.   We so enjoyed getting to know you all better.  We have served in the OKC Temple with Robin's father and his wife.

Grandpa stuck this on my head when we were in Wal Mart...then we went home...

to this: Ha!

The lake effect Snow really blew to Buffalo, NY and Palmyra, NY is sunny and beautiful on this Monday, 24 November 2014.   When I went swimming  this AM it was 52 degrees outside!  We hope each of you have had a great week and that you have a very peaceful Thanksgiving Day.  Hugs to each of you!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Grandpa Art and Grandma Gene

Elder and Sister Bushman

IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE LIVING IN A SNOW GLOBE.

November 12, 2014

Our only daughter, Heather, had open heart surgery the day she was born.  She has had her heart checked several times and has never been on medicine.  The doctor opened the pulmonary valve in her heart when she was born.  Since then she has had four children.  She has been feeling puny every since we left on this mission.  This morning my daughter went into the heart hospital for a check up.  They found a hole between the two upper chambers of her heart. They are looking to see if the chambers are swollen and if she has Atrial Septal Defect.  I am a wreck over here.  If she has this they want to go in and put a patch to shut the hole between the two chambers.  It is like the nightmare of her birth experience has returned.  

 
I don't know what will happen if she needs the surgery.

  I keep thinking about Sister Hinckley and her philosophy on life.  I am depending on her positiveness today.

I'm just hoping it is every day events that get Heather's heart pumping too much oxygen.  After all she has four children, right.  Then she has our neighbors, who are forever shutting off the entry way to Heather's home by parking delivery trucks in the entry instead of in their own driveway.  She is always coming and going with the children's activities.  She is always having to go and request the trucks move into the neighbor's property so she can pass...she said they always just pull up on our lawn to let her by.  Ha!  I suppose it is time to put everyone on the Palmyra Prayer List...time to take some action...right?

Meanwhile, yesterday it was over 70 degrees here and beautiful, so when we finished serving in the temple Elder Bushman insisted we go get a scraper so when the ice comes we can be prepared...then he just happened to drive up to Lake Ontario...it was so beautiful.  We had to take a selfie of possibly our last good day at the lake for awhile.  See my nose is healing.

 The water was the color of the sky!

 Handsome Elder Bushman walking along the green lawn to the waters edge.

I purchased some comfort food at Wal Mart also a kind lady from Palmyra gave me a squash.  I love fall foods.  Banana squash and Persimmons sound good together.

Thursday, 13 November 2014.  We looked out the clear window of the Palmyra Temple this morning and it is snowing.  I took this picture from our room at the Inn.  It is like looking outside at a snow globe.  Someone shook the globe and the snow is flurrying!

When we got out of the temple at 10:00 PM we had to use our ice scraper on the windshield...the wipers were frozen to the window...it is going to be a long time till Spring!  I guess we will just have to enjoy this winter wonderland!

After winning Tennessee...Hurrah...BYU will now be playing the UNLV Rebels at BYU tomorrow night....but first we get the Long Beach State 49ers basketball team vs. BYU Cougars tonight!  Elder Bushman has discovered a sister at the temple who is as big of sports nut as he is.  Sister Whitmore serves with us on Thursday evenings.  So thankful he, again, has someone to cheer and complain with..Ha!  Thank's Sister Whitmore for your BYU sports expertise...we will all be cheering BYU on to victory!

Because we like you!
Congratulations to BYU!  They won both games!

Also this weekend is planned the dedication of the Phoenix Arizona Temple.  It will be dedicated in three different sessions on Sunday.  This will become the third temple in the immediate surrounding area.  We know we have lots of Arizona relatives that will be attending this meeting Sunday.  Our love and prayers are with each of you, Sunday, as we all celebrate the opening of this great edifice for service.  There's a NEW "UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX" IN TOWN!  Time, again, to work on our  heavenly degree's.

"The ones that love us never really leave us." (a Harry Potter Quote)

Sunday, November 16, 2014
We drove to Liverpool,  New York for Syracuse New York Stake Conference today.  Elder Grant C. Bennett of the 6th Quorum of the Seventy was presiding.  We were able to sit in the Chapel by many of the Cortland Members.  Our Ward Choir sang with many from the Stake.  They did an excellent job.  Sister Bonnie Hutchinson directed them and Sister Anna Hegsted was the organist.  Sister Kathryn Downing played the violin for one song.  I was in awe with the beauty of the choir music.  They sounded like angels were attending them ( I think Shirley, Goodness and Mercy & Will were in the Choir) !  It made the whole meeting so meaningful.  After the Choir sang "The Lord Is My Shepherd" President and Sister Cahoon spoke.   We were so thankful that we were there to listen to their testimonies of the Temple.
The Cahoon's are great examples and we are so thankful we can serve with them in the NY Temple.  They set the stage for all the other speakers to talk about the importance of temple service.  Thank you President and Sister Cahoon for your preparation.  We will be pondering our notes that we wrote as you taught us. 

Grant C. Bennett, 58, Belmont, Mass.; president, CPS Technologies Corp.; former temple ordinance worker, bishop, high councilor and stake presidency member; wife: Martha Coleen Bennett, four children.

 Both he and Sister Bennett spoke to us.  Elder Bennett suggested "we weave a tapestry of beauty in our lives".  Elder Bushman whispered to me, "See as many leaves as you can".  HA!  Thank you, Elder and Sister Bennett for your words of wisdom and for your examples.  May The Lords Blessings be with you both.

President Marc Clay challenged us to study three talks.  Two were talks given in General Conference in October.  Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf; Joseph Smith by Neil L. Andersen; What Is The Blueprint Of Christ's Church a CES talk by Tad R. Callister.  Elder Bushman and I studied the Conference talks on our drive home and then we listened to Elder Callister's talk on the internet when we got back to the Inn.  Now we must put these words to work in our lives.
 
President Clay joined the Church in 1978, after he learned for himself that this church is true.  Thank you for your example President Clay.  Thank you for the great talk and for the encouragement to study the speeches above.  


As we visited with others, after the meetings, we learned Brother William Moynihan is having open heart surgery next Thursday.  He is a member of the Cortland Ward and also serves in the Temple with us.  Our love and prayers will be with him this week.  It is a good thing the closing song was "I Know that My Redeemer Lives".

He lives!  All glory to His name!

Read His Word, Read His Books
 Blessings to each of you.  
Elder & Sister Bushman
Grandpa Arthur & Grandma Gene

HAVE A HOPPY DAY AND A TOPPER OF A LIFETIME!

We are thinking of our two Birthday grandchildren today.  Happy Birthday to Jacob and Brenna!  We spoke with them both last evening as we are serving in the temple all day on this Saturday, 8 November 2014.
Jacob

Brenna

We looked out the Inn window this morning to this beautiful sunrise.

We were driving the streets of Palmyra yesterday and ran across this beautiful tree...there are still some gorgeous trees here and about.

 Elder Bushman decided we need to plant some maples in our OK yard when we return next Spring.

 It was my Mother Fay's birthday on Friday, 7 November 1926.  I remembered this picture of her I received from my Aunt Loraine. According to my Aunt, this is Topper.  My grandfather, Ford, trained horses for some movie stars.  This is a white stallion owned by William Boyd who played Hopalong Cassidy.  He is the fictional character created in 1904 by Clarence E. Mulford.  Hopalong and his horse Topper caught many bad guys with Red Connors for many comic relief.  It was also a TV series from 1952-1954.  

This is William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy, and Topper the great horse my mother rode!  Just a little history trivia for the family memories.   Once Topper got out of the barnyard he cleaned up nicely don't you agree?  Who is catching the bad guys now Topper?  Topper has gone to the great beyond with others in his cast.  I wonder if my mother Fay has ridden him through the fields of heaven yet? 

We opened the Church News to read on Saturday morning and we found Elder Bushman's brother and sister in laws photo.  They are the new Martin's Cove Visitor's Center Directors. "Blaine Jay Bushman, 66, and Margene Bingham Bushman, eight children, Midland 1st Ward, Odessa Texas Stake: Mormon Handcart Historic Site (central Wyoming), succeeding Elder Lorin L. Moench and Sister Mary Moench. Brother and Sister Bushman recently served as senior missionaries in the South Dakota Rapid City Mission. Brother Bushman is a former counselor in a stake presidency, high councilor, stake Young Men president, bishop and missionary in the Eastern Atlantic States Mission. Retired owner, Y’all Haul Trailers. Born in Winslow, Arizona, to Elwin Ewing and Genevieve Tanner Bushman.

Sister Bushman is a former stake Primary president, ward Relief Society president, counselor in ward Primary and Relief Society presidencies, and seminary teacher. Born in Vernal, Utah, to Victor Lester and Marjorie Olson Bingham."  They will be serving in Wyoming for two years, two more cold winters!

We went to the Kruckenberg's for dinner on Saturday night.  Of course I forgot to take pictures again!  It was a lovely dinner and we thank them for their kindness to us.
Sunday we had a great lesson with our youth Sunday School class.  I was asked to work in the Nursery rather than attend Relief Society which I did.
Before leaving Sister Roberson gave me a "dimeond ring" for saying I would serve in the nursery.  Now that was worth it, right?  I will treasure this awesome ring!

 Sister Hutchinson was in there also.  She was much more agile than I.  She got down on the floor with the children.  I just tried to help control the masses!

 Eve was concerned that I had such yucky soars on my nose.  I had a little girl tell me that I looked like Nanny McFee!

 These children are delightful.

After Church, Elder Bushman and I again went to the Carman's to give them the Sacrament.  The kitten's love to climb into the motor of the car, so we had to shoo some out again before we could leave.

There were kittens everywhere!

 They were cute.

Monday began with a Doctor apt. with Dr. Nickell.  She kindly gave me a B12 shot.  I learned I now have an "old heart" and have a leak in one of the valves that gives me a slight heart murmur.  She doesn't seem worried about me having it, but told me to call if I need her.  It's awesome to have a doctor married to my cousin Bruce.  I made another appointment with them both for December to go to dinner together...they are very busy at the clinic.
Later we drove to the Palmyra Cemetery to have another tour with the newer missionaries.  President and Sister Broadbent were kind enough to give us a tour.  It was about 50 outside and a beautiful sunny day.

 The Rogers built the building behind the missionaries in honor of Major Rogers.

 Can you find Grandpa Art in the pile of leaves?

For our bonus today, our daughter in law put this great picture of two more of our grandchildren.  We love Tanner and Elizabeth Bushman.  Good looking Bushman's don't you agree?  We are blessed grandparents.

We close this blog on Veterans' Day.  We are thankful we can serve in the temple on this day when so much of sacrifice relates to a holiday.  We pray for our men and women in the U. S Armed Forces services and for their families.  Thank you for the service you have given to Our Country and we the people.   We pray that your service will bring about peace to this Nation and the World.  Thanks to each of you for your efforts in behalf of each of us.  "God Bless America".

"We are as the army of Heleman
We'll Bring The World His Truth."

1. We have been born, as Nephi of old,

To goodly parents who love the Lord.

We have been taught, and we understand,

That we must do as the Lord commands.

2. We have been saved for these latter days

To build the kingdom in righteous ways.

We hear the words our prophet declares:

"Let each who's worthy go forth and share."

3. We know his plan, and we will prepare,

Increase our knowledge through study and prayer.

Daily we'll learn until we are called

To take the gospel to all the world.

We are as the army of Helaman.

We have been taught in our youth.

And we will be the Lord's missionaries

To bring the world his truth.

Words and music: Janice Kapp Perry, b. 1938

HAVE A HOPPY DAY AND A TOPPER OF A LIFETIME

LOVE, ELDER & SISTER BUSHMAN

Grandpa Art and Grandma Gene