Sorry I didn't write an update yesterday. By the time I got back to my room I was so worn out I could hardly stay on my feet. It was a busy birthday!
Let me start with an update to the night of the 19th. My friend Marlyse, who I met when I was first investigating the church in 1988, now lives in Draper, about a 30 minute drive south of where I was staying. She sent me a message on Facebook with her phone number and said she'd like to visit. I called her around 6:00 and we chatted for a bit, then she said to come to her place and she'd drive me around to see a few of the temples close to her house. We had a nice salad out in her back yard and caught up a bit. It's probably been 15 years or so since we've seen each other. She lives down the mountain from the Draper temple, and in the winter when her trees are bare she can look out her kitchen window and see the temple up on the mountain. It took five minutes to drive there, and that even included her stopping to chat with a friend who was out for a walk! From there we drove across the valley to see the new Oquirrh temple (pronounced O-ker, I didn't know that) and just down the hill from there was the Jordan River temple. When I had been in the conference center earlier in the day I had mentioned to one of the older sister missionaries there about how many temples there were in such a small area. She said she worked in the Jordan River temple on Wednesdays and that it is always jam packed. She said, "We have lots of temples here because the members are always using them." That was so wonderful to hear.
Marlyse and I had a chuckle as we were heading down to the Jordan River temple. She stopped and said, "Okay, count the church spires!" I think we counted seven of our church buildings between us and the temple. I wanted to say I found it funny, but that wasn't the right word. I found it wonderful. Wonderful to have so many Saints in one area that there's a church every few blocks, and temples dotted all over the valley.
Then we stopped in at a place called Coldstone, one of Marlyse's favorite places. It's like the Marble Slab in Calgary, where they mix up your ice cream order with various treats like nuts or candies or chunks of chocolate on a cold stone and then serve it. We had something with a base of sweet cream ice cream, almonds, and crushed Heath bars. Oh my word, that was the best ice cream I've ever tasted. At home Foothills Creamery gets the title for best ice cream, but overall, Coldstone stuff takes the gold medal, no question.
It was a lovely evening and I really enjoyed the drive and the visit with Marlyse. She and her husband moved to Utah from Calgary about 10 years ago and they just love it. They have a beautiful home and they love the climate and the absence of mosquitos! There's a good selling point right there.
The next morning I got back to Temple Square around 9:30 and parked under the conference center again. I decided I'd start there and take a tour of the building. My tour guide, Susan, was really nice and I enjoyed how much she appreciated all the art pieces throughout the building. I've never been one to really stop and look deeply at art, but she kind of made me do it and I really liked it. We went all over that place. Back and forth on each floor, into the auditorium, and up on the roof to see the landscaping and water features. I told her about my trip, why I was on it, and told her some of the experiences I've had so far. At the end of the tour she gave me a hug and said she had really enjoyed talking with me. That was a great start to the day.
I crossed the street to Temple Square and took some pictures of the temple and flowers and fountains. I found the Deseret Book store across the street on the south side of the square and spent a lot of time in there. The day before, while I was wandering around the square, I had a real desire to sit and read scriptures, but I didn't have my smart phone on me, with the scriptures downloaded onto an e-reader. Even if I had, I don't know if it would have satisfied that craving to feel pages under my fingers. So yesterday I fixed that and I finally bought myself a mini set of scriptures, the little quad with the snap cover. I got them to emboss my name on it, too. Happy birthday to me! I've been wanting one of those for years but could never justify the cost. Now I can always have scriptures with me whenever I travel.
From there I went to the church administration building to take some pictures from the observation deck on the 26th floor. I had been up there on my last visit in 1992, but security has really been ramped up since then. In '92 you could just get on the elevator and go up, but now you have to go with a tour guide who needs a key to get on the elevator and it goes only to the 26th floor. So much for hoping to randomly run into an apostle on the elevator. Bummer.
After that I went back to the conference center for an organ recital. We were encouraged to sit right up front. The organist spoke to us first and told us what he'd be playing, and what to expect, and what he enjoyed about each song. He also told us about the construction of the organ, the sizes of the pipes, and some other technical things. It was truly awesome to listen to him play, and to hear the immensely wide range of tones produced by those pipes. He played one soft song called "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need." He played it very softly, and the organ's voice was sweet and kind of breathy. It was an unusual sound but I really liked it. It really seemed to make the pipes seem like they were singing. Just beautiful! He played only for 30 minutes. I could have listened to that for a couple of hours. But it was a nice break from the heat and from all the walking around.
Next on my list was the Family History Library. They sent me up to the US/Canada floor to see what I could find about my paternal grandfather's parents. I didn't have much luck and I was getting tired, hungry, and crabby, so I left there and went next door to the museum. By now my feet were getting really sore, I was tired and hungry and I didn't do the place justice. I did a quick walk through the "Presidents of the Church" display and enjoyed seeing photos of some of them when they were toddlers. I really need to go again when I'm not so burned out.
I realized it was time to call it a day, and it seemed like I still had to walk forever to get back to the car. When your feet hurt every step feels like hard work. I got back to the hotel, then went out for a bite to eat, took most of it back to the hotel (I had a fridge in the room), then read myself to sleep.
This morning was quite cool and very windy, and during breakfast the news program was saying the Salt Lake area was going to be getting some blustery weather. Great day to be leaving! I had mixed feelings about leaving. I felt so comfortable there and I really felt like I was leaving so many things undone. Ah well, that will be an excuse to go back for another visit.
The drive to Oregon wasn't too bad. The landscape through Idaho was mostly very dry, very brown, and rather hilly. The drive was definitely more interactive than crossing Nebraska and Wyoming. I'm sitting at my desk in my room right now looking through my sliding door. The sunlight is pouring in and I have a view of the mountains. They're not quite as forested as I had expected from Oregon, but I suppose that will change tomorrow as I drive further north and west.
I'll be crossing the border back into Canada tomorrow, so tonight I have to go through my receipts to figure out the value of the stuff I'm bringing back. I sure am looking forward to seeing my friends and the new Vancouver temple!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Day 23 - still hangin' in Salt Lake City
I had a day of rest finally, on Sunday. No driving around, no rushing to get somewhere else. It was really nice for a change. I went to church at a nearby building, then came back to the hotel to read and have a really long nap. In the evening I drove up the mountain to the Bountiful temple. Amazing view from up there. It's a steep climb, in a few places I had to put the car in 2nd gear to keep it going! The altitude gives an amazingly wide view of the Salt Lake valley, with the Great Salt Lake not too far in the distance. I took a half hour drive out to the south shore of the lake but the drive-in access had closed an hour before. Not much to see there, but it has a really briny smell. What a surprise!
So that was it for excitement for the day. Watched some Youtube stuff and went to bed.
This morning I headed over to the Salt Lake temple and got there in plenty of time to do the 11:00 session. There were lots of people there. It was very interesting. I had never seen a live session before, and it really seemed to add something to the whole experience. It seemed, I don't know how to put it...it just seemed better with actual people standing there doing the talking, rather than watching a video and hearing the recorded voices I've heard so many times before.
And that temple is absolutely stunning. Just gorgeous. I'd recommend a visit there for anyone, to see it at least once. It just reopened today after two weeks of maintenance, and one of the staff there told me they'd been replacing some wall paper. I got so lost in there! I guess they had removed the signs telling you which way to go to the change rooms. I wandered around for a while until I smelled chlorine, then I beat a hasty retreat. The smell of chlorine meant I was getting close to the baptistry where the teenagers do baptisms for the dead. I was decked out in all my temple clothes, and the teens aren't supposed to see all that stuff until they get endowed for themselves, so I turned right around and tried to find another way. I finally found my way back. That place is really big and without signs you can get turned around really fast.
I wandered around Temple Square for a bit and soaked in the beauty of the gardens and how serene it was. There wasn't a lot of traffic noise in there, despite being right downtown. It's a real sanctuary in there, lots of statues and fountains and flowers...ahhhh. I could have spent all day in there.
I went into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Wow, that place is gorgeous, too. I went up to the 10th floor to have some lunch and enjoyed a west view overlooking temple square. However, for some reason (even at 2:00 when the lunch crowd was pretty much gone), it took the kitchen about 40 minutes to make me a sandwich. The manager brought it out and said they'd comp it. So, whee, an annoyingly long wait and I was very hungry, but I got a free lunch. If I were spiteful I would have ordered a few desserts to go, too! :) But I'm not like that. I was really tired. Nap time for Pammy.
I went back down to the lobby and watched tourists for a while, then went to see the movie about Joseph Smith in the Legacy Theater. There were a lot of people in there. The tissue boxes at the theater entrance should have been a hint. I thought I had a pack on me and had to resort to sniffing during loud musical moments to clear my nose. So many things in that movie turned on the tears. When Joseph's father was dying, he asked Joseph, "Will I see Alvin again?" Alvin was Joseph's oldest brother who had died several years before, as a young man. I knew the answer was yes, but those tender feelings of loss and grief in the movie made me miss mom again. I wish she was here.
I had parked my car under the conference center (free parking when you get a token from the temple), so on the way out I stopped in and peeked inside for a few minutes. Oh my goodness. The place seats 21,000 on two levels and it was constructed so that there are no supporting pillars blocking anyone's view. Fantastic! Here's a link to some photos of the place. http://byuvirtualtours.blogspot.com/2010/03/lds-conference-center.html
And now I'm back in my hotel room. Tomorrow's my birthday, although it felt like the celebration started today with being able to be in the temple. Tomorrow I'll go back to Temple Square with my camera and try to spend some time in the family history library. So much to see...should have booked myself an extra day here!
I've been thinking about home lately. I don't know what it's going to be like to be back and not have an itinerary to follow anymore. Well, for a couple of weeks, anyways. I'll be back in Utah in mid-August to go to BYU's Education Week. Can't wait for that!
There have only been a few times I've wished I had company on this trip. Today waiting for my lunch was one. But the rest of the time I'm really happy to be doing this by myself. I've spent a lot of time thinking and listening instead of doing all the talking. It's been precious time. I'll be kind of sad to see it end.
So that was it for excitement for the day. Watched some Youtube stuff and went to bed.
This morning I headed over to the Salt Lake temple and got there in plenty of time to do the 11:00 session. There were lots of people there. It was very interesting. I had never seen a live session before, and it really seemed to add something to the whole experience. It seemed, I don't know how to put it...it just seemed better with actual people standing there doing the talking, rather than watching a video and hearing the recorded voices I've heard so many times before.
And that temple is absolutely stunning. Just gorgeous. I'd recommend a visit there for anyone, to see it at least once. It just reopened today after two weeks of maintenance, and one of the staff there told me they'd been replacing some wall paper. I got so lost in there! I guess they had removed the signs telling you which way to go to the change rooms. I wandered around for a while until I smelled chlorine, then I beat a hasty retreat. The smell of chlorine meant I was getting close to the baptistry where the teenagers do baptisms for the dead. I was decked out in all my temple clothes, and the teens aren't supposed to see all that stuff until they get endowed for themselves, so I turned right around and tried to find another way. I finally found my way back. That place is really big and without signs you can get turned around really fast.
I wandered around Temple Square for a bit and soaked in the beauty of the gardens and how serene it was. There wasn't a lot of traffic noise in there, despite being right downtown. It's a real sanctuary in there, lots of statues and fountains and flowers...ahhhh. I could have spent all day in there.
I went into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Wow, that place is gorgeous, too. I went up to the 10th floor to have some lunch and enjoyed a west view overlooking temple square. However, for some reason (even at 2:00 when the lunch crowd was pretty much gone), it took the kitchen about 40 minutes to make me a sandwich. The manager brought it out and said they'd comp it. So, whee, an annoyingly long wait and I was very hungry, but I got a free lunch. If I were spiteful I would have ordered a few desserts to go, too! :) But I'm not like that. I was really tired. Nap time for Pammy.
I went back down to the lobby and watched tourists for a while, then went to see the movie about Joseph Smith in the Legacy Theater. There were a lot of people in there. The tissue boxes at the theater entrance should have been a hint. I thought I had a pack on me and had to resort to sniffing during loud musical moments to clear my nose. So many things in that movie turned on the tears. When Joseph's father was dying, he asked Joseph, "Will I see Alvin again?" Alvin was Joseph's oldest brother who had died several years before, as a young man. I knew the answer was yes, but those tender feelings of loss and grief in the movie made me miss mom again. I wish she was here.
I had parked my car under the conference center (free parking when you get a token from the temple), so on the way out I stopped in and peeked inside for a few minutes. Oh my goodness. The place seats 21,000 on two levels and it was constructed so that there are no supporting pillars blocking anyone's view. Fantastic! Here's a link to some photos of the place. http://byuvirtualtours.blogspot.com/2010/03/lds-conference-center.html
And now I'm back in my hotel room. Tomorrow's my birthday, although it felt like the celebration started today with being able to be in the temple. Tomorrow I'll go back to Temple Square with my camera and try to spend some time in the family history library. So much to see...should have booked myself an extra day here!
I've been thinking about home lately. I don't know what it's going to be like to be back and not have an itinerary to follow anymore. Well, for a couple of weeks, anyways. I'll be back in Utah in mid-August to go to BYU's Education Week. Can't wait for that!
There have only been a few times I've wished I had company on this trip. Today waiting for my lunch was one. But the rest of the time I'm really happy to be doing this by myself. I've spent a lot of time thinking and listening instead of doing all the talking. It's been precious time. I'll be kind of sad to see it end.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Day 21 - destination Salt Lake City
Oh my word. The last two days were spent crossing Nebraska and Wyoming. Talk about monotonous. Very flat, very boring. When I got into Utah today the terrain changed and it got greener and much hillier. Lots of fun, tight curves to zoom around. Whee! It's great to be in the mountains again. I hadn't seen them for just about three weeks. When you're used to seeing them lurking on the horizon every day, you kinda miss them after a while.
So I'm here in Salt Lake City for several days, and the plan is to hang out downtown for a day or two, go to the temple, check out the new conference center, the Joseph Smith Memorial building, the Family History Library, and at least a couple more of the many temples in this valley. I'm looking forward to going to church tomorrow. Last week I missed it because I had a long drive from Palmyra to Ohio and I needed to get on the road early in the morning. Next Sunday I'll be in Vancouver with my friends. I am so happy about seeing them again! It's been a long time. I had such a great time with them when I lived there. I moved from there to Calgary nine years ago. Where has the time gone?
So today, as I was trying to keep my mind interested and awake behind the wheel, I was listening to some of the general conference talks from this past April. I could feel the spirit very strongly and I shut the CD off and asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?" These words came to my mind a moment later: "Stay on this road."
Profound, as usual. The literal meaning was, of course, to stay on this road to get to Salt Lake City. The figurative meaning is to keep doing what I'm doing. I've been on the road for 21 days now and most of my time has been spent listening to church talks and the MoTabs (Mormon Tabernacle Choir, haha), pondering the events of the restoration of the church, and of course soaking in all the beautiful historical sites. I've been very focused these last few weeks. It's been such a great trip, and I'm sure it's due to feeling so absolutely confident, calm, and peaceful because I followed a prompting to take this long driving trip. This time alone has been a real time of spiritual growth for me. I've had many long hours on the road to think about things, about myself and about the youth in the church in general and the challenges they face. I'll have to keep these things in mind when I start teaching the seminary classes in September.
Just as another example of how profound the spirit is, I'll tell you a story about an experience I had many years ago. I was watching a movie about a volcano. I had seen it before and there was a scene where some scientists were right at the crater of the volcano, and a small tremor shook some rocks loose and injured one of them. I thought, wouldn't that be something to know that stuff like that was going to happen? I knew that the town at the foot of the mountain was going to be destroyed. How neat would that be to be able to tell everyone, "Listen up! There's trouble coming. You have 12 hours to get your stuff together and get to safety!" This idea was firmly in my head, and I continued giving it a lot of thought.
I knew that Christ had the power to control the elements. He did so when he calmed the storm and walked on the sea. He certainly could provide a warning to people that disaster was about to strike, to give them time to evacuate. I figured it was a righteous thing to want to help people to avoid destruction, so I bravely asked, "Could you give that power to me? What would it take to be able to do that?"
And right then that still, small voice spoke and said, "You need to know the will of God."
Wow. What a great answer. Of course He knows all the things that will happen to the earth, and He certainly could warn people. Sometimes a warning comes. Sometimes it doesn't. And we can't even pretend to know His will when something like an earthquake or tsunami or hurricane happens, because sometimes it is His will that some perish and some suffer. Often you hear people say that when the community came together to help each other after a disaster, it was such a time of bonding and love and they became closer and stronger by working and grieving together. That's part of His plan sometimes.
I asked for a superpower and got shot down because it would have to be used in accordance with God's will. I have trouble understanding His will for me sometimes, let alone the rest of the world! That little voice packs a punch in such few words.
So I'm here in Salt Lake City for several days, and the plan is to hang out downtown for a day or two, go to the temple, check out the new conference center, the Joseph Smith Memorial building, the Family History Library, and at least a couple more of the many temples in this valley. I'm looking forward to going to church tomorrow. Last week I missed it because I had a long drive from Palmyra to Ohio and I needed to get on the road early in the morning. Next Sunday I'll be in Vancouver with my friends. I am so happy about seeing them again! It's been a long time. I had such a great time with them when I lived there. I moved from there to Calgary nine years ago. Where has the time gone?
So today, as I was trying to keep my mind interested and awake behind the wheel, I was listening to some of the general conference talks from this past April. I could feel the spirit very strongly and I shut the CD off and asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?" These words came to my mind a moment later: "Stay on this road."
Profound, as usual. The literal meaning was, of course, to stay on this road to get to Salt Lake City. The figurative meaning is to keep doing what I'm doing. I've been on the road for 21 days now and most of my time has been spent listening to church talks and the MoTabs (Mormon Tabernacle Choir, haha), pondering the events of the restoration of the church, and of course soaking in all the beautiful historical sites. I've been very focused these last few weeks. It's been such a great trip, and I'm sure it's due to feeling so absolutely confident, calm, and peaceful because I followed a prompting to take this long driving trip. This time alone has been a real time of spiritual growth for me. I've had many long hours on the road to think about things, about myself and about the youth in the church in general and the challenges they face. I'll have to keep these things in mind when I start teaching the seminary classes in September.
Just as another example of how profound the spirit is, I'll tell you a story about an experience I had many years ago. I was watching a movie about a volcano. I had seen it before and there was a scene where some scientists were right at the crater of the volcano, and a small tremor shook some rocks loose and injured one of them. I thought, wouldn't that be something to know that stuff like that was going to happen? I knew that the town at the foot of the mountain was going to be destroyed. How neat would that be to be able to tell everyone, "Listen up! There's trouble coming. You have 12 hours to get your stuff together and get to safety!" This idea was firmly in my head, and I continued giving it a lot of thought.
I knew that Christ had the power to control the elements. He did so when he calmed the storm and walked on the sea. He certainly could provide a warning to people that disaster was about to strike, to give them time to evacuate. I figured it was a righteous thing to want to help people to avoid destruction, so I bravely asked, "Could you give that power to me? What would it take to be able to do that?"
And right then that still, small voice spoke and said, "You need to know the will of God."
Wow. What a great answer. Of course He knows all the things that will happen to the earth, and He certainly could warn people. Sometimes a warning comes. Sometimes it doesn't. And we can't even pretend to know His will when something like an earthquake or tsunami or hurricane happens, because sometimes it is His will that some perish and some suffer. Often you hear people say that when the community came together to help each other after a disaster, it was such a time of bonding and love and they became closer and stronger by working and grieving together. That's part of His plan sometimes.
I asked for a superpower and got shot down because it would have to be used in accordance with God's will. I have trouble understanding His will for me sometimes, let alone the rest of the world! That little voice packs a punch in such few words.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Day 19 - Nauvoo the beautiful indeed!
I'm back! I'm in Lincoln, Nebraska tonight. The drive across Iowa was lovely. I'd thought it would be very flat, but it's actually quite hilly with emerald green fields. It was a perfect day for driving, again. I've had such great weather so far!
I won't be without internet access again for the rest of my trip. Today is day 19 since I left home, I have 11 more to go. It's gone by really fast, and the last few days in church history sites have been almost overwhelming. I already wrote about my experiences in Palmyra, now I can tell about Nauvoo and Carthage.
The drive from Ohio to Nauvoo was long, about 9.5 hours and my anxiety to get there was making it feel even longer. Nauvoo is a very small place, I'd call it a village right about now. I think "town" would be stretching it a bit. The area that the Saints developed was mostly on the flats by the Mississippi. That area is now a historical site, and I don't think anyone other than those associated with the church (maintenance staff and missionary couples) live there. Everyone else lives up on the bluff where the temple is.
As soon as I checked into my room I grabbed my camera and went to the temple. What a magnificent structure. I just can't think of any other words to describe it right now. Just magnificent.
I drove down to the flats to get an idea of where things were. Based on what I'd heard about how many people lived there before the Saints were forced out under threat of death, there must have been many more homes there at that time (about 1846). There are a few brick homes rebuilt or restored, and some frame homes that were rebuilt. There is a lot of property on the flats, but I guess the lots were large and everyone had a garden and stuff. Farms were up on the bluff to the east and the farmers lived in town so they could socialize with everyone else. The Community of Christ (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has claim to some of Joseph's properties at the very south end of the flats, and you have to pay to tour them. The Smith family cemetery was free, though, so I went in there and took pictures of the stones for Joseph, his wife Emma, his brother Hyrum, and his parents Joseph Sr. and Lucy. All the sites and entertainment in the rest of historic Nauvoo was free.
The next morning I went to the temple visitor's center and watched a video about the rebuilding of the Nauvoo temple. They played the voice clip of President Hinckley announcing that they were going to build it again and I got choked up. I remembered that announcement, and I remembered I'd had the same reaction when I'd heard it the first time. What a wonderful tribute to the faithfulness of those Saints in Nauvoo who worked so hard to build that temple, only to be forced out before it was finished and to know it had been destroyed. I remember watching the temple dedication from my stake center and it was one of the most powerful events I can remember. Joseph died before he could even take part in the ordinance work for himself, and I suppose he was there that day the new one was dedicated.
I noticed that the angel Moroni on the top of the temple pointed west, not east, as the statue does on almost every other temple that has Moroni on it. I asked the missionary couple about that, and they showed me a framed quote from President Hinckley that said that the angel Moroni statue on the Salt Lake City temple faces east, and the one on the Nauvoo temple faces west to act like bookends on the trials of the faithful saints. What a lovely thought.
I went to the Historical Nauvoo visitor's center and tried to get a ticket for a carriage ride through the area but all the tickets were already gone. There are just hordes of tourists there in July because the church puts on the Nauvoo pageant and it's a really big deal, stuff going on pretty much all day every day in July. I walked through the beautiful Relief Society garden just behind the visitor's center and took pictures of the statues of women and some of the beautiful flower beds.
From there I walked along the Trail of Hope. This is along Parley Street, where the Saints lined up with their belongings on wagons to leave Nauvoo before the deadline. Anyone still in Nauvoo after a certain date was threatened with death by the anti-Mormon mobs. Along the road are plaques with quotes from some of the Saints, taken from their journals many years later. At the end of the road was the majestic Mississippi, and a building called the Pioneer Memorial. I braced myself and went inside. All along the walls are the names of over 2,000 Saints who left Nauvoo but perished on the long and difficult trek towards the Salt Lake Valley. I read as many as I could, then went outside and wept. I can't even imagine the strength and faith it would take to leave the beautiful city they built with their own hands, be forced out at gunpoint in the middle of the winter, and yet start that journey with great faith that the Lord would look after them. They were tried so bitterly and yet they persevered and kept going, looking forward to finding a home where no one could come and threaten them anymore. I wonder if that kind of call ever comes to me, if I could do what they did. I hope I could be counted as faithful as they were.
At the river is a statue of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, looking west over the river, and Joseph is pointing, as if he's telling Brigham to lead the Saints to peace and safety far off into the mountains. Joseph was kind of like Moses, in a way, who did so much work and yet was not allowed to set foot in the promised land. Moses handed the leadership to Joshua, and Brigham was chosen to succeed Joseph as the prophet and President of the church. It's kind of sad that Joseph didn't get to go with them, but he got the foundations laid down and the rest of the work was to get the Saints to a safe harbor.
Later in the afternoon I went to the temple for an endowment session. It is so beautiful inside! It's like the Cardston temple in that you move from room to room, and the artwork in those rooms, especially in the creation and garden rooms, is just stunning. Very realistic and vibrant. It was such an honor to be in there. I don't know how many people use it on a regular basis, but I know in July you have to call ahead and reserve a seat for a session! My session was actually very small, but when I'd been by in the morning the parking lot was jam packed. One of the sisters told me that the exterior is almost 100% true to the original, but the inside is quite different because they had to allow for current building codes and plumbing, AC, wiring, those kinds of things. I wish I could know what the inside looked like in the original one.
The next day I drove to Carthage, about half an hour away from Nauvoo. This was where Joseph and Hyrum were taken and imprisoned on false charges, and where a mob attacked them in the jail and killed them. Our group went into the upstairs room of the jail where they spent their last day, and I sat beside the window Joseph fell from. Before the tour we'd watched a video of the events leading up to their leaving Nauvoo for the last time, and the tears started when Joseph was hugging his wife and children goodbye, so tenderly, and when Emma asked, "You're coming back, aren't you?", he didn't answer. He'd been to jail a few times before but eventually was released once the judges realized there was no legal reason to hold him any longer. But this time, he knew. He knew this was the end. A statue of Joseph and Hyrum on horseback stands in front of the Nauvoo temple. It's called "The Prophet's Last Ride." They rode away along the bluff overlooking the city and Joseph said, "This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens; little do they know the trials that await them."
In the upstairs room our large tour group walked past the original door with the bullet holes in it and sat down. A tape was played, a narration of what happened in that room, and when it was done there was hardly a dry eye. The spirit was burning very strongly in there and was reminding us all that Joseph was indeed a prophet of God.
I got back to Nauvoo and toured a couple of buildings before the incredible heat and humidity proved to be too much. I went through John Taylor's home, and the home and workshop of Jonathan Browning, inventor and maker of rifles and guns still in use today.
After retreating to my motel room to enjoy the air conditioning and a few hours of mindless TV, I thought I'd try my luck and set out to see a couple of shows in the evening. I wanted to see Sunset By The Mississippi, an old-time variety show held at an outdoor theater by the visitor's center. I got there and there were lots of cars, but no one outside. I went inside and saw that they were doing the show in a theater in the building because it was still just way too hot outside. It was great, singing and dancing and music. Most of the group were the elderly missionary couples, but they had a bunch of young'uns (early 20s) who were serving special missions to be in the pageant. There weren't a lot of them, but they were sure versatile! They all sang beautifully, danced, and the ones who played music were experts on at least two instruments. I wonder if these are students from BYU performing arts or something. They were fantastic.
After this show was done there was about 30 minutes before the pageant started. By this time the sun had set and it was starting to cool off just a bit. I walked over to the other, much larger, outdoor theater for the pageant and wandered through the pre-show festival. They had old-time games for the kids, a band playing and people dancing, a family history research area, drinks and snacks, and lots of other activities. The program started and it was starting to get dark. Behind the stage, up on the bluff, was the temple, and I was surprised to see that all the lights were off, even the interior ones. Usually they're on all the time and it's lit up at night. Hmm.
The show was really well done, another huge cast (including all the young performers from the show I'd just seen), they did lots of dancing and singing and, like the Hill Cumorah pageant, it was quite elaborate, well directed, and the stage was quite creative and versatile.
At one point the narrator, Parley P. Pratt, talked about how happy they had been in those few years in Nauvoo, with so many new converts from England and Wales arriving to join them there, how peaceful it was, and how the children enjoyed running under the stars at night. It was a clear night and I leaned my head back to look up into the blackness of the night sky and felt a closeness to them by knowing I was sitting on the same patch of grass under the same stars they did. A great sense of calm and peace settled over me. What a lovely place this was, and how wonderful to know that all those lights up in the blackness were put there by the same loving Father who made this world for us. I felt connected with everything right then. I felt complete.
The pageant included a reference to Joseph and Hyrum being murdered, and a frame of the temple had been raised, piece by piece, at the back of the stage. When it was done they lit it up, but then as the narration continued, about the Saints being driven out and the temple destroyed, the stage temple slowly came down and the lights went off.
Then I got to hear President Hinckley's voice again as he announced that the Nauvoo temple would be rebuilt as a monument to the Saints in Nauvoo, and then the real temple on the bluff was lit up. It was the star of the show! Happy tears came again to hear his voice, to remember the joy of knowing the temple would stand again, the joy of seeing it stand there now, and to know, just to know, that it's all real and true.
My prayers for the last 19 days have been filled with expressions of gratitude for the opportunity to take this trip. I haven't traveled one mile alone. Heavenly Father has been with me every second, and as I've listened to so many inspiring talks and sacred music I've never felt closer to Him. He inspired me to take this trip and to see all these places and to feel the spirit in them. Now that I've been to these places I'll have these memories forever.
My journey isn't over, but the next places I go to are places a lot of you have already been to. Not many have made the trip to Palmyra and Nauvoo. I hope my memories of this trip might inspire you to want to experience them for yourself. I heard a quote from President Hinckley that every Latter-day Saint should come to Nauvoo and experience it at least once. I whole-heartedly agree. I can't endorse one place more than the other, though. I don't know if Nauvoo would have felt the same to me if I hadn't been to Palmyra first.
Go to both. You'll be very glad you did.
I won't be without internet access again for the rest of my trip. Today is day 19 since I left home, I have 11 more to go. It's gone by really fast, and the last few days in church history sites have been almost overwhelming. I already wrote about my experiences in Palmyra, now I can tell about Nauvoo and Carthage.
The drive from Ohio to Nauvoo was long, about 9.5 hours and my anxiety to get there was making it feel even longer. Nauvoo is a very small place, I'd call it a village right about now. I think "town" would be stretching it a bit. The area that the Saints developed was mostly on the flats by the Mississippi. That area is now a historical site, and I don't think anyone other than those associated with the church (maintenance staff and missionary couples) live there. Everyone else lives up on the bluff where the temple is.
As soon as I checked into my room I grabbed my camera and went to the temple. What a magnificent structure. I just can't think of any other words to describe it right now. Just magnificent.
I drove down to the flats to get an idea of where things were. Based on what I'd heard about how many people lived there before the Saints were forced out under threat of death, there must have been many more homes there at that time (about 1846). There are a few brick homes rebuilt or restored, and some frame homes that were rebuilt. There is a lot of property on the flats, but I guess the lots were large and everyone had a garden and stuff. Farms were up on the bluff to the east and the farmers lived in town so they could socialize with everyone else. The Community of Christ (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has claim to some of Joseph's properties at the very south end of the flats, and you have to pay to tour them. The Smith family cemetery was free, though, so I went in there and took pictures of the stones for Joseph, his wife Emma, his brother Hyrum, and his parents Joseph Sr. and Lucy. All the sites and entertainment in the rest of historic Nauvoo was free.
The next morning I went to the temple visitor's center and watched a video about the rebuilding of the Nauvoo temple. They played the voice clip of President Hinckley announcing that they were going to build it again and I got choked up. I remembered that announcement, and I remembered I'd had the same reaction when I'd heard it the first time. What a wonderful tribute to the faithfulness of those Saints in Nauvoo who worked so hard to build that temple, only to be forced out before it was finished and to know it had been destroyed. I remember watching the temple dedication from my stake center and it was one of the most powerful events I can remember. Joseph died before he could even take part in the ordinance work for himself, and I suppose he was there that day the new one was dedicated.
I noticed that the angel Moroni on the top of the temple pointed west, not east, as the statue does on almost every other temple that has Moroni on it. I asked the missionary couple about that, and they showed me a framed quote from President Hinckley that said that the angel Moroni statue on the Salt Lake City temple faces east, and the one on the Nauvoo temple faces west to act like bookends on the trials of the faithful saints. What a lovely thought.
I went to the Historical Nauvoo visitor's center and tried to get a ticket for a carriage ride through the area but all the tickets were already gone. There are just hordes of tourists there in July because the church puts on the Nauvoo pageant and it's a really big deal, stuff going on pretty much all day every day in July. I walked through the beautiful Relief Society garden just behind the visitor's center and took pictures of the statues of women and some of the beautiful flower beds.
From there I walked along the Trail of Hope. This is along Parley Street, where the Saints lined up with their belongings on wagons to leave Nauvoo before the deadline. Anyone still in Nauvoo after a certain date was threatened with death by the anti-Mormon mobs. Along the road are plaques with quotes from some of the Saints, taken from their journals many years later. At the end of the road was the majestic Mississippi, and a building called the Pioneer Memorial. I braced myself and went inside. All along the walls are the names of over 2,000 Saints who left Nauvoo but perished on the long and difficult trek towards the Salt Lake Valley. I read as many as I could, then went outside and wept. I can't even imagine the strength and faith it would take to leave the beautiful city they built with their own hands, be forced out at gunpoint in the middle of the winter, and yet start that journey with great faith that the Lord would look after them. They were tried so bitterly and yet they persevered and kept going, looking forward to finding a home where no one could come and threaten them anymore. I wonder if that kind of call ever comes to me, if I could do what they did. I hope I could be counted as faithful as they were.
At the river is a statue of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, looking west over the river, and Joseph is pointing, as if he's telling Brigham to lead the Saints to peace and safety far off into the mountains. Joseph was kind of like Moses, in a way, who did so much work and yet was not allowed to set foot in the promised land. Moses handed the leadership to Joshua, and Brigham was chosen to succeed Joseph as the prophet and President of the church. It's kind of sad that Joseph didn't get to go with them, but he got the foundations laid down and the rest of the work was to get the Saints to a safe harbor.
Later in the afternoon I went to the temple for an endowment session. It is so beautiful inside! It's like the Cardston temple in that you move from room to room, and the artwork in those rooms, especially in the creation and garden rooms, is just stunning. Very realistic and vibrant. It was such an honor to be in there. I don't know how many people use it on a regular basis, but I know in July you have to call ahead and reserve a seat for a session! My session was actually very small, but when I'd been by in the morning the parking lot was jam packed. One of the sisters told me that the exterior is almost 100% true to the original, but the inside is quite different because they had to allow for current building codes and plumbing, AC, wiring, those kinds of things. I wish I could know what the inside looked like in the original one.
The next day I drove to Carthage, about half an hour away from Nauvoo. This was where Joseph and Hyrum were taken and imprisoned on false charges, and where a mob attacked them in the jail and killed them. Our group went into the upstairs room of the jail where they spent their last day, and I sat beside the window Joseph fell from. Before the tour we'd watched a video of the events leading up to their leaving Nauvoo for the last time, and the tears started when Joseph was hugging his wife and children goodbye, so tenderly, and when Emma asked, "You're coming back, aren't you?", he didn't answer. He'd been to jail a few times before but eventually was released once the judges realized there was no legal reason to hold him any longer. But this time, he knew. He knew this was the end. A statue of Joseph and Hyrum on horseback stands in front of the Nauvoo temple. It's called "The Prophet's Last Ride." They rode away along the bluff overlooking the city and Joseph said, "This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens; little do they know the trials that await them."
In the upstairs room our large tour group walked past the original door with the bullet holes in it and sat down. A tape was played, a narration of what happened in that room, and when it was done there was hardly a dry eye. The spirit was burning very strongly in there and was reminding us all that Joseph was indeed a prophet of God.
I got back to Nauvoo and toured a couple of buildings before the incredible heat and humidity proved to be too much. I went through John Taylor's home, and the home and workshop of Jonathan Browning, inventor and maker of rifles and guns still in use today.
After retreating to my motel room to enjoy the air conditioning and a few hours of mindless TV, I thought I'd try my luck and set out to see a couple of shows in the evening. I wanted to see Sunset By The Mississippi, an old-time variety show held at an outdoor theater by the visitor's center. I got there and there were lots of cars, but no one outside. I went inside and saw that they were doing the show in a theater in the building because it was still just way too hot outside. It was great, singing and dancing and music. Most of the group were the elderly missionary couples, but they had a bunch of young'uns (early 20s) who were serving special missions to be in the pageant. There weren't a lot of them, but they were sure versatile! They all sang beautifully, danced, and the ones who played music were experts on at least two instruments. I wonder if these are students from BYU performing arts or something. They were fantastic.
After this show was done there was about 30 minutes before the pageant started. By this time the sun had set and it was starting to cool off just a bit. I walked over to the other, much larger, outdoor theater for the pageant and wandered through the pre-show festival. They had old-time games for the kids, a band playing and people dancing, a family history research area, drinks and snacks, and lots of other activities. The program started and it was starting to get dark. Behind the stage, up on the bluff, was the temple, and I was surprised to see that all the lights were off, even the interior ones. Usually they're on all the time and it's lit up at night. Hmm.
The show was really well done, another huge cast (including all the young performers from the show I'd just seen), they did lots of dancing and singing and, like the Hill Cumorah pageant, it was quite elaborate, well directed, and the stage was quite creative and versatile.
At one point the narrator, Parley P. Pratt, talked about how happy they had been in those few years in Nauvoo, with so many new converts from England and Wales arriving to join them there, how peaceful it was, and how the children enjoyed running under the stars at night. It was a clear night and I leaned my head back to look up into the blackness of the night sky and felt a closeness to them by knowing I was sitting on the same patch of grass under the same stars they did. A great sense of calm and peace settled over me. What a lovely place this was, and how wonderful to know that all those lights up in the blackness were put there by the same loving Father who made this world for us. I felt connected with everything right then. I felt complete.
The pageant included a reference to Joseph and Hyrum being murdered, and a frame of the temple had been raised, piece by piece, at the back of the stage. When it was done they lit it up, but then as the narration continued, about the Saints being driven out and the temple destroyed, the stage temple slowly came down and the lights went off.
Then I got to hear President Hinckley's voice again as he announced that the Nauvoo temple would be rebuilt as a monument to the Saints in Nauvoo, and then the real temple on the bluff was lit up. It was the star of the show! Happy tears came again to hear his voice, to remember the joy of knowing the temple would stand again, the joy of seeing it stand there now, and to know, just to know, that it's all real and true.
My prayers for the last 19 days have been filled with expressions of gratitude for the opportunity to take this trip. I haven't traveled one mile alone. Heavenly Father has been with me every second, and as I've listened to so many inspiring talks and sacred music I've never felt closer to Him. He inspired me to take this trip and to see all these places and to feel the spirit in them. Now that I've been to these places I'll have these memories forever.
My journey isn't over, but the next places I go to are places a lot of you have already been to. Not many have made the trip to Palmyra and Nauvoo. I hope my memories of this trip might inspire you to want to experience them for yourself. I heard a quote from President Hinckley that every Latter-day Saint should come to Nauvoo and experience it at least once. I whole-heartedly agree. I can't endorse one place more than the other, though. I don't know if Nauvoo would have felt the same to me if I hadn't been to Palmyra first.
Go to both. You'll be very glad you did.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Day 15 - halfway through. In Bowling Green, Ohio
I feel like I'm really falling behind on my posts since I don't have internet access at every hotel. I can at least tell you about my two days in Palmyra, New York.
The drive from Boston was lovely, but it felt long. It was another clear and hot day until I neared Palmyra. The sky was very dark, almost black and I wondered if I'd be lucky enough to see a tornado! That's one of the things on my wish list. Earthquake was on there, too, but I experienced one in Vancouver in 2001 so that's off my list now.
Anyhow, by the time I got to the motel it was raining pretty steadily. The clerk told me they hadn't had rain in eight days. I guess for them that's a real long dry spell. I put all my bags in my room and headed out immediately to the Hill Cumorah. It was pouring so hard by then that the wipers on high couldn't keep the windshield clear and I could hardly see 40 feet in front of the car. All the traffic slowed down dramatically. Lightning was flashing and I figured, well, with this much fury it's got to blow over soon. Right?
I saw the signs for pageant parking first and then I looked over and saw the hill and I got a lump in my throat. This was it! This was the place where Moroni buried the gold plates, and then as a resurrected being gave them to Joseph Smith about 1400 years later! It was a surprisingly emotional response to seeing this place. Finally. I've been wanting to come for 21 years and today was the day I saw it with my own eyes.
I continued on towards the temple and the sacred grove but the crowds and the rain were both crazy so I continued on into the village of Palmyra to see if I could get something to eat there. I couldn't find a restaurant so I went back to Farmington to look. No luck there, either. I could choose groceries, gas station sandwiches, or take-out pizza. I opted for the pizza. I got a huge one for $15 and it fed me for a couple of days. I bought a couple of rain ponchos and got another one, thinking someone else might need one there.
I got to the Hill two hours before the show started, found a seat, draped myself, my backpack, and my chair in plastic and sat and waited. A young, newly married couple from Virginia sat next to me and we had a nice conversation before and after the show.
The rain had lessened considerably from the torrent a couple of hours previously. I had called the pageant to see if the show would still go on, and they said it certainly would and that only lightning would cancel it. About a half hour before the show the sky suddenly turned purple. We were all seated facing east, so everyone turned around to the west to see what was happening. The most amazing and vibrant purple sunset lit the sky. A few seconds before it had all been dark, and then suddenly we were treated to a most spectacular sunset. Everyone was taking pictures of it. Just a few minutes later it had faded.
A couple arrived in the rain and found seats a few rows ahead of me. They were unprepared for the weather and were quite wet. The husband had a small plastic shopping bag that he tied around his head, much to his wife's amusement. I took my remaining rain poncho to them to share and they were very grateful. They offered to get it back to me later but I told them to keep it. It had only cost me a few dollars and it felt good to have been able to help them out.
The lady next to me was very certain that the rain would be nothing but a "light mist" when the show started. I prayed many times in those couple of hours that the rain would stop, and the pageant started with an opening prayer asking Heavenly Father to "temper the elements". Just as the prayer ended the rain stopped and reduced to a very fine mist. The show started.
There were about 800 cast members and at the very beginning they all filed up from the aisles in the audience section, then scampered away to get ready for their scenes. It was all really well done. The set was impressive and versatile, the effects were really good, and the costumes were fabulous. The part that got me the most, though, was after the three days of darkness after Christ had died. All the lights were out, and the sky was dark with clouds. The voice of the Lord came through the darkness and the tears started. Oh, wouldn't it have been wonderful to hear that voice! Then the spotlights lit up Christ in the air, and then he slowly descended. He called the people to come to him, to feel the wounds in his hands and feet and side and I wanted to run up there to be with him. I just sat there and let the tears flow. I am so grateful, unbelievably grateful, to have a testimony of Christ as the Savior of us all, and to have a testimony from Heavenly Father that the Book of Mormon is real and true. I am so deeply blessed to know that.
The show was over shortly after and I got back to the motel and took a long, hot shower. It had been a long drive and it was about 11:30 when I got home, so I was good and tired.
The next morning was clear and warm and sunny and I went back to the hill to go through the visitor's center and go to the top of the hill. The visitor's center has a Christus statue, which is Christ standing with open arms, inviting us to come to him. We watched a video called "The Restoration", about Joseph Smith's prayer and his vision in the sacred grove. The spirit was very strong in there and tears came again. This restored gospel hinges on one thing; whether or not Joseph was a true prophet. I know he was, and I know this church is Christ's true church restored in these latter days. The spirit was burning strongly inside me all day.
I drove to the top of the hill and marveled to know that Moroni and Joseph, two of God's prophets, had walked this hill more than 1,000 years apart. What a privilege to be there on that hill.
I went to Palmyra next and had a tour of the E.B. Grandin printing shop where the Book of Mormon was first printed in 1830. The shop still has all the original floor boards and shelves and doors from that time. Joseph walked here, and this treasure of scripture, the Book of Mormon, was printed here for the first time. The spirit was very strong in that building, bearing witness that what happened here was so very important. I know it!
I had a bit of lunch and then went to the temple to do an endowment session. The temple is one of the small ones, and it was my first time in one of those. It was very lovely. All of the windows are stained glass and are patterned to look like trees in the sacred grove, except for the one window that looks west to the sacred grove. President Hinckely, the prophet and President of the church at that time, asked the temple committee to leave that one window with clear panes to allow the view of the sacred grove.
After the temple I went to the Smith farm and sacred grove. First was the log house the Smith family lived in when they first settled in Palmyra. It was surprisingly roomy. There were four beds in the upper level, and in the small room at the far end was where Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith. It felt very sacred in there. I still can't believe I stood in that same spot where that took place.
After a quick look through the frame house, their second and larger home on the same property (I missed most of the tour guide's talk as I was waiting to use the restroom outside), I was finally in the sacred grove. The missionaries had asked people to be reverent and quiet in there because many people liked to sit on the benches along the trails and ponder what took place in this grove.
The exact location of where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to young Joseph is unknown, but it did happen, and it happened somewhere in that patch of forest. I found a bench and sat for a long while, feeling the spirit so strongly and offering my gratitude to Heavenly Father for the opportunity to finally be there. I already knew that Joseph was a prophet and that what he said happened there really happened. I wasn't looking for a stronger testimony of that, because I already know it's true. But it was so special, all the same, to be there in the cool, quiet reverence of that grove and thank God for being part of this church in these last days.
Finally I felt it was time to go. As I walked back to the car I looked east and saw the temple on the rise, looking over the grove. This is where it all began. A simple, heartfelt prayer by a 14 year old boy set in motion amazing events that brought the full gospel of Jesus Christ back to earth for the last time, for this final gospel dispensation. And I know about it. And I know it's true. I am so blessed!
I was a little sad to drive away from Palmyra this morning, but I am looking forward to being in the city of Joseph, in Nauvoo, Illinois. Tonight I'm in Ohio but tomorrow evening I'll be within a few blocks of the Nauvoo temple. I'll be going to the Carthage jail where Joseph and his brother Hyrum were martyred. I wonder how that will hit me. Many years ago I watched a re-enactment of the events of June 27, 1844, performed by members of my ward. When the mob rushed the door I almost jumped out of my seat to protect Joseph. I knew I couldn't and my heart just ached. I can't imagine the Saints' pain at his loss. The enemies of the church thought the saints would be scattered and hopeless at Joseph's death, but they weren't. They grieved, got back to work amid increasing persecution, prayerfully sustained a new prophet in Brigham Young, and soon after crossed the plains to find a peaceful life in the Salt Lake valley. The church remained strong and is stronger than ever now because it is true. People are recognizing it as such and are coming to Christ through His restored gospel.
Joseph Smith is my hero. He was so faithful and dedicated and persevered even through persecution, pain, sorrow, and physical and emotional torment, and he served the Lord faithfully until his dying breath. I can't wait to meet him in the next life and thank him for all he did.
The drive from Boston was lovely, but it felt long. It was another clear and hot day until I neared Palmyra. The sky was very dark, almost black and I wondered if I'd be lucky enough to see a tornado! That's one of the things on my wish list. Earthquake was on there, too, but I experienced one in Vancouver in 2001 so that's off my list now.
Anyhow, by the time I got to the motel it was raining pretty steadily. The clerk told me they hadn't had rain in eight days. I guess for them that's a real long dry spell. I put all my bags in my room and headed out immediately to the Hill Cumorah. It was pouring so hard by then that the wipers on high couldn't keep the windshield clear and I could hardly see 40 feet in front of the car. All the traffic slowed down dramatically. Lightning was flashing and I figured, well, with this much fury it's got to blow over soon. Right?
I saw the signs for pageant parking first and then I looked over and saw the hill and I got a lump in my throat. This was it! This was the place where Moroni buried the gold plates, and then as a resurrected being gave them to Joseph Smith about 1400 years later! It was a surprisingly emotional response to seeing this place. Finally. I've been wanting to come for 21 years and today was the day I saw it with my own eyes.
I continued on towards the temple and the sacred grove but the crowds and the rain were both crazy so I continued on into the village of Palmyra to see if I could get something to eat there. I couldn't find a restaurant so I went back to Farmington to look. No luck there, either. I could choose groceries, gas station sandwiches, or take-out pizza. I opted for the pizza. I got a huge one for $15 and it fed me for a couple of days. I bought a couple of rain ponchos and got another one, thinking someone else might need one there.
I got to the Hill two hours before the show started, found a seat, draped myself, my backpack, and my chair in plastic and sat and waited. A young, newly married couple from Virginia sat next to me and we had a nice conversation before and after the show.
The rain had lessened considerably from the torrent a couple of hours previously. I had called the pageant to see if the show would still go on, and they said it certainly would and that only lightning would cancel it. About a half hour before the show the sky suddenly turned purple. We were all seated facing east, so everyone turned around to the west to see what was happening. The most amazing and vibrant purple sunset lit the sky. A few seconds before it had all been dark, and then suddenly we were treated to a most spectacular sunset. Everyone was taking pictures of it. Just a few minutes later it had faded.
A couple arrived in the rain and found seats a few rows ahead of me. They were unprepared for the weather and were quite wet. The husband had a small plastic shopping bag that he tied around his head, much to his wife's amusement. I took my remaining rain poncho to them to share and they were very grateful. They offered to get it back to me later but I told them to keep it. It had only cost me a few dollars and it felt good to have been able to help them out.
The lady next to me was very certain that the rain would be nothing but a "light mist" when the show started. I prayed many times in those couple of hours that the rain would stop, and the pageant started with an opening prayer asking Heavenly Father to "temper the elements". Just as the prayer ended the rain stopped and reduced to a very fine mist. The show started.
There were about 800 cast members and at the very beginning they all filed up from the aisles in the audience section, then scampered away to get ready for their scenes. It was all really well done. The set was impressive and versatile, the effects were really good, and the costumes were fabulous. The part that got me the most, though, was after the three days of darkness after Christ had died. All the lights were out, and the sky was dark with clouds. The voice of the Lord came through the darkness and the tears started. Oh, wouldn't it have been wonderful to hear that voice! Then the spotlights lit up Christ in the air, and then he slowly descended. He called the people to come to him, to feel the wounds in his hands and feet and side and I wanted to run up there to be with him. I just sat there and let the tears flow. I am so grateful, unbelievably grateful, to have a testimony of Christ as the Savior of us all, and to have a testimony from Heavenly Father that the Book of Mormon is real and true. I am so deeply blessed to know that.
The show was over shortly after and I got back to the motel and took a long, hot shower. It had been a long drive and it was about 11:30 when I got home, so I was good and tired.
The next morning was clear and warm and sunny and I went back to the hill to go through the visitor's center and go to the top of the hill. The visitor's center has a Christus statue, which is Christ standing with open arms, inviting us to come to him. We watched a video called "The Restoration", about Joseph Smith's prayer and his vision in the sacred grove. The spirit was very strong in there and tears came again. This restored gospel hinges on one thing; whether or not Joseph was a true prophet. I know he was, and I know this church is Christ's true church restored in these latter days. The spirit was burning strongly inside me all day.
I drove to the top of the hill and marveled to know that Moroni and Joseph, two of God's prophets, had walked this hill more than 1,000 years apart. What a privilege to be there on that hill.
I went to Palmyra next and had a tour of the E.B. Grandin printing shop where the Book of Mormon was first printed in 1830. The shop still has all the original floor boards and shelves and doors from that time. Joseph walked here, and this treasure of scripture, the Book of Mormon, was printed here for the first time. The spirit was very strong in that building, bearing witness that what happened here was so very important. I know it!
I had a bit of lunch and then went to the temple to do an endowment session. The temple is one of the small ones, and it was my first time in one of those. It was very lovely. All of the windows are stained glass and are patterned to look like trees in the sacred grove, except for the one window that looks west to the sacred grove. President Hinckely, the prophet and President of the church at that time, asked the temple committee to leave that one window with clear panes to allow the view of the sacred grove.
After the temple I went to the Smith farm and sacred grove. First was the log house the Smith family lived in when they first settled in Palmyra. It was surprisingly roomy. There were four beds in the upper level, and in the small room at the far end was where Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith. It felt very sacred in there. I still can't believe I stood in that same spot where that took place.
After a quick look through the frame house, their second and larger home on the same property (I missed most of the tour guide's talk as I was waiting to use the restroom outside), I was finally in the sacred grove. The missionaries had asked people to be reverent and quiet in there because many people liked to sit on the benches along the trails and ponder what took place in this grove.
The exact location of where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to young Joseph is unknown, but it did happen, and it happened somewhere in that patch of forest. I found a bench and sat for a long while, feeling the spirit so strongly and offering my gratitude to Heavenly Father for the opportunity to finally be there. I already knew that Joseph was a prophet and that what he said happened there really happened. I wasn't looking for a stronger testimony of that, because I already know it's true. But it was so special, all the same, to be there in the cool, quiet reverence of that grove and thank God for being part of this church in these last days.
Finally I felt it was time to go. As I walked back to the car I looked east and saw the temple on the rise, looking over the grove. This is where it all began. A simple, heartfelt prayer by a 14 year old boy set in motion amazing events that brought the full gospel of Jesus Christ back to earth for the last time, for this final gospel dispensation. And I know about it. And I know it's true. I am so blessed!
I was a little sad to drive away from Palmyra this morning, but I am looking forward to being in the city of Joseph, in Nauvoo, Illinois. Tonight I'm in Ohio but tomorrow evening I'll be within a few blocks of the Nauvoo temple. I'll be going to the Carthage jail where Joseph and his brother Hyrum were martyred. I wonder how that will hit me. Many years ago I watched a re-enactment of the events of June 27, 1844, performed by members of my ward. When the mob rushed the door I almost jumped out of my seat to protect Joseph. I knew I couldn't and my heart just ached. I can't imagine the Saints' pain at his loss. The enemies of the church thought the saints would be scattered and hopeless at Joseph's death, but they weren't. They grieved, got back to work amid increasing persecution, prayerfully sustained a new prophet in Brigham Young, and soon after crossed the plains to find a peaceful life in the Salt Lake valley. The church remained strong and is stronger than ever now because it is true. People are recognizing it as such and are coming to Christ through His restored gospel.
Joseph Smith is my hero. He was so faithful and dedicated and persevered even through persecution, pain, sorrow, and physical and emotional torment, and he served the Lord faithfully until his dying breath. I can't wait to meet him in the next life and thank him for all he did.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Day 12 - Boston
It was hot today. Hot and humid. When I started my tour around 9:30 we had a nice breeze and it was very comfortable. By 2:00 I could see the writing on the wall; namely, "If you decide to go on the guided tour of the USS Constitution and go down into the stifling lower decks, all will probably NOT be well." So I opted to heed my hunch and went back to the car. I'm now in my dark and cool hotel room, having had a cool shower and I'm staying put for the night. I was going to go to the Boston temple but I had a big early dinner and the heat has tired me out. I'm going to catch up on my Youtube subscriptions tonight and get lots of sleep.
I learned today that a half-day of whizzing around downtown Boston is only enough to whet the appetite for more. This place is absolutely jam-packed with history. As the tour boat left the wharf for a short tour of the harbor, the tour guide was mentioning that at these very docks the British soldiers arrived to tame the uppity colonists. Those same British soldiers sailed away on March 17, 1776 (Evacuation Day, known by most of the rest of the world as St. Patrick's Day) and never returned. I was facing backwards then, watching the city very slowly recede and I wondered what it would have been like to see the Brits sailing away.
This is such a beautiful city, and the drive here was just incredible. The mountains are rocky but are mostly covered with deciduous trees. I would love to drive through here in the fall, but I'm afraid I'd never be able to keep my eyes on the road! I have a thing for fall colors and I know here in the east they get so much more vibrant colors (red, specifically) than we do in Alberta. It's too cold and dry there for maples to grow, so we make do by drooling over the September and October pages in the free calendars delivered by hopeful real estate agents.
Maybe when I finish school for good I could come out here some October and take my time (at least a good, full week) to learn and appreciate all the history in this small area. Fascinating!
I also learned that I should have used the SPF 50 today. I used 30 and my legs are a bit red. I probably should have just reapplied it but, well, it never occurred to me. I took about 150 pictures today! Most are pretty bad because I was shooting from the tour trolley, so there are window frames, reflections, and motion blur in a lot of them. Next time I come I'm going to fly in, stay in a hotel downtown, and then get out every day and see as much as I can!
Tomorrow evening I'll be in Palmyra watching the Hill Cumorah pageant! I've been waiting for this for 21 years...oh, I should charge up the camera battery again while I'm thinking of it. I'll be there for two nights. Saturday I'll be touring the town and the sacred grove, and maybe doing a session at the temple. Sure hope it's a little cooler out there.
I may be without internet access again for the next two nights, so just hold tight!
I learned today that a half-day of whizzing around downtown Boston is only enough to whet the appetite for more. This place is absolutely jam-packed with history. As the tour boat left the wharf for a short tour of the harbor, the tour guide was mentioning that at these very docks the British soldiers arrived to tame the uppity colonists. Those same British soldiers sailed away on March 17, 1776 (Evacuation Day, known by most of the rest of the world as St. Patrick's Day) and never returned. I was facing backwards then, watching the city very slowly recede and I wondered what it would have been like to see the Brits sailing away.
This is such a beautiful city, and the drive here was just incredible. The mountains are rocky but are mostly covered with deciduous trees. I would love to drive through here in the fall, but I'm afraid I'd never be able to keep my eyes on the road! I have a thing for fall colors and I know here in the east they get so much more vibrant colors (red, specifically) than we do in Alberta. It's too cold and dry there for maples to grow, so we make do by drooling over the September and October pages in the free calendars delivered by hopeful real estate agents.
Maybe when I finish school for good I could come out here some October and take my time (at least a good, full week) to learn and appreciate all the history in this small area. Fascinating!
I also learned that I should have used the SPF 50 today. I used 30 and my legs are a bit red. I probably should have just reapplied it but, well, it never occurred to me. I took about 150 pictures today! Most are pretty bad because I was shooting from the tour trolley, so there are window frames, reflections, and motion blur in a lot of them. Next time I come I'm going to fly in, stay in a hotel downtown, and then get out every day and see as much as I can!
Tomorrow evening I'll be in Palmyra watching the Hill Cumorah pageant! I've been waiting for this for 21 years...oh, I should charge up the camera battery again while I'm thinking of it. I'll be there for two nights. Saturday I'll be touring the town and the sacred grove, and maybe doing a session at the temple. Sure hope it's a little cooler out there.
I may be without internet access again for the next two nights, so just hold tight!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Destination Day 11 - Boston, Massachusetts
Okay, it's been a week since I've had internet access. I don't want to go through that again!
I got into Toronto right on time last Thursday, picked up my brothers at the airport Friday, had the memorial service for mom on Saturday, spent Sunday with a friend, took brothers to airport Monday and had dinner and saw Toy Story 3 with a cousin, went to the Toronto temple last evening, and finally hit the road again today. The drive to Boston was just beautiful. Had no idea it was so hilly around here. The car's external thermometer registered 37°C somewhere in New York, but thankfully it's cooled down to a chilly 31°C with almost 100% humidity, or at least it feels like it to me.
I've been on the go for 13 hours now, just about 12 behind the wheel. I made lots of stops so it went a little longer than I expected. Tomorrow I tour Boston and do a harbor cruise, and if the humidity doesn't kill me I may do a session at the Boston temple in the evening.
It was great to be back on the road again. Today I listened to talks from April's General Conference and more John Bytheway reruns. Kept my mind busy!
I will have to write more later when I have more time. Right now I want to have a cold shower and never sweat again.
Hilights I promise I'll cover:
1. the view from the Blue Bridge at Sarnia
2. the day of mom's memorial
3. my evening out with my cousin
4. today's drive - the Thousand Islands, Lake Oneida, the Hudson River, the Appalachians.
I got into Toronto right on time last Thursday, picked up my brothers at the airport Friday, had the memorial service for mom on Saturday, spent Sunday with a friend, took brothers to airport Monday and had dinner and saw Toy Story 3 with a cousin, went to the Toronto temple last evening, and finally hit the road again today. The drive to Boston was just beautiful. Had no idea it was so hilly around here. The car's external thermometer registered 37°C somewhere in New York, but thankfully it's cooled down to a chilly 31°C with almost 100% humidity, or at least it feels like it to me.
I've been on the go for 13 hours now, just about 12 behind the wheel. I made lots of stops so it went a little longer than I expected. Tomorrow I tour Boston and do a harbor cruise, and if the humidity doesn't kill me I may do a session at the Boston temple in the evening.
It was great to be back on the road again. Today I listened to talks from April's General Conference and more John Bytheway reruns. Kept my mind busy!
I will have to write more later when I have more time. Right now I want to have a cold shower and never sweat again.
Hilights I promise I'll cover:
1. the view from the Blue Bridge at Sarnia
2. the day of mom's memorial
3. my evening out with my cousin
4. today's drive - the Thousand Islands, Lake Oneida, the Hudson River, the Appalachians.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Destination Day 4 - Kalamazoo, Michigan
I had a rough start to the day when I discovered my GPS had erased all its maps while I was trying to download some updates. Of all days, the day I needed to get around or through Chicago!
Well, nothing could be done about it so I jotted down some brief notes about my route through the area, prayed extra hard, and headed out just after 6:30 am. I wasn't very far from Monticello when the morning rush hour heading into Minneapolis started backing up. It actually wasn't that bad, just a couple of spots where we actually stopped, but overall the traffic moved really well.
I saw a sight in Minneapolis that made me swear to myself I had to come back another time and check it out. So there's this spot where there are three or four freeways jumbled together high and low, and then I looked ahead and saw this massive cathedral towering over the freeway (I was on the lowest level, so it did look really really high). There was another huge cathedral looking thing just a bit further down, too. Oh, how I wish I could have taken a picture! It looked so freakish and sci-fi, these two huge holy buildings looming over the frantic mess that is rush hour traffic, and I felt like I was driving down a narrow canyon between them. I'll have to google pictures of Minneapolis and see if I can find that shot.
Shortly after the drive through the twin cities I found myself in Wisconsin. If I didn't go back to that area to see more of Minneapolis I'd go back just to take in the beauty that is Wisconsin all over again. Oh my word, it was spectacular. Hilly, green, peaceful, beautiful stands of trees and clean farms and beautiful vistas; I had no idea it was such a lovely state. By the time I crossed into Illinois it was much flatter. Illinois gave off a pretty industrial vibe and most of my time in the state was trying to keep up with the most incredible number of semis I've seen in my life, all of us in a rush to get through the maze of construction cones all around Chicago. By the time I'd completed the western part of my Chicago avoidance I really had to pee, so I found a K-mart and bought myself a box of Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries because you can NOT get those in Canada!! So I munched a bunch of those while the traffic inched along on the freeways on the south end of Lake Michigan. Finally, somewhere in Indiana, the traffic tapered off and we could zip along again. It's amazing how hot the cities get with all the traffic and 10 lanes of heat-reflecting concrete road surfaces. I got into Michigan and stopped at a visitor's center and was so happy to find it was much cooler outside there. Michigan, so far, is quite hilly and very forested. I'm in Kalamazoo at the moment, typing away in my huge king suite. The ceiling in here is about 14 feet high, I have a sitting area with a little kitchenette and then on the other side of a stub wall is the massive bed, computer desk and Sony LCD TV.
I was on the road for 12 hours today. I didn't get any pictures (well, I did take some of the room because it kind of blew me away) but I might get around to uploading them here tomorrow or Friday, we'll see what happens when I get to Toronto. Definitely looking forward to sitting still for a few days.
So despite the GPS issue, I actually had a great day. I spent all day listening to talks by John Bytheway, and he really inspired me in a lot of ways. This is a guy who loves the scriptures so much and knows them so well that he can really bring them to life and show us how those examples and principles from so long ago really do apply to us today. He directs his talks to the youth in the church, but his lessons really apply to anyone. I need to buy the second set of CDs now since I finished the last one today and have actually started reruns!
Yikes, it's 9:30 here now. I'm on eastern time for the next week and a bit. I need to get to bed. Goodnight!
Well, nothing could be done about it so I jotted down some brief notes about my route through the area, prayed extra hard, and headed out just after 6:30 am. I wasn't very far from Monticello when the morning rush hour heading into Minneapolis started backing up. It actually wasn't that bad, just a couple of spots where we actually stopped, but overall the traffic moved really well.
I saw a sight in Minneapolis that made me swear to myself I had to come back another time and check it out. So there's this spot where there are three or four freeways jumbled together high and low, and then I looked ahead and saw this massive cathedral towering over the freeway (I was on the lowest level, so it did look really really high). There was another huge cathedral looking thing just a bit further down, too. Oh, how I wish I could have taken a picture! It looked so freakish and sci-fi, these two huge holy buildings looming over the frantic mess that is rush hour traffic, and I felt like I was driving down a narrow canyon between them. I'll have to google pictures of Minneapolis and see if I can find that shot.
Shortly after the drive through the twin cities I found myself in Wisconsin. If I didn't go back to that area to see more of Minneapolis I'd go back just to take in the beauty that is Wisconsin all over again. Oh my word, it was spectacular. Hilly, green, peaceful, beautiful stands of trees and clean farms and beautiful vistas; I had no idea it was such a lovely state. By the time I crossed into Illinois it was much flatter. Illinois gave off a pretty industrial vibe and most of my time in the state was trying to keep up with the most incredible number of semis I've seen in my life, all of us in a rush to get through the maze of construction cones all around Chicago. By the time I'd completed the western part of my Chicago avoidance I really had to pee, so I found a K-mart and bought myself a box of Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries because you can NOT get those in Canada!! So I munched a bunch of those while the traffic inched along on the freeways on the south end of Lake Michigan. Finally, somewhere in Indiana, the traffic tapered off and we could zip along again. It's amazing how hot the cities get with all the traffic and 10 lanes of heat-reflecting concrete road surfaces. I got into Michigan and stopped at a visitor's center and was so happy to find it was much cooler outside there. Michigan, so far, is quite hilly and very forested. I'm in Kalamazoo at the moment, typing away in my huge king suite. The ceiling in here is about 14 feet high, I have a sitting area with a little kitchenette and then on the other side of a stub wall is the massive bed, computer desk and Sony LCD TV.
I was on the road for 12 hours today. I didn't get any pictures (well, I did take some of the room because it kind of blew me away) but I might get around to uploading them here tomorrow or Friday, we'll see what happens when I get to Toronto. Definitely looking forward to sitting still for a few days.
So despite the GPS issue, I actually had a great day. I spent all day listening to talks by John Bytheway, and he really inspired me in a lot of ways. This is a guy who loves the scriptures so much and knows them so well that he can really bring them to life and show us how those examples and principles from so long ago really do apply to us today. He directs his talks to the youth in the church, but his lessons really apply to anyone. I need to buy the second set of CDs now since I finished the last one today and have actually started reruns!
Yikes, it's 9:30 here now. I'm on eastern time for the next week and a bit. I need to get to bed. Goodnight!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Destination Day 3 - Monticello, MN
I decided to check my tire pressure this morning. Had a feeling I should, and I know better than to ignore those hunches. I drove about 100 feet to the gas station on the same property as the hotel and was stunned to see 3 of 4 tires had a psi of over 45. I wondered why the tires hadn't blown yet!
I headed out from Bismarck and enjoyed the view of the rolling hills. Just a while east of the city was a rest stop called Crystal Springs. There was a plaque there that said that the springs had been a fortunate discovery by the crews building the first rail line across the prairies. They were parched and didn't know if they could continue working when they found the springs. They drank up and washed up and rested and then continued on. Apparently these springs were a very important part of the history of the railway.
By the time I got to the Minnesota border the land was flat as a pancake. I figured as I angled toward Lake Michigan that more trees would spring up, and I was right. Just SE of Fargo the hills started up again and I saw so many gorgeous lakes and ponds right along the highway but, again, nowhere to stop safely. When I approached St. Cloud it seemed that a forest had just sprung up out of nowhere. A while later I stopped in a town called Avon for a bit of a break and saw a sign on the road that said "Lake Wobegon Trail." It brought to mind Garrison Keillor's books about his (supposedly non-fictional) youth in the area. The Lake Wobegon series are some very entertaining books, if you've never read his works.
I arrived in Monticello around 5:00 pm local time. I had inadvertently booked a smoking room when I made my online reservation, and I'm grateful that the desk clerk pointed it out to me when I checked in. I said I didn't want a smoking room and he looked on the computer to see where else he could put me. He only had 4 rooms vacant for the night so he handed me the card key for a two-room suite! It's like an apartment, it has a living room with 4 chairs and a couch, a dresser, TV, desk and table, fridge and microwave, and the bedroom has a king-sized bed, another chair, and another TV. I also got a little gift bag for being a rewards member with the hotel chain. I am so spoiled! :)
I went for a bite to eat and then headed down to the famed Mississippi River that flows through town to get some pictures. It's barely a creek compared to the leviathan it is by the time it hits Missouri, but it was still rather awe-inspiring to stand on the banks of that legendary river. This is a trip of firsts for me. First time I've driven this far from home by myself, first time in North Dakota and Minnesota, first time seeing the Mississippi. I'll be seeing it again in a couple of weeks when I'm in Nauvoo and I'm sure it'll be much bigger by then.
I got a fortune cookie after dinner and laughed when I saw what it said: "A new voyage will fill your life with untold memories." No one can tell me things on this trip are just a coincidence!
I have a very long day ahead of me tomorrow and it takes a really long time to upload pictures to this blog, so I'm going to get to bed. I have posted pictures on Facebook. I probably won't have time to upload pictures here until I get to Toronto. If you want to see some pictures before then, add me as a friend on Facebook.
Tomorrow's destination: Kalamazoo, Michigan. What a fun name. Wish me luck, I'll be going through Chicago during rush hour!
I headed out from Bismarck and enjoyed the view of the rolling hills. Just a while east of the city was a rest stop called Crystal Springs. There was a plaque there that said that the springs had been a fortunate discovery by the crews building the first rail line across the prairies. They were parched and didn't know if they could continue working when they found the springs. They drank up and washed up and rested and then continued on. Apparently these springs were a very important part of the history of the railway.
By the time I got to the Minnesota border the land was flat as a pancake. I figured as I angled toward Lake Michigan that more trees would spring up, and I was right. Just SE of Fargo the hills started up again and I saw so many gorgeous lakes and ponds right along the highway but, again, nowhere to stop safely. When I approached St. Cloud it seemed that a forest had just sprung up out of nowhere. A while later I stopped in a town called Avon for a bit of a break and saw a sign on the road that said "Lake Wobegon Trail." It brought to mind Garrison Keillor's books about his (supposedly non-fictional) youth in the area. The Lake Wobegon series are some very entertaining books, if you've never read his works.
I arrived in Monticello around 5:00 pm local time. I had inadvertently booked a smoking room when I made my online reservation, and I'm grateful that the desk clerk pointed it out to me when I checked in. I said I didn't want a smoking room and he looked on the computer to see where else he could put me. He only had 4 rooms vacant for the night so he handed me the card key for a two-room suite! It's like an apartment, it has a living room with 4 chairs and a couch, a dresser, TV, desk and table, fridge and microwave, and the bedroom has a king-sized bed, another chair, and another TV. I also got a little gift bag for being a rewards member with the hotel chain. I am so spoiled! :)
I went for a bite to eat and then headed down to the famed Mississippi River that flows through town to get some pictures. It's barely a creek compared to the leviathan it is by the time it hits Missouri, but it was still rather awe-inspiring to stand on the banks of that legendary river. This is a trip of firsts for me. First time I've driven this far from home by myself, first time in North Dakota and Minnesota, first time seeing the Mississippi. I'll be seeing it again in a couple of weeks when I'm in Nauvoo and I'm sure it'll be much bigger by then.
I got a fortune cookie after dinner and laughed when I saw what it said: "A new voyage will fill your life with untold memories." No one can tell me things on this trip are just a coincidence!
I have a very long day ahead of me tomorrow and it takes a really long time to upload pictures to this blog, so I'm going to get to bed. I have posted pictures on Facebook. I probably won't have time to upload pictures here until I get to Toronto. If you want to see some pictures before then, add me as a friend on Facebook.
Tomorrow's destination: Kalamazoo, Michigan. What a fun name. Wish me luck, I'll be going through Chicago during rush hour!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Destination Day 2 - Bismarck, North Dakota
The GPS is already showing its weakness. I knew I could get from Great Falls to Bismarck by following highway 200 across Montana, which then connects with I-94. Tomtom had the highway in its system because it correctly identified it once I was on it, but it could not plot a route on that highway. The worst route it suggested was 30 hours, 3000 km from Great Falls south to like Phoenix or something, then back up. It was just stupid. Ah well, good thing I bought an old-fashioned paper map of the US the other day so I could go and just keep an eye out for the right signs.
It was another clear, hot day and again I was so impressed by the lushness of the land. Eastern Montana was really flat and I expected North Dakota to be much the same, maybe worse. Listen, I've driven across southern Saskatchewan enough times to know how to dread the long, flat, uncurving highway disappearing to a tiny point on the horizon. I figured, geez, if North Dakota is due south of the mind-numbing trans-Saskatchewan drive, it must be the same. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!
When I crossed the border into North Dakota I became aware of a smell coming through the vents along with the air-conditioned breeze (it was hot out there today, about 30 since 10:00 am). It smelled sweet. And moist. And green. I've finally done it, I've identified a smell for a color. It smelled like hay. I was so happy to discover that North Dakota is actually quite hilly and very green and lush, and it is pretty humid here. My hair is rather froofy today.
I saw a couple of photo-ops today but was unable to find any safe place to pull over. The first was a little while east of Great Falls, with a view west to a small range of mountains with a tiny bit of dusting of snow on them. A lovely old red barn stood in a vibrant green meadow on a long, low slope up to these mountains. It looked like something you'd see on a calendar. Alas, nowhere to stop.
The second...oh, I will likely never forget that one. This was a few hours later in eastern Montana, still on highway 200, a single-lane highway with shoulder about a foot wide, and deep ditches. To the north, up on a rise in the pasture, were four horses grazing. One of them, the one on the farthest right, raised his head and looked east. He was a bay, a reddish-brown with black socks and mane and tail. A gust of wind tousled his mane and tail, and the sunshine on his red hair made him glow and he just looked so regal. Stupid narrow highway. Ah well, at least the image is in my head.
So I didn't get any pictures today and I'm in the CDT time zone now, so I've lost an hour and I need to get to bed and I won't be uploading the pictures from yesterday either. I probably can tomorrow. Today was about a 10 hour drive, tomorrow is only 6. I'll be in Minnesota tomorrow, just outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Hope there's something cool near the hotel that I can go shoot!
Oh, one last thing. Today was an interesting day, emotion-wise. I found myself a little stressed about my GPS crapping out on me and I wondered if I was going the right way. Time was an issue today as I had a dinner appointment with my friend Cheryl who lives in Dickinson, ND, 90 miles west of Bismarck. I thought, "You know, I'd feel much better if I was driving with someone who was familiar with these roads and could tell me, 'Yeah, you're fine, I know where you are.'" And then I realized that I certainly was not alone and that my co-pilot and travel agent was always with me and certainly knew the way. I felt very comforted by that.
And then a while later I was thinking about when my parents and brothers and I drove to Toronto when I was six. I was thinking how happy my mom must have been to know that after those long days of driving she'd be able to see her mom again. And then I lost it. Just to imagine, to wish, that my mom would be there waiting for me in Toronto just turned on the taps and really made me realize how much I miss her. Today was first time since she died that I've cried about her. What would I give to hear her laugh again! I know it was her time to go, but I miss her. A lot.
It was another clear, hot day and again I was so impressed by the lushness of the land. Eastern Montana was really flat and I expected North Dakota to be much the same, maybe worse. Listen, I've driven across southern Saskatchewan enough times to know how to dread the long, flat, uncurving highway disappearing to a tiny point on the horizon. I figured, geez, if North Dakota is due south of the mind-numbing trans-Saskatchewan drive, it must be the same. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!
When I crossed the border into North Dakota I became aware of a smell coming through the vents along with the air-conditioned breeze (it was hot out there today, about 30 since 10:00 am). It smelled sweet. And moist. And green. I've finally done it, I've identified a smell for a color. It smelled like hay. I was so happy to discover that North Dakota is actually quite hilly and very green and lush, and it is pretty humid here. My hair is rather froofy today.
I saw a couple of photo-ops today but was unable to find any safe place to pull over. The first was a little while east of Great Falls, with a view west to a small range of mountains with a tiny bit of dusting of snow on them. A lovely old red barn stood in a vibrant green meadow on a long, low slope up to these mountains. It looked like something you'd see on a calendar. Alas, nowhere to stop.
The second...oh, I will likely never forget that one. This was a few hours later in eastern Montana, still on highway 200, a single-lane highway with shoulder about a foot wide, and deep ditches. To the north, up on a rise in the pasture, were four horses grazing. One of them, the one on the farthest right, raised his head and looked east. He was a bay, a reddish-brown with black socks and mane and tail. A gust of wind tousled his mane and tail, and the sunshine on his red hair made him glow and he just looked so regal. Stupid narrow highway. Ah well, at least the image is in my head.
So I didn't get any pictures today and I'm in the CDT time zone now, so I've lost an hour and I need to get to bed and I won't be uploading the pictures from yesterday either. I probably can tomorrow. Today was about a 10 hour drive, tomorrow is only 6. I'll be in Minnesota tomorrow, just outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Hope there's something cool near the hotel that I can go shoot!
Oh, one last thing. Today was an interesting day, emotion-wise. I found myself a little stressed about my GPS crapping out on me and I wondered if I was going the right way. Time was an issue today as I had a dinner appointment with my friend Cheryl who lives in Dickinson, ND, 90 miles west of Bismarck. I thought, "You know, I'd feel much better if I was driving with someone who was familiar with these roads and could tell me, 'Yeah, you're fine, I know where you are.'" And then I realized that I certainly was not alone and that my co-pilot and travel agent was always with me and certainly knew the way. I felt very comforted by that.
And then a while later I was thinking about when my parents and brothers and I drove to Toronto when I was six. I was thinking how happy my mom must have been to know that after those long days of driving she'd be able to see her mom again. And then I lost it. Just to imagine, to wish, that my mom would be there waiting for me in Toronto just turned on the taps and really made me realize how much I miss her. Today was first time since she died that I've cried about her. What would I give to hear her laugh again! I know it was her time to go, but I miss her. A lot.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Today's Pictures
This internet connection I have is really slow and it's taking foreeeeeever to upload these. I have to get to bed, so for today you can just look at these two. More tomorrow! I have it on good authority I will be driving through the badlands. Should be some photo-ops there!
Friday, June 25, 2010
....what is this "home" you speak of?
In a few years I will undoubtedly look back on this summer with fond memories. Lots of driving, new adventures, new vistas to explore. The reality of lots of driving and living out of a suitcase, though, isn't quite as romantic. So I'm hoping I'll be able to look beyond the same seven days worth of clothes for four weeks and see the bigger picture.
So, yeah. Four weeks on the road is coming up. Woo hoo. But is it enough? I mean, is it REALLY enough time away from home? Apparently not.
I just got off the phone with a stellar friend in Vancouver (with whom I'll be bunking on the "almost home" leg of my cross-continental tour) and we've decided to attend Education Week together in Provo in August. So I'll be going back to Utah for a week, and will probably be away from home again for about two weeks.
We have really short summers way up here at 51°N. And I'll only be home for two weeks of it. My bedding out plants better still be alive when I get home.
Honestly, though, I'm stoked about this second excursion. I'm looking forward to this time spent with my dear friend Larraine, having a lot of laughs (we're soul sisters that way), and definitely looking forward to attending so many excellent lectures. I'm really going to be well-armed for teaching seminary in the fall!
This is going to be the most amazing summer of my life. Yay! :D
Thursday, June 24, 2010
You join the action three years later...
Today is June 24, 2010. Three years and nine days ago I quit my job and embarked on a rather interesting journey into my mid-life crisis.
Two months and one day ago my mom died.
Today I wrote a final exam that was deferred because mom died during finals. The instructors and the registrar's office were very understanding.
In three days I start an adventurous drive that will take me from Calgary to Toronto and Boston, then back to Vancouver along a meandering route, then home. I'll be gone for 30 days, but still connected to my virtual universe by means of my trusty laptop and internet access in my hotel rooms.
This trip will be a pilgrimage of sorts, as I will finally be able to visit church historical sites. I've been wanting to do this for 20 years. I'm doing it now because mom wanted some of her ashes buried with her parents in Toronto, and the church history trail starts across the lake in Palmyra, New York.
When I get back I will look forward to starting my third year of university, aaaaand I'll be teaching early morning seminary every weekday morning. Brand new seminary teacher in the house! :D
The older I get, the more I realize I've had a pretty remarkable life. If I have time I'll prove it to you! :?) (by the way, that's a new smiley I accidentally invented a couple of days ago. I call it "freckle by nose.")
I am 42 years old and am living an extremely blessed and joyful life in Calgary. These last few years have been the most adventurous, exciting, challenging, and fruitful years ever. I created this blog so those family and friends who are *not* on Facebook (cue Craig Ferguson "I KNOW!" /Craig Ferguson) can follow along with my journey. I just dropped some big bucks on a Nikon DSLR so I'm certainly hoping I'll have some good photos to share here, as well.
TTFN. Have to finish up some stuff for my trip. I'll be back in a few days!
Two months and one day ago my mom died.
Today I wrote a final exam that was deferred because mom died during finals. The instructors and the registrar's office were very understanding.
In three days I start an adventurous drive that will take me from Calgary to Toronto and Boston, then back to Vancouver along a meandering route, then home. I'll be gone for 30 days, but still connected to my virtual universe by means of my trusty laptop and internet access in my hotel rooms.
This trip will be a pilgrimage of sorts, as I will finally be able to visit church historical sites. I've been wanting to do this for 20 years. I'm doing it now because mom wanted some of her ashes buried with her parents in Toronto, and the church history trail starts across the lake in Palmyra, New York.
When I get back I will look forward to starting my third year of university, aaaaand I'll be teaching early morning seminary every weekday morning. Brand new seminary teacher in the house! :D
The older I get, the more I realize I've had a pretty remarkable life. If I have time I'll prove it to you! :?) (by the way, that's a new smiley I accidentally invented a couple of days ago. I call it "freckle by nose.")
I am 42 years old and am living an extremely blessed and joyful life in Calgary. These last few years have been the most adventurous, exciting, challenging, and fruitful years ever. I created this blog so those family and friends who are *not* on Facebook (cue Craig Ferguson "I KNOW!" /Craig Ferguson) can follow along with my journey. I just dropped some big bucks on a Nikon DSLR so I'm certainly hoping I'll have some good photos to share here, as well.
TTFN. Have to finish up some stuff for my trip. I'll be back in a few days!
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