Of course we parents and grandparents want to be good examples for our family members. Sometimes, however, those who are younger are inspirations to US. Our daughter-in-law Rachel is one such example. The photo above shows her with four of our Grandchildren: McKenna, Emma, Tanner and Mason. Rachel maintains a blog, and in a recent posting she wrote the following:
One year ago today my husband found out that he lost his job.
One year ago today I thought he would have found a new one by now.
One year ago today I thought we would never make it pass the holidays,
let alone for one year.
One year ago we lost our income and even some of our friends, but gained true new ones.
One year ago we truly came together as a couple, parents and a family.
One year ago I thought I knew my own strength, but I found out that I was a lot stronger than I thought.
One year ago I never would have gotten excited about toilet paper and diapers being dropped off on our doorstep.
One year ago my baby girl would never have sung this song:
"Where, oh where, is my daddy's new job? Oh, where, oh, where could it be?"
and, one year ago It would not have made me laugh so hard that I almost wet my pants.
One year ago we came closer to the Lord.
We have learned how to budget, be more frugal, and to REALLY trust in the Lord.
We have seen many blessings and received many gifts from Above.
And, although we have no job YET our prayers have been answered,
Our needs have been taken care of, and we truly feel His love.
We have a true understanding what it is to
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct thy paths.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6 )
Rachel and Rob at their wedding receiption.
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We visited the office again this past Monday, did a bit of training and answered questions, extracted some info from Sister Hawley's old hard drive to give to Elder Potts, set up a time for the APs to collect from us some items of furniture we want to donate for use by the missionaries + a time for the APs to pick us up and drive us to Heathrow. Then we left -- quickly, quietly, comfortably. More and more we find that we are comfortable with the conclusion of our missionary experience here, and that it is OK to prepare to leave England and return home. We do want to "return with honor," but endings are not the time to thus prepare. We hope each days' effort will have been pleasing unto the Lord, helpful to every missionary, and supportive of both mission president and Church guidelines and goals.
Victorial and Albert Museum, South Kensington Cromwell Road Entrance.
From the mission office we walked down the street and into the Victoria and Albert Museum -- informally called "the V and A." This museum is considered the finest decorative-arts museum in the world, and includes collections of jewelry, furniture, and oriental carpets. There is also the Photography Gallery, the Art and Design Galleries, and sculptures throughout.
V and A Interiors, above and below.
We enjoyed a bowl of homemade soup with bread in the cafe there -- something we've done before for lunch when we've had time to leave the office. We walked in the outside inner courtyard [above] and enjoyed the crisp English autumn air.
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On Tuesday we rode the District tube line down to Monument Street, and took the bus to take a tour of the 3rd recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, built again [1997] for modern day theatre fans to enjoy close to the original location on the banks of the Thames River and overlooking St. Paul's Cathedral. All wood is oak, the design has been copied as accurately as possible from the original [with modern safety features such as sprinklers on the thatched roof--needful especially since the original theatre burned to the ground in the 1500's]. Below are a few photos we took during our tour. Plays are performed [more than just Shakespeare's works] from spring-until-fall afternoons through the end of September, to maximize the light and good weather, which is the way it would have been done in Shakespeare's day, because they wouldn't have had stage lights, electricity, heaters, etc., then. [It's always wise to bring an umbrella, no matter where in Britain you are or what season it might be.] Standing-room viewing cost 1 penny; wood bench seating cost 5 pennies, and individual chair seats [located on each side of the stage] cost 6 p. Seating was often available above and behind the stage for those in the aristocracy who could afford the price: it was not about getting the closest viewing of the play position possible; what was important to them was "being seen" by the most people. Columns were painted to look like marble, and the stage is quite close to the size it was in the original. A second recreation of Shakespeare's theatre was buil in the mid-1600's, but all theatres, thought to be evil at the time, were closed in 1662 by the Puritans and all were demolished by 1664.
Tour and Theatre-Ticket Entrance.
Stage front where trap door in floor is visible.
Three row-or-ring seating, 5 pence or pennies.
Ceilings over the stage were painted like the sky, with Greek mythological themes--in the sun/cloudburst can be seen the upper trap door above the stage.
Over/behind stage seats, often used in plays as well as for the orchestra, and music was/is always a part of each performance.
6-penny seating paid for individual wooden, cushioned chairs.
1-p standing room.
Children's school groups come to learn about Shakespeare,
and have fun "acting" on a real stage.
Globe Theatre props and costumes.
Printing press similar to one that would have been used to print original copies of Will Shakespeare's writings.
Here below are views from the Thames River with the Globe Theatre behind us: St. Paul's Cathedral, a small part of the local London [Westminister] riverside skyline, and a barely-there view of the unexpected reality of what the new London Bridge really looks like -- more of a river overpass than a bridge like the Tower Bridge, also viewable in the background.
St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminister Skyline.
Modern London Architecture.
Moss-covered stone steps leading down to the edge of the River Thames.
Barely there--the green bridge is used for train crossings; one can see the overpass/London bridge just underneath the green bridge and beyond it.
Tower of London Bridge in the distance, seen beyond the green train-crossing bridge,
with photograph taken from the Southwark Bridge near the Globe Theatre.
London Monument
Description [above] + Top of Monument [below].
Sailing Ship Model above Thames House.
Postscript: We have a niece whose daughter just turned 12. We were asked, as part of an "advising group of friends and family" to offer her some advice, and this is what we came up with.
"Our advice, or what a bit of age and experience has taught us, is to do the following: Put Heavenly Father and gospel principles first. This one thing will make good friendships with family members and friends, no matter how young or how old you are. It will keep you safe, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Learn about the character of your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Learn how the Holy Ghost speaks to you. Get to know yourself and how to compliment yourself, and how to appreciate your talents and strengths. Repent or change what you don't like, . . . , early. Learn how best to be faithful and obedient. Start your day with private prayer and scripture reading. [It works better for Sister Hawley to start her day this way; if she leaves scripture reading until bedtime, she falls asleep reading. When she starts her day with these two things, the days go better, some problems never appear, and the work and the challenges are easier to deal with. She feels happier and calmer, she feels the Lord's support, and she never feels alone.] Try to follow Jesus' example in treating others. Choose your friends wisely. Stick with people who have the same standards you want to have. Jesus was kind and loving, but He was not a doormat -- He wasn't swayed by whether someone liked Him or not. Even if everyone doesn't like you, you will like yourself. Turning 12 is a wonderful time in your life. So is turning 16, when you can date and drive; 18 when you can vote and go to college; and every other age-related mark of growth and achievement. The above advice works at any age. It will help you while you are the daughter in your family, and also when you become the wife and mother in your own family. As you keep your goals high, you will find yourself being helped and supported from those around you, and through the Holy Ghost, Heavenly Father, and our Savior, Advocate, and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Good luck, and may God bless you in the choices you make, and in the 'multiplicity' of blesssings you will receive." Elder and Sister Hawley
[BLOG IS CONTINUED IN NEWS OF THE PAST WEEK, PART DEUX, NEXT POSTING]