Tuesday, November 17, 2015

075 Tuesday to Tuesday (Sept 23-29, 2015)


Wednesday’s are becoming our FHE night with the Armstrongs. We so enjoy going to their house. We can’t stay past 9:00 because she gets up to go to work at 4 in the morning. She has to walk to the bus stop, and they do not live in a good area. I asked her if she felt safe, and she says she is – she just has to go down the corner and a block to the right. If it isn’t a safe area, I think that is too long, but they have lived there forever. They can’t leave anything in their yard. They have had several grills stolen, a car stolen, and anything they forget to put up, they can kiss goodbye. Anyway, we have been going over and watching some Church movies with them. Then we try to leave with a Gospel message if possible.
Someday, she will accept the Gospel. If we are around, we will try to get back here to watch the baptism.

We have had several things happening with Pathway. Last week when in our first class and I got that call from the Sister over in Madison, I couldn’t answer because we were in the middle of class. Actually, I had gotten a text earlier in the day that said she couldn’t find her keys and may not be able to make it. So I didn’t really worry when she didn’t come. After class, she had left me a message that I listened to which said, something to the effect that she was really glad to be able to get in touch with me. Then she explained again about not being able to find the keys, like she hadn’t already told me. The first time I talked with her, I explained how every student in the class could and probably will have a different instructor, and she will have to listen to her instructor on what to do about her work. Later, she had called me back to explain it to me because I didn’t know how it worked. We may have a problem!

We are down to 18 in the class now. This sister is one of them. I have to try to help her understand that if she has a disability she needs to talk with Pathway Support. She tells me that she has called them, and they don’t know what they are doing. On Thursday when I come into class, she is telling everyone who will listen that school should be free, didn’t they know how hard it is to live in Milwaukee with its cost of living and still pay for this class. BYUI is doing it wrong, and they need to ………. and when I came in I figured I needed to get her out of the room with her negativity. So I asked her to come on a walk with me. We found a couch to sit on, and I asked what was going on. Evidently, she is having trouble with babysitters, her husband, money, etc. etc. When she and I first talked, I has asked her to make sure she got a blessing (from her Bishop if need be because I wasn’t sure her husband was a member) before starting this class so she could handle what it entailed. I asked if she had gotten that blessing, and her husband had given her one. We talked a bit more, and I encouraged her to hang in there. I asked if she had gotten her paperwork submitted to document her disability that she says she has, but she gave me a reason as to why she hadn’t done it. We then went into the meeting, and she seemed pretty good then. Afterwards though, she was chewing some else’s ear venting her complaints. This lady called me the next day, worried about the complainer and what to do. I told her we are aware of the problem, and we are working to help her.

On Friday I began proctoring some tests for two former students of Pathway who have matriculated into BYUI’s program. They can use Pathway missionaries to proctor, but if they have to hire one at one of the universities here, it costs $25. So, for an hour or so, we go to the genealogy library in the South Stake and the student has to take the test and I send in a report right afterwards.

We are getting excited about General Conference coming up. Saturday saw us with our off day, so we decided out of the blue to go to a place called Mineral Point and visit a State Historical Site called Pendarvis. When we called to see if it was still open, they told us that this was a good day to come because it was the Cornish Celebration Day. The Cornish came from England over here because in England they are miners. We were told that anywhere there is any mining, the Cornish are usually involved because they are the experts in it. Evidently, they came to Wisconsin because of the zinc and lead there. It was about an hour and a half away, we headed to the southwest part of the state if I’m not mistaken, but I’ve never been one to know much about the direction in which I’m heading. When we got there, they were just about to start a tour, and we almost went on our own instead. We are very glad we did not do that. We had the sweetest Docent who told us the stories of the past, and she was very good about keeping our interest.
Our docent in action!

In the 1700s, there was some mining that was pretty superficial and once the minerals that were easy to extract played out, the heavy mining came to stay. The area became a place of refuse with the smelting and environmental destruction due to the deforestation that took place by the cutting of any tree within distance to keep the smelting fires going. This area had not been affected by the glaciers many hundreds of years ago so it was mainly forests and prairie with stream erosion the cause for ridges and valleys seen today. It took a long time to clean up the mess made by the mining in the region, which closed out at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Cornish miners were brought in to build the underground mining operation. They were responsible for the nickname of the state, Badgers. The miners evidently would dig a hole in every place they found that would supply the minerals they sought.

We didn’t get to travel the entire route of the usual tour. However, we found the gift shop and were directed to the next small building which was a model of a miner’s cabin. From there, we were taken to a much larger home that was converted at one time into a restaurant that was listed as one of the top on the state. The buildings have not been changed much, but there was plenty to see in them. We were especially entertained with the beds they showed us. Ever hear the phrase, sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite. It comes from the way the beds were made. There would be a stuffed mattress on a board. It would be covered with a covering that would be tied down. When you went to bed, the covering was tight over you, and if you got fingers caught in the places they tied them (called bugs), the thing could truly hurt you (thus getting bit by the bed bugs).
Not sure if you can see, but the covers on the side look kind of wavy, it's where they have been hooked to the bugs to keep them tight on the bed.
We were taken to the row houses above the restaurant and gift shop area to the tavern. The row houses were literally made by adding one onto another as needed. The Cornish were quite the drinkers, so liquor was a necessity. They also ate the pastie which looks like a cooked apple pie, a circle with stuffing folded in half and the edges crimped. They didn’t have much meat, so they were filled with vegetables. The miners would take them down into the mines stuffed in their shirts to try to keep them as clean as possible. I can’t imagine it would be clean in a lead mine, and we were told their life span was short. Probably due to lead poisoning. 



Back of Gift Shop to beginning of tour

Our Docent beginning the tour
Picture showing shaft where they lowered the bucket


Inside a typical miner's home







Iron ore mold

Wheelbarrow used to transport ore

Narrow steps to second floor










 Miners' tools of the trade









Fireplace in home
Bucket and scale




We left the second house and headed over to the restaurant building on the tour. 

Leaving house from 2nd floor
Looking back at miner's home



Back of the restaurant

Picture of original restaurant

Original tables in restaurant










Odd sink
Alley between restaurant and kitchen






Steps up to the pub
Craig on the path
Row houses

Craig on way to Pub
Shield on wall of Pub


By the time we got through the tour, the Cornish festival was ended, but one of the young girls on the tour kept telling us her mother worked at this restaurant (Walker House, 1836) that served the pasties. So we went there, got seated and realized you had to have cash. They said just to stay put and afterwards we could go to an ATM across the street for the money. So we did. We enjoyed the food although I’m not a biggie on the filling in the pasties because they used turnips in them, but we enjoyed the atmosphere just as much. It got busy and stayed busy all evening. 
Young woman whose mother worked at Walker House making pasties.
Walker House

Our menu for the evening


On the way home that evening, we knew I was going to be too late for the Women’s Conference, so Craig got it on the phone and we listened to it that way. Gotta love technology.
A beautiful moon lit our way home.

On Sunday, we had a great meeting as usual. We are enjoying finally feeling like we are making some friends in the Ward. These people aren’t like southerners, but we just have to try a little harder.

Monday found us going to the gym, doing laundry (which I hate), and making plans for the Mexican celebration coming up on Friday. We have to get the tickets to the Elders who will be attending, so we had to make arrangements to deliver them on Tuesday.

Tuesday, we only got to stay in our District Meeting for part of it, and then we were off to meet the Spanish Elders, give them their tickets, and then off to the Mission Office to give tickets to the Jepsons and Barleys. The Jepsons are also going to be involved in the festivals next year, I can’t even begin to imagine how with all they have to do already in the office. I wonder if President Cutler thinks all we do can be reduced to next to nothing so one couple can do it with a full load of office stuff also. I hope they get help, they are going to need it.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

074 Tuesday to Tuesday (Sept 16-22, 2015)


Our day started out with Craig not feeling well, and we had lots to do for Pathway the next day. It is amazing that for not teaching it ourselves, there are so many things to do to make sure it all goes well. We lost one student already. He had car trouble and had to decide if he could afford the class or fix the car. The car won out, and that’s sad. This class would be so good for him. Also, we actually get our own key to the High Council Room and won’t have to go by a member’s house each week before class to get one. Several times last summer we would go by, and the key was nowhere to be found. It really meant we had to scramble to relocate the class and get the students there on time. This time it should be easier.

On Thursday, we had interviews with President Cutler. I got my Temple Recommend renewed. I now have only one signature on the recommend. I wondered if the Temple would say anything about it but will have to see.

After interviews, our district had a meeting on Tad Callister’s talk, Becoming a Consecrated Missionary. They gave us a disk with the talk. How important is this work to each of us? When we think about why we are here, it makes us question how effective we really are. I know there are plenty of times when we wonder if we are doing any good. I truly believe we are. We have met so many wonderful people in Wisconsin. There is a strong Catholic/Lutheran foundation here that has strengthened good families. We have many members of the Church here who were Catholic before joining. With the strong families, the Spirit of Elijah is so powerful. It is amazing to me how many people in this area are working, have worked, or have someone who has worked on their family history. When we ask many who say their work has been done, usually it is Aunt so and so. “So, where is the work if you want to see it?” At their house! “Is it on paper that be destroyed by water, mold and mildew, fire, and bugs that eat it?” Yeah. “We can show you how to put it online for free so your whole family can see it and contribute to it. Are you interested?

The “free” word seems to be the bait. Ancestry is a known entity for them as they have seen it on TV, but some have investigated it and decided it was too expensive; have used it and stopped because it got too expensive; or are using it but won’t renew when their subscription comes up because it is getting too expensive. We try to explain the reason that Ancestry has to charge for their work, and that it is a great data base to use. However, we can help them with a free data base that will give them access to many if not most of the same records that Ancestry will give them and do it for free. As we go to the festivals, we have so many who just want to know who their so and so is and when we find them, it blows them away. To find a maiden name for a grandmother is spectacular. We love their excitement when we can help. I had a woman literally cry when I found some of her family. She was so touched when I told her that she will see her family again after this life because she was searching for a grandparent that had passed, but she was little when it happened and she was curious about their information.

That night our first Pathway class started. I stated before that we had 23 students, but we ended up with 22 by the first class. Someone went ahead and dropped before starting. A husband and wife did not come, but we found out they live as far away as possible and still be in either the North or South Milwaukee Stakes. The Sister from Madison who I had said previously may be a problem didn’t show up, and I figured she found out the distance wasn’t going to be possible. However, in the middle of the class, I got a call (my phone vibrated and I glanced at it to see she was calling). The brother who dropped out because of his car obviously did not come, and one sister did not come who I later found out will not be coming Fall semester because she had it last year and had to drop Winter and Spring. She will join us in the Winter semester. We lost another who was a brand new member and realized she was going to have to get a job to help her family and couldn’t come. Finally, there was another that dropped because they couldn’t do it. We were down to 17 that night. It was still more than we had last year. Each student introduced themselves; there are three men and the rest are women. I had already talked with several, and I knew two of them in that room were prone to depression, one of them had a breakdown early in the year and told me after class that he wasn’t very spiritual, so he didn’t often feel the Spirit. Of the sisters, all mentioned that this was the first thing they were doing for themselves. Several had put their husbands through school, and they had children in school now. This was something they wanted and were going after. The men included the one who isn’t “spiritual”, Victor, and Omar who we used to help buy groceries for in City Branch. I’m hoping Victor and Omar can keep up. Nathaniel (the non- “spiritual” one) is a computer geek, so I’m not going to worry about him too much on grades. There were several who indicated they were dealing with personal problems, and I just thought that this group is quite different from the first group we had. 
Our first class

The Jepsons



We felt good about the group, and we are looking forward to working with them. The Jepsons (one of the Office couples) has been asked if they would take over once we leave. How in the world they will do both jobs will be interesting, but maybe they are better organized than we are. They are both very smart, and have served in capacities where they have worked with people a lot. He may be a former Bishop, I don’t remember. She is very much like me. I was surprised when I met her because she is not afraid to say when something is going wrong. She is not a complainer, but she doesn’t paint a rosy picture about everything happening, and that’s ok. The other couple who were here before would never say a negative word, and they were great. Both couples are strong leaders.

On Friday, we headed out to Door County with the Ted and Linda Barley. They are such good people. He had several health problems out here and actually, had his gall bladder removed with much trepidation because he has a genetic heart defect. They have operated on his heart several times and told him they can’t do it again. Next time, they can’t help him. But he has done well. He maintains the cars, and he has a great way of calling those missionaries to repentence about what they are doing, and he does it with love.

We left at 3:00 and headed north, not knowing where we would lay our heads that night, but we sure enjoyed the scenery as we traveled. 
Supposedly the tallest flag pole in the U.S. near Port Washington

















Beautiful small city named Merton on way to Door County
 
Door County jets out into Lake Michigan so that the Lake is on both sides of it. It comes to a point where we turn around an head back down. There is a boat that will take you over to the Michigan, or there is a city that you can see jutting out in the water several miles further up the lake when you get to the end. I wish we had taken the boat to see what we could see. I think that would have been fun. After we got back home, we found out that President Cutler, his wife and daughter were also up there that night. They ate breakfast the next morning in the same place we did but earlier. 
We passed Sturgeon Bay on the way.

If you look on a map, you will see Sturgeon Bay that we passed over. It was busy with boats going in every direction. It was quite beautiful, and I liked it because I recognized the name. hahaha





We stopped at a BBQ place for dinner. I got fish, and for the first time, I got enough to say that I had fish. It was great. The others had really good meals also, and this place was a hit. We took our pictures out front with the pig.
Ted and Linda Barley

Craig and Linda Lenhard (I swear I look at this picture and I remember my Aunt Peggy standing just like this with someone.)

We began to call around for places to stay. As we drove up through the area heading north, we quickly found out that this is a tourist alley. This is a prime time to come vacation. There was a fishing competition sponsored by ESPN going on, and there was another activity up there that filled the inns, literally. We stopped at everyone we came to that didn’t already have a no vacancy sign lit up, but to no avail. Finally, we called a place, and they said they had a double that we could share. I was not excited about that. It meant that we would either have to stayed dressed up all evening while we talked, or if we wanted privacy we had to stay in our bedroom. There was only one bathroom. I figured if that was all they had, we were stuck. We get to the place and walk in, and wait for the guy who is on the phone to get off. We tell him we are there for the room he told us about, and he had just given it to the person on the phone. Ted can stand and look at you until you begin to squirm and wonder how to get away from that look. The guy looks at Ted and says for us to wait, there may be something he knows about. He calls this woman, and the Lord blessed us because she had two cottages that were still available just up the road and we could have them for $110 each. We snatched up those cottages so fast it made my head swim, and off we went in the dark to find this little hard to locate road to the right that would take up back a little to the cottages. 

We took the one in the back, and they got the one in the front. Ours was kind of cool (temp. wise), but I was so happy for the privacy that I didn’t care. We had a double bed, a TV that we could watch for a little bit, a kitchen we didn’t dare mess up, and a bathroom that was no very modern, but we had hot water. It was great, especially since I didn’t see any spiders (maybe it was too cold) or any other bugs. I went around closing all the blinds, because we were up against the woods, and if a monster was going to try to see who was in this cabin, he would have a harder time of doing it. I could just imagine yellow eyes staring out of the woods into our window. I know we had a picture of the cabin, but we can't find it. Ugh!
Bedroom
Kitchen











Cabin we stayed in that night

We made arrangements to be up and about at 8:00. I was up at 6 and ready to go. They were up early also, so they called and we got out about 7:30. We began driving through the tourist towns. We hit Fish Creek first, and we ate there. It was a very small little restaurant, and the food was good. They were fast serving also, I guess they had to be with the tourist season upon them. 
Fish Creek Bay

Beautiful flowers in front of Hide Side

Fall Festival downtown
Cornstalks used for decorations everywhere


Nice metal work in Hide Side

Hide Side Store

We actually went into stores on other side of road, but too fancy for us.





Directory around area activities



















We went to some of the stores there and looked around. What a great place if you were into tourist stuff, and I was. There were some fancy clothes shops. Ted used to be a buyer for Zions in Salt Lake, but they didn’t treat him right and he quit. However, in the process, he has learned how to buy and buy well. He loves to get good value for the money, who doesn’t? I have a feeling he has made a habit of knowing when, where and how to shop. He has his own UPS business in Farmington, but he doesn’t really want to go back and work it anymore. 

We left there and headed over to the water. I’m not sure how it worked, but we came to a wharf at a place that was called Gilbraltar. There was a little park there where a lady came walking by and took our pictures for us. We walked out on the wharf past the boats that were moored there. The wind was brisk, and the water looked cold. The current was really strong, and it did not look inviting, but I would have loved to take the boat over to the city we could see from there.
Craig on wharf


If you can enlarge picture, you can see island where the ferry takes you. Wish we had gone.
Boats docked around area

Gilbraltar Park area

Gilbraltar in front of Lake Michigan























When we walked down a little way, we were in another area and walked around before getting in his truck and heading out to the end. We stopped at a Scandavian store, which was right up next to the water. I went into the shop, and I bought a Christmas decoration made from one of the anchors that goes on a fish net (looked like Santa), some cherry jam (their specialty), a magnet (Mallory will have to inherit our magnet collection since she started us on them), and I think that was it. While we were there, two motorcycles pulled up that had been rebuilt. They were each $60,000 + in price. Needless to say, Craig and Ted were going crazy. Actually, Ted and Linda have a bike back at home, and they love to ride up in the canyons. I guess I’m too afraid of crashing to get excited about a bike, but these two things looked like little cars.
Some say its worth $60,000 - me, not so much!

Once we got to the end, we decided to come back down on the other side. I don’t know what you call this thing on a map, but we went up one side and down the other. We had heard of a restaurant where the goats sat on the roof and ate the grass up there. We found it quite by accident when Craig spotted the goats. It was called Johnson’s, and it was Scandavian. We went in to eat, and the food was good. I can’t remember what I ate now, but it wasn’t something unusual, I know that.
When we left there we didn’t stop again until we got home around 6:00. What a great adventure, and now we can say that we went to Door County. Any time we tell people we are out touring around, they ask if we have been there, so now we can respond in the affirmative.
Johnson's Restaurant - see grass on top of roof

Goats basking in the sun on top of roof.











On Sunday, we had our usual meetings. That night Kathy and Mike Linsleys (another Senior Couple) went into the Mission Home and were to leave the next day. We are going to miss them. They taught in the Kenosha area in a Spanish Branch. The Branch President is already asking Salt Lake to send them another couple. The Linsleys did everything but be Branch President. The younger missionaries have lost their lifeline, but the Lord will provide. We had hoped we would be invited with others over to the Mission Home to say goodbye, but I guess it being a Sunday, that was not done. When the Carter’s left, there was a dinner at the Mission Home, and we all got to tell them how much they meant to us and so forth. I hope the Linsleys weren’t hurt that it wasn’t done for them.

Monday saw Craig at a Chiropractor’s office for an initial workup to see if they could help his back. He had an appoint at 8:30, but he didn’t get out until about 10:00. We were meeting with Jolene and Tim Carson at Baker’s Square for breakfast at 9:00. As it turned out, they had tire trouble and had to go get it fixed, and they walked up to the restaurant and called me early (Craig was at doctor’s), and I told them we would be there as soon as possible. Jolene used to work in this restaurant when they lived in Milwaukee (they now live in Racine – where we moved them earlier in the year). Tim was up here for an eye appointment. When his retina detached several months earlier, he had to have surgery. It has not healed as quickly as they expected. He is an architect and needs the old eyes. They had to do another surgery, and it has done better, and he is hoping eventually to get back to normal. Anyway, they couldn’t make it to the doctors, so they waited around for us until we finally got there quite late. However, we had a great visit. We are trying to get them to the Temple. They have let coffee get in the way, and with her quitting her job last year so she could go to Pathway, they have slacked in their tithing. We encouraged them to get back on the horse and get it moving. We don’t have that much longer to be here, and we want to go through the Temple with them. We are going to have Thanksgiving with them, and we are really looking forward to it. She is quite the cook, so I know we will have a feast.

On Tuesday, we had our usual District Meeting held at Parkway. I believe this was the first time we have been in the room we usually use, and it has not smelled like Chinese food or soy sauce that someone spilled all over the carpet. It has been nasty sometimes. But it was a good meeting, and we can see the Lord’s hand in the work. There is an Elder McMoore, kin to the McMoores in Columbus, but not real close. He is a character. When he talks, we tend to hold our breath because we are not sure what he will say. While I wouldn’t say he is way off the plan, sometimes I wonder if this is just a period of time that he had to do in order to get back to the important stuff. In the entire time we have known him, he has not changed. We love that young man, but he…..who am I to judge him. Guess I better stick to my own shortcomings and not worry about his.
September’s scripture is 3 Nephi 2720 –
         
          Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth and come 
          unto me and be baptized in my name that ye may be sanctified by the 
          reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand blameless before me at the
          last day.

Elder and Sister Lenhard