Oh my aching back & MORE WANDERINGS:

Thursday night I woke up in the night not feeling so good--Friday morning I had the ache in my back they said to me, "oh no, another kidney stone!" I didn't say anything to my companion, just got ready and went to the office. I had several prayers asking Heavenly Father to lift this pain and let the whole thing go away. After each prayer, I was able to be pain-free and continue my duties. For hours this worked and then all of a sudden I was in too much pain and very upset to my stomach. I told my companion what was going on and that I was going to request a priesthood blessing from the AP's (assistants to the President). What happened next is the only reason I'm sharing this "kidney stone mumble jumble." The  AP's Elder Gibb & Peacock live at the mission home, so they were right there when I needed them. They are both just 19-year-olds, but already such fine young men. They gave me the most beautiful blessing. In it, they said the pain would subside and I would be able to continue to do the Lord's work. As they laid their hands upon my head I just felt the warmth spread through my whole body. The pain was gone and I continued to work a busy day in the office. Right at the end of the day, the pain & nausea came back with a vengeance and I went home crawled into bed and slept until I passed the stone at 9 pm. The next morning I was just fine so we did a little wandering. I just wanted to share that story so everyone could benefit from the story of my priesthood blessing.

First place we went was Craigmillar Castle. The castle is in Edinburgh and was one of my favorites.

For the first 250 years the castle served as a comfortable fortified residence for the Prestons, a prominent Edinburgh family in late medieval times.

CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE RUINS

Our 2nd wandering was to the Butterfly Garden-- so this is for my younger grandchildren and my great-grandchildren.

The Big Hungary Caterpillar

These are CACOONS

Branches with lots of CACOONS hanging from them

THE OWL BUTTERFLY

THE BLUE MORPHO

WHAT KIND OF BUTTERFLY IS THIS??!!

BIG OWL BUTTERFLIES EATING THEIR FRESH FRUIT 

NOTE: Hey mom how you doing? Don't let my kidney stone episode worry you. I've had enough of these darn things! That one probably won't be the last. We have been having a lot of fun visiting the castles--I love them all. My driving is coming along pretty good. I haven't had any fender-benders yet. The car we have right now sits very low and I can hardly see over the steering wheel. I got the nicest pictures of Zachary in his new room at college (Can you believe he is in college!?) Also a picture of Michael and Rylee Jane their first day of school. They are all such cuties and such nice kids. I love them to pieces. Hope things are well with you and I just want you to know that I think you're pretty special! Love you lots, Sister Gifford

NOTE:  Hi Alayna--how are you doing? Congratulations on your great soccer season. Oh how I wish I could have seen your games. I have soccer fields across the street from my flat and I am going to go over and watch a game someday. I'm pretty amazed at how you have grown up. WOW! You are really a young woman now. By the time I get back to the US you will be almost in high school and almost 14 (I think). Life is very good here. I do miss everyone (especially on Sundays) but I try to just keep busy and not dwell on missing all of you. I'm very busy at the office. I love what I'm doing, which is mostly finding flats for missionaries to live in and closing flats where they are moving out and no new ones will be moving in. It's kinda fun and the young missionaries have to help me by going to see the flats and let me know if they are o.k. So we sort of form a bond and that's pretty cool. They have never picked out a flat before so they get pretty excited about it. Our weather is like early fall and it rains a lot. I'm used to the rain now and used to my hair always being flat from wearing a hood up. Hope the family is doing well. Love you to the moon and back. Grams

A Wee Bit of Excitement & Wandering . . .

Now on to the TATOO . . . . Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2017
Started in the early 1950's the Tatoo is a spectacular show. Thousands of people attend every year from all over the world. The tickets have to be purchased months in advance. We attended with a large group of senior missionaries from Scotland & Ireland. It takes place in front of the Edinburgh Castle. I think one of the most exciting parts was just walking from our taxi to the castle. The streets lined with beautiful old buildings, a zillion people and ahead you could see the castle lit up by fire burning torches. What a sight to behold. The pictures I'll post just can't do the show justice. Military bands and performers from any country that had played a role in Scotland history. My favorite was all the bagpipes and the Highland dancers. We sat through almost 2 hours without rain and then right at the end--it poured!

It didn't stop the show, but by the time we walked to our taxi pickup we were all drenched!

Light shows displayed on the castle.

It's very interesting in Scotland--the cab system. Cabs and buses are the mode of transportation. They have cabs for up to 12 people and they really are not expensive. So you walk, cab & bus pretty much everywhere. But you do have to get to know the bus system, which I'm still working on. I tried out 3 buses the other day until I found the right one. Each one cost me 2 pounds. So that was an expensive bus ride. I just kept hopping on and off. LOL  We have such a great bunch of senior missionaries in Scotland & Ireland. Lots of fun to go places together.


NOTE: Hello Mom, how aare you? I don't know if you like bagpipes or not, but this a fantastic show.
When the show ended they had a solitary bagpiper play as they gradually turned down the lights that lit up the field where they performed. When he was done we were sitting in almost darkness and then the fireworks started right over the top of the castle. Wish you could have been there. I've been thinking about you this week and wondering how you are feeling. Hope you are happy and remembering to pray for me--you're in my prayers every day. Love and hugs to you.

NOTE: Hi Zachary, how are you? You are probably getting ready to head off to college--hard for me even to say that "heading off to college" WOW where have the years gone! Did you go on your big
expedition trip? How did it go? Hopefully, your mom can post some pictures. How was the weather and did you meet some new friends that will help to ease you into a new home away from home.
Today we got 16 new missionaries into our mission boundaries. They are usually 18, 19 & a few 20-year-olds. They are a little bit nervous and a little bit excited, but they are here to serve the Lord and each of them will grow up a lot while they serve their two-year missions. It was really fun meeting all of them. Most of them are away from home for the 1st time and suddenly they in a different county with a companion they have never met before. Much like you're going to be doing. I wish you all the luck in the world. Love you a whole bunch. Grams

mo

A Weekend of Spirituality & Wanderings

Was Scotland, Ireland and England all on my bucket list of things to do--well no, but as of yesterday I've traveled all three countries! Did I ever in my wildest dreams think it possible? No, not really!

Saturday our church ward took a bus to Preston, England to the temple and to see the pageant that is put on by the church. The bus was really nice and it was only a 3- hour trip.  The bus ride gave us time to get-to-know some of the ward members better. We can only go to the temple once on our mission and we choose this trip because it included the pageant. The pageant is called "Truth Will Prevail."  It is a musical about the Book of Mormon and the Church being introduced to the people of Preston England. Those people who joined the church and then journeyed to America at the request of the prophet, Joseph Smith, became the backbone of the church in America. 20,000 + eventually migrated to America from England at that time. Preston has an MTC (missionary training center). As missionaries, my companion and I were asked to take with us either an investigator or less-active member. We invited two sisters, but only one showed up--mine. A sweet person with a very heavy brogue and a startling personality!! That I won't go into, but I had a 3rd-degree migraine when I arrived home LOL Not really. She didn't come to church today, so I must have worn her out! The pageant was really good--open to the community, free of charge and an all volunteer cast & crew of around 700 members from as far away as Zimbaway Africa. Before the pageant, those that were able to attend the temple enjoyed so much the privilege of doing the Lord's work for a couple of hours in His house. I'm grateful to my daughter, Cobit, who keeps updated with family names to take to the temple for ordinance work. I personally knew one of the names this time--my father's Aunt Viola Donley. Thanks, Cobi for your dedicated genealogy research. Keep up the good work! That's me in front of the temple and that is the Angel Moroni on top! I'm in good company!

WANDERINGS to the Outer Hebrides

Well, we were supposed to take a car to missionaries in Ireland last weekend, but we ended up on the Isle of Lewis in Stornoway. We took the sister missionaries a new car and picked up their old one. This was another "pinch me this can't be real" experience. The Isle of Lewis is off the northern coast of Scotland and is the top island in a string of islands called the Outer Hebrides. We drove 3 hours to the car ferry and then 3 hours on the ferry to get there. We were supposed to meet the Markers (senior missionary couple) and the sister's Fisher & Hebbert when we got off the ferry--we were thinking "how's that going to work" when we saw them lined up on the sidewalk across from the ferry exit all waving wildly at us. Turns out the church building is just down the street right on the water. We toured the church, checked into hotel (very nice & actually had an elevator, which is rare in Scotland). Then we went shopping. I found cashmere sweaters at a good price, bought a Harris Tweed bag for my scriptures, and a hand-knit sweater. The Isle of Harris is the next island down from Lewis and that's where Harris Tweed is from. So you do get some good prices on trademark Harris Tweed, which is 100% wool, on the islands. Family may find "tweed" goodies in their surprise boxes :-). But here comes one of those "pinch me" experiences. That evening we went to a community entertainment night. Anyone can come and sing, play an instrument, do whatever. It's free and very well attended. Did I tell you they speak primarily Gaelic (pronounced ga lic like you're going to say garlic, but leave out the r. So I thought the Scottish accent was hard to understand . . . well this language is impossible. Fortunately, everything is in both English and Gaelic. Well, we lucked out it was a treasure of musicians and singers with tunes that kept your toes a tappin! Banjos, fiddles, guitars, everything you can think of. All older folks just there for the fun of entertaining others. One woman just danced all night by herself. I think she may have had a wee bit--if you know what I mean! It was so awesome. We were welcomed like we were old friends just dropping by. We even got hugs. The Marker's, missionaries & my companion, Sister Call, all sang Love One Another (I didn't sing & anyone that knows my voice knows why LOL! Elder Marker accompanied anyone that wanted him to on the keyboard. Very talented. I can't tell you everything we did in 2 1/2 days on the island, but I will share one more experience that touched my heart--we were driving the island when the Marker's pulled into a typical stucco old Scottish home and it was named the Blue Pig. Turns out they had met this woman at an island function and became good friends. Her name was Jane & she had a comfy home with a roaring fire--she hustled and put a kettle of herbal tea on (just for us) fussed over us like we were family and served a potpourri of sweet delights. She is an artist and her home is her studio and her work lined the walls. Outstanding work and I wished I had bought a painting. Customers came in and so did her family and Jane just dotted over all of us. What a special, very unique lady. Lots of what we saw on the island will be in the pictures I post.

The church in Stornoway is a small branch; on a good day, maybe 25 people attend. They have no youth and only 1 Primary child (a three yr old). I was impressed with the fact that they have a full Primary Presidency for that 1 child and they were planning their Primary program. That's what I call caring for the "one." Elder & Sister Marker play the piano for all the meetings, Elder Marker is in the Bishopric and Sister Marker in the Primary presidency. The Sisters Fisher & Hebbert taught Relief Society and talked in Sacrament. The four of them really participate in that small branch. My companion and I were asked to give a 5 min. talk, which we did. I'm getting used to being called on impromptu in different wards. Just part of being a missionary. Lucky for me I like to talk LOL.

NOTE: Well hello mom--how's it going there for you. As you can tell from my blog, I'm just a happy camper! My mission is going very well and I look forward to every day. Then I really look forward to bedtime every night! We walk everywhere and that is really good for me, but I can't make myself stay up past 9 pm. Did I tell you that it doesn't get dark here until way after 11 pm in the summer, so it is still very light out when I go to bed. In the winter it gets dark about 3 pm and stays dark until around 8 am. So I will be going to the office in the dark and coming home in the dark. I'll probably get used to it--maybe not!! Lot's of love to you--hope you are doing well. Miss you.

NOTE: Hi there Reese. I hope I haven't missed you. So you are in the Navy now!!?? That was a big surprise. Although I did remember you saying something about joining when you were at my farewell. I just didn't think you were serious. So I just want you to know how special I think you are and that you have such great potential. So I expect you to do great things in the Navy. Please continue to read my blog and drop me a text whenever you can. I don't want to lose touch with you. Love you a whole bunch, grams.

A big ram at Jane's house--look at those curly horns
that means he is old!

These are called "black houses" that have been preserved
 from the Viking Period. They were still being lived in
until 1964.

Sheep & more sheep all the Scottish land is covered with them
and they often stop traffic as they cross the street to new pastures.

These stones are very famous - called the Calanais, they date back to 2900 BC
There are fifty of them comprising a circle and there is a burial site in the middle.
Stones run east, west, south & north from the circle

These are remains of a Viking dwelling dating from the early
 1200's - remarkable that they are preserved to this extent.

Just a beautiful cove on the west side of the island - North Atlantic ocean
Beaches are not usually sandy like this one nor is the water usually this green/blue.

This is Heather growing in the highlands.

Last, but not least--this is where Donald Trump's mother lived until she was sixteen.