TIDBITS & WANDERINGS

10 JUNE - A VERY SPECIAL DAY TODAY--my Mom's Birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom I love you to the moon & back.

Here are a few tidbits that I always forget to mention:

• Did you know that paper is a different size in the UK? Instead of 8 1/2 x 11, it's A7 which is thinner and longer.
• The computer keyboards are laid out differently so typing is a bit of a challenge until you get used to it. of course the keyboard includes the monetary sign for the "Pound" & "Euro." The UK uses the Pound & Euro is used in Ireland.
• Hamburg is called "minced meat."
• Steak sauce is called "Brown sauce."
• Apartments are "flats."
• Hardly anyone has a clothes dryer--everyone has a clothesline.
• Scotland loves their "potatoes" usually you are served 2 kinds on one plate.
• They have TJ MAX only it's called "TK MAX."
• Of course, then there is the driving--streets are all narrow, fortunately, cars are all small, no one drives a mini-van (or larger), of course, we drive on the opposite side of the road as the USA & the steering wheel is on the right side, cars park on both sides of the roads facing in either direction and postal codes are used for finding places, not addresses.
• And last, but not least, the whole country seems to be infatuated with pomegranate seeds--they serve them with everything; especially on top of salads, in fruit cups and on top of yogurt. Good thing I have aways loved them!

On this Saturday, we traveled to Pitlochry (love that name!) a village up closer to the Highlands. Our first stop was to a place called HeatherGems. A remarkable jewelry factory that makes gemstones out of Heather twigs (shown below). When the flower die and the stems dry out they process them, color them and turn the finished product into beautiful gemstones. I'll take a picture of one that I bought & post it. Next we shopped the village and checked out all the Scottish woolens & cashmeres, which are all beautiful, but not inexpensive. After lunch (our waiter had a brogue much heavier than we have become used to, so we weren't really sure of what we ordered) we toured Blair Castle & its beautiful gardens. There was a bagpiper standing at the door and just as we walked by he gave full-thrust to his bellows & about blew my eardrum out LOL! We also toured Black Watch Castle and hunted down a couple of monument that were quite touching having to do with Scottish soldier regiments. One that I will post is a touching sentiment of a little girl giving a returning soldier a bouquet of flowers. 

The mission has ordered my companion & I a new car. Someone has to pick it up in Ireland. At great sacrafice (LOL) we offered to drive & car ferry to Ireland & pick it up. We'll stay 2 nights and be able to tour some of Ireland. Next week my blog will be full of pictures of Ireland I'm sure. 

NOTE: To all my grandchildren & great-grandchildren. Just to let you know that I talk about you to everyone I meet. I'm so proud of all of you; young & old. I hope you are each enjoying my blogs and are saying to yourselves, "I can't believe she is doing all this." Because, really, I can't believe I'm doing all this either. I'm so blessed to have this opportunity. Hope you are all doing good and having a wonderful summer. It feels more like very early spring here, cool & rainy. But that doesn't keep us from getting outdoors and enjoying Scotland.

NOTE: To Samantha - Hope you're having a wonderful time in NY. Must be so great to be with everyone after such a long time. My MTC days spent with you & Dalton were so special, especially our temple time together. Miss you!

Love,

Sister Gifford

Returning soldier from World War I
(Note the soldier is carrying bagpipes)

Scottish Heather

Left side of Blair Castle

We watched the Salmon jump as they
swam upriver (or down-river) in Pitlochry 

Blair Castle - 700 years old
Pitlochry, Scotland
(you can't see him, but there is a bagpipe player in the doorway)

Black Watch Castle - smallest castle & newest
we've seen thus far - in Perth, Scotland
Built in 1800's. 

GemStone made from processed Heather  

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• "

8 June 2017  Three weeks into my mission.

This week the Conference for Senior Missionaries was held in Edinburgh. There are 11 couples & me and my companion that make up the senior missionary group. The group is from our whole mission, which includes Scotland, Ireland & the Republic of Ireland. I had talked with most of the people on the phone, but it was so nice to put faces & names together. I though it might be a little uncomfortable being a widow with so many couples, but they made Sister Call & I feel very comfortable. We enjoyed lovely meals at the mission home (which our office is joined to) which is a lovely elegant Scottish style home. We had a daily schedule of events, including firesides, devotionals and today, the last day we toured the Rosslyn Chapel (built in 1446) and Hopetoun estate (built in 1699). I'll talk more about these places later & include some pictures. The theme of one of the firesides was on marriage; the stages & what takes place in each stage. I guess some of the senior couples struggle a little with being together 24/7 for the first time. So anyway, I was asked to close the meeting with a presentation on my last years of marriage. I called it the "stage of gratitude" or the "stage of tender mercies." It was a little emotional to give the presentation, but I felt good about it and received many nice remarks. Did I mention that we still fit a few hours in the office each day of the conference and stayed after in the evening to finish up? The Lord's work is never finished!! Here is a funny office story: I've told you that I'm in charge of all housing for the missionaries (senior & younger)--well today I got a call from 2 elders (young male missionaries) to tell me their sink and washing machine  were not draining right, so they dumped a whole container of Draino down the sink, that didn't work so they dumped another whole container of Draino in the water setting in the washer!! When that didn't work they took some of the plumbing apart and then they couldn't get it back together again!! Of course, my job is to call the leasing agent and explain to them this story. Oh Boy!! We recently had a fire in one of the buildings where we have missionaries. The place including the missionaries apartment was completely burned. The missionaries got out safely and the only thing they found unburned was a backpack and a duffel bag that although burned, their passports and journals were inside safe & sound. Pretty much a miracle. By the way, the fire started because someone grilling on their balcony dumped gasoline on the hot coals & it exploded upward to the ceiling and then the building burned--moral of that story is . . . forget the gasoline!! Well, tomorrow is Saturday and it will be a day of new adventures.

Love to all,
Sister Gifford

Rosslyn Chapel built in 1446
Still functions as an Episcopal Church

Pratts Hill & beautiful sky in Edinburgh
Orson Pratt climbed to the top & there dedicated the country of Scotland
open for missionary work. All new missionaries climb to the top the
first day they arrive to serve their mission and return before they
leave the mission.

Willaim Wallace Monument - 1635

300-year-old clock in Hopetoun Estate still working

Hopetoun House  - The Living Quarters
members of the original family still live in
part of the house.

Right wing of Hopetoun Estate - The Stables

Right wing of Hopetoun Estate - The Ballroom

Saturday, 3 June - 2 weeks on my mission!

Today is one of those days that I have to pinch myself to prove I'm in Scotland! How wonderful it is, how blessed am I!

My companion and I worked up a "tourist" itinerary for today and left the flat at 9 am for an adventuresome day of seeing the sights. I saw my first castle, Stirling Castle about 45 min later. Located in Stirling, Scotland. Saw my second castle in the afternoon--Doune Castle. I will post pictures of both. At Stirling castle, we had a guide and was able to see the entire inside of the castle, but at Doune, we had tour headsets and discovered the ruins by ourselves. O.K. were talking about places and events from the 1200's and 1300's. Just pinch me--can this be real? Our guide was hysterical--very theatrical, very informative. And of course, had a very heavy brogue so I had to listen carefully. Picture of "Frank" our guide below. In between castles, we visited monuments, such as Wallace monument, which is breathtaking. William Wallace led the battle against the Jocobites in1297 and freed Scotland. Hope this had not been too boring for you . . .I know you sort of have to be here to appreciate it. But let me end with my lunch of the infamous Scottish "Haggis"- it's between a sausage patty loosely packed and a spoiled hamburg!! A side of Haggis is not expensive and it usually comes with all breakfast plates. So that's my opinion, but if you come to Scotland you will have to decide for yourself if Haggis is for you or not.A Celtic Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you, 

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

May the rain fall soft upon your field,

and until we meet again, 

may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Love,

Sister Gifford

Doune Castle

Doune Castle

Doune Castle

Stirling Castle 

Stirling Castle

My first Scottish "Haggis"
A little goes a long way!!!

Frank - the tour guide at Stirling Castle

Cannons at Stirling Castle

Tuesday 31 May - evening 8:10 Scotland time:
It was a strange day hardly had time to think about it being my sweet husband's birthday. Life certainly does move on. . . I know he is proud of me and I'll bet he wishes he had a yellow cake with peanut-butter frosting! I miss him today and always.

Last night was another of those Scotland firsts-- we took a two story bus from work and went into the city to dinner. First off, the buses travel at the speed of lightening on really narrow streets (like Philly, Lorre). O.K. so the bottom deck was filled, so up the stairs we went. Really narrow little steps that go straight up--my big ole missionary shoes barely fit on the steps & of course, the bus doesn't slow down for you to navigate the stairs! Then we got off the bus & walked forever to get to the restaurant.
NOW I appreciate my mission shoes! The cobblestone walkways and streets are very uneven & difficult to walk on. My steel shank shoes took them on LOL! The restaurant, ZIZZI's was in a lovely location right on the canal and had really good Italian food. Finding American style eating establishments is not easy. Although they do have McDonalds & Burger King, not all over the place like in the US. I am looking forward to eating in some of the local restaurants. I've been trying local foods from the grocery and that has been fun and for the most part yummy. Our fridge is very small, so we can't buy much ahead, which means frequent stops at the store. By the way, they call hamburg "minced meat" and grind it for you

The missionary work is going well. My office skills are coming back to me and my trainer (who is also my companion), is a good teacher. My companion and I have been given 9 people to teach the Gospel to. That will be fun, but we have to fit it into our office schedule. Twenty of our missionaries went home last week and 17 new ones arrived Monday. From Australia, Ukraine, Russia, etc., and of course, the US. Several times we have been invited into the mission home to join the missionaries for lunch. That is always fun and very uplifting. One of the missionary zones in the Republic of Ireland has baptized 40 people in just a short time. All the missionaries love us senior missionaries because we bring treats for them and keep snacks in our office area for their pleasure.

The weather is ranging from 58-68 degrees. Often windy and almost always rainy & damp.

By for now,
Sister Gifford
Jan, mom, grams, ggma


NOTE: Hi Mackenzie, been thinking about you today. We are going to a place this Saturday that makes jewelry out of natural dried Heather (which is a purple plant that grows in Scotland). I will try to take a picture to send you. I understand it is really beautiful and that the village is also quaint and beautiful. Hope you are doing well. I challenge you to live each day like there was no tomorrow! I love you.

NOTE: Hi mom, how you doing? I'm enjoying myself a lot and trying to provide some grandmotherly love to these missionaries. They all miss their homes and families a lot, so they enjoy talking to us "seniors."  Hope you are enjoying my blogs. I love you.

Looking out my kitchen window. There is a park with box gardens. Most people don't have backyards. On Saturday mornings families are working in their little gardens. One family planted their garden in an old row boat. The women all wear aprons to garden and the kids have a really good time with the hoses! There is a path that starts in the park and follows a lovely canal for miles.

Me and my granddaughter, Samantha, at the Provo Temple in Utah. This was taken the day I checked into the MTC.

Granddaughter, Samantha, husband Dalton & grandson Jordan. At the Provo Temple my check in day!

I've been in Scotland for exactly one week & one day now. Here are some thoughts: I don't have all the comforts of home--like a clothes dryer for instance! We have a washer about the size of a microwave. Which does a good job, but then we have to hang our clothes on drying racks in our bedroom. Because it is already damp here, last night was like sleeping in a sauna! It felt good yesterday to do some laundry and housekeeping--I haven't done anything like that since I left for the MTC, which by-the-way seems like such a long time ago. I live in Scotland now . . .WOW!

I'm still trying to get used to the money, which is pounds in Scotland. I call it "funny money!" Pennies are about the size of a US half-dollar, so you try not to carry too many of them around with you--very heavy. Usually, I just confidently hand them a funny money and if they look puzzled, I then add . . .I'm just new to the country can you help me out here. I'm always hoping for honest people cause I'm putting my money in their hands. If you use your US debit card it is a 3% surcharge, so what we do is withdraw what awe think we will need for a whole month. Gas is very expensive and purchased by the liter. Temperatures are read in Celsius and driving speeds are posted in odd places on little round plagues--at the most 10" wide. I don't think anyone looks at them. All vehicles drive fast, zoom around double decker buses (that are everywhere--big mode of transportation). The grocery stores are filled with unusual foods, some US products, but they are totally packaged differently. I've had lots of fun exploring the different products, especially the bread. Most of the larger stores have a US products aisle, but products are not necessarily the same nor do they taste the same. I've been eating a lot of salads--all stores carry small ready made packaged salads that are really yummy and easy to take to work.

Yesterday we attended the baptism of Zhao Tie, a Chinese young woman, who is attending University. We have two sets of missionaries speaking Chinese. We actually have a Gospel Essentials class for the Chinese members & investigators because there are so many. Two of the missionaries are actually from mainland China and the other two learned Chinese at the MTC. It was a beautiful baptism. Most everyone was soaking wet from the sudden rainstorm that hit just as everyone was arriving. The rain is something I have to get used to . . . I have never used a raincoat & umbrella this much before Scotland.

And then, there's the MOLD! It is so damp outside that mold grows inside like crazy. We have to wipe every surface down after we shower, when we do laundry we have to leave the washer door open for a day to completely dry out the inside. Then there is a special cloth that wicks the moisture that you attach inside the door. The mold is unusual--it grows like hair strands. Kind of like cobwebs. YA just learn to live with these little problems!!

But you might ask, "Is it all worth it?" and I would answer, "It sure is!" I feel so humbled that I have this opportunity to live amongst these fine people with their love for families and dogs. We the sun shines they are out in large number pushing their carriages and walking their dogs. Sometimes when I look out my kitchen window down to the park just across from my apartment I am overwhelmed at the beauty of nature and architectures. The Lord's work is going very well here, there is at least one baptism per week and often more. Our mission covers Scotland, Ireland and the Repulic of Ireland. My companion, Sister Call, and I have set a goal of attending church in every ward or branch in those three areas. It's a hefty goal, but would sure be fun to do.

Did I tell you about my companion? She is from SLC Utah, she is 58 years old, has 4 children, plays the organ & piano, has been a widow for 13 years (her husband also died from cancer). She has 4 grandchildren. She is very kind and outgoing. We get along really well. We hope to get out and travel on Saturdays--we don't want to leave without seeing the sights! The only really big difference between us (besides age) is that she pretty much lives on nachos & salsa & chocolate milk!! and I love pretty much anything that is food!

Today all three of us senior sisters were invited to eat lunch with the missionaries that have finished their 2 years & are leaving to go back to their homes. It's always a pleasure eating at the mission home--the food is wonderful and served very elegantly.

NOTE: Hi mom--how you doing? I wish you could see this place, but it is probably similar to some of the parts of England that you saw when you visited with the old buildings and such. Did you get to see any castles while you were there or are they just in Scotland? Hope you're feeling well and that you are enjoying life! Love you to the moon & back.

NOTE:  Hi Maxton--I've been thinking a lot about you. I miss you a whole bunch. Have I told you lately how smart I think you are! You're reading skills are right off the charts excellent and you are so careful with your homework. Good for you! How are sports coming along? Are you playing lacrosse still or is it just soccer right now?

Love to all,
Sister Gifford
mom, Jan, grams & ggma

Another day in Scotland . . .
Today is my 3rd day in the office. It was a busy one! It's amazing the heavy load the mission president & his wife carry. They are so warm and outgoing. Under Housing Coordinator I'm in charge of closing apartments when the missionaries are being transferred or like today when we are closing 7 apartments because we have fewer missionaries coming in as others are leaving. I also deal with the landlords & sometimes not very nice ones!! I also am responsible for finding new apartments, which includes sending out lease info & lots of other stuff. I'm learning & very much enjoying the office & staff. We will have 20 missionaries transfer to different locations within Scotland & Ireland next week so this missionary will be very busy!

Last night our senior missionary couple in the office invited us all over to their home for a Chinese dinner (cooked by Elder Winter) authenic Chinese dishes. All of us in the office as well as President Donalson & his wife were there. Wonderful food & just very gracious hosts.

Life is good--but I haven't got the technical part of communicating with family & friends down. Also, my blog page is not allowing me to insert pictures. Very frustrating and I don't have Lorre handy to help.

Well, that's it for tonight--I hope you are all well and enjoying life.

Love, Sister Gifford