Wanderings . . .and one of the last big adventures

The scenery on the drive around the Ring of Kerry

The Cliffs of Moire

A pretty Irish cotta

Blarney Castle in Cork Ireland 

Ross Castle in  Ireland --where Harry Potter learned to fly his broom.

Last week on Thursday my companion and I along with the Millers flew to Ireland. Can you believe the ticket was 36 pounds round trip??!! The Millers are also senior missionaries (married) and serving as YSA (young single adults) leaders in the Edinburgh ward. The four of us have become fast friends and enjoy "wandering" together. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                    We flew into Dublin and spent the night at a quaint B&B and then left for Waterford the next morning. I have always wanted to visit the Waterford Crystal factory to buy a crystal vase.  Which I did buy and had shipped to NC---Happy Birthday, Sister Gifford!

The Cliffs of Moire--stunning beauty & used in the Harry Potter
movie with Harry flying around on his broom.

We saw Blarney Castle and all but me kissed the Blarney Stone. I climbed the first 100+ steps and then decided that the next steps were just too steep, so I turned around and came down--I truly had a defeated feeling :-)  We drove the Ring of Kerry (111-mile) circular tourist route in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. Elder Miller had served his mission in Cork 50 years ago, so we looked up his flat and took pictures of him standing by a boarded-up building. Kinda sad for him, but we toured around the area that he served in and he was a happy camper. We visited Galaway and  Limerick, enjoyed several wonderful B&B's met with missionaries in the various cities and ended our trip by meeting the Walkers (a senior couple serving in Galaway) for shopping and dinner. We missed our early morning return flight and that's a whole other story for another time! I've been to Ireland 3 times on my mission and I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity.

And now, let me take you to another one of those "pinch me I must be dreaming" experiences. This week Elder Massimo Defeo a General Authority Seventy made an official visit to our Mission. He spent two days in Ireland with our President & Sister Macdonald hosting and then they all flew back to Scotland for 2 days. I hope I can put into words the events over the last couple of days. We held Zone Conferences in both Ireland and Scotland so all the missionaries could participate in the meetings with Elder Defeo. On Thursday we closed the office and all senior missionaries were able to participate in the Zone Conference. Because this is Sister Call and my last zone conference along with 3 of the young missionaries we all had to bare our testimonies. As I was walking from the mission office to the church I had the most extraordinary thing happen--I felt the mantle of the spirit come over me and by the time I reached the church I was in tears. Right after the opening song & prayer, we were asked to come up to the podium and bare our testimonies. First Sister Call and then me. I had not stopped shedding tears so when I started to speak my voice was a little wobbly. I won't go into what my testimony was about, but I did mention how I had felt the mantle of the spirit. Both Sister Call and I mentioned that we were widows and spoke briefly about our husbands and what amazing examples they were to us. I was so honored when Elder Defeo got up to speak he said he didn't know either of us but felt a great deal of love for us. Then he gave this amazing talk and mentioned my testimony three times. I'm not wanting to boast, but believe me having a general authority mention my testimony was such a thrill. What a wonderful way to bring my mission to a close.

NOTE: Most of you probably know that my hometown was hit hard by hurricane Francis. My house is safe and sound--I've been so blessed. I appreciate so much those friends in New Bern that took the time to inspect my house and calm my fears. My prayers go out to all those who have so drastically been affected by the storm.

Wanderings . . . and picking up the pieces

THE TATOO  

2018 Tatoo - makes me realize just how long I have been here. This was my 2nd Tatoo performance and it was a fantastic performance. Military groups from all over the world performing their specialties. My favorites are the bagpipers--absolutely outstanding. At the end, they turn off all the lights and just one bagpiper stands atop the castle wall and plays "Amazing Grace." Goosebump time!                                                                                             

At the right side of the picture is the Edinburgh Castle --light shows
play off it all night.

The Tatoo doesn't start until 9 pm and is two hours long, so it is a late night. We taxi to and from the castle and always get caught by at least a little rain. Nobody seems to mind, they just don their ponchos and keep on enjoying. There are people from all over the world in attendance. Maybe I will come back to visit someday and see the Tatoo again, but then who knows, there are lots of places to see.

These are all bagpipers and drummers

My companion will be with me just one more month, so we are trying to see every little thing we haven't seen--so much of our travels are "bits and pieces."  We have seen over 60 Castles and still have more to go. We have seen palaces, estates, gardens and the Royal Mile at least a couple dozen times. The Royal  Mile is the mile between the Edinburgh Castle and the Holywood Palace (where the Queen resides in the summer). The mile is filled with shops, souvenir shops, and restaurants as well as interesting alleys and nooks and crannies. I couldn't even begin to tell you all the places we have seen and explored. We both enjoy the Castle ruins the most, especially if you can climb around inside. Oh, I forgot to mention that my new companion will arrive on September 23 so I will have several weeks to train her. She is a single sister in her late 50's from England. Sister Call will return home on October the 8th and I will leave on November the 8th.

Sister Call's replacement is from the states (Utah) also in her 50's. OK enough talk about "replacements"--its bringing tears to my eyes.

Dunoor Castle
I loved this castle ruins. I can understand why they would want their
castle built right on the cliff overlooking the sea, but what I don't
understand is "how" they build it on a cliff, who does it and where does
all that rock come from and how do they get it to the site. It is just amazing.
Did I tell you that there are over 3,000 Castles in Scotland?

These structures are often found with Castles-- It's where they kept their doves (birds)

My trip home is as follows: Nov. 8th I leave Scotland for Michigan (to see my siblings), then to NY (Lewis family), then to Vermont (grandaughters & their families), then to Ohio (Boyer-Gifford family), then to Maryland (Gifford family), then to Virginia Beach (grandaughter and her family), Dec. 12th leave for North Carolina. I'm so excited about this trip. I have two new great-grandchildren to see and many grandchildren that I miss (not to mention my own children . . .I miss them too).

NOTE:  As most of you know I usually close my blog with a message to my mom, but my mom passed away last week and her funeral was just this past Friday. So I dedicate this blog to her . . .she loved to have my sister, Kay, read my blogs. I'll miss you mom and I love you so much.

Hindu Prayer Tree - each ribbon is a prayer sent to a deceased

Winding Down Wanderings

Dunbar--a fishing village

Pretty little fishing village



Dunbar fishing village, a sandstone statue of a fisherman
and wife with their basket of fish.

My first selflie . . .hope I really look better than this picture!!
I really wanted you to see the background--beautiful Scotland scenery

We wandered all over Last Saturday. We drove through the area referred to as the borders (Scotland & England) until we were about 16 miles from the England border. We pulled off the road many times to take pictures as the scenery was some of the best we've seen.

Lush green, rolling land for miles and miles of driving.

We saw a castle and a couple of statues that turned out to be quite a hike back into some woods and then out in nowhere land this beautiful statue of William Wallace (for those who have seen the movie Braveheart). The Scots don't like that movie because they say it is far from the truth!

William Wallace - a statue so tall we had to stand
way downhill from it just to get the top part of the statue
in the picture.

Tantalon Castle

You'll notice I captioned this blog as the "winding" down wandering--it has suddenly occurred to me that the time on my mission is getting very precious. My release date is November 8, so basically I have less than 3 months. It makes me tear up just to type the words. I have grown to love this country and the people. But mostly I have seen such progress in my spiritual growth. I'm grateful for the fact that every Wednesday evening is spent at church attending at least one baptism, sometimes as many as three. I will probably never experience such as this again in my lifetime. I've grown to love my companion and to appreciate her as a real example in my life of someone who absolutely loves the scriptures. I'm so grateful for the little things, like being able to cook sometimes in the enormous kitchen at the mission home! Our kitchen in our flat leaves a lot to be desired and the oven is still a mystery. I love climbing into a taxi; makes me feel like a celebrity. I always use the taxi ride as an opportunity to teach the gospel to the driver. On one occasion, when I started to pay the driver, he said, "no charge-- this one is on me."  By the way, I use the light approach--I ask, "what brings you joy in your life?" I love walking to the bus stop from my flat and hopping on a bus that zooms me into the city. I can't drive anymore because my license was no good after a year. Probably a good thing--the roads are safer without me LOL!  So that's life and I'm enjoying every minute of it! I'll see you all in November. Love, Sister Gifford

NOTE:  Hi mom, well here you go with my message to you--I'm so sorry you have had such a rough couple of months, but so glad you are doing so much better. You are truly an inspiration to all of us. I only hope I can grow up to be just like you LOL! I've been very busy--I never knew serving a mission would be such hard work. I go to bed early every night and am just so glad to hit that mattress. Of course, I try to keep up with my missionary companion who is Lorre's age. For the most part, I can outlast her, except for bedtime--she is a late night person. I think I told you that I have two new great-grandsons. Holly and Julia both have darling little guys and I can't wait to see them. All the grandchildren are growing up and even the great-grandchildren are doing the same. I was trying to figure out how many great-grandkids you have, but couldn't figure it out. How many?? And how many great, great, grandkids?? I'm really looking forward to seeing you in November and we'll have to do a selfie LOL!

NOTE:  Hi Grayson, how are you? just want you to know I am so proud of you for attending your Primary class and learning about your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I'm also very impressed with the fact that you are working on school work getting ready for your new adventure in Kindergarten. You are such a smart boy and I wish you could give me some of your "smarts" LOL Enjoy the rest of your summer and I'll see you November. I'll be coming to your house for a visit when I'm done with my mission. I sure hope someday I will be writing a letter to you on your very own mission. Wouldn't that be something if you went to Scotland on your mission too!!? I love you lots & will talk to you soon, ggma

Wanderings & family in the "winding down" months . . . .

Alayna, Jocey & Max  -  North Barrick, Scotland

My son, Andy, Heather and the children came for a nice long visit. They were in Edinburgh for 5 full days. We had so much fun and the weather was just perfect. They rented a flat just off the Royal Mile and could walk to almost everything. We walked and walked and climbed stairs! Just in one day we  took a tour and saw the Kelpies, Loch Lomond, and Sterling Castle. The Kelpies are mythical horses that can change into anything they want. Perhaps you've heard the song on the bonny shores of Lake Lomond? And you may remember, Stirling Castle is my favorite.
                                                                                               

At Stirling Castle

Loch Lomond 

The children had the opportunity to place their hands in the handprints of J.K. Rowling and visit the cemetery where names were taken by her to use in her book. I think we found them all. One of my favorite parts of the visit was when Alayna learned (using that word loosely) to play the bagpipes I bought for Max and put a street act together with Jocey as her partner in the act. I laughed so hard I dislodged a kidney stone (no joke)! We ate such good food, and just enjoyed walking the mile. I love those guys!     

My latest adventure was yesterday--my companion and I drove 3 hours to take the Jacobite Train (Harry Potter movie steam train). One of the areas of Scotland we had not yet explored is the Highlands, so we drove thru some of the most beautiful of God's creations. Mountains and hills that boggled the mind they were so awesome. We bought first class tickets so we were able to sit in the quaint section that was filmed with fancy lamps on the tables between chairs and a beautiful old steam train that rattled and clanked along the rails with steam escaping everywhere outside the engine. The famous bridge (the Glenfinnan Viaduct)is pretty spectacular and I was able to get the picture below from the window of the train. 

                                                  Glenfinnan - the Harry Potter Bridge

                    Our train

All Aboard!!

Many of my friends have probably been wondering how my mom is doing--well we kinda really don't know. She has her own time-schedule for leaving this earthly home and none of us seem to know when it is. She is just a "wonder woman"--always has been, always will be!

NOTE: So here's to you mom: I love you so much and I am so proud of you for your strength and your will to enjoy life. I know it's hard for you to eat much and I know you are sleeping a lot, but I guess you know better than any of us that that's just the way it is for you at this stage of your life. I hope you always have a prayer on your lips (knowing you, I'm sure you are in constant communication with your Heavenly Father. I am wondering if you wish you had done something in your life that you haven't done--is there anything you wish you had done? I know at one time you expressed interest in writing a cookbook. Is there anything else? I hope your days are filled with peace and all your prayers are answered. Lots of love, Janice

Well, friend and family . . .my mission is as exciting as ever. We just welcomed a new mission president and his wife. It was sad saying goodbye to the Donaldson's, but they had served 3-years and returned to England. Our new president is from the States and we love him and his wife already. I have less than 4 months left of my mission and plan to do as much service as I possibly can during these last few months. Right now my departure date is November 8 and that just doesn't seem far off. 

I will share an interesting experience that I had; I took a taxi from my flat to see my family while they were visiting. When I got in the taxi, the driver asked me about my badge. I told him what it was for and explained my mission. He asked me what my church believed and I taught him the first gospel lesson. He was very excited and when we stopped he came around to help me out and I asked, "what do I owe you?" He said absolutely nothing this ride was my pleasure. I asked if I could refer him to the missionaries and he gave me his card. So, I'm just saying amazing things happen when you're in the service of the Lord. You would have to understand the competitiveness of taxi drivers for fares to really understand how unusual a free taxi ride would be.

I'm sorry my blogs are so far and few between--I will try to do better these last few months. 

Lots of love,

Sister Gifford

May & June . . .appeciation of longer days!

Oh my goodness, it is so good to have "light!" Months and months of short days--dark by 3:30 pm and no light until after 8 am start to wear on you. But now we have an amazing appreciation for the light, especially the light in the morning. Our parking lot is not well lit, so navigating the outdoor stairs was a wee bit dangerous. We've not only had light, but more sunshine than the Scots are used to. May & June so far has been beautiful weather and the flowers and trees are gorgeous.

Drummond Castlel Gardems

                                                   

A relaxing day at Holywood Park 

Near our flat

 

Are church ward continues to be blessed with baptisms (at least one or two a week). It's exciting to be part of the teaching of these new members and to feel a real bond with them by the time they are baptized. I think I mentioned that a large number of them are Chinese and oftentimes returning to their homeland fairly soon after baptism.  When they arrive in China they are not allowed to acknowledge their membership publicly, but they are still anxious to take the gospel to their families. I love teaching with the young sister missionaries, they are truly an inspiration.

Last Saturday we took a boat out to the Isle of May--an hour boat ride, 3 hours on the island. The island is a bird reserve and I'm talking some very different birds!  Like the Puffin, which I tried to get a close-up picture of, but they were just too fast. One of the things on my Scotland "bucket list" was to actually see a Puffin. And I did, hundreds of them. Hopefully one of my pictures will show up plain enough to post--if not you'll have to google a Puffin to see what they look like. The only thing on this rocky island were birds, nests of birds and more birds. Most of them burrow in the ground to build their nests, so there are thousands of burrows all over the island. We had to stay strictly to the paths so as to not step on ground that was dug out underneath. Well, maybe 3-hours of bird watching was a little much, but we also got to tour a lighthouse and got plenty of exercise.

                             

Me and Sister Call                                     

Elder & Sister Miller

These lumps are all nest burrows - the only humans that
live on the island are researches in the summer

Fishing village we took the boat from out to the island.

Well, life is good and the travel on Saturday is always adventuresome and fun. Life in the office is equally adventuresome and fun. We are losing our wonderful mission president and his wife this month--their 3-years is up and they are returning to England. They are the Donaldsons and our new president and spouse are the Macdonalds. They have Skyped Sister Call and me to get to know us and what we do in the office. They seem very nice, they are only in their 50's and will be bringing their 18 yr old daughter with them for the first year. They are from Utah. With the change of leadership could come changes in the roles we now have in the office. We'll see! Anyway, I'm sure it will be very interesting getting to know them and get used to new ways. I hope I still will get an occasional time to cook up a meal in the mission kitchen.

NOTE: Hi mom, I hear you were looking for my blog and there wasn't a new one. Boy that made me feel guilty! So when we got back to our flat tonight I sat right down and tried to finish my blog that I started weeks ago. I loved seeing your birthday picture--you look so good and so happy. It made me feel good just looking at the picture. I so wish I had one of those birthday donuts--YUM! Kay said you are not eating much, so you better start eating a little more so that when I come to see you in November I will recognize you LOL. Too skinny is not good for us older folks. A little pudginess is just right. I'm very happy and feeling just great, so don't worry about me. Take lots of time to pray and remember how much our Heavenly Father loves you.

NOTE: Hi Jules, I've just been thinking about you a lot lately and imagining how your household will be when I visit you in November. Five Steidles WOW! Just want you to know how much I love you and what a great example you are to me of someone who braves the world to accomplish new things. I wish I had just half of your creative juices. So, good luck with the C-section and the new little one and I'll see you in a few months. I don't suppose you'll be coming back here to visit LOL. Love you a whole bunch, grams

A SUNNY DAY . . .and more wanderings

Can you guess which building is our B&B?

It's the one on the left- running water, indoor toilets, 

and a traditional Scottish breakfast with haggis. What

more could anyone want??!!

Orkney Islands - went to the main island, Orkney
and spent 2 days wandering.

                                                                  

Elder & Sister Miller, me and Sister Call at the Earl's Palace
dating back to the 1100's


Here are some places you don't want to miss if you

ever get to the Orkney Islands:

-The Earl's Palace (some of the best ruins ever!)

-St. Magnus Cathedral (now the Church of Scotland, Catholic)

buillt in the early 1100's. Magnus Eriendsson was the Earl of  

Orkney at the time, but was killed by order of his wicked 

cousin. It was said that miracles happened at his gravesite and

he was sainted and his bones dug up and reburied in the Cathedral.

We went back later that evening and enjoyed a choir performance.

-The Ring of Brogdar, Standing Stones. See pictures below. No

one knows for sure the significance of the circle of stones, but one

guess is that it was a religious ceremonial circle. Another guess is

that somehow they are aligned with the planets. Many standing

stones are found on the island. 

-Skara Brae, The story of Skara Brae makes fascinating reading.

 It is one of the earliest prehistoric sites in Scotland and was preserved 

through four millennia beneath the sand dunes. The settlement was

discovered in 1850 when a great storm battered the bay and blew away 

the sand to reveal a glimpse of what lay beneath the ground. Can you

imagine a place thousands of years before the birth of Christ!! See pictures 

below.                                                                                                 

   

    Another part of the circle - Standing Stones of Stenness

Skara Brae - village 3,ooo yrs BC--just unbelievable.
You can see lots of detail if you are there, like firepits, rock
formed sleeping beds. The houses are joined together
with a large room for family/friend mingling and form a circle. This village
is right on the cliffs overlooking the North Atlantic ocean.

Other sights to see:

The Italian Chapel - built by Italian prisoners of war during World War I

They got permission from their captors to build a church and they used 

anything they could find to build the chapel. Catholic services are held

there each Sunday.

The   Maeshowe chambered burial tomb. 
And much, much more!!

Last two pictures are the Italian Chapel & the Maeshowe Tomb-- we had to
practically crawl to enter the tomb. Our guide had a flashlight and was
able to point out the hieroglyphics on the walls. The four corners of the
tomb are 4 large standing stones.

       

Well, I hope you enjoyed the trip around the island, I wish I could have shared 

lots more, like driving on winding narrow rodes between houses and buildings

that had a clearance of about 1" on either side of the car, and have you be able to

hear the Orkney accent, which puts a whole new slant on the Scottish accent. And

shared some of the delicious seafood available on the island. Life is Good! On the

mission front, I never new missionaries worked so hard!! I don't know what

I'll do with myself when my mission ends. There is never a downtime at the office,

and that is how it is for all of us. We are strong supporters of our young missionaries

and love them to pieces. It is so hard when they leave us to go back home. Some 

we see more than others, but even on Orkney we have missionaries so we treated

them to a dinner out. We always tell them to pick a place that they can't afford to

go to. We attended church on the island. They had 10 members and it was a sweet

experience. They use a CD player for music, meet in a school and the branch 

president has been serving for 22 years! Isn't that amazing? The young missionaries

play a huge role in such a small ward. A woman who was baptized in the Edinburgh

ward now lives on the island and she cried when she saw the four of us walk in. I

had an opportunity to bare my testimony and share a couple of scriptures. And then,

the long trip home . . . .another wandering for the blog and planted in my memory

forever.

NOTE: Well mom, it's almost Mother's Day--so how is the best mother ever doing? I sure do miss you and can't wait for a reunion. We'll share some nutty donuts. You know our good friends, Bob and Mary Brady--well they are serving their 3rd mission and this time in Africa. I've been feeling wonderful except for a few kidney stones that are no funH. Somehow they always happen at night so I never have to miss the office. I plan to have a scan to see how many are there and if there are a bunch they will blast them and break them up. So I'll let you know how that turns out. I hope you're feeling good and still singing hymns. I love you a whole bunch and pray for you every night.

NOTE: Hey Reese--how's life treating you? Are you still enjoying VT? That must be a big change weather wise from living in NC. I'm loving my mission and I plan on making a trip to VT to see you three grandkids after my mission. I keep very busy and love the people here in Scotland & Ireland. Finally getting used to the accent. If you ever get a chance to get hold of a Book of Mormon please read it and let me know what you think. I am reading a little every day and can't begin to tell you how it has changed my life. It's a powerful tool to live by and I feel strongly that you will be affected by its message of our Savior Jesus Christ. I love you a whole bunch and sure hope you are doing well. grams

Wanderings to the ISLE OF SKYE . . .

Cliffs of Skye

Rock Formation

Rock formations on the Isle of Skye

Cliffs of Skye

We booked a tour with Rabbies Tours for the four of us (Elder & Sister Miller, myself and Sister Call). We drove to Inverness the day before, stayed overnight there and then left at 7:30 am for The Isle of Skye. Our hotel was less than perfect, but we only paid 50 pounds per person--so I guess we got what we paid for LOL. Here is a picture of our tour guide, Duncan. Notice the kilt & accessories.          

       He was wonderful and had the most charming Scottish accent. He entertained us with stories, poetry, historical                 facts and even sang some Highlands songs. When he     
                                                                         wasn't singing/talking, he would play Scottish Highland music &                                                                        explain facts about the singers and the music. Just a natural-                                                                     born entertainer!!

When we (about 16 of us total) we  laborously climbing the hills, we would see Duncan, with skirt flying, running full speed up the hills and would almost do running jumps down the hills--incredible energy and enthusiasm! It was a 12-hour day with Duncan, but I'd better move on and tell you about  the sights. Skye is a very primitive island. not much grass, lots of amazing rock formations and heaven for those folks who love to climb.  Only a few wee villages and we ate lunch in one of them. We stopped many times to get out and stretch and just enjoy the beauty around us. One time as I neared the top of a pretty stiff climb, I looked around and thought I must surely be in a Hollywood scene for an outer space type movie. The land is barren and full of small mountains, hills and sheep grazing right next to you as you stand and look around.  I thought it was interesting that one of the villages we drove through had almost as many churches as houses. Duncan told us that the village was 100% Sabbath observant. It was a beautiful wee village right on the sea and all the buildings were white stucco.  

On the way to Skye we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle, one of Scotlands most iconic sites. Built on a hill, it overlooks the Isle of Skye and is surrounded by water. Parts of the castle has rooms that are furnished and can be rented out for weddings and such. Parts of several movies have been filmed there, incl. the original Highlander. We also saw Highland Coos (cows) and lots of baby lambs. We drove back to Edinburgh after a full day of fun and got home around 11:30 pm.

                                                                                                

Bridal Falls

Eilean Donan Castle

NOTE:  Well hello Mom. I was thinking today how much I would like to hear your voice. I'll have to set up a call with Kay so we can talk. As you can tell from my blog, I've been really busy. We work hard during the week and play hard on Saturday. My mission is going very well. I love finding flats for the missionaries and seeing how excited they are to be moving in. Sometimes they are only in them for 6 weeks or so, because the missionaries get transferred every 6-8 weeks. But then new missionaries move into the flat and on it goes. The weather is considerabllly warmer now, but it rains almost every day for at least a little while. I'm still doing a lot of teaching the gospel  with the missionaries to those interested in learning more about the Savior. It really is my favorite part of my mission.  I hope you are doing well. I will see you in about 6 months. Love you as always. Hugs and kisses to you.

NOTE:  Hi Mackenzie--I know ir has been a while, but I just wanted you to know how much I love you and miss you. I hope you and Sal are doing well and are happy and joyful. I can't wait to see you after I get home from my mission. One of my goals is to attend the Philadelphia Temple. And, of course, your wedding. Do you have any definite plans or date yet? I'm excited for you. What have you been up to? Any painting? You and Sal should get out and walk together--that's something grandpa & I did and it really is a relationship strenghner  (is that a word?) Send me a letter, your mom has my address. I got 2 letters from people in my church stake that I don't even know--really sweet. Love you lots, grams