One day a week.....

I spend working in the Bountiful, Utah Temple, something I have done for the past 11 years. I enjoy my work there and the friends I have made, and there is nothing quite like meeting your friends and neighbors there, and it is indescribable when I meet my family there unexpectedly.

We are anticipating meeting a new Presidency this week. They will serve for three years.
A few weeks ago one of the Matrons gave us a few interesting facts about the Bountiful temple but it really represents any one of the temples worldwide.

Site: 9 acres
Rooms: four endowment, 8 sealing
Floor Area: 104,000sq. feet
Dimension: 195 feet by 157 feet;
Height: 177 feet including Angel Moroni
Angel Moroni: 13'6"
Elevation: 5400 feet above sea level
Groundbreaking: May 2 1992 Pres. Benson
Dedication: January 8th 1995 Pres. Hunter
Stakes: 1995 28, 2009 34

Has more snowfall than any other temple(at that time)in the Church. About 5 acres of concrete to clean after each snowfall. About 4.5 acres of lawn mowed twice a week. There are 364 trees, and over 1950 shrubs on the grounds, and over 15,000 flowers and bulbs are planted each year. About 2 acres of carpet is vacuumed every night. There are about 5000 light bulbs in and around the temple.

I'm sure we rarely consider the maintenance involved, unless we have taken the opportunity to be involved when our Wards and Stakes have a "turn" to clean. This is really a different aspect of "temple work" :o)

Dedicatory Prayer excerpt, "May this house provide a spirit of peace ..to those who enter ...... let them feel of thy divine love and mercy......"

1962 part 2

47 years ago today we arrived in Salt Lake City. We were so excited to be together again as a family. We vowed we would never be apart again. It was Fall, the colours everywhere were beautiful. The weather was warm and the sun was shining!!!! and there were sunflowers blooming all over the place. I was AMAZED at the mountains. I knew Utah was in the mountains, but we had also heard about the pioneers crossing the plains. Talk about a "reality check"
Alan rented an apartment for us in West Bountiful. (The owners had planted a tree in the front yard that wasn't very big, but it cast enough shade for Lesley to sit under with her doll and play.) Alan had a job, various friends had contributed to furnishing the apartment. Our landlady bought us a beautiful set of dishes, and loaned a "Jenny Lind" bed. Some friends moved into a new home and gave us their old fridge. Grandma filled the fridge and cupboards with groceries including a "half gallon of icecream" something that was unheard of for us. I discovered that milk was sold in GALLON bottles. That's a LOT of milk in one place.
I also learned about "dryers" I could take soaking wet clothes from the washer and put them in the dryer and they dried in 30 minutes. Isn't America wonderful.
Time proved that leaving my family was easy as compared to what I now faced. I was a mile from the grocery store. So? I was used to going to the shops everyday! and we couldn't drive. I would put the children in a stroller and walk. Or, I had a neighbour who was very patient and drove me often. Lettuce was iceberg when I was used to leaf, and BREAD!!!! it took a LONG time for me to adjust. I had a phone but no one to call. No TV but a radio and no idea who was funny. etc.etc. And NO FIREPLACE , where do you sit if you don't have a fire to sit by? Oh, the house was warm, but I missed a fire. And because of Alan's job he went to the Trade Tech in SL twice a week and we had MICE. HORRORS.
The Ward members were wonderful. They welcomed us with open arms. They held a "shower" for me and everyone was so kind. The first week here someone took me to the Elementary school to see the "Halloween Parade". Imagine my amazement when the Principal ran out dressed as Dracula. THAT WAS NOT how Headmasters (Principals) behave in Belfast. :o)
I thought I had challenges, including language. I used words that meant one thing to me and something entirely different to my new friends, they were much more polite than I was in a couple of situations. They had "no clue" what I was saying because of my brogue, and all these years later I still have people laugh.
This is a miscellany of incidents that actually took place over a few months. I had a LOT of learning moments, but I think the biggest was realizing that everyone was trying hard to make me feel welcome and now it was up to me.
I think I could sum it up by saying it was "the best of times it was the worst of times."
Now all these years later (although it hasn't taken all these years for me to recognise it)we can truly say this had been a land choice above all others for us.
I enjoy living in Zion. This Is the Place.

I remember I came to Utah with 3 children and 2 suitcases now look at us!!!!

HELLO? :o(

It is 4.15am no one is abroad. Bump What is that noise? My heart skips a beat. No. the doors are locked. We don't have any pets! *bump* Alan? did you hear that? What? that bump. BUMP there did you hear it that time? Yes. What do you think it is? I don't need to think I KNOW what it is! What? it is chestnuts falling off the tree and rolling on the roof. *laughter* Oh, My hero.

16th October 1962

I left Belfast with three bairns and two suitcases to emigrate to Utah and join our husband/Daddy there. It was a very emotional time saying goodbye to my Sister-in-law and two nephews and one niece. (I had said my goodbyes to my sister and her family the night before.) My brother accompanied us to Glengall Street where we were to catch the bus for the airport at Nutt's Corner. Unfortunately the airport was fogged in and no flights were leaving so we returned to my brother's home (where we had been living all summer) to try again tomorrow.(Wednesday) Next day my brother and his friend John hired a car and drove us to Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland to get a KLM flight to New York.(I saw more of Ireland the day I left than I had in all my life.) We caught the flight at 2am Thursday morning. So, here I am boarding an airplane at 2am with three toddlers and a cabin of sleeping passengers. After take-off the flight attendant arranged to move us to the front of the cabin, where she fixed a bed on the floor for one child, a bed on the seat on the opposite side of the aisle for another and one laying on the seat next to me. Thus we spent the night, the children slept all the way through. Next morning I was met in N.Y. by my oldest brother John. He and his wife had met the plane the day before when we did not arrive. She had to go home to take care of their boys and John stayed till we arrived. We set out for their home in Alexandria, VA. by car, but had car problems and had to continue by train. Somewhere along the way we got drinks and Archie approached me and said,(in his best Belfast brogue)"Mammy, I don't like this drink with stones in it" (ice). And thus our adventure began.
On the Saturday evening as I tended my brother's boys, we watched "The River of No Return" I decided to call Alan who it turned out was also tending and watching the same movie (tender moment).
We stayed with my brother and his family until Sunday when we left Washington DC by train for Chicago where we boarded the California Zephyr. As we approached Chicago on Monday morning I was chagrined to note it wasn't much different from Belfast. We spent the day in the Mother's lounge (my Stepmother had arranged for Travellers' Aid to meet me and make sure we were ok) until our train left at 3pm.
In the morning we stopped in Denver and the train was washed to prepare for the trip through the Rocky Mountains. As we left Denver and climbed into the mountains I saw the America I was anticipating. The mountains were ablaze with Fall colours and it was beautiful. The children behaved magnificently. The USA was in the middle of the Cuban crisis, so I didn't know if we would soon be a nation at war. We had a programme of the itinerary and about 4pm in the afternoon we crossed over from Colorado into Utah and I cried, I was in Utah. We arrived in Salt Lake about 10pm and there we reunited with our Daddy/husband. What an emotional time that was. Lesley's first remark to her Daddy, "Do you want to keep me?" DID HE WHAT!!!!!


To be continued......

Goodmorning Utah!!!!

This is actually the rising sun in St. George, Utah.
We went to Southern Utah for 4 days with a day in the middle to visit Las Vegas for Hannah's blessing.
We visited one of our favorite places.



Zion National Park.
We had to wait 20 minutes in line to enter the Park and since the parking lot was full we were not able to get the shuttle so just drove through the tunnel to the "checkerboard mesa". We met a nice couple from Ohio. I confess, I was disappointed that the fall colors were not rampant. Maybe we need to go next weekend. :o)

Then on Sunday morning we went to meet Hannah.
What a beautiful girl, she is a keeper.


This is our baby, with his baby, and her baby, and Grandpa. Four generations.!!



Hannah enjoyed G'pa singing "My Sweet Lady"



A great time!! but there is no place like home.
But then "Home is where the Heart is"

He Could be President of the United States of America!!!!!!!!

....because he was born in Utah on September 12 1963. And because we had emigrated to Utah in October of 1962 I refer to him as "our first born in the wilderness" :o) Alan several times wished he had been born in Britain and this qualifying to be President, was his consolation prize.
He was born in Bountiful, Utah on a Thursday. And according to the rhyme Thursday's child has far to go. And he has travelled far. He and Tara went to Northern Ireland last year
He is the only one who has moved out of State, Nevada, Arizona and California. And much as I prefer my kids to stay close to home he has nevertheless given us lots of opportunities to explore other places. He went to the Philippines on his mission (I wanted him to go to Britain, but then VicVic would not be part of our family) and has travelled back there three more times. In High School he was the only one of the children who participated in so many school programs. He represented Viewmont in running, golf, swim team, band and was very talented in Radio and TV. He created a video that was used in the "U" journalism program, and when he went to an interview there the teacher showed him this video and said this was the standard they were looking for. Alan told him he made the demo. :o) He also graduated from the University of Utah. He worked at Channel 4 before his mission and at Channel 5 after his mission. He works in the TV industry and is a TV News anchor in Chico, CA. He is very adventuresome and when he moves into a new area he is quick to become acquainted with the roads. He has climbed the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge, and loves the ocean.
He has had adversity in his life but is the better man for it. He is loving and kind and loves to be with his siblings. He loves the Lord, he loves his parents, oh, and he loves Dick's bread

His family is important to him. He is Marivic's number one fan. They love each other and their children.
He is a good man and we love him. Happy Birthday son, and many more

WAR!!!!!!!

70 Years ago today,(it was a Sunday) Britain declared War on Germany. On September 1st Germany invaded Poland and because Britain had a pact with Poland to defend/aid in the event of Germany's attack Britain issued an ultimatum, that if Germany did not withdraw then Britain would go to war. On Sunday September 3rd at 11:00am the time specified, the Prime Minister announced that they had no response from Germany and so a state of war now existed between the two countries. But to this 2 year old politics didn't matter. I didn't know much about the War at that point, but I learned and my life was affected and reality hit many times in the ensuing 6 years. I could write a lot about my childhood and war but......
I am not sure of the exact dates probably 1940, but my brother and I attended a nursery school in Belfast that was evacuated to Donaghmore in County Tyrone,this involved Joe and I being separated from our parents. We were housed in Augharainey House.

This picture was taken in 1983, and shows my sister Jean and my Aunt Margaret outside Augharainey House.

This picture shows Joe and I at play in January 1941. The date on the picture was written by my Mother.







Again the date, March 1941 was written by my Mother.







I think this was the same picnic in March 1941. Us children used to love "dressing up" in Mother's fox fur cape.







My two oldest brothers were evacuated to Ballymoney in County Antrim. My sister stayed in Belfast and worked, as did my Daddy. In 1942 my Mother did rent a house in Dungannon and we were reunited as a family. In December 1941,(two days before Pearl Harbor) my brother Bryan was born there. Belfast was bombed in April and May of 1941.


My Aunt's home in Ballyclare Street did receive a "direct hit" and they were homeless. We didn't stay long in Dungannon as I have memories of being in Belfast when the air-raid sirens went and us leaving the house in the middle of the night to go to the air-raid shelter. My Sister eventually went to work and live in London (scary). There were no further raids on Belfast after 1941.
My Daddy was the Branch President in Belfast and had the branch records, and the branch piano in our home. One night as he was home alone the sirens went and he heard the bombers and went to the back door and saw the bombs falling and called on the Lord for protection. It may have been another night when he got home from work and was laying on the couch when the bombs started falling, he got up headed to the cupboard(closet)under the stairs when a bomb dropped across the street. Our window blew all over the couch where he had been laying, shrapnel came through the front door and through the stairs where he was headed but he was caught between the two. The piano bore shrapnel scars for as long as I remember and the hole in the stairs was there when we moved. He told me many years later as an old man here in Utah about that night and his ensuing flight from danger, it was a funny story (aren't they all when danger is over).
Perhaps it was 1944 my Mother was washing my hair one night as the radio was giving out the latest news and talking about the casualties and I remember saying to my Mother,"that isn't our soldiers?" but she informed me it was and I cried.
I remember VE Night in May 1945. I was not 8 until the August and Joe would be 10 in the coming Sept. but we went into Belfast to celebrate with the thousands of others. We probably went with my sister but got separated in the crowd and we walked home at 2am. Just the two of us.
Belfast had several severe blitzs and although the war was over and the rubble was cleared it was years before the bombed areas were completely rebuilt. Even when we left Belfast in 1962 there were still vacant lots where buildings had been bombed.

P.S. I have a booklet called "Bombs on Belfast" which is a pictorial record of the Blitz.
I also have a BBC video called, "Finest Hour the Battle of Britain" which is a dramatic account of WW11.
If you would like to borrow these let me know.