Residing at the Memorial

May 12 -24

We had the pleasure of staying at the Memorial from May 15- 20.  Elder & Sister Osborn had special permission to attend their son's graduation from medical school in Texas. They also accompanied a daughter-in-law on her first visit to the Provo Temple and then witnessed the baby blessing of their newest grandchild.  While they were participating in these important family occasions, we enjoyed being amidst the beauty and spirit that surround the memorial.  It is rather exciting to walk around the grounds and witness the emerging of spring with budding trees and daffodils and tulips scattered throughout the gardens. We truly enjoyed the opportunity to, once again, live at the residence for a few days.

Blue sky and sunshine reflecting from the monument

 

MONDAY  We were up and ready to leave the house this morning at 7:00am.  By taking this early flight we have two options to get out of Orlando and two options out of New York.  Our first option from Orlando worked and once we got to NY Laguardia, we ask the desk to call and tell gate D3 we were coming and off we ran.  We had to change concourses and all but we made it before they closed the doors (the airlines will not schedule people for this flight because there is only 20 minutes turnaround time if all is on schedule).  They even had one first class seat to Burlington which I suggested Rhonda have.  Since she moved, I had an exit row all to myself so I had lots of room as well.   We arrived in Burlington around 1:30pm.  We then picked up the car and stopped at Costco before heading back to our apartment.  Before long, it was time to go back to the Memorial for the weekly FHE.  We had previously arranged with Osborn’s to cook our frozen lasagna dinner so we didn’t have to do much to get ready.  After FHE, I went home and sat in the chair and went to sleep so I soon decided it was time to go to bed.  I woke up a couple of hours later and Rhonda was still up.  I don’t know how she does it.     

TUESDAY    In the quiet of the morning, I went out for my exercise stint.  When I returned, the landlords were in the apartment trying to finish the installation of a new dishwasher.  Some  of their hired hands tried earlier but couldn't make it fit right so the boss and his helper were there getting it done right. I was doing my B of M reading while observing from behind.  I was impressed at how the boss was trying to teach his “helper” how to do it right.  It was soon time to go to the Memorial for the missionary meeting.   Before I got inside the building, Elder Osborn asked me to go to the visitor center and escort a couple from California who had come to visit, so, as usual, I missed most of the missionary meeting.  From then on, the number of visitors who came the rest of the day were pretty scarce.  We had just completed the lockup and ready to go home when we were met at the back door of the Visitor Center by Elder Osborn.  As he was backing out, a guy from Idaho pulled into his driveway and wanted to see the Memorial.  Osborns were on their way to the addiction class so he ask us to give the tour.  We had a nice visit.

WEDNESDAY   -    Up and going quite early as we had the early shift and quite a few visitors came.   Once we were home, I was about to go to town (needed gas).  Rhonda decided it would be better to buy bananas, etc. for Monday’s fruit salad tomorrow.  It was a beautiful afternoon so we just enjoyed a little sunshine before heading back to the Church for YW song practice.  It only lasts about 10 minutes and hardly seems worth the trip but that is how it goes.  We had Hart’s pack-n-play to return to them but found out they are still on vacation in Utah so we went back to the apartment for the evening.     
THURSDAY    -     When I tried to open up, the Like’s already had it opened as they were showing her brother through the center.   After a quiet hour, things really picked up and we had a busy morning/afternoon.    At the conclusion of the shift, we headed to town for some gas and a few groceries.  We also had to get some patch-plugs to make a power point presentation on the computer translate to a TV monitor for the history fair on Saturday.  We stopped at the apartment and packed a few things to take to the Memorial as the Osborn’s left early this morning for their son’s graduation from Medical School in Texas and asked us to be the residents in charge for nearly the next week.  After things were all locked up at the Memorial, Rhonda and I took a walk down through the old home foundations and things in the lower part of the property.  We spent most of the night in the office as Rhonda was figuring out the transition for the tv projection.  She is pretty good at getting (and maintaining) the electronic things.   
 FRIDAY   -  Cars started driving through (and stopping) before we were officially open.  Once the Likes came, we turned things over to them and headed for Bridgewater, VT  via the back roads.  It was a very scenic and pretty drive along one of the rivers.   We went to help set up for Rachel Johnson’s outdoor wedding tonight.  It was quite windy and was hard to make the table cloths and napkins stay on the tables.  It turned out to be a 75 mile trip down and back.  When we arrived back to the Memorial there were several large groups that all converged into one big group.  They were mainly people who were in town for graduation at the VT Law School.   After closing, we took another hike through the lower trails.  It is always a nice walk, I still think of it as like going through the Sacred Grove.    

The newly-constructed monument at the Bethel History Fair

SATURDAY   I got up early and tried to be on my best behavior as ELDER ANTHONY D. PERKINS of the SEVENTY came with one of the Stake Presidency of the Concord Stake for a tour of the Memorial before we officially opened.  He is really a spiritual yet down to earth person.  I enjoyed showing him the visitor center, etc.  We even looked at a couple of movies (Jarom Frye for one) which he hadn’t seen and was very impressed.  Elder Harman (Kent) was cleaning the building and I asked him to get the new quad-gator to escort us to the bottom house foundations.  Elder Perkins was impressed with all the options below and then we went up Patriarch Hill and viewed the Monument from the top which is very impressive.  We tried to take the short cut to Camp Joseph but there was a couple of boggy/muddy places and Elder Harman didn’t want to spin mud on the General Authority’s suit so we ended up abandoning that trip but we got back just at the time they said they had and they soon were on their way back to Concord NH for their Stake Conference.  It was a great experience to escort a general authority.  As part of our discussion, I found out that our old neighbor in AF (Janice Abbott) was his mother-in-law.  What a small world.  Shortly after the brethren left, things at the Memorial got quite busy.  We were almost non-stop until it was time to trade locations with the Likes.  We traveled to Bethel to participate in the Vermont Post Card and History Fair.  Likes and some FM missionaries set up last night and opened this morning.  
After we sat at the booth for a while it was our lot to do the tear-down and clean up.  The Harman’s came to haul the Memorial Replica home which was a great help.  After we got settled there, we went back to the Memorial and found the Likes were still visiting with the same couple we had left them with a few hours earlier.  Once their guests left, we asked Likes if they wanted to go home early since they had actually started early by going to the Bethel exhibit.  They were happy to take up the offer, realizing we had to stay there anyway.  After finally locking up, we took a walk through the trees and the bog and around Camp Joseph.  Talked to the Wilson’s for a minute and made our way back via the main roads. 
 SUNDAY   I got up early to watch the finals of the tennis match then ready for Church.  Rhonda had to go early for a visiting teaching lesson so I walked down later.  After Church we hurried to the Memorial for a quick stop and then went to our apartment for the afternoon, just to get away. (Likes were scheduled for duty today).  We stayed at the apt. until it was time to close and then we returned and took another hike the long way around Camp Joseph.  We passed the Joseph Tree which is kinda neat but didn’t have a camera so will have to go back.  Several cars drove through after dark.  You just kind of have to be on “alert” all the time.    
 MONDAY    Cars started ringing the buzzer before 7:00am this morning.  That got me up so I just stayed up and walked down to get the newspaper, put out the flags, etc. and had things ready for the Likes when they arrived.  When it was time for our shift, things were pretty quiet.  That gave me time to get things organized for FHE, since I was in charge.  Things went pretty smoothly.  After all the FHE people finally cleared out, we took a walk down to Macintosh Pond and the area on that side of the road.  It is still amazing how there is a house here in the trees then farther up the road there is another house.  No close neighbors, not even within sight of each other. 
 TUESDAY  Cars started driving through before 6:30am.  Guess I need to change my sleeping habits.   Once awake, I couldn’t go back to sleep so after laying there for a while I got up and put out the flags, etc.  Rhonda started cleaning up our guest room so I decided to take a walk up Patriarch Hill. 

I went up the gator road which seemed a little shorter and no steeper.  After getting to the top and doing some investigating, I finally found the “Patriarch Tree”.  Is pretty large and knarly (lots of outward branches all over).  It wasn’t too far off the hiking path so I did the trail coming down the hill.  Talked to Elder Harman and spread mulch on LDS Lane with him a few minutes before coming to the house and get ready for the afternoon shift.  We had a few more visitors than the morning shift but it was a long way from being busy but as is quite often the case, visitors came the last 15-20 minutes before the scheduled closing time.  With the visitors and trying to get our things moved out of the home, we were an hour late getting to the apartment.  Once we finally got settled, I was tired and soon headed for bed.

 The Farmers' Markets in South Royalton  started on Thursday.
Rhonda played her accordion for a little musical entertainment, even though it was a very rainy day.