Mon, 7 May - Here we are at early morning seminary. 0500 comes early, but thank goodness we have daylight savings time so the sun is beginning to come up as we leave the house at 0600. A month ago, we were leaving at the same time, but in total darkness. Today is a declutter day for Sister Haley at one of the sister's homes. Elder Haley will be making a tithing deposit at the bank for the branch and then working around the flat and cleaning out the car (which needs it very badly). We are also waiting to hear from Barry Ward, so we know if we are to take him home today.
We have been without internet access at home since 13 April 2018. It has just been revived as of 25 May 2018. Way too much time has gone by since I had the time/ability to write in the blog, so this past 3 weeks is a bit of a blur. I will not go day by day, but will try to summarise the things that we have noted and/or written down.
Here is the Reader's Digest version of the past 3 weeks.
7-13 May - We spent a fair amount of time visiting members and providing rides for members who do not have a car. The bus system is good, but the buses do not run that often and taxi's are not cheap for someone on a pension. We met with the CES/Seminary director for our area this week and discussed with him and our seminary teacher how/what we can do to help make seminary a better learning experience. We helped move unwanted furniture from one of the sister's house to the kerb side for Clarence Valley kerbside pickup week. We helped with Family History Centre and made some visits to hospital and aged care facility. On Friday we drove up to the Brisbane Temple and attended the Tempe on Saturday with the Grafton Branch. We were able to stay overnight with our friends from Newbury Park, Bob & Susan Errington - that is always a pleasure.
14-20 May - The normal decluttering on Monday by Sister Haley. More visits to members and we helped one of the sisters move her household goods into storage. Helped with the weekly Primary activity which will be moved to Wednesday as of next week. On Saturday, the RS had an activity in which they showed various was to "fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". One of the things that Sister Haley did was make liquid hand soap out of left over pieces of bar soap. Margaret made TWO pumpkin pies for the dessert at the Bests on Sunday. The Bests live 1 1/2 hour away on a 4,000 acre farm in the Jackadgery area. The main dish was Silverside Corned Beef - it was super good and we now have the recipe. We celebrated our newest grandson's first birthday - without him. We will talk with him on Viber/Skype in the next day or two. A busy week (aren't they all) even if it does not sound like it.
21- 27 May - Declutter Monday. We went out to Lawrence to visit one of the member families who raise Alpacas. We had a lovely visit and stayed for over 4 hours, including having dinner with them. It was a great time and we learned some things about Alpacas. We had a message from a young man from Mongolia who was taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Sydney and moved to Grafton for a year. He was given our name & phone and wants to come to Church and learn more - HURRAH, FOR ISRAEL. We have contacted him and have our branch mission leader involved. We had Scott over for dinner on Thursday. Sister Haley worked on a paper for Uni for one of the YSA in Sydney. We did more errands and helped with rides. Saturday we took the Mission President and his wife out to the Coombadjha farm and drove along the Mann River scenic route. We also got a nice tour of the farm from Clive and had lunch with the Best family. Sunday the Mission President (Checketts) and his wife talked in Sacrament meeting. Elder Haley helped with Primary and gave the lesson in the 3rd hour of Primary on the Ten Commandments. After Church we headed home and had a visit by the Seminary teacher where we discussed several things that were good & spiritually uplifting.
Clarence Valley Council Kerb side pick up - the unwanted things from the sister's house
Other kerb side piles in the neighborhood, waiting for pick up day by the council
Sausage mix ready to go into the puff pastry to make sausage rolls
mixed fruit jelly (Jello) dessert
Sausage mix in uncooked puff pastry
The finished product. Just add bbq sauce and eat
A table runner from Sister Cox to Sister Haley. we love the aboriginal material and the herring bone design
Sister Haley overlooking Joyce Wallbank using her "new" sewing machine from Sister Stiller
Primary activity day particpants
RS activity - making soap items from used/leftover bars of soap.
The soap mixture before putting into the above containers
Our living room at 169 Mary Street. Yes, that is a red furniture trolley in the corner. We have borrowed it from the Prices to move several items for ourselves and others.
Storing items for Sarah at the Caringa warehouse
The veranda at the farm. The poles are tree trunks - some from the land and some from other places. A great place in spring and autumn to have a meal
Oh, yes and a great place to swing
Gallahs on the gravel at the farm
Where there is a trampoline, there will be kids. Best kids at the farm
Margaret with Mike's Gymkhana Akubra hat and drizabone coat
Sister Haley and Rumble, the dog
Dinner at the Bests - sausage, Silverside corned beef and veggies
Sister & President Checketts with Mann river in the background. Black swans are the birds on the water, left & behind the Checketts
Dinner table on the veranda at the Best's
Part of the view of the 4,000 acre farm where the Bests work & live.
Best kids climbing the side of the road. The road was made by the owner to get from the back to the front of the farm.
A side road going to a different part of the farm
Headed over Coombadjha creek
Grafton Branch sisters at the RS activity - fix it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
From left to right - Best, Stiller, Butler, Brown, Carter, Gardiner, Lynch, Paewai, Cave, Jones, Haley
The Haleys with our Newbury Park friends, Bob & Susan Errington, in their flat in Brisbane. Bob & Susan are serving in the Brisbane Mission.
Part of the road to the Paewai's on Poley House Road
The Paewai's mail box - part of a tree trunk
The smoke is from a burn off to help keep the ground cover to a minimum so the fires later in the year will not be too bad
Part of the Mann River we crossed at the beginning of the drive.
Dinner at the Best's farm
Silverside corned beef, chicken sausage & veggies
Another shot of the veranda behind the house at the farm
The front of the house at the farm
Give way to the Pedestrians on the Cangai/Mann river road
Go ahead, take your time. We are not in any hurry.
Dessert - pumpkin pie complements of Sister Haley and Cheese cake complements of Sister Best
The black dots in the middle of Mann River is a flock of black swansn
A better picture of President & Sister Checketts, Australia Syney North Mission
In the back of the pickup at the farm. Getting ready to drive back into the back part of the 4,000 acre farm. Left to right - Pearl, Willow, Rumble, Elder Haley, Sage, Rain
A neighbor letting Clive know about one of his cattle that is sick
Elder Haley and most of Rumble, the dog
A view of some of the farm (near) and neighboring country
The front yard at the farm
A storm is a'brewin'
Coombadjha creek
the fluffy trees in the foreground are of interest to Sister Haley, hence the photo.
Rumble & Elder Haley
Rumble - He looks a bit tired
The Checketts, Best kids and Clive Best, with part of the farm in the background.
