Now isn't this just the cutest place. Makes you think
of Granny and EllieMae!


This is the whole "factory". The blue metal box on
the counter is the cash box. The syrup in the big
gallon jugs were still warm from filling!!!


Can you say "back in time"!?! Look at all the stuff
they are still using in this kitchen. It probably works
better than any new stuff they might get!


This is a bucket of syrup. It kind of looks like they
are making some kind of booze!


I am such a good girl... study, study, study! Maybe
one day it will all sink in!


Very funny Doug! Ok, I got a little tired with all
the studying! I needed a little rest!


The stockings were hung by the chimney
with care... and we are really hoping that
Santa soon will be there!


Scrooge is gone and Doug, the Christmas
King, is back! He loves his little tree!


It looks pretty good in the dark. We try
to keep the house lights off and the tree lights
on. If you squint your eyes just right, you think
it is a BIG tree!


Our little Christmas Tree is so cute! It was
a lot nicer to manhandle and decorate.
Isn't it festive!?!


Honest Santa... We've been extra good!
This was at the Breakfast with Santa. We told him
what we wanted... Jeff to get into Med School!
Sure hope we get it!!!


All of the missionaries in front of the Grandin Building.
It was sunny, but don't let that fool you... Even Delores
was wearing her long underware... and happy for it!


All the Wrinkled Missionaries going in and out of
the stores on Main Street.


Doug trying to get a picture of me coming out of a
bar. He missed me but got the other missionaries!


The temple sits up on a little hill. The sacred grove
is toward the right side of the temple.


The Palmyra Temple... this is really the side of the
temple. It was too cold to go around to the front.

Hello Everyone! We have had a fun and busy week. We can’t wait to tell you all about it. First, all of the Sr. Missionaries told us that we had to go to the Everson Maple Syrup Factory and store. (The Petersons had left us some yummy maple syrup but we used it all. It was very good!) Anyway, we took off to find the place. First thing you have to know is that no one in our mission can give directions worth beans!! (Go to the last road on the highway, turn left and go about 6 miles down the road… you can’t miss it.) First, we go past the last road in order to know that it really is the last road. Then we are “speeding” (40 MPH) down the little road when I yell, “I think that’s it!” It can’t be says
Doug. We have only gone 3 miles…. We go back and there is this little old house with a tiny sign (about 10 inches square) that says, Eversons Maple Syrup. If I hadn’t seen the sign we would have been half way to Canada! Anyway, the excursion was not in vain. It was an adventure that you can’t believe unless you have been there to see it. I’ll explain.

The “maple syrup factory” is a grove of maple trees, and about 2/3 of the store. The “store” is a little wooden shack on the back of an old house that looks like it has seen better days. But there was a big ‘open’ sign on the door, so we went on in! We entered a time warp back to about 1930! We look around (not to hard since the entire “store” is about 15¢ X 10¢) and see a little old kitchen taking up about 2/3 of the room with syrup in differing stages of readiness. There are a couple of shelves with all different types and sizes of syrup, and two ladies in there figuring out the total of an order. We find the type of syrup we want and get “in line” to pay. After we have stood there for a while one of the ladies notices us waiting patiently. She says to us, “You just figure out what you owe them and put the money in the box.” Doug says, “Don’t you work here?” “Oh no,” says the lady. “We are just here buying syrup. We have been coming here for years and this is always how they do it. Just put your money in the tin box on the counter. They trust everyone.” They finish their transaction and leave. Doug starts laughing and says, “We have to have a picture of this place.” Thank heaven we had the camera in the Jeep. After we take our pictures, we open the box (full of cash) and put our money in and walk out of the place! I guess they do trust everyone! Really funny, but we will go again… we have to get a look at the “real” owners before we come home. They must be something!

We have decorated our apartment for Christmas… We have 2 Christmas stockings (that the Petersons also left us) that say Elder P and Sister P. (Wasn’t it convenient that their name started with P, too!) For family night (Dec. 5) I made Doug go with me to get a Christmas Tree. For some reason he had been dragging his feet about it. (Not characteristic of him at all!) We went to Wal-Mart, bought a 3 foot tree, a string of lights, and some Christmas ornaments. Then we came home and decorated it. It looks pretty good considering the whole thing cost us less than $20. It was so manageable and fun to decorate that I think that it should be the size of tree we get from now on!!! Anyway, now that we have a tree, Scrooge is gone and the Christmas King is back! Doug loves it!!

We did have some Christmas fun this week however. Saturday (Dec. 3) all the Seniors went down to the elementary school for the big Christmas Breakfast with Santa. They gave us our breakfast free for singing Christmas carols while the people ate breakfast and visited with Santa. After that was over, we went to “downtown” Palmyra to go Caroling to the stores on Main Street. We would go in and sing a couple of songs, and then go to the next one. We came to a bar and I’m thinking, surely we will bypass this establishment… But NO! In we go, sing our carols and move on. Doug was one of the first ones out and tried to get a picture of me coming out of a bar while on our mission, but he missed and got the others instead! (He loves to portray me in the best possible light! Just wait until I get him with his hat!) Speaking of his hat… he has been sighted with it and his earmuffs on this week! I didn’t have the camera or you would be looking at him, looking stupid. Instead, he got pictures of me, looking stupid!

We have had some wonderful tours this week. Doug had several non-members that were very interested in the church. We hope that some seeds have been planted in their hearts. Also this week, after Doug gave a man a tour, he asked him if he knew a Blair Pack. He said, “Yes, I have a brother Blair, but he lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The man said, “That’s the one!” Come to find out he is a brother-in-law to one of Blair’s son-in-laws. He even had Thanksgiving at Blairs house a couple of years ago. Talk about a small world…. Every week we find at least one person that we know from Utah or that has a connection to us somehow. I wonder who it will be next week?

We got to go to the Palmyra Temple this week. It is very small (and arranged somewhat like the Anchorage Temple, Andrea.) It is a beautiful temple. When you walk in you can walk across the lobby and look out the window to view the Sacred Grove. Yes, I said, look out the window. It is the only temple that has a “Viewing” window. (I guess because it has such a good view!) President Hinkley thought that you should be able to see such a sacred spot from a sacred place. Most of the window has Stained Glass around it portraying the Sacred Grove, but a small area is clear to see out. It is neat! I don’t think that you can fit more than 40 people in a session, and you have to have a “reservation” in order to get in. In the winter it is only open for 4 days a week. Two of those days has only one session, and the other two days it has 4 sessions (2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon). In the Summer it has more sessions because of the visitors that come to Palmyra. So when you come see us, bring your recommend (and your own temple clothes) so you can spend some time in the Temple.

Our little ward in Lyons met Sunday 1 ½ hours before the First Presidency Christmas Program for a Christmas “sing-in”. We sang all the Christmas songs in the book and then some. We were about shot by the time we watched the Program. Doug and I had to really sacrifice to go to our ward. Doug is in charge of the Satellite Programs here at the hill… We would have been able to watch it in a BIG screen theater with surround sound and comfy chairs. Instead we watched it on a 21” TV from the hard chapel benches. We tried to be supportive, but dang! That was a sacrifice…

Speaking of sacrifice… Missionaries always have to make concessions for the Lord (like wearing stupid hats), but I think I should get a gold star for mine. I have resorted to using instant potatoes on occasion. Doug used Dad’s old saying…. “Put out my eyes, I’ve seen everything!” I know that you are thinking that isn’t so bad, but it has killed me. By the time we get home some nights, we are so hungry we don’t want to wait for REAL potatoes, so…. You guys really had better keep us in your prayers! Instant potatoes…. Bah humbug!

We understand that some of you were having trouble writing a comment on our blog. That problem should be fixed now. All you have to do is… after you write your comment, check the anonymous circle and it will let you post without being a member of blog… but be sure to tell us who you are! So, write away! Right away! J We can’t wait to hear from you!

Have a great week! Do something nice for someone you don’t know! We love you! dnd