"Fall" Break

   The month of March had its ups and downs going from one extreme to the other.  We either were overflowing with patrons and officiators at the temple or we were scrambling to find someone to fill in the gaps.  We were on the morning shift all month which usually ends about 2:30pm.  On the last Friday before General Conference and the beginning of our temple maintenance break we were in charge of the baptistery.  The first two sessions ran pretty close to what they had done all week.  The third session was to begin at 1:15pm and expectations were not very high as to how many we would have and who would officiate as we knew that two of the out of town participating stakes were going to be leaving about 3 or 4pm.  Well, the hour arrived and there was one young man, probably 12 years old and about the size of Tyson, dressed and ready to go but not a single brother in the whole temple available to help officiate.  Don called up to President Pizzirani for counsel and it was decided that it would not be possible to hold that session.  Of course, the young man was disappointed.  Then, I remembered that at a prior session for the young women that day, one of the girls had lost her YW medallion in the process of being baptized and it was sitting on the bottom of the baptismal font.  I said to the young man, “There is a service project that we need to have done.  Would you be willing to do a service project for us today?”  His eyes lit up and he replied, “Sure!!”  Yep, you guessed it.  It took him three tries but he was able to recover the medallion at the bottom of the font and got wet in spite of there being no afternoon baptismal session. I’m sure he will never forget his service in the temple that day.  

   Since General Conference, we have been on break from our temple assignments while they do some major repair and carpeting in the temple.  They are also working on the apartment building where we live.  We had made arrangements for a bed and breakfast place at the beach for 5 days.  It was so relaxing just switching between our beach chairs and the bath water warm pools, and listening to the soothing sound of the surf. I was so grateful for my UV shirt that Don gave me for Christmas.  I don’t remember any year that I went to the beach in my whole life that I didn't get sunburned. Don just did what he does best at the beach, relax and float with the current.

   There is one more week of our break until the temple reopens on the 29^th, so what maintenance is done in our apartment will dictate our activities.  I had hoped to be able to do some baking during this time but the kitchen downstairs where the oven is is being used for the staging area to feed the many workers who came from Salt Lake to do the temple work.  So count that out until they leave which we think will be the end of next week.     We are very flexible though and whatever we do will be low key. That’s how we operate these days.  Love to all of YOU.