Grace at Schlotzkes

 We love Branson.  There are so many good Christian people in that town.  One day we went to Schlotzky's for lunch.  I ordered a sandwich to go.  They had a condiment cart.  I opened my hot sandwich to put some vinegar on the sandwich and the sandwich fell off the paper all over the floor.  I was so embarrassed.  I went and told them and a young girl immediately came out and started cleaning it up.  One of the owners came out and talked to me and said they would make me a new sandwich.  I thanked her profusely.  Her reply, "We receive so much grace every day, we need to give grace to each other."  Tears sprang to my eyes.  When she brought out the fresh sandwich, I thanked her again and asked if I could give her hug.  She said, "You sure can."  She then gave me, a long, tight hug.  When I started to pull away, she pulled me in again.  It was the sweetest exchange.  Though still embarrassed, we left with a delicious sandwich and a feeling of joy.

Cruise Ducks

 Cruise ducks are all the rage now when you go on a cruise.

Cruise Ducks is a game where passengers hide and hunt for colorful rubber ducks around the ship, creating a sense of community and adding an extra layer of fun to your sea voyage. 

They were definitely a part of our cruise experience.  A table near us at dinner obviously was participating and we could hear them quacking their ducks each night at dinner.  I was a frequent visitor to the ship's library.  I found a cruise duck on one of the bookshelves in there one day.  

So, if you are planning to go on a cruise, you may want to consider preparing cruise ducks to hide around the ship.  You can order them on Amazon.

Amazing Sighting . . .s

 Ken came back to the cabin after breakfast one day SO thrilled. After eating, he went to the other side of the ship scoping out a huge flock of Surf Scoters. Amongst them was a different bird.  He knew it was different but wasn't sure what it was.  He came in and immediately keyed it down.  It was a Long-tailed duck.  He was so thrilled to see this bird.  He was practically jumping out of his skin.  

After about twenty minutes, he mentioned off handedly," Oh, and guess who I saw?"  I was puzzled.  We knew no one on this ship.  He finally tells me he met Brad Wilcox up in the omelets line (I don't like to go to the buffet for breakfast, so Ken just brings me back a muffin.)  What?  You are just NOW telling me this?  

Brad is a general authority of our church.  He serves in the general young men's presidency.  But more importantly for us, he was our son-in-law, Blake's mission president in Chili.  Blake served as his assistant to the president for a long time- eight months, if I remember right.  Brother Wilcox had a tremendous positive effect on Blake.  He and Ken talked a bit and Ken mentioned that he was Blake Cameron's father-in-law.   Brad then told Ken of an experience he had recently with Blake.  He was making a video up in the Logan area and needed some children to come and listen to him tell a story and be in the video.  He called Blake and asked if he could borrow his children. So, they got to go and be in this video.  

I just thought it was so funny that the Long-tailed duck took top billing (pun intended) over Brad Wilcox!

We were on the flight home to Salt Lake City with Brother and Sister Wilcox and visited for a minute as we got on the plane.  His wife is also very nice and knew Blake and Shonna well.

A Bird in the Hand is Worth . . . a Story!

 

Ken went up to the buffet to get some breakfast one day and saw this Golden-crowned Sparrow was trapped on the ship.  It had obviously been trying to find its way out and it was exhausted.  People could see its distress, but no one wanted to touch it. Ken easily caught it and it just rested on his hand.  Ken somehow got his phone out and with just one hand got this amazing picture. Think how hard that would be!  After it rested for a while, Ken took it outside on the deck and released it.  The experience created one of the best pictures of our cruise, I think.

Are You Hungry, Sir?

 After getting off the cruise ship in Los Angeles, we took an Uber to a hotel near the airport where we stayed the night.  We walked to a restaurant to get some lunch.  I was really hungry.  I ordered a French Dip sandwich and fries.  I ate some of the fries and half of the sandwich and felt very full.  I just couldn't eat any more.  So we got a take out box for the other half of sandwich.  I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I didn't want to just leave it.  As we walked back to our hotel, we saw a man digging through a garbage can.  Almost without thinking about it, I asked him, "Sir, are you hungry?"  He gave an unintelligible reply.  I asked him if he would like this sandwich.  He took it, again mumbling something that made no sense.  It all happened so fast.  But after, when I thought about it, I felt that Heavenly Father knew his needs.  He made me feel very full, get the takeout box, and, almost without thinking, offer a sandwich to a hungry man. God is so aware of all of us.

This is a picture from the Internet, but is very similar to the situation we saw.

Heaven on the Sea

 As is always the case, our cruise ship had an onboard library.  Cruise ship libraries have some books that are owned by the ship.  You can check those out. There are also a lot of books that people have left.  You can leave books and you can take them.  The Island Princess had SO many books that people had left.  It truly was heaven on the sea.  There were shelves and shelves of them.

Behind the sideways stacked books were more and more stacks of books.  There were so many.  Several were on my "want to read" list.  I looked up others on my Goodreads app. carefully selecting ones I wanted to take home.

I chose these.

Then I went back a couple of days later and chose these.  We weren't sure how many we could take to stay under our 50 lb. each luggage weight limit.  When we weighed our suitcases at the hotel in Los Angeles I was sad to learn that I could have taken six more pounds worth of books!
But I am very excited for the ones I chose.  Ken chose a couple as well.  I left two there that I finished while on the cruise.
This library truly was heaven on the sea.

Parrot Kisses

In Cartegena, Columbia, they have an eco park or oasis created not far from the ship docks.  There are macaws, parrots and other birds, monkeys, and other animals.  Though not tame, the wildlife there is used to humans.  This parrot seemed to know to smile into the camera.

After Ken took this shot, the bird let him know that he wanted to see the picture.  So Ken got the picture up on his phone and held it up for the bird to see.  The bird opened his beak and kissed himself all over Ken's screen!  Not kidding!

The Trip of Lost and Found

 Not very far into our trip we labeled it as "The Trip of Lost and Found."  So many things were lost, but all were found.  We felt very blessed.  Following is a list of the lost and found:

Joan's suitcase.  It was lost by the airline in travel to Copenhagen.  She was without it for a couple of days. It came just before our ship departed Copenhagen and they delivered it to the ship.  

Hal's passport.  When Hal and Patty went to get on the ship, Hal didn't have his passport.  John and Cindy were with them, so they went up to Hal and Patty's room and waited for their luggage to arrive.  They went through Hal's suitcase.  When they lifted a shirt inside the suitcase, Hal's passport fell out.  They took it down to embarkation, relieving Hal and Patty who had been waiting nearly two hours, hoping they would find it.

Roger's phone.  Everyone attended a show.  Roger had his phone with him, but shortly after the show realized he had left it in the theater.  He went back to find it, but it was gone.  They searched all around, but it was not there.  They went to Lost and Found, but it wasn't there.  He went back repeatedly, over the next few days, but no one turned it in.  Someone suggested Roger ask to see the security footage.  When he did that, they said they would check into it.  Soon thereafter, the phone was found.  We surmise that the culprit (probably an employee) was seen on the footage taking it and it was retrieved.  They told Roger that it was found down in the seat, but he knew that wasn't true as he had checked so many times.  He was so grateful to get it back.

Everyone's Health.  Everyone lost their health during this cruise.  Every single one of us got a cold and cough.  Some had it worse than others and some got over it faster than others, but we all got it.  We are still working on the "found" part as I am still coughing.

Hotel Reservations.  When we arrived in Ed, Sweden we found the hotel where John had made reservations for us.  When we went to check in, the door was locked.  There was a phone number on the door.  John tried it, but the call wouldn't go through.  We were standing there, wondering what to do when a man came by in his car.  We told him our problem.  He said that this was no longer a hotel but was now apartments.  He was living in one of them.  He said the management had changed.  Oh dear.  Cindy tried the phone number again.  It worked on her phone.  A lady said that our check in information and keys were in a white box by the door.  Sure enough.  There were five envelopes, each with a key, a room number and papers.  We each took ours and were able to find our rooms and get moved in.  Our hotel rooms were lost, but they were found.

Tom's Wallet:  As we were getting ready to leave a hotel, Tom realized his wallet was missing.  He went through his suitcase and all of his belongings.  No wallet.  He had already checked out of their room, but he went back to the front desk and requested the key back for the room he had stayed in.  He went to the room and found his wallet up under the desk.  The wallet was lost, then found.

Patty's Glasses:  I think it was at that same hotel that Patty realized her glasses were missing.  She also did a frantic search through everything.  I don't think I ever heard where she found them, but she did find them.

John's Credit Card:  Remember that dramatic "stuck in the tunnel" story?  Remember we stopped at a gas station after we got through to go to the bathroom.  John decided to get some gas there.  He tried to use his credit card, but the pump wouldn't work.  He tried several pumps, but none of them worked.  He went inside and checked with the clerk.  He was unable to get fuel.

Later, as we were settling into the hotel, he realized his credit card was missing.  After getting checked into the room, he and Cindy went back the 20 minutes or so to that gas station to see if they found it.  Sure enough, in all of the confusion trying to get the pumps to work, John had left it in one of the pumps.  A customer had brought it in.  Relief!  The wallet was found.

In My Own Home, Eating My Own Toast with My Own Jam

 As our fabulous trip was winding to a close, John made the cute comment, "I'm looking forward to being in my own home, eating my own toast with my own jam on it."

When I got home, I sent him this picture with the caption "In my own home, eating my own toast with my own jam on it.  (We all bought currant jam in a little store in Norway.)

John and Cindy got home a couple of days later.  He texted me this picture. 

He is also eating Norwegian goat cheese.  

It is good to be home.

Blister

 I am prone to foot blisters.  Our flight itinerary on the way to Copenhagen had us change planes in Amsterdam.  It was a horrible experience.  First the line for passport check was unbelievably long and slow.  Then we walked clear out to the gate from which our next flight would leave, only to find they had changed the gate.  The new gate was as far away as it could possibly be.  Those long walks were devastating on my foot.  When I took my shoe off that afternoon, I found a blister had formed.  

The next day, I put a blister pad on it and did a lot of walking in Copenhagen.  When I got back to the hotel, I found a mess.

Ken went to a nearby drug store and bought gauze, tape, aloe vera, Vaseline, and Epsom salts.  We didn't want this blister to ruin our vacation.

When we got on the ship, we asked our steward to find us a container in which I could soak my foot.  Every night, I soaked in hot water and Epsom salts.  Then I slathered it in Neosporin and wrapped it in gauze and taped it.  Then, the next morning, I took the gauze off and I put a blister pad on it.

It always looked pretty good in the morning, but by night it was weepy, bleeding and in need of a good soak.  It really was a downer on the whole trip.  It limited how much I could walk and caused a lot of pain.

I felt like if I could just get home and quit walking on it so much it would heal.  This picture was taken a few days after we got home.  It no longer bleeds or weeps and has formed a deep scab.  I can't wait for it to fall off so I can get in the pool.  I am just grateful it didn't get infected.  

*I wrote this a few weeks ago.  Update: I am now back in the pool!  It sure feels good!  It took a while, but my foot is healed.

Andreas Peterson Journal Enrty from Prison in Drammen, Norway

For the most part, Andreas' journal is quite factual and unemotional. He carefully records his travels and distance covered each day, as well as what happened that day. But there are a few times that he expresses his feelings.  One was when he got news that two of his children had died at home while he was gone.  Another was when he told about being imprisoned in Drammen.  Following are translated excerpts from his journal:

November ,1875

Saturday morning, the twenty-seventh, one of the city's policemen came and took me down to the courthouse office for questioning.  A complaint was read against me for having baptized several individuals and for having administered the sacrament to some in Hurum.  I was then asked to whether or not I admitted to having done the things named in the complaint, to which I responded by asking if they meant baptism and the administration of the sacrament with the State Church, to which they said yes, whereupon I assured them I was innocent.  This was then followed by another question, "Did you not baptize some according to the Mormon method?"  In response to this question I said, "The baptism, of which one reads about in the New Testament, which was preached of by Christ and his apostles to the people, and according to which men and women were baptized, namely baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, that this was the way I believed to be correct and had baptized as many as had asked to be baptized in this manner and had also administered the sacrament according to the words of Christ and His own institution thereof."  My confession was taken down, that I had both baptized people and administered the sacrament in Hurum.  The officiating judge said that the information from my case would be sent in to the state's court and that their judgment would be known a few days later.  That afternoon I traveled by steamboat to Svelvigen . . .

February 14, 1876

I returned to Drammen.

The twentieth, Sunday evening, a policeman came and informed me that I was to report at City Hall immediately, a result of their having questioned me the previous autumn, on the twenty-seventh of November.  The judgment had been passed, which demanded that I would either pay a forty crown fine or serve five days on bread and water.  I refused to pay the fine and therefore was sentenced to suffer the consequence.  I followed the policeman to the city hall and there pleaded with the overseer on my knees to allow me to remain free until 8 o'clock that evening, at which time I would surrender myself.  He granted me my humble request.  In the afternoon we had a good service at our chapel, at the usual time.  At the previously appointed time, 8 o'clock that evening, I went to the city hall and was there placed by the overseer in the prison, a small room with a small window situated up near the ceiling, which had iron bars across it. The door was secured with thick  iron plates, which was locked every evening with a strong lock, which made it impossible for any captive to break free from such a room.  In the room stood a small table and a round stool, both of which were securely nailed to the floor, and an iron stove which was fastened to the stone wall.  As soon as I came into this dismal room I was searched by the guard who confiscated my watch and books I had with me.  I now sat down and looked around at my new surroundings, and for a time I wept tears of sadness because it had been my fate to be thrown in a dismal prison.  I reflected back upon my entire life, from my birth and infancy up until the great peace and joy I felt at having a clear and unspotted conscience before God and all people, and that the reason for my present condition was that I had borne my humble, but loyal testimony of the Son of God's restored Gospel to the children of men, and had baptized some of the faithful souls for the remission of their sins.  Thinking upon all of this gave me comfort and encouragement in my loneliness, inasmuch as the Spirit from on high had whispered peace to my soul and that it was for Christ's sake that I was here.

  Each evening the overseer brought in a hammock which I would have to hang on the wall myself, which was just comfortable enough to sleep in, and then he would take away my boots and pants, not to return them to me until the following morning.  The first morning, the overseer brought me bread and water as he did for the other prisoners, which he left for me, but I tasted not a bit of the bread or drank any of the water, but simply used a small portion of it to wash my hands and face.

  I told the guard and the overseer that if they wanted to take the bread that was given me out into the streets to those who cried from hunger for food that it would be a blessing.

  I told these gentlemen further that in the day when one is not allowed to buy or sell unless he has the mark of the beast on his hand or in his countenance (see Revelation 13:11-18); and that (in the day) the rivers would be transformed into blood and that the people would have blood to drink, then it would be well for those who were the cause of my sitting here locked up with the confines of these dismal walls, to have this bread and water to satisfy their hunger and thirst.

  I also spoke with them concerning the restoration of the Gospel through the words of Joseph Smith and of the need to accept the Gospel while the doors of mercy stood open, and of the destruction of the wicked.

  I was allowed once or twice a day to go outside in the garden for fresh air.

  Friday, the twenty-fifth, the overseer came, and released me from the prison, returning my watch and my books.  I felt myself still strong enough to go five more days without food or drink.

  The twenty-sixth, the day after I was released from prison, I walked three Norwegian miles on foot (19 English miles) across the Drammen fjord to Hurum.  That night I received lodigng with Brother Jorgen Michalsen in Halmsbod.

  The twenty-eighth, went to Dalen, slept there.

The twenty-ninth, went up over the Drammen fjord to Brother Jensen from Kjendestangen's, where I arrived after it was dark, lodged here.

  The first of March, went to Drammen.

  Sunday, the fifth of March, President Soren Petersen came here to Drammen and we had two good services at our chapel, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  On Monday, President Peterson returned to Chistiania.

  The fourteenth, I walked to Hurum, was allowed to spend the night at Christian from Odegarden's.

  Wednesday, the fifteenth, went to Thorkel's in Dallen, and held a service there in the afternoon.  In the evening I baptized Hans Gabrielsen.

I find it very significant that the first person he baptizes after his incarceration was our paternal great-grandfather, Hans Martin Gabrielsen.  A few days later he mentions baptizing Han's wife, Pauline.  As I understand it, a missionary was not called for a specific length of time back then.  When he was incarcerated, he had been serving for over two years as a missionary.  He would have been perfectly justified to conclude his mission and go to his home.  But because he did not do that, Hans and Pauline received the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am so very grateful to Andreas.  I am grateful for the opportunity to join with my beloved siblings to walk where he walked and to feel his presence with us.  I look forward to meeting him and thanking him in person.

July 28 We Don't Do That Here

 On the way back from Drammen, we had to pass through the tunnel that went under the fjord again.  In the morning we had gone through with no problem, but this time there was a big problem.

 Shortly before we got to the tunnel, we stopped at a gas station to go to the bathroom.  Thank goodness.  Joan and Tom and Patty were a bit ahead of us and texted us that traffic was stopped in the tunnel.  They didn't know why.  Soon we joined the queue. We were stopped just outside the first tunnel, with Pam and Roger and Hal right behind us.  We sat for a long, long time.

We watched as car after car left the line, turned around and went back.  But we googled it and there really wasn't a good alternative route.  There was a ferry that left from a town a ways away, but who knows how long that line would be or at what time they quit operating.  We decided to wait it out.  We did eventually go inside the tunnel, but only because cars left the line.  There was no movement.

Cars going the other way came through just like normal.  Why don't they take tuns and let us go through? 
Can I just say that Cindy is AMAZING.  She found the number for highway police and called them.  She asked for someone who could speak English.  She got a lady that could sort of speak English.  She said they knew about the problem.  It was a big truck that had broken down.  They were working on fixing it.  Why don't you just tow it?  Why don't you stop traffic and take turns letting the two lanes go through?  "We don't do that here."  What?  You don't do that here?  I guess in Norway it is just your bad luck if you are in the lane that is stopped up.  It was another testament to how blessed we are to live in the USA.  We just don't know how blessed.  This went on for two hours.  Of course everyone was worried about going to the restroom.  Ken made the mistake of not going at that last gas station.  He was really suffering. 

After we finally got through the tunnel, we stopped at a gas station/ restroom.  Guess what pulled up after us?  The very truck that caused the trouble, being towed.

No, we did not throw eggs at it.  But, as you can tell, the thought crossed my mind!

Medivac Helicopter Landing on Pulpit Rock

Soon after Ken reached the top of Pulpit Rock and was looking around, he heard a helicopter.  At first he thought it was a sightseeing helicopter, viewing Pulpit Rock from the sky.  But it kept getting closer and closer.  Then he heard someone shouting, "Get back, Get back."  Everyone realized that the helicopter was going to land.

Everyone crowded back against the rock face.  Ken was near the front of the group, closest to the helicopter.  It was loud, and as it got closer it began to pelt everyone with dirt, rocks, and debris.  Ken took off his hat to cover and protect his face and watched through the little holes in the top of his hat.  It took a long time to land as the pilot was trying to place it carefully on top of the precipice. Ken realized that if the pilot made a mistake, he, and all those around him would be dead.  He was that close and there was no place to run.  It finally landed and the whirring blades stopped.  People started to move.  But the men in the helicopter yelled at them to hold still.  By then, they realized it was a medivac copter and they needed to locate the patient. They needed everyone to stay still so they could find him. Someone yelled, "Over here."   After they located him, they gratefully allowed people to move.  Ken and Tom moved to a higher vantage point to watch the drama. 

They helped the man to the helicopter and loaded him on, but soon, for some reason, changed their minds.  They put him back out on the rock. They worked on his chest.  Everyone surmised that he was having a heart attack.  You can see him here, with them attending to him.

Soon, they loaded him back on the helicopter and took off.  It was loud, but then, just like in the movies, it fell off the rock and the sound was gone.  Just like that!

It was quite the exciting addition to their already exciting day.  Both Ken and Tom took amazing video of all of this, but Blogger won't let me post it.  

We  later talked to the cruise director onboard the ship and she didn't know about the incident, so the patient was not on our cruise.  We hope he is okay.

A Conversation with our Uber Driver, Allen

 When we got off the cruise ship in Boston, we summoned an Uber driver.  Allen came.  Allen is from Nigeria.  We immediately connected with him.  We apologized for making him work on Sunday.  That opened the conversation to religion.  Allen goes to a non-denominational church and obviously loves Jesus Christ and reveres Him as his Savior and Redeemer.  It was just so natural to discuss the gospel with him.  We talked about the plan of salvation on that fifteen-minute drive.  At one point, Ken asked if knew that we lived before we came to this earth.  He answered enthusiastically, "Yes!  I know that!  It is right in the Bible!  Not many people notice it, but it is right in the Bible!"  Ken then started quoting, 

"5 Before I ^aformed thee in the belly I ^bknew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I ^csanctified thee, and I ^dordained thee a prophet unto the ^enations."  Jeremiah 1:5

Allen joined in and they quoted this scripture together.  It was the sweetest moment.  The spirit in that car was so strong.  We know Allen felt it, too.

We told Allen about the Book of Mormon.  We asked him if he had heard of it.  He said he thought he had heard of it.  Ken told him it was another testament of Jesus Christ and that it talked about when Christ came to this land after He was resurrected. He was very interested.  We asked him if he would like a copy.  He said he really would like a copy.  He said he was a voracious reader.  We asked if he would like us to share it digitally or if he would like a hard copy.  He said he would like a hard copy.  "I like to hold a book in my hands and feel it."

When we reached our destination, we got Allen's home address and promised him we would send a copy of this sacred book.

After we got home, we called the mission office in Boston and got the names and phone number of the Elders that served in the area that included Allen's address.  We then called the Elders and told them this story.  They asked us to write our testimonies and email them, which we did.  They promised they would go and visit Allen and deliver a Book of Mormon.  Here is the testimony I sent for them to include in the Book of Mormon:

Dear Allen, 

What a pleasure it was to meet you in Boston.  You have such a special light about you.  It was a highlight of our trip to talk with you and share our testimonies of Jesus Christ.  We are so excited to share this Book of Mormon with you.  I want you to know that I know it is truth.  It truly is another testament of Jesus Christ.  I know that if you will read it, study it, and ponder the mercies of Jesus Christ throughout all time, as well as the mercies He has bestowed upon you, He will tell you, through the Holy Ghost that this book is true.  May God bless you and your family in every way.

  Most Sincerely, Kay Hinton 

Kayhinton@hotmail.com

Here is Ken's letter and testimony to Allen:

Dear Brother Akinyemi and family,
It was such a pleasure to meet you last Sunday morning and to get to know you a little bit. I hope that we will be able to become better acquainted in the future.
Thank you for accepting this precious Book of Mormon. It is one of my most treasured possessions because it has helped me to know my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and to draw closer to Him and our Heavenly Father. I know it can do the same for you. As I have studied our Savior’s Gospel and Commandments in this book and in the Bible, it has taught me how to achieve peace and happiness, both in this life and in the next life.
Allen, you expressed to us your deep love for your dear wife and precious daughters. This book can help you know how you can live for eternity with these precious family members, together with Jesus and our Heavenly Father.
The description of our Savior’s visit to the people on the American continent is described in the book of 3 Nephi, starting at chapter 11. This portion of the Book of Mormon is one of my favorites.
Moroni, the last prophet of God to write in the book of Mormon, teaches us how to read and study this book. Before you start reading the book from the first, please review Moroni 10:3-5. By following his instructions as you study the Book of Mormon, it will help God to reveal to you that this is truly another Testament that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, indeed that He is the Son of God our Eternal Father.
Love,
Brother Ken Hinton

A few days later the Elders reported they had left the book on his doorstep.  A few days later they reported they visited again, but he was still not home, but the book was no longer on the step.  A few days later they reported that they finally contacted Allen and he said he was reading.  They set up an appointment to meet with him.  We haven't heard back from them yet.  We will keep you posted.

This was such a sacred experience for us.  There are people prepared and waiting for the truth.  I hope we can be prepared and when the time comes open our mouths to share.

The Exploding Suitcase

 When we went to collect our luggage after our cruise, we found that the Royal Carribean employees had really abused Ken's suitcase.  It was missing a wheel and the case was cracked.  The handle was also broken and unusable.  We had to go to a hotel that night.  Because American Airlines changed our flight time, and the new time was too early for us to make it to the airport on time, we had to spend the night in Boston.  It was a challenge to get that suitcase out to where the Uber driver picked us up and then up to our room in the hotel.  The hotel clerk gave Ken some tape and he taped it up as best he could.  When we packed up,  I left some clothes in Boston, and we transferred some of Ken's items into my case, hoping to lighten the load so that the suitcase would make it home on the flights without exploding.

Ken taping up his suitcase in the Boston hotel

The suitcase did make it home with everything still in it.  After unpacking, Ken took it out to the trash. My matching suitcase was already being held together with duck tape, so I guess new suitcases are in our future!

The Hat Lady

 On our cruise, the table next to us was a table for twelve.  One of it's assigned guests was who we came to call The Hat Lady.  Each night, she showed up to dinner wearing a different hat.  I overheard her telling her tablemates that she brought a big extra suitcase, just for her hats.

It was fun to anticipate and then see what hat she would wear each night to dinner.  I surreptitiously took a picture of her in her hat on several evenings.

On the last night, she brought a whole bunch of hats and everyone at her table donned one of her hats.

Here she is passing out hats.

I wasn't even sneaky.  I went over to their table and asked if I could take a picture of their hat table. 

A Wallet Found

 Ken went to Rockwood Park in Saint John, New Brunswick to hike and look for birds.  As he was walking on the trail, he found a wallet.  He opened it to find whose it was and to find contact information.  He found the name, but no email address or phone number.  There were credit cards and money and other important documents but no contact information. Because the owner was from Detroit, Michigan, he thought there was a good chance he could be on our ship.  He took it back to the ship with him, hoping the owner was a fellow passenger.

    When he got back, he enquired at the desk and found that the owner indeed was a traveler on the ship.  The gal at the front desk called his room, but there was no answer.  She tried to persuade Ken to leave the wallet with her, but Ken wanted to give it to him himself, to make sure it got to him intact.  Later, he went back and had her call his room again.  This time the owner answered and hurried to meet Ken.  He was relieved and grateful. He said he had discovered it was missing but had no idea where he had lost it that day. He offered Ken a reward, but Ken declined stating that he was just glad to get it back in full to the owner. Ken was grateful that he was the one who found it . . .and I'm sure the owner was, too!

Backstage in My Nightgown

Do you ever have a nightmare where you are in public naked or in your underwear?  I understand that is one of three nightmares common to almost everyone.  Well, now I have lived the nightmare.

 One night on the cruise, we were ready to go to bed.  But there was loud music.  It was so loud that we couldn't sleep.  I wasn't sure what it was or where it was coming from, so I went out of our room to investigate.  I expected to find that it was coming from a nearby cabin.  My plan was to knock on the door and politely ask them to turn down the volume on their t.v.  

Across from our room was a door marked SERVICE AREA. As I walked up the hall, I realized that the loud music was coming from behind that door.

During the day, this was a busy place for the workers.  We could see them in there folding towels, preparing cleaning carts and room service carts.  It was just across the hall from our room.  But evidently it had a different purpose in the night!

I slowly opened the door and was shocked at what I saw!  I was now backstage of a performing stage!  In my nightgown!  I could see people dancing and singing out on the stage.  And closer to me were five people in full costume and fully made up, standing in a circle excitedly chatting and evidently waiting their turn to go on stage.  When I opened the door, they all looked up at me and I at them.  We stared at each other in shock for a few seconds, then one of the men said, "Can we help you?"  I still was too shocked to talk, but after a few seconds, I said, "It is really loud." Profound, absolutely profound!   He then explained that it was a "party" and would go on for another hour or so.  Okay.  I closed the door and went back to our room.  Luckily, I had remembered to take my key with me.  So that's my story about the time I lived my nightmare.

Lost Earring

 Last Christmas, Ken surprised me by buying me some beautiful gold earrings.  I love them.  On the day we went to Stowe, I wore them.  We visited a lot of different places that day.  That evening, we had reservations for dinner at the Von Trapp Family Lodge Restaurant.  As we were waiting to be seated, I suddenly thought about earrings. (I now know it was a prompting by the spirit)  I reached up and felt my ears and discovered that one of my lovely earrings was missing!  I started feeling around in my clothes and looked on the floor.  No earring.  I told Ken and he also searched.  We were both very worried.  As soon as we were seated at our table, Ken said he was going to retrace our steps.  We had just been in the basement of the lodge at their gift shop.  He said he was headed down there. I couldn't persuade him to order first.  He felt he had to go now. He went down and almost immediately found the earring on the floor just in front of the entrance to the gift shop.  

I don't think Heavenly Father really cares about earrings, but he knew I did and prompted me to discover one was missing, then prompted Ken to go right to where it was.  This was such a sweet and spiritual experience for us.

This picture was taken outside the Lodge just before we went inside and headed down to the gift shop.  You can see I have both earrings on in this picture.

This picture was taken just after we went to the gift shop and came upstairs to the atrium.  You can see I only have one earring on in this picture.

The lost is found.  Ken took my picture just after bringing me my lost earring.

We then got down to the business of ordering our delicious Weiner Schnitzel dinner.  We knew we had experienced a tender mercy from our Heavenly Father.