Our "first" Farewell Dinner

Monday evening, April 25, 2016
We had a wonderful FHE with our Temple Presidency and Temple Missionaries plus the other Missionaries from Govt and Public Affairs, CES and Family History. This is a monthly gathering and this night it was also a "Farewell Dinner" for Elder Bob and Sister Tina Hosac. They will be leaving this Mission on May 11th--to return to their Home in Eagle, Idaho. They will be sorely missed!!! Both Elder Mumford and I have grown to love them dearly in our short 5 weeks here. The dinner was a wonderful "Idaho Potatoe Bar"--served to 36 of us. We met in the Ambassador Room--which is just off the wing of the Family History/Public Affairs area of the Temple/Chapel building. Heretofore--these kinds of gatherings have been in Pres and Sister Bennion's apartment--but our group is growing larger and may have to use this room more in the future. After the dinner --we were privileged to have a well-known LDS Artist--Brother Walter Ranes--share some of his thoughts/feelings about his paintings--many of which are on display throughout this Chapel and Famiy History Center. He has been "commissioned" on several occasions by the Church and by private individuals to paint many Book of Mormon series paintings and several New Testament and Life of Jesus Christ featured paintings. He is well-known for many of his paintings to appear throughout the Church magazines. Many of a this collection currently on display here are some of his favorites about the Book of Mormon. He ended his presentation with one of his favorites--one in which Moroni has found his father, Mormon, after one of the last battles in the Book of Mormon--and he is dead. It was an emotional painting for me to view, for sure and I want to go in the Chapel area and study it more. A most enjoyable evening!! But a real tear-jerker ending--as the tradition has become to sing the departing Missionaries a song. Always the same one---"Go In Peace"--such beautiful words and music. And then added this timel--by request from the Hosacs--"God Be With You 'til We Meet Again." I could hardly sing!! What a touching send off.!! There will be "many many more" of these in the future--I must get prepared to say Good-by. This Gospel of Jesus Christ is so wonderful and serving a Mission here is just so perfect. We LOVE it!! Included here is a picture of this wonderful group!!

 Back rows (in couples--l-r) the Hansons, Buchanans, Martinez, Mumfords, Harris, McKennas (side by side ) Calls, Coltons, Sister Wilson, Livingstons, Dranesfields, Elder Rogers (wife was ill) Grimleys;
Front row--Pres& Sis Bench, Pres& Sis Bennion, Bro & Sis Ranes, the Hosacs, Pres& Sis Bench

Here are some of Bro Walter Ranes' paintings that I mentioned above. Each picture has a "title--engraved on the frame and a scripture reference. The Sister Missionaries have done up something with that and I hope to get it from them.
Do you have a "favorite"??

Moroni discovers his father, Mormon, has been killed and now he is alone. This is a painting that caused me to weep

Oh, and by the way. . . ,

It has been another BUSY week and seems like time "🎼flies on wings of lightning, you cannot call it back"!! Sister Mumford got a Fitbit!! And a 10,000 step challenge from her daughter, Katie Marie!
 Do you know how many "miles" that is?? Well let me tell you--it is roughly about 4.2 miles. Now I can usually get in 2,000 steps in the temple ( as we are really encouraged to use the stairs between the 4th floor and the 5th--which some days involves A LOT of going up and down. So that leaves me to get the other 8,000 after we finish at the temple. Sometimes I go alone , other times my friend, Sister Kathy Thompson comes with and still others-Elder Mumford--helps me to " meet or exceed" this daily challenge.. It has been Great--except some days my back "rebels" from being pushed or I/we are found "pounding pavement " when we should be "finding zzzz's"!! Truly there IS a lot of sidewalk in NYC! On these walks I have "revisited" some old places and snapped a better or clearer picture--which I will now include:

Remember the Museum"pic" about this "Night at the Museum" site in the movie of the same name with Ben Stillers?? This is what it looks like in "daylight".

And this up closer!!

The "guys" in the Food Truck "the Casba" where you can get a great deal on a Middle Eastern meal--$5 or $6--which we have done a few times!! It is on the opposite corner of the street from our apartment building. It's been "voted" one of the BEST of its kind in the City!!

The front of the Plaza Hotel--a. NYC  icon!! Seen in lots of movies--many "Celebs and Dignataries" from foreign countries historically stay here. Out in front (you can't see them very well) arc flags representing all the countries where the Hotel Guests are from.. 

Just seeing a little "history"!!

TODAY--April 26th (2016) found us exploring to find a "Breakfast" place down in the area of PENN STATION (which is Mid-town Manhattan). We went inside Penn Station to see exactly where our Missionary friends--Greg and Wendy Rose (who are currently Elder and Sister Rose from the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Mission) will be coming in on Amtrak this Friday, April 29th, for a short visit with us and Bill and Christine Nelson (who will be here from SLC-in company with the Utah Symphony (Bill is on the Symphony Board) that have a "guest appearance" with another orchestra performing here. We are so excited to see them all!! So here are some pics of that area and environs.

St Francis of Assisi Church and School 

My friend, Kathy Thompson ( who is always up for a little exploring) and I outside PENN STATION

THIS ONES FOR KYLE!! 

Love me some Flowers!!

Kathy and Elder Mumford

Elder and Sister Mumford inside PENN Station--it is a "happening" place!! Found out we could go to Boston from here!! . . . Hum. . . Sometime ???

This adventure continues daily!! Things are starting to look "familiar" to me so I may be able to start " venturing" out a little more on my walks. BUT I'll keep my cell phone with me--just in case I need to be "rescued"?

Central Park--a thing of BEAUTY--worth walking to (and back--almost 5 miles)

Monday, April 18, 2016
We had a "sighting" on Sunday from a fellow Missionary who told us THIS was something we didn't want to miss. The Conservatory Gardens at the northeast end of the park were in full bloom-- maybe on the last few days of perfect beauty. So-- we got up this morning and decided we'd WALK there for our exercise today. Beautiful warm day!! I started out with a light jacket and very soon it was tied around my waist!! It was about 62 at 10:00 am--and just got warmer!! The Park is just the BEST place to walk-- so many paths that you really need a "sense of direction" if you are trying to get somewhere specific OR just don't want to end up LOST!! Sister Mumford has to be really careful NOT to go too far--she does NOT want to be the object of a SEARCH!!
So Elder Mumford charted our course this morning--and we walked . . . and walked--it was glorious!!  We found the gardens--there are actually 3 of them--the French Garden which is full of magnificent red and purple tulips; the Italian Garden that has all the flowering trees--cherry blossoms and flowering crab trees; and the English Garden which has an assortment of flowers and trellis'. It was a sight!! ( except with it being a "workday--the Park groundskeepers were out everywhere--doing their jobs--but kinda "messing up our pics with their vehicles, etc. 😒).   So hope you can see by these pics --which don't really do it justice--how lovely it was!! We finished up our walk by stopping for breakfast/brunch at Effy's Cafe which is a Mediterranean-type of food (not our favorite)-- but good nonetheless--and then walked back home. Over 5 miles clocked!! YES it is good to be healthy enough to get around New York City sites on foot!! LOVIN' it!! And the last few pics in this Post were taken in a different part of Central Park on another "🎼Walk in the Park" on April 20th with another Missionary Friend--Sister Kathy Thompson. I've said it before and I'll say it again--CENTRAL PARK IS BEAUTIFUL--at least RIGHT NOW!!

Overlooking the Gardens at the Conservatiry

Unusual white/yellow buttercups

The blossoms were AWESOME!!

Entrance to French Garden 

The French Garden with Italian Garden in the distance 

French Garden with these colorful tulips 

Can't get enough of these tulips!!

English Gardens with their variety of flowers

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Elder Mumford and Balto---to the Rescue!! 

More English Garden

Another "Wonderful Sabbath"

Sunday, April 17th, found us back in the Rego Park 1st Ward where we have been asked to attend during our time here in New York City. We have "been away" for 2 weeks due to General Conference and then Woodside Stake Conference last week. It was great to be back there! So many friendly faces and "welcomes". I think maybe they are starting to put together that we are going to be members of their Ward for the next 17 months now. I (Sister Mumford) was asked by a member of the RS Presc' to teach the lesson coming up on May 1st--from the Teachings of the Pres of the Church--Howard W Hunter manual. I was so excited to be asked!! Then we met a Bro Michael Buck, who is a Counselor in the Bishopric, after the Block was over, and he asked us to meet with him for a few minutes. Happily we did and were asked if we could accept a calling to teach a Sunday School class--youth, ages12-15--as a regular calling. YES!! This is something we have been waiting for!! Due to our work/service in the Temple--we can't do much more during the week--but we can help on Sundays--so we are so excited to get to know these youth and their parents and the other members of this Ward. We've decided that this is indeed a "happy" Ward from what we can tell so far. The members meet and greet with love and joy. Lots of diversity, too!! Then we ventured back to the Subway station, visiting with another Ward member who took the same train as we--But got off a few stops after. We are figuring out our Best route and were able to get there in about an hour this time. Things are starting to look "familiar" to me as we go back and forth to this area of Queens. 'Bout time, I'd say--you'd say!!😁😜
The days are getting warmer and the flowers are in full bloom!! We got off the Subway at 5th Avenue and 52nd Street and walked home via Columbus Circle and caught a few "colorful" scenes.

Statue of Christopher Columbus (near southern end of Central Park)

We enjoyed a meal after our meetings and then Elder Mumford got "back" into his latest Family History activity--discovering all kinds of "cousins" using Hopechest ( formerly known as Pandora's Hopechest) which searches your family lines and identifies in relatively short time (2-3 hours--to get 350+ names) those individuals that will now need to be checked, matched, merged, etc--to see if they are duplicates--and then print the cards for any temple work that still needs to be done. It still takes a lot of time-- but this program is amazing at how quickly it can check back through the family line you
assign it to do. And a big Thanks to Bryce and Lissa for help in "restoring" the Google Chrome we "lost" trying to remedy our Printer problem!! Tho' the printer is still not fixed--we do have the program's back that somehow "disappeared" somewhere along the way!! A-a-a-ah TECHNOLOGY!!-- Gotta love it!!! Were able to talk to some family--that is always Great--hope to catch the others "next week". Now THAT is technology we LOVE!!!

So much to see . . .

The weather is beginning to "break" into (dare I say it) SPRING!! It's fun to go for a walk--especially in the sunshine. We get off our temple duties ( for another month) between 4 pm and 6 pm--depending on the day. Right now we are "day shift" and at end of May we will go to "evenings" for 3 months, etc. Somewith the nicer weather--I am trying to get back to my walking routine. Yesterday, it was beautiful--so I walked down by the Hudson River with a friend from the Temple--Sister Kathy Thompson. She's been here since August (2015) and knows a little more about the area--and good "walking routes and destinations". So we went to the River.  There were many bikers out too--so you have to be careful to stay in your "walking path" or you could get "run over" (seriously!!). Took a few pics --one that happens more than you'd think-- "strolling your . . . Dog!"

Looking across the Hudson to New Jersey

Many boats in the Harbor

Walking ??the dog??(we didn't know her--but couldn't resist this picture)

My friend told me if we went down the river aways-- we would be in the area of the "plane rescue" a few years ago that made the Pilot "Sulley" famous. And in the "boat area" is where some scenes from the movie "You've Got Mail" were filmed.

I imagine in the Summer months this area is "bustling"!

Water helps me feel "peace!!' I love watching  it.

I went "back" to the water the next day--but it was a little later than I wanted it to be--so I snapped a few pics of the Jersey skyline and came back--think I'll stick to daylight hours when I'm "on my own". (Elder Mumford much prefers the "gym" and exercise room on the 7th floor of our Bldg--so he goes there while I walk)

New Jersey "skyline" across the Hudson as the sun is setting

We had a very busy Saturday at the Temple so we were ready to "go out" with some of our friends. 

The Buchanans have been here since last August and they love to explore--so they are introducing us 

to some of their "finds and favorites"!! So we headed to "little Italy" for some great food (veal--done 

so-o many delicious ways and gelato--yum!!). It is so interesting how you can be in one "ethnic neighborhood" and turn the corner and you are in a completely different place--we went through Chinatown (with all its sights and "smells") to get to little Italy--so very interesting!! 

Chinatown

Elders Mumford and Buchanan "blazing" the trail that leads to Little Italy for us Sisters behind them

CHINATOWN  

All kinds of mushrooms??

Sign in a window in Little Italy

Any one for Duck a l'orange for dinner?

The gelato stand--so good!!