2 February 2018 It's time to get back to writing business

Boy sometimes I could just smack myself, something will happen in the temple or church or wherever and I'll say I need to write that down for the blog. However lately I have been just forgetting to write it down and thus forgetting the incident. So with that in mind I'm going to keep this page open and write things as they happen (hopefully)! I think what I'm going to do now though is write things as I remember them, not in chronological order.
1. One thing is I've been asked to teach the youth Sunday School class, it ranges from ages 12 up to 17. There are a couple of the kids that are deaf, but most are kids of deaf parents, such as I. Now here is the problem, age or maybe generation gap. Understand it's not that I'm to old to teach the youth today, not at all. I taught seminary very effectively, it is the language barrier. I speak PSE, (pidgin signed english) pidgin is sign language that's between Signed Exact English ( SEE) and American Sign Language (ASL). Kids now speak more ALS, which does not translate well into spoken english, where PSE does more or less. Anyway I find it more difficult to teach because I can't talk and sign at the same time (it doesn't translate). Adding this piece today (Monday 5 Feb 2018). Taught my lesson to the youth at the branch, it went really better, why? Because I spoke pidgin and was able to voice and sign. It just worked better.
2. Sometimes the shift coordinators send out a file with our shift line for a particular shift, Friday's coordinator sent a note out mentioning that the time is drawing near and he asked if there was anything we might want to learn/work in the next few weeks. I mentioned I wanted to learn more about the Own Endowment Directors job. I had a little training, but wanted to learn and perform in that capacity, last night (Friday) I had the opportunity to work with the OED with a young missionary taking out his own endowment. I really enjoyed it and have a better understanding of the process involved.
3. Two weeks ago Kenna Brown, my niece, invited Patty and I over for Sunday dinner. We had a wonderful visit and went to see the National Cathedral. She lives close to the cathedral, here are some pictures:

 It's quite a building

Kenna and Patty 

 

Inside

There are services given regularly 

Shaking hands with A. Lincoln 

I took this picture because I have a photograph of a silhouette of Abraham Lincoln and it is signed

A. Lincoln. I didn't know at the time that he signed most things that way. Picture was given to me by a Sister (Sister Klier) who attended the 1st Deaf Branch, back when Dad was the Branch President and I was his 2nd counselor. The story is that it was given to her by her [I think] grandfather, who received it from US Grant, because her grandfather was a double for president Grant when he was unable to attend some events. Sister Klier was pushing 80 back in the late 70's. 

4. Monday 29 February, The missionaries were assigned a service project to help take down some of the Christmas lights at the temple and visitor's center. We worked about 2 1/2 hrs. and took down several hundred strands of lights. 

Later that day Elder and Sister Weight and I went to see Lincoln's Cottage. This is a place right out of DC where President Lincoln would go for a little retreat with his family. Its was a really nice tour, very informative and more interactive. I would recommend going if you can. Here are some pictures:

Front of the cottage 

This is the old veteran dorm, meaning old building not old vet.  

I just thought this was a cool tree 

Back of the cottage, looks more like the front. President Lincoln would sit on the porch,

 looking toward the White house and Capital Building.

Sunday 4 February 2018, Break the Fast, we all ( our building) met on the second floor for our monthly break the fast. As always lots of good food and entertaining conversation, I mentioned at the table that when "we" (railroaders) would be away from home, we would get together and play cards go to dinner or whatever we would always talk railroad. It was our life, and so it was at dinner, our conversation was about temple experiences. Here we were all temple workers and talking about temple experiences. It was fun and definitely interesting, most stories were our own actual experiences, but sometimes we went off on "Mormon folklore". Not saying it's not true, but it is like I heard this or did you know that, sort of stuff. Anyway surely enjoyed the evening, here are some pictures from Brother Bishop's camera. He air dropped them,

That's Patty to the right cut off, so Brother Bishop took another one below.

Pictured from me to my left:

 Elder Steve Hockett, Sister Karen Hockett, Sister Patty Slade

Sister Renee Coombs, Elder Steve Coombs isn't in the picture "he had to got down stairs to his apt for something" like to watch the Super Bowl. Sister LaNae Mortensen, Elder Gordon Mortensen 

Pictured at the front and moving right:

Brother Earl Sanders, Sister Margaret Sanders, Sister Jane Coons, Elder John Coons, and the next two I believe is their son in law and daughter.    

Just as a note Sister Sanders's sister (Sister Sutton) is deaf and her nephew Rich Sutton works for the temple department. He is responsible for most of the temple ordinances translated into ASL.

 Pictured from the front:

Sister Sandy Bishop to her left is Elder Gary Weight, Sister Jayne Weight, Sister Vickie Snelson,

Elder Tom Snelson.

Brother Bishop air dropped this picture also, so I added it. I believe I have more pictures of the DC temple than any other, including the Salt Lake temple.