Rare highlights in these run-together days of isolating tend to assume
heroic proportions. We miss being able to "treat" the Manchester
area Elders or Sisters to dinner and a chat. This week we created
an occasion to do something "like unto" it: we ordered
curbside pickup from Olive Garden for Sisters Semadeni
and Young, on the condition that we would be able to deliver
it to them while keeping our distance. Here I am handing it off
at the end of a XC ski pole as Sister Young "receives" it at
the end of her broomstick!
They always reward us with thank-you notes and tokens
of gratitude. Here I am holding the early spring nosegay . . .
. . . that accompanies their note card.
The time stamp at the top of this post is significant to us.
April 26th is the birthday of my wonderful father August (Gus).
I have been thinking of him especially a lot this week,
and comparing notes, my sister and brothers have been too.
(This group picture was taken the last time we were all
assembled for Thanksgiving at the Warner household.)
Below, is a favorite of my son Cory's, from Dad's executive
days, looking westward from his mid-70s Salt Lake office
of Deloitte where he was Partner-In-Charge.
Less historically, I was able to drop in to visit with him
on his birthday (2016) as he manned his shift at the Conference
Center (Missionary Host). This was a taxing assignment
for him at the end, but he said he felt invigorated and
strengthened as he served and walked and explained there.
This was the final time, I believe, that I saw him on duty.
He was a very accomplished man, and I wish I could share all
the wonderful ways he blessed my life. I often feel him near, and
hear his "catch phrases" of advice and wisdom in my mind.
One surprising thing was his developed interest after retirement
(from public accounting) in counted cross-stitch (fun to
teach him something after he taught me so many things).
Here are two of the prized pieces he completed:
Grandfather's Barn & Grandmother's House.
Dad is often on mind and heart these days. As I walk
near our apartment along St. Anselm Drive, I pass many
beautiful homes. This one always catches my fancy, and
(accurately or not), it evokes Dad's childhood home
on O Street in the Avenues of Salt Lake City.
Inspiration for this week's post comes from general themes
in 2 Nephi as I've been reading recently, where are
mentioned the "turning of hearts" of children toward fathers,
and connected blessings from Heaven.
We've been thinking of our two wonderful fathers.
While I don't have ready access
in my remote location here to a picture of Lloyd Warner, Vince
always mentions one attribute of his dad instantly when asked.
Lloyd hated fishing, but when young Vince wanted to go do that,
he made it possible, helping with preparations and logistics,
and making it seem as though it was an enjoyable activity.
(When we found this consignment painting print at Country
Cobwebs in Warner this week, it was an instant purchase!)
Easy the task to think about Vince's progenitors recently,
as we made Warner, NH our destination outing in
an otherwise very mundane week. Only 45 minutes away.
Here is Vince, posing between outbursts of surprise
that we weren't being offered the keys to the town.
Do you see that Warner, NH is pre-revolutionary?
(Just to be clear, Vince's Warner line were originally
Werners, emigrating from Germany at
mid to late 17th century. Not related to Jonathan Warner,
citizen of Portsmouth, after whom the re-established
town was named.)
We've visited Warner before, on a trip 3.5 decades ago,
stopping to get a picture in front of the post office
and firehouse signs to prove that it happened.
In the old days, I would have walked in and had
"my passport stamped" to commemorate.
As a quasi-resident of NH, I don't do that, and right now they
would frown on such "non-essential" virus exposure.
Once we returned home, Vince posed in his BYU colored
t-shirt which offers the geographic coordinates.
Some recently-perused travelogue hyperbole touted
"typical New England" locales as "colorful autumn foliage and white
country churches." Warner, NH, would qualify on both counts.
(Warner Congregational Church)
We discovered that Warner has THREE covered bridges,
and we visited two (more on that topic in a later post).
Here is the Waterloo covered bridge, exterior and . . .
. . . and interior so the crossing beam construction
is visible, and . . .
. . . here is the Dalton.
Scenic country views caught my fancy as I saw spring
lambs and ewes in a field. (Vince hopped the fence
with his cell camera to take these much closer than
I would have been able to).
As part of our quest to capture historic stone fences
and cellar walls, we visited a historic cemetery near
Exit 8 (Lower Warner Cemetery) perched on a hill
with town road and I-89 skirting on two sides.
(No Warners buried here.)
Someone had carefully tended to veteran graves.
This marker is for Joseph Burke, 1757-1829.
He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War -
something you don't find in Utah or Idaho.
While we work to re-define what our mission service
looks like (Vince continues to be quite busy),
we have large quantities of time to ponder and consider.
We were born of goodly parents, certainly, with rich
and varied heritage.
For me, as I celebrate once again the birthday of Dad,
without my beloved siblings near to buoy me up,
my lamp is full of oil that will light my way always.
Love you, Dad!
How have the people in YOUR family tree blessed
and enriched your life, and made you who you are?
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