July 31, 2016

Bob: Not much to report today. We went to Englehart and picked up Sister Cushman for church. Brother Cushman wasn't feeling well so he didn't go. She was confirmed in church this morning. Elders Petrowsky and Carman spoke today and they did a wonderful job. They're serving in Rouyn together right now.
After church we took Sister Cushman home. As we were leaving a man from the Gideon Society stopped us and we had a good chat about what he is doing. He has been visiting that nursing home every Sunday for 20 years.
Once we got home we ate and then walked down to the lake and just enjoyed watching some boats leave and some come in. Finally we  came home and planned our week. Finished the evening by watching our nightly Murdoch Mysteries show.
Hope everyone had a great weekend. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: It was very special to have Sister Cushman confirmed today. She said she felt "warm" inside when she was asked to receive the Holy Ghost. Bob did the confirmation. And there was an extra bonus because one of the sisters brought several bags of "gently" worn clothing for whomever wanted it. Sister Cushman found several things she liked. Apparently, there are not enough volunteers or staff to take the clients places. She said they never get to go shopping, especially for clothes. Karol seems so happy about everything. I hope her health holds out for a long time to come. She'll be a great addition to the Branch.
Tomorrow we hope to find some more people home and to follow through with a few others. I suppose it's chancy doing this tomorrow because it is a holiday. We'll see.
May everyone have a good day tomorrow!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Sister and Brother Cushman with Bonnie

Townhouses across the street from the marina (2 for sale!)

Pontoon boat leaving the marina

July 30, 2016

Bonnie:  Bob is taking a nap right now so I will begin the blog. We've had a glorious day. The baptism of Karol Cushman went off beautifully. They were both ready when Bob and I picked them up. Just after we arrived at the pool, the  Elders showed up. I was assigned to give the opening prayer. Elder Petrosky lead the singing. Then, we baptized Karol. She walked down the ramp with three Elders dressed in white, one on each side and one in front.  She went under without a  hitch, just needing a little push to put her head down. Karol said afterwards that she felt arms underneath her, and it wasn't the Elder's arms! She is so happy, and she's looking forward to tomorrow. We will pick them up so she can be confirmed at Sacrament meeting. There was a good turnout from the Branch--7 adults plus the six missionaries. There were three kids, too. After the baptism each Elder in our Branch gave the talks on baptism and the Holy Ghost. Then, she was welcomed into the Branch and the Relief  Society by the RS President. (Our beloved Branch President was not here because of a prearranged camping trip.) We sang "How Great Thou Art" which I lead, then had the closing prayer by Karol's husband, Warren. Then, we ate--healthy stuff like veggies and fruits and small sandwiches and a good-for-you cake. It worked out so well. One of the life-guards was watching and he quite enjoyed the whole thing.
On the way home, Sister Cushman said "Why don't we go out to eat?" We all thought it was a good  idea. We ate at Gilles, hamburgers and a wrap for me. Then, of course, Bob had to have dessert! It made for a fun outing for all of us. They are not in a very good nursing home and are not able to get out much. I am so thankful that the Lord answered our prayers and that this very special woman was baptized today.
I hope we all have a sustaining Sabbath Day tomorrow!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: Bonnie pretty well summed up everything. I had my nap and now I can't seem to focus on anything. It appears I awoke too soon.
Did manage to go for an hour walk this morning. Walked clear to the next town, North Cobalt, and back. Really it's not that far.
I was a little surprised we stopped to eat after the baptism since we ate at the baptism. But I enjoyed the raspberry pie a la mode!! The Cushman's wanted to stop at Lucky Loi, a chinese restaurant but it was closed. So I told them I knew another restaurant we could stop at. I said President Clayton had eaten at Gilli's because I saw it on his credit card statement. If it was good enough for President then it would be good enough for us.
Elders Petrowsky and Carman left immediately after the baptism because they had to drive to Rouyn-Noranda for another baptism. Elders Vargas and Ray left after they ate to attend this baptism, as well. It was back in 2014 when Bonnie and I were up here for the summer that we gave Karol her first 2 discussions. Always wondered what she felt about that. Missionaries didn't get assigned to this Branch till late January I think. It just took a little time to teach her and get her ready, I guess.
Need to close now. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Karol and Warren Cushman

Elders Ray, Carman, Vargas, Petrowsky, Sister Cushman, Bonnie, Brother Cushman, Bob

Freshly baled hay on the way to Englehart

July 29, 2016

Bob: Another nice day. Temperature was about the same as yesterday, but it felt a bit warmer.
Went to the pool today. I think I did 12 laps, but I am not sure. I did feel better when finished though. We'll see how things go next week. I must alter my schedule as the pool is closed on Monday for a civic holiday. It's always the first Monday in August so they can have a 3 day weekend.
We went to visit 3 people today. Found 2 of them home. One is a 72 year old man that had a special experience several years ago. One night he was feeling very bad and wanted to end his life. He got down on his knees asked the Lord to send him someone to help him. At that moment the 2 elders knocked on his door. It was 10:00 PM and they should have been home. However, one of the elders said he felt impressed to walk upstairs to the 2nd floor apartment and knock on Jean's door. This was a turning point in his life, but sorry to say he is lacking faith. He doesn't believe in agency and thinks the Lord can control everything. Thus, in his mind, the Lord lets people suffer when He could prevent it. Don't know exactly how we will help him.
The 2nd lady is from Quebec and only speaks some English. She was baptized in 2002, but hasn't been active for 2 years. I think her husband may have something to do with that. She said we come back and that she knew the doors weren't closed to her.
We don't have a good address for the 3rd lady so we didn't find her. So we went to the hospital and visited with Donna Craig. She learned today that her room in the nursing home will be shared with 3 other ladies. That is because her pension will not cover the extra cost of a semi-private room. She still wants to go home, but I don't think that is going to happen.
Came home for dinner and then back to Food Basics to do the weekly shopping.
That's about it for the day. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  It's been a good day but we need to start earlier, I think. Otherwise, it's too late for me to take my french lesson and do the blog and watch our Murdoch Mystery and get to bed at a decent hour!!
We are hoping for an even better day tomorrow with the baptism. May the Lord be with us all!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 28, 2016

Bob: We went to Kirkland Lake today. Round trip, it was slightly over 100 miles. Only got to see 1 person and she is doing very well. She will be interviewed by the Stake President in September for her temple recommend. Has been less-active for 25 years. In March an Elder challenged her to read the Book of Mormon. For some reason she felt compelled to do that and has been reading at least a chapter a day since. The Elder also would text her a spiritual message every morning. Now she is preparing for the temple. It is never too late.
The other young lady we wanted to see did not answer her phone or text. We also figured out that some of the names on the Branch list are not at the listed addresses any longer. We found three names that fall into that category. Another sister wasn't home and we couldn't find a young man because we did not have an apartment number.
Well, I'll close for the night. Hope you had a great day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: We have just finished our night with watching one of the Murdoch Mystery Stories. Murdoch is a detective from Toronto and the tv series takes place around 1895. We rented the DVDs from the library and really enjoy them. It's so much fun to be somewhat familiar with the places that are mentioned. And there are some very interesting stories! Thanks to my sister  Bette, for telling us about them.
Today the baptism plans were settled. I will just need to contact some people in the Branch to remind them about the baptism and to see if they are coming. I will also provide a fruit tray and the baptism clothes and a towel. The Branch missionaries are doing all of the rest, other than picking up the Cushman's. We will do that as well. It will be a great day for all concerned. I'm still praying for Sister Cushman because she is deathly afraid of water. She is very excited, and is ready to make this all important covenant, however.
Hopefully tomorrow we can continue to find those who are "lost" in the Branch. We know they are not lost to the Lord and that He wants them back. We pray we can help this to happen.
Have a great day tomorrow!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 27, 2016

Bob: Got up before 7:00 this morning and went to the swimming pool. This pool is a 25 meter pool. I swam a total of 11 laps (down and back being 1 lap). Half of the laps I did on my back and the other half using the overhand stroke. When I finished I was beat. I need to at least double the amount of laps to be close to what I was doing in Utah. In Utah I used flippers, but not here. I think I'll swim here without them and see how it goes.
Then we signed up to be volunteers for Meals on Wheels. They sent us to New Liskeard to turn in our application at the police station for a background check. Only problem is they didn't tell us we needed two forms of ID. Have to take another ID back for Bonnie tomorrow. Luckily I had a Canadian Outdoors card that satisfied them for my 2nd form.
After that we went to visit Jack and Trudy, but Jack was off appraising cattle for his buyer. Jack travels to various farms looking for cattle his buyer can purchase. Jack lets him know where they are and how good they are then the buyer goes to market and buys them. We had a good visit with Trudy.
After we got home I washed the car for the first time. They have a pretty nice washing area here. It is right outside our apartment so about 4:30 it is in the shade.  That made it comfortable. Bonnie said she would sweep it out, but she never got outside this evening to do it. I guess she is planning on doing that tomorrow morning.
Elder Wolfley called today and said he got caller ID put on our phone number so I can see the calls I have missed. Until today everything was coming up 'Unknown Number'. A real pain!!
That's about it for the day. Hope your day was fantastic. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: Bob has written about swimming today. It actually wasn't too bad. The water was warm, and the facilities are ok. It's just that I am not very fit in the water, yet. I may go every Wednesday with him. We'll see. It will take a lot of work for me to do laps like Bob does.
I am anxious to start doing some service. The lady at the police office said it would be two weeks before our background checks would be finished, so it will be a longer wait than I would like.
Tomorrow, I  hope to help plan the details for Sister Cushman's baptism. We looked at the room that is being rented for it. The pool we swam in today will be where she will be baptized. They  have a chair with wheels on it for her, if she needs to be wheeled into the water. There is a kitchen that opens up to the room, and there are chairs and tables that we can put up for it, as well. I think it will work out very nicely. We need everyone's prayers that she will have enough faith to go through with this.
Well, we are turning in a little bit early tonight. We hope everyone has had a great day.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 26, 2016

Bob: Had a good day. Went on a walk with Bonnie. Once she finished I went just a little farther. Weather was nice out this morning. Going to try the swimming pool in the morning. Means I'll have to set the clock and get up earlier. Don't know if I can stand that.
Went to Englehart to visit with Brother Cushman and his wife. She is supposed to be baptized this Saturday, but she has an extreme fear of water. Also, she must walk with a walker. This may be a challenge.
The Elders were there when we visited the Cushmans. After we left they went to track down an inactive that only has a street address. Bonnie and I went to find 2 sisters. One was not home. The other one Bonnie and Patsy went to visit last Wednesday, but an older man just said 'Not interested' and shut the door in Bonnie's face. I pulled up in front of the house and he was outside. I jumped out and went up and asked him if he knew April Duffy. He said that's my wife. I told him who I was and we had a good chat. He gave me his phone number and said to call before we come to visit. He needs a hip replacement. He said they tried it once, but it got infected and had to be removed. He claims he doesn't have a hip now and that he will get another replacement soon. He was on his feet and moving with a limp as he used his walker. Anyway, we'll go back to see them.
The Elders weren't able to find their guy. Took them to Wendy's for dinner afterwards.
Time to get ready for bed. Love to all and good night brothers.
Love,
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: I have just finished a great book: "Schindler's List". I have been interested in the story ever since hearing about the movie, which I haven't seen. It's not a book for the faint of heart. It's fascinating, though. I highly recommend it.
I enjoyed talking to Sister Cushman today. She is excited about  being baptized, but afraid as well, about going under the water. I pray that it will happen. She is a very special woman who has had many difficult trials in her life.
We'll see about the swimming thing tomorrow morning. We will have to be up much earlier than usual for it. But, that is a good thing!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 25, 2016

Bonnie:  We saw a few people today but with little success. So, I decided to have someone over for dinner and made a dessert and bought rolls. But, no one could come :(  So, Bob and I enjoyed a nice dinner. It was good, if I do say so myself!
Tomorrow we have some details to take care of such as transferring our medications to a pharmacy here, going to the library and to the bank. We are also doing companionship study from "Preach My Gospel". And I am still doing several French lessons every day. I hope I am getting good enough at it to communicate better with our Quebec saints. They are really the sweetest people!
I  hope your day has been a good one!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: Bonnie pretty well summed up our day. I did take a long walk again this morning (I think it was 9:00 when I started.) We also stopped at the community pool today and we will try it out Wednesday morning. Bonnie will go the first time, but if she is cold that will be the last time. We'll probably end up with just one pass!!
We are headed to Englehart tomorrow to see the Cushman's with the missionaries. We will try and contact some other inactives there plus one couple on the way up to Englehart. We'll see how it goes.
Hope your day went well. Love to all and good night brothers,
Dad/Bob

July 24, 2016

Bob: Very nice day at church. We had a large crowd as the Quebec saints were there plus a High Councilman, his wife, and several visitors. One of the visitors was Sister Fuller, who is matriarch of the Fuller clan. She said they were having a family reunion next weekend so we are expecting several visitors from their family. It will mean another large crowd. Also, we had a surprise pot luck. Sister Ng didn't call us about it, but there was plenty to eat.
Finished Uncle Tom's Cabin today. Quite an interesting book. I can see how it might have caused some controversy in its day. It had to have raised many questions.
Bonnie has been on the phone a good while this evening. I thought she was going to be talking to Jeff and Scott, but I haven't heard their names yet. She rotates calls and I don't know her schedule.
I missed Sunday School and Priesthood today because I was going over the membership list with President Ochs, Sister La Croix and the Rouyn Elders. I don't know how much we can help in Quebec, but we will be going over in a couple of weeks to Rouyn. One Val D'Or sister has already asked us to visit. That's about a 3 hour trip. Won't be making that trip every week, but we'll see how it goes.
Well I'm going to get ready for bed. Hope you had a great weekend. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  I really felt the spirit during sacrament meeting today. There were great talks given by the high counselor and his wife. During the first part of Sunday School I went back to the apartment for a bag of rolls and some blueberry cobbler I had made for our Sunday guests today, not realizing there was a pot luck dinner. I'm glad I went back for it. The food was all delicious and there was plenty of it, thankfully.
So, another week ahead. There are still lots of people to see close by. Tuesday we will be going to Englehart to see the Cushman's. It's about 45 to 50 minutes away.   Hopefully, Sister Cushman will be baptized Saturday!  There are many people up there to see, too. And for sure I want to find a place to do some service, something we can do each week. That will give us some solid plans on a consistent basis.
I hope everyone has had a delightful Sabbath Day.  We enjoyed talking to Lori and Misty and some of the grand-kids tonight. Happy 24th of July to our Utah friends and family.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 23, 2016

Bob: Another beautiful day. Went for an hour walk this morning. Walked to the church and back, approximately 4 miles. Took an hour and 50 seconds. Thought I might get wet, but it cleared up and was nice as I walked along the lake most of the way.
Went to Cobalt today to look up Connie (a nickname for his first name Conrad) Corville. He was baptized about 20 years ago after he had a very special spiritual experience. He wanted his wife to join with him, but unfortunately she left him 7 days after his baptism. Because of this he soon fell away. He spoke very highly of the church and the sisters that taught him the gospel. He invited us to come back and we have high hopes for him. He gave us a copy of a poem he wrote for the 100th anniversary of the Cobalt silver find. In addition he gave us a 2003 Proof Silver Dollar commemorating the anniversary.
We went back to the hospital to visit Sister Craig. She is not taking the expected move to a nursing home very well. She dearly misses her pet dog.
Called on 4 members, but wasn't able to meet with any of them. 2 are not at the address we have; 1 was sick; and 1 was out for the day.
We are sitting here waiting for the broadcast of the Mo Tab Pioneer Day Special. Hope you are enjoying your weekend. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  It has been a nice day. Bob has summed it up quite well. I spent some time cooking for the Sabbath Day tomorrow along with everything else. We hope to invite a family over to share our meal after church.
Our French lessons are coming right along. I want to try some phrases out tomorrow at church.  I hope the Quebec saints will be patient with me! I'm sure they will.
I assume everyone in Utah is celebrating July 24th for the weekend. I hope everyone has a great time! We miss you. Happy Sabbath Day tomorrow and Happy July 24th!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 22, 2016

Bob: We went to Sister Ben Guenna's today with the Elders and helped her and her daughter, Kayla, paint the inside of her house. She had a lot of it painted already, but some needed a second coat and there was a lot of touch up work to do, too. The upstairs hadn't been started and the kitchen cabinets hadn't been painted either. There is still a lot of do even after we left. Bonnie got a picture of me at home resting afterwards. After my little rest I was awakened to a dinner of fish, fresh green beans, baked potato and watermelon. Delicious!! Hats off to the cook.
Working on updating the membership records per information we have received. I want the records in an EXCEL file so I can sort, etc. If anyone out there knows if I can print the church records in EXCEL let me know.
We have checked out the 1st season of 'Murdoch Mysteries' from the Haileybury Library. We watched the episode tonight between dinner and checking account reconciliation.
Hope your day has been great. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Hard earned rest after painting

Bonnie: I was tired, too, after several hours of painting. I'm glad dinner was left-overs, though don't tell Bob! It still seems like we are on vacation rather than on a mission because we have too much time on our hands. I cleaned the apartment this morning before going to Sister Ben Guenna's. Tonight I am looking at the genealogy records the church has for our family. Maybe I can do some genealogy of some sort. That would be the best use of my time probably.
Tomorrow I will be cooking for the Sabbath as well as visiting some less-actives.  It should be a wonderful day.
I hope all of you have had a great day today.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 21, 2016

Bonnie: Bob had to get the car prepared for winter today by getting a engine block heater so the car will start easier when cold weather hits. It took about two hours because the car had to cool off before they could work on it. That left us about two hours to kill walking around downtown New Liskeard. We walked down to the beach and sat at a park bench. Then, the wind came up. Even being a warm, humid day, I was plenty cool! We went shopping after the car was finished. Food, especially fruits and vegetables, are so expensive. Anyway, we got home in time to fry up the fish for a very good dinner. Then, we went to visit the Relief Society President. She is a wonderful woman who really cares about the sisters in our Branch. We learned about several people about whom we should pray. And we will. Tomorrow we will help her with some painting.
It's been a good day for us. I hope it's been a good day for all of you!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: Bonnie forgot to mention that we had to load the groceries in a hard rain. I was soaked from the waist down. Thankfully it slacked up some before we got home and unloaded. It sure cooled off things somewhat.
The fresh fish was rather good even if the cook must say so. We have enough left for a nice lunch tomorrow. Karl cleaned the fish. He doesn't cut them into large fillets. When he cuts out the 'Y' bones he ends up with several smaller cuts of fish. Still very good, but just not large pieces. This is the way I envision fish in 'Fish 'n Chips'.
I talked with President Shields today. He said that Elder M. Russell Ballard would be in the Mission on August 20th and 21st. He will be speaking to most of the missionaries on the 20th at 10:00AM. We are invited to attend, but since we are so far away they really don't expect us to drive down. The meeting will be broadcast to all meeting houses in the mission so we can watch it here. We were planning on going down for the temple session for returning missionaries on the 16th earlier that week. Because of that we probably won't make 2 trips down the same week. We'll think more about our options as the dates approach.
Well it's almost 11 so I'll say good night. Hope everyone had a wonderful day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Yesterday's catch, today's feast!!

Wabi River on the left emptying into Lake Temiskaming; it makes for the prettiest lot in town!

Founding of New Liskeard

July 19 and 20, 2016

19th:

Bob: Been a nice day. Went for a short walk with the First Mate this morning. Temperature was in the high 50s, but it was quite pleasant as the sun was shining. We got ready and ran some errands. Stopped at the library and volunteered, but they don't need anyone until September. Offered to work at the New Liskeard Salvation Army food bank, but they said 'our doctrine' was so much different than theirs that they shouldn't use us!! Talked to the Haileybury food bank and they said they didn't need anyone either right now. Picked up the missionaries because they were walking from the hospital as we were driving to it. Their car is in the shop until tomorrow having some body work done. They had been to the hospital and left their names as potential volunteers. They were told the lady in charge of volunteers wasn't in today. Thus we didn't bother offering our help. Will do that later this week.
Visited with Sister Craig in the hospital. She wasn't feeling too well as the decision has been made that she be moved to a nursing home.

20th:

Bob: Our keyboard quit last night as I was finishing up the last sentence above. Sorry we didn't get anything posted.
This afternoon we went to Elk Lake. Bonnie went with Sister Jakob to take their foster children to visit their parents. I went with Karl. The results of his and my labors are below. When we got ready to come home they took Bonnie to the garden and picked her the fresh vegetables you see.
We went to Cobalt yesterday to look for 3 less actives. Only talked to one of them however. Managed to figure out where one lived, but he wasn't home. He sells firewood. Next time we go I'll take a picture of his inventory. Very interesting. The other young mother wasn't at home.
Scheduled to have the motor block heater put on the car tomorrow. Will let you know how that goes.
Well I'm going to close for now. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: It has been a good day with the Jakob's. They fed us like royalty and, as you see below, gave us enough food for tomorrow night and then some. They have a wonderful garden like many people do up here. It saves on the grocery bills, for sure.
I really hope we can find a place that will let us serve. It may be that we will visit the nursing homes and just talk to people there. I know from our friend Brad that the hospital needs help serving lunches to the patients. Maybe we can serve that way.
Tomorrow I will be cleaning the apartment and shopping and maybe washing clothes. We  hope also to visit with the Relief Society President and hopefully one or two others.
May everyone have a great day tomorrow!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

PS: That "other fisherman" in the picture is a bear Bob and Karl saw today!!

Dinner for tomorrow

The other fisherman we saw

Fresh vegetables from the garden

July 18, 2016

Bonnie: This morning we spent time talking to the assistant ward clerk about people in our Branch. He helped us quite a bit. Most of the rest of the day I spent cooking dinner for the Elders. I thought our dinner appointment was for next Monday, so it was good that we were at the church so I could see the sign-up sheet! I had to scramble to figure out something and came up with meat loaf and baked potatoes. It seemed to work well.
We have been invited to dinner with the other Senior couples at the mission home next week. But, Elder M. Russell Ballard is coming in August so I think we will come down at that time to see him. There is plenty to do here anyway!
I hope your day has been wonderful. May we continue to be faithful to the things we know to be true. We love you all!
Love Mom/Bonnie

Bob: We did stop at the Salvation Army and ask them if they needed volunteers at their food bank. It is only open 1:30 - 3:30 on Tuesday. So we will check that out tomorrow. Brother Sauve said he knows they need help with feeding the patients at the hospital. We can check on that tomorrow, too.
Talked to some families about visits. Have one appointment tomorrow evening at 5:45 in Latchford, which is about 20 - 25 minutes away and the possibility of another one as well.
Better quit for now. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

July 17, 2016

Bob: Check out the link below. (You will have to copy and paste it in a new window.) I can walk to this place in about 10 minutes. Who would have thought something like this would be in the little town of Haileybury. It has been on the market since 2010. Never see anyone around it.
President Jakob told me that he thinks this house sold a couple years ago for $24 million. The owners have not been working on it yet so there are a lot of rumors about it as you can imagine.
One item I am particulary anxious to mention is when we came to Canada in May last year I had 2 new suits. Within a short time the pants no longer fit!! Well, for the past 2 or 3 months I have been trying to walk more and eat less, especially chips, cookies, etc. Today I wore one of those suits to church. The pants felt better today than when I originally got the suit. So I am quite thankful for this blessing. At one time I thought I might have to buy another suit.
Well, I'm going to close and get to bed before midnight for a change. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/the-market/canadas-largest-home-hits-the-market/article4268329/

Bonnie:  We've had a great Sabbath Day today. The talks at sacrament meeting were very good. I also enjoyed Sunday School and Relief Society. We invited the Jakob's over for dinner after church. But, after church Patsy and I could not find our husbands and Sister Margetson, her son and granddaughter needed a ride home. I went ahead and took them to Cobalt then I went home, hoping the Jakob's and Bob were there. They were. So, I turned on the oven that takes so long to heat up. 15 minutes later it was ready so I got the lasagna in and then we had to wait another 15 minutes for it to heat up. We finally ate and really enjoyed our meal. Their three foster daughters are darling, very polite and not any trouble at all. It was wonderful to have them here. The Jakob's said they have not been invited out to eat very often, if at all, since they started taking in foster children. I'm glad we had them over.
After they left we went for a walk and luckily did not get rained upon. We walked by that monster of a house pictured above. The pictures are somewhat deceiving. It's an ugly house, I think, but has over 65,000 square feet in it (same size as Bill Gate's home), plus an inside dock and lots of other amenities. I think someone would be crazy to pay the $25 million for it, but you never know. I see that Bob says it has been bought for $24 million. What a waste, in my opinion.
I'm grateful for all of my blessings, no matter how small they are. Most especially I am thankful for my family and good friends.
Love to all, Mom/Bonnie

July 16, 2016

Bonnie:  We have had a fun day at the Branch picnic, but both of us are tired. I think it's sitting outside in the sun for too long that does it. There was a good turn-out--we think 40 to 50 people all together. We met the Quebec counselor who works with President Jakob. He and his wife are great people. Our friend Janet Hamilton was also there. We were planning on seeing her on the way back if she didn't come, so that worked out well.
On the way back Bob looked at fishing poles! I don't know when he thinks he will get to go fishing, but at least he will be prepared for it if he gets to go. We are trying to figure out where and when to do some service in this area each week. We got some good suggestions today. Monday we will see what develops!
I wish for everyone a wonderful, restful Sabbath tomorrow.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: I put just a few pictures from today below. Have several of the people swimming, but Bonnie said she didn't think the women would like that. So no swimming pictures of anyone. I'll choose the safe way here.
I think Bonnie is right about sitting in the sun all day. However, I forced myself to take a 50 minute walk when we got back. It is just so nice outside that I don't want to go inside. However, I am very tired right now.
Put the picture of Warren Cambridge on because he was the man that started church meetings way up north over 50 years ago. He held the meetings in his home. He held them for many months before he found out he was supposed to get permission to have a home Sunday School. When he asked though, they gave him permission. He and his 2nd wife are still faithful members. They are Branch Missionaries and want to go with us to show us where some people live.
I do have a P-day that I can do some fishing on. That day is Saturday. As today was used up with the Branch Picnic I feel I have one P-day banked that I can use at my discretion! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!!
Hope you had a wonderful day and that your Sabbath is even better. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Warren Cambridge, the man that started Church meetings in his home her over 50 years ago

Sister Caroline Simard from Rouyn Niranda, Quebec

Sister Ng and a sister from Quebec

Kayla Sauve and her brother, Adam, after the kayak capsized

A field of canola on the way to Larder Lake (the crop almost died out a couple years ago)

July 15, 2016

Bob: Who can believe that July is half over already? Time seems to be moving so quickly now.
Had a short walk this morning and it started raining about 35 minutes into the walk. I was about home in 5 more minutes and I had an umbrella so that part wasn't bad. However, the temperature was only 51. The high was about 68 today. It seems like fall. But warmer days lie ahead.
I mentioned last night that gas prices haven't changed since we got here. Well all things must end sometime. Gas price dropped today to 102.9. It will be interesting to see how long this lasts.
I want to tell you a little bit more about Jack Perry, who had dinner with us last night. Jack retired as Haileybury Harbor Master in 2010 at age 66. He held that position since 1992. The main job responsibility Jack had was to meet those arriving in Haileybury via boat. At the time he held the Harbor Master's job it was possible to travel by boat from Ottawa to Haileybury. There were 7 hydro dams on the route. To get around the dam, a truck and trailer would pick up the boat with a hydraulic lift and then drive around the dam. Then on the other side they would put the boat back in the water. They charged $20 for the service. College students were hired to do the work. You could call ahead and tell them what time you would be arriving and someone would be there to take your boat around the dam. None of the dams have locks. Well, someone got the idea they should use an 800 number and have people on call to drive to the dams when needed. In time this system did not pan out and now there is no service offered to get around the dam.
Anyway, getting back to Jack. He would meet the visitors and take them for a tour of the town. If they wanted, he would take them for a tour around the area and show them some of the interesting sights. At times he would lend them his car so they could drive themselves. He also went around the city planting flowers, trimming trees, picking up trash, and anything else he could think of to show off Haileybury. He also would sponsor dinners for the guests. He wanted them to have a good visit and talk up Haileybury to others when they went home. Each year of his 18 years the number of visitors via boat to Haileybury increased. Jack loves to talk and it was a labor of love for him. He had visitors from all over the midwest and, of course, Canada. One man called and wanted to know if the lake could handle his 30 foot sailboat. Jack told him '...the lake was 72 miles long after he crossed the last dam, so he thought it would be big enough!'
Jack took Bonnie and I on a tour of the Cobalt silver mines 2 years ago. We're going to take a longer tour of it this summer and I want to write down the stories he tells us about Cobalt mining.
We went to a Catholic funeral today. We live right beside the Catholic Church so we just walked across the street. It was supposed to start at 11:00. It started a few minutes late, but we didn't get out of there till 12:45. It was interesting. They passed Communion and took an offering during the funeral. Most of the service was in French so we didn't understand it. They did sing some beautiful songs, though. They had a choir, plus a male and a female vocalist.
Well I have got to run. Have a great weekend. We are headed to the Branch picnic tomorrow morning. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: I have to admit going to a Catholic funeral service is one of the most interesting things I have done on our mission. The church is beautiful inside, with many paintings of the Savior all around, including the ceiling. There are archways, and lit candles and hard pews! The service began with a daughter holding a cross with a small replica of the Savior on it who walked down the aisle, leading the rest of the family and the casket to the front of the church. It was enjoyable to watch the service. We stood up and sat down at various times, following the many French Catholics all around us. Of course, we didn't know when to repeat things or say "Amen" but it was ok. The couple on our left were not Catholic, either. One time the French women sitting on our right pulled out the "kneeling bench" (for want of the correct word) that was near the floor under the pew in front of us, to kneel and pray. This was a bit of a surprise! They asked for donations part way through, too. But, the music was glorious and it was great watching the four priests in long white gowns carry out their sacred duties. The best part was when both daughters shared some personal stories about their mother in English. I really enjoyed the whole experience.
I just finished making a salad for the picnic tomorrow (except for putting on the dressing.) Bob and I are going to do our French lessons, watch a movie and head for bed. I  hope all of you have had a geat day.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 14, 2015

Bonnie: Today we went to the church and cleaned some of it--the washrooms, and the front foyer, plus the chalk trays and vacuuming the YW, Primary and Priesthood rooms downstairs. We left a note for those who were to come after us who were going to finish up. Then, we had a very pleasant visit with an elderly sister who will be 95 on Saturday. I gave her some of the cookies I made yesterday. She is so sweet! Then we had to hurry to get some things for dinner tonight. Jack and Trudy came
over about 6. Our meal was not quite ready. But, it is so fun to talk to them. Jack really has some stories to tell! And it was so sweet because Trudy said it was a custom in their family to bring a tea towel to the cook when you are asked out to eat somewhere. She presented me with one, of course. So very sweet. We ended the evening with a three of rounds of  Mexican Train. Fun! We also had a call from one of our senior couple friends in  Brampton tonight. A very pleasant surprise.
Well, I've done my french for the evening and am very ready for bed. We will have a full day tomorrow.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: Not much to report that Bonnie hasn't already shared.
We did go for a walk this morning. There was almost a traffic jam at the intersection of Lakeview Blvd and Ferguson Avenue. About 6 cars and us on foot arrived at the 3 way stop intersection at the same time, but we all made it through safely. It was touch and go for a second!!
Another interesting thing I have noticed. The price of gas was 1.049 a liter when we arrived last Tuesday. It has not changed once. You can't say that ever happened in Brampton. It changes there during the day almost everyday. Nice to know things are not crazy everywhere.
Went to the bank the other day to deposit a person check for $750. The teller said there would probably be a hold on the funds. Checked my account the next day and all funds were available. That didn't happen in Brampton either. Bless the north!!
Time to go to bed. Need to finish my french lesson. I'm having a harder time than Bonnie. I can't understand most things they are saying. Sounds to me like they are talking with something in their mouth and the words don't sound anything like they are spelled.
Anyway, love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

July 13, 2016

Bob: Has been another great day. The weather is warm and there wasn't any rain. Took a long walk this morning. Bonnie went to get her hair done and I worked on updating our visitation records. Then I went outside to the patio and read some of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'. Got tired and took a short nap. Bonnie must have come home while I was napping because I never saw her pull in and I was sitting right beside the driveway. She had to carry in all the groceries because I wasn't anywhere to be found.
We have both been taking French lessons on the website, Duolingo. I think I'm about 9% fluent in French according to them. As long as we only talk about a book, newspaper, apple, boy, girl, men, women, red, black, calm and rich I should be okay!! I'll keep plugging away at it though. She is doing a lot better than me. And when I speak it she gets a big smile on her face.
Went visiting in the afternoon and after we ate dinner. Got one 'take me off your visitation list' and one 'I am very happy without the Church'. But the others were better.
Better get to bed. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: Bob has summed up our day. I came home and did some wash and baked cookies using "Canada's Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe". The flour in Canada is a little different than what we use in the US, so I wanted a good Canadian recipe. We want to take some of the cookies to a less-active man that helped us move in tomorrow. And I want to send some  home with Trudy and Jack who are coming to dinner tomorrow night. We are having lasagna, garlic bread and salad. I also found some black cherry ice cream for dessert with the cookies. Bob has been looking for it ever since we have been here. I hope everything turns out well. Trudy is one of the best cooks I've ever met. So, tomorrow morning we hopefully will visit three members of the Branch, and then I want to come back to the apartment and cook. It should be a very good day.
It's time for my french lesson so I will close. Have a good evening, everyone! As the French might say, "Salut, Á plus tard!"
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 12, 2016

Bonnie:  It seems so weird to actually have time on our hands! Today we  met with the missionaries and went over our lists of members. We met down by the lake and it was so windy that we had to move. So, we ended up by the park. It was still windy, but it was worth it because we got ice cream afterwards. So, we went home and rested (!!!), ate dinner and then went out to look up some people. We didn't find anyone home, unfortunately. When we got back we remembered our french lessons online. It's a real challenge to do it, but fun, too. Tonight, I learned some helpful phrases to share with the Quebec members.
I hope it has been a great night for all of you!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: Bonnie summed up the day's activities pretty well. I think we drove 57 miles tonight and didn't find anybody home. Seems like a waste, but I'm not sure calling would do any good. It would make it easy for them to say not interested if we called.
We did go for a walk by the lake this morning. We just missed a down pour of rain luckily. As we were walking out the apartment, Norm, the facility handiman, came walking down the hall and he was soaking wet. Said he was almost home when the sky opened up and drowned him. But it has stopped now he said. So we went out just after the rain and the air was so fresh.
While we were talking with the Elders down in the park we could see several brave souls swimming. The wind was blowing so I know they had to be chilled. I asked Bonnie if she was going to swim at the picnic on Saturday. Not sure what she said about that. I'll take my trunks, but if the water is too cold I'll pass.
Just finished putting up a small under the cabinet light over the sink so we could see better. Have to figure out how to hide the cord.
All my love and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

July 11, 2016

Bob: Been a good day. Took a walk, got the oil changed in the car and went visiting tonight. Bonnie made a new chicken soup recipe and biscuits that were very good. I am a happy camper right now.
We have divided the Branch membership into areas and tonight we went to Cobalt. Found some home and visited with them. However, a few of the addresses don't seem to exist. We will have to figure something out for them.
Going to bed early tonight. Hope your day has been great. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  My day was a quiet one, just cooking, really, until we went visiting after dinner. I always enjoy visiting people. We talked with some interesting members who are less-active. There will be a Branch picnic on Saturday so we invited all we saw to join us that day. One problem is that it is at Larder Lake, which is about an  hour and 15 minutes away. The reason the Branch chose this lake is to make it more centrally located for the Quebec saints. I hope lots of people will be there but I'm not sure this will happen.
I hope everyone has had a wonderful day today. My love to all!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 10, 2016

Bonnie:  It's been an interesting Sabbath Day. It was great meeting the Saints from Quebec. They are very spiritual members, I think. I will have to learn some  French, for sure. The sacrament prayers were said first in English and then in French. The closing song was from the french hymn book. I'm grateful that the Backus' gave us CDs for Seniors leaning French! I will start tonight. Everything went well today and there was a good spirit at our meetings. and some delicious food at our pot luck. We spent the evening going home teaching with our friend Brad to visit two members. The only problem was the first house had cats! It wasn't long before my nose was dripping and my eyes were itching and watering. Thankfully,  Brad had some benedryl. It really helped. There were cats at the second house, too, but we met outside on the porch. This also helped.
So, tonight we will plan our week. It will include time for me to fix a special dinner for Brad and his daughter, Emma, and his Mom, Trudy, and her husband, Jack. These are some of our favorite people here. Jack will make our meal especially fun because he loves to tell jokes. I can't wait!
Well, I will let Bob finish. But be sure to check out our pictures included tonight. Some are from our last days in Brampton.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: It is late again. Somehow we seem to be up past 11:00 every night. So I will make this short.
Church was very good. The Quebec Saints were very nice. One family has 4 children, although one is grown and married. I am not sure if they had 2 or 3 with them. They seem so young to have a married child. There will be services in the Val d'Or area next week and we might be going. We'll see how it all plays out. I would like to talk to someone over there that knows most of the members of record. The wife of the couple just mentioned told me that a couple that couldn't speak French served in their Branch one time and did a lot of good. So I think we'll be spending some time over there. Maybe get another apartment!!!!!
The picture below is when the missionaries stopped after Zone Council Meeting on Friday.
Got to go. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Our meal with the missionaries in Temiskaming Shores Branch

Us with Mission President Shields and his wife at the temple

Bob and I with our beloved YSA Bishop, Bishop Finnigan

Many of the YSAs and advisory couples at the Churchville YSA Ward

July 9, 2016

Bob: Been a day of getting things finished. All pictures, etc. have been hung. Carpets have been purchased and put in place. Tomorrow we will get down to making a list of people to go see. Last night we were up very late and slept in this morning. It is time for bed now. We do hope your weekend has been fine so far and that you will enjoy the Sabbath tomorrow. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  It has been great to get all of the pictures hung and everything looking good in our apartment. If any of you have been on face-book you have seen Bob's "new best friend," the dishwasher we now have. I thought it only appropriate that I share a picture of my "new best friend", the washer and dryer. It's very convenient, though small. There are quite a few blessings to moving here, and these conveniences are some.
May tomorrow be a blessed day for all of us. It will be the real beginning of our missionary work, I think. Good night, all.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bonnie's "new best friends"!!

July 8, 2016

Bob: This day started early. We left for North Bay at 7:16 and got there about 8:50. It is 95 miles one way. Only had a couple of hold ups on the way down. Coming back, however, we had to make a stop in Temagami for a rest break and to sample some of the chip stand's ice cream.
The meeting was pretty good. The Zone Leaders didn't get the meeting material until yesterday. Then they called 2 other sets of missionaries to do a presentation. All in all they did a pretty good job. I kind of felt we were back in the MTC as they had us all doing some role playing.
This evening the Temiskaming and Rouyn Noranda Elders stopped by for dinner. I was able to use an apartment grill to cook some hamburgers. It was a good evening.
Spent the evening doing the bills and checking account reconciliation and everything balanced. The only problem I see is who paid the internet bill at the end of May. It looks like American Express was charged, but I can't see where they billed me. My American Express account closed on June 20th so I think I owe them, but nothing comes up on the account.
Got to get to bed. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: It was a good  morning, learning with the young missionaries what we need to be doing. I'm not real sure of all of our responsibilities, especially what records we need to keep. Oh, well, we will learn. One thing I felt was that the Branch should fast to help the missionaries find families to teach.We'll see where that goes.
We had to get some things from Sister Craig's house in the afternoon after we got back from Zone Council. She is our friend who is in the hospital. Then, we had to go back to her house after a quick visit because there was one more thing we had to do for her. The Elders went to give her a blessing tonight after dinner.
Dinner was fun, if a little crowded.  One of the Elders did a good  job of cleaning the table off, for me, too. The only problem was the oven. It took about 30 minutes to preheat! Bob thinks there is something wrong with it (really???!!!) and will be talking to Jonathan, the building manager.
I think we will be taking tomorrow "off" as our P-day. I hope we get some things put up on the wall.
Have a great week-end, everyone.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

My New, Best Friend

July 7, 2016

Bob: It's late so this is going to be short. Another nice day. Put up both blinds in the bedroom and got the microwave from the Church storage shed here in Haileybury.
The first thing we did today was visit with Sister Donna Craig at the hospital. Then we went to find a brother Gabriel today, but came up empty. The address is just a forest with no road or house in sight. Then we drove onto Elk Lake and had dinner with Karl and Patsy. Afterwards Karl went over the Branch list of just the members on the Ontario side. We'll have to do the Quebec members at another time. We have a bunch of unknowns we need to try and find.
We have to go to North Bay for Zone Council Meetings in the morning. Have to be there at 9:00. Google says it will take 1:41 to get there. Looks like an early morning for us.
If you didn't see any pictures on last night's blog go back and recheck it. I added them after the first post and 4 of you had already seen it.
Hope your day has been great. Love to all and good night brothers. Bonnie sends her love.
Dad/Bob

July 6, 2016

Bonnie:  We have worked hard today to get settled in--and I am tired but pleased with what we have done. Have you ever tried to wash the mattress cover to a king-size bed and then zip it up and put the mattress in it without disturbing the bed-skirt? We actually did it. Amazing! That was tonight's project. This morning we unpacked all the boxes in the car. And I have found almost everything we brought. We have done several loads of wash and the appliances seem to work well. It's wonderful having them in our apartment. We went shopping at a few stores in between working on the apartment. I have enough food for about a week, now. The food is more expensive up here than in Brampton. It's crazy the prices! I still need to unpack a large suitcase with clothes in it but that will be tomorrow. And  Bob has called the Branch President so we will begin visiting tomorrow, too.
Have a lovely summer day, everyone.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: Let me see where to begin. Took a long walk this morning along Lake Temiskaming. It was in the 60s when I went so it was delightful. Put a couple pictures below.
Bonnie forgot to mention that after we got home from shopping we went to the local ice cream shop. But they were out of the black cherry, my favorite.
Actually we had quite a time with the mattress cover for the king size bed. And the bed skirt was all over the place till we got done. The mattress cover was in 2 pieces so we put the top part on by itself. Then we flipped the mattress over, which is no small feat for 2 seniors. That allowed us to zip up the bottom part pretty easily. Then we had to flip it over again, plus straighten the bed skirt. Let's just say I am not a big fan of bed skirts.
Talked to the Cambridges tonight about picking up the microwave that is in storage at the Branch. Told Sister Cambridge that we were tired as we moved twice. She asked what happened. I told her once we got all the furniture situated we had to move everything except the sofa and chairs to new positions.
Brad is going to loan me his drill so I can put up the bedroom blinds. This will be a tricky task, but I think we'll get it done with some patience.
Got to go. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Possible new apartment!!

Local legend

Local Bed and Breakfast just up the street from us

Local harbor

July 5, 2016

Bob: The day is off to a good start. We started for the BSC and the freeway entrance was closed. So we took the back streets to the next exit. Still made it in time. Everything was running late, though, as the Sisters coming from the Mission Home were about 20 minutes late.
Wolfley's made the presentation this morning and it was fine. We sat through their presentations, the Cannons' presentation and Sister Erickson's introduction. Afterwards we all headed to Flips for breakfast. I ordered the light breakfast consisting of 2 eggs, sausage and toast. Added one extra egg and I shouldn't have. Came out stuffed to the eyeballs!! Probably can fast all the way to Temiskaming except for water.
Went to the Mission Office then. I had to open the safe for Elder Wolfley and Bonnie had a report she helped Sister Wolfley with. We left there a little after 11 and are getting ready to pack up and go to the temple for the 3:00 session for departing missionaries. We will be saying goodbye today to some missionaries we may never see again. As you know, it is hard to say goodbye to people you love not knowing if you will ever see them again. But we are saying hello to old friends in Temiskaming. That is sure to help.
Everyone take care and have a great day. We will not have internet tomorrow. Will try to get to the church to make a post. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: It was a rather hard morning,but it went ok, I guess. I thought Sister Wolfley wanted me to be there, but she didn't have me say anything. Oh well. It's just as good I guess. She did well. Breakfast was filling, and I agree with  Bob that we will not need to eat until after the temple session, on our way up north. We will pack up our things and move out of the hotel in a few minutes and then head for the temple. Our last good-byes will be said there.
I'm so glad there are no real good-byes here because of the gospel of Jesus Christ! One day, hopefully, we will all be together again.
My love to all, Mom/Bonnie

July 4, 2016

Bob: Another wonderful day is winding down. Will be going to bed early as we must be at the BSC at 7:30 in the morning. Took a walk right after I got up this morning. Then we had a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs and pork sausage here at the Fairfield Inn. It was nice not having to hurry to get anywhere.
Then we drove to Kleinburg and toured the McMichael Art Galleries. It was interesting because there were several painting of scenes from Algonquin Park. Did not have time to do much in Kleinburg. It reminds me a lot of a flat Park City!! Lots of old shops,and old  renovated homes, etc.
Went to lunch with Sister Di Dios and Kat Smith, a YSA sister. Bonnie and I shared a shawarma wrap. She liked it very much, but I didn't so much. Added some garlic sauce to it and it improved it to my liking.
Tonight we had a Jordanian dinner with the Youngberg's. It had chicken, fresh mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. It was very good. Played a game of Quibbler with them afterwards. That was fun as we were all close to winning. Results might have been different because we didn't keep score exactly right, but next time we will know.
We're sitting in the lobby waiting for the new missionaries to show up and check in. They should be here any minute now.
Hope you have had a blessed and happy day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: Happy, happy July 4th, everyone! I hope it has been a glorious day for you all. It has been a wonderful day for us. We have been treated like royalty! Sis. Di Dios was my visiting teacher and wanted to do something for me before we left. Along with lunch, she gave me two "small" gifts-a whole set of glasses and some baking dishes for our new apartment. She had noticed when she helped me pack up my dishes that one I used had a plastic lid that was melted in places. So, she replaced it. So thoughtful.
It will be great if the new Elders come sometime soon. It will be a surprise for them, and wonderful for us to meet them. I would like to get to bed early tonight so I hope they come soon. The church uses this same motel for transfers/newly arriving missionaries and any other time they need one.
Tomorrow night we will probably not be writing on our blog because we will leave here about 5:30 pm after the temple session and pictures. It will be a 5-hour drive, without traffic issues and without any stops. So, good-night until the 6th of July!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 3, 2016

Bob: We are staying at the Fairfield Inn tonight and tomorrow night. We will go to the orientation for new missionaries Tuesday morning, breakfast at Flips, check out of the motel and to the temple at 3:00. Then we will drive to Haileybury. It will be a long day but the excitement of getting there keep us going. Plans for tomorrow are up in the air right now. Bonnie wants to go to an art gallery in Kleinburg and we have dinner planned with the Youngbergs. Don't know yet what she will plan for the time in the afternoon before dinner. I'll be glad to get north so we can slow down a little.
Saying goodbye to the YSA was difficult today, but as a Senior Sister Missionary said when we first got here, 'You say goodbye to old friends, but say hello to new friends'. That thought makes it easier for me.
It's not real hot in Toronto right now. The weather has been very, very pleasant. I hope the summer lasts a long time and that fall is delightful. They didn't get snow until Christmas last year, so there is a chance things won't be too bad.
Well, I'm going to close for now. Bonnie is just now showing up and she can take over. Love to everyone and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: It was difficult saying good-bye today. We took lots of pictures and when we get settled we will put some of them on our blog. I just love the YSAs. Testimony meeting was very special again. Our meetings always seem to start late, so we go past time almost every Sunday. We  had a huge crowd, as well. Sister Wolfley will be taking my place as the appointment secretary for the Bishop. I helped her out today and things went well. The biggest problem is knowing the names of the YSAs, and where to find them during Sunday School. And now that there are two Elders Quorums, she will need a list of where the young men are during Priesthood as well.
Tomorrow should be fun. It's our last day to do any sight-seeing here in Toronto. Vicky, my visiting teacher, has invited us to lunch. She also knows how to take the subway to the lake-front where we can take a ferry to an island in Lake Ontario. It sounds great to me. We will see if her tradesman shows up tomorrow. If he doesn't, she will go with us! She asked me tonight if we wanted Filipino, Indian, or Chinese food for lunch! She must be a great cook!
Well, it's late and I want a good night's sleep. Happy Fourth of July tomorrow, everyone!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

July 2, 2016

Bob: It has been an interesting day.  Got to go for a regular walk first thing this morning.  Then we got ready to go to the Brampton street market. The Youngbergs and Cannons also went. We spent about an hour looking at the various vegetables,  sweets and other offerings. I ended up with a jalapeño sausage sandwich. It was pretty good although I would have liked some kraut and mayo.
We went out this afternoon looking for curtains and rods for our bedroom windows.  Found some acceptable things at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Walmart had blinds for about the same price, but I believe they would be much harder to Iinstall. So we passed on those for the easier installation.
Tonight the Wolfleys had us up for dinner. Afterwards We watched Life With Pi. It was a good watch, a great meal, and very enjoyable.
We'll it's time to get ready for bed. There is another baptism in the morning so there's no sleeping late in the morning. Hope your weekend is going well. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: It's been an enjoyable day. I love going to Brampton's Farmers Market. Cannon's and Youngberg's had never been. I think they really enjoyed it, too.
I hope I am satisfied with what we got for our windows in Temiskaming. I won't know till we put them up. I can't believe where the time has gone! Our time in Brampton is coming to a quick end.
It will be another great Sabbath tomorrow with Fast and Testimony meeting. And I really need to fast, especially to get my eating back on track. I've been eating way too many sweets!! Does this happen to everyone when they go on missions?
Happy sweet Sabbath, everyone!
Love, Mom / Bonnie

July 1, 2016

Bob: Slow day at the office today. Worked on the text/phone report till we got tired of it!! Unloaded the trailer of items that were from our apartment. Thought that was already done, but alas, one more trailer load to finish up!!
Going to Ludlow's for a barbeque in about 90 minutes, but it will be a cool day. Temperature hasn't hit 70 yet. Hope you are enjoying a summer day.
I was sitting behind Elder Cannon's chair when it collapsed and he fell backwards. I tried to catch him and slow down his fall. I didn't see that Bonnie went flying into the window well. She's a little stunned I think. We had a nice time otherwise, and ate too much!
Going out to see a fireworks show shortly so I'll sign off for now. Enjoy your weekend. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: Happy Canada Day everyone!  We just got home from a  barbeque at the Ludlow's. It was delicious as always. Brother Ludlow cooked chicken with bacon wrapped around it. Yum!! The only bad part was Elder Cannon falling back on his chair that slid into the table where I was sitting. The table knocked me off my chair and onto the window well! I may be a little bruised tomorrow!
Sister Wolfley and I did all 10 MLC orders today. I was exhausted afterwards. We will be watching the fireworks tonight and then I'm going straight to bed!
Everyone enjoy your long weekend!
Love, Mom/Bonnie