Finding more work to do at HSP

Here is Jim with a book from the British collection. It is a book about Leeds, England, his first mission. We had heard about all these books in the basement but finally got to see how many there were.

This is a photo from the World War ll collection

And look what I found. My Utah Woolley book in the Pennsylvania Room! It brought tears to my eyes !( my name is on page 633 )

Our boss, Manny, from Canada came for a visit on his way back from Haiti. Since we will soon have 3 couples working together at HSP (historical society of Pennsylvania)  with two scanners. We are all eager to do our part we took a tour of the basement at the Library. There more than 7,000 books in the British collection, Canadian 2,500 and about 2,000 photos from World War ll . These all contain important dates and history needed for Family Records. In our own Brown and Green collection we found about 300 from other Eastern States, some Foreign and some Bib (Bibles.)  Our challenge with the books we found in the area that we are working is...there is no easy card catalogue system for these books. It is necessary for us to make them up. Fun times ahead for us. Presently we are serving with the Donahues. They use one scanner designed for over sizes books which we cant scan. We got to know all the Senior couples better this week when we had a party at the Mission home. We celebrated Memories of the Heart by playing Name that Tune. Funny thing was, the two teams ended up with a tie score,,, 21 to 21!

New Friends, New places to visit

 I have as yet failed to mention the pressure we have here at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. It starts with pleasing our many bosses. We represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as Full time Missionaries, serving in the Family History, records preservation Family Search. We work with people in Salt Lake City, Utah and Montreal, Canada. Then we have the directors here who are hoping to get the Brown and Green collection scanned so that the records will be on line meeting the contract they have set up with Findmypast head quartered in Ireland. So, a few weeks ago the Donahues came from Seattle, Washington to serve with us using a much larger scanner for the books that would not fit on our scanner. We have had fun helping them get adjusted and getting to know them.

Russ and Loretta are great scanners and are already pushing ahead for great works.
So, being the good tour guides we are, on Presidents Holiday we took them to two of our favorite thrift stores and we enjoyed a visit to Doylestown. One that snowy day we saw the James Mitchener Museum, Fonthill Castle, and Mercer Museum-- a National Historic Landmark.

Henry Mercer was an Anthropologist. He believed that Man's story was told by the tools he had! Sound familiar!

He made concert castle using rebar reinforced concert showcasing  his collection of tiles and prints, He mixed Medieval , Gothic and Byzantine architectural styles and highlighted his Moravian pottery. This was great fun for the men, the thrift store were great fun for the girls

what I love

During

During our time apart and serving away from home, love has a stronger bond. We miss many people and things but enjoy  and learn many new things and friends. Here are a few of my favorite things: Apricots, biking Murdock canal or along the beach, cats, dance, Erik, Friends-Family-Francais, Grandchildren, Husband-honey-hugs, island sunsets, Jimmie Leroy, kisses, Latter Day Saints, Music-Mountains, Nature, Ocean, Parents, Quiet afternoons, Running, Savior-singing-sunshine-swimming,tea (herbal Teavana), Umbrellas in the soft rain,Valentine V's, Walking, Xrays show a healthy body, Y ( the Y, BYU),ZZZZsleep

What do we do all day?

What do we do all day here in Philadelphia?  now that it is winter?Everyday we ride a shuttle to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Here is one of the many old photos we have found at the Library.

We usually walk home, even in the pouring rain. It takes 1/2 hour to ride the bus or 1/2 hour to walk and after being inside all day it is great to get outside. I love to walk a different way home every day because I love Philadelphia!.  It is just big enough that I have walked on most of the streets. just not all in one day! We always love seeing the Temple. I never get tired of taking photos of it.

But, I do get tired of taking photos everyday. Here are some examples of what we see. We scan at least 2,000 pages everyday! That means finding the books, recording, and sending them off to FindmyPast, HSP, and FamilySearch, so YOU can find your family records!This photo is from the Friends, also know as Quakers. They kept very good records at their meetings and what I love about them is that my mom's mother Celia Woolley Morrison Larsen"s family were Quakers who settled in Chester County. So, as I am quickley truning pages my eyes are always looking for my own family records.

If you want me to look for your family name.. please send me the name! We have many, many, books still to do. Now we are doing Philadelphia County records. We have about 180 books that are just underttaker records!

So, you may ask how does someone like me do this everyday. It has been a challenge for me to be inside, quiet, careful, still, repetitive..all things that I am not! BUT, I know we need to  be here, doing this work at this time! I know that the timing for the Philadpelphia Temple plays an imporant part. I dearing miss the family events, like yesterday not being at Calvin's baptism. So, if you are wondering why I am here...It is because I have a strong believe, testimony that tit is important to get these pages scanned. I know this is what the Lord wnats me to do at this time.

Indenpendance Ward

Saturday was spent with many of our good friends at the Washington DC temple. We went with Sarah and Celeste and a van load with the Tabers, who came later

The Bishop had a party for the whole ward at his home.

We have a great mix in the Independence Ward. We are a center city ward with a combination of many students finishing up in med school, law. dental and others. Some have loved the city Brotherly love so much they decided to stay like the Choules. The Tabers came after retiring. We have many people who were born and raised here,,like ME! I continuing enjoy driving by Temple Hospital and think about how many parents lived a block and a half away from the hospital while my  dad tried to finish med school and my mom tried to keep her  pregnancy to full term ( without success).
The other blessing is watching the Philadelphia Temple. Everyday I watch the finishing touches.The open house will begin Aug 5, the day after we finish our mission!

Blizzard 2016

When I grew up here in Pennsylvania, I remember the snow days. especially when there was no school. This Blizzard is supposed to have been the 4  largest ever recorded! I remember one storm when we lived in Levittown, around 1958, there were 10 foot drifts and we played pioneers, like Little house on the Prairie. We had no electricity so mom and dad put the food outside in the snow. We cooked in the fireplace and walked around the house with flashlights! It was great fun! Then when we moved to Devon/Valley Forge we couldn't wait for the snow so we could go down the hill at the Park with the statue of George Washington, and of course we loved skating at Narrigans Pond.

Here in Philly, We found that they sled down the stairs at the Art Museum, you know, the one Rocky runs up to get in shape for his fights.

The Blizzard preparation happened on Thursday for us. We went to two grocery stores, we couldn't find a parking place and then couldn't find a cart. We only really needed TP because, as many of you know, we Mormons always have food storage and we still had ours from when the Pope came and they told us to be prepared. But, we shopped anyways for the necessities like..cheese pretzels,

 ( it is so hard to find the kind I like). frozen yogurt  (Jim ends up eating most of it ),Licorice ( I still haven't found the family pack with black and red, but I end up eating what ever we can find which isn't the best), all the marked down Christmas goodies at Aldies..anyways, we didn't want to die without having some of the necessary goodies.
 So, when the snow started Friday evening we were ready, And it was a blizzard all day Saturday.  I cooked for 3 hours, making soup, breads, cookies and broiled veggies. I worked out twice and we cleaned our Apt.! Later we got to go down to our neighbors and share a movie on their big screen TV! What a treat! A perfect snow day for us!
 Church was canceled (we were to have Ward conference with a lot of visitors ) so we had all of our neighbors come to our Apt. for a large FHE at 10am. Jim prepared a lesson ., What does with real intent mean? and I prepared the game ( of course ) Temple Trivia. The latest is 149 temples with our Philadelphia Temple's open house beginning Aug 5th. After church we took a walk to find the beautiful city of Brotherly Love covered in snow and sun.

Here is my favorite spot, the Schuylkill River kind of half way frozen over. I remember George Washington and how he had to survive outside in Valley Forge during the war, how he crossed the Delaware all in the name of Freedom for this Nation.

Today here we can worship many religions with out persecution. We are still trying to figure out how to be a kinder, more gentle nation. We are still trying to find a way to keep God in our pledge of Alligence , the way our founding Fathers originally intended. It is my prayer that we continue to grow together peacefully