Saturday this and that . . .

  

This is Janell and Joel.  What a fun visit we had with them yesterday afternoon.  Janell did her mission here in the EMM two years ago and so did Joel, but amazingly enough, although they knew of each other . . .  they never actually met or served in any area here that was remotely close to each other.  Long story short, they both served their missions and returned home, Joel asked  a friend of Janell's to go on a date.  Her friend didn't want to go alone, so Janell went along with a date of her own, and Joel ended up getting  her number from her, they had a date the next week, and the rest is history.



They are now married and what a cute couple they are.  We had such a fun visit with them.   Its incredible to be able to serve with young people like this, and then . . .  to be able to see them come back to the UK married and happy is even more incredible.  I just love it.  I adore their happily ever afters.

What a great generation of young people!  We have always stayed in touch with all of them that we can over the years, and it's so wonderful to see them progressing in their lives, finishing their educations, finding jobs, getting married, having families, etc.

 

Another thing we did yesterday was drive some friends of ours who don't have a car out to the campground that our Church Stake is camping at as a group this weekend.   Todd and I are long past our desire to camp out days, but it was fun taking them and we did visit with everyone for a few minutes when we got there before we drove back home.    When we first arrived one of the Sisters who actually just lives around the corner from us came running up to me all excited because she thought I was camping.  That made me feel good and almost a bit sorry that I wasn't going to be camping . . .  almost being the operative word here.   I don't like camping.  I have never liked camping.  I will never like camping.  The "love camping" gene is not wired into my DNA.



Speaking of DNA, did you know that you can have your DNA  tested through Ancestry.com?  It's true.  They send you a sample collection tube via the post for collecting your DNA via your saliva (quite a lot of your saliva) which you then send back and they analyze it and then send you back a report containing the results.  It includes your ethnicity, and can be matched to new relatives on your family tree. It uses up-to-date DNA autosomal testing, meaning it covers 22 of your 23 chromosomal pairs. It looks at both maternal and paternal lines, and works just as well for men and for women.

I now know what I want for my birthday this year.  Every year I have no idea of what I want, but this year I do.  I want my DNA tested.  I want to know for sure what my ethnicity is.  I think it will be fascinating!  And, I want to give this test to Todd for his birthday as well!

Don't you think thats a great gift?  I do!   We better start saving our pennies because its not all that cheap.  Perhaps it could be combined birthday/Christmas presents???  We'll see  . . .it may stay just a dream. ;-)

 

Do you know what this is?  Its an infrared photograph taken of Fort McMurray before the forest fires.  The red area in this photograph is the surrounding living forest.

 

This is an infrared photo taken after the fires . . . . the forest is now dead.

The images above come from a pair of satellites operated by DigitalGlobe, a remote sensing company. Called WorldView 2 and 3, each looks at different swaths of the infrared spectrum, which allows them to see a dynamic picture of the devastation caused by this brutal fire. First responders use images like these to predict a fire’s movement, and plan their suppression efforts.  These photographs were taken from 350 miles above the earth.  Amazing.

And here is an amazing thought . . .  and something else  to think about.

 

The book of Mormon was published in the year 1830. Some 186 years ago.   At that point in the world's history . . .  which includes some 6,000 years prior to Christ walking upon the earth, and 1830 years after his death . . .  the fastest mode of transportation on the planet was  . . . the  horse.

 Flash forward  only 186 years . . .

 

We now have high speed trains, the capacity to fly all around the world in sleek and fast aeroplanes, indeed into outerspace on even faster vehicles.  We are capable of capturing moments of time for eternity with the click of a button in photographs via phones which we can carry with us wherever we go, and then we can store those same photos along with our music and books, etc.  in "clouds."  Communication is almost instantaneous . . .  from one side of the world to the other within seconds.  News happens and we know it almost immediately.  The world of Medicine has made enormous strides and anihilated much disease in the world, and given us cures for many others.   The strides we have made in transporation, education, medicine etc. are fantastmagorical!

I remember watching the Jetsons when I was a child and seeing the moving sidewalks and thinking they were impossible, but fantastical to see.  Could this ever be possible????



Our airports are filled with them.

Isn't it just so amazing that all of this has happened in less than two hundred years?  And actually a lot of it over just the past twenty or so years?  I mean . . .  computers in every home, computers the size of mobile phones and as thin as a credit card you can carry in your pocket . . .  I could go on and on . . .  its all so very amazing.   Mind boggling.  If my grandparents were to come back now they would be utterly gobsmacked at what is available in our world.

And why has this all happened in the last less than two hundred years?  Are people smarter now than they were before that?  I don't think so.  I don't think humans are any smarter than they have ever been.  All the resources have always been there for us to find, discover . .  . develop.

 And yet  . . .  we didn't.  Why now?

Food for thought I think.

Thats how my mind works.  I like to think about things like this.  And now that I have your brain clicking too, I will leave you with an inspiring thought for today  . . .

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
But I also say this,
that light is 
an invitation to happiness,
and that happiness, 
when its done right,
is a kind of holiness,
 palpable and redemptive.
 ~Mary Oliver
 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Spiritual Enlightenment





In The English Kitchen today  . . .  something for the weekend, Date and Walnut Coffee Cake.  A cake meant to be shared with friends and eaten along with a nice hot drink, or a cold glass of milk.  Pick your own poison!

The sun is shining gloriously here today.   I love it!  I hope you have a truly lovely day! Don't forget!


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And I do too!