MURDER IN THE COURTHOUSE

Elder Oaks called to let Elder Bayles know that I was getting transferred.  For a minute I was nervous.  He said a Sister Cunningham would be my new companion.  President Thomas told him to do it.  Elder Carilli and Elder Wilcock were transferred.  They will be greatly missed.  Boy, but we do love our missionaries.
I had my third basket class.  Again, I was the last one finished.  It is beautiful though.

We had dinner this week with the Adkins' family.  They're wonderful.  Carolyn is Mike's mother.
We spent hours on the phone with Kristin this week to figure computer problems.  I don't now what we would do without her.








Scott turned 33 on the 23rd.  How can that be?  He is way too young to be 33.  He was with us at home just the other day.  He has developed into such a fine man with so many skills.  I love the way he treats us and especially the good father and husband he is with his own family.  I do think the other 3 members of his family have him wrapped right around their fingers.  I guess he gave a really good talk about repentance a few Sunday's ago.  We have heard from several who have said so.  Sure glad we didn't stop at four.                                   



We were proctors for Dillard Middle School this week.  When they take their end of the year tests they have to have someone in the classroom with the teacher at all times so it is done without help and that no one cheats.  The students were very nice and respectful.  It seemed good to be in a classroom again.  We both did 6th grade.

The day after Scott's birthday, Camden turned 7.  You are all growing without us.  It's strange.  We called Camden and as soon as he said "hi" I lost it.  I was not at all weepy but hearing that precious little voice I went into a melt-down and could not even sing.  How I miss the little ones.  Camden is such a good boy and loves his family so much.  He is a friend to everyone.  We are so proud of how he is following our Savior.

We gave Gail the second lesson and she invited us back for another one.  She is so special and we pray that she will have the Spirit testify of the truth to her.  Pray for her please.
We visited Casses. One of the cats had 8 kittens.  I love cats but when you get over 40 it's a bit too much.

We gassed up in Virginia on Thursday.  $3.20 a gallon.  That's why we go to Virginia.  That night we helped Jesse's crew clean the church.  They call the chapel the sanctuary.  We cleaned that part, the cultural hall and vacuumed some of the halls and classrooms.
Caswell County has such beautiful yards when you go out in the country, especially around the church.  I took a few pictures but realize a camera just can't capture the beauty.

member's front yard

same member's back yard

                                     

Another member's back yard

Back yard behind back yard

Member's front yard

Member's back yard

It really is amazing how much land people have here. Needless to say they all have riding lawn mowers------and ticks.

marker closest to you

When you can walk a town in 15 minutes you look for things to do on your walk.  Elder Bayles decided to go to a cemetery where a man who was murdered by the KKK was buried.  He was a senator who was friendly to the blacks which made him an enemy of the KKK. They lured into a storage room at the back of the court house and cut his throat.  He is buried in the far corner of the Methodist cemetery among the blacks away from the street.  He served in the Civil War.  Dad read an entire book on Senator Stephens and found it very interesting.

Another marker we found in the same cemetery was Starling Gunn.  He fought in the War for Independence.  He fired the first cannon at York and was a witness at the surrender of Cornwallis.










After looking at graves we headed home.  No sidewalks so we just walked on the road.






I looked over to the left and there was a deer staring at us. They are very tiny here.

Thurs. June 15, 1905  We got up in good time and after eating breakfast went to Bro. Smith's and got our grips (suitcases) and started for Fuquay.  After walking six miles we stoped and had dinner with a man by the name of Williams.  After staying with him until two o'clock we started on again and after walking for about an hour a rain storm came up and we got in a man's house & stayed until it stoped.  We then came on down & had to wade three creeks.  We got here to Drivers's at six o'clock and stayed with them over night.  I had the headache all night and didn't get much sleep.

WE LOVE OUR COMPANIONS!

MOTHER'S DAY IN NC

We felt good about our week in that we visited many less active and part member families. Some were so exciting and some were disappointing. I guess that is missionary work. Some say they're not a member any more. They just don't realize this is not a smorgasbord church. We had a great after baptism lesson with Latyca. She studies so hard and asks such well-thought questions.

We had a great district meeting with the zone leaders.
Us, McClellan, Oaks, Gleason, Carilli, Closson, Wilkock

We visited a wonderful couple where he is the member. She got a pea hen and peacock for Mothers' Day. They are beautiful. They could not believe how I could talk to the birds. I couldn't either, but he answered me every time I spoke to him. I must have bird in me. I think my brain is lined with feathers. They insisted we come often and so we will.

I tried bleaching Elder Bayles' white shirts, but they still look pink to me.

Ticks, ticks, ticks! I got another one. Not telling where. The head stayed in so Elder Bayles dug it out with a needle. I think he was smilin' the whole time. Those critters are disgusting.

Saturday we got our garden planted. The boxes look so beautiful. We don't have the squash yet, but Tim says they will be ready next week.

Mothers' Day was a bit hard. Each letter or card brought such memories of little ones now and in earlier times. I love you all so much. Tears came rolling. Granddad got me an awesome antique bell. It is one they used to call in the workers from the fields. We'll put it in the back yard. I've wanted one ever since I saw the first one. Everyone has them in their yards. I was feeling quite down and feeling like we are just not working hard enough when Sunday came. We had five families show up that we have been working with. It amounted to 21 people. We could have flown to Charlotte when we saw them. It was just so wonderful and uplifting. Now we're sure it was because of Mothers' Day but nevertheless they came. We just hope we can continue to visit them and something will ring a bell.

A man who has been coming is engaged to a member and we are going to start lessons with him we hope. A great thing is that Latyca gave the Relief Society lesson. She did a great job. We are so proud of her.The youth are going to Raliegh for baptisms and Latyca and Carolyn are going too. I wish we could go but the temple is not in our mission even though it is only an hour away.

After meetings we headed for Charlotte for a senior couples meeting. We went Sunday so we could spend some time with Kristin, David and kids. They came up so we were legal. We had so darn much fun with them. It was a great visit. We had a room with a jacuzzi so the kids lived in that. We mainly just laughed and visited. Baylie thinks we are now off of our mission and living in a motel. The best part of the day was that I got to see EVERY ONE on iphone or Skype. I was in heaven and no longer sad. It made my day. Thank you so much. I LOVE YA'ALL.

We always love our time with President Thomas and his wife. It is such a lift to be with the other couples and study the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We even went to the Billy Graham Library. The couples all got together and gave the president an antique sickle or sythe whichever you want to call it. The tears flowed because that has been his saying. "Keep your sickle down" A saying that stayed with me at our meetings is "A violin plays its best music when the strings are stretched."

Billy Graham Library, in barn

After prayers last night (16th Wed) I saw a mole on grandad----nope, another tick---5th one. I finally got it out head and all, thank goodness. I hate those things.

Lucy's boyfriends

I only have a few missed birthdays left. This one is for Asher. Feb. 19th 4 years old. What a special little bundle of energy he is. He is always good for fun and loves his brothers and thinks he is as old as they are. I loved it when he wished me a Happy Mothers' Day.














The Pages had us for lunch Thursday. We just feel like we are with family. The Caswell Ward is such a friendly ward. We love the people. I had to put in two pictures because in each one, one of them has their eyes closed. Great people.




On the way home, we passed a black snake dead on the road, so I took a picture.





We visited with the Stranges and learned four new NC sayings:
pitched a fit-got angry "I just pitched a fit"
a swigger-when you make a mistake  "Oh, I swiggered"
I need to buy a toboggan.  A stocking hat not a sled
A spit and a holler-  a distance  "It's just a swig and a holler down the road"

We had dinner at the Yeatts' home.  She was with a granddaughter so Brother Yeatts did the dinner.  Wow!  It was chicken on the grill.  Half a chicken each, cole slaw, beans, bread, baked potato and fruit for dessert. Lands it was good.  Every home sits on about 3-10 acres.  They have huge gardens and can all fall.  Their gardens make our look like a tiny sand box.  Tabacca is grown everywhere.  We love the country, especially the people.

GO TO THE NEXT BLOG.  I added some after I
published it.

Wed. June 7th 1905  We got up in good time and after eating breakfast stated on again.  It was pretty warm as we rested quite a often.  We also had a bath in a creek.  At noon we had dinner and after resting awhile started on  At about two o'clock there was a little shower came up and we got under an old cotton gin and had a nap.  We got to Raleigh about five o'clock and found Bro. Vivian Smith and stayed with him overnight retiring at half past nine.

I love my companion.  President Thomas told the dist. leader he was going to transfer me and give me a young sister for a new companion.  Thank goodness for humor.

HIGH ON A MOUNTAIN TOP

I made my second basket.  I was the last one in class to finish.  I was so frustrated but then sadly realized that I just can't do what I used ter.  My hands were sore for several days.  Our instructor was so patient with me and helped me to the bitter end.

We had personal interviews with President Thomas.  He is a wonderful president and I just love his wife. I love any time we can be with other missionaries.  It really gives you a lift.  We had to go to Danville, Virginia first to get the elders and an investigator.  He weighed over 300 pounds and filled our back seat.  The elders were a little scrimped.  He was baptized Saturday.  I guess it was quite the thing,  The first time the two elders in the font with him could not get him pushed under.  When they finally got him back up (which they weren't certain they could do) they hadn't gotten him all the way under.  When the witnesses said that Elder Wilcok put him back under.  They had to do it a third time because he didn't say the prayer again.  The third time he said the words wrong but the fourth time was for sure.  Thank goodness John has a great sense of humor.  They are still chuckling about it.  He will be a great member and is a very nice young man.  He's golden.  After the interviews, which were in Greensboro, we took them all home.  We stopped at O'Kellys for a sandwich.

We headed home for a lesson with Warren.  I love him.  He is slowly coming along.We visited with Gail and Sister Aldridge on Wednesday.  I love them.  Sister Aldridge is always looking for someone for us to teach.  She's a great missionary helper.  We went to mutual after and there were 10 non members there.  These youth and the entire ward are so good at being kind and helpful to others.  Parents won't let us teach the kids and the adults help with Scouting but you never know what will happen down the road.

We decided to stop our service at the museum because it was taking too much teaching time and we only saw 1 person in all the time we had served.  No one goes to the museum.  We decided to head on down to see Susan.  On the was we saw some girls who are friends, in their yard.

 We stopped to visit and the older 2 invited us to go to the livestock show where they were going to show their lambs.  It was on Friday, in Virginia, but still in our mission. The girls both got blue ribbons. We met with both sets of grandparents and the school librarian.  You can imagine how dad felt to be around animals.  He loved the pigs.  We got lost twice on the way home and even went the wrong way in a parking lot.  How can you do that? When we got to Susan's her husband informed us that they had 35 cats and 16 dogs.  I believe it.  I love them.  They are great to visit with and I call him bishop.  Who knows? From there we went to the Fowlers'.  His daughter is moving in next week.  She wants to go on a  mission so we hope she can get them to come to church.  They're wonderful people.

Kristin turned 44 on the 27th.  How can that be?  I'm only 35.  We are so thankful our Father sent her to us. She was such a beautiful baby and fun little girl.  I played with her constantly.  She never wanted any one to touch her curls.  She has become such a wonderful mother herself and such an unselfish and caring person.  We love her so much.  She lives by faith and does so many little things for us.

Another investigator invited us to a spring fling in Providence.  We got up early so we would get there and not miss the parade.  Well, the parade was maybe a block long and had no floats.  It was just cars, trucks, fire engines and Smoky the Bear.  One man had his old truck which he had painted white with a spray can or two.  Very different.  It was so cold and windy.  Our investigators did not show up but some members from the ward did.  We were excited to see the tractor pulls but they were really lawn mower pulls.  They did have pro wrestling. We laughed our heads off.  The members who were with us, 7 of them, were having as much fun as we were.  Everyone was jolly. The best part was that I ran into the fireman who is in charge of the Bossy Bingo fund raiser. They didn't have it this year because they made more money on the 4-wheeler drawing. You make 100 squares on the ground.  People pay $50 a square and you can buy a many as you want. They start selling the inside squares first because Bossy usually dumps early. They sometimes do it in a circle formation. When all 100 squares are sold they have $5000.  The winner gets $1000.  If Bossy dumps on more than 1 square the people have to share the money.  They let her out when the last square is sold or at a certain preappointed time. Tiffani says she is going to suggest it at their next ward activity. Of course you can decide on the money factor and how many squares.

Sunday after church and our missionary meeting we headed to Ashville for meetings with 2 other couple missionaries.  It was later than we had expected so we just checked into our hotel and went to dinner.  The other couples weren't there.  When we got back the man at the desk stopped us and asked if this bag was ours.  It was the bag with both our computers, all the cords and my finance book with all our financial information. We were shocked.  We had not even known it was missing.  He said someone had brought it in from the parking lot.  The people in North Carolina are the best.  We said a prayer thanking the Lord for such wonderful, honest people.  We never did find out who they were.

Silkers, Burns, us

The time with the other couples was so beneficial.  We shared ideas with each other and learned so much.  We also did a great deal of laughing and just having a good time.  We spent most of the day at the Biltmore. It is the largest house in the US.  It has 250 rooms with 35 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms.  It was strange because we never felt High Cotton.  It was a very comfortable place, huge but comfy.  George Vanderbilt opened it in 1895.  Three years later he brought his bride,Edith to the Biltmore and their only child, Cornelia was born there in 1900.  He  died in 1914 and Edith and Cornelia continued to call it home.

Their daughter called it home and lived there even after she was married.  As a young girl she spent much time playing with the servants' children.  Her mother spent as much time as possible with her.  In 1930 they opened it to the public because of the Depression and to bring money in to preserve the estate.  The family still owns and operates the business with 1,800 employees.  It has a winter garden inside the entrance, a billiard room, banquet hall with an organ loft, breakfast room, salon, music room, tapestry gallery, library (contains half of his 23,000 volume collection) bedrooms, sitting rooms, Halloween room, bowling alley, dressing rooms, swimming pool, gymnasium, kitchens, servants rooms, laundry and drying rooms, smoking room and gun room.  Guests would stay for several days.  The servants had their own quarters and had a formal dining room and were treated very well.   The gardens were absolutely amazing.  I have never seen prettier. It was a very enjoyable day.  We ate way too much and gained way too much.

Your dad still has it.

The next day we shared more ideas and headed home.  We went through the Blue Ridge Parkway to Boone.  It is a beautiful range.  The trees are so thick and the hills go forever.

We went to Mt. Mitchell, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi, elevation 6,578 ft.  It was a beautiful view but I think our mountain is about 9 or 10,000 ft.  It wasn't tall but the beauty was indescribable.

We climbed the falls at Linville Falls.  It was an easy walk but not in Sunday shoes.  It was so worth the walk.

goose and goslings

We stopped at Flat Top Manor, home of Moses H. Cone, who invented Levi denim fabric.We got home at 9:30 and fell in bed.

View from the front porch.

The next morning we arose early to go to district meeting.  I love being with the missionaries.  Our lessson was on teaching with the Spirit.

I am trying to get caught up with birthdays but may never make it.  I am on Dave Jennings.  We love him.  Tiffani did a great job in landing him.  What a catch.  We love how no matter what his calling, he does it to the best of his ability and goes way beyond that.  He is a great provider for his family and such a good husband.  I love that he takes the kids so Tiffani can have a break.

Friday we made vegetable beds for Christine and our gardens.  Elder Bayles dug the ground and then we made four 2X10  boxes to put the dirt and plants in.  We waited till evening so it wouldn't be so hot.  It doesn't cool off in NC.  It was fun to be together.  We put 48 screws in the beds with 3 at each corner. We loved being outside and working.

Saturday we had one of the families we have been working with have their son baptized.  He will be 9 in 10 days so they wanted to get it done.  Brother Ward baptized his son. It took 3 times but he got it done.  It was a wonderful time.  I love it when children choose the right.

After the baptism we had a baby shower for one of the gals in our ward.  They really go" high cotton" here when they do things.  "High cotton" here means the same as "livin' high" or ritzy. If you want to hear Alabama sing it go HERE. The words are so good.  Listen carefully.

Going visiting after church Sunday we came across some animals.

How cows cool off in Caswell County

Find the turtle

Trying to see what's on the other side 

At Sister Apple's home.

I love Elder Bayles.

Tuesday May 23rd  We got up in good time this morning and after eating breakfast helped chop cotton all day again today.  I also wrote a letter to Estella.  After eating supper we went over to Joseph Beasley's and stayed over the night.