"Since we last wrote we have spent a wonderful and full week with Dustin, Heather, and Afton, followed by General Conference. It was so good to see them and spend several days with them. Afton has grown and retains her kind nature. We visited many of the places that we had previously seen with Keith and Sarah and other senior couples. While the weather was a little rainy, many flowers were in bloom.
One of the things that struck us as we toured these beautiful estates is that the people who built them and lived in them are long gone. There were the privileged, and even those who served them fared better than many around them. But even they were beset with trials and tragedies of their own. Now they are all gone, and their luxurious dwelling places are empty. We can't help but wonder what has become of them, and whether their feelings and knowledge now would have made any difference in the way they lived. It is something to consider. At least we think about it as we contemplate our own lives and situation.
We left the Petersens in Bath on Saturday and returned home to enjoy conference weekend. Because of the 7 hour delay between time zones we were not able to watch any of the sessions in real time, but have enjoyed them all through technology. How privileged we are to live in a time when any time we choose, we can hear the words of the apostles and prophets. No other generation in the history of the world has been so privileged as ours in this regard. So many of the talks spoke to us personally. We have a hard time thinking of favorites, because each one touched us in some way. We strongly encourage you to watch and ponder them for yourselves. We express to you our testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel, and that Jesus Christ is leading us with love through all we face through His chosen servants. It is our love for Him and His teachings that sustains us and bring us joy.
On Monday we had a couple over for dinner. The wife has been a member almost a year now, and we were able to talk with them about the eternal blessings available for them in the temple. It was a nice evening. Yesterday we went to lunch with a fellow who rents lodgings from church members. He is an amazing family history expert, and is helping us with some of our own family history on ancestors who lived in Somorset, not far from here. It was his 70th birthday, and we had a wonderful time with him joking about growing older. We feel it is a blessing that we have come to know him."
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