December 7, 2010

Pictures are coming!

Finished a nice day of cleaning, shopping, cooking, making store.lds.org work for buying some wheat.  10% tax now that we are in California.  An eye-popper when you see it, even if it is as high as 6+% in Utah.

We are spending more for food than we do at home.  I don’t know if prices are just rising or food costs more here.  Sister Daniel says we ate more out of food storage at home than we do here, cutting our costs till we re-up supplies during the year.  But, we have shrunk our cooking habits.  Here's the smallest crock pot in the world and we are using it:

Compare the size of the top in my hand with yours. 

Speaking of that, all of you, how’s your food storage coming?  

We stopped at 3 places to get a transfer cable to copy the cell phone pics  you send to us.  I would show you one of the pics of Livia and Tyler that Heather sent today, if I could download it.  Next time, maybe.  One of the stores we went to is ordering one for us.

Last week we spent 3 days from 8 am to 5 pm in class learning how to do Surname searches, finding birth, death, marriage records, probate, non-LDS Church records, the online Family Search’s Library Catalog and a  little on New Family Search.  After each lesson we had an hour to practice and use the training.  I believe I found David and Rachel Smith’s indexed Marriage record and will work at getting a photo of it.  If it is theirs, then I have Rachel’s maiden name, Ware.  Whoopee!  MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN DOING FAMILY HISTORY FROM JUST 10 YEARS AGO.  One of our lesson books, below.  Enlarge the pic to read the headings.  We have another class in January.

Sister Daniel uses the steamer we bought to ‘iron’ our clothes.  It seems to work for items that need it.  A lot of our clothes do not, being cotton and polyester Wash N Wear.

See the Christmas setting on top of our couch?  Phyllis did that!

Brother Daniel

I have been reading the biography of President Monson and really enjoy learning of his life.  He has a whole chapter on there are “no coincidences”.  At prayer meetings there has been a lot of talk of being grateful for things.  In my own study I have been focusing on the fact that everything we do has a purpose and there is no reason to get upset if things don’t go your way.  Well, today as we were looking for the transfer cable and some yarn so I could knit, we were not having any luck and I was becoming frustrated.  Then I remembered that things don’t happen for nothing, just enjoy the driving and just let things happen.  Well, one of the things I wanted to get was something to hold my scriptures in that will hold the RS & Sunday School manual also.  I went to the distribution center downstairs and couldn’t find anything, I couldn’t even think of anyplace other than the distribution center that would carry such a thing.  Well, in our travels, we came across Marshalls (never seen it before).  We went inside and I thought – a bag – a women’s bag would hold everything.  Well, we found one.  I couldn’t believe how great it would work and also it was only $15.  Got home and everything fits great-even room for my hankie!!!  

Send us phone or emails with pictures.  We love to see what is happening.

Love, Sister Daniel

Thanksgiving



Who can make heads or tails of this



 Problem computer turned over to Elder Daniel for fixing.



Phyllis baked us an apple crisp cake that we ate at the Family History Library  (LAFHL)




I'm scanning something and saving it to my flash drive



Megan, Warren and Phyllis at the Christus statue in the Visitors' center above the LAFHL



Thanksgiving Dinner at Training Room # 2. 



Post Thanksgiving Dinner Games.  Dominos' Crows Feet game and one other game

After Thanksgiving Dinner - Cleanup.

As you can see, we've been busy and having fun too.  It's a good pace for us.   We learned this morning that one of the ladies, here, top, in front of picture, pull or tore a ligament in here leg this morning. Ouch !

We are working on our Christmas card.  Some of pics we took earlier this year that I thought I'd copied to Phyllis' laptop are not here.  I'll check on mine when we get back to the apartment.  I know I downloaded from Megan's camera, but it must have been to my laptop.  If so I'll post some pics of my age 0-7 apartment and Phyllis' home for her from 0-10 years of age.

Any action on the sluething on the Penobscot, Massachusetts Probate Abstracts I emailed the family?

See ya in our next post soon.

Elder Daniel

Thanksgiving

The Missionary staff of 8 of us had a potluck Thanksgiving day from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  Turkey, Lutie's rolls, gravy, pies, dressing, salads, sweet potatoe something, games and the end of a movie we all were watching a week ago.

I took pictures which I will cull through and post in an edit of this one later.  Today hopefully.  Sister Daniel and I were tasked with manning the Library for the British Genealogical Society meeting and dinner today, Sunday,  from 11 am to 5 pm.

Megan was with us till Thanksgiving morning, leaving about 7:00 am to get to a morning breakfast date with a CHP officer, in Barstow.   She drove real fast, knowing he'd stop the ticket....  Ha ha ha, not so, but had you going didn't I.

I was part of two health blessings yesterday.  Today, the one with the sore knee snapped a tendon.  Better not ask me for a blessing.  Well, I annointed in both cases, but my faith was in on the blessing with my hands on the blessee's head.  So how good am I at the faith business, I wonder.  Why wonder, result is fact.

We are loving our little kitchen.  Too small for two people, but we get by, what with me being tall and Sister Daniel being small.  I reach up, she reaches down.  I'm behind her and our arms pass harmlessly over or under one another.  Everything is close at hand, a step and a half away at most.

I have found stuff on the Smith family line, my mother's line, and am verifying it.  I will have names to assign out.  When will Melissa and Emma be able to do baptisms for the dead?  Probably not til age 12, I remember now.  Pooh!

Elder Daniel (Dad, Grandpa)

Elder Daniel has put in most everything we have been doing since the last entry; so I really have nothing to add except that I am really looking forward to the lights going on at the LA Temple and they haven't turned on yet. 

November 18, 2010

This was a fun week of finding our own "stuff" at the library.

Warren was putting books away and saw some probate abstracts that were information from the area his line is from. So, he thought he would just look through them. Well, he had an exciting time extending his family two generations with lots of family members.

Me, I am just trying to straighten things out on New Family Search. On one family (I actually have more than one family that has this problem), I have a person who is on as a brother and a husband. I have spent the whole time I have been here looking for birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates that would prove he was just a husband.

Well, I finally looked at the census records on the right year and the right place and found them. I had looked at the 1840 census, but that doesn't show names of people in the house, just the name of the head of the household.  I think I did find them there, but I can't prove it was them without names.  The census I finally saw was the 1860 census which shows all the names of the people in the household - BINGO. I knew all the names and now I am able to prove the relationship.

Now I can give this proof to the New Family Search people and they can take him off the family as a brother and leave him as a husband. It was so fun!!!!!

In a moment of service mindedness (Ha! just a good excuse) we took two carless missionaries to the Beach last Sunday after Church. There was enough time to walk and talk and see around AND to watch the sunset.

Arriving at the end of the street from in front of the Temple - Santa Monica beach itself.



We got a nice person to take our picture as a group. Carol, Phyllis, Warren, Donna












Donna, Carol, Phyllis













Donna and Phyllis discuss the world













Phyllis. She's either getting out-of-the-way, OR, telling the water, "Come NO Further", you choose











Creative shot












Setting Sun. Day is done. Day is done. All is well.

November 9, 2010

It's been another fun week at the Family History Library. We had our Open House Saturday and Sunday and worked Saturday from 9a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday after church from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. It was busy and I got to take people on tours of the library which was really fun. I love meeting people. There was one fellow who is a member of the church but also had ancestors who died in the concentration camps during WWII. We have a Jewish and Polish section here and he was thrilled to see those books. In fact the Jewish Society President was there at the time he was and they were able to talk. It is really exciting getting people together.

Since we are open six days a week, we do not have "P" day with any other missionaries; so Monday night we got together for Family Home Evening. We had a good time. We stayed at the Family History Center and watched a video with many stories about family history on the BIG Screen - much better than watching it on our tiny computer screen. There are four missionary companionships that are at the library and the rest of the staff comes from volunteers. Luckily the volunteers work the night shift. Well, not much else is happening. Love ya all. Keep in touch.

Sister Phyllis Daniel

Here's some pics of our trip last Tuesday to the beach...

Driving up Highway 1










Mom decides if this is where we want to stop.

Nope, lets get a look around.










Mom thinks this is good









She's found it.








A better look.
















Lets sit down, huh. And look at the waves, listen to the sounds, take in the ocean breeze.











Mom takes a picture of the wildlife. Pro photographer there.














I climb the rocks and walk on the shore.








A little faith and I'd have one walking on the sea. Hmmm... no footprints.

Update 11-4-2010

Walk way into the Los Angeles Family History Library



Los Angeles Temple

We work 5 days a week, off on Sunday and Tuesday. 8:45 am to 5:00 pm, but only a 4 minute leisurly walk to work if we a lazy. We are learning their internet links for getting information. Today, if it is correct, I found a mother and father at the end of my Smith line. Hooray. So much is added so frequently, you better rethink not going back to the major databases just cause 22 1/2 searches that you stopped 5 years ago all resulted in nothing. What I found today was not there or I just didn't see it over the last 4 work days, cause I've been working that line.
We are contributing to the ease of use of the place for both patrons and volunteer workers and newbie missionaries who will come in the future.

The Temple is only 6 minutes on a leisurly walk from our apartment. We are on the 2nd floor, so it is not so far to NOT use the elevator. We walk down and up the steps in synchopation (sp) for the fun of it.

We went did some Sealings tonight. You know Phyllis. Her Father was a sealer there 200 years ago and she asks everyone if they knew him. Well she did it again tonight. The Sealer was sealed to his wife by Phyllis' dad 24 years ago. Her enthusiasm is terrific, never overbearing and often successful.

Elder Daniel, Warren

We are just having a wonderful time. It is so fun just to spend time doing the Lord's work but not being so taxed that you can't do other things too. We get home by 5 p.m. and then cook dinner and can either go for a walk, go to the temple, or just stay home and look online (that's what I did on Nov 2 to see the voting results). We don't have a TV, but we can watch HuLu, so I watch at Perry Mason a night which is relaxing for me. We have also gone over to the senior sister's houses and visited just a little though.

Tuesday is our "P" day and we were out and just visited with one of the temple workers (they come for a week at a time and stay in these apartments). He was from Tehachapi and I asked if he knew my Dad, Gilbert Snow, because he was in the Bakersfield stake. Well, he didn't know my Dad, but he had run with my brother Gilbert about 10 years ago; so the name Gilbert Snow meant something to him.

I just LOVE being here. It is just like being home when I was little. I love walking and seeing the palm trees. I love looking at the horizon and seeing giant sky scrapers. We don't have mountains made from God, but we have sky scrapers made from man on our horizon. I love knowing that the beach is just minutes away from us. We got to go there Tuesday and it was glorious just sitting on a rock and listening to the water rushing up and breaking against them.

It is also great to be in the library and working with the people, both the patrons and the workers. We have a lot of fun. A little old lady who was born in 1923 came in today needing to get some names ready to take to the temple. Well, she was not even logged into New Family Search. I was actually able to help her get on. Her membership number on her temple recommend was incorrect; so I had to call Salt Lake to get it. We were on the phone for a good half hour, but in the end we got it all worked out for her. It took so long getting her logged on that we couldn't work on getting the names done because she had parkinsons and high blood pressure and she was getting sick, but she said she could have her niece who was computer literate help her. It was really fun. We get to work on our own family because the more we work on our own the more we will be able to help people. I am trying to make sure all the records on New Family Search in my line are correct which is a chore. My grandmother shows a death date of 1983 and a burial date of 1981 which is totally incorrect; so I had to search for a death date, which I found after much digging. Then I needed to find the burial date which was more difficult. Finally I decided to just call the cemetery. I called three different days and they were not answering my calls. The last time I called I told them I couldn't believe they weren't open and I got a call back about two hours later. They gave me the information and I was able to correct the problem. This work is really exciting. It is so fun being here because everyone doing the work is so excited about it and when they find something everyone is thrilled. It's a happy place. There is also a lot of office things I do that I learned from my being a secretary at BYU which I am very grateful for. This one lady, who is also a missionary, keeps coming to me for help. I couldn’t figure out why because I really don't know much about research, but then I realized that I was able to figure out the computer questions she has.

Sister Phyllis Daniel

We are getting the hang of this Google blog... sl o w l y.

So if you see some of same pics, you know we really don't have the hang of it yet.

Here's a pic of our apartment looking in from the front door, then one of the balcony behind the curtains you see in it. We are on 2nd floor at the far end.

Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church fair

Saturday, October 23, Warren and I got to go to a Baptist Church/LDS young adult ward fair where they wanted a representative from the Lost Angeles Family History Library; so Warren and I got to go. This is the link to the video they took of Warren and I. You will need to scroll down until you see my face and then click on the picture: http://www.facebook.com/oneheartmanyhandsLA.

Finishing previous post of 10-27-10

I went to eat dinner and when I came back I couldn't figure out how to get back on the post that I was working on; so I just posted that one and will finish it on this post.

Now I don't have any more to say, but will get back to you later. Sister Phyllis Daniel

Mission Activity re

By Elder Daniel:10-23-10 two weeks have passed. We got in to see the Mission President 10 days ago. Been in training on the computers, teaching room electronics, cash register.

Got a Family History Library (FHL) name tag. We are special.

Set up our apartment. $700 so far. Small, but usable. Will go home to a mansion in 18 months.

Using the I-pod Touch that our children gave us the night we were set apart. Getting better at using it. Set up i-Tunes on home computer. Ooops, need to set it up on the laptop we brought. All sorts of difficulty getting an audio book loaded. Had Mark try it. He did same thing that I did, but of course, his attempt loaded it. Go figure!

Got the internet hooked up wirelessly to Sister Daniel's laptop but not mine. Using CAT5 cable for mine. Cable works fine. I have no idea if anyone else is surfing off our wireless router/modem.

Have heard several inspiring, uplifting stories. Some first person, some 5th person. All fun.

Started wearing my own bought white shirts. The 17 1/2 inch neck on mine are looser than the 17 1/2 inch neck on Earl Carter's shirts that he gave me, from his mission.

Sister D has baked cookies for us twice now. Weight gain is 0 for both of us. Weight loss is ... 0 for both of us.

Went to a piano concert last night, Friday. WoW! At the Visitor Center's meeting hall. We work in the basement of the Center. All new basement and equipment. Have had 7 Family History class lessons already. We are trainable, YES!

Phyllis is on the internet somewhere from service today where we were sent to support a Family History booth at the Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

Sister Daniel will put her own memories on the blog later.

Bye for now... Elder Daniel

10-27-10 Well, time is going by really fast. We are really having a good time going to the library and helping others, working on our own lines, and just mingling with the other workers. We still don't know a lot about researching, but at least we feel confident on the computer. We are learning about research as we go, with classes, and while we are working on our own lines. There is someone here who is an expert in New Family Search and she is really helping everyone. It is intimidating when people come in and ask us questions when they know more than we do, but there are times that we can really help. Today we got to learn how to scan film to print or save to a flash drive and we, meaning Warren and I, actually helped two people in that area.

We went to stake conference last Sunday and the chapel was unlike the stake centers I am used to. It looked like a cathedral including a glass window of Christ. It was very beautiful. Warren talked about the concert we went to, well, she played the organ with the stake choir and someone else played the piano who was also gifted on the piano and the rafters just exploded
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