Week 74 - Hegsted's Mission.

24-December-2023-Sunday. Christmas Eve

I love celebrating Christmas or Christmas Eve on a Sunday. Such a glorious time to sing anthems to the Lord and Savior of the world and ponder his condescension of being born in a stable to a poor and beleaguered nation. We enjoyed beautiful and large snowflakes on the road to Rutland. After a bit, we fell behind a snowplow, slowing our progress, but we still made it in time to practice the organ. I played through all the Christmas Hymns we would use in the program and then played "Praise to the Man" and "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" as the quiet prelude. I do not think people remember we celebrated Joseph's birthday on Saturday, but it was fun for Dede and me. I was amazed at how quiet the congregation became when I lowered the volume for prelude music. They are trying so hard to be reverent before meetings.

Such a fun Sacrament Meeting. Scriptures were read by four ward members, and hymns were sung in between readings. What a joy to play for this. I played the organ most of the time, but three numbers put me on the piano as the primary, and the men and women sang hymns. I had way too much fun on the organ. I was changing the settings between verses to increase the volume as the song progressed. Dede was leading; her joy in music lit up the chapel, and people sang enthusiastically. It was an extraordinary meeting. Once again, I thought of my mother. Her desire for me to play the piano and the organ for church probably created smiles for her in heaven. All that money for a piano and lessons has paid off, despite her pain in forcing me to practice.

We came home, and Dede started rolls for dinner before we went to the site for pictures. Everyone was in missionary attire for the end-of-year pictures. I included several below. If I do not name names, I will hate myself someday. Middle pictures, left to right, are the Roberts, Hoopes, Buswells, Hegsted, and Knutesons.

Brother Hoopes and I manned the VC while the sisters prepared our feast. We had two groups of two come in during our 2 hours. One is a member couple from Meridian. They lived in Jake's ward in the past. The other two nonmember men just wanted to learn some history. I was surprised we had anyone, but it was a Sunday.

Shortly after 3 pm, we closed the VC as directed. I visited with President Buswell in the office until Dede arrived with rolls and dessert. We ate a ham dinner with scalloped potatoes and meatballs and many trimmings. Afterward, we had a musical number and shared some thoughts before a closing musical number. We finished the evening with a gift exchange, playing the game of choosing and stealing gifts. It was enjoyable and fun to see what people found for $15. I took home the best backscratcher, so perhaps I won the evening.

We returned home and enjoyed the miracle of technology, allowing us to enter our children's homes through FaceTime and the telephone and participate in their Christmas Eve activities. Emma and Miles had opened the gifts they gave each other and were so excited. Danielle and Eric had invited Edy and LeRoy to dinner, and we saw part of their Christmas nativity reading. Jon and Shirlee were with Evan's family, and we visited them shortly by phone. Our final call for the evening was to Gwen and Gene. Being away at Christmas is complicated. For Dede, it is a sacrafice. I cannot imagine enduring it 20 years ago with only expensive long-distance phones as an option. Communication was "free" since we already had phones and internet to spend virtual time with our family. A tender mercy.

Another late night going to bed, but one with the promise of sugar plums dancing in our heads.

25-December-2023-Monday Christmas Day

Some of the sugar plums danced on my tummy last night. Too much rich food! Another first-world problem. At 6:45, Dede dressed to be ready for the kids to call. She returned to bed but not to sleep. Emma was the first to call. They were heading downstairs, tearing through wrapping paper strategically placed in the stairway to protect Santa from a surprise visit. Watching their wide-eyed excitement as they viewed their haul from Santa was fun. Unlike last year, they were not pressed to finish quickly and leave. Thus, they allowed their children to play with each gift after opening it. We sat and watched their joy. Indeed, Christmas is best viewed through the eyes of children. Danielle's family slept in. I do not know how Danielle was able to stay in bed. However, I am guessing it was long past midnight before she retired. Their children also were well treated by Santa. Each received a Nerf gun, although Ian received two. They had the usual stocking stuffer gifts, and the girls both received Apple Watches, to their delight.

Like the Mitchells, they opened a few gifts and then stopped to eat and play. Until 2 pm, we had at least one FaceTime call going, sometimes two, as we watched Kal celebrate his first conscious Christmas. The day ended with Ian receiving an iPhone. He was delighted, expecting to receive one next summer. The Larsens were loaded with clothes for their growing kids. But they all received "fun" things as well.

Dede and I were treated to looks of astonishment and wonder as presents were opened. Dede had shipped gifts to the children, and watching them open the gifts she provided was enjoyable. The parents got money. More importantly, each family member received written testimonies from Dede and me. She implored me to stop writing my document long enough to write a testimony. We tell visitors how vital the testimonies of loved ones are once they are gone, and Dede wanted our children and grandchildren to have testimonies from us. We are not planning to go anywhere but home soon, but one never knows.

Dede is cooking prime rib for dinner. It smells divine. What a wonderful tradition! Best eaten with a loved one. Dede also made sure we both had gifts under the tree. She purchased lovely jewelry from Danforth Pewter for herself. I have a stack of books to read once I finish the document. The tender mercies of a loving God attended us all day long. Not to mention the tender mercies of a wonderful wife.

26-Decembr-2023-Tuesday

As expected, it was a slow morning shift. I carried 4 dying poinsettia plants to the flower graveyard and gave them a fitting farewell as they quickly dropped leaves and blooms. We had a young man come back in. Not sure what we should do with him. He is lonely. He recently lost a brother and has been working with Bob Dunkle on Family History Research. He knows he needs to do the work for his brother. Until today, I do not think he had realized he must be a member to go to the temple. One step at a time.

I did walk a bit and worked on the document. One step forward and 2 back as I edit, but it improves each time I edit a chapter. I want to finish soon so I can help remove the lights. We ate prime rib again. What rich meat! Prepared names for the temple. I am now ready to call it a day.

27-December-2023. PDAY

Happy Birthday, Emma. I am so glad you are part of our family!

It was temple day again, and we left right at 7 am. We did not consider that traffic would be light during this holiday week. Even with a stop for gas, we were very early and enjoyed a nap before the session. We also did not anticipate so many patrons in the temple. People came in mass during the holidays, which was different from Christmas Mass. I have never seen such an entire session in Boston, 21 men and 17 women. We also had a missionary receive his endowments. We had scheduled a sealing session, but so many showed up without reservations; we gave the sealer and his wife (who gave us an almond cake) hugs and said we would see them next time.

We ate packed lunches in the car as we drove to Salem and Fort Pickering. This old fort dates back to colonial times when the colonists feared attacks from the Dutch. (It is hard to think of the Dutch as a world power, but they were.) It sits in a strategic spot protecting Salem's harbor. It also has a lighthouse. Little remains of the fort. One can see bunkers used to protect the men and artillery. At one point, the Coast Guard flew pontoon planes from here, and the hangar still exists. A lobster boat was unloading their catch into a truck, so I took a picture. Another lighthouse is visible across the bay. Also, the parking lot was jammed with boats parked for the winter. We took pictures and looked for a video describing the place. There was a nice hiking trail around the camping grounds. No luck, but we were pointed to Fort Sewall in Marble Head, 25 minutes (less than 10 miles) away.

Fort Sewall has been restored, and it was fun to hike around and read their signs. Across Marble Bay is a lighthouse we visited after this stop. Again, it is an opportunity to walk a bit. We saw three people learning to scuba dive. Photos from the following two stops. There is so much history in New England. Neither fort played an active role in a significant battle. However, at Fort Sewall, the USS Constitution once came into the harbor to enjoy the protection of its cannons because three British frigates were pursuing her. Another time, the British hoped to take Fort Sewall, but upon visual inspection using telescopes, the number of men present persuaded them that it would be hopeless. They did not know that the fort had no gunpowder that day. The lighthouse was from the 1890's. They needed to raise the lighthouse higher to be seen from the sea, but they chose not to build a typical tower; instead, they made one of steel with a stairwell inside. Probably because it was away from the sea and did not require the protection of ordinary lighthouses from the sea.

We ate in Manchester and were home by 8:30. Another fantastic day with my outstanding companion. Did I mention how much I enjoyed discussing Revelation with her after listening to several podcasts concerning this book of scripture? The Book of Revelation is so optimistic. Yes, there are scary plagues and wars. But throughout, God is always in the background, controlling everything, including Satan. His Son and angels move as commanded by God. They never move before each individual has the chance to accept God. In fact, many opportunities for each to be sealed in their forehead with God's seal. Only after they are sealed up to Satan does He unleash judgment upon those who have rejected Him. Ultimately, in the end, JESUS WINS because the Father has decreed that to happen. How restful now in our turbulent times to know I have chosen the winning team. I can be exalted by remaining on the covenant path and asking God how to remain on the path and improve each day. What a powerful way for the New Testament to end and for us to begin the study of the Book of Mormon, another witness of Jesus Christ and His victory.

28-December-2023-Thursday

Not much to record today. We chose to sleep in rather than travel for 2 hours to visit the Todd Lincoln home. We will probably regret it, but it felt good at the time. Dede cleaned and washed. She changed the bed and worked very hard. I edited the document. I know Dede is ready for me to be done. So am I.

We had a late shift. It was warm but misty, and the roads were foggy. As a result, we did not see many people. Regardless, we had a nice stream of people until 6:30 and were able to visit with a few at length. Time to write in the blog and read scriptures before 8 pm. Just one more late night before the lights go out.

29-December-2023-Friday

We started the morning with breakfast at Creek House Diner with all the missionaries. Nice to be with each of them. We then went to the site for the morning shift. We had one family from Blackfoot, Idaho. The parents had served 6 months at Martin's Cove. They were friendly and wanted to learn, and as always, it was fun to be able to do a tour.

The afternoon allowed time for editing the document and for Dede to shop in Lebanon. I started at the beginning again and got through 8 of the 19 chapters. I am ready to do something different. Dede returned, and we had spaghetti for dinner. It is always better reheated, and I went to bed very content.

30-December-2023-Saturday

We left the apartment by 8 am to travel to the Robert Todd Lincoln Summer Home near Manchester, Vermont. Todd Lincoln became president of the Pullman company and began making over $1 million per year for his great work. He doubled the company's size and revenue in his first two years. His mother had brought him to Manchester as a young man, and loving the area, he built a mansion (although 1/5 the size of his Chicago home) where he spent his summers. The home stayed in the family through the 1970s when the granddaughter turned it over to the organization that now runs it as a museum. About 90% of the furnishings are original. They had pictures from the day it was furnished and restored the rooms to resemble the pictures. It was nicely done, and I enjoyed the self-guided tour. They had a short explanation in each room to provide background for the tour. A few things stood out to me. They had an organ in the front parlor, which could be played using scrolls like a player piano. I was surprised by the few stops on the organ and assumed it was a reed consul organ. However, halfway up the stairs, we found the large array of pipes to the organ. I was blown away by the number of pipes. Pipes were on both sides of an alcove with a bench in the middle. It would have been authentic surround sound. The stairway spindles were terrific. There were four styles and larger spindles to provide the primary support. The organ pipes were hidden by similar spindles but turned differently.

The furnishings were attractive but, for the most part, too rich for me to comprehend. Upstairs, they had a small museum of Abraham Lincon, which I enjoyed. They also showed a safe on the main floor. When the museum took over, they opened the safe and found it full of correspondence related to President Lincoln and succeeding presidents for whom Todd was Secretary of Defense. These all went to the Lincoln Museum in Illinois.

The highlight for me was the Pullman Car. The docent was knowledgeable and shared so much since we stopped and asked questions. I have learned to ask questions from my service at the JSB. There is much more to share, but docents hold back unless someone is interested. The car on display cost about $20k to build in 1906. By comparison, the monument, memorial cottage, and land cost about $30k in 1905. The Pullman company built approximately 80k Pullman cars around the world. As the docent stated, the rich would travel using these cars and not intermix with the lower-class people. They would provide an itinerary, and the Pullman company would arrange with railroads to get the people where they wanted to go and when they would arrive. Each car would come with two porters to cook and wait on the people, who probably brought their servants also. The Pullman name became synonymous with luxury. There was a discussion about the black porters who worked long hours for low wages on the cars. These were often former house slaves, and employment was hard to obtain. The Pullman Company and others (including railroad companies) took advantage of them. However, their children and grandchildren grew up in better circumstances, with an education, and helped drive the civil rights movement and more equity today. Yes, they were exploited. However, had they not had steady employment, the Civil Rights movement would have been delayed for at least one more generation.

The lifestyle difference between the rich and the lower classes is hard to comprehend. I know the same exists today. People own expensive summer homes today. They fly into nearby airports in private jets and have costly cars at the airport all year just for their use, so they do not see ordinary people. Little has changed throughout history.

Of local interest, we have a picture of Joseph F. Smith and his entourage coming to dedicate the monument in 1905, and it is clear that they are riding in a Pullman car. I do not think Joseph F. Smith or the Church members who came with him were among the wealthy. However, when crossing the country with a large group of people, a Pullman car was probably an efficient means of travel. Basically, it's a hotel on wheels. We tend to think of only the richest using the Pullman cars, but 80k train cars demanded many users.

The first row of pictures shows the organ and its pipes.