Konold Chronicles

The last couple of weeks have been spent largely with Kathy studying for her theory driving test. She took it yesterday and missed only one out of 50 questions (meaning she had the second highest score in all of England–right)?  She also scored very high on the hazard perception part (much better than I).  Now all she has to do is pass the behind-the-wheel test and she will be a right-proper British driver!

Richard and Suzie have been visiting.  They arrived and stayed for a couple of days and then took off to Scotland–where Richard served his mission 50 years ago.  Amazingly, they were able to hook up with some of the people he knew then.  When they returned, they met a couple at the temple both of whom (or their families) Richard was instrumental in bringing into the Church.  We went out to dinner with them and had an enjoyable evening.  Richard and Suzie left again the next morning and will be back tomorrow for a couple more days.

We are starting to lose some of our friends whose missions are coming to an end.  Mom has worked closely with the Robbins (from Sandy, Utah) and the Dicks (from Edmonton).  We had them over for dinner.  They are just very good people.

We had a couple of days of sun this week, so we got out at lunch for a walk.  It is just a couple of blocks from our house to be in the Yarrow Valley–with streams and fields.  Still need boots because there is a lot of mud–but it is all worth it.

Due to a lot of traffic at the temple, Kathy has volunteered to work on a couple of her days off. She does enjoy things much more when she is very busy.  Strangely, Tim’s work often seems to focus on one country at a time.  The last couple of weeks have involved matters in France. Temple projects always seem to be very involved with challenges.  They involve such unique land use and design and the construction is very specialized.  Often, they are located on a hill–which requires specialized surface and ground water design.  The whole process is managed by the Temple Department–which operates quite differently than the regular project management group for other construction projects.

Squatters are a continuing challenge, particularly in the winter months–where eviction is a very unpopular act and often draws media attention.  The Church has been extremely humane–but still it is still difficult to keep all under control.

We have had some very cold mornings here.  Tomorrow, I expect to once again have to slide down the hill in the car.  Our cul-de-sac turns onto a side street which is a bit of a steep slope down the main road.  If you get into a slide (which is very hard not to do), you have to be ready to run up against the curb for traction.  The alternative is to slide right onto the main street which is not recommended.

Being Valentine’s Day, the kids are calling, so I am going to sign off for now.

 

Friday night we took off with do a little family history exploration.  I knew that my family on my father’s maternal side (the Holleys) came from Orcop (pronouned “Orcup”), England and lived on a property called the Cherry Orchard Farm.  I also knew that in 2007, there was a Holley reunion in Orcop and that a local by the name of Sue Rice seemed to know all the family history (though not a Holley descendant herself).  I have been trying for months to make contact with her to no avail.  So, I thought if I could just go there and ask around, I could find her.  No dice.  I did make contact with a very nice woman by the name of Joanna who happens to own a B&B and pub in Garway (right next door to Orcop).  We stayed at her place Friday night and were treated very nicely.  She was not able to find Sue Rice, but she did have a couple of books on local history which she loaned me.  I read them that night.  One of them, Garway Hill Through the Ages, has about 15 pages on the Mormon experience in the area–including the conversion of the Holley family and their immigration to America.  I was so grateful for her lending me the book that she got up early Saturday morning and went into town and bought one for me.

Sunday we attended church at the Hereford Ward.  Very friendly people.  I asked one of the men in the bishopric whether there were any Holleys in the ward.  He said he knew only one, a young woman named Holley Jackson….Uhhhh.

For me, there is something meaningful about standing where your forbearers stood and seeing the world as they experienced it and to ponder what happened and how they felt about their lives.  Their challenges are so different than ours.  About all they have in common is that they sometimes test us to the limit–whatever that limit may be.  Generally, I think their limits were less vulnerable than ours.

A word about the American elections.  The British cannot believe what is going on in the States. Donald Trump scares them to death and they wonder when America will wake up and stop playing this game.  We are, in a word, embarrassed. There is only one thing that may force me to vote for either of the Democratic candidates this election–and that is Trump.  For now, all I can do is offer my apologies to the Brits.

That’s it for now.  I drove about 10 hours this weekend IN BRITISH TRAFFIC–so I deserve a rest.

Ciao