The Nutcracker

Today, 25 of us head for the Stanislavsky Theater for the matinee performance of the Nutcracker Ballet. I did a little research and found a little background on the ballet. We will see how closely the ballet follows the story line. A quick check of prices for a matinee performance in New York shows that we are paying about 25% of the price of a pair of New York tickets; 3,600 roubles vs. 15,500 roubles (USD equivalent for two Moscow tickets: $122.00)!! This will be the most expensive cultural event we have attended since we have been here. Thanks for the bargain Moscow!

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" written by E.T.A. Hoffman. Although what is seen on the stage today is different in detail from the original story, the basic plot remains the same; The story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

When Marius Petipa had the idea to choreograph the story into a ballet, it was actually based on a revision by Alexander Dumas, a well known French author. His version reflects more of what we have come to love as the Nutcracker Ballet.

The Party Scene
It is Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum house -- A large and grand house with the most beautiful tree imaginable. The Stahlbaums are hosting their annual Christmas party, welcoming the arrival of their family and friends. The children, Clara and Fritz, are dancing and playing as they welcome their friends too.

The party grows festive with music and dance as godfather Drosselmeyer arrives. He is a skilled clock and toy maker and always full of surprises. Drosselmeyer draws everyone's attention as he presents two life-size dolls. They are the delight of the party, each taking a turn to dance.

The children begin to open gifts when Drosselmeyer presents his to Clara and Fritz. Although his gift to Fritz is quite nice, he gives Clara a beautiful Nutcracker that becomes the hit of the party. Fritz becomes jealous and, having a bit more spunk than a boy should have, grabs the nutcracker from Clara and promptly breaks it. Clara is heartbroken looking on as Drosselmeyer quickly repairs the Nutcracker with a handkerchief he magically draws from the air.
As the evening grows late, the guests depart and the Stahlbaum family retires for the evening. Clara, worried about her beloved Nutcracker, sneaks back to the tree to check on him, falling asleep with him in her arms.

The Fight Scene
As the clock strikes midnight strange things begin to happen. Clara begins shrinking as her beautiful Christmas tree grows high above her. The toys around the tree come to life while the room fills with an army of mice, lead by the fierce Mouse King. As the Nutcracker awakens, he leads his army of toy soldiers into battle with the mice. The Mouse King corners the Nutcracker and battles him one-on-one. The Nutcracker seems to be no match for the Mouse King.

The Nutcracker and his army can go on no longer and are captured by the mice and their King. Clara makes a final daring charge throwing her slipper at the Mouse King, hitting him square on the head. The Mouse King drops to the floor and the mice run away, carrying off their leader's lifeless body.

The Land of Snow
The Nutcracker turns into a Prince and takes Clara on a journey to the Land of Snow, an enchanted forest wonderland where they are welcomed by dancing snowflakes.

The Land of Sweets
The Prince escorts Clara to the Land of Sweets where they are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Prince tells her about their daring battle with the army of mice and she rewards them with a celebration of dances.

The Spanish Dance
The Arabian Dance
The Russian Dance
The Chinese Dance
The Mirliton Dance
The Waltz of Flowers

As a finale, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier dance a beautiful Pas De Deux.

The Dream Ends
Clara awakens from her dream and finds herself by her Christmas tree with her beloved Nutcracker.

Little Lie; Innocent Lie

Thoughts I didn't share from yesterday's Sunday School lesson. (Moroni 7:14)

In Victor Hugo’s epic literary masterpiece, Les Miserable, he introduces us to one of the most beloved characters in the book, Sister Simplice, the woman who would not tell a lie. In his inimitable style, Hugo suggests that a “serious gap would exist in this book [Les Miserables] if we did not narrate [this part of the story] in [its] most minute details.” (Hugo knew something about details!) Here is his introduction to Sister Simplice, who became Fantine’s caregiver, who was dying of consumption:

Sister Simplice was white, with a waxen pallor. Beside Sister Perpetue, she was the taper beside the candle. Vincent de Paul has divinely traced the features of the Sister of Charity in these admirable words, in which he mingles as much freedom as servitude: "They shall have for their convent only the house of the sick; for cell only a hired room; for chapel only their parish church; for cloister only the streets of the town and the wards of the hospitals; for enclosure only obedience; for gratings only the fear of God; for veil only modesty." This ideal was realized in the living person of Sister Simplice: she had never been young, and it seemed as though she would never grow old. No one could have told Sister Simplice's age. She was a person-- we dare not say a woman--who was gentle, austere, well-bred, cold, and who had never lied…

Never to have lied, never to have said, for any interest whatever, even in indifference, any single thing which was not the truth, the sacred truth, was Sister Simplice's distinctive trait; it was the accent of her virtue. She was almost renowned in the congregation for this imperturbable veracity. The Abbe Sicard speaks of Sister Simplice in a letter to the deaf-mute Massieu. However pure and sincere we may be, we all bear upon our candor the crack of the little, innocent lie. She did not.


Sophists will argue that a little lie, an innocent lie will not do any harm. In fact, they argue quite convincingly that the innocent lie can do much good. It can make someone happy. It can avoid hurt feelings. It can even save lives! But don’t be deceived. Satan will use a thousand truths to dupe his victims into believing this lie of all lies.

Moroni, the last prophet in the Book of Mormon warns us about calling something evil, good.

Moroni 7:14

Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be [good and] of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.

This warning from Moroni was for our time. Sophists of our day attempt to blur the lines between that which is good and that which is evil. Now listen to what Hugo says about a little lie, an innocent lie, part of his concluding remarks in his introduction to Sister Simplice.

Little lie, innocent lie--does such a thing exist? To lie is the absolute form of evil. To lie a little is not possible: he who lies, lies the whole lie. To lie is the very face of the demon. Satan has two names; he is called Satan and Lying. (See Pearl of Great Price, Moses 4:4 where Satan is described as the father of all lies). That is what she thought; and as she thought, so she did…

On entering the order of Saint Vincent de Paul, she had taken the name of Simplice by special choice. Simplice of Sicily, as we know, is the saint who preferred to allow both her breasts to be torn off rather than to say that she had been born at Segesta when she had been born at Syracuse-- a lie which would have saved her. This patron saint suited this soul.

Having established my theme and reviewed the background provided by Hugo, let’s review the events that are about to take place.

Jean Valjean has just received news that a person has been taken into custody, who has been mistakenly identified as himself (Jean Valjean). If convicted the poor soul will be sentenced to life in prison, because of Jean Valjean’s crimes. Jean Valjean wrestles with the question of whether he should save this poor wretched soul or keep quiet and not reveal the truth. The song “Who Am I?,” from the popular play of our day, depicts the inner conflict within his soul. Was he Jean Valjean (the man who promised the Bishop of D that he would become an upright man, or was he 24601, the prison number that identified the thief, the veteran of 19 years in the galleys of Toulon?

Ultimately, no rationalization can persuade Jean Valjean to lie and he heads to court and confesses that he is Jean Valjean. It would have been so easy to remain silent, but he chose to tell the truth, rather than attempt to bury a lie. Released on his own recognizance, he returns to the town he had helped prosper, which he would have saved had he kept silent, but which is now destined to fall back on hard times, to languish in misery, without his leadership, as in the days of old. He has returned to make preparations to accomplish one last act of mercy…to rescue Cossette, Fantine's daughter, from the deceitful Thernadiers. He needs just three days.

Somehow news has traveled faster than his carriage, because upon his return, he is met by none other than Javert, his relentless pursuer. Javert puts him in jail, but he manages to escape in just a matter of a few hours due to a loose bar in his cell and his unusual strength. He appears back home gathering up those things he will need to rescue Cossette, which will include the silver candlesticks that were given to him by the Bishop of D. No sooner has he arrived than Javert and his men are at the door.

He is in the presence of Sister Simplice. He steps into a place of hiding leaving Sister Simplice, alone, to confront Javert.

They recognized Javert's voice.

The chamber was so arranged that the door in opening masked the corner of the wall on the right. Jean Valjean blew out the light and placed himself in this angle.

Sister Simplice fell on her knees near the table.

The door opened.

Javert entered.

The whispers of many men and the protestations of the portress were audible in the corridor.

The nun did not raise her eyes. She was praying.

The candle was on the chimney-piece, and gave but very little light.

Javert caught sight of the nun and halted in amazement.

It will be remembered that the fundamental point in Javert, his element, the very air he breathed, was veneration for all authority. This was impregnable, and admitted of neither objection nor restriction. In his eyes, of course, the ecclesiastical authority was the chief of all; he was religious, superficial and correct on this point as on all others. In his eyes, a priest was a mind, who never makes a mistake; a nun was a creature who never sins; they were souls walled in from this world, with a single door which never opened except to allow the truth to pass through.

On perceiving the sister, his first movement was to retire.

But there was also another duty which bound him and impelled him imperiously in the opposite direction. His second movement was to remain and to venture on at least one question.

This was Sister Simplice, who had never told a lie in her life. Javert knew it, and held her in special veneration in consequence.

"Sister," said he, "are you alone in this room?"

A terrible moment ensued, during which the poor portress felt as though she should faint.

The sister raised her eyes and answered: --
"Yes."

"Then," resumed Javert, "you will excuse me if I persist; it is my duty; you have not seen a certain person -- a man -- this evening? He has escaped; we are in search of him -- that Jean Valjean; you have not seen him?"

The sister replied: --
"No."

She lied. She had lied twice in succession, one after the other, without hesitation, promptly, as a person does when sacrificing herself.

"Pardon me," said Javert, and he retired with a deep bow.

O sainted maid! you left this world many years ago; you have rejoined your sisters, the virgins, and your brothers, the angels, in the light; may this lie be counted to your credit in paradise!

Who can deny that many reader’s have feelings of relief and are inwardly cheering her “heroic” deed, when reading this passage? But you must decide if this lie will be counted to her credit in paradise, or if this prayer is in vain.

Before you decide, remember that Hugo has established that Jean Valjean was able to tell the truth with much more at stake. For Jean Valjean, not only was his welfare and that of Cossette's to be considered, but an entire town was also put at risk. Besides, Jean Valjean was like a cat with nine lives. Was there no place for another miracle, if it was God’s will? Does He really need us to lie to accomplish his purposes?

Imagine praying to a God who was capable of telling little lies, innocent lies. What would be the basis of your faith? As it is said in an old Mormon hymn, “the thought makes reason stare.” If it were true, God would cease to be God. The truth is, a lie can save a person’s life, but not a person’s soul.

Crash 3 and Random Thoughts

Well, we just found out that another accident has occurred and another car was totaled. Uncle Jeff hit a car who was turning left right into traffic and Jeff plowed into him. So Uncle Jeff is now in the market for a pick up truck. On the brighter side of the silver lining, has there ever been a better time to be purchasing a pickup truck? We are grateful, once again, that no one was seriously hurt.

Below are a number of random pictures taken over the past two weeks that never got posted.

When one person takes a picture; everybody has to take a picture!
For some reason my dress is a source of endless entertainment for the office staff!
Treasures from Marina and Lena.
Chris at the American Embassy getting more pages in her passport for her next visa trip!
LaDawn and Chris sharing a rare intimate moment on the Metro!

Chris at her desk. She sits in the middle of the office, lord and master over all!!

Area Christmas Luncheon (2008) ). Pictured left to right Chris, Linda, David, Vladimir, Lidia, President Pieper, Alexander, Acia, Marina, President Gibbons.Linda, Marina and Lidia preparing for lunch.

Sam and Narene. It looks like Sam must be getting to the end of his mission!

One cute little missionary!

Christmas Chats

We got to everybody but my mother yesterday. The line was busy and by the time we checked in one last time it was 10:30 and we were ready for bed!

It sounded like everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Gadgets still seemed to be the order of the day, from DVD players to Wii from Nintendo. We were a little less techno-focused this year, buying artsy things instead. Of course, if we would have been home, I would be setting up our new Macintosh computers. I guess we will have Christmas at Easter this year!

We had a great time, as always, with the seniors yesterday at the Rees's apartment. We had some great soup and lots of fun snacks. We were home by 7:30 and on the phone or skyping with members of the family.

Today, it is back to the grindstone. We will work next Monday and Tuesday, then we will be off for the rest of the week. Wednesday we will go to the Nutcracker. I will be back at work the next Tuesday, for a series of video conferences with the Mission Presidents. Chris will have a little down time by herself. She will love every minute of it!

More later.

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas everybody. Best wishes to everybody.

Yesterday we spent the day with all of the missionaries in the Moscow Mission. Sam and I had a 5-game tournament in ping pong. Greg 3, Sam 2. Don't get too excited though, Sam is a much better player than I am. Unforced errors caused by thinking he was as good as he obviously once was, did him in. A few more games under his belt and he would bury me for sure!!

Next, we watched the second half of a British made musical of Scrooge. It was pretty good, in a very different way...(I never considered Scrooge as a musical!!).

Then it was time for dinner, more games and missionary skits.

This was followed up with a musical devotional and then dessert!

We concluded with mops and rags in hand. In just a few minutes, with all of our missionary might, we had the place cleaned up.

Onto the metro and then back home.

We had a beautiful snow the night before so everything looked very much like Christmas.

Here are a few picts and videos from the days activities.

Seniors on the way to a Christmas celebration.

FOOD! and Sister Cranney in her favorite Christmas outfit...an apron!!

Greg, Chris, Elder Lemon, and Sister and Elder Reese, our newest senior couple!

What would a missionary Christmas celebration be like with a year in review in slides!!

Mormon Rap

Allen Ranked Third in the Nation by USA Today

Just two undefeated teams teams eclipsed Allen High School from being ranked No. 1. It should be noted that the team that defeated Allen had previously been ranked No. 1 and Allen beat them in the playoffs!!

Yesterday we went to the U. S. Embassy to get Chris a few more pages in her passport. Visa travel eats up passports! We had never been there before, but Sam and Narane were kind enough to be our guides. Yesterday, was not a day for wandering. It was bitter cold, with just a trace of snow. Last night those traces accumulated to about 1 inch that we walked through this morning. It is supposed to snow over the next several days, so I guess winter arrived right on schedule, just not early!

Tonight we have FHE at the Mason's and tomorrow a missionary conference with all of the seniors and the young missionaries. On Christmas day, we will be with the Rees's for district conference and then we will be joined later by the seniors.

Christmas Letter 2008

I am posting our Christmas Letter, because I haven't had access to my email addresses since my computer crashed and burned, a month ago. I am still trying to recover those. I have my pst file, but the computer I am using doesn't have Outlook. So, I will try to get to the office with my pst file and open it there. But until then, I hope you are reading the blog!!

2009 marks the first calendar year of full-time missionary work for Старейшйнa и Сестра Шепард (Starayshina and Siestra Shepard). It has been a great adventure. A few weeks ago when we posted a list of Russian memories that were compiled by the senior missionaries, we began to realize just how much of the Russian experience we have absorbed. To live here is the only way to unwrap the enigma and pluck out the mystery!

We spend a lot of time when we are together with the other seniors asking ourselves what makes a Russian a Russian. There is no denying that the Russian experience is complex. It takes time to unravel. When you get to know a Russian (and it doesn’t take as long as you might think), you will discover a warm and caring people, who have aspirations, not unlike our own. What is different is that there are a few more obstacles to overcome to realize their dreams.

Among our first encounters in Russia were winter and our first Christmas away from our family. This is the Russia that is most familiar to us. So far, we haven’t seen much winter, but the Christmas season has arrived on time. We have already had many special moments to celebrate this time of the year. For most of the seniors, this is our second Christmas, so more “things” have been accumulated (from Ismalya) and the apartments are looking a little more like Christmas.

This week we are all going to the theater to see Beauty and the Beast and on New Year’s Eve we will attend the Nutcracker ballet. We will also have many other times to get together throughout the holiday season. We will be off from Jan 1 to 11. We may even get adventurous enough to go ice skating on Red Square!

It seems impossible to think that we will be heading home in just a few months (less than 100 days by the time you receive this email). At the end of January we will be heading out for our last visa trip , so that we can get back and make the final preparations for our last Mission Presidents’ Seminar. Then our replacements will be here, we will train them, and then we will be heading home. We should be back in the states by April 1.

We are grateful for all of those who have taken the opportunity to reach out and touch us throughout the year through the miracle of email, telephone, video conferencing or a comment on our blog. It’s always great to hear from you.

And now a Christmas thought to leave with you:

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2: 7)

Our hope and prayer is that the world will find room in their hearts for the message of Christmas. Jesus Christ lives and he is the Son of God. He has suffered so that everyone who will approach him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit may lay claim to his infinite mercy. Of all of his titles, Compassion, was the favorite of the good Bishop of Digne (from Les Miserables). It is our favorite, as well.

Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.

With Love,

Elder and Sister Shepard, mom and dadd, grandma and grandpa, aunt and uncle, friend

Allen Eagles Win the Texas Football State Championship for the First Time

I called Jason yesterday and he was in the car heading for Houston. I wondered, What is he doing going to Houston? I could hear Joy and the girls in the background. I just couldn't pull it together. Then Jason broke the news...they were on their way to see their Allen Eagles play for the Division I State Championship in Texas. It doesn't get any bigger than this in Texas. I was primed for the news I found on the internet this morning, after reading the book the The Twelve Mighty Orphans, a soon to be classic about Texas football in the 1930's.

I suspect for Jason (who I am sure has no voice this morning), this was a magical moment. For a young man who lives to be with his family watching the annual July 4th parade and celebration in Fredricksburg, TX, and strives to maintain old fashion (but never out-of-date) values, this had to be very special. The Cowboys could win three Superbowls in a row and it wouldn't mean the same.

Brother Minor, my current hometeacher, my former High Priest Group Leader, and a long time Allen booster, has been with the team throughout much of its inglorious past. This had to be a special moment for him as well!

Here is the wire story from the Dallas Morning News:

Allen didn't panic after being shutout in the first half by Fort Bend Hightower and was rewarded with a 21-14 victory.

After waiting so long to win its first state title, what's another two quarters?

"We knew what our offense could do," said Allen quarterback Tucker Carter, the game's offensive MVP. "We had to stay within ourselves. It was mainly me, I was trying to make too much happen."

Carter made it all happen with three touchdown passes in the second half to complete a stunning turnaround before 26,023 at Reliant Stadium.

Carter's biggest pass may have been with less than five minutes remaining when Allen chose to go for it on fourth-and-a-foot at midfield.

With Hightower linebacker Phillip Steward in his face, Carter flipped a pass to Uzoma Nwachukwu for a five-yard gain.

The first down allowed Allen to all but run out the clock. It also helped Allen end years of frustration as being one of the area's best programs to not win a state title.

"It puts us on the map," receiver Dakarai Pecikonis said. "People always doubted us, but we believe in ourselves."

Allen (15-1) needed faith after being held to 117 yards in the first half. Hightower (13-1) took a 7-0 lead midway through the first period on a 42-yard run by Darius Johnson.

Allen's defense kept the game from getting away. Hightower was stopped on fourth down at the 1-yard line in the second quarter, and Allen's Stephen Terrell partially blocked a field goal attempt just before halftime.

Allen's offense scored on its first possession of the second half. It needed to convert another fourth-and-1 to keep the drive going, then Carter hit Pecikonis for a 42-yard gain. That set up a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Williams.

The defense came through again when linebacker Mitch Hartshorne intercepted a pass and returned it 26 yards. On the next play, Carter found Marcus Thomas all alone for a 37-yard score.

Allen stretched its lead to 21-7 when Carter threw his third touchdown pass to Justin Robinson.

Moscow Choir

Last night was supposed to be our service project at the Hospital, but most of the seniors were out of town, this activity was postponed until January 7, the Russian Christmas day. So, last night we just went to the Moscow Choir Concert at the central building. Last year the choir sang at a hall, but this year, for many reasons, the choir was not large enough to sing in the hall, so they opted to sing in one of the church buildngs, which, I am told because of the low ceilings is not really conducive to good quality sound. Nevertheless, the choir sounded great. We enjoyed it immensely.

We met with other seniors (those who were in town) for dinner at a Sbarros just a hundred yards from the building. Earlier in the day, we did our big shopping at Metro with the Irelands.

My day began with an early morning meeting with our hotel representative at the Metropol. Our seminar schedule is really three half days, but the seminar package that we bought includes two breaks each day (it was cheaper to buy the package)though we will only be there for one break each day. The hotel person insisted on bringing both breaks at the same time, since we have already paid for them. I tried to explain to her that maybe she could just make the one break more special, but only bring the one we need. That idea never got fully communicated, so I guess we will stuff our pockets with cookies and fruit for a late midnight snack!

Contracts are signed and ready to be sent to the Hotel. We booked our ballet tickets yesterday (our big cultural event for the seminar). We managed to get 42 tickets together and then another block of 12, still within the same area, so we were pleased with those results.

This morning it is clear and sunny and cold. That is what the forecasters are telling us for the next few days. By the time Christmas gets here it will be snowing pretty regularly and the temperatures are supposed to stay around 15-20 degrees F. However, it looks like it might be windy with some significant wind chills. If that is the case, our experience will be quite different from our previous winter, because we got very little wind last year.

The Nearons are off to Spain until after Christmas, so Chris and I are back to walking to work. That will probably be good for us. We don't want to get too soft.

Crash 1, Crash 2 or is it Crash 3, Crash 4?

Before I get too cute with this post, I want to say how truly blessed we are that Billy and Jason have survived their recent car accidents.

In the past couple of months, Jason and Billy have registered two accidents each. That being said, Jason's experience seems bush league compared to Billy. Billy is two for two...cars totaled.

These recent events have caused my old mind to wander back to other incidents in which the last full measure of devotion was required by a car owned by a Shepard or a Deragon. If my memory is correct, the score is Billy 3, Ben 2, Jessica 2, Zack 1, and Sarah 1. (If I have mistated the scorecard, it will take only seconds and I will hear the corrections!!

Miraculously, there have been no serious injuries. (Except when Zack was a passenger and had to be taken out on a board, when he was on a church activity, heading for Six Flags).

Now let me compare that to the past two surviving generations:
Grandma Faye 0, Granpa Ben 0, Grandma Dorothy 0, Grandpa Jack 0, Mom 0, Dadd 0.

Just how many lives do the Shepards have? We're up to 8 if my count is right.

BE CAREFUL!!

The Blitz

It looks like it is going to be one of those years without snow until January. At the moment, snow is not in the forecast until December 22, but that is so far out so as not be taken too seriously. It is colder, about 19 degrees F tonight and 16 degrees by tomorrow morning.

We just got home from FHE. We had quite a communte, from our door to the Nearons...about 3 feet!! It was nice not to have get out in the cold weather. We had a white elephant gift exchange. Chris got a stuffed animal that was pretty cute and I got a ceramic chicken in a Santa Claus outfit!

Brother Curbishley told us about one his most memorable Christmases. It was December 1940. The Blitz was in full throttle. London had been bombed for 57 nights in a row. Now the Germans were bombing the town of Sheffield, where he lived. Sheffield was strategic because of its steel mills. He was just 3 1/2 years old, but he has many images that are still quite vivid in his memory. Sheffield took over 800 bombs in an area the size of a circle with about an 8 mile diameter. They bombed civilians not wanting to destroy the steel mills. Sheffield was one of the mostly heavily bombed areas in England up to that time. Many of his neighbors lost their homes, spouses and children. One neighbor brought over his mother who had a compound fracture to her leg. She had just lost her husband, a son and three grandchildren. George's father broke down a dining room chair to use as a splint and with that and the help of a few others, set the leg the best they could and wrapped it up in torn pieces of sheets from the Curbishley's bedding.

George's mother had been baking when the sirens went off. She stayed in the home until the bread was cooked. Then they shared what they had with their neighbors...the warm bread and a can of Spam. Make all the jokes about Spam you want; there was nothing funny about Spam as he told his story.

That year there were no Christmas presents. England was all alone against the Germans. They had no allies. They were convinced that the Germans were just moments from making the invasion. Yet they knew, that if they did, they would have to kill all the British people, because they were determined to never, never, never give up! George said that this Christmas was special to him because he and his family were involved in giving not receiving.

Ultimately, the will and determination of the British people forced Hitler to give up on his plan to evade the British Isles. Then in 1941, Hitler made one of his biggest mistakes by attacking Russia. At that point the British knew they had saved their island. They had less than 40 planes left in Royal Air Force (RAF) at the time of the attack on Russia. By the end of the year, the United States entered the war. Britain now had the two strongest nations on earth as allies. At that point, they knew it was only a matter of time, until victory would be theirs.

Sunday

We were getting calls into the late evening yesterday...kids wishing us a happy anniversary. We really appreciate their remembering. Jessica even left her first blog comment (see yesterday's post). Thanks Jess!

This morning I have been studying my lesson for today...the first discussion from Preach My Gospel. After today, I will lose most of the ILP (International Language Program) girls, who will be winging their way home to their families for Christmas. They are always a delight to have in a class. They are amazingly positive, engaging and knowledgable about the gospel.

I have been asked to teach Gospel Doctrine on a substitute basis for the next three weeks, while the regular teachers are off to visit with their families for the holidays. Hopefully, we can start up another class, after the first of the year.

I will be going to church by myself today. Sister Shepard is complaining of a sore throat, so she will stay in today.

Once again, we had a very pleasant time yesterday and enjoyed hearing from so many well wishers.

PS: Its getting colder, but still no snow. Check out the weather forecast for the next 5 days...nothing but blue skies from now on!

Happy Anniversary--38 Years!

Flowers for Chris; Anthurium in a Russian pot.

The Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco was a new distinctive element in the San Francisco skyline. A half gallon of milk and a loaf of bread could be purchased for less than a dollar. Chris was looking pretty cool driving about town in a brand new powder blue Volkswagen, that cost less than $2,000. Digital was not in our vocabulary. Cells were something you looked at under a microscope, music was still played on vinyl discs and we wouldn't own a color tv for several years.

Greg was in graduate school taking courses in mathematics that, nearly 40 years later, seem as foreign to him as the Russian language. He was still cutting meat for the butcher he had worked for, for the past 7 years. Chris was an undergraduate at Cal State, struggling with Statistics. Her boyfriend, (moi!) who was after all, a mathematics major, was not any help whatsoever, having never taken that course before.

When we were first married, we listened to a song by Simon and Garfunkle, called Bookends that was on one of their albums. Chris did not like this song. It was about two old people (old friends), sitting on a park bench like bookends. Today, she is much more philosophical about that subject, and perhaps feeling a little bit like a bookend herself, bought these two Russian dolls (for our anniversary) sitting on a bench to commemorate her memories when she was just a young brown-eyed girl. I think we make a great set of bookends.
Two Russian Bookends!!

Fast foward 38 years and we are still each others sweetheart and best friends. We have six children, their four wonderful spouses, and 12 grandchildren. We left a place where 'little cable cars run halfway to the stars', to a place where the stars are just big and bright. (Texas!)

We are now in a place, for the next 100 days or so, where we probably will not see the stars at all!! But we are not complaining. We have had a wonderlife together. We'd do it all over again if we could. This is one anniverary we will remember for sure!

Today we are off with the Seniors (senior missonaries that is) to see Beauty and the Beast and will probably eat dinner at TGI Fridays. It will be a great way to celebrate our anniversary of 38 years!

Just back in. The Theater was great. Great story. Great costumes and choreography. Lots of little girls who were in their Belle costumes. Really rather magical. We did eat dinner at Fridays. We sat with the Gibbons and the rest of group huddled around five other tables stacked together. The Rees's couldn't get tickets due to their recent arrival in Moscow. Clark (stick in the mud) Mason stayed home, because he wasn't up to a Russian play in which he couldn't understand the dialogue. Renee had a great time, just the same!!

A Belle wanna be!! My granddaughters came to mind. We have lots of wanna be princesses. And they are real princesses to us.

The Gibbons join the Seniors!

The beginning...

the end.

The lines to get your coats!!

At Fridays, getting ready to order.

The Curbishleys generously organized this outing. Our thanks go out to them. The tickets and company were great!

As we were walking up the path to our apartment, we could hear fireworks going off. (They are still going off). It is nice to think that the Russians would put on such a display just for us!!

Still No Snow

It is December 10 and still no snow. It is not even in the forecast until December 22. It is getting a bit colder, but last night on our way to FHE, we didn't need hats or gloves. Your prayers and our prayers are working!! Keep it up!

After chatting with Acia, about recruiting some singers for the program, we came up short. The Moscow Choir is singing at 6:30 that night and have to practice some before that. We were supposed to sing at the hospital between 4:00 and 5:00. So...I am feeling more confident that we will have to cancel our engagement. We may be able to reschedule it after the New Year. Remember, the Russian Christmas is around the 7th of January.

First and Lasting Memories of Moscow

Just finished FHE with the Irelands, Masons and Reeses. We practiced Christmas songs in Russian to sing at the Hospital a week from next Friday. We discovered that we may be missing 5 couples...all will be traveling on assignment. So, now we will have to scramble for singers. We will need at least 20 and we hope to get a ringer or two!

Some time ago, I mentioned that at a FHE we seniors created a list of memorable moments that we have experienced in Moscow. Narene was our scribe and she ended up with quite a list. Many you will already be familiar with, if you have been keeping up with the blog. I would invite many of you seniors from Christmas present to Christmas past to add to the list. Just make a comment and I will add it to the list.

Here goes:

Metros – crowded, noisy, amazing system
Interesting and different décor in metro stations
People reading, doing crossword puzzles and electronic games, text messaging
Courtesy to children, pregnant, lame, and elderly – giving up a seat
Long escalators, one at Victory Park is a 3-minute ride
Avoiding eye contact, looking down or eyes closed
Homeless sleeping, beer bottles rolling on the floor, beggars going from car to car
Romancing on the metro and escalators
Carrying passports and registration all the time; renewing visas every 90 days
Tall girls with slender waists, fashionably dressed
Every possible shade of red, orange, maroon hair (formerly, red in Russian = “beautiful”)
High spike heel shoes and boots, tight pants
Panty hose worn all year around, often “fish net” or floral design
Fur coats and fur trim on jackets, fur hats, wool hats, knitted or crocheted hats
Scarves wrapped around neck, pretty shawls
Summertime dresses too short on both ends, boots & miniskirts
Boots and purses to match (black, yellow, silver, whatever); big purses
Short babushkas, not slender
Scarves tied under the chin
Black coat, black stockings, black flat shoes
Selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, or clothes hanging over their arms
Tall guys, pointed-toe shoes
Shoulder bags, back packs, briefcases
Children wearing hats in all seasons
Children bundled up in snowsuits with arms straight out and only faces showing
Nice parks
Moms, grandmas, dads, grandpas pushing baby carriages (“Cadillac” baby carriages)
Walking many dogs, many breeds, big and small
Flower beds and containers in spring and summer
Litter on the sidewalks, spit, cigarette butts, garbage
Trash cans scarce, usually very small
Babushkas and foreigners sweeping cigarette butts, leaves, trash with twig brooms Short-handled brooms
Many onion-dome churches
Icons (no graven images), candles
Women wearing scarves; men removing hats
No places to sit in their churches (offensive to sit in the presence of God)
Babushkas sitting outside with a cup for donations in all kinds of weather
Children walking to school with a parent or grandparent
Similar age children walking in opposite directions
Taking flowers on the first day of school
Large statues – Soviet and war heroes, historical and cultural, poets
Stray dogs everywhere; not many cats
Dogs sleeping in the metro stations
People with a dog and a cup wanting coins to buy dog food
Flower shops on nearly every block
Babushkas selling flowers on the street and metro entrances
Large bouquets carried on the metro train in all seasons
Sok (juice) in many flavors
Real butter, whipping cream yogurt, sour cream
Bread fresh every day at bread stands – black, rye, wheat, white, brown, seeds
Good cheese
Beautifully wrapped pieces of chocolate candy
No ice for drinks
Water with gas
McDonald’s – long lines, stand in line for 20 minutes
Staking out a table, sharing tables with strangers
Chocolate shakes (“shokolada cocktails”)
Chicken “McFeak” (large chicken sandwich)
Salads with cucumbers, tomatoes, and cheese
Blinis (pancakes with variety of fillings)
Kartoshkas (with added scoops of dill and sour cream, mushrooms, etc., as desired)
Sharmas (type of burritos)
Shashlik (skewers of grilled meat with or without veggies)
Syshke (hard biscuits shaped like a donut)
Kvas (drink made with fermented bread)
Watermelon stands
Ismaly Park, matrushka dolls, Grandfather Frosts, nativities
Kiosks along the streets, each selling their limited variety
Renoks selling rows and rows of clothing and merchandise, big bras
Asian Market’s maze of narrow aisles, men pushing carts at closing time
Babushkas selling dill pickles and cabbage combined with shredded carrots in a brine
Vendors selling on the electrishkas (electric trains)
Porto potties, pay to use, may or may not have toilet paper
See-through toilet paper--Not readily found everywhere
Public places with public “toilets,” sometimes without a stool and seat
Flush with pull-up knob or push button, limited or no water in bowl of stool
Typical to have toilet brush and aerosol can to spray
Cars parking on the sidewalks; traffic horrendous (2 hours driving vs. 20 minutes on the metro)
Car alarms, rows of very small metal garages with big locks
Pedestrians walking in the street; no pedestrian right of way
Nobody stopping to pick up kopek coins on the street
Walkers holding hands or locking arms
Walking on packed snow and ice in the winter with swept snow build up on the sides
Wading through or around puddles, almost rivers, when the ice and snow melts
Carrying Kleenex tissue in cold weather for drippy noses
Man-hole covers everywhere
Hitch hikers holding a hand palm down for a car to stop; negotiate with driver for price
Checklist before leaving the apartment each day:
*Passport
*Name tag
*Cell phone
*Metro pass and bus pass
*Keys
*Money (rubles)
*Umbrella on many days
Trying to find things in the winter time with all the layers and pockets
Trying to get off a crowded bus
Bring your own cake for birthday celebrations
Fancy cakes to buy at the food stores
Ice cream is expensive but good, comes in small containers (Baskin Robbins!)
Big apartment buildings everywhere, some old and some new
Apartment security
Magnetic locks on outside doors
Double doors into the apartment with bolts on the side and above, each locked, padded
Person to monitor who is entering the building
Control heat by opening windows
Hot water piped into apartments, no hot water for 2 to 3 weeks each summer
Small electric pitcher to heat water when hot water is shut off
Water filters in apartments or drink bottled water
Washing fruits and vegetables with ACE chlorine water solution
Small, slow elevators
No elevators if no more floors above the 5th floor
Dirty entry ways to apartments
Bad phone lines
Handy folding clothes racks for drying clothes
No screens on windows
Chandeliers, lace curtains
Uneven floors
Uncomfortable Soviet couches
Beds with padded mattresses, no box springs
Light switches in odd places and at varying heights
Removing shoes when entering an apartment
Slippers available at the door for guests
Painting fences, buildings every spring
Green paint, no preparation of surface before painting, no concern for drips
No “fresh paint” signs
Painting over graffiti without matching paint color, zigzagging around objects
Painting lines on center of road followed by two guys measuring with tape afterward
Construction and repairs everywhere, take a long time
One crew finishes a project (e.g., sidewalk) and two weeks later it is dug up
Many unfinished construction projects
Big cranes in the sky which ever direction you look
Steps of different height in the same stairway
Crumbling concrete
Uneven asphalt sidewalks accumulate ice and puddles
No apparent zoning laws
Checking coats in museums, ballets, restaurants, etc.
Children taken to the museums, ballets
Senior Moments:
*Thinking ballet is over when flowers are presented to dancers at end of an act
*Finding the right exit from the metro
*Using limited Russian to ask for directions
*Putting accent on wrong syllable in a Russian word (“You mean “Mac don alds.”)
*Taking the “scenic” route to get to our intended destination
*Never finding the “roses,” but still having a good time
Won’t shake hands through a doorway
Won’t get a flu shot
Only can get one x-ray a year
Hospital stays are long
Faith of Church members is strong
Vacations used to make a trip to the temple, take own names, do many sessions
Check appliances at the store “testing” area before buying, no returns
Blue or purple stamps on documents
Size A4 computer paper
Brides getting photos at picturesque sites, traveling in limos, guests accompanying
Brides putting padlocks on bridges to express their forever love
A young man and a young lady witness with banners across their chests
Typically see 1 or 2 children in a family, frequently see twins
Long past date of expiration on food is not unusual
Store selling only 3 buttons even though had 6
Cashiers tearing receipts before giving to customer
Cashiers sitting down, often not smiling
Planting new grass, not cutting until way too high
Weed whackers used more often than lawn mowers
Unlimited sights to see and experience
Museums, historical places, ballets, operas, circus, beautiful old buildings, arts & crafts
Red Square at night and with Christmas lights
Many police and military personnel in uniforms
Security guys in dark suits with two-way radios in grocery stores
Policemen pulling cars over by showing a stick
Hitch hikers holding a hand palm down for a car to stop; negotiate with driver for price
Everyone using a cell phone and an mp-3 player
Musicians on the street and in the metro connecting tunnels
Grocery carts and gypsy bags, carrying “pack-ets”
Several aisles of alcoholic beverages in the grocery stores
Nothing to accommodate the handicap getting around, many invalids
Ramps for buggies and shopping carts
Many old ladies, not so many old men
Fireworks frequently all over the city
New Years Eve with fireworks lighting up the sky from 10:30 p.m. to past 1:30 a.m.
Different Russian holidays, working on Saturdays to make up for a holiday
Coat, hat, scarf, and gloves to keep warm in cold weather; but too hot in the metro
No sun for days during the winter
Long days, short nights; short days, long nights
Looking forward to Family Home Evenings with the senior couples
Happy memories of our Saturday outings and miles walked together
As the driver Yuri says, “What a pity.”
Yes, what a pity to leave the city.
But all good things must come to an end.
Moscow has become our friend.
[List compiled by the Senior Missionary Couples at FHE, 21 Oct 08.]

Busy Start to the Week

First Row: Sister Yorgesen, President and Sister Collins, President and Sister Pieper, Sister and President Cranney; Second Row: Elder Yorgesen, Sister and Elder McClellan, Sister and Elder Mason, Sister and Elder Monson, Sister and Elder Rees, Sister and Elder Gregory, Sister and Elder Ireland, Sister Nearon, Elder and Sister Shepard

We started the day with a Senior Couples conference in the Central Building in the Moscow. All of the senior couples from both the Moscow and Moscow West missions were there except the Curbishleys. They are back on the road and should be back on Friday. We met a new couple, from Texas, the McClellans. They are serving in Yaroslavl, far, far away. We did not know them, but we have many mutual friends from serving at the Temple in Dallas.

Clark and Sam filling their plates with taco salads.

We listened to some excellent talks from President and Sister Cranney and President and Sister Collins. The Cranneys talked about how from small things, great things can come to pass. That Senior Couples can be tipping points in the work. A little extra effort can make a big difference. President Collins talked about the blessings that will come to our families (D&C31: 5) and that missionary work is not a sacrifice, but a consecration of time and talents which is consistent with the convenants that we have made in the temple. Each Senior Couple shared a few of things that they have been working on. President Pieper was our concluding speaker and addressed us for about 45 minutes. His main message was that as senior couples we represent the example of what LDS couples can be (e.g., married for 30, 40 or 50 years) for the members here in Russia. He indicated that they don't have a lot of examples of large families that stick together. Husbands and wives who are courteous and kind to one another. He encouraged us to help members understand the doctrines and principles that contribute to building loving families.

As we were getting ready to leave, some of the Elders were gathering together in the building for "P-day" activities (recreational). There had been walking through the puddles on their way to church (there are always puddles!). I saw one Elder and asked if I could take a picture of his pants. This is what all of our pants can look like, in just one walk to the metro station.

After clean up, we headed out to Rosinka with the Cranneys and they dropped us off at the Paul's. We had a great dinner and dessert, and President Paul shared some of the experiences that he had when he was assigned to as the first mission president to East Germany. He told that when President Monson called him to his position, he told him that the Lord's had provided this miracle and that we must not fail. He felt no pressure whatsoever!!

With 8 missionaries, in three cars, they headed for the Brandenburg Gate. President Paul had plenty of experience crossing through this territorial border in the past and expected that it might take hours to get through. They had a lot of church material and he was sure that they would want to inspect each item. He was pleasantly surprised when, upon inspection of his papers, he was just waved through the gate!

These 8 missionaries were the first missionaries in 50 years. This was in 1989. The last missionaries were pulled out of Germany, before the war, in 1939. The church had grown, but it had all been the result of member missionary work. Elder Paul indicated that this first group of missionaries hardly every saw their companions during the day. They were always on splits with members. The mission baptised approximately 350 members in the first year. More missionaries continued to arrive. Today there are two stakes in East Germany and, of course, the Freiberg Temple...a miracle in its own right. Remember, the temple was dedicated in 1985, several years before the wall the came down.

The question that begs an answer is how did it happen? Why were we the only group allowed into the country during these difficult times? From the highest levels of the government, they believed that, in their words, they could trust us.

Elder Wolfgang Paul and his wife Helga in their home in Rosinka.

Setting Records in Moscow

Apparently we are having a heat wave of historic proportions. Yesterday, we hit 48 degrees, the warmest day in Moscow for a December in history. I could not confirm this, but I suspect it was true. We have only had two light snows and they melted away immediately. We are praying ourselves to the warmest winter in history...you can pray with us, if you like!

Sometimes we take translations for granted. Often we just assume that they must be correct. Since we have been here, we have learned that many of the lyrics of our Russian hymns are completely different. One of the funniest stories about translations that we have heard came from Henry Kosak, our Church Education System Director. Henry is a native German, who speaks both Russian and English and maybe a few more languages. He said that when he was on a trip to Poland he heard the Polish saints singing Come, Come Ye Saints. This is probably the most famous Mormon hymn of all. One of the classic lines is, "all is well, all is well." In Polish, the translation came out, "Not so bad, not so bad!"

Today we went to the employee Christmas Devotional and lunch. It was fun seeing all of those that we don't see very often. The food was great and the talks uplifting.

Tomorrow, we have an Area Council meeting. Chris will go to Ismayla while I am in meetings.

On the economic front, the government reported that the U.S. economy lost over 500,000 jobs in November. This has only happened 4 times in our history. Despite these bleak numbers, the market is chugging along, up over 200 points. It is hard to figure. Oil is down to 41.5 a barrel. The rouble is now 28 to 1.

Until next time!

Snow in Segovia

We got in late Saturday night and took the shuttle directly to the hotel. We were with the Gregorys, the Monsons, and the Yorgesens. We got up the next morning, had had a nice cooked breakfast and headed for the Madrid MTC. We found President and Sister Bennett, and three other senior couples, along with a surprise...the Curbishleys (actually we unexpectedly discovered them at breakfast).

President Cranney, our mission president showed up on Tuesday. So we had quite a crowd.

We went to sacrament meeting on Sunday and then ate lunch at the MTC; roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravey. We headed back to the hotel for a quick nap and then returned at 5:15 for dinner (we wouldn't want to miss a meal!!). After dinner we participated in a choir practice and then at 7:00 we performed on the Temple grounds. Not quite the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but it is sure a lot easier learning to sing Spanish than Russian!!

Singing in Madrid. The choir was bigger than the crowd. But it didn't matter. We were just having fun!

After our concert, we attended a fireside. A couple, the first members in the city of Cadiz (where there is a stake now), told about the growth of the church in their area. The sister told about how their home was the gathering place for the early saints. Every night the Elders would bring people to teach in their home. Every room was occupied. The husband said that they didn't even leave him a room to watch football (soccer)! This went on for quite some time. Groups turned into branches, and finally, branches into a stake. They had a great spirit.

When you have been on a metro as often as we have been, you can really appreciate a good one. Smooth, quiet and clean!

The four couples from Moscow had planned to spend Monday in Segovia, but when we discovered the other couples, we extended the invitation to them as well. At 10:35 on Tuesday, 13 of us headed for Segovia on a bullet train (Brother Monson's knees were causing him some pain, so he stayed back at the hotel). Sister Palmer, from the Yekaterinburg Mission had her purse stolen while she was eating lunch at a Burger King. She had her passport in her purse. So she and Elder Palmer had to stay back and go the US Embassy to make arrangements to get a new passport. Unfortunately, they will be in Madrid for the next four weeks or so, waiting on a new letter of invitation that they will need to get their Russian visa.

Our little band of missionaries, in the metro, headed for the train station. Destination: Segovia!

Chris next to the bullet train.

All of the travelers purchased their tickets at the same time. Using my crude Spanish, I informed the cashier that we were all together and that we needed the same roundtrip tickets, which he executed without delay. However, when we got to the train, we found that we were all in different cars. It was a Russian-type experience that we did not expect in Madrid. But, the train was nearly empty, so we all moved to one car so that we could be together as a group. Elder Hansen (the office couple from the Samara Mission) bought Snickers for everyone and by the time he distributed the treats, we were there...in 35 minutes! What an incredibly smooth ride and so quiet.

The Hughes on the train.

The Hansons with a Snickers!

From the train station, we took a bus into the city. Our first stop was the Roman aqueduct. Some of our group broke off to shop and the others headed for a site seeing bonanza.

First view of aqueduct.
From the city wall looking back.
Close up of keystone.
Also from the wall looking back.

Sister Hughes distinguished herself, early on, by the total number of photos taken. I am sure she took at least twice as many as I did. Elder and Sister Hughes are from Omsk, in the Novosibirsk Mission. They live in a thirteen story apartment building, on the top floor, with no elevator. There were certainly the most fit. The stairs in the tower of the Castle (the Alcazar of Segovia) proved to be no challenge for them. The rest of us were gasping for air.

The aqueduct was built by Romans during the first or second centuries. According to Wikipedia, the aqueduct transports waters from Spring Fuenfría, situated in the nearby mountains some 17 kilometers (10.6 miles) from the city in a region known as La Acebeda. It runs another 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) before arriving in the city. The water is first gathered in a tank known as El Caserón (or Big House), and is then led through a channel to a second tower known as the Casa de Aguas (or Waterhouse). There it is naturally decanted and sand settles out before the water continues its route. Next the water travels 728 meters (.45 miles) on a one-percent grade until it is high upon the Postigo, a rocky outcropping on which the old city center, the Segovia Alcázar, was built. Then, at Plaza de Díaz Sanz (Díaz Sanz Square), the structure makes an abrupt turn and heads toward Plaza Azoguejo (Azoguejo Square). It is there the monument begins to display its full splendor. At its tallest, the aqueduct reaches a height of 28.5 meters (93.5 feet), including nearly 6 meters (19.7 feet) of foundation. There are both single and double arches supported by pillars. From the point the aqueduct enters the city until it reaches Plaza de Díaz Sanz, it boasts 75 single arches and 44 double arches (or 88 arches when counted individually), followed by four single arches, totalling 167 arches in all. It had major restoration work done in the 16 century and served the city well until 20th century, when it was finally abandoned as a source of water.

Segovia is a medieval city that dates back to the 12th Century. It was on the Main Square of Segovia (I assume the Plaza Mayor), where Isabella was declared Queen on the December 13th, 1474 (the same date Chris and I got married, nearly 500 years later (December 13, 1970).

In the middle of the city, is the Segovia Cathedral, on the Plaza Mayor. It is spectacular and has some of the same architectural elements as the great cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Built at the highest point of the town, construction of the cathedral of Segovia began in the year 1525, during the reign of Carlos V. It is in the late Gothic style and was built after the fire in the old Romanesque cathedral in the year 1520.

First view of the Cathedral.
The Cathedral from the Plaza Mayor.
Inside the Cathedral.

The Alcazar of Segovia (Castle of Segovia) is a stone fortress surrounded by castle walls built upon the steep natural fortifications of the crag (on three sides). It has a very deep moat, like a 60-foot deep swimming pool that guards the entrance.

First View of Castle.
Cathedral taken from the Castle Tower.
If the hat fits...
It's hard to imagine that Spaniards this size suited for battle. No wonder they lost to the Moors.
The moat, with no water, taken from the bridge.

Once the monarchy moved from Segovia to Madrid, the Castle became a state prison for nearly two hundred years. The restoration of the building began in 1882 (it had been damaged by fire). Today, it is a national historical monument.

We headed back to the aqueduct after our tour and met back up with the shoppers and boarded the bus, then the train back to Madrid. The trip back was even faster, or was it the fact that I slept the entire way!!

The Hughes had to head back to the MTC, but the rest of us headed out for an Italian dinner just a few hundred yards from our hotel.

We slept like babies that night and headed for the Temple on Tuesday. On Tuesday night we picked up our passports, had dinner and headed for the airport. We arrived at 6:30 a.m. this morning and slept till 2:00 this afternoon.

It feels good to be home and rested!!

Day After Thanksgiving Party with the Seniors

Friday night we gathered with the Seniors for a little soup and dessert and conversation. We offered games, but there were no takers. We were just content in sharing life experiences (of which, as previously noted, there is an abundance!). You can learn a lot from farmers and people from Alaska. They have experiences that we city people just don't have. Sam was talking about vehicles that get mice in them and how difficult it is to get rid of them. Clark explained how snow mobiles can travel on water, if you go straight and fast and don't stop. We discussed rabbit roundups and how to get rid of prairie dogs. You can't imagine the other interesting subjects that we talked about. The only thing I could add was an economic report!

The women were at the other end of the table talking about who knows what!

Signs of Our Times: The Government Bailout of 2008

"NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The U.S. government is now willing to spend more than $7 trillion to help rescue the economy. That's about $23,000 for every American, and more than half of U.S. annual gross domestic product.

It's a staggering and unprecedented amount of money. The last time the government went on a spending spree to cure a crisis was in the late 1980s and 1990s during the savings and loan crisis. But the $160 billion ($237 billion in today's dollars) it spent then comes nowhere close to what's being spent now...

...More bailout measures still may be coming, as economists say the serious problems facing financial institutions have not yet subsided.

"More banks will likely fail, and I wouldn't be surprised if the FDIC has to go to Congress to get recapitalized," said Baker. "There's lots more bad debt that has yet to show up."

There's also a growing chorus of voices outside of Treasury to spread bailout money around.

The recent struggles of GM (GM, Fortune 500), Ford (F, Fortune 500) and Chrysler have built momentum for a bailout of the U.S. auto industry. Automakers have until Dec. 2 to submit proposals for how they would use - and pay back - $25 billion of government funding. The Bush administration has said it does not want a Detroit bailout to come from TARP funds.

Some government officials like FDIC Chair Sheila Bair have called for TARP money to be used to guarantee mortgages backed by private lenders to encourage them to restructure loans to troubled homeowners.

And President-elect Barack Obama has stated his support for another economic stimulus package in the form of tax rebates to consumers, states and municipalities. Economists believe the bill will cost about $500 billion. The proposal has gained traction in Congress, with hopes that consumer spending and aid to governments will help boost the economy.

Here is how the government has thus far invested billions of dollars to rescue banks, companies, consumers and their homes.

SAVING WALL STREET
The government has taken these steps to aid financial institutions.

Term-auction facility: $1.6 trillion in loans to banks so far in exchange for otherwise unwanted collateral. The Fed increased its monthly auction limit to $300 billion in October, up from $20 billion when the Fed began the program.

Dollar swap lines: Unlimited dollars to 13 foreign central banks to provide liquidity to foreign financial institutions. The Fed lifted its cap after raising it to $620 billion in October from $24 billion in December.

Bear Stearns: $29 billion in a special lending facility to guarantee potential losses on its portfolio. With the lending facility, JPMorgan was able to step in to save Bear from bankruptcy.

Lending to banks: $70 billion lent on average every day to investment banks, after facility opened to non-commercial banks for first time in March. $92 billion a day to commercial banks.

Cash injections: $250 billion allocated to banks from $700 billion rescue package in exchange for equity stake in the financial institutions in the form of senior preferred shares.

Citigroup: $300 billion in troubled asset guarantees and $45 billion in cash-injections to prevent fourth-largest bank from failing.

Fed rate cuts: Down to 1% in October 2008, from 5.25% in September 2007.

SAVING MAIN STREET
Consumers are benefiting from the government's actions in recent months.

Stimulus checks: $100 billion in stimulus checks made their way to 140 million tax filers to boost consumer spending and help grow the economy.

Unemployment benefits: $8 billion toward an expansion of unemployment benefits, to 39 weeks from 26 weeks. Some states must now offer 39-week benefits after an extension act was passed in November.

Bank takeovers: $15.5 billion drawn down so far from the FDIC's deposit insurance fund after 22 bank failures in 2008.

Rehab foreclosed homes: $4 billion to states and municipalities in assistance to buy up and rehabilitate foreclosed properties.

Student loan guarantees: $9 billion so far in government purchases of student loans from private lenders. Higher borrowing costs made student loans unprofitable for a number of lenders, many of whom stopped issuing the loans.

Money-market guarantees: $50 billion in insurance for money-market funds. The Fed then began to lend an unlimited amount of money to finance banks' purchases of debt from money-market funds. The Fed then agreed to purchase up to $69 billion in money-market debt directly. In October, the Fed said it would loan up to $600 billion directly to money-market funds, which was extended for six months in November.

Housing rescue: $300 billion approved for insurance of new 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages for at-risk borrowers. The bill includes $16 billion in tax credits for first-time home buyers. But lenders have been slow to sign on.

Deposit insurance: $250,000 in insurance for interest-bearing accounts, up from $100,000. The FDIC also issued unlimited guarantees on non-interest- bearing accounts and newly issued unsecured bank debt.

Consumer loans: $800 billion extended to consumer loan-backed securities, including $200 billion for assets backed by credit cards and car loans and $500 billion in mortgage-backed securities. The Fed will also buy $100 billion of Fannie Mae and Freddie debt to try to make loans cheaper.

SAVING CORPORATE AMERICA
Uncle Sam has intervened to help companies in the following ways.

Business stimulus: $68 billion in tax breaks to corporations to help loosen the stranglehold on businesses trying to finance daily operating expenses.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac: $200 billion to bail out the mortgage finance giants. Federal officials assumed control of the firms and the $5 trillion in home loans they back.

AIG: $152.5 billion restructured bailout, including a direct investment through preferred shares, a easier terms on a $60 billion loan, and new facilities meant to take on the companies exposure to credit-default swaps.

Automakers: $25 billion in low-interest loans to speed the industry's transition to more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Commercial paper facility: $271 billion in corporate debt purchased so far by the Fed since its so-called Commercial Paper Funding Facility opened. The Fed allocated $1.4 trillion for the program."

In light of this news, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 10 to 12 percent this week. It was reported that this was the greatest weekly increase in the averages since 1932. And sadly, a man who was opening the doors of a Wal-Mart store was trampled to death as shoppers rushed into the store to begin their Christmas shopping. What a commentary on our times.