Saturday was the official change of seasons for me, when I brought out my summer wardrobe from my suitcase: short-sleeve shirts and breathable slacks, putting the winter stuff away. I kept a few long-sleeve shirts and warmer slacks out, but this way my closet is not jam packed. I had to iron all of the shirts I brought out, but that doesn't take long. It was quite humid and warm during the day, so the time is right for the change.
In the afternoon I walked down to Conad and the Chinese store for some food and household items, coming back with our little cart heavy and completely full. My wife cleaned the floor in the kitchen and my bathroom, operating pretty efficiently in her chairiot.
There was a whole flurry of messages on the GANS WhatsApp group about our activities for the next couple of weekends. We had just rearranged them to accommodate a big stake meeting, which we thought was this Sunday but is actually on the 20th. So instead of avoiding a conflict, we created one. It may have been my fault, as two different people from the stake had told me about the meeting; perhaps I misunderstood the date, or perhaps they misspoke. Anyway, it was a mess, but after a bunch of messages we just decided to postpone the meeting on the 20th to the 27th.
We had the first general session of stake conference at 6pm at the Roma 2 chapel nearby. We drove over with the Balzottis, dropping Dee off right at the door with all of her equipment, and then I had to circle the block a couple of times to find a parking spot, which fortunately ended up being fairly close. Dee and I had really good seats because we were in the choir, singing "Abide with Me" (in Italian, of course). The Balzottis said that the choir sounded very good. Everyone wants to talk to Dee when they see her boot and scooter; many ask to try the scooter, but we just say no.
Elder Engbjerg of the Seventy was the visiting authority, and all the talks were very good. He had a amazing story about opening up Kyrgyzstan; he first went in as a translation manager to hire some people to help translate church materials. He ended up hiring a woman who was descended from the prior royal family, though the country is now a republic. The whole family threw a big feast to celebrate her getting a job, and her father brought out some prized liquor for a toast, trying insistently to get Elder Enbjerg to drink some, who of course would have none of that. The daughter kept telling her dad to cool it, that she could lose her job. Finally the dad relented and allowed him to toast with water. After that, the dad, who is an adviser to the head of the government in Kyrgystan, told Elder Engbjerg that he had done research on the Mormon church and knew that we don't drink alcohol. The whole thing was a test to see if he would stick to his principles. Because he passed the test, the father said that he would help make sure the church got official approval to operate in Kyrgystan, and now there are senior missionaries and a few branches in the country.
Dee writes: Elder Engbjerg kept looking at me while he gave his talk. I was right in front of the choir, so he couldn't miss my aircast or crutches. After the meeting, he made a point of coming up to talk with us. He asked me what had happened and why we hadn't been sent home! Actually, I've gone to the Institute every day and even cooked the big dinner for 25 people on Friday night. The only thing I've missed was the apartment inspections. It was good for President and Sister Pickerd to see her up and rolling. Since the Pickerds didn't get released with her breast cancer (we are told that staying on a mission with such a serious medical issue is very unusual), they are probably more understanding of our situation, which should be over in a month or two instead of a year or more.
Coming home in the evening after waiting for the chapel to clear (Dee doesn't move well in crowds these days), Dee asked me and Anziano Balzotti to give her a Priesthood blessing, which we did. She told me later that she expected to be promised a quick healing, but instead the spirit said to me to tell her to be patient and to learn from the experience.
I called my mom to chat and wish her a happy Mother's Day. Lucille Greer, the last friend/relative of her generation, just passed away, so it was a bit tough on her, even though she knew it was coming. At 93, my mom is still in great shape, and fortunately she has an amazing ability to make friends of all ages, else she would be quite lonely. I also spoke with my sister Marilyn, who was out shopping for her trip to Rome next month. I then helped one of the fairly new Sorelle to buy a Samsung A5 smartphone and accessories on Amazon, using our Prime account; the order went through but later got cancelled because her US credit card company denied payment. Hopefully we can get that resolved soon, particularly with transfers coming up this week. It was late when we got to bed, particularly given that Sunday morning will be early for us due to stake choir practice.