What Do You Mean Our Flight is Cancelled?

               Quite recently I found this link on friend’s facebook post. 

“Oh, great!” I thought.  Guess which airline carrier we used? We were supposed to come back by way of Atlanta, but Delta isn’t even flying into Atlanta right now.  We stopped in Detroit both coming and going.

          We left the house between 3:30 and 4:00 three weeks ago on Wednesday morning.  I don’t know what time we arrived at Medford.  Roland dropped Jenna and I off while he went and parked.  We sat down in a chair and waited as I thought he would have  to be present when we checked in the luggage.  Too bad.  There was no line when we had initially gone in.  When Roland walked through the doors a line had formed.  Where had all the people come from?  And why had they picked that time to get on a plane?  Perhaps they hadn’t chosen that early to leave.  Perhaps the airline had – which had been the case with us.

          We had initially picked a later flight so that we wouldn’t have to leave the house so early.  It is 90 minutes to an hour drive.  We had left the house before 4:00 a.m. We were at the airport for almost as long as we had spent in the car.  I took this picture of Jenna as I don’t recall ever having seen a rocking chair in any airport before. 

Medford June 10

I think we spent more time in the car getting to Medford and also in the airport itself than we had on the plane to our first destination which was Seattle.

          We weren’t in Seattle all too long before catching the plane to Detroit.  The longest leg of the trip.  Also the most cramped.  It was tighter than our car!  Would have loved to ride the train in Detroit, but it was not running due to COVID I am sure.  There wasn’t enough air traffic that the “S” gates were needed.  Apparently that is where the Detroit airport train takes passengers. 

Landing at Detroit airport June 10

          My favorite airport was in Buffalo.  Not crowded at all.  In fact it had the appearance of closing both coming and going.  New York had just started phase one shortly before we arrived.  The play areas and conveyor sidewalks were closed and there was blue tape across every other seat.  It had kind of a ghost town feel to it. 

Buffalo airport

          Randy met us outside after we called him to tell him where we were.  As I recall he made us move so that he could park.  The next day he informed us that our return flight had been cancelled.  Say what, now?  I didn't know what to believe.  Randy likes joking and so I didn't even know if it was real or not. I had tried calling the airline before we had even gone out, but it’s been the same routine as every other business I have called

“We are experiencing high volume due to COVID19.  Please try calling back at a later time.”

I never did talk to a human.  Randy left a number for them to return call back in nine hours.  But they never did.  I don’t know how many days we were there before a new schedule was created.  We would leave Buffalo to fly to Detroit, but instead of Seattle or Atlanta (which was originally included as part of the agenda for the return) we were routed back through Salt Lake. 

Salt Lake was one busy airport.  Let me tell you.  Randy had suggested to us that since we had to stop there anyway we ought to look into taking a later flight and stay in town for a couple of days.  Roland said he couldn’t take the time because he had not brought enough medication for another couple of days.  I thought that if we had made arrangements, we could leave Jenna.  I could put her on a train and have my sister meet her in West Valley.  But that didn’t come to pass. 

Salt Lake

20-30 minutes after the plane had landed we were still waiting to disembark.  The plane was waiting for its turn at the gate.  We barely made the connecting flight – no time for other arrangements.  Of course Jenna was upset – but it turned out to be a fortunate thing for us not have to return to Medford as there is construction between the airport and the ramp to I5.  Though Medford may have other options of getting us from point A to point B, we are not familiar enough with the city – especially in the dark. 

Medford

Meanwhile here are some pictures for you to enjoy (or not) of our flight activity.

Mt. St. Helen's taken from plane

Detroit airport

closed play area Buffalo NY

Salt Lake City

Shadow of plane in Salt Lake City

waiting on runway in salt Lake City

Great Salt Lake

on our way to Medford

Day 6: Lakeview and Olcott Beach

On our last full day we took two cars to the ”beach”.  I had purchased a pair of jelly shoes to wear in the sand.  I could have worn my sneakers and been okay.  Jenna wouldn’t have.  She definitely needed the flipflops we purchased.

I don’t know how long we were at the lake.  I think we spent just as much time on the grounds across from the lake.  It was a nice day to end our vacation.

Carrie said that (prior to Covid) that this area would be open each summer
as a fair run by volunteers; it was fortunate that there were some places open

funny how these viewers were open at the lake but not at Niagara Falls

Jenna had no idea that a large would be that large

Day 5: More Pictures

On our fifth day was two weeks ago today.  We were at the house Randy put us to work.  Who doesn’t love doing yard work during their vacation?  Better than being cramped up in a plane or a car I suppose. Also his corner lot yard is much easier to manage than the wilds of our backyard. 

Devin doing dishes

Roland mowing lawn

Jenna looks overly thrilled in all of these pictures

happy to have recruited family to do chores

I was certainly not dressed for the part

"This is NOT how I wanted to spend my vacation"

holding the cord of the lawnmower

Me with my youngest grandson

This is how Roland and I would vacuum at the church. 
He would push the vacuum and I would hold the cord.

What Sabbath?

Evelyn had called last night to make arrangements for Jenna and her friend to meet at the gate instead of driving through onto her property.  Roland seemed weirded out as he asked why I would allow her to work on the Sabbath.  We’re in quarantine.  As with so many others, I have lost track of the days.  Jenna has rather enjoyed not having to go to young women each week as she has little in common with the rest of the girls.  It’s usually a chore just being there as she often feels out of place.  I fully relate.  I didn’t feel like I ever fit in with the young women either – not as a youth.  Certainly not as a leader.

Each individual has his or her own interpretation of what accounts for keeping the Sabbath day holy. For me, it is making an effort to make it more special than any other day.  When I was a youth, it was playing games with family, visiting grandma, taking Sunday drives on occasion.

Wonderful World of Disney was on NBC at the time and sometimes we would sit down and watch a wholesome movie as a family.  I may not have appreciated the value in setting the day apart from any other.  I have appreciated it more as an adult and wish to make it a day that sets apart all others.  I have not mastered that however.

Roland would often come home from his meetings, turn on the tv and watch the same programs that he is accustomed to watching all week.  I took a tv fast and refused to watch on Sunday for over a month.  I would not watch it at all, but it’s there.  I like watching a good movie once in a while.  I get tired of what Roland likes – not that we’ve ever agreed.

He always starts his morning with Sunday Morning on CBS.  Though I have found some of the stories interesting, watching Sunday Morning was never a part of my routine. Sunday Morning doesn’t need to be viewed on Sunday morning.  There are several options available to view it later.  Especially since so much of the program lately is focused on what we already hear about on a daily basis: the coronavirus, the protests, the lootings, stupidity . . . Yes, that is how I would like to start out my Sabbath morning (Not).

I have already discussed this with Roland or have tried to.  Once again we are not communicating.  He seems to view paid labor as breaking the Sabbath but does not understand my explanation with the television. Jenna would not be going to work if we were back to normal meetings.  It’s hard to say when we will be able to have congregational meetings at all.

 When the pandemic first started Jenna and I spent each Sunday going through the scriptures and watching “Come Follow Me” programs – but that tapered off to each of us doing it by ourselves.  Roland has sat through a video a time or two, but overall, we haven’t done much for Sunday meetings as a family.  I remember being by myself on Easter and Mother’s Day, wanting to share my discoveries but did not receive the same enthusiasm with the other two that live in the same house.

The closest we came was last week when Kevin and Roland blessed and passed the Sacrament and then going to the Sacred Grove.  But even with that our day ended with making others work as we ended our outing at a Burger King with four of us wearing paper crowns.  Should have had Roland take a picture of us in our crowns.  Too late now.

We have been told that when we return that there will only be one meeting.  We will be spaced out on the pews (which we pretty much have been anyway) and will wear masks and not be singing.  If that’s what it is, I don’t think I will even want to go. I will be in tears every week and I will be getting my mask wet with tears and snot.  It will be hard to be there and not be able to embrace or sing. 

I will continue with my vacation log tomorrow through Wednesday. Take care everybody.

Day 4: Palmyra

On Sunday Randy took us to Palmyra.  We had passed the Palmyra Temple and Hill Cumorah in Manchaster.  I did not take pictures as we hadn’t stopped.  The plan was to visit the sacred grove in Palmyra and hit the other sites on our return.

 Once again Randy played tour guide as we led ourselves around, read signs and took many pictures. 

Jenna is so great at taking selfies

Love this picture that Jenna took of her brother and niece

LaTiesha, Randy, Devin, Roland

When the missionaries finally showed up we were told that the visitor center was closed (due to COVID of course) but that virtual tours were offered.  We decided we would forgo the tour as Randy had done a good job and we were all hungry and wanted food. 

We drove through the city of Palmyra but did not find food there, but some interesting sites.  

four churches are located at one intersection

I could not capture all four churches in one photo.  

This picture taken from Wikipedia shows four
churches that can be seen at the intersection

We ended up at a Burger King.  We’d gone through the drive-thru and then learned the dining room was open.  It may be first time I have been inside of a food place this year.  No, it was the second time.  I remember having Chinese once before the pandemic started

not the best picture as it appears to be double exposed.  Really too
bright of  reflection but I thought it a cute photo of Devin.

We did not return to Manchester.  I did not get pictures but figure I can pull some off the internet.  I don’t have to see a place with my naked eyes to know that it exists.  

The next day Randy introduced us to a movie called The Fighting Preacher.  Here is a trailer.  I enjoyed learning more about the sacred grove and other church sights from having watched this movie.