Only missing the figure and the bonnet . . .

We took the opportunity afforded with the visit of our niece, Melanie Hinton, to visit a place we have been intending to experience ever since we heard it was within our mission boundary.  Does this look familiar, anyone?                                          

Or perhaps this view is better . . .

Yes, we visited Lyme Park, better known to most of us as Pemberley!  Here is a closer view.

The steps which Darcy quickly descends while fastening his cuffs, in order to apprehend Elizabeth before she departs is actually inside the courtyard.  (The house is "hollow" in other words.)  Here we ascend the same stairs.

As I said, I don't quite have the figure ("figger") nor the bonnet for this.

Here is the walk, with steps in the distance, where Darcy and Elizabeth have their first very civil conversation.

We enjoyed the grounds

             and walked up to "The Cage," the hunting lodge on the top of the estate, from which the hunters could survey what was once quite a woods to see where the hunting would be best.  A special breed of dog, the Lyme mastiff was bred here.

Melanie took the opportunity to strike a Wuthering Heights pose

     and a tourist started wailing, "Oh, Heathcliffe!"  It was quite fun. 

It was absolutely delightful to be in this place that was laden with so many  fond literary and cinematic memories.  The house itself was not the one represented in the BBC Pride and Prejudice.  It was a hunting estate of a family by the name of Legh (pronounced Lee).  One room in the house had numberous stained glass panes about 15"x20" depicting the coats of arms of all the families who had married into the Legh family.  The had been taken from the local church (to be replaced by biblical scenes.)  The saying went that "In Cheshire the Leghs are as common as fleas."  From all the portraits living the halls, I would believe it.  The dining room featured the most beautiful silver service ever.  The spaces of the house really were amazing, but our friends say it is nothing compared to the Chatsworth House which we will see sometime before we leave.  That is the Pemberley of the shorter and more recent version of  P &P.

It was a grand day out, and we would love to go again with anyone who will come over to accompany us.
We now know the way!

A Sweet Week

The week of May 2 through 8 began and ended with sweetness.  Monday was a bank holiday, meaning that governmental offices and many businesses were closed .  As happens with some temples in the US, the Preston Temple ran five Monday morning sessions to accommodate patrons who would normally be working that day. 
It was our first time inside this lovely temple, and we relished every moment.  It is a small temple in the sense that there are only fifty seats in the endowment rooms, but the central spaces were spacous and inviting.  And of course the people were wonderful--gracious and kind.  Needless to say, there will be no pictures from inside the temple, here is Blackie who found a comfortable place to wait for us outside.

Here is a proper shot of all three of us and the beautiful Preston Temple which is actually in Chorley.

Thursday we were back to the Temple Complex to attend a Multi-Zone Conference at the Chorley Stake Center.  It was a great one as usual and featured NO role-playing (whew!) and a "Preach My Gospel quotation " chase wherein the missionaries vied to be the first to stand with their finger on the quote.  Elder Hinton and I got to run one of the preliminary rounds and were astounded at how well these young folks knew their way around that manual.  The sister who won our session (one of seven sessions) came in second place overall, surviving a semi-final round of the fifteen prelim winners, a final round of the top eight, and then going into a tie-breaker.  We were very proud of her. 

Friday evening we had tea (dinner) with our office partners and four other missionaries.  We were treated to a southwestern cuisine favorite--chicken enchiladas, good company, and an evening stroll around their pleasant neighborhood. 

And here is the sweet way the week ended (or the next week began.)  A friend, mindful of American Mother's Day, made me these cupcakes.  She chose the outdoors theme because we were spotlighted in the Primary newsletter and it mentioned that we liked hiking and had hiked the Grand Canyon.  The little pink thing is a tent, and you can recognize the hiking boots, the marshmellow roasters, fishing pole and campfire logs.  It was a thoughtful gesture and touched me deeply.  The world is full of goodness.