Sixteen Going on Seventeen.

 Once again, I applaud the British Health Care system.  Both SK and I needed to have our thyroid medications refilled, and unfortunately we have to see a doctor for a "consultation" in order to get them.  It was a matter of making the appointment, going in and sitting down across a desk from a young man, chatting for a few minutes, handing him the results of our lab tests done in July, and walking out with new prescriptions.  

He took my blood pressure, which was high at first.  When he took it five minutes later it was not only down, but on the low side!  I told him the reason it was high at first was because of the presence of the large scale on the floor.  He laughed and said, "You don't have to go near it!"  Now isn't that a lovely doctor's visit?

I guess the only thing about it that wasn't lovely was the bill. $250.  That is standard if you are not a member of the national health care system.  We are insured through the church insurance company, who I am happy to say, will reimburse us.  They will also reimburse up to 70% of the cost of the medication, which is no small amount.  

This was a sign by the elevator..a sign of the times for sure.

In these very old apartment buildings, every door is different.  I love it.

We stopped by the pharmacy to drop off our prescriptions.  There was a charity shop next door.  Not as delightful as the second-hand shops in Denmark, where you could always find something delightful if you rummaged around.  But look at this pitcher I found!  I love pitchers.  This doesn't even have a name inscribed on the bottom, but I love it.

After getting home from that appointment, SK and I took a walk.  We stopped in a grocery store for a few items for this evening...our last YSA evening for awhile.  I am doing sheer comfort food.  Hamburger patties sauteed in mushroom gravy over potatoes.  I'll steam some carrots, and serve rolls, then we'll have warm chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  It's perfect for a cool rainy evening.

On our walk we were stopped by a young man that must have been 6'4" or so, slim with a sweet and earnest expression on his face.  His mask was askew - actually it was hanging off his chin.  He wasn't drop-dead gorgeous but he was beautiful like our young missionaries are beautiful.

He introduced himself as a Hare Krishna monk, and explained his beliefs in a higher power.  He said he was there to help people find answers.  I was quite taken with his introduction and so in turn introduced us and told him why we are here from Arizona.  I told him that he and I are serving in the same way, and that I admired his desire to help people.  I listened to him explain their beliefs and thanked him. I told him that the "higher power" is God our Heavenly Father who knows us and loves us.  I told him to check out churchofjesuschrist.org to know more.  He actually said he would.  

It was a sweet encounter, and I enjoyed speaking with him.

I meant to tell you Monday night about something so very sweet that happened on that Family Home Evening.  We had dinner already and invited the four young people to sit down at the table while we prayed and then we explained that for safety sake we would sit in the living room area so that we weren't all crowded together.  Almost as one, they each stood up and brought their plates into where we were and found a seat on the floor - socially distanced from everyone else.  Each mumbled something about "We don't want to leave you out of the conversation."

Tonight was our last hoorah as far as having YSAs here.  In 35 minutes from now the Tier 2 restrictions go into effect.  No visitors here, and no visiting to any other home.  Only meetings outside, which might work beautifully in the deserts of Arizona, but not here this time of year.

We had a wonderful wonderful time.  The dinner was a hit, and the cookies....well...homemade chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven are the little workhorse of desserts.  Who doesn't love them?  They are fast and easy to make and they smell wonderful coming out of the oven, and they taste so so good!  We watched "The Sound of Music."  One of our young women has seen it many times and adores it.  She kept wanting to sing along with it, but SK squelched her by telling her we don't do that.  I felt bad about that.  But she still seemed to enjoy it.

The other will turn 19 on Sunday and had never seen it.  She was delighted with it.  She made an interesting comment, saying that she has only seen current movies and is unfamiliar with older movies.  She was very impressed.

I was very impressed.  SK and I saw that for our second date.  I don't remember much about it, except that I was sixteen going on seventeen, and SK has been singing it to me ever since.  That movie, in fact, was the most popular date movie in Utah that year I am sure, because I saw it several times.  I got a little tired of it.  

I identified with the teenaged girl, and thought Christopher Plummer and Juliet Andrews were a little old to hold my interest as a romantic couple.  But fifty-some odd years later, I was enthralled with the scenery, the music, the lyrics, the voices, the acting, everything.  SK got broken  up (his children know this about him...it doesn't take much for him to get sentimental).  And the teenaged couple in the movie?  So cute, but so very young.

It is such a magnificent movie.  It ended too soon for me.  If I ever have a chance to see it on the big screen again, I will jump at the opportunity. 

The young women left a little after 11.  They have buses to catch, and many things to do before they sleep.  They so much appreciated being here, having a home-cooked meal (The younger one has been here 3 times and takes pictures of her plate before she eats so that she can send it to her mother to show that she is eating a healthy meal.  She says her mother is pleased to know she is here.)  I can identify with that mother!  I was always grateful to know there was a mother-figure looking after any of my children when they were far from home.

I am thinking about Melissa's suggestion of delivering warm cookies to our YSA.  I think I am really going to work on that.  SK has already nixed it, but I know he will come around.  One thing we can do is text everyone that we will be in a central location outside at a specific time,with little bags of warm cookies and see how many will escape their dorm rooms long enough for a cookie run.  That sounds soo fun.

Other than plotting cookie runs, we will have to put our heads together to know what it is we can do to earn our keep here....mmmm.

I posted the letter with suggested items to store while on lockdown.  Many "liked" it and several expressed thanks.  Whether or not they will actually set some things aside to have on hand is anyone's guess, but it would make me feel a lot better about their circumstances.  So many this year are still kids.....teenagers....just slightly older than sixteen going on seventeen.