A Day to Remember

    It is Remembrance Day in England.  Like Veteran's Day in the U.S. it actually falls on November 11.  Here it is commemorated on Sunday.  Many years ago, it was called "Armistice Day," and recognized the end of WWI.  Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month."

Our Bishop spoke about this today during the Sacrament Meeting broadcast.  SK and I had our Sacrament here, like everyone else, and then tuned in for the Bishop's talk.  He is a professor at one of the Oxford colleges and he is a warm and kind man who is at ease speaking to geniuses as well as normal people like me.  He ALWAYS gives fascinating talks and today was no different.  He told about the poet, and the poem, "In Flanders Field."

John McCrae

1872–1918

 

Canadian poet, soldier, and physician.  He served in the Boer War in South Africa, was promoted to the rank of major in 1904, and reenlisted soon after the start of World War I..
 
McCrae’s well-known poem “In Flanders Fields” memorializes the April 1915 battle in Belgium’s Ypres salient. This battle was one of the most vicious battles ever fought, and one of the first to use chemical warfare.  For 17 days and nights, the gunfire never ceased for even 60 seconds. 

For 17 days, McCrae tended those injured in the battle. The poem, written after the death of a close friend, was first published in Punch magazine and led to the adoption of the poppy as the Flower of Remembrance for the British and Commonwealth war dead.

Everyone here wears red poppy pins in their lapels on on their clothing in November.  I think they have been doing this for a very long time.

My Relief Society lesson was OK.  There were a lot of good comments, and my small powerpoint worked well.  And I learned a great deal today about how to teach on Zoom.  I won't be doing much of that but it is really nice to learn.  The topic was wonderful.  

Look at this beautiful little poinsettia from last year!  I gave it to one of our YSAs who has tended it beautifully.  It has a lot of new growth and is doing great.  I have to start keeping it in our bedroom from 4:00 until bedtime so that it knows it is time to start blossoming.  It needs long dark nights, starting at 4....none of this electric light business.

This afternoon I fixed a big pot of white chicken chili for the newest family, a couple who are each 45 and their four children.  As you might guess there is some frustration there, staying in a small B&B and unable to go house hunting for another week and a half.  I met them at the door.  They are all so nice!  Their 15-year-old is taller than I am and so courteous and pleasant.  I took them 4 videos from this flat and 4 games.  They were so grateful!

The children can't be enrolled in school until they have a permanent address....and they won't have a permanent address until they can get out of isolation.  It will be a tough month for them.  It made me happy to do something for someone, but once again when I got out to the car, SK reminded me that we could be socked with a steep fine for standing at the door with 6 people!!!! Yikes!

As it is, we may be socked with a fine anyway.  On the way home, we ended up on a road that is only for taxis and buses.  The truly embarrassing part of it is that the ticket will go to Germany, where the administrative offices are for Europe, and then be forwarded to the England London Mission office, and then forwarded to us, so everyone will know of our misadventures!