March 21, Maple Sugar time in eastern Canada

Here in Toronto it is maple sugar gathering time. There is a centre called Kortright Centre that has among other attractions, a "sugar shack". From March 4 through to April 11th the public is invited to come and see how the maple sap is gathered from the trees and turned into maple syrup. This place is about 45 miles north of where we live but we shall try to arrange a time to go and experience this event. We have been told by a member of our ward, that the temperatures are very precise and the weather conditions just so in order for the sap to run.
As everything in life, there is a set time and season.

For four days last week Toronto boasted of having the largest indoor flower show, called "Canada Blooms" Grant agreed to go with me so we left work in the early afternoon on and manuevered our way down town to the Direct Energy building which is right at the water front where this event was being held. What an explosion of color and design! I have never seen so many tulips and the daffodil display was on a par with the fields we see in Victoria.

Flower designers had achieved breath taking displays that were beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of. Orchids, red roses, purple hyacinth, bagonia, allysiam pussy willow, bamboo, rocks, fire and water. There was a children's display where the children would go on their hands and knees on a green path under giant leaves into an enchanted forrest of green-fern-ferries, sparkling waterfalls and tiny tinker bells. There were life-size animals in greenery with many tiny colored lights, this all under a micky-mouse-shaped huge umberella.

Grant sat in on a lecture about the plants in outer space sponsored by the University of Guelph . This university is the leading authority on plant study in outer space.

Last Sunday we invited Peter, Elizabeth, their two daughters and grandson, the Ohene-Darko family to share our Sunday dinner. We ate together then played our Rummy Q. Elizabeth can neither read no write. I ask her if she would like to learn she said she would so I will help her with this skill we take so for grantid. Peter came to Canada from Ghana, he worked 9 years for his family to be albe to come and join him. Elizabeth is the only one with a job - she works in a cookie factory.

Friday we drove to the Weston Ward Chapel for a missionary zone conference. This was from 9:00 to 3:00. A spiritual high. A convert to the church, Michael Case told his story of converstion. (I am going to tell his story in the first person, it is much easier that way)
"I was sitting at the back of the bus when these two missionaries walked through the crowd directly toward me. One ask, "how is your day". I held my head down and muttered something, he ask again, "how is your day". I ask him to leave me alone and I got up to get off the bus. The missionaries got off the bus at my stop and ask again, "how is your day". They ask for my phone number and if they could call me. I thought, I will be dead anyway so I don't care if they have my number, so I gave them my number. They said good bye and I walked away, on my way to end my life. My phone wrung and I said, what you want? They ask if they could come and see me tomorrow that they had a message for me. How did they know to come to the back of the bus to find me? " Well we know how they knew. The Lord directed those missionaries to Michael. He testified that he was so happy to have found the truth. He had been a trained episcopalian minister, he had studied many religions but never found the answers that had been such a burden to his soul. He testified of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A powerful testimony!

Elizabeth , our mexican sister who we give rides to church told us today that her landlord refuses to turn up the heat in her basement apartment, he has changed all the light bulbs to the dim lo energy ones, will only let her do her laundry on Sunday because he feels it is cheaper that day. We are going to try to find a place which will be more friendly for her to live. Every week we have people come into the employment centre looking for work who either have no work permit, cannot speak english and or have no marketable skills. Pretty hard for these new immigrants to get started legally.

Saturday we had invited the mission president and his wife, and the married missionary couples to come to our centre for a pot luck dinner and video. We then motored to our apartment and had an hour of getting acquainted. it was a great to be together here. We met the Kidds from Regina who are the newest couple - here on a church educational mission.

Weather has been in the high teens with a forecase of snow tomorrow. But---- we know it won't last long. Miss our family and friends. Bye from 710 Humberwood Blvd. Etobicoke, On. apt 2110, high in the sky where the airplanes fly - by. Grant and Elaine