7/15/2018 The Yearling, Southern Food, and a Small Miracle

   This is the home of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings who in 1938 wrote the novel, The Yearling, which is about a boy who adopts an orphaned fawn.  It was made into a movie in 1947 and was around long enough that I remember the book and the movie.  She lived her life in rural Florida, about 40 minutes from where we are.  Her home is a museum and a little further down the road is a restaurant called The Yearling.  The YSA Branch Presidency went down there.  So much history here.

 The restaurant was built many years ago and has the same rustic look.  They don't have to do much to the outside - it hasn't changed.  The food and the atmosphere bring people in.

 
                                                            An old generator

 The food is good and the atmosphere is awesome .. when you first walk in, this young man is playing the harmonica and guitar.  I hope the video works, but it usually doesn't.

And these two were playing in the room where we ate -- old songs we knew.  It was great.

           At the back of the dining room, they have a small stuffed animal collection.

 They were introducing us to southern eating so everyone got a side to share -  fried conch, fried green tomatoes, and fried pickles.  The fried green tomatoes I liked.  Mike was OK. We didn't know what conch was, but it is the critter that comes out of this beautiful shell.  We will spare you the picture of the critter, which we just barely looked up and is not so pretty.  It is good that we didn't know what we were eating, or we probably would not have been so brave..
 

I had red fish because it was one I hadn't tried before.  It is good, but not as good as salmon or grouper.  I also tried okra and tomato which is better than it looks in the picture.  

Mike for the first time tried fish - grouper - it was good, although he probably wouldn't get it again.  He also had cheese grits, but he particularly liked the sweet potato & hush puppies. 

When we have to send the missionaries notice about something, usually I use my mother's talent for rhyming - but it is often silly just to make it rhyme.  One of the elder's sent us this:

Not what we are used to in Nevada -- this patio and nice, green, grassy area by one of their churches is where they hold a lot of the outside events - like wedding receptions and the Stake Picnic last Saturday.  The downside is that this time of year the humidity is usually in the 90's.  As a note - the elder on the left is a second cousin to Craig's (Krishelle's husband) father.

Picture from Alaska where our granddaughter, Taylor McKenna, Stephen's oldest, is working for the summer before going to school at BYU in the fall.  Her first fish.

Our Heavenly Father does take care of us all.  This was our little Sunday miracle.  Because of some delays, I got to the institute building just as this family came in to the small downstairs foyer.  They are relocating to Gainesville, just arrived and had looked up the closest church building but were not sure because it was the institute building and not a regular chapel and were just walking back out the front door.  They were a little nervous because of the way they were dressed, but with a bit of encouragement from those after we got upstairs, they stayed for sacrament meeting.  Then President Davis found out where they would be living and had them go to the church they would be going to and meet the Bishop there.  The mom was anxious to have the children get to know some of the youth as soon as possible.  It was a cool experience.

Finishing up with this from Vinnie Leavitt's weekly email that says exactly what we feel:

We are so very blessed.  We live in a land of freedom.  We worship as we choose.  We travel as we wish.  Our homes are safe and protected.  There is hope for our children and our children's children for a life as free as ours.  We have the promises of the Lord of his protecting care when we repent and follow his commandments.  We have a Prophet who God directs to lead and guide us.  We have a Church government that is led by revelation to help us in our needs and learning.  We have the promises of God behind us.  How great is that?   Indeed, how great is that!!!

            And we are grateful for each and all of you.