Flat #14
We live in Flat #14 in The Lodge on the temple grounds. The Lodge is a two story brick building containing 22 flats. This is where the majority of the temple workers live, with the single sisters living over in The Manor House where President and Sister Otterson live. Each flat is decorated in what I call "Early Missionary"- Maple furniture, faux wood computer desks, homely lamps (read between the lines on this one), recycled desk chairs. Two pictures are assigned to each flat; one is a church picture with the other one being flowers or landscapes. The instruction books that are given to each new occupant strictly warns against pounding nails in the walls. Let me tell you about #14.
This No Nail Rule got me down right off the bat. One of my many weaknesses has always been to look at a room and imagine what I could do with it. You know - moving furniture around, a pillow here, a basket there, pictures and other paraphenelia slapped on the walls......Bare walls make my hands tingle. Fortunately, I rediscovered Power Tack. That is what it is called over here in Poundland. Isn't that cute? - Poundland....smells and sells the same kind of junk as Dollar Tree. I used Walltack all the time when I taught school. Even more magical than Tack are the Command Damage Free Hooks.
My favorite room in our little one bedroom flat is the kitchen. For some reason, this kitchen is the only one in The Lodge with a skylight. This makes the room seem bright and cheery. I love to look up and out that window to see planes flying overhead, the moon, clouds moving, and rain falling. It opens up, which we did often when we first arrived. We have a small microwave, stove and refrigerator. And I mean small. But it makes for a simple lifestyle. I have learned to love it. I will look forward to owning a garbage disposal again someday, though.
Our bathroom is very "English". The loo (toilet) is built into the wall - is that a water closet? The faucets are separate hot and cold. Hand and face washing are still tricky as the Hot is HOT. I have learned to run water into the plugged sink. It makes for a lovely wash. It reminds me of when I bathed my little baby girls in the kitchen sink. Another oddity in the toilet (English for bathroom) that I love is the wall heater. That thing can put out the heat and makes for a great towel rack. I feel kind of like a rich girl when I use my warm towel every morning.
Our windows in our flat face out to a grass clearing with the trees and shrubs all around it. We have loved watching the season change to fall and now, to winter through our windows. One of my favorite things has been to go walk in those woods and find greenery and branches to help give this little place a homey feel. And finally, when we vacuum, I feel like I could shut my eyes and be back at the Show Low Stake Center vacuuming the halls on a Saturday morning. We are proud users of a church owned vacuum. You know the kind - heavy and solid. I often wonder who the lucky company is that sells those things to the church.
When we open our door we literally are looking out at the temple about 300 steps away. Now, who gets to do that? We can walk down our hall or the one below and smell exactly what Brother and Sister So and So are having for dinner. The Lodge is full of couples just like us, doing exactly what we are doing everyday. There is a feeling of comraderie and unity that is hard to beat. The Lodge is a grand place to call Home for eighteen months.
Meanwhile, I met my first Angel in the temple this week. He is literally named Angel from Spain. He has been here over a year and works as a night custodian. I was so happy to meet him and kept yapping about him being my first angel in the temple. Poor guy. I don't think he was near as happy about it as I was, although he was a good sport.
Oh, MY LOVE,
Sister Seaman.....Mom and Grandma
YOUR ENGLISH LESSON:
*drove me Crackers - drove me crazy
*going for the High Jump - This means you are in Big Trouble
*Sideboard - credenza
*Dotty - confused
Health and Strength
One of the things I have worried about in coming to England on a mission is the medical issues. I was reminded today about it again. Today was Stake Conference here in the Crawley Stake. Elder Johnson of the Seventy was the visiting General Authority. He is the Area President of the Europe Area. Just previous to Elder Johnson's talk, President Frost, the Stake President, was speaking and we noticed that an elderly man in the choir seats was in trouble and a small crowd gathered. The Stake President went on not knowing what was happening behind him. Eventually he was told, but continued on until he finished. Then Elder Johnson began speaking, all the time, there is this event going on in the choir seats behind him. They put three guys standing up in front of the guy in trouble with their backs to us so we couldn't see what was going on. At one point, Elder Johnson stops for a few minutes and then continues until he is finished. The closing song is dispensed with and a prayer is given and it is over. We never knew what was wrong and they never took the guy out until it was over.
England has socialized medicine. It is called the National Health Service (NHS for short.) Let me describe to you a little of how it works. First off, the English people will tell you that it is free, which is something they are really proud of. The English government taxes everything and they are running a deficit from year to year. If this sounds free to you, we need to have a talk.
If you are an English citizen, you can register for health care. If you want to see a doctor, you call for an appointment and then wait three to four months for your visit. If you have an emergency, you call 444 and they send a paramedic to see you. If you then require transport to a hospital they call 111 for an ambulance. The ambulance comes and you are loaded in, whereupon they begin treatment in the ambulance. Once you are stabilized, then you are transported. I believe that the congestion on all the roads may be one reason for this procedure. You are not required to pull over for emergency vehicles in England. There is generally no place to pull over to.
If you need surgery, you wait another several months. The actual care that they are getting seems good. In theory, everybody may now slowly become a hypochondriac. It is free, you know. They go to the doctor for everything. Another interesting fact is that some of the drugs that require a prescription is the USA are sold over the counter here.
We are trained in the temple that when someone has an emergency in the temple (even in the dark,) we do nothing but call 444. We leave the person in place and continue on as if nothing has happened. It is a little disconcerting to me, as a little CPR could save someone's life, but that is not the English way of it.
Only time will tell if this system will really effectively serve the people. It doesn't look good to me, but I have been spoiled by the first class medical care we receive in the USA.
My thoughts have been, don't get sick, don't get hurt, and hope you make it for 18 months!
Sincerely,
Elder Seaman
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