Waffles, this and that.

For the past five months, I have been craving waffles but have not been able to find the ingredients. Waffles remind me of our family and the wonderful times we have shared. Whenever they come home for a visit, they always request homemade waffles.

Photo: When the first of our grandchildren arrived at a summer reunion two years ago, they made a sign to welcome their cousins who would be arriving soon.

Photo: 2014.

Photo:August, 2015.

Photo: December, 2015.

BUTTERMILK WAFFLE RECIPE: 4 eggs, 2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (or plain or any you have on hand), 2 cups flour, 2 TB. sugar, 1 teas. soda, 2-1/2 teas. baking powder, 1 teas. salt, 1-1/2 teas. vanilla. Spray waffle iron with canola oil for first batch. Some of our grandchildren like to put whipped cream or blueberries on their waffles but I prefer my homemade buttermilk syrup. The syrup is light and foamy and not overly sweet so try it . . . you'll like it!

BUTTERMILK SYRUP RECIPE: 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons corn syrup, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

DIRECTIONS: In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla.

Recently when I found buttermilk, karo syrup, and the most important item, a waffle iron, it made my day. The Jerusalem Center recently purchased a waffle iron which we share and it's "first come, first serve" so I quickly signed up to check it out. Then, my day got even better when I learned that the Coombs' had one in their apartment just down the hall on the 5th level. Since the students were in Galilee this past Sunday, we didn't go to the Carillon and it freed up our morning to invite the service couples at the JC to come for a little brunch before the Smiths leave to return home. Photo: Students at the carillon the previous visit.

Our apartment is very small but we have a good sized patio and because the weather was a little cooler, we ate outside. It was very enjoyable and gave us a little time to learn more about the Doug and Janna Coombs. Also, Jeff and Joyce Smith will be leaving Aug. 4 to return to America so it gave us a chance to have some quality time to chat. We are really going to miss them and it's hard to imagine that another couple will be filling their shoes. Joyce is a walking encyclopedia, a history buff and has lead many tours here. She has also been involved in the digs in Egypt for the past 20 years so is extremely knowledgeable. Jeff, on the other hand, has a great sense of humor and always keeps a smile on our faces by his quick wit. He has been so helpful as we have learned to navigate around Jerusalem and because of him and Joyce, we have seen a lot of places we normally wouldn't get to visit.

Photo: Jeff and Joyce. The Coombs will be moving into our apartment in August and I really going to miss our lovely garden area and the pomegranate tree. However, Janna assured me that we are welcome to pick some of the fruit when they ripen in the fall.

Janna shared some sweet memories of her father, James E. Faust, who was instrumental in the building of the Jerusalem Center. He worked for many years on the project and traveled to Jerusalem 27 times in the effort to help secure the land and the construction of the magnificent structure.

She related an experience their family had when they visited Jerusalem about two years after the completion of the JC. Her father called all of his children and told them he was going to spend their inheritance by taking them to Jerusalem as a family. At that time, he asked that they begin saving $187/month to pay for the airfare of their spouses. Everyone planned for this very special family trip and when they were on the bus and approaching Mount Scopus where the Jerusalem Center sits, they looked up and in the distance and could see the magnificent structure on the hill. She said it was a thrill and a moment she will never forget because it meant so much to her father and represented so many years of his dedicated efforts.

Janna said she watched her father as tears rolled down his cheeks and, of course, all the children cried too. He had worked so hard to help this project come to fruition and it was his dream to bring his family to see it. She said it was one of her most memorable moments with her father. He passed away August 10, 2007.

Photo: Kathy and Janna. That same afternoon Janna and Doug came up to the auditorium as I was practicing before the concert that evening. As I played, tears rolled down Janna's face. She said that it touched her heart and I am sure her thoughts raced back to her parents and her family when they visited here. I am so grateful for the power of music. Yesterday, after I had played for a group of people from a tour, a woman approached holding her arms. She could hardly contain her excitement and said, "Oh, this is heaven! This has been a spiritual experience and I want to stay and hug everyone!" It was thrilling to see how touched she was by her visit here.

I often invite visitors to sit on the organ bench while I play so they can experience first-hand the marvelous organ. Sometimes I ask them to pull out a stop or push a button to change my settings in the effort to enhance their experience. It keeps them on their toes and mine too but can be a little distracting, especially when they decide to sing along. However, it is worth it to me so they can leave with a positive experience. They love taking photos at the organ and, of course, of the spectacular view of Jerusalem as they look out the arched windows. It truly is an unforgettable experience!

The girl on the bench was 13 years old and came with her grandmother to visit. She spoke excellent English and said she has played the piano for 5 years. I was excited to give her a little pep talk about continuing to practice and improve her skills on the piano so one day she could also play an organ. She was darling and reminded me of my granddaughters.

Today a very nice Jewish man sat on the organ bench with me and was in awe as he left the auditorium. He said, "I've lived here my entire life and have never visited here. I can't believe it . . this is such a beautiful place and I want to come back." He sat on the organ bench and seemed enthralled as he followed the music. He had a light in his eyes and I had such a good feeling about him. We talked as we was leaving and I encouraged him to bring his four children back for a tour. He seemed eager to talk more but Joyce was leading the tour group outside and he had to leave. Sometimes I wish we had more time to talk to the visitors and we weren't constrained by the time and another tour coming in.

Photos: Two sweet English ladies who came on tour one day and Garth was excited to talk with them because he labored in the town where they live when he served a mission to England. On our last tour this afternon a woman said, "I love your accent! I am from Canada and I love to hear Americans speak." I thought to myself, "I have an accent? Hmmmmm . . . I'd surely like to know how I sound to Canadians." I continue to learn something new every day.