David & Zina Cox: Day 109 - Dumplings and English Corner

Day 109

We got a taxi to go to Church. It just seems nicer that way. Also, the air quality was really bad, so we had our masks on and it just may be better to stay out of it when it’s that bad.

Alan's Mom and I making the shells for the dumplings.

Church went well. I didn’t realize until late of Friday that it was the week for Relief Society in our group meeting and that the men would be meeting. I also thought that we would be using a second line and having Relief Society as a Branch, but they are not set up for that. So, instead of getting someone else to do the lesson on such short notice, I got one put together and gave it. We had a good meeting. Potluck dinner was a potato bar and I made pumpkin roll for dessert. It was all too good.

David filling the dumpling while I am making them. Alan and his mom supervising.

Alan and David playing their guitars.

We got home at 3:30 and at 4, Alan came and picked us up to walk with us back to his home. They live in the teacher complex just south of campus. Because Alan’s Dad is a Dean on campus, they have a really nice apartment, and it is one of the newer buildings. We helped make dumplings and had a very yummy meal. We brought over some of the pumpkin roll as a gift and they had some gifts for us. One was a ceramic of a pomegranate. The pomegranate is a symbol of a large family. You have a lot of seeds in it and they are all held together in the skin. A rather beautiful thought.

Singing together.

The other gift was from Alan’s mother to me. It was a beautiful silk scarf with peony flowers on one side and a warm red lining on the other. It really touched my heart that she would give me something so beautiful. They were so thrilled with having us there. We also sang songs because David had his guitar with him. Alan’s Mom knew the words to “Country Roads” as we sang it, so did she. We also did some other songs. It’s in the plans to do this again.

My beautiful scarf from Alan's mom and the pomegranate ceramic from his father.

David, Stan and I singing at the English Corner.
At 6:45, Alan and his Mom drove us to the “Old Campus” where we met John, one of David’s students, the Pace’s and a girl student in the Law program who runs an “English Corner” on that campus for the Law students. They took us to the building where we did some singing and then they broke us up into groups and we answered questions they had. The group surrounding me was curious about how to raise seven children and also wanted to know about our courtship and what makes a good marriage. They ALL love a good love story! Then at 8:50, David and I had to hurry to catch the last campus bus back to our campus so we didn’t have to walk all the way or take the city bus. What a wonderful Sunday!