I'm moving the list of places we've served to a post. We have now been lucky enough to serve almost everywhere in Nauvoo! What an experience. I even got to make a couple of horseshoes. Of course I've never seen the horse that could wear them! It would be a sad horse. But it was fun making the shoes.
It's now time to begin practices for "Sunset by the Mississippi". We began last week and everyone has been great. This is going to be a fun, interesting calling. Ron is still in the sites during the days and helping me with practices at night. My days are now spent in the Nauvoo Productions office finding and copying music and working out schedules and other "to be determined duties". We're in charge of the annual mission talent show which will be Monday Jan. 25. Elder and Sister Camp, the new Directors of Nauvoo Productions. will be here for the talent show/auditions for Sunset and then they're staying for 2 weeks. I'm so excited for them to get here. We'll be able to go over the Sunset show and decide which numbers should be in it this summer. We've been practicing the ones we know are staying in the line up.
So, my days are very different now. This week I will have 2 more days of baking gingerbread cookies then we will be cleaning up the kitchen and putting away the surghum. And no more sites for me and also, now I have a bigger decision to make in the morning, since I will no longer be wearing site dresses. Before it was "Hmmmmmmmm, blue one or brown one? White apron or colored apron" Now I have to think about what to wear. Also, I will miss my apron, I love the pockets! It was like having 2 mini purses with me at all times. Aprons are an underused gem! Another change is that our days perfoming in "Rendezvous" are about over since our evenings will be spent with Sunset. I guess this means I could cut my hair if I want to. It's longer than it's been since about Jr. High. On the nights we do Rendezvous I have to put it in a bun so I've let it grow. I had a scary moment the other day. I was wearing my blue site dress with my white bib apron and a little white collar. I was running out the door and caught sight of myself in a mirror. It was terrible. I thought, "If I had a head band I would look like a dumpy, chubby, REALLY over the hill Alice in Wonderland!!!
...and it's time for District Meetings ... I'd hate to be late for a very important date! That's all for tonight.
*Blacksmith/Wainwright Shop - Ron & Bren
*Brickyard - Ron & Bren
*Browning Home & Gun Shop - Ron & Brenda
*Carriage Ride - Ron
*Carthage Jail & Visitor's Center - Ron & Bren
*Cultural Hall - Brenda & Ron
*John Taylor Home - Brenda & Ron
*Lucy Mack Smith Home - Brenda & Ron
*Lyon Drug & Variety Store - Brenda & Ron
*Nauvoo on the Road - Ron & Bren
*Nauvoo Restoration Inc (NRI)(working in the greenhouse & in the gardens)Brenda
*Nauvoo Visitor's Center - Ron & Brenda
*NRI Building walls and painting a wagon - Ron
*NRI raking and raking and raking - Brenda & Ron
*Oxen Ride - Ron
*Pendleton Log School - Brenda & Ron
*Pioneer Pastimes - Ron & Bren
*Print Shop - Brenda & Ron
*Riser Boot Shop - Ron & Brenda
*Sarah Granger Kimball - Bren
*Seventies Hall - Ron
*Stoddard Home & Tin Shop - Ron & Bren
*The Family Living Center - Ron & Brenda
*Trapping & relocating distructive wildlife - Ron
*Wagon Tour of "Old Nauvoo" - Brenda
*Wilford Woodruff Home - Bren
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Christmas in Nauvoo
December was an eventfull month in Nauvoo. We began decorating just before Thanksgiving and the town looked beautiful and festive. The shops along Mulholland Drive all had Christmas trees out front and their windows were decorated. It was great. I went crazy taking pictures inside every site and outside all over town. The first Saturday in December (I think) was the Christmas Walk. We had a tree lighting ceremony at the Visitors' Center and there was a band and then chorus from the High School. The Mayor spoke, and President Ludwig then they lit the tree. Horse drawn wagons took people to Main Street where they could go to the Cultural Hall for a live Nativity and short program with wonderful music, then to several other sites for Chrismtas stories. The evening ended with a stop at the Family Living Center for refreshments. It was a really neat event.
On Christmas Eve we gathered with the Temple Missionaries on the Temple Steps and sang Christmas Carols. It was cold and raining but nice. Christmas Day we closed our sites early and met at the Stake Center for a delicious dinner with the Temple Missionaries.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A Silly Squirrel Story
Ron has really enjoyed the plentiful wildlife here in Nauvoo. We see raccoons, possums, deer, squirrels and lots of kinds of birds, every day. Last week Ron saw a squirrel that was being attacked by a cat. He rushed over and scared the cat away and brought the squirrel home. It had been bitten in the neck pretty badly and it didn’t look good. Ron put the squirrel in a cage in the basement and it made it through the night and next day but the second morning Ron went down to feed it and check on it and came upstairs holding it by the tail. It would be a shame to waste a perfectly good dead squirrel so he put it out on the squirrel feeder hanging in the tree just outside our side door.
Later that afternoon Sister Saville came over and she didn’t notice the squirrel on her way in but then she spotted it out the window and got very excited. She said, “There’s a squirrel in your tree!!!” she grabbed her ever ready camera and ran to the door. (The tree is only about 4 feet from the door.) The squirrel was facing the other way so she tapped on the glass and said, “Come on little fellow, turn around so I can take your picture”. I was biting my cheeks not to laugh and I suggested she go outside to try and get her shot. She was afraid it would run away, but then since he wouldn’t turn around for her she went outside. She kept talking to it as she carefully circled the tree. Finally she stopped and her whole expression changed and she looked at me and said “Is he dead?” I burst out laughing and then we were both laughing our heads off. Just then Ron arrived home and we were all cracking up when our neighbors, the Thompsons, came hurrying over from across the street with their new camera hoping for shot of the squirrel they had spotted in our yard before we all scared it away! Yes, a good time was had by all!
PS We named him Morty. That's short for rigamortis (sp?) Yeah, I know, it’s sick.
Later that afternoon Sister Saville came over and she didn’t notice the squirrel on her way in but then she spotted it out the window and got very excited. She said, “There’s a squirrel in your tree!!!” she grabbed her ever ready camera and ran to the door. (The tree is only about 4 feet from the door.) The squirrel was facing the other way so she tapped on the glass and said, “Come on little fellow, turn around so I can take your picture”. I was biting my cheeks not to laugh and I suggested she go outside to try and get her shot. She was afraid it would run away, but then since he wouldn’t turn around for her she went outside. She kept talking to it as she carefully circled the tree. Finally she stopped and her whole expression changed and she looked at me and said “Is he dead?” I burst out laughing and then we were both laughing our heads off. Just then Ron arrived home and we were all cracking up when our neighbors, the Thompsons, came hurrying over from across the street with their new camera hoping for shot of the squirrel they had spotted in our yard before we all scared it away! Yes, a good time was had by all!
PS We named him Morty. That's short for rigamortis (sp?) Yeah, I know, it’s sick.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Nauvoo is gorgeous in the Fall
The days are busy and sometimes long but the weeks are sure flying by. I am shocked that I haven't added to this blog since the beginning of August!! Some exciting things have happened since then. Allison, Jim and their 5 wonderful children came to visit us Friday Oct. 9. They were here for 4 days and because of the way our schedule worked out we were actually able to spend quite a bit of time with them. It was so great to get to hug those kids! And we finally got to meet Madelinn! She's so perfect. What a nice baby she is. While they were here they had her blessing in the Seventies Hall. It was a wonderful meeting and a great memory for us. Another highlight for the kids was the wildlife. Ron was able to show them a few animals and then chase a few.
Since I last wrote I've baked over 25,000 gingerbread cookies. They are in Ziplocs containing 100 each in the mission freezers. I get to have 2 baking days a week and Sister Saville helps me one day and Sister Meline is there on the other day. I love these ladies and we have a good time in the kitchen. When Allison's family was here I got some help baking from the grandkids! Lots of fun!!
Pioneer Pastimes is now closed for the season. I'm really glad we got to serve there, it was a lot of fun. Now we just need to box everything up and put it away for winter. We've also been released at the site leaders for Nauvoo on the Road. We loved doing it but realized that when we were released we weren't sad, it was time for someone else to get to be in charge.
About 6 weeks ago Ron was called as the mission photographer! This means taking about a million pictures of people, nature, animals etc etc and then putting together a 1/2 hour slide show for Zone Conference each month. He did a great job getting pictures for the first one which was shown Oct. 11. However, putting it into a slide show was a real ordeal! If it wasn't for Holly and Allison we would not have had a slide show! Holly had to get into our computer using gotomypc.com and figure out what I had done and then fix it! We have been lucky in every way possible to have her in our family. Then, Allison spent several hours of her visit here working on it also. Then she and Holly were both working on it! Next month's should be easier. Allison came to see the slide show at Zone Conference and see the reaction of the missionaries. It went well and everyone said nice things. We're now working on the one for November.
Something else amazing happened while Alli and Jim were here. The morning before they came we had a mandatory combined prep meeting. We have prep meeting every morning but we aren't required to go if it's our P day (our day off). We are assigned to one of 3 groups that normally meet in 3 different locations. Well, Oct. 8 we were all together and President Ludwig came in and said, "I got a phone call yesterday and President Monson will be here tomorrow" There was a huge gasp from the audience!! Then he announced that the Z cast would be performing "Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo" for the prophet! There are 3 casts, and we perform every 3rd night. We're in Z cast and the President wanted our cast to do it. It should have been Y cast but they performed for the Mission President's conference a month or so ago. In Rendezvous there are several vignettes and there are 2 couples assigned to each one. We take turns. Ron and I do the "Pickle Barrel" scene as Peter and Abigail. We got to perform it for Pres. Monson and his daughter and granddaughter. It was quite a day. That afternoon we all closed our sites at 3:30 (instead of 5:00) and met at the Visitor's Center and Pres. Monson spoke to us for about 40 minutes. Unfortunately even though Allison's family was there they weren't allowed in - only missionaries "No Exceptions!" But, after the 7:00 show for the prophet and invited guests those waiting for the 8:15 show (including Alli's family) saw him exit the building and wave to us and tell us all that we did a great job and deserved an academy award! Then he called Elder Bill Dove, who has Down's Syndrome and is serving here with his parents, over and congratulated him on a job well done and gave him a hug. It was great. The only sad part was that we were all told to leave our cameras and cell phones home and even though Pres. Monson appeared to be waiting a few minutes in case anyone wanted to take a picture we had all been obedient and were unprepared. Dang!!
The beautiful flowers of summer are mostly gone but the leaves are turning and it's a whole new kind of gorgeous! This is really a beautiful place. There are so many kinds of plants and trees, and wildlife.....and bugs. Yesterday when we returned from our sites our door looked like something from a horror movie. Seriously! There were corn beetles EVERYWHERE!!! They look just like ladybugs except they're a little more orange and we've been told they bite. We couldn't even get into our house without about a hundred swarming in. There were hundreds more between the panes of the windows. They aren't as bad today. One thing that is strange is that they weren't even on the doors and windows of our neighbors who live in the other side of this duplex. Their doors and trims are painted red and ours are white. The same thing happened in the summer with the Mayflies. Our doors and windows were COVERED and theirs weren't. If you ever decide to live here, don't paint your house white!!
I'd better go vacuum up all the bug carcases in the living room. Hopefully I'll add to this sooner than I did this time.
Since I last wrote I've baked over 25,000 gingerbread cookies. They are in Ziplocs containing 100 each in the mission freezers. I get to have 2 baking days a week and Sister Saville helps me one day and Sister Meline is there on the other day. I love these ladies and we have a good time in the kitchen. When Allison's family was here I got some help baking from the grandkids! Lots of fun!!
Pioneer Pastimes is now closed for the season. I'm really glad we got to serve there, it was a lot of fun. Now we just need to box everything up and put it away for winter. We've also been released at the site leaders for Nauvoo on the Road. We loved doing it but realized that when we were released we weren't sad, it was time for someone else to get to be in charge.
About 6 weeks ago Ron was called as the mission photographer! This means taking about a million pictures of people, nature, animals etc etc and then putting together a 1/2 hour slide show for Zone Conference each month. He did a great job getting pictures for the first one which was shown Oct. 11. However, putting it into a slide show was a real ordeal! If it wasn't for Holly and Allison we would not have had a slide show! Holly had to get into our computer using gotomypc.com and figure out what I had done and then fix it! We have been lucky in every way possible to have her in our family. Then, Allison spent several hours of her visit here working on it also. Then she and Holly were both working on it! Next month's should be easier. Allison came to see the slide show at Zone Conference and see the reaction of the missionaries. It went well and everyone said nice things. We're now working on the one for November.
Something else amazing happened while Alli and Jim were here. The morning before they came we had a mandatory combined prep meeting. We have prep meeting every morning but we aren't required to go if it's our P day (our day off). We are assigned to one of 3 groups that normally meet in 3 different locations. Well, Oct. 8 we were all together and President Ludwig came in and said, "I got a phone call yesterday and President Monson will be here tomorrow" There was a huge gasp from the audience!! Then he announced that the Z cast would be performing "Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo" for the prophet! There are 3 casts, and we perform every 3rd night. We're in Z cast and the President wanted our cast to do it. It should have been Y cast but they performed for the Mission President's conference a month or so ago. In Rendezvous there are several vignettes and there are 2 couples assigned to each one. We take turns. Ron and I do the "Pickle Barrel" scene as Peter and Abigail. We got to perform it for Pres. Monson and his daughter and granddaughter. It was quite a day. That afternoon we all closed our sites at 3:30 (instead of 5:00) and met at the Visitor's Center and Pres. Monson spoke to us for about 40 minutes. Unfortunately even though Allison's family was there they weren't allowed in - only missionaries "No Exceptions!" But, after the 7:00 show for the prophet and invited guests those waiting for the 8:15 show (including Alli's family) saw him exit the building and wave to us and tell us all that we did a great job and deserved an academy award! Then he called Elder Bill Dove, who has Down's Syndrome and is serving here with his parents, over and congratulated him on a job well done and gave him a hug. It was great. The only sad part was that we were all told to leave our cameras and cell phones home and even though Pres. Monson appeared to be waiting a few minutes in case anyone wanted to take a picture we had all been obedient and were unprepared. Dang!!
The beautiful flowers of summer are mostly gone but the leaves are turning and it's a whole new kind of gorgeous! This is really a beautiful place. There are so many kinds of plants and trees, and wildlife.....and bugs. Yesterday when we returned from our sites our door looked like something from a horror movie. Seriously! There were corn beetles EVERYWHERE!!! They look just like ladybugs except they're a little more orange and we've been told they bite. We couldn't even get into our house without about a hundred swarming in. There were hundreds more between the panes of the windows. They aren't as bad today. One thing that is strange is that they weren't even on the doors and windows of our neighbors who live in the other side of this duplex. Their doors and trims are painted red and ours are white. The same thing happened in the summer with the Mayflies. Our doors and windows were COVERED and theirs weren't. If you ever decide to live here, don't paint your house white!!
I'd better go vacuum up all the bug carcases in the living room. Hopefully I'll add to this sooner than I did this time.
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