Pioneer Skills

May 20, Thursday,
I served with Sister Geilman in the bakery today, and she shared this thought:
Hyrum was a great counselor to Joseph, and would say to him often, "Go and inquire of the Lord". See Ether 1:38 for a comparison of Jared and his brother.
See the original Nauvoo Temple plate, commissioned by Lucius Scovil while on his mission to England. There were 150 dozen made, but only about 20 are known to exist at this time.

We only had one show of Rendezvous tonight. That is like a little break, an hour off.
This is a picture of a spice container that was found in the basement of the house where we are living, the Simeon Dunn home. It is from the 1700's, and was probably brought from England. It now lives in the bakery.
This a dough scale. A loaf of bread cost two cents, so they weighed the dough to make sure you got your "two-cents worth".
May 21, Friday,
I played the piano at Prep meeting today for the first time, but will be on the schedule for next month, Sister Steadman says.
I spent seven hours in the sewing room today, which is fun for a change, but a lot of work!

May 22, Saturday,
I served with Sister Nelsen in the Family Living Center today, and she is wonderful. I love her kind and gentle spirit. I spent some time on the loom, showing how to make a shawl. I also taught a new batch of sisters about the shape-cut ruler for cutting rag rug strips. They are amazed! (for the second time). I should get a commission.

I played in Sunset rehearsal tonight, a little better, but in the middle of hoe-down, the old keyboard took it upon itself to do weird things: it sounded awful. They had to stop the number, and took a few minutes to fix it, and start over.
**Never trade luck for skill. A saying of Elder Jeppeson. They took us to a great breakfast buffet this morning as it was the only time we could get together. They said it was payback for all we do for them, (ha). We take them to church every Sunday, let them use our washer and dryer when theirs was flooded out, and a few other incidentals. He tells lots of great stories from around the world, as a Marine and a truck-driver. She is very smart and easy-going. Fun people to be with.

Lots of History

Just one more picture of all the water results. We call this our local swimming pool, but no one has tried the swimming part.
May 16, Sunday,
We had an on-call day, and we were not called, so it was great to have some down time. We walked the Trail of Hope, where there were eight people positioned at different places, telling the story of the people and the quotes. This is Sister Geilman, who had a great accent for the part.
We also invited the Jeppesons over for lunch on the spur of the moment after church. I had a meatloaf ready to cook, and was depending on baking some potatoes. I realized there were only four small (marble-sized) potatoes left. Not worthy of Idaho. But they were good sports about it, and ate heartily of the other food.
We also had our first District Meeting at the Van Dam's home, with the Blacks as our leaders. We had a discussion time, and I was assigned to bring the treats. The cherry chocolate brownies were fine, but next time, I might go for the healthy items.

May 17, Monday.
On this Prep Day, we went to Cantril, to the Dutchman's store. It was over an hour away, but a lovely ride in the rain. We had fun looking at all the variety in the store, even fabric and handmade quilts for sale. There was a lovely king-sized hand-quilted applique quilt for sale for $400.00 that was tempting, and Greg would have bought it if I had wanted it. We also found some good food deals, and bulk items.
**After Rendezvous, we drove into our driveway, and saw a raccoon run across the yard.

May 18, Tuesday,
Happy Birthday, to my Mom! I was in a new site today, the John Taylor Home. It was a slow day, but one of my tours was a young family who had come expressly to see the wooden rocking horse, because they had seen the story in the Friend Magazine:
The Taylor family had left Nauvoo in February with the Saints, and the little son cried for three days. Finally the reason was discovered, he missed his rocking horse. John Taylor risked his life to return to Nauvoo and rescue the horse. He was a man of integrity and faithfulness, being with the prophet in Carthage.

We had the evening off, so I wanted to make Nauvoo bread. Oh, my, it made lots of dough and I ended up with four VERY large loaves baked on cookie sheets. It nearly overflowed the pans. But it turned out well, and we are enjoying it.
I have practiced a few more hours here and there this week, but no news yet on playing the piano. Sister Funk loved my applique block that I was working on, and asked lots of questions. I never bring it up, but I will answer if they ask. And some don't. She is a new enthusiastic quilter.

May 19, Wednesday.
These dishes are from the Lucy Mack Smith home, a full set belonging to her sister-in-law, Mary, given as a wedding gift in 1796, and made in England. I served in this home today with Sister Beck, and young Sister Feltwell. I have finally been told that I will be playing the piano for Sunset by the Mississippi. It was my debut playing for the practice tonight. I massacred most of it, but it was pretty much an on-tempo slaughter, at least! The old keyboard wobbles horribly, and is hard to play, but the new one wouldn't work. Many people were kind, but when they say, "You did great for your first time" you know it wasn't really that good. I have three days to practice before the next one.

And I just had to add one more of my favorite quilts, this one from Lucy Mack Smith's.

No Wonder It Is Green In Nauvoo

May 11, Tuesday, I enjoyed giving tours in the Brigham Young House today, and learned more of the remarkable people who lived there, especially his wife, Mary Ann. I served with Sister Guymon, who is a wonderful pianist for Rendezvous and everything else. She somehow asked if I played the piano, and then asked more particulars. After her break, she brought me the Anna Amanda music, and then had me come to her home later that evening after the amazing talk by Susan Easton Black. I played all the Nauvoo musicals for her, sight-reading, but she seemed to think I could handle playing for something. So I may be hearing more from someone who is really in charge. We will see.
This is a potty-chair from pioneer times, located in the Brigham Young Home.

And this little Noah's ark is a charming toy that is over 150 years old.
May 12, Wednesday
My first day in Lyon Drug, two of us new ones had to figure it all out together. I spent a spare hour today practicing the piano at the Cultural Hall basement.
It is another MONSTROUS thunderstorm, and pouring rain tonight. They said we got two inches the other day when it did this.

May 13, Thursday The result of all the rain? Lots of flooding. Can you see the sidewalk beneath all the water? Most of the buildings and homes on the flats have at least some water in the basements, we only have an inch or so. The house across the road has 15 inches. We also had hail, reportedly the size of marbles. I can believe it, because this is what happened to the plant in our front yard because of it.

A question reportedly asked by one visitor after seeing Rendezvous: "Who does your make-up to make those people look so old?"

May 15, Saturday
It's nice to have some walking friends, it keeps me going. We start at 6:15, and go 45 minutes. I worked today in the sewing room, seven hours of making/fixing white "show" shirts for the YPM's. That is hard work!

**Gotta watch apron strings and toilets together. Ask me how I know.

Culture at the Cultural Hall

May 10, Monday
Greg has taken over "the floors" in our housecleaning tasks. He vacuums, sweeps, and mops. I am thrilled and so grateful!
We had preparation day today, I bought groceries, cooked and prepared food for the week. Mixed a meatloaf, made stew, boiled eggs, planned menus. We certainly don't have much time for cooking during the week.
We were on this stage for the first time performing tonight for Rendezvous. Just a few minutes worth, really, but it was fun. We even remembered to have our picture taken!
On the second floor of the Cultural Hall is a quilt display. This is my favorite one. And, yes, I did take pictures of all of them.

The top floor of the Hall is a dance floor. It is also the actual floor where the Prophet Joseph Smith chalked out the route the Saints were to take to the West. I enjoyed giving this tour.

A Nauvoo Mother's Day

May 6, Thursday
I know I brushed my teeth at least four times today, getting ready for the next thing.
We were placed in our positions for Rendezvous and we are to be on stage Monday. Hope we can remember where we go to sing each of the songs.
There is a whole new vocabulary to learn if you want to up on the Nauvoo talk.
Sociable: Sunday night firesides
Grow Tuck: pleats to make skirts shorter, very fashionable.
Pelerine: a tie-around collar for a dress, made of the same fabric as the dress.
Snood: A hair net to gather up long hair at the neck. (used to look like you have long hair even if you don't.
YPM's: Young performing missionaries
"Wrap your skirt": grab your long skirt, wrap it around your legs to the front, so you don't trip, and the person behind you doesn't step on your skirt.
"Grab and shove method": To help newbies know where to go on stage.
"Willingly, because we want to!" Song lyrics, used for any situation.

In the family living center today, one couple came to see the kitchen where I was demonstrating the bread-making. He said he wanted to share something. They had been married over 20 years, he had been a member all of his life, and she was getting baptized next week! She then told how she never understood about Joseph Smith, but now she did. How could she have ever doubted? she said. She bore a sweet testimony to me and I thanked her for that. When they left, I asked her if I could give her a hug, and she said yes. Very sweet.
Lots of school kids come her for field trips to see the rope-making (as Elder Anderson is demonstrating), candle-making, etc, but we cannot bear testimony. We are Mrs., not Sister, and we talk about Pioneers, not Saints, and Leaders, not Prophets.

May 8, Saturday,
I am now officially good at all the demonstrations in the Family Living Center. We had a couple from India today. I "ordered" a tablerunner from the looms.

May 9, Sunday, Mother's Day
On Sundays, we serve in the sites with our very own companion. Elder Anderson and I served in the Brigham Young Home, both of us for the first time. As soon as we arrived, a group came in for a tour, and the other couple who had been there just left. We somehow stumbled through.

At Zone Conference in the evening, they gave each woman a yellow rose and a few cookies. The report: There are now 380 missionaries in Nauvoo (including the temple missionaries). Probably the highest concentration anywhere ourside of the MTC. Also, Sister Ludwig likes to keep track of everyone's grandchildren. At this moment there are 2,306 grandchildren, and 423 great-grandchildren, all praying for their grandparents. She says, sometimes that is what keeps us all going.
**How to tell that I know Jesus is the Christ? Watch how I live..........


These are our district leaders, the Blacks. She is the composer of the music, Search, Ponder, and Pray in the Primary Songbook, and an excellent pianist. Good people.

One Week Completed

May 2, Sunday
This is the way every Sacrament Meeting should be. People arrived up to 45 minutes early, greeted each other, and quietly visited until ten minutes before 8:00. Then it was totally silent with beautiful prelude music until time to start. The testimonies were brief, but fervent true testimonies. There were many.
One sister also told this story: She was serving in Prague, and wondered why no one would look her in the eye or ever smile. She asked that question, and the reply was, "Where are you from?" When she said "The States", the friend explained that they had lived under communist rule for so long, they were not used to smiling or even having friends. They taught their children to never talk to anyone. If someone thought you said something wrong, they could take away the father. No one trusted or talked to anyone. But now, finally after ten years of being out from under communist rule, children were beginning to laugh and play as they should. We are so blessed.
The common saying here is: You just do your best, and the Lord will make up the difference. That goes for learning scripts, lines, songs, etc, anything.

May 3, Monday
Preparation is day is almost busier than other days! We can still go to the daily preparation meetings, held every day but Sunday, and then today we still had a 1 1/2 hour song practice. I spent time with the technician, while he tried to connect the internet, time at the sewing room getting clothes borrowed and finished, and time getting groceries, without Greg. He spent the afternoon traveling 60 miles away with Elder Carlson, buying black hats for the show. Then we had to show up for Rendezvous warm-ups and to watch. A very full day.
**At the grocery store, I had a cart full of bags and the clerk asked if I wanted a "drive-by". "A what?" "A drive-by". "Um, I don't know what that is." She explained it was when I drive my car by the side door, and they load my groceries into my car!

May 4, Tuesday
I decided to walk this morning and as I went out my front door, Sister Myers was heading out also from across the street. She let me walk with her. She teaches us the music for Sunset by the Mississippi, is bubbly and fun, has 4 girls, 1 boy, and several grandchildren. Her daughter had a baby a couple of weeks ago, and hadn't even told her she was expecting.
We practice on the stage inside for now, until we can go to the big outdoor stage.


I worked in the bakery today, and saw the spice containers that were found in the basement of our own Simeon Dunn house when it was being renovated.

May 5, Wednesday
It has been one week today. I walked by myself this morning down by the river, read the words along the Trail of Hope. They say the river is a mile wide at this point of Nauvoo.
We are told that we are "ground-breaking" missionaries. Six-month missionaries do not normally do Rendezvous, but we do! Our whole group has been practicing hours every day to be ready to go on stage next week.
Ground-Breaking: 1. Service missionaries, 15 couples, who did not go to the MTC, but were assigned through their stakes, and 2. Doing Sunset AND Rendezvous, besides all the sites. The experiment seems to be working.

We, our new group, were "assigned" to a temple session today. We had pie at President and Sister Ludwig's home afterward. They told of how they met, he became a member, and they waited a year to marry.


Someone asked me tonight whether or not the rumor was true: Had Elder Anderson sung in the Tabernacle Choir? Sister Myers said the saying around here goes: If you haven't heard a good rumor by 10:00 a.m. you had better start one.

To the Sites

This is the Seventies Hall. We are assigned to have our preparation meeting every morning at 8:30 with a group of missionaries. We are also assigned to the Z cast, who, is said, will become as our family. We are also in a zone and a district. There are a different mixture of people in each group, I think so that we get to know lots of different people. Everyone here is very welcoming and "glad you are here" ALL OF THE TIME. "Where are you from" is a constant. Greg says the we might as well say "Basast, Idaho." If they know where it is, fine, and if the want to know more, they ask.
May 1, Saturday,
Our first "site clothes" work day, and Greg is in the Brickyard, and me in the Boot Shop. I ended up giving three presentations to groups of 5-6. The first time was because my companion, Sister Hurley, had gone down to the restroom. She thought I did fine, and after that, I took my turns. George and Christiana Riser of the boot shop wanted to be baptized so badly, they cut a hole in the ice of the river in December. They were valiant saints who raised six children in the West.

Orientation

April 30, Friday
President Hill is a gruff wagon master. He did all the orientation for our group, and he tells it like it is. There are 13 couples in our group, who came in new this wee. One sister's cell phone rand and she excused herself, saying they were expecting a new grandbaby any minute, and Pres. Hill made a side comment about- "Use any excuse you want for letting your cell phone ring in my meeting."
Another elder was almost complaining about having to rive 120 miles round trip to purchase the required Amish-style hat. President Hill pretended to play his violin to accompany the complaint, and then just said, "Get some Elders together and make a trip. It will be great!"
We love President Hill and his down-to-earth- manner, and he also has a great testimony of this place and purpose. Part of our orientation was a tour of Nauvoo on this wagon.

Arriving in Nauvoo

April 28, Wednesday, we met a couple at breakfast who had a missionary handbook, so we became friends with the Lowes, who are from Tucson, Arizona.
After we arrived at the mission offices, we got our official name tage and President Jones took us on a tour of the town, and showed us our home. We get to live in the Simeon Dunn home on Parley Street. It is a cute little house. The first floor is the living room and kitchen,
upstairs is the bedroom and bathroom, and the laundry is in the basement.
We were almost late (only 1 minute early) for our 4:00 meeting with President Ludwig. That is the last time that will happen! If you are not at least ten minutes early around here, you are LATE. The Jeppesons live across from us, and invited us to go out to eat with them. They are from Orem and he is a former Marine officer. We went up on the hill to Nauvoo town and had a good supper and visit.
*Dead ladybugs all over the house.
*Warned about "chiggers"--don't walk on the grass in the summer or they will eat you up!

April 29, Thursday.
For the talent review, Greg wowed the sisters with his singing and harmonica. I just did OK.
We visited a couple of sites, and met Sister Cook, who is an aunt to Roger Clark (married to Colleen Suitter), and she also lived in Great Falls, Mont., and is friends with Aunt Edith, Cleone, and other Rushtons.
The sewing room Sisters were impressed with my dress. It took an hour to get measured, make an order, try on and find a loaner dress. The dress I made will be my "show" dress. I borrowed one for site work. I get bloomers, and also a "day cap". So cute!

Heading to Nauvoo!

Before we left, a few friends got together at Scott Coleman's home and had a little going-away social. We had good food and a good visit.

We actually left home after church on Sunday, April 25, 2010, and stopped at Adrienne's house first, to take leftover food, and to eat a yummy dinner. Our car was loaded!
"It still seems like a dream. Just a month from the time we found out about this assignment. It took this commitment to make Greg actually retire, his last day of work was April 19. We have been getting ready for weeks now, and I was ready to just GET GONE.
We traveled to Brooke's house in Lyman, Wyoming, which took nearly 4 1/2 hours. Brooke and Rusty have a nice home, and it was a pleasure to be there and visit with them. Sierra, who is eight, did tumbling for us, and she and Landen were impressed by Greg's trombone playing for them.




April 26,
A sign in the Flying J gas station in Wyoming: 'Shoplifters Beware: The manager is a hunter, and it is not a catch and release program'.
Observation: There are often more antelope off the road than vehicles on the road in Wyoming.

April 27,
How about this? We started seeing police cars, then more, then one on each end of every overpass we went under, then helicopters overhead, and finally, a huge motorcade with lots of security. We found out at dinner that it was President Obama, visiting Ottumwa, Iowa, and then Quincy tomorrow. All over the 'tri-state area' news tonight.
They said it has been raining here for three days solid, but we didn't have any rain the whole trip.
Laura called today and is sick. We left nearly everyone in the family sick. All of Adrienne's family, plus Chris had his tonsils out a week before we left. Weston also had his tonsils out, and Jamie didn't feel well."