So I start out my day by working in the Print Shop. I am pretty nervous because this is the height of the season and not a good time to learn anything new. We usually start our days out with tours right off the bat and go through the day at the same pace. I have never worked at the Print Shop before and am just praying for someone who has, and who is patient and kind enough to teach me. Well, I have to say once again the Lord heard my prayers. Sister Parker, was the site manager and knew all about the shop. She told me I would be able to follow her around until I got comfortable. That was one time and then people started coming in waves. I had no choice but to jump right in and do my best. Baptism by fire, and that seems to happen to me a lot. I LOVE the PRINT SHOP. It has such an interesting story and kept me pretty busy.
Picture of the last issue of the Nauvoo Neighbor which would have been their local paper, also covering national events.
Picture of a Franklin Printing Press.
Upper and Lower case drawers. That is where we got the term Upper and Lower Case letters from. Capital letters in the upper case, small letters in the lower case.
“Mind your p’s and q’s came from the printing industry. They could turn into d’s and b’s if not careful!!!!
So on more than one occasion during my lifetime I have been called a dingbat! It is the term used for pretty things taking up space! Here is an example of a dingbat. They used them to separate articles! So from now on I am just going to concentrate on the pretty part of the term!!!
To quoin a phrase means to lock the type into place. To coin a phrase!
“To cut to the chase.” That is the metal bracket put around a set of type. It literally holds them in place. So to cut to the chase, means to get it done fast and right.
These are stereotype plates. The Book of Mormon would have been printed using these types of plates. The type is not movable and would be used over and over. To stereotype someone is to put them in a set mold….or type.
A damp piece of paper would have been put in the frisket and then folded down after the dauber put ink on the plates. It was then rolled through a press and taken off and hung to dry for 24 hours. So interesting. I love working here which means I won’t be back here for awhile!!!!!!!!
On to other things……………………………………………………………………..
I came home for lunch today and drive up to find this at my intersection….
Stray bus gone off the road and blocking the intersection. I see no way for him to turn. He has bottomed out in the rear…….Then I look closer and see this……
My husband, my companion, my livelyhood crawling around beside this unstable bus!!!! No Richard, no a good idea from my standpoint…….. He and Joey were trying to be good samaritans and of course, they were successful after a while..
People in Nauvoo are very anal about their streets. We don’t always understand the rules and no buses is rule #1. The police drive up and want to charge this poor guy, who had already dented a new bus, $500.00 fine, I guess he ended up not doing it, but not a sympathetic bone in his body. I mean Gomer Pyle, come on, Lighten Up!!!! My neighbor and landlord next door is in construction so I go to him and see if he has any ideas to help. His response is, “I’m not getting paid to help.” Sam, there are other types of payment besides money, try a kind heart, geeeeeezzzzz.
Then I go back to the Printing Shop in the afternoon and in walks a woman I know from Overland Park. Her husband is not a member and in fact I think he is anti-Mormon. I bet that is a happy home. I start talking and showing how things work and of course, here we always try and put a spiritual message in our presentation. I talk about the “proofing,” process and liken it to repentance. How much better it is to do it on a daily basis rather than go back and have to undo things after time………He huffs out, jerks open the door, slams it and I have 10 other people in listening to the presentation!
I try not to skip a beat, but I am a little rattled. When most of the presentation is over he comes back in and starts picking things up. He asks me if I know what a particular thing is and I tell him what I think it is. He says I am wrong and my presentation would have been much better if I knew the facts. His wife doesn’t change the look on her face and neither do I. But my stomach is hurting non the less. Unhappy people!!!!!
As I give another presentation later on in the afternoon, in walks the mission president’s wife. She joins the group I have and so I just have to go on like nothing is amiss. All the while, I am wondering why she is here. She tells me at the end of the tour she has never seen the tour, ????????? Or , she has never seen me give the tour? I need another antacid!!!!!! So goes the day. I come home and fix Richard and I a sit down meal for the first time in a few weeks. We have the night off and I am going to take advantage of it Now I am on my way to lay down. See you tomorrow!
