Today I………………………

Got up before 7 A.M. (not my favorite thing to do) and was at training meeting by 8AM. The meeting was given by Sister Gilliland and she always does an excellent job. Gave me a lot to think about as far as teaching goes and changing some of my “tours.” We all stayed and surprised the President by singing “Happy Birthday,” and then eating cupcakes!

From there I went to Family Living Center and basically sewed and loaded shuttles most of the day. I enjoy being around these people and being able to just talk while I work.  Some of the men are a hoot!

From there I ran to Kindergarten!!!  Yes, Kindergarten.  I am officially a helper a few times a month.  I got to help at the reading center today and get to know the children.  There are 26 of them in this class.  That is a big class.  Good thing Mrs. Haas has helpers.  She called me sister. I feel like a nun! But it was a lot of fun.  I will be looking forward to doing this service whenever I can.  Talk about a lot of work, teaching is no walk in the park, I was sweating when I was done and I don’t do it day in and day out. 

Can you tell where my heart really lies?  Besides, I can still do the math!

I helped Braxton write his story about the gingerbread man.  Kindergarten and toothlessness go together.

Construction zone play time…….

Water center right in the classroom……….

Now this is a stool that I can relate to. Bling all the way.

This looks like all day kindergarten…..woooooooooo!

Ran home from school and got dressed to go to the temple. Went to the temple because we will go somewhere on our P-day.  We need to get out and explore a little bit.  Oh, Grape Festival this weekend here in old Nauvoo, so we may be in town.  Carnival rides down in the park. It reminds me of Mountain Park. Keep posted……

Winding Down…..

Nauvoo is sort of at a standstill right now.  The summer crowds have all gone home and a lot of the missionaries are getting ready to leave as well.  They have been like my family here and a state of melancholy is overwhelming me.  It feels like leaving home again and I can’t do that twice! In the next two weeks, our cast will go down from over 50 to 24……How in the world are we supposed to even put on a show? That actually means that the ones of us that are left here have been here for the long amount of three months!!! We are supposed to take over…………It is going to be hard, plus there are not as many people coming through for the tours and that makes long hours of just sitting.  Well, not just sitting, there is of course talking to my companion, and making scarves for the coming fall.  But, I feel like I am going to have a rough time.  Our monthly breakfast is this Friday and we will be saying goodbye to 38 people………………………………………

Today I worked again at the Brigham Young house, no tours for the morning and so I saw the horses out in the pasture, right out my back door.

These horses work together pulling the wagons, but they also stand right next to each other out in the fields.  It is so interesting.  They are really bonded.

I got him in a scratch position.  He laid down and rolled all over the ground.  I love horses,  I think they are the most beautiful creatures.  I would probably treat them like a dog if I had one.  So I was picking grass and leaning over the fence and feeding them, scratching their noses etc.  I get back to the house and I start a violent fit of sneezing.  I have to call out to FM to find Richard to have him go and get me some Benedryl at home.  This is lovely small town living, the secretary down there carries it in her purse, so she just takes two pills down to Richard and he runs them out to me in less than 5 minutes!!!! That’s the amazing thing about here, you can get anywhere in 5 minutes.

Murphy’s Law

We washed our car inside and out today.  We have no garage, carport or lean-to.  It is raining!!!!!!

People Leaving Nauvoo………….

THE SAGA OF MISSIONARIES IN NAUVOO
By Sister Ann Brown
It’s true! My husband, Elder Brown and I went on a mission to Nauvoo, and I’m sad to say that we took 1840’s costumes and all that goes with it, but that was just a start!
When lo and behold, right before my eyes, we were given a script we must memorize!
We did our best to persevere. As we greeted guests from far and near.
Folks go to Wal Mart on a preparation day. But wait! We need to get right back! There isn’t time to play.
There are site leaders, zone leaders, district leaders and more. There are 22 places where we need to give a tour. We’ve been bitten by mosquitoes, spiders, chiggers, and of course—we were bitten by the acting bug, and some, even by a horse!
There are Parley P., Heber C., John T., and Nathaniel Ashby. Thunderstorms and bagpipes in the middle of July, But quick! Wave to the wagon before it passes by!
We moved way out to Carthage. Then we moved back in once more. Quick! Wave to the wagon as it passes by the door!
We’ve had birthdays, farewell breakfasts, Halloween and Christmas treats. It wasn’t long before I noticed that I couldn’t see my feet!
We are sad that we are leaving. We wish that we could stay. For each of us there comes the time when we must go away. We’re thankful for this mission. We’ve had the grandest time! Some day if you remember--- please write to us a line!
This particular sister looked just like my Dad’s cousin, Gaye Hershey.  Very elegant and regal looking with the best hair I have ever seen.  Silver, thick, long, (see the envy creeping in) and stunning.  Sad that so many are going.

YOU NEVER KNOW………………

What happens in Wally World, stays in Wally World! It is our big date place.

My missionary friend that lives behind us just became a friend for life. She brought me some homegrown tomatoes and I am in heaven!!!!!!!

Elder Poulson!!!!  Elder Duffin!!! Paging Elders Poulson and Duffin!!!!

My microwave, I am calling OSHA on this dude!! I am sure that we are getting some kind of radioactive disease from this dinosaur.  We went to our district meeting the other night and I went in to help with the dishes.  I started hollering…………….Richard, they have a garbage disposal!! Richard, they have hot water!!!  Richard, they have a microwave with buttons!!! He drug me out of the house and we walked home!

My newest granddaughter.  Introducing Daisy June Williams…..Named after Daisy Duck and June on Little Einsteins!!  I am so in love…

Various and asundry…………………..

People tell me that I haven’t blogged in a while and that seems to be the case.  It is so easy to lose track of time here.  They say the days are long and the weeks are extremely short. It’s true.  Here comes another weekend.

Things have really changed around Nauvoo with the crowds gone.  I served at Brigham Young today and we had 12 tours, but the day seemed endless. (By the way, my husband did something so nice and totally unexpected for me today.  I looked out the window and what did I see, him holding a Sonic, diet cherry limeade with vanilla!! He had been to Keokuk! A bouquet or roses would not have meant as much!)

  I have actually moved from necklaces to scarves for winter.  Made three of them today.  I have to slow down.  What will I do in September?

Candace, choose your color!

I’m really getting good at this stick sewing!

I love the women I serve with, seems like I know them as well as anyone in recent years, all are pretty easy to be with.  Things will be changing drastically when the casts are split up.  Your cast is like your family, change, change, change.  

This week Richard has received a new assignment.  He will be moving into the mission office and is taking over scheduling and mission finances. Could they have found a better guy.? Nope!   I’d like to see him set the mission president down at the end of the year and lecture him about how much money he has spent on health and beauty products!!!!!  He will however be turning in his pickup and that means we will be sharing a car!!!! He has been riding his bike to work right now, not so easy in the bad weather.

I have been so stinking homesick.  I think I have cried through most of this week.. I am missing my folks, my children, my grandchildren.  I am missing milestones, first days of school, just everyday life.  I know that it is time I will not be able to get back.  I am dedicated to doing my best here and to making of myself what my Father in Heaven wants, but it is hard.  All I can do is pray for him to bless all of those that I love. 

Good Plan, Happy Man…………..

It seems as if we don’t have time to eat very well here.  By that I mean that I haven’t up to this point had any time to cook.  So yesterday I got home by 6 PM and Richard got his favorite meal.

Biscuits and gravy, hash browns, eggs with cheese.  A real cholesterol nightmare but oh so good going down.

Richard is still sporting his bandaged head.  Next Tuesday he should be good to go.  No more jumping over ditches.
Working at the Brigham Young house today and watched a man on a big mower working in the fields with an old pioneer hat on.

These trees are across the street and I am in apoplexy over what they are.  Richard and I went on another bike ride tonight and I had him look at them. He reached up to grab one and came away with a sore hand.  They are prickly……


I have given tours here to people from Angola, Africa, Bangkok, Thailand, Australia, Japan, and today………………………Venezuela……..

Their daughter had gotten married in St. Louis in the temple.  They were here and only the kids were really able to speak English, we had a great time actually and I got hugs when they left.  It was amazing how the Sprit transcends language.  It was pretty special.

Beautiful Nauvoo…..

So Richard and I have a free night every other night for awhile, because we no longer perform in Sunset.  I get home by 6 at night, and when we don’t have Rendezvous, we have some spare time!  Let’s see, no children, no parents, no dogs, no TV!!!!! What to do? Well, Richard found some old bikes that someone who was going home had just left at the DI.  He brought them home and off we go.  We have always loved riding bikes as a family, sort of a tradition, and now it is just Richard and I.  No buggies tied on back!  How sad.

We decided to take a trip out to the Old Nauvoo Cemetery.  This is where a lot of the people from the l840’s are buried.

We were out in the country and I just loved it.  It reminded me of being in Oklahoma.  We saw horses…….

Cows…………………………..

And smelled them both.  I loved it.  My Daddy used to say, “that smells like money to me!”

Such a beautiful sunset.  I tell you that sun was blood red.

This cemetery is out in the middle of nowhere. 

So many of the headstones have disintegrated, so many unmarked graves.

Some families have come back and put new headstones up.

The man who owned the old bakery was Lucius Scovil.  He had a fourteen year old son, his wife and two daughters buried here.

The monument in honor of those who lost their lives here in Nauvoo.

I know some people think visiting cemeteries is a little creepy.  Not me, I have always loved walking around cemeteries.  Probably because my Grandmother Upchurch used to love doing it.  Mike and I would go with her so many times and just walk around.  It is peaceful, it is honoring, it is respectful to me.