ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD #1

These are our darling, sweet little sister missionaries. I have to say that I have gotten quite close to them.  They have spent six months in Nauvoo and are now on their way “outbound,” for the next six months. They will then return to Nauvoo and finish their last six months here. Talk about impressive and sweet, and talented and knowledgeable these girls are amazing. They will be going all over the United States.  We have a little sister here that is from Korea and still doesn’t speak fluently, they are sending her to Alabama! She will have to learn another entire version of English! So to my young sisters, I will miss you, I love you, and I will be praying for you each day.

ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD………

Working at the Pendleton School the other day was kind of slow.  It was slow all downtown and so we congregated on the corner of Kimball and Main. I swear I have met some of the dearest people, and we all dress alike so no one feels out of place 

There are persimmon trees out in the back of the school and Sister Call made me eat one of them.  Okay, but I didn’t pick any to take home.


I think Sister Call likes them better than the chestnuts!

What do you think Sister Brown?

These ladies have worked tirelessly all summer long and are now  into the fall schedule of cutting things back.  They are amazing, notice I am standing and taking the picture!!

Bugs, Flyswatters, and Grins…..

One of my most fun companions, Sister Harmer. Remember I had a “buggy” experience with her in the Riser Boot.  So now on to fall and Box Elder bugs!!! Nauvoo has some kind of creature every single day, but just so it isn’t mice, I guess I need to be grateful. 

This week the mission is hosting a seminar for mission presidents here in Nauvoo.  That means that there are 15 mission presidents, 3 GENERAL AUTHORITIES!  and three area authorities that will be here.  They are supposed to be bringing their wives as well.  So lucky we are that President Don Deshler is one of the area authorities.  We  are having them over for dinner Friday night and they will get to see what a real missionary lives like!!! I am excited to see them but quite anxious.  I guess that I will be giving the tours in the Brigham Young Home to these people.  Should I throw up now or wait until it is over!!!! I am so anxious that I can hardly think about it, as well as having to perform Rendezvous!  How did I get myself into this situation? r-i-c-h-a-r-d-!!!!

Everything’s Large and in Charge in Nauvoo……………………………….

So I am working at Tickets and Tours on Saturday.  Sister Dahl has told me that her nephew, who is Harvey Dahl, who just happens to play for the St. Louis Rams is coming to Nauvoo to see them!!!! Now I know famous people don’t like to be bothered but after all, I had cleared it with his aunt.  I WAS GOING TO GET A PICTURE!!!

WHOA!  I MEAN WHOA, LOOK AT THESE FEET, LOOK AT THIS LITTLE BOY!  I told him I was now officially a Rams fan, except when they  played the Chiefs and I couldn’t promise anything!!!

He was very kind and actually came and watched us in Rendezvous and of course, I had to be Agatha. 
On to other things that are aggressively big here in Nauvoo…………………..
So the other day my landlord knocks on the door and asks if I would like the pilot light on our furnace lite?  Okay, well it has been in the 40’s for a whole week in a row, I wonder how he knew?  I politely invite him in as I have on my sweatshirt and long pants! He lights the furnace and I am in a quandry, am I cold, do I need heat?  Look at the furnace and tell me what you think!

This is the furnace!  I have named it Valdimort after the devil in Harry Potter!!!! What more can I say.  It is hot, you do NOT want to step on it, it is in the middle of what little floor I have………………………………………

Total width of the house…………………………………………………………. and so we go forward with another little missionary experience…………….

OCTOBER, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT!

I think that I have said that the fall is my favorite time of the year, but I just have to keep saying it. Everything is so beautiful, I am so grateful to see the beauty around me.

This tree was at Carthage.  We have some wonderful friends and they are getting ready to leave the mission.  It is so hard when they do.  We have grown so attached to these wonderful people and to have them leave, leaves a hole in our heart.  It is part of the Nauvoo Experience, someone comes here and  serves with their whole heart, makes an impression on this amazing place, and then they are gone. Nauvoo goes on………………..

So for a big day on the town we start out at the Feedlot Café in Ferris, Illinois. This is Mountain Park at it’s finest!  This café was in a small school just like Mountain Park.I kid you not, it is in the hallway of an old school. From there we went to Carthage and then the women got in a car and off to Burlington we went!!!! Our first woman trip and we were set to go. (Just as a side note, I went to the temple with this jacket on and the temple president, President Condie, ex- general authority, asked if my mother was afraid I was going to get lost, as he shaded his eyes!!!)

My new store of choice.  It is actually like Charming Charlies, but that is no where to be found.  Nauvoo women are descending on this store in mass.  So expect Christmas surprises.

Someone using spray cans to make a design.  Open daylight so I figure it is for a mural.

Sister McKnight is the one going home and she had never been to Snake Alley.  I think it is supposed to be like Lombardi Street in San Francisco.

View from the top of the street.  I love the trees. I love the old houses, I love the history of this place.

I’m in heaven……………………………………………………………………….

I am going to learn to draw this tree.  Jean Openshaw is giving me art lessons and maybe someday I will be able to fulfill a dream of mine.

Mayfly, the nemesis of Nauvoo, but my first attempt………No laughing! I am trying.

I think these are the beginnings of pinecones…………………………………..

Stunning…………………………………………………………………………..

THINGS I LOVE AND PEOPLE TOO

Taught to pray, taught to pray, taught to pray! Notice the silver balls on the ends of the horns. Elder Dahl makes them and some beautiful bridles as well.

I just love the animals here. Horses, cows, oxen, geese, squirrels, rabbits, I love them all.

There should be some sort of transition here but I am at a loss, so on from animals to my favorite people.

These are the McKnights. Some of my absolute favorite people.  He has been in the mission presidency.  They are from Utah and are going home this week.  I am soooooooo sad. They are genuinely wonderful and we have done several things with them.  She is the one who is responsible for all of your necklaces and scarves!

He has been the editor to my Agatha, He has made it so easy to have fun doing the part.  We always give each other “knuckles,” before we go on for good luck!  I will miss him.

Sister Pilling, she is from Canada and is also going home this week.  She has been helping to make Nauvoo beautiful.  She has worked this whole hot summer in the gardens.

I love her husband as well. He is a gentle giant of a man.  He is shy and so when he has something to say, he will usually quote a poem he has written. We are going to post a video of him reciting one of his poems on the carriage ride. He is really a true cowboy.  When he sees me on the wagon ride he always takes off his hat and puts it over his heart.  I am very honored.

The Nelsons, they will leave in December.  She is a trooper I tell you. I guess she caught West Nile Virus and has a very difficult time walking, Yet she does everything with a very cheerful attitude.

These are the hilarious Allens.  They have just come out and I love them.  You can just tell by looking at them that they are a little naughty!  They have been married since they were 17 years old.  He reminds me of Brad Cates and so much fun to be around.  She is actually a costume designer and has been working for the International Folk Dancers at BYU all of these years.  He has done theater before.  They are not however in my cast and so I won’t see them as much as I would like to.

These four women are some of the Nauvoo caretakers. Sister Fowers, Anderson, Moses and Pilling. The first three are in my new cast, they are wonderful and I am anxious to get to know them more.

All of us that are left at Zone Conference with Elder Chouy from the Seventy. They dressed in pioneer outfits to “fit” in.

Sister Sanders, she was with us at the MTC. She is a hoot.  She used to be a Sweet Adeline, and we are now in the same cast.

These are the Harmers from Mapleton, Utah.  You can just tell that they are naughty!!!! So much fun to be with.  They literally make me laugh out loud. He is in construction and they have begged them to extend. I think that I will have to have a part II on people I love.