Some other fun things happened while life here got turned upside down. We have loved listening to all the birds singing for the past month now, when out walking in the mornings. We can recognize several of their calls, and you can hear the McBrides out "singin" with the Cardinals...we love their song, and how beautiful they are in the sunlight. I seriously think I could become a birdwatcher after living here.
We've had some fun Prep. Day outings with friends. About a month ago we went up to Bentonsport and Bonaparte, Iowa again, this time with the Morgans. I had read that my 3rd great grandfather Leithead had lived there after they left Nauvoo, for six or seven years, and helped to build a great big mill, an inn, and some other buildings. We called the owner of a wonderful shop, called "Iron and Lace" and had him come over to let us in to shop...he's a blacksmith and makes beautiful pieces of art, and his wife is a potter (and we bought a pitcher she had made).
While visiting with him, I asked him if he knew where the old mill had been and told him about James Leithead. He looked at me, paused, then said he knew more about that old mill than anyone alive, and said "follow me". We went across the street into the park on the beautiful Des Moine River. There we saw the ruins of a very large mill. It is now a beautiful memorial garden. He's done a lot of research and has a lot he can share with us, so we'll get back up there this spring or summer. I think there's a picture of the mill in the old antique shop. Tender mercy? You bet.
Well, on March 6 we recognized our half-way point on this mission. How on earth did that happened...
The best thing that happened on that day was that they announced all the new callings, and the Morgans were called to be our assistants at Carthage! We thought he might be called into the presidency, so we are very happy to have them moving out with us! They've been over the Nauvoo Visitor's Center now for the past 3 or 4 months.
Remember I told you that these past few months kept us busy? Even though the sites were pretty quiet, we had plenty to do to take care of all that needed to be done each day at the Family Living Center...25 rope made a day, long rag rugs woven on the loom, to be placed in the historic sites, or purchased by missionaries, the shawl loom, trying to get all the sister' shawls made, the quilt frames that we kept piecing quilts for, building the fire and making homemade bread in the brick oven (are you feet hurting just thinking about this?)
When not working on those things, we would cut up rag strips and sew them together then wind them on the shuttles for two of the looms.
Then, when the shift was over for the day, you go home and eat quickly and go to Rendezvous, or go to "Sunset on the Mississippi" rehearsal. Yep, it's time to get ready for the summer shows. This year we've got some great new numbers. The senior sisters will be doing a spoof on the suffragettes, singing (and doing a funny skippy type march) to "Away With Rum". Steve is singing in a quartet (has a solo) in the "Mosquitoes" song...pretty funny. We're doing a great song that "Celtic Thunder" recorded (you can see it on youtube), called "Place In The Choir"...the Young Performing missionaries will be dancing and singing with us. We're also learning the "Clarinet Polka" (yes, we get sweaty...but it's been great fun).
The missionary department thought they'd try waiting to send new missionaries here, til March 17 (tomorrow). That means that with the 20+ that have been leaving this month, we've been down to bare bones. We have rovers that either have special cell phones or walkie-talkies that visitors can call, and they'll run over to the sites that we can't cover, because there's so few of us. With all the warm weather (it almost feels like summer, with 80s and humidity), and all the spring breaks, we have been very busy for the past week...sold out shows every night. I'm beginning to remember how exhausting last summer was. Now that we've been here full time in Carthage (and even though we've been really busy here), I feel bad at how crazy Nauvoo has been this week...I think some missionaries have been roving by themselves instead of with companions because there's just too much to do. I had been so excited to learn how to work in Tickets and Tours, and at Land and Records, but won't be doing that now. I did get to have a couple of shifts making the little gingerbread cookies that they give out at the bakery all year long. They made over 50,000. On the days I served there, we made just over 2,000 little cookies a day. Time to take a break here...I'm exhausted just sitting here remembering this past month!
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