March 2019

11 November 2015

The beauty of Nauvoo in November is in full color as we drive through the woods. There have been days we have been warm and comfortable out of doors. However, we have just 2 days a week we are not working an eight hour shift.

So this report is more about the work at the Nauvoo Temple. Our schedule like this:

Off Sunday but traveling 160 miles to attend church in Galesburg, IL. (More on our visits later on in this blog).

Off Monday: Clean the house, wash our clothes, after we get back from the YMCA in Keokuk, Iowa. Each Monday Dawn and I spend an hour and a half exercising in the gym. I still lift free weights, use the machines and either jog on the treadmill or up on the elipse (for one hour). Then rest up for Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Our assignments vary, we work in initiatory,baptistery, recommend desk or attend or officiate for endowments. We do lots of proxy sealings and endowments.

There are lots of things to do here and before we started Saturday afternoon shift we took a tour bus on the martyrdom trail to Carthage. Dr. Dunn has a tour business and travels about discussing the early pioneers and church history. This tour took us around the town of Nauvoo telling about the spots where Joseph and the saints held their meetings. Also, the Expositor printing house, the lot the militia would practice. Nauvoo, iL had 12, 000 men in the militia and nearly exceeded the state of Illinois militia.

We then took route to Carthage for Nauvoo and Dr. Dunn expounded on specific spots of significance. Finally we ended up at the Carthage jail and their the guide reenacted events of the martyrdom.

We did drive to Pekin one afternoon following stake conference. We wanted to see her great aunt who lives in that area.

Unfortunately she was not home. But during the week our driving is from our house to the temple (7minute walk). You ask , why don’t you just walk to work if it is only seven minutes from your house? Well, we have until the second week of this month. Last night we had severe storm warning and possible tornado. The wind blows hard and we are getting off after 10 PM. I am tired and we want to get home quickly so we take the car. Also, day light savings time caused it to get dark earlier.

Now the temple is closed for 14 days, to be cleaned and electrical updates. So we have done some travel with our friends the Ludwigs. We went west to the small town of Cantril, Iowa. Just an hour away we arrived in an Amish community and stopped at the largest and only business open in town. The “Dutchman” general store. Inside the market place took up half the space. The other side of the building was clothing, tools, apparel, toys etc. We spent an hour in the market and filled our cart with customary food plus a few new items like, pickled eggs, Buckmister Beer (non alcohol), home-made bread, tons of spices and bags of specialty flour, seasoning and grains.

Before we left the store I spent almost $200, but Dawn did buy new shoes (New Balance running shoes) which jumped up the expense.

We had dinner at the one and only local diner. I had a pork chop burger with lettuce, onion and tomato.

Next we traveled to the small town of Beauregard. It is significant because the saints travel through there on their way to Winter Quarters. Just a little further and you come to historic Bentonsport, Iowa. All the shops, museum, eateries were closed. We spent only a few minutes there before driving home.

We decided to take a detour and visit Montrose, IO before crossing over into Illinois. Montrose is the area Joseph Smith crossed over to avoid the mobs. There is a terrific meat market there and the only store open. We bought beef, pork and no more pickled eggs!

Last weekend we left for Galesburg on Saturday stopping in Monmouth, IL to play golf at the Gibson Woods Golf Course. It was a beautiful hilly course. That evening we had dinner with Barbara Wynkoop at the Joy Garden Chinese restaurant, all before attending the Orpheum Theater.

Dr. Polay, the orchestra conductor had tickets for us on Saturday evening presentation. It was outstanding and especially the cello solo by Maurice Cohn. Then we attended church the next morning. Brother Dobson and I visited several families inviting them to church. Afterwards we ate a meal with he and his wife Becky outside Galesburg.

Heavy rain has come to Nauvoo. It is still warm and no snow. This month is closing in and we are returning to the temple on the 24^th of November. We have seven new couples coming to serve at the end of the month. Dee and Linda Holmes are from Pocatello.

During the two week break while the temple was closed I helped install new TV, DVDs and bathroom exhaust fans in the apartments of the temple missionaries.

The way you end the month of November is to have Thanksgiving. We ended with a terrific dinner at the Arrival Center next to the temple. There were about 60 folks with two families visiting Nauvoo; President McArther’s family visiting from St. George, Utah and Elder Chapman with two young grand- children. Dawn provided a pumpkin pie cake and dressing. I made the mashed potatoes.

Thus ends the month of November with the bikes put away for winter and the leaves raked off our lawn. Tonight is heavy with rain.