Week 21 Highlights

Surprisingly enough, attendance has really picked up at the temple. In talking to the locals, we found it happens this way every year. After the Pageant is over and after all of the schools have started, the tour busses begin coming again. During this wave, the busses are full of retired folks who have waited until the summer rush is over to take their tours. This week there was a busload of employees from LDS Family Services from somewhere up north who came for a session and that was followed by two busloads of folks from Henderson Nevada. (Actually, the Henderson folks flew to St. Louis, then came to Nauvoo by bus) The LDS Family Services group all arrived at the temple about 30 minutes early so they could meet in the chapel to hear a talk by Pres. Peterson, our temple president. Mom & I were asked to officiate - it was the largest session we have had at the temple in over a month. Then, the next day, we were asked again to officiate another very large session for one of the Henderson, Nevada groups. We are sure enjoying our time here.

Last Sunday for our Sunday Sociable, we had a talk by the man who has re-created keys for many of the church’s historical sites including the Carthage Jail, Liberty Jail, the Kirtland Temple, the Newell K. Whitney Store and most recently, the Nauvoo Temple. He and his wife are currently serving their fourth mission – this time as site missionaries here in Nauvoo. His key-making started 14 years ago when he was asked if he could make historically correct keys. He quickly answered “Yes” even though he had never done it before in his life. Since that time, in addition to making the keys, he has also traveled throughout England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales visiting castles and also many historic lock and key collections. Several years ago, when he was serving a mission in Kirtland, Ohio, the mission president talked with him about re-creating the key for the Kirtland Temple. He talked to the caretaker of the Kirtland Temple (A member of the Reorganized Church) and asked if he could have access to the key in order to duplicate it. As it turns out, they didn’t have a key, but they brought him the original lockset and said that when he was done, they would like one, too. So he set about taking this old lock apart to figure out what the key would have to look like in order to open it.

Originally, the complete set of 16 temple keys that he made for the Nauvoo Temple was intended to be placed in Salt Lake City in the museum, but he felt strongly that they should be hung in the Nauvoo Temple. President Peterson worked with the temple committee and eventually received permission for the display case containing the keys to find a home in the hallway on the first floor of the temple. The entire presentation was very interesting. At the conclusion, we were invited to come up on the stage and look at many cases of historic keys. I got to hold an exact duplicate of the key to the Liberty Jail. Heavy. The key in the photo is a re-make of a key from the 1800’s, but it is not one of the temple keys.

A couple of months ago, NRI found that they had a bunch of overstocked plants so they offered them to anyone who would like them. Our downstairs neighbor, Sister Cottle went to the mail barn that morning and picked up about a dozen small potted flowers and plants to plant next our collective front door. In addition, she picked up three tiny tomato plants and planted them in the only available place we had – in the back of the building next to the trashcans. Two of the tiny tomato plants survived. When they were a couple of feet tall, I purchased two tomato cages to hold them up in hopes they would grow to be award-winning giant tomato plants. We have already devoured one very tasty homegrown tomato and here is a photo of the remainder of our award-winning crop. Six more are ripening. Yum.
This week, in between rainstorms, our “Thursday P-Day” group had a very nice activity. We started at a shop in town called the Allen House, which is owned by Charles W. Allen. Brother Allen is the person the church commissioned to make all of the windows for the Nauvoo Temple. When we first arrived in Nauvoo, one of the first books we bought was “Window Maker” by Brother Allen – a very interesting account of all of the problems, situations, inspirational incidents and little miracles that happened during the 39 months he spent with his crew creating these works of art. Each window is handmade and historically accurate down to the same type of wood and the wooden pins that hold them together. The glass is actually hand-blown glass to duplicate the original windows. He gave a very interesting talk and introduced us to his wife and daughter. (See photo) He also has a couple of windows in his shop (See other photo). After his talk, we chatted with him for a while and had our group photo taken (See yet another photo).
Later in the day, we met at Elder and Sister Kelsey’s yard, just behind our house. (The Kelsey’s weren’t home, but they are the only ones with a propane BBQ grill) and we had BBQ ribs and other tasty stuff that everyone brought. Mom made an apple crisp thing that was amazing, and I’m glad I tested it before we took it to the BBQ because it didn’t last long. After our dinner, we again played “Kubb” and Mom again demonstrated her prowess. (Yet two more photos) A very fun activity.

Speaking of rainstorms, this has been the “Week of Rain”, with storms off and on all week. Yesterday, early in the morning, after an all-night rain, we were suddenly jolted nearly out of our bed with a HUGE, LOUD clap of thunder. We thought it was coming through our room. I guess that’s what we get for always sleeping with our windows open.

I think we are getting used to being in a place that actually has seasons. Some of the trees are already starting to turn a little and have just begun to shed some of their leaves. We’re hoping they change to all of their fall colors before we return home.

Well, that’s the end of another week in Beautiful Nauvoo. We hope you all have a great week, too.

We love you all.

All is well.

Love,
Mom & Dad / Granny & Grandpa