Security

The weekend, part-time security officer retired at the end of the year and the senior couples at FM have been asked to fill in until someone else if hired.  The retiring guy was in his 80's.  I'm not sure who wants a job that requires you to work every Saturday and Sunday evening and all holidays.  Elder Cornwell took this photo as Elder Pleshek came around the back side of the Riser Boot Shop.  That's the Pountain house in the background.

Security involves making sure that everything is locked.  We did find a few sites with unlocked doors.  It also involves emptying all the trash but this time of year, that really isn't an issue.  It took us two hours on Saturday evening and 1 1/2 hours on Sunday.  Since Monday was a holiday, we worked then as well.  I didn't work on Monday.  Elder Scott volunteered to work with my husband.  I think they had a good time as we're pretty good friends with the Scotts.

Hopefully, someone will want this job and we won't have to do it in the summer.

Valentines Day

I've never been one to celebrate Valentine's day.  But when you have a dinner and dance planned with the rest of the mission, you go and have fun.  Although this photo of us with Rick and Sherry doesn't look like we're having a good time.

It was a potluck dinner and everything was delicious!  I've made deviled eggs for three different events so far and have not had any luck in peeling them.  I don't know if it's the Iowa chickens or what?  They don't look great, but they taste that way.

Elder Cornwell was busy taking everyone's photo.  We were asked to wear our site/pioneer clothing.  This is my new dress and I like it a lot.  I never had a dress made and fitted to me before.

We danced several different group dances in which you still have a partner.  The only one I remember the name of is The Virginia Reel.  It was a really fun evening.  I love my life and I love serving with these beautiful people of this Historic Site Mission!

A Broken Toilet Seat

Two weeks ago we were at the Big10 painting in apartment 202.  I was doing some touch up painting  in the corners near the ceiling in the bathroom.  I didn't have a ladder so I stepped on the toilet seat and stood on the vanity to do my work.  When I stepped down, the toilet cover splintered into several pieces and I went down.  Not into the toilet either.  

Somehow, I tried to recover my balance by twisting my body and putting the weight onto my left foot.  I somehow landed with my back against the tub.  I landed hard and it hurt really badly.  I don't know how I didn't twist my ankle.  

I needed another paint roller and went back to the compound to get one.  I found my husband and told him what happened and asked for a blessing as I was one hurting puppy.  He and Elder Mensel gave me that blessing and I immediately felt relief from the pain.  

I went back to work painting and it was a good thing I did.  I know if I would've gone home, my body would have stiffened up and I wouldn't have been able to move the next day.  As it was, I slept on my back as that was the only way I was comfortable.  I was glad it was a Friday as it gave me a few days to rest.  There's still  some bruising and discomfort from time to time, but I'm mostly better.  

I will still stand on the vanity to reach those places I cannot reach standing on a ladder.  But I will use a ladder to get up there and not the cheap toilet seat cover.

The Duck Truck

About a month ago, the FM got a bunch of new trucks.  Unfortunately those of us who work in the paint shop and the handyman don't get our trucks replaced.  There are several of them sitting in the lot at the compound assigned to no one.  

I don't know why or where it came from, but my Elder siliconed a duck decoy to the top of his truck since he has an old truck.  Notice the big dent in the door.  That was there before he ever drove it.

Elder Prettyman calls it "the duck truck."

Sister Green took this photo and sent it.  We love Elder and Sister Green.  They are working here in Nauvoo as pageant missionaries.  They are the ones who decide who gets to be in the pageant and what cast they are in.  They will be replaced this summer by the Dixons.

Well Done Thou Good and Faithful Servants

Just before the Schmidts left last week, we had an FM missionary burger bash to celebrate those who would be leaving us in the next six weeks.  We ate a delicious meal and then let them tell us what their plans are.

These wonderful people are going to be missed so badly since there are no more FM missionaries coming until June!

The Barrows and Prettymans leave us the first week of March.  

The Howards leave mid March and the Schmidts left on January 31st.  Both of these men work in the carpentry/cabinet shop. They have some amazing skills.

This was the last day these guys worked together in the carpentry shop.  Elder Carlson is the newest missionary to work there.  What a great group of talented guys!

There are a lot of senior couples here but there are only about 15 couples that work in FM.  We get very close as we work together day in and day out.  We love the Site missionaries and Teamsters, but there is something special about our group!

Another Game Night

Last week we invited the Prettymans and the Bailies over to have dinner with us and then play some games.  Sister Bailie was getting over an illness so she didn't come. Boo!

We played Cover Your Assets and had a great time.  We got together a few days later and had dinner together again and played more games.  The Prettymans are leaving in a month so we've got to get all the time in we can with them before they leave us.

There are such wonderful people here that we love dearly.  They are the friends we never knew we had.

Browning Gun Inventory and Cleaning

Once the Browning Gun Shop was finished, the conservation crew went in and inventoried everything in the place.  That was quite a job too.

One of the things we pulled off the wall prior to painting was this little plaque telling about the machine gun.  I wasn't too keen on having it put back up on the wall using double sided stickies.  My inventive Elder created a frame for it and it just sits on top of the gun.  It can be hung on the wall if necessary.

Part of doing the inventory was to take the glass off of the gun cases (safes) and clean inside.  That meant that all the items inside would have to be taken out.

Each item has a inventory number so they all needed to be taken out.

Dusting them and putting labels back that had fallen was part of the process.

There were quite a few Elders there ogling the guns as the glass was very heavy and needed several of them to lift it off.

These are museum pieces so they need to be handled very carefully.

This was a one of a kind event for these missionaries.  I don't believe these gun cases are cleaned very often.

Not only guns but sabers or swords in the cases.

Notice the white gloves.

Elder Harker was having a good time too.

The Sisters from Conservation carefully cleaning and doing inventory.

Putting on the White Gloves!