Act 1.......Scene 1...

                                     ........It's Showtime

     The highlight of the week was our stage, singing, and speaking debut on the "Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo" musical stage performance that is held nightly in the Old Cultural Hall on site.  We were so spectacular that a second show was necessary to follow the first.  Due to the extreme schedules and site requirements rehearsals are non-existent. Our instructions include: Here's the script, here's where you stand, sing loud, smile......don't smile, make eye contact with the audience...don't make eye contact.....stand here....or maybe there...OK it's show time....you'll do great!!  We did.  We had a minimal role in one vignette where we only had to learn a few movements and echo the previously spoken words.  Marilyn, on the other hand,   had a small speaking part.....she knocked 'm dead!!!

     "I'd be surprised if she were....Parley Street and Hyde haven't been the same since the Ashby's and Snows decided to build that duplex"  Since we perform every third night we will not see the stage again until Monday.  There are so many couples departing this week that the stage production is in a state of constant flux as the director scrambles to work with the existing casts.  There are three separate casts that perform.  Emma Hale, Lucy Mack, and Sarah Grainger.  We are in the best one.....Sarah Grainger.  One of the cast members had a birthday and we learned that when it's your birthday you get to provide a big food spread for the cast....WOW!....what a treat. 

     As for my part, well......I'm going to be the editor of the Nauvoo Neighbor.....the small public journal that is devoted to the kind of people that lived in Nauvoo....basically he's the guy who fills in between scenes, the thread that holds the whole piece together,  and pieces the stories (vignettes)  together....It's going to be a great challenge since it requires so much memorization.  I feel like the Bill Murry character in "Ground Hog Day".  Every day feels like a blank page that I get to start over. Marilyn is preparing for her future roll as the "Relief Society President" ("just on stage", she interjects)  

           The Proof is in the Printing.......

                           She isn't the Editor....Just the Printer

     One of Marilyn's site days this week was at the print shop.  Here in Nauvoo there is a replica print shop depicting the printing of The Times and Seasons as well a the Nauvoo Neighbor.  She learned to explain the printing process and delightfully shows off the "casket" which is the final resting of the paper before it is committed to print.  The paper would have to dry for 24 hours.  The process was lengthy and complicated but they could print 650 copies of week.  The print was placed in by hand and was upside down and backwards.   The Times and Seasons was devoted to the church and it's history.  The Nauvoo Neighbor was more the town newspaper.

     This was the last week I was supposed to be scheduled for work on the sites and looked forward to moving over to the Facilities Management to use his carpentry skills.

To my great surprise he was scheduled again for site work...RED FLAG...RED FLAG.  It was a problem that was easily after he brought it to the attention of the mission schedulers,

Mission Presidency, FM supervisor, and any one else including dogs, cats and squirrels that would listen.  The error was quickly fixed and the cosmos was returned to order.  Marilyn, however, was in for a little tilt on the anxiety scale.  Her sweet personality made such a hit with the FM manager that he called her in and called her to be the secretary of the FM Department to replace the sister who was leaving in three days.  Even though she expressed some concern over her high anxiety and total lack of computer skills (a big must for the job) she took to the task like a bulldog.  After one   hour on the job she was thrilled to be transferred to the conservation department of FM.  This will be great as we will both have pretty much the same schedules although she will miss her time learning all the stories involved in the sites. 

      Our Future Lies in the West.......

................While our Present Lies in Nauvoo

     Marilyn and I took a walk around Old Nauvoo on Sunday since it was such a beautiful day and there are likely to be very few of those left until the winter months hit.  At the bottom of Parley Street is, among other interesting things, a statue of Brigham Young being instructed by the Prophet that the Saints future will be in the Rocky Mountains to the West.  As for my site work this week I served the Jonathon Browning Home (yes it is the same Browning that is associated with premier fire arms), Riser Boot, and the Webb Brothers Blacksmith shop.  With each site new skills and stories are learned as we intertwine them the spirit to provide not only and educational but a meaningful message that will touch the lives of those it is given to.  There is a great emphasis to "bring others unto Christ".  Hopefully our message will touch those who are prepared to hear it. 

While on the walk this view of the temple appeared and it just seemed appropriate to end with.  This is a great place and we are having a wonderful time.  We miss you all and love you.