The Rainbow Shines......
....And Sunset Glows!!
Sooner or later....since time marches on.......and the sun rises and sets.....we were destined to perform on the Sunset on the Mississippi stage. It happened on May 29....and it actually turned out to be a pretty remarkable.....well, remarkable in a unique and different sort of way. I can't speak for others but the confusion, changes and chaos of the past seemed to disappear as I passed through the curtain carrying the flag of the U.S. Army proudly across the stage and the military anthems from all the branches of service were presented and the anthems or battle songs were sung. (By the way...that's me on the left....I'll get the flag straighter the next time). I just couldn't stand tall enough or straight enough as those men and women who have maintained our freedoms over the years, past and present, were honored. The crowd of 250 cheered and clapped......and when the singing of America the Beautiful ended and the flags retired....the show went into high gear led by the YPM's. The old folks did their parts and performed their routines....it really didn't look to bad. The band plays so loud behind us that unless you are a remarkably talented singer who can actually follow them.....it's good luck and God bless you the rest of the way.
The best part of the show came, of course, when it ended (LOL). Both literally and figuratively as the YPM's performed last with a beautify song and we joined in at the end singing "Love at Home", a song that has always been particularly dear to me since the family sung it at Grandma Nances funeral.
The cast manager duties we have been assigned add to our workload as we have to be there at 6:00 PM and we didn't leave until almost 9:00. I hope it gets better as it sure made for a long day and a short night.....Guess it could be worse.....O yeah...it is: Rendezvous now has two shows nightly and we don't get done with the second one until 9:30.
Just Another Day......
.......For Sister Gibson
So what happens when you take a docile sweet grandma who reluctantly leaves her home, friends, and beloved grandkids to serve a mission in Nauvoo and then gets reassigned to work in the Facilities Management of the mission and then suddenly is thrust into being the head of the conservation department in charge of watching over and caring for the artifacts as well as the management of making sure all the sites are routinely cleaned......She becomes what I knew she always was by the way she took care of me and our family.....WONDER WOMAN!!
She is remarkable and her parents would be so proud of her. I know I am. She will do anything to help and is much beloved for it. Take for example the day mattress's needed to be moved from the 2nd floor storage. No forklift was available so she grabbed several of the service missionaries to help with the task. There she is in the middle of it.....acting like she should and trying to help!!! Yes Sireeeeee.......Wonder Woman!!
So what happens when you take a docile sweet grandma who reluctantly leaves her home, friends, and beloved grandkids to serve a mission in Nauvoo and then gets reassigned to work in the Facilities Management of the mission and then suddenly is thrust into being the head of the conservation department in charge of watching over and caring for the artifacts as well as the management of making sure all the sites are routinely cleaned......She becomes what I knew she always was by the way she took care of me and our family.....WONDER WOMAN!!
She is remarkable and her parents would be so proud of her. I know I am. She will do anything to help and is much beloved for it. Take for example the day mattress's needed to be moved from the 2nd floor storage. No forklift was available so she grabbed several of the service missionaries to help with the task. There she is in the middle of it.....acting like she should and trying to help!!! Yes Sireeeeee.......Wonder Woman!!
The Pageant Trailer Turns to.....
........The Schenck House "On Wheels"
We should have see it coming. Work on the trailer was progressing nicely. Things were falling in place.....needed materials were on hand.....we weren't being pulled off daily to do other small jobs.....the weather was a moderate 70 degrees. I had spent the first of the week putting another layer of roof sealant. We knew there was a lot of dry rot and water damaged wood...the floor needed to be replaced in spots but all of the plumbing and electrical was in place. We were ready to start the long awaited exterior work so enclose the interior so we could begin the final phases to complete the trailer by the July 5 deadline. The dry rot on the frame was extensive as we dug further into the project and we also found it near most of the windows. The floor in front of the doors was rotted. Elders Hacking and Van Horn are great at such projects and they went right to work.
We were feeling pretty good....there was a light at the end of the tunnel....and experience should have taught me that this was not a light.....it was barreling down the tracks I was standing on in the middle of the tunnel.....I was about to be run over.....after all it is Nauvoo! "Well Folks" it started Thursday morning when Marcus called a "team meeting" of all those involved in the trailer.....
He started out with "I've been thinking". Now in the past I would have rolled my eyes and, as he called it, "smirked". Nope...not this time...I had prepared myself mentally in that 3 second gap and .....went into a quiet panic controlled stupor. "Maybe we ought to put a new roof on the trailer"....Elder Gibson suggested it a week ago before I had him take two days and coat and seal the existing roof because we didn't have time to do it this year and we could do it in the future." Then we had the committee (all of those present in the meeting) debate, ponder, question, check for materials etc. Then he added "We ought to replace the windows with bigger ones". More debate...more questions.
And so.....moving on to the Nauvoo way we were now plotting, planning, re-thinking and debating how we could do it within the time frame of getting materials necessary. We were able to determine we could get additional siding and parts in three weeks. Windows went out the door....as did the doors which were now being replaced. With determined zeal we tore out the existing doors, removed and covered the windows. The materials for the wood structure for the roof arrived Friday @ 3:30 and Monday morning....the old roof gets removed........unless.... there is a change over the weekend.
Parker Talbot Makes a Call.......
....and Rendezvous Gets Loud!!
What a surprise it was to see Parker Talbot!! I have such fond memories of him as I watched him grow up in our ward and what a special young man he was. He was with a bus load of BYU-Idaho students that were doing a church history tour. I am sure we will have other surprise visitors and acquaintances pop up from time to time this summer but we really enjoyed our brief time talking with him about where he was in life and where he is headed.
Now I am about to reveal a secret that I hope doesn't get leaked to some of the members of our Sara Granger cast. For the second night in a row the audience was especially alive, loud, and into the performance...so much in fact that we received standing ovations both nights.....hardly, for some, a humbling experience as they made sure others, in the other two casts, knew about it the following day. Our performance is worthy of note as we assimilate new cast members and our experience in past performances is beginning to show.....still we have our moments!! For example, as we waited on the stairs to perform "Willingly" two of the newer cast members were trying to recall the Elder who walked down the aisle, rifle in hand, singing loudly as he went....unfortunately he was the lead in the line that was supposed to follow him and he marched down a verse too soon and stood there all alone. I wasn't about to help them remember it was me. But there are those who remember...and they will never miss a chance to give me a reminder.
So now for the secret.....the last two shows contained a busload of young adults, either from youth conferences or as in Parker's case, BYU-Idaho. Whenever possible some of us like to talk to them before the show begins as they wait outside to enter the Cultural Hall. Now Elder Moench and I do take a little license when we prompt them about some of the funny things that will happen...Old Elders thinking they are doing a high leg kick when it really is only about a foot off the ground. "So please give them a loud cheer....when the exclaim"Whew" at the height of the kick it is only because they didn't tear a muscle or fall off the stage. So don't be afraid to cheer them on...after all the last audience "brought the house down"....and speaking of that audience....they were so loud and excited they gave us a standing ovation. The pump is primed, the fuse is lit...........and soon old people get big heads they shouldn't. But it sure makes for a great time!!
The Civil War Comes to Life.......
Saturday we used out P-Day to travel to Pittsfield, Ill where the small Illinois town hosted a civil war re-enactment. You wouldn't think you would have trouble finding such an event in such a small town...but we managed. Even the directions provided on the brochure and from the towns people provided and adventure that took us to every corner of Pittsfield Lake before we were able to find our way in. Successfully and patiently negotiating directions we arrived. The effort was worth it as it was an exciting and exceptional opportunity. All in all there were about 22 missionaries that showed up to see the spectacle and also support Nauvoo on the Road.
Arriving before the actual "battle" took place allowed us to be able to tour the camps of the Federal and Confederate troops. It was very interesting to talk to the re-enacters who get totally into character and can explain their unit and the battles they fought in. They were all very accommodating although it appeared to many that the Southern troops were a bit more friendly and open than the northern troops. When I asked one of the Southern troops about the black crow on a pole in their camp he explained it was their unit mascot and they even had a song dedicated to it. When I asked them to sing the song they obliged with great zeal and vigor. Over the course of the day I was introduced to General Grant and President Lincoln who took time from their battlefield duties to take a picture.
We should have see it coming. Work on the trailer was progressing nicely. Things were falling in place.....needed materials were on hand.....we weren't being pulled off daily to do other small jobs.....the weather was a moderate 70 degrees. I had spent the first of the week putting another layer of roof sealant. We knew there was a lot of dry rot and water damaged wood...the floor needed to be replaced in spots but all of the plumbing and electrical was in place. We were ready to start the long awaited exterior work so enclose the interior so we could begin the final phases to complete the trailer by the July 5 deadline. The dry rot on the frame was extensive as we dug further into the project and we also found it near most of the windows. The floor in front of the doors was rotted. Elders Hacking and Van Horn are great at such projects and they went right to work.
We were feeling pretty good....there was a light at the end of the tunnel....and experience should have taught me that this was not a light.....it was barreling down the tracks I was standing on in the middle of the tunnel.....I was about to be run over.....after all it is Nauvoo! "Well Folks" it started Thursday morning when Marcus called a "team meeting" of all those involved in the trailer.....
He started out with "I've been thinking". Now in the past I would have rolled my eyes and, as he called it, "smirked". Nope...not this time...I had prepared myself mentally in that 3 second gap and .....went into a quiet panic controlled stupor. "Maybe we ought to put a new roof on the trailer"....Elder Gibson suggested it a week ago before I had him take two days and coat and seal the existing roof because we didn't have time to do it this year and we could do it in the future." Then we had the committee (all of those present in the meeting) debate, ponder, question, check for materials etc. Then he added "We ought to replace the windows with bigger ones". More debate...more questions.
And so.....moving on to the Nauvoo way we were now plotting, planning, re-thinking and debating how we could do it within the time frame of getting materials necessary. We were able to determine we could get additional siding and parts in three weeks. Windows went out the door....as did the doors which were now being replaced. With determined zeal we tore out the existing doors, removed and covered the windows. The materials for the wood structure for the roof arrived Friday @ 3:30 and Monday morning....the old roof gets removed........unless.... there is a change over the weekend.
Parker Talbot Makes a Call.......
What a surprise it was to see Parker Talbot!! I have such fond memories of him as I watched him grow up in our ward and what a special young man he was. He was with a bus load of BYU-Idaho students that were doing a church history tour. I am sure we will have other surprise visitors and acquaintances pop up from time to time this summer but we really enjoyed our brief time talking with him about where he was in life and where he is headed.
Now I am about to reveal a secret that I hope doesn't get leaked to some of the members of our Sara Granger cast. For the second night in a row the audience was especially alive, loud, and into the performance...so much in fact that we received standing ovations both nights.....hardly, for some, a humbling experience as they made sure others, in the other two casts, knew about it the following day. Our performance is worthy of note as we assimilate new cast members and our experience in past performances is beginning to show.....still we have our moments!! For example, as we waited on the stairs to perform "Willingly" two of the newer cast members were trying to recall the Elder who walked down the aisle, rifle in hand, singing loudly as he went....unfortunately he was the lead in the line that was supposed to follow him and he marched down a verse too soon and stood there all alone. I wasn't about to help them remember it was me. But there are those who remember...and they will never miss a chance to give me a reminder.
So now for the secret.....the last two shows contained a busload of young adults, either from youth conferences or as in Parker's case, BYU-Idaho. Whenever possible some of us like to talk to them before the show begins as they wait outside to enter the Cultural Hall. Now Elder Moench and I do take a little license when we prompt them about some of the funny things that will happen...Old Elders thinking they are doing a high leg kick when it really is only about a foot off the ground. "So please give them a loud cheer....when the exclaim"Whew" at the height of the kick it is only because they didn't tear a muscle or fall off the stage. So don't be afraid to cheer them on...after all the last audience "brought the house down"....and speaking of that audience....they were so loud and excited they gave us a standing ovation. The pump is primed, the fuse is lit...........and soon old people get big heads they shouldn't. But it sure makes for a great time!!
The Civil War Comes to Life.......
....In Pittsfield
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