Bootiful Nauvoo and Bulbs

Our house in Nauvoo

Another two week posting - not because there wasn't enough for one week, but we were just too busy to put a blog together.  The week of October 20th we couldn't have fit another thing in.  Here is how it went.

October 20 - 26

Sunday Sister Irion, the temple matron, and her sister, and their husbands spoke to us about their dad, President Nelson.  The Irions went home this week, so we were glad they could take time to do this.  They told wonderful stories about how President Nelson and their mom parented them.  One of my favorite stories was about dating.  If a young man had stayed passed his curfew, President Nelson would casually wander out into the room and ask him, "Do you know that you are still here?"  If that didn't work, he'd come out in his bathrobe, brushing his teeth and ask the question again.  The Nelsons went skiing every Monday until he became president of the church.

President Irion, Sister Irion, Sister Walsh, and Elder Walsh.

The pumpkins arrived Monday morning.  Monday and Tuesday we continued putting the gardens to sleep by helping Elder Keeton as he chopped down the mile high grasses.  As a reward we got to see into another Nauvoo hiding place - the Lyon's Store barn.

Sister Bailie tackles the grass.

All chopped down.

Various buggies were stored in here. 

Wednesday it rained, so we tied bows, potted coleus,  bagged kettle corn, and painted pumpkin faces.

Elder Barrow making kettle corn.

Drawing a face

Bagging Kettle Corn

Durel Nelson studies a pumpkin drawing.   His family is responsible for the Pumpkin Walk. 

Richard learned to tie bows in college horticulture classes. 

Susan Easton Black Durant -  Church History Professor at BYU

Thursday we planted bulbs at the Women's garden, the largest garden in Nauvoo. While we were planting  a tour group came through the garden. Sister Durant  was leading the tour.  She stopped by the woman sculpting and asked who was she scuplting?  Some said her mother.  Some said her grandmother.  "She is sculpting herself," Sister Black explained. She tells her young adult students that they need to decide who they want to be and create themselves as this artist is doing.

 After work Dee and I carved a few pumpkins.  And as if enough wasn't going on, Thursday night The Durants, spoke to us. Brother Durant reminded us, in his humorous style,  to look to God (Oh My, Why don't you look up at the sky?) Sister Durant subject was Palmyra, because President Nelson told us to get ready for April Conference, the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith's first vision of the Father and the Son.

One of the mission photographers took this picture. 

Palmyra grew up as a result of the "Big Ditch", a project designed to encourage western migration into New York state.  Joseph Smith Senior went to Palmyra before his family.  He dug wells, and set up a small Cake and Ale shop.  After he had enough money the family joined him.  Sister Black shared a story I'd never heard about young Joseph.   As the family was traveling, Joseph fell behind because of his lame leg, and soon gave up keeping up.  He felt he would die out there in the countryside, when a stranger came up and carried him to Palmyra.  Sister Black shared many interesting details about church history. Even though some of us were up past our bedtime, we would have stayed as long as she talked, but she looked at the clock and swiftly brought her interesting lecture to a close - leaving us wanting more, as President Lusvardi is always telling us to do.


Friday we planted Carthage. We worked so fast that we decided to do the Smith Family Cemetery as well.

Saturday was Bootiful Nauvoo, but in keeping with packing everything possible into this week, I decided I'd better visit the Joseph Smith Historic site before it closed for the season. When we went in April I ended up taking the grandkids outside.  Needless to say, I got a lot more out of the tour this time.

Our guide, Mary Lou, who also is the gardner.

The Mansion house kitchen door. 

Bootiful Nauvoo

Saturday afternoon it started to rain, but Bootiful Nauvoo must go on. We had 3500 bags of kettle corn to give away.  Because of the rain, I don't think there were 3500 people at the Pumpkin Walk.  People were carrying around 2 and 3 bags of kettle corn each.  The upside was we could take a trash bag full of kettle corn to our ward's Trunk or Treat.

Handing out Kettle Corn.

Bailies trying to get rid of kettle corn. 

Sister Mensel is dressed as her great great grandfather, George Q. Cannon, imprisoned for practicing polygamy. 

Missionary dragon

Crazy Band

Last week of October

Sunday we slept all afternoon, resting from our terrifically busy week.  We had district dinner at the Keeton's at 6:00.

Monday we planted the last bulbs. Hooray.  The next bulbs I plant will be in my own garden.  I've learned that you can plant them very close together, no matter what the instructions on the package say.  Afterwards we moved plants to the Stone House, which is not stone, but rather someone named Stone once lived there.  The larger grasses and some trees live in the Stone House basement all winter.

All done!

1000 bulbs here ready to be buried.

Compost after Bootiful Nauvoo

Tuesday we woke up to 2 inches of snow on the ground and cold.   We spent Tuesday and Wednesday working around the greenhouse, potting coleus, washing pots, tying bows for Christmas decorations.

Finally on Thursday and Friday we were able to get out into the gardens again to cut the perennials back and generally clean up.  There was still snow everywhere, but I have high hopes for this week.  Now that we are done with pumpkins and bulbs, maybe we can get the gardens finished. The forecast is for dry and sunny, with only two days where the high will be in the 30s.

Friday night we had a game night with the Weldons and the Robbins.  Saturday I packed my warm weather things to take home.  Hard to believe.  Today is our 14th month mark. Where did the time go?