This week

Monday, Lizzy Crippen came over for dinner and we watched Meet The Mormons together.  Because she is hearing impaired, she doesn’t go to see movies in the theater and she had not seen this film.  I loved watching it all over again.  It is on Netflix streaming but we bought the DVD.

Tuesday, Trissy had her annual appointment with the vet for shots, etc.  She continues to be one very healthy dog – well, except her teeth are terrible.  The vet told me the record for the longest living dog – it was 30 years.  I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that news. 

Wednesday, Steve and I drove up to Nauvoo.  We had three purposes for this.  First, the Brockbank family that lived in Columbia over eight years ago was participating in the Nauvoo pageant and we wanted to see them.  Plus, we hadn’t been to the pageant in several years and figured we should go again and see what was different.  We actually got to see the British Pageant which was brand new starting last year.  But, even if we had gone on a night that had the “regular” pageant, there would have been changes from the one we saw way back when.   They put on a good show.  Maybe a bit too many dance numbers for our tastes (channeling Gene Kelly).  We had GREAT seats - second row from the front.  Nowadays, people are allowed to save seats, so we were informed at the visitors center, and we snagged our chairs before going to the temple.

 

Second, we wanted to go to the temple a second time in July.  Third, we wanted to check out the neighboring towns because I am back on the “I want to live in Nauvoo” mind-set.  Only, this time, I would consider just living in the Nauvoo area.  Mostly because I don’t want to be two hours away from the temple as we get older.  But I also don’t want to live in a big city where most temples are located.  So, between the temple session and the pageant, we drove up to Ft. Madison, Iowa and then down the river on the Iowa side through Keokuk.  We stopped for a picnic dinner along the way.   This was our view.....

 

 

 This picnic pavilion was next to two railroad tracks that follow the river.  As we ate, we were treated to a train and wished Quinn were with us. 

 

 (And remembering the time Elise, Noah, and we drove to Utah for Kirsti's wedding and stayed the night in Cheyenne right next to a train track.  Not so fun when a train came roaring by in the middle of the night but lots of fun when another one did as we were loading up the van the next morning.  Noah was still in his train-loving mode (and Iron Man) at that time) 

Weather up to Wednesday had been brutally hot and humid but we got a lovely break in the summer heat for our Nauvoo day and we enjoyed perfect temperatures!  And we also enjoyed the water lilies all along the river bank.

Thursday, we pulled into Columbia at about 2:00 am Thursday morning.  The dogs got us up at about 7:30 (more like their stomachs got us up!) and, surprisingly, I had enough energy to work on projects at the Jost’s, have lunch with Terri Anderson, and teach lessons in Jefferson City.  It was Friday when I had my “jet-lag”. 

Both vehicles had oil changes.  I have been tying several quilts throughout the week.  These are small lap quilts and mostly for church humanitarian donations.   I will take a photo once they are all tied and bound.   I finished my Toy Story trilogy – the third movie is so funny and so emotional.  I helped Steve watch Gettysburg, his July movie.   Boy, Steve and I have just got to visit there.  And, I watched a Netflix Bright Star.  This was kind of a snoozer movie.  Very “artsy”.   Oh, and I watched a documentary recommended to me by Kirsti called Girl Rising.  THAT was really good.  It is on Netflix streaming.  You should watch it.