21 - Monday, September 8, 2025 -- Two Discoveries

Nauvoo Temple Creation Room

Here, hand-painted murals especially commissioned for the Nauvoo Temple symbolically depict the earth's creation and help remind us of the magnificent beauty of God's creations and of His love for us. 

The creation room is the first in a series of instruction rooms in which we are taught about God's eternal plan for His children. In this room, we learn of our premortal life with a loving Heavenly Father and of the plan of happiness for us during our mortal existence.   

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We took a short drive north on Nauvoo's Main Street and came to the old Nauvoo Quarry site:

The sign, a sunstone, and across the bridge is the actual quarry site, beautiful, peaceful, but filled with water after these many years. 

On Tuesday we went with a group across the river to Montrose to see the Phoenicia Ship Restoration Site.   

"The Phoenician Ship Expedition led by Phillip Beale recreated a 6th century BC Phoenician voyage using a replica ship.  This very ship departed from Syria in 2008, sailed through Suez Canal, around the Horn of Africa, along thew west coast of Africa, through the Strait of Gibraltar,, and across the 

Mediterranean before returning to Syria. In 2019, this ship sailed to America and landed in Florida. Both journeys aimed to demonstrate sea worthiness of ancient Phoenician ships.  This vessel, 

Phoenicia, modeled after the 2,600-year-old Jules Verne 7, sailed 30,000 miles, proving ancient seafaring capabilities.  However, the ship then needed reconstructing.  Its components were shipped to Montrose, Iowa, where it has been being reconstructed."  

The group is out of funds, and we were told the board is in negotiation with three entities for the ship to be sent to Salt Lake City.  

If interested, the website is www.phoenicia.rocks.

Here are some photos of what we saw:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 - Monday, September 1, 2025 -- A Bit of Diversion

 This whole post will be a bit different as I try to catch up!  

Monday morning I (Sharon)  was playing my usual pickleball with missionary friends at the Nauvoo Stake Center.  After playing with the ladies for awhile, everyone rotated and I ended up with three men.  And then Dave Hodson and I went after the same ball!  He is much bigger and his force pushed me and I fell -- flat on my hip.  

Long story short, because Liz Pickering, Nauvoo resident and NP, was also playing, she insisted that we go to the hospital in Carthage, IL -- because they have an LDS orthopedic surgeon.  Who would have thought -- little Carthage as opposed to a larger city.

Well, my hip needed surgery.  It was fractured in two places and Dr. Drake White came that evening and did the surgery.  One of the places he said would heal and the other he put in a plate and screws.  By the next morning, I had to get up and do some walking.

Memorial Hospital is a small, but "critical access" hospital out of Carthage and off the freeway.  It is built for access for all the surrounding rural towns. There are 15 clinics in the towns that feed into this hospital.  

The pain aside, this was a most pleasant experience.  The personnel at the hospital was tops.  They took me right in when I arrived and were attentive, kind, helpful, interested and caring until I left -- and that is every level of staff, including housekeeping, cafeteria, CNA's, and beyond.  Then the hospitalist, Dr. Joshua Byrd, came in and he is from Provo and graduated from Timpview High School the year after Michael and we discovered they have friends in common.  Small world, tender mercy, and a very pleasant experience.

Our wonderful children sent a beautiful bouquet.  Everyone coming in the room commented on how lovely it is and how pleasant the aroma.

Because I have stairs to get to our apartment, they took me outside where there were more than two stairs so I could practice. 

I was released on Friday and we stopped at Walmart on the way home.  A new experience--to drive a Walmart cart through the aisles.  There were several others around which I needed to maneuver.  

Saturday was the Grape Stomp--the 5K run/walk.  I had signed up, but alas, Stan had to walk for both of us.  

This is an annual event in Nauvoo--benefit for the Sts. Perer and Paul Catholic School.  It's a pretty big deal for this small town. It was literally right outside our door.  People came from many miles around to attend the carnival and vending booths. 

The park across from our house was full of all sorts of booths--food, and all sorts of things for sale.  There was a swap meet and a small carnival.  This booth had some very nice wreaths.  But there was a question of how to get it home.  

This is just one sample--my favorite-- of the almost 100 quilts displayed. This one is by Linda Chatwin, who owns the Emporium, a quilt store in Nauvoo.  

Just a sampling of the 388 vintage cars that paraded through town and then displayed at the car show.

Sunday afternoon after the parade (which we did not attend, even though it was only feet from out house) was the awards ceremony.  We could hear them.  They gave out awards and quilts to many winners and veterans.  By Monday morning, there was no sign of former activity -- only the porta-potties that had not yet been picked up.  

One last photo.  I did walk around the block to see, hear and take in the sights.  

I'm doing well and plan to be back to the temple next week.  

19 - Monday, August 25, 2025 -- Random

 Once completed, the temple tower was a favorite lookout for Nauvoo residents who climbed the winding stairs to the lofty perch.  We were blessed this week to be able to climb those very (reconstructed) stairs to the top of the bell tower.  We were not directly under the bell, but just a level below when it struck eleven bongs!  It is a picturesque view on all four sides -- of Nauvoo, countryside,  and the mighty Mississippi River.  

The original bell was contributed by British Saints.  Wilford Woodruff, then in England, put out an appeal and some ten thousand saints contributed to a bell and clock.  The bell was cast in bronze in England and brought by Wilford Woodruff to Nauvoo.  

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Stone Arch Bridge - used in the kissing scene of the LDS movie, Prophet of the Restoration.

This bridge was actually built in 1850 by a German man, but it covers a drainage ditch that was originally used when the Saints built drainage ditches to drain the swamps to the Mississippi.

Fat Jimmy's Smokhouse 

We've heard about Fat Jimmy's for months and finally went to Montrose to eat--meeting friends Zach and LeAnn Eyring, who live in Carthage.  We were joined by missionary friends, Dave and LouAnn Hodson.  Fat Jimmy's is rather famous for their BBQ meats.  We both had turkey and it was wonderful.  We tasted Zach's brisket, and were not impressed, however.  The ambiance outside was wonderful, and of course the company was great.  We even found that all six of us were related at some level. Small world. 

Afterwards we drove through the small village of Montrose to the dock where the Saints crossed the Mississippi River and not far from this place, set up their Sugar Creek camp, where they stayed for quite a while--too destitute to move on.

Zach and LeAnn Eyring with Sharon and Stan.  Zach is the son of Sharon''s high school friend, Brenda Sherwood and Zach went to the National BSA Jamboree with Stan when he was a teenager.

LouAnn and Dave Hodson with Stan and Stan.  We discovered Dave and Sharon are 5th cousins. If you look carefully in the background, you can see the Nauvoo Temple across the water.

Sunday morning we were just arriving at our church meeting (which is a drive of 80 miles) and were back in our chapel for the first time in 5 weeks, and Sharon saw a couple walking into the building.  She said, "There's a couple I don't recognize, except it looks like Stan's sister and her husband.  But they are no where close.  

Surprise!! It was Becky and Fred Slade, who had sleuthed where we attended Church and had come for quick trip to Nauvoo -- and to surprise us!.   That they did.!  So fun to see them.  They joined us for dinner with two other missionary couples and we had an enjoyable evening.