The night after our FHE/Anniversary party, our friend Sister Diane Johnson, quilter extraordinare, offered to help Vickie and I with the quilt we are making for our boss, Mark. We gathered at our place and set up our machines to do machine applique. It was the first time for me to do the real thing so I had a lot to learn but Vickie and Diane are excellent teachers and I learned a lot. Meanwhile, Elder Jeff Johnson brought popcorn and ice cream bars and the guys watched western movies on TV. Dave had book work to catch up on so he opted out of the quilting night.
I decided that I need to make sure I have photos of the church buildings we take care of. The next day, we were in Atchison, Kansas. This is the building that the branch there rents. I'm sure it used to be an office.
Here Steve is in front of the Maryville Ward chapel in Maryville, Missouri. It is the building that is the farthest north. We won't be servicing this building anymore as it will now be supervised out of Des Moines, Iowa. Tom Davis, the church employee mechanic, who used to work out of our office will now take care of this building. We have a lot of memories working at this cute little chapel.
One of our trucks has been driven 20,000+ more miles than the usual replacement schedule so we were happy to finally get a new one. Steve and Elder Briggs (Dave) were given the assignment to move the shell cover from the old truck to the new one. Vickie and I, cleaned out the old truck and organized, dejunked and moved the tools and equipment into the new one. It took some ingenuity for two "old" guys to move the shell but Steve came up with a solution using some heavy metal pipes to bridge the gap and slide it along. We couldn't get a photo of the process because it took all four of us working together to accomplish it.
Then we made the drive to Adam Ondi Ahman to deliver the truck. Each of us had to drive a vehicle because we had to deliver the stump grinder we had borrowed and pick up the cherry-picker lift plus we needed a vehicle to drive back after we dropped off the truck.
Chamberlains pulled the trailer with the stump grinder. Our morning prayers helped to bring about a miracle that day. As they off-loaded the grinder, Steve noticed a tire was at an odd angle and pointed it out. As they pulled away for the storage shed, the tire fell completely off. Fortunately they have a complete repair shop and an expert mechanic at AOA so it was the perfect place for the tire to fall off. We had to leave the trailer so it could be repaired. I believe the axle had broken but for sure the bearings had to be replaced. We were so blessed that this didn't happen on the highway somewhere along the way. People and property could have been seriously hurt and damaged.
Vickie, Dave and Joyce walk up to the repair garage from the shed at AOA.
Next we drove a few miles to a house the AOA missionaries are renovating to be used for missionary housing. That was where the lift we were taking back was located. We always enjoy going to Diahman and meeting with those hard working missionaries there. It was a rather exciting trip this time around, however.
On the way back to the shop, we stopped with the Briggs so the men could re-hang a large picture that someone had knocked down. It is secure now and won't be easier moved again.
That night we had our cute sister missionaries, Sister Parkin and Sister Franco for dinner. They pretty much represent the long and short of it.
Friday morning, Steve and I were in charge of moving the rest of the furnishings from the old mission home since it is scheduled to close on Monday. Steve and I hauled one truck load early by ourselves. Then we were fortunate enough to have some elders who live in the area, assist us in moving the big couches and cabinets. We were able to do the rest in one more load. While the guys loaded the second load, I was responsible to make sure the bathrooms were clean. The other cleaning had been done previously. This home has been vacant for about a year and the bathrooms were spotless a few months ago when it was put on the market.
However, due to the humid climate, the toilets were covered in mold. Yuck! I think that these were the dirtiest toilets I have ever had to clean. I was glad I had brought vinyl gloves and equipment. This was not fun, but all five bathrooms were left clean.
This is our moving crew in front of the old mission home. The furnishings will be used in the future in missionary apartments.
Next Steve and I drove to Platte City Stake Center where Steve had to figure out how to secure some of the choir seats. They had been recently re-upholstered but the contractor didn't replace all the bolts and others were broken off but left wobbly. Steve had to drill some out and then replace bolts so that the chairs were fastened and stable. He does an excellent job. I help clean up and do some gophering. Then I practice the piano nearby which comes in handy pretty much every Sunday.
Friday afternoon and Saturday, we decided to take a little anniversary trip to see another part of the mission further south. We had some hotel points that were due to expire so we wanted to use them. Our friends went with us and we drove to Clinton, Missouri. Vickie informed us that the small town of Tightwad was close by. So we drove to Tightwad. The bank has since been closed but there was a volunteer fire station and an antique shop. There is a lake nearby and lots of campgrounds so there was actually quite a bit of traffic in the area.
We asked the hotel clerk for some suggestions for dinner and he gave us a list. We selected the Mallard Roadhouse which turned out to be an excellent choice. We ran into the elders serving in the area who were meeting a family there for dinner. We knew them so it was fun to chat and catch up.
It was pretty surprising to us to meet them in this little Podunk town. Below is the old courthouse. Clinton has the oldest existing town square in the state of Missouri. We drove around it but it wasn't especially memorable to us. Liberty's may not be as old but it is much cuter and more vibrant.
We got a kick out of the Harold Dump II for Judge election signs all over the place. What a name!
The next morning, we ran into a couple of other members of the church at the hotel breakfast area before we headed to the Harry S. Truman Reservoir and Dam. Because of the lake, this area has become a recreation haven Missouri style. Which means there were dozens of trailer parks and campgrounds. There are only a few hotels in the area. A lot of people come to the lake to fish. The boats were more like pontoons. We didn't see people waterskiing or using speedboats.
From the museum/look out point, we observed a lot of birds too. It is a beautiful lake.
It was hard to capture a good picture of all the birds flying around but you can see some specks in this photo.
Next we walked down to the dam to see the swarms of fish. They were so thick the water looked like it was bubbling.
There is a swinging bridge in the nearby town of Warsaw that is pretty famous. We walked across it. It was recently reconstructed so it is really solid now.
This old Rexall Drug store was in the town square area of Clinton. This brought back memories.
At the Truman Lake museum, we saw signs for this Ozark Cigar Box Guitar Festival so we decided to check it out. Who knew that people made guitars from cigar boxes? Well apparently it was a very popular instrument in the south and there were various venders making, selling and playing them.
It was fun to walk around and check out the booths and food. We enjoyed talking with the musicians and vendors. Included in the festival is a BBQ cookoff contest. We chatted with some of the contestants and learned about their smokers and their BBQ secrets. They are serious about their BBQ here in Missouri!
We loved the homemade rootbeer and since refills were only a couple of bucks, we had seconds. It helped cool us off since it was a pretty hot day.
Vickie ordered some homemade potato chips from this vendor. $5.00 bought twice as much as the four of us could eat, but our musician friends were thrilled to eat our leftovers.
This BBQ expert sold Dave and Steve on the benefits of a good smoker/grill. Dave has already ordered his and had it shipped home. His sons will put it together for him and have it ready for smoking the turkey at Thanksgiving.
This bottle contained our homemade rootbeer. We rarely drink soda, so this was a fun treat!
Warsaw was a really cute little town. We loved this fixed up retro Texaco station and the quilt shop.
These flowers bloom in August and they don't have any leaves on them. We were told they are called naked ladies. This darling chair was in the quilt shop. It was one of the best shops we've seen--small but so cute!
On our drive back to Independence, we drove through a couple of interesting towns. This one called Emma was kind of cute. Our friend's newest granddaughter, born just last month, is named Emma. Another town nearby with German heritage was called Concordia. It was kind of fun to see some of rural Missouri south of Independence because we almost always travel north.
Sunday night we took two of our recently baptized sisters to Liberty Jail for the Mission President's monthly fireside where new converts share their testimonies. Gloria Rhodes and Jolynne Agee each shared their sweet testimonies. It was a packed house and we heard from at least 20 converts. It was a very nice evening. We took the opportunity to catch Elder Lauritsen one last time before he goes home. We missed getting pictures of our sisters so I hope to get one later.
Our work week started out with work at the Visitor's Center and then Steve hanging blinds in the Family Services Counseling Center which is in the same building as the mission office. The poor counselor has been squinting against the sun for the past 15 years. When we realized his problem, we acted promptly to get the necessary permission to order him blinds. He is very grateful!
Here Steve and Elder Chamberlain put together toy storage cupboards for the nurseries at the Clayview chapel.
I love some of the signs and reminders that are posted on the various bulletin boards in the chapels!
Hanging this mirror above the baptismal font in the Clayview chapel was a challenge. Steve and two of us sisters had to hold the heavy mirror, while Tom and Craig drilled the holes and anchored the chains while standing on ladders. It took all five of us to get this job done!
Here our boss, Mark, fixed a parking lot light. This cherry-picker lift sure is helpful.
Steve is repairing a cracked condenser pipe at the Visitors' Center.
It was a very hot day when Mark got into the lift and trimmed and shaped this tree in the front yard of the Leavenworth chapel. The Briggs and us spent the next several hours picking up and loading the branches into the dump trailer! We were exhausted when we finished.
We saw this poison ivy soap remedy at a local hardware store. This was news to us.
Our administrative assistant, Cheri, tells us that this plaintain leaf, is the best natural remedy. It usually grows in the vicinity of poison ivy and if rubbed directly on the exposed skin soon after exposure, it counteracts the poison oil from the ivy and you don't break out. I hope that I never have to find out.
Saturday, we were off on another adventure in Sedalia, Missouri. It is the home of the Missouri State Fair.
Steve is standing by an old retired police car from back in the 1950-1960's era.
One of our favorite buildings was the 4-H building. Vickie, Dave and Steve are standing in front of the decorated cakes. These young people were very creative and talented as they displayed so many different items. We were very impressed and I took quite a few photos.
I loved this cake in the shape of a picnic basket with grapes hanging over the side. So clever!
This boxcar was sent to Missouri from France to thank them for their sacrifices and help in WWI and WWII.
Missouri is definitely a state with lots of family farms. They proudly display their animals.
I am sure that I have never seen so many mules. A mule is a very popular animal in Missouri.
As we left the fair, Steve attempted to move this sign so we could leave the parking lot. It fell apart so we had a good laugh while he figured out how to put it back together.
This display marks the entrance to the Fair. It really captures the Missouri look.
I have been sewing this bag for my friend Jacque who is a member of the Restoration Branch, LDS Church. It is interesting to share a belief in the Book of Mormon and the restoration of Christ's gospel through Joseph Smith with a member of another church. She has agreed to take the self-reliance classes which will start later this month with our stake. I am confident they will be a blessing in her life.
Monday found us back in Sedalia for the tractor pull with our boss Mark, his wife, Alison and their son, Marky. This is something Mark really loves and is so eager to share with us so our work schedules were arranged so we could attend. He stayed an extra day but we were all back at work on Tuesday as usual. Going to the fair and the tractor pull is a big tradition for their family.
The afternoon pull found us sitting in the hot sun. Thank goodness for shady hats!
Of course, we ate lemonade and ice cream. We also shared a salad and a pork chop at the Pork Place, one of Mark's favorite eating establishments. In between pulls, Vickie and I checked out more displays including paintings (see below), flowers, quilts baked goods, etc.
It was a fun fair. However, we were ready to get back to work and were glad we couldn't find a hotel to stay over for another visit as our boss suggested.
The big highlight for Sunday was the death of our air conditioning. We were so shocked because we knew that the owners had just replaced the AC last summer. We arrived home from church to find our house very warm and the fan on the AC was blowing but the air didn't cool down.
The landlord lives next door, so Jeff came over and checked things out. Steve drove to our shop and brought back some fans that had been used in the mission office. Later that afternoon, the owner came back with a window AC unit. We put it in the bedroom and it did take the edge of the heat. The few days we didn't have AC were noticeably hot--of course. Fortunately, the unit was still under warranty for 1 more day. When they had to replace the entire motor, we were relieved to find out the manufacturer was paying for this major repair.
Steve did adjustments on several chapel microphones this week. It isn't his area of expertise, but he works hard to try to figure things out and fix the problems.
On Wednesday, we had a staff meeting. One of the purposes was to review work orders, etc. with our outgoing temporary supervisor, Nathan and connect with our new supervisor, Josh. Since Kevin's departure, we have been running on temporary. Tom, our other mechanic dropped off two huge homegrown watermelons for us to share. It was a thoughtful surprise and sooo delicious. Tom has been assigned to take care of the chapels in the Far West Stake which are spread across north central Missouri. He will be supervised out of Omaha, Nebraska, so we won't see him unless he asks for our help. We will miss him.
Mark and Cheri cut up the watermelon and serve it to everyone. Delish!!!
Our paid staff members below are Cheri, Nathan, Mark and Josh.
Here are the missionaries together with the staff members. First row: Michael, Nathan, Kristen, Joyce, Craig. Back row: Dave, Vickie, Cheri, Mark, Steve.
We got some much needed rain this week, so we helped a group access Hauns Mill since those roads can get very muddy. Steve gives them directions to their next desired location.
Our flowers at all the locations loved having an extra drink of water from the rain. Below are photos from Liberty Jail.
Steve paused for a break in the shade at the Three Witnesses Monument in Richmond. Steve removed the confederate flag someone had placed on Bloody Bill's grave. He was a guerilla hero on the side of the confederacy.
We drove about an hour and 40 minutes to the Brookfield chapel to replace the microphone. We discovered that the new one that was ordered wasn't compatible with the old equipment so we got the old one working instead. This is a rented building for a small branch. It will be our last trip. Omaha will take care of things moving forward for this branch.
On Friday after rounds, we met up with the Briggs at Far West. That afternoon we attended a Steam & Gas Engine Show in Hamilton. They had a lot of antique vehicles and equipment. We found it quite fascinating. Steve totally loved it. He explained how a lot of the pieces of equipment were used. Some of them he had used as a boy farming with his Dad and uncle.
Of course, we had to get pictures of the Case equipment. Case was started in 1842 in Racine, Wisconsin. That is a long time to be in business from the same headquarters.
We found this old saw mill with this huge blade very interesting to watch. It was powered by the steam engine vehicle below. They were sawing long boards about 2" thick.
This gentleman displayed a gas powered lawn mower invented and distributed by his brother starting in 1939. When the war started, he couldn't get parts and had to abandon his manufacturing of powered lawn mowers. Because we were so interested, he located some fuel at another booth and started the mower. It ran beautifully. Everything was original except for the tires.
The mower didn't have a shut off mechanism so he had to wait until all the gas ran out. It worked beautifully and did cut the weeds around us.
This blacksmith was demonstrating his skills. I thought he looked familiar so I asked him if he had been demonstrating at the state fair last Saturday. He said "Yes." He likes this event better since it is closer to his home.
We had to try to local gooseberry pie. It was delicious. This gal can really make pie crust as it was the flakiest I think I've ever eaten. It would have been out of this world with a scoop of ice cream!
On our way out of town, we passed a tractor parade on their way to the show. There were about a dozen tractors putting down the road with a police escort. I guess they make the rounds to various fairs and events in the northern part of the state.
We attended the Hamilton event on Friday afternoon so we would be available to attend Bresa's baptism on Saturday morning. This special little 9 year old girl is responsible for getting her inactive mother, aunt, uncle and about 8 children back to church. She loved having the missionaries teach and baptize her.
I made three scripture bags for the girls in our primary who have been baptized recently. We love having Bresa, Bria and Bayley in our primary.
In fact Sunday, we had a record number of children which was 19. It was heavenly to hear them sing A Child's Prayer and have enough kids to sing both parts simultaneously. They learned the whole song in one practice. We finally got a teacher called on Sunday too. Our primary is growing!
Below are members of the Rhodes family who were baptized a few weeks ago.
Bria, Benjamin, Gloria and Bayley. Gloria is a remarkably faithful woman and spiritual giant who is raising 4 of her great grandchildren
We have finally received some much needed rain this Sunday and Monday. We are so grateful for the moisture and that the temperatures have moderated for the past couple of days. We were able to walk after work several times. One afternoon we got caught in the rain storm and walked home in the rain. It was so wonderful to have it rain, we didn't even mind our "walking in the rain."
