August 14, 2016 - Sunday in Nauvoo

We had a cooler day in Nauvoo today.  The rains and the clouds always help bring down the humidity and the temperature.  Our thermometer registered 65 degrees this morning at 5:30am.  If we had not been assigned to work at the Blacksmith shop, we would have walked to Church it was that nice out.  As it was, we went early so that I could help with the preparation of the Sacrament, and just before our meeting began I mentioned to the scheduler that there were 3 couples scheduled in the Blacksmith shop today.  We have never had that many at one time during the entire month of July!  When she realized the over-schedule, she told us to take the day off.  Then she saw us at the Sunday school class and had us work half a shift at the Print shop instead.  It was our last scheduled Sunday!!

The Sacrament program went well.  The Young Performing Missionaries spent their last Sunday here in Nauvoo for this season and they go back home on Tuesday.  That means that the senior missionaries will be asked to begin blessing the Sacrament again next week.  What a privilege that is to officiate at the Sacrament table!

During the afternoon I was able to get a few pictures of the clouds developing around our area.  It is so fun to see the different and continually changing formations that these clouds make in just a few minutes of watching them.  Here are some of those pictures;

Along Parley Street above Durfy Street in Nauvoo

Just behind the Print shop on Main Street and Kimball

Another angle along Main Street and Kimball

We had a great time working at the Print shop and telling the stories about the phrases that were used during the 1840's.  Here are just a few;  The "Quoins", (pronounced coins), were tapered wedges of metal used to lock the type into the Chase.  The "Chase", was a heavy steel frame into which all type is locked ready for printing.  The "Dingbat", is a pretty little thing that takes up space.  The upper and lower case letters used in the type setting were made of steel and had to be carefully looked at to determine which letters they were.  The "Galley" is a long brass, box-like frame, holding one column of type.

As the type was set by the "Compositor", (the worker who sets the type), he fills in the blank areas of the phrase he is composing with "furniture", (wooden blocks to fill space in the Chase or the Galley.  When a flyer is made, the compositor doesn't need to use both the Galley and the Chase because of the simpleness of the print.  Therefore the phrase "cut to the Chase" refers to eliminating the Galley!

The phrase, "Quoin a phrase", is made as the first lines in the Galley are assembled and tightened with the Quoin key.  And when the apprentice put away the type after the printing of the page, he was often cautioned to "mind his "p's" and "q's", because they looked so much alike!  And one more; the Dingbat probably made more famous with Archie Bunker and the TV show "All in the Family", was really a compliment!  Fun facts from the Printing Office here in Nauvoo!

A peek through the press at the world famous Editor's assistant!

Here she is minding her p's and q's!

Now for some family fun photos.  We love getting pictures from home and we are amazed at how quickly these precious children are changing!  We have got to be more involved in our children's lives.... there were other photos that we got today but have not downloaded into my access file as of this time to publish tonight.

Here is a boy who is being dressed for his Church services today