Week 70 - Hegsted's Mission
26-November-2023-Sunday
What a great day! It was brisk going to Rutland. Pico Mountain had natural snow at the top, and they were making snow as we drove by, although they stopped by noon. We had great speakers at church. Dede was the primary leader and teacher for all the kids today. She did great. The chorister was there, so Dede helped her today.
Our shift started at 4:30 with the new 8 pm closing. Like last night, we were swamped all night. We had the Andersons, the Sheltons, and the Lau's from the Rutland Branch. It is always fun to have people you know at the site. We had three other member families from the area. I had a young man who was a resident at Dartmouth. He was interested in knowing about Joseph and was a great visitor. We had several other nonmember groups to whom we gave at least a partial tour. This year, engaging with people and getting them to learn something about Joseph or the site seems easier.
Getting home at 8:30 and finishing everything before bed is hard. However, we would miss many people if we did not work late nights. It would be sad to think of friends we would not have seen had we gone home at 5 pm. We work tomorrow night, completing a 4-night shift grouping. After that, we will only work two or three nights in a row, which will be easier.
27-November-2023-Monday
What a difference a day makes. No one came to the site today. We have had 40 or so cars drive around the loop after dark, but not one person got out of their vehicle. I worked on my document and found Grammarly performs better with a decent internet connection. We had heavy snow this morning, and since we have the morning shift tomorrow, I walked around looking at lights that need attention after the storm; I will fix these tomorrow during my shift.
28-November-2023-Tuesday
We worked the morning shift. No surprise, people were scarce. Right before coming home, a car drove around the site twice. I was surprised as they seemed to be taking pictures. I walked over and visited with them for a few minutes, even giving hints on their new camera phone. They were such a lovely couple. Their home in Florida was flooded earlier this year, and they are staying in their old family home in Lebanon while it is repaired. They had no desire to learn about Joseph Smith.
Spent the afternoon working on the document. I have cleared over 1000 errors with Grammarly. The quality of the paper has improved enough that I feel I can do a final edit. Some endnotes and photos were removed, and they need to be fixed. I have removed about 10% of the words so far, and I would guess another 5% will be removed before I quit. I want to write two new chapters and consulate two other chapters into one. However, I feel hopeful that I will finish. One more item to remove from my bucket list. I now consider this the book I always wanted to write. One thing will be removed from my bucket list.
A Joseph Smith quote at the site details his love for Emma. It made me wonder if anyone looking at my journals would find anything written to express my love and gratitude for Dede. I awoke this morning thinking about my appreciation for her. It would be unromantic to say she is better than a security blanket, but that is true. Dede is so constant, so loving, and so trustworthy. She is a powerful, calming influence in my life in moments of doubt and discouragement. I would not be the person I am today without her always at my side. I cannot thank God enough for giving her to me.
29-November-2023-Wedenesday. PDAY
We might have set a record today by arriving at the temple at 9:20. Every once in a while, the traffic demon forgets we are heading to the temple and allows us to make good time. We listened to a BYI-I devotional by Elder Renlund about the Covenant Path and the covenants we make in the temple. It was so good, and I was excited to attend a temple session and think about the covenants made there with his insight ringing in my ears. We had a different sealer again today. I worry that our favorite sealer has been released. His hearing is almost gone; thus, he is very loud, which is frowned upon in the temple. He also loves to stop and visit with people. We will miss him if he is retired. He is definitely old enough to be finished. He has served for many years.
On the way to Salem on the last trip, Dede noticed a sign for the Saugus Iron Mills, so we went there. It is now run by the National Park Service. The buildings were not open, but we took the audio tour available on the NPS App. It opens again next June so we can return before we leave. It will be on the top of the "to-do list" before we go home. We watched two videos about the site this evening, and I want to see how the systems work. This was the first (I am amazed at how many firsts are in New England) integrated Iron Works in the USA. It ran for almost 25 years, producing as much as a ton of iron per hour for 40+ weeks a year. After its completion, it was the most modern ironworks in the world. Regardless, it was never profitable, and the investors finally gave up. The men who worked there moved to other areas and created new ironworks. Eventually, the USA became the world's largest iron and steel producer. In the 1950s, the steel industry spent $ millions excavating the site and reproducing the mill. The blast furnace, hammer mill, blacksmith's shop, and ingot shed have all been restored. I wish we could have gone inside. The site was chosen for its water and wood supply and the bog iron ore that could be obtained from nearby marshes. It was the brain-child of the Puritans, whose leader felt they could not become independent from England without iron. However, the investors brought in "outsiders" to run the mill. They took Scots out of jail and shipped them to New England to do the work. The rough Scots and the Puritans mixed like water and oil, causing friction.
I am excited to see the waterwheels working, the bellows pumping, and the hammer mill running. I took some pictures below. 1) The bellows are for the blast furnace. 2). Description of how the iron was formed into ingots. 3) The shaft to run the bellows. 4). The hammer shot. 5-6) Models of what was recreated at the site.
30-November-2023-Thursday
Put up Christmas lights at the apartment. It's hard to believe I am so late. I worked on the document but struggled with a few issues, possibly "edit fatigue."
The Hoopes had a nonmember family come in and were happy. We had a wonderful evening. We had a mother come in with her two children. She lived in White River Junction and was baptized by her grandfather while a youth, but apparently was not involved long enough to know much about the gospel. She has cute children. I asked if we could have the missionaries come by. That was a non-starter, but when I asked if she would share her contact information so the church could contact her, she was delighted. I sent her information to Bob Arnold as I believe she would be in his ward, and he is a bishopric member. That made the day worthwhile. We had a woman come in who just wanted to know who Joseph Smith was and why we have this memorial. She was kind. Another lady said she had not been here for 30 years and wanted to ask questions. She knew basic facts about Joseph but wanted clarification. Another great visit.
A young family came in and wanted to watch a Christmas video. I would guess this is the most religious thing about their Christmas. I am so glad we can be here, and God sent these people in to visit us. I cannot help but believe that everyone who comes in is sent for a purpose, and I feel grateful God allows us to participate in his work.
We work 2.5 hours tomorrow and then drive to Sturbridge Village for a candle-lit tour. That should be fun. Dede continues to find amazing things for us to do. We visited Sturbridge Village long ago with our kids, but I cannot remember much about it. It should be fun.
1-December-2023-Friday
November is already past, and we are looking toward our second Christmas in Vermont. We have been blessed with more snow this year, and I love it. However, Friday dawned clear and warmed up a bit, providing us a beautiful day. We worked 2.5 hours of our shift before being relieved by the Buswells so we could drive to Old Sturbridge Village in MA. Dede booked tickets and a hotel room nearby so we could participate in the Candle Light Tour of the Village. It was a 2.5-hour drive, and we reached our destination at 3:30, leaving 4.5 hours to enjoy the village. This was our second visit, the first with our children 25 years ago. I was more impressed with this visit than last, probably due to my heightened appreciation for New England History and lack of children. It was easier to stop and ask the costumed characters questions. We also lucked out and came on an evening that was not crowded. The characters were excellent. I was impressed with their depth of knowledge when we asked questions. Many had been there for decades. We attended the lighting ceremony and a reading of Luke 1-2, the Nativity Story. The man was a fine reader but lacked the Spirit in my mind. We spent the rest of the evening visiting the different buildings (homes, barns, and businesses). Each had a historical setting related to the village and a different Christmas theme to share.
Some background. Sturbridge is an actual village and town in Massachusetts. Old Sturbridge Village was developed outside of downtown Sturbridge by the wealthy Wells family, who had inherited a treasure trove of New England artifacts and wanted to create a lasting tribute to their father, the collector. The Living Museum is the result. In December, they do this Candle-Light Tour. Many from the area make this an annual event for their families. A few items of interest to me:
1). We went to a Congregational and a Quaker Meeting House. Both were very plain, as both were careful not to have images, including paintings or ornamental designs on the walls. In one, the docent explained the building was not a church. The church is the group of people who attend the meeting house, not the building. This was a new thought for me. The Congregational Meeting House had an organ dating to the early 1800's. I was not sure if they would have had an organ. They had a marvelous display, somewhat like a nativity display, in the Quaker Meeting House. It was fun to see. The docent there said the Quakers would not have approved the scene.
2). Massachusetts was dominated by the Puritans. These are different than the Separatist Pilgrims in Plymouth. They wanted to reform the church, not change it. They controlled the government and enforced church morals by law. People had to attend church or be punished. Nonmembers could not hold public office. Christmas was banned (as it was in England for about 15 years.). An enforced dress code allowed the rich to dress more sumptuously, including brighter colors, than the poor.
3). Despite wanting a solid church, they promoted business and the ability to become economically independent of England and the surrounding "heathen" colonies. We visited a printing office, a tinsmith shop, a blacksmith shop, and barns. They built a millpond for the museum to have a sawmill and a gristmill, although both were closed for the winter. I asked way too many questions in the print shop. He was portraying 1830, the same time as the BoM, and I was intrigued until Dede dragged me out. I was so busy asking questions I failed to take a picture. Luckily, they had a model railroad display at the end to soothe my disappointment. 😆
4). The lights were marvelous. Christmas trees were brought in to line the paths toward the back. And lights lit the fences and some tree trunks. They did a masterful job.
5). Dede enjoyed a musician playing a banjo-like mandolin and played a concertina, which is somewhat like an accordion. This reminded her of her father. The musician spent some time explaining how the keys on this concertina worked. His was more straightforward than some, which have different notes for different keys depending upon the direction on the bellows.
6). With a ban on Christmas, it seemed funny to discuss Christmas on this site. However, there were other religions in the area which celebrated Christmas.
We walked out at closing time. We could have spent more time but saw all the open buildings. We also stopped and ate at the cafeteria. We shared a pot roast meal, and then each had a soup. The food was good, and I was hungry and cold from the mild rain we had experienced.
We spent the night in a lovely mom-and-pop motel 5 miles away. Dede is masterful at finding friendly little motels. I will now add some pictures:
2-December-2023-Saturday
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