Now that their children were raised, Lydia wanted to do something she had always hoped to do: form a quartet. It would not be just any quartet. She wanted to have her three friends join her at Renaissance Fairs and sing Celtic songs. But there was just one problem: they needed someone to accompany them. That was where her husband, Don, came in.

Don was more reserved than his wife, but he was also an accomplished guitar player. Lydia approached him about her idea.

“But won’t it be a little strange with me traveling with four women to these types of gatherings?” Don asked.

Lydia laughed. “What would be strange about it?”

Don thought about it, and realizing how much it meant to his wife, he agreed. The women started coming over a couple of days each week to practice. Don realized his guitar playing didn’t match the style the women were trying to sing, so he listened to lots of Celtic music and practiced until he felt he had more of the sound they were looking for.

Summer came, and they drove to their first performance. The women were excited and talked nonstop as they traveled together in the minivan. After they arrived, they unpacked and prepared for their first show. It turned out well, but Don knew it wasn’t perfect. However, for a first performance, they could be proud of the job they did. The people cheered and clapped, especially after the last number when the women did some crazy Celtic dancing.

As they were packing up, a young man came up to visit with Don.

“So, the program says you are all from Utah,” the man said. “Are all four of these women your wives?”

Don was embarrassed, wondering how many others might think that. “No,” he replied. “One is my wife. The others are her friends. In fact, Mormons don’t have more than one wife anymore.”

Don ended up having a pleasant visit with the man, who was extremely curious why a group of “old people” would choose to do such lively music and dancing.

“It has always been my wife’s dream to do this,” Don said. “She’s enjoying some things she never got to do when she was younger.”

They went to quite a few fairs that summer. The women had so much fun that they decided to kick it up a notch. The next year, they made dresses with skirts that stuck out four to five feet all around them. They were excited to try them out.

But they hadn’t even left home yet when the problems began. Trying to fit four skirts that were about ten feet in diameter into a minivan without crushing them was no small feat. Eventually, the dresses were loaded, and the group packed into the remaining space.

Once they got to the fair, another issue arose. The tent they brought to change in would only hold one lady at a time with a dress that large. They barely had their costumes on in time for their performance. That was when a third problem appeared. The small stage would not accommodate their four dresses and Don, too. Don took a position beside the stage, but the ladies still had to be careful not to knock each other off the platform, and dancing was impossible.

But then the challenge arose that was the final straw. When they finished their performance, they all desperately needed to use the bathroom. But the small outhouses positioned around the fair were not big enough for even one lady in her dress. They eventually found a handicap one, and with tucking and shoving, each made their way inside one at a time. By the time they finished, there were a few people in wheelchairs lined up for their turn.

As they headed for home that day, Lydia spoke frankly. “The fairs are fun, but the dresses have to go.”

Everyone heartily agreed.