Building up to May-Day

On Monday Dad and I spent the cold rainy day sweeping out the back drive way, clearing the winter leafs from the patio, and cleaning the barbecue.  We had a happy surprise that night when Becca's family stopped by to deliver a coat collection box for our front porch for a service projects Summers Real Estate is doing gathering coats for the homeless.  The kids came in and played for a while.  Titan demonstrates the age diversity attraction of duplo, along with 

Mac.  I especially love this picture of Mac, because he is sticking his tongue out  when he is concentrating, just like my brother Emory used to do.  No, I've just seen pictures.

Then Dad took this picture of us all as we went to Cafe Rio.

I loved this picture I swiped off Face Book of Nina with all but one of her kids, at her twin grandsons' first birthday party in California.  Doesn't she look great??

On Tuesday Dad carefully negotiated backing into the back yard, while missing the clothes line.  Whoa. It took two van loads to clear out the area that had been filled with branches, leaves, and lawn clippings.  It took the better part of the day, and we're glad to have it behind us.

On Wednesday I took in items I bought garaging last Saturday.  You can see the two large reproduction tins I was thrilled to find at DI, but selling them within an hour of putting them out was pretty sweet.

The top shelf here is the green display I arranged and put the canisters in, as you see I had to sort of spread things out with out them.

Dad worked on Darby's electrical on Wednesday and Thursday.  Here is the box at the beginning of the Wednesday.  The last picture is of the box when he left on Thursday.

This is the kitchen area just inside the outside door.  You can see the counter height outlet.

So much work, but so satisfying.  Thanks to Jeff and Brittany for making it possible. (Jeff gave Dad three breakers when they were unavailable at hardware stores in Utah due to the building frenzy, then Dad picked up another four in a Home  Depot in Idaho when we went up to Britt's last month.  I guess their frenzy is not as big as ours.)

On Thursday I put our a whole box of circus goodness that I packed up in 2016 ... I put it in a box that I had had dolls in, and had taped over the dolls writing with a store merch sign, but when the box was turned on the shelf, probably by Dad organizing, the doll writing on the end then showed, so neither of my merchandisers  realized it was store stock.  It made me laugh, and I had other circusy things to add, not that people are buying circus themed stuff, since the whole horror movie clown terrors thing changed our world. Ah alas ....

Most of  Friday Dad and I worked on getting ready for our granddaughter May-day, May-pole party the next day.  He mowed, while I rearranged the furniture in the garden house, and made food for the tea party.  Then he kindly vaccuumed every carpet in the house first thing Saturday, so between pushing the mower and the vaccuum hither and yon, added to his runs in the mornings of both days, he took 22 thousand steps each day.  Yeah Dad. 

Here he is with the money he ran and got for me on Friday morning to spend at Cara Morris of Confetti fame's garage sale.  I had to take this picture to share the outfit he wore in public .. ain't he grand?

After the sale I went to see Ben's beautiful headstone. Thank you Hannah, I love it.

As I took the picture I noticed this quote on the back of a headstone just to the east, I was grateful for the reminder. 

I walked over to visit Dad's a few greats grandfather, and measured the distance, and its just a quarter of the length of a football field away.  A comfort for this mom when I think about resurrection morning.

I heard the announcement that day that the Manti temple is to be refurbished, without being re purposed, thereby saving the wonderful Minerva Teichert murals from removal and re-installment elsewhere.  This was brought about by the announcement of a temple to be built in nearby Ephraim.

Here are a few pictures of her murals, I wish the pictures were more clear, as they are beautiful.

Here we see Dad heading out to put up the May-pole. 

Here it stands.

On Saturday we finished up the prep work in time for Dad to be able to get away and attend the funeral of a beloved friend in the ward.  I visit taught her for many years, and what a dear woman she is.  

I meanwhile finished up the cucumber sandwiches,

and petite fours, the first time successfully, though also probably for the last time.

Here's the rest of the menu.

I was able to use my collection of demi-tasse cups and saucers, as well as some of my demi tea spoons that I collected in Finland.  Sooo fun to actually use something for which I have planned for years while collecting the cups and saucers to use in tea parties with my granddaughters!

My first three granddaughters arrive.

I even borrowed the granddaughters of a friend to bring our numbers up to 10, so we would have enough beautiful girls for the Maypole.

Born with a silver spoon in her mouth

I loved seeing Madi playing with the ribbon, while her cousin Cam watches from inside the garden house.

We all headed into the house to watch a short video of children dancing around the Maypole, since kids to day have to clue.

After we had finely woven our ribbons down the maypole we moved into the patio to work on making paper flower May baskets for the girls to hang on their neighbors' front doors.  But first sweet baby Cam made a new admirer, before heading to Wyoming with her family.

Scott came to pick up his sisters and just like that, the magic was over.  If the girls had half as much fun as their Mimi did, they'll remember this Mayday forever, well except Cam, perhaps.

And then, because Dad had seen this picture on facebook, showing that one of  my young women, Hannah Bibler, far left, was starring as Elsa in the high school's production of Frozen we headed to the high school after dinner.  

Masks are still the order of the day for the school district.  I love that she is wearing the t shirt for the school play, with a great tie in themed mask. 

Sven and Olaf were two of my favorite characters, as might be expected. 

Its her last play, and we were grateful to see it.  She has the most amazing singing voice, we're expecting great things from her.

Church today was great.  We had a twenty minute Sunday school class after Fast and Testimony meeting, and invited Rolle to come up to dinner, as his wife is visiting family.  We also invited Sister Howse as well, and enjoyed ourselves immensely.