Magical Lands

This week was varied, much more than was last week.  We started in Pioneer land.  Here we see three men in brown vests who have all memorized the Levi Savage presentation, where as the man in the yellow kerchief is a direct descendant of Levi Savage.

In other ancestor news, Dad ran into Paul Binks who is his third cousin.

Inside of Pioneer land, is Round Dancing Land, and we had a huge group that did the best dancing we've seen so far, on Tuesday.  They even got to do the Virginia Reel, the first time we have seen it done here. The kids loved it so much that when Elder Munroe put on the YMCA song, which he often does to finish off the evening, the kids continued doing the Virginia Reel to the YMCA song ... The Virginia Reel has 8 couples across from each other in a  line.  The head couple does a lot of single dancing, so while the rest were waiting they were doing the moves to the YMCA, it was a true fusion of dancing styles.  A highlight that I could not capture in a picture, but what a delight.

Here's my favorite partner.

I finally got the apron I had ordered from these pictures on line, which, unbeknownst to me, was evidently made for a 10 year old girl.  I had to move the straps that come down the back about 4 inches each, and cut off a few inches of the ties to lengthen them to drop the waist. 

Not quite as cute a look as I was hoping for.

Tuesday saw Dad and me presenting our first vignette.  He was Edward Martin, and I was a member of his company named Elizabeth Horrocks Jackson.  Dad did great, and I hope to do better in the future.  We did it twice, as the group of kids was 270, plus leaders, so they were traveling in 2 groups about 20 minutes apart.  This is the second group as they came in.

It was here that we saw several cactus in bloom in Desert Land.

Yep, it was hot.

When we moved on to the the Jens and Elsie vignette, Lavern found a unique way to get some shade.

I felt like I was in Mary Poppins land.

Elders Parker and Perkins

Then it was time for the women's pull. Last week we had a ward that chose to put 10, 12, and 13 women to a cart for the pull, so it would not be difficult for the girls.  But this week, this stake, who had done 7 women on a cart the last time they did the pull, opted for 4 and 5.  5 is typical, and we were surprised  when they went with 4. But the girls had leaders walk along in case they needed help, but the girls waved off all help, even when one of the carts had problems with the wheel bearings which made it very hard to pull, insisted on doing it themselves. 

Here they are awaiting their turn.  For Davin's kids, this is where they plow the sandy dirt and bring up the hundreds of years old arrow head chips that I brought you guys.

They're not quite as perky as when they started.

And then its the river crossing on Wednesday.  This is their company photographer and his wife, who it turns out, is from Taiwan.

Here I am with her and Sister Munroe.

And the Photographer with Dad on his right, and Elder Munroe.

I had admired this gal's shirt, which is a kind of flour sack stripe, because it looked so authentic.  At the end of the trek she gave it to me, because she was just going to give it back to DI anyway.  How nice is that?

We entered a whole new world at Cal Ranch Land, where we bought the largest size hat they had, a 7 5/8, which is an extra large. No surprises there.

When we got home on Wednesday I noticed how bushy my roses going over the archway were.  Roses in fact have been amazing in the yard this year.

We were somewhat relieved that night when we got a call from Sister Parker telling us that we had done so well, doing our assignments for the trek the first part of the week, that we didn't need to come in the rest of the week.   We were so exhausted, that it was really a tender mercy.  We think the issue was that both of our 6 seater side by sides, had broken down. We also have a two seater side by side, which the Parkers use, and three trucks, but with two treks going on, and three couples assigned to each trek, going different places, there just wasn't enough transportation to get us and the Childs to the sites to observe.  Alas, we got to spend the next three days of the week in Relaxation Land, which we LOVED.

It was especially a tender mercy, because Dad had leg pain after running on Thursday morning, and he wondered if it was another blood clot.  On Friday more severe pain confirmed his suspicions. He made an appointment Friday, and had an ultrasound as well.  Now he's back on meds, but we were grateful we were at home to allow him to take care of it.

On Thursday night there was an activity in Relief Society Land to support sisters in mentoring youth in the ward.  I chose to do a candy bar poster table, so then it was looking like Candy Land.  I've included two posters made by Sisters in the ward that I thought especially cute.

I ran across this picture on social media and it took me to Memory Land back when I painted my mom's three metal motel chairs red, yellow and blue, though hers were brighter hues.

We took Ashley to lunch on Friday, after Dad's doctor appointment, but before his ultra sound.  She had said she had a mother's day gift for me, so we thought it would be fun to meet at Golden Choral Land.  I ate 11 fruit and vegetable servings.  Yeah. Barb and I have a competition going where we made up our own three eating/health goals.  So far I've been perfect. (9 fruits and veggies daily) and no sugar, and 6 glasses of water.  We've been doing it for going on 3 weeks, and I feel so much better. Yeah Health Land. (Which is actually a song I used to sing in Primary)

Ashley has new rainbow sun glasses for Pride month.  Aren't they cute.

Dad's cousin Morrie was there for his 65th class reunion.  He said he wondered why all the people at the reunion had brought their grandparents and dropped them off. 

After lunch I headed out to Fairy Land, as I cleaned out the old well, and put the fairy garden back together.  Dad had cut down the huge rose bush that had run wild in it last spring, and all but the cottage were buried in weeds and dirt.  

 The garden house needs dusting and sweeping, but I am so charmed by the vines taking over that it looks like jungle land, I had to take pictures to remember.  We're changing the theme to reflect the Alice in Wonderland garden area surrounding it.

It reminds me of Tarzan's house.

I moved my Alice in Wonderland tea cup garden out there, along with my mushroom pots, which tie into the wonderland theme.  Terry Kew even gave me a couple of Alice prints she'd picked up at a museum gift shop.  I can't wait to frame them and hang them.  I am also picking up hats for the 'Mad Hatter's Shoppe'.

Ah yes, Saturdays in summer bring on Junking Land.

And this is Dad in Library Land.  He pulled out the chair for easy access to the journal shelf, as he looks back to find when his other two blood clots were.  Summer is dangerous that way I guess.  His first blood clot was July of 2014 and the other one was June of 2016. and here he goes again in June of 2022.

Then Dad and I spent a hour in Farmer's Market Land, which was more of a craft fair ... BUT

There was a gal selling quail eggs. I am so excited to buy some for a Downton Abbie Dinner party I am doing for my friend Mary.

I also found the gal top left who makes sauerkraut, we bought the Turmeric/ginger flavor. naturally fermented foods are good for your gut flora, and we do a couple of sandwiches with sauerkraut, so we were thrilled. 

This is sauerkraut lady's information.

The gal in the middle bottom of the collage had the only actual home grown produce.  So we bought very fresh radishes.  Did you know you can eat the tops, just like spinach? They were yummy.  I know Brittany loves cooked spinach, but I found out that Ashley also likes cooked spinach.  Who knew? I also bought some herb tea from her that has stevia leaves in it, so its slightly sweet ... so no sugar, no worries. She is actually a part of a homesteading project.  Not sure what that means, but its sounds cool and communish.  Maybe.

We entered a new land later that evening, when we attended a wedding reception with a 1920's theme.  I loved how they did the chairs. I like to think of it as Flapper Land.

Here are Dad and I with the bride, Brittany, who is in our ward.

She and her groom.

 I wore the 1920's antique dress that I wore to Emily's wedding.  That was fun, and found another flapper for a photo op.

Back home I noticed that My domestic morning glory is starting to climb the structure I provided for it.  I can't wait to see them in bloom.  A favorite that attracts humming birds in fact, and there is nothing more magical in the real world than a humming bird.

My pink and yellow variegated rose by the cannon ball gate is going crazy.

And down in southern Baby Land, these two announce that they are evening up the score with a baby boy,  who will be their 5th child, and our 24th grandchild.  He is also the 12th boy, so we will be even by the end of October. 

That night we went over to Kews and ordered out from Los 4 Amigos.  I was thrilled that they had shrimp fajitas.

Then we watched an episode of this Brit Box TV show from United Kingdom (Land)

Today we were off to church, first thing.  Dad kept his leg up on the bench for most of the meetings.  Then he called and asked Trevor and Spencer to come down and give him a blessing, which was nice.  Trevor anointed and Spencer was voice.

We went to a fireside for the returned trekkers from the Santaquin Stake.  This young woman spoke, her name is Kaylee.  She told about her experience at trek.  I met her when she and her mom were sitting in the lodge last week on Wednesday, they were on our first trek of the year.  We knew we had a young woman on this trek who'd had hip surgery, and that she wasn't healing. We had planned to have her pulled in one of our rickshaws.  I guess she didn't want to be pulled.  I talked to them for a while, then asked her what her first name was so that I could pray for her.  She had been staying with her hand cart family, when they were at lunch etc, then coming to the lodge when they were trekking.  She was so sad she had to keep leaving them.  That was the day of the broken sprinkler, and when we got back I ran into her mom.  I asked where Kaylee was and she asked if I was the one who had asked for her name so I could pray for her.  She said another missionary sister had done the same, it was Sister Child, and that by afternoon that day her pain level was down from her normal 9/10, to about a 5 and she had been hiking with her family after the afternoon vignette.  The girl attributed her lessened pain to our prayers. When Kaylee spoke tonight she told the story and said how the missionaries had prayed for her and by the end of the second day her pain was all but gone, and she walked all that day and on Wednesday as well.  After the meeting I asked her how her pain was now, and she said it seems to be stabilizing at less than 5, and she has hope that it is finally healing.

She is shown with us, and then with the Monroes, who were shuttling her around on Monday.  They were the trek leaders for the trek.