The Magic of Ordinary Days

This whole week seemed sort of magical.  It started with my seeing a humming bird outside the kitchen window at Mosida, first thing Monday morning. 

Then the power lines were filled with Barn Swallows, some of my favorite birds.

They were everywhere.

Next I noticed that several of our new group of trekkers were wearing polkadots.  That's right, Pioneers in Polkadots ... it doesn't get more magical than that.

Even the shade has a touch of magic ... this is the twig Joy I spelled out on my apron during our first vignette ... (Joy is my word this year)

Sister Jones gives the introduction for our first vignette.

and it really was absolutely magic that Dad and I got to do Ephraim Hanks and Little Sister (Thisbe Read)  It was our last chance for the year, and we got the assignment.  The other sisters dress up to do Thisbe, so I took a cue from them ... I even repaired my antique Velvet bonnet with the sheered silk lining, on the drive to Mosida that morning, so it would look real, and not so frayed and shabby. That was a real treat, and she is my favorite. (She's the one I did at the reunion talent show at our reunion last month.)

More magic on Tuesday ... Dad noticed  the hot pink straw hat at the top of the hat pole and told Sister McNeil she should wear it, because it would match ....

and she did, all day long!! We just love them so much.

At our first vignette for the day I met Rose ... beautiful Rose. Unbelievably she is 65.  And did the entire trek.  Her husband is in the Stake Presidency, they met at BYU, she told me of miracles in her life ... how her family escaped war torn Cambodia when she was 11 years old.  How she had a bishop who thought she was very smart suggested BYU.  She said she didn't have enough English to fill out the application, but he encouraged her.  She and her husband were unable to have children, and adopted three.  All three of her children were on trek, even her daughter who starts at BYU Hawaii next month.

Also, rather magical that day, is Susan Spradlin, who was with us all trek, with her husband.  They are headed from Arkansas to Argentinian, where they will be Trek specialists, as they reestablish the trek site there.  Here she is shown with two young women who are excited because she has promised to bring her dulcimer that evening and teach them to play a little.  The gal on the far right is the daughter of a woman from Argentina. 

Back at the lodge she got out her dulcimer to practice ... then she tells me that she learned to play it when she was on her mission in Nauvoo, and that the Jones (old Park Warders) know the lady who taught her to play there ... a gal named Irene Tukuafu!  No way ... of the 12 missionary couples our at Mosida, 3 of us know Irene, as she was in the Park Ward, I think Davin took her daughter to a dance, or her daughter borrowed a prom dress from us ... or something.  Crazy.  I knew the Tukuafus had moved to Nauvoo, and that Irene used to play and make harps ... evidently, she still plays the harp but makes dulcimers now... what a great lady. 

And yes, there is no doubt ... the music of a dulcimer is magical.

At home that night, reading my book in the parlor ... how pretty is the light coming through the lace?

not to mention the magic of the rainbow on my page ...

Its Wednesday and we have here Lynn, our missionary who just does maintenance on hand carts (His wife's health isn't good enough for her to serve), Elder Spradlin, our visitor, and Elder Nielson ... he's recovering from having his arm muscles reattached to his shoulder ... ouch.

and its time for the women's pull ... the gal on the right is Rose's youngest.

Sister Spradlin wants to have all the experiences, here she is pulling in the women's pull, she is on the far right.

Dad takes his regular stance at the river ...

I thought these two friends were so cute, arm in arm waiting for their turn to cross the river.

I'd never seen sisters sitting in the gravel like this, as they await their turn.  It made me smile!

Rose's husband carries her across.

I laughed at this picture, of Lynn with the Munros because it looks like he doesn't have a head.

I worked on Thursday and Dad went to the temple.

That night we went back up to Cathie's to pick up some more stuff I'd bought from her, and got to meet her fiance, Greg.

They are so cute.

She gave me this hat and the sweet antique velvet violets and suggested I add them.  She was so right, how charming is this.

I've been so pleased at how well my morning glory is growing up the structure I put in the planter out front, but I was disappointed that there were no flowers ... alas I figured it was the shaded local ...

But this magical week, I noticed a bloom on Friday morning.

Something very magical happened 45 years ago on this date when we added our sweet little Ashley to our family.  Who knew she would grow up to be a gardening, disc throwing, loving mother type of a cake decorator? 

A happy picture that Brady posted.

And the magic of a dance life, all to lift my spirits, because this magic Friday was also the fourth Anniversary of our beautiful Ben's death.

Britt's missing Ben posts .. the bottom one has her holding him...

Becca and Hannah spent the day together ....

This sweet letter to Ben from Penny so touched me ...

He is such a beloved uncle, son, brother, grandson and husband. We all miss him so much.

Emily and Becca called us that night, and let us talk about Ben and how Dad and I are doing on this fourth anniversary of his passing.  We visited for an hour and a half, and it was really lovely.

Interestingly Dad and I are now reading a book called Visions of Glory, about a man who has had multiple near death experiences, and who says, that in a way, these experiences have sort of 'left the door to Heaven open a bit'.  That is actually how I have felt that having Ben gone ahead has affected our lives. We miss him tremendously, but know he has just gone on ahead.  This man also talks about how his own father, who was an alcoholic mess, has gotten it together on the other side, and has actually visited him here, in the temple.  

That afternoon, I ran to DI to drop off a load left over from fleaology.  While there I ran inside for a minute and found a Nettie's Gnome ... which I collect ... and this one matches my bedroom!!!  Yep, its like Ben gave me the perfect gift, to commemorate his Heavenly Birthday, as he was always to apt to do.  

On Saturday, I went out garaging. As I was coming back to my car  at one sale, I saw a car parked in the middle of the street ... because ya know, ya gotta get into the garage sale NOW.  How hilarious is that?

So, last June I was googling Pioneer Dresses to buy for trek and one came up that also used the term 'Prairie Dress', so I google that, and found this dress.  I bought it and have worn it to trek in rotation, and every time I wear it, one of the sisters on the trek will say, "Oh I bet you got that at Target."  Well, No, I got it on line ... so this week I finally figured it out.   Googling Prairie dresses again, I notice an article about Prairie dresses from Target during the pandemic, and how people sort of 'roasted them', putting pictures of themselves on line, mainly Instagram.  The dress I bought on line was a Target dress, one of five styles offered then.

So! Who wore it  best?

Humor really is just happy magic, don't you think?

and this is what makes Dad happy ... being invited to the Blue and White game at BYU!

By golly, it must be magic, BYU wins every year!

And this is the magic that puts me in a good mood .... getting to spend the gift certificate that I won at Farm House Peddler in Pleasant Grove a couple of weeks ago ...

Then it was off to Darby's for vegetarian curry ... yum!!  how nice is she?  Be sure to ask her about her mare being pregnant with twins.

But we still had more magic in store for the day ... such a wonderful rainbow on Timp as we drive into Robin and Jeff's neighborhood for a Hallmark night.

This is the hero of the first Hallmark movie ... I liked the pioneer theme.

This is the hero of the second movie ... he's a prince, and I thought rather looked like a young Prince Charles, but no one else saw it ... still there is absolute magic in time spent with old friends, its hard to believe that we have all been friends for more than 30 years ... and I loved it when Barb, who may be face blind, laughed when I said these two looked alike ... as if. 

So we went off tonight to a hand cart trek fireside in Kaysville, the Childs where there, but the Smiths, (shown above) who were the third couple on this trek were not ... They live pretty close to Mosida and have become good friends.  The fireside was a lot of fun, and we actually got to meet a couple who has been out to Deseret Land and Livestock in Wyoming, as trek missionaries for the last four years.  Even though they are out there for fully four month, full time, in motor homes, they are considered to be service missionaries.  Robin, were Jeff's folks service missionaries at Cove Fort?  Anyway, it was interesting and fun to hear how they do things there.  They actually hosted the Spradlins as they observed their operations there last week. (The L and L couple was at the fireside because their grandson had been on our trek.)

Thanks for coming along and sharing the magic of our ordinary week.