Per Perkins Perhe: Our Some Kind of Wonderland Week

Ah yes, Monday ... Dad and I both worked out and about the Garden House that day. I got rid of the green rotting baskets that were serving as planters, and did the sign above the door that reads: Madhat Tea Parties. And yes, as evidence shows, I pulled out some weeds along the house, and planted some hollyhocks that my neighbor Coralee had culled. Interestingly, her son and his partner of some twenty years, are renewing their vows, and they have decorated the yard in Alice in Wonderland.

I noticed this event, where the wisteria, that doesn't bloom, wrapped itself around this pillar on the back patio and dragged it out of place. Talk about something happening in slow motion.

Dad chopped out the root of the wild rose in the old well that would be welcoming the Alice in Wonderland statue that was supposed to arrive that day ...

A detail of the Madhat Tea house is this globe "We're all mad here."

This pot that Ashley gave me for Mother's day, got the transition to a mad hat to replace one of the baskets.

The other was replaced by this cute teapot planter.

Eva was also busy the beginning of the week painting the new mural for the tea house that would go in as a fireplace screen to replace the beehive mural that was there when the garden house was a memorial to Ben. (Ben Bee Haven)

Tuesday morning Ann and I met at Salem Pond to spend an hour Kayaking around the pond, it was a delightful morning.

Here we are when we all clean and dry.

Later I cut some triangles out of tin ceiling tiles for a craft project the next day.

We went out for some Cafe Rio that night, its been a while.

I also got up the Victorian framed print, I'd bought from my friend Mary that day.

Here's a close up.

I was thrilled to have a guy contact me about joining us for Fleaology. He has real antiques, including these antique string holders. They hang on the wall and have a ball of string inside that comes out through their mouths.

At work Wednesday I saw Kathy's Haunted House Display. I thought she did a good job.

She even added the phone I brought in that day to the display.

After work I gather with these ladies to make Autumn Gnome Door Hangers ... Sandy, Lilly, Ann, Heather, Me and my friend Shirley, from my evidently disbanded old craft group.

Here is mine on our front door.

Dad was kind of tickled by him, I guess because we both got into gnomes during our second mission in Finland. My friend Robin is also a huge gnome fan, so she can appreciate this.

Shirley brought me a few things from her Halloween decor, as she is always adding new things. I loved this jack face on a stick, and I'm having my lady hold it.

I also thought this banner was cute and hung it in the dining room. I had been wishing I could find my Halloween merchandise for the store, which will surface this weekend when I get out the stuff for fleaology. In the mean time the other goodies she gave me went to the store (with her knowledge and approval)

I've also been into Pollyanna of late. You all know, I am sure, how I identify with her. So I have decided to make a Pollyanna these bracelet. Anyway, I ordered some crutches charms to use (The Glad Game origin story), but they had not come by the time I put together the other gathered items at work on Thursday. Note the Pollyanna Club charms I made (2) and the Eleanor Porter Charm (Author) as well as the crystals (rainbow makers) and cameos, (popular at the time) An 'integrity' charm, a P for Pollyanna, a tree to represent the one she fell out of, an E to represent the author's first name, a small bucket to carry calves foot jelly to invalids, a basket for other goodies taken to shut ins as a charitable activity, an angel to represent her departed mother as her guardian angel, and a black stone mourning charm for her father.

Speaking of meaningful jewelry, this is the pin my father, Rudy Larsen, received when he was Student Body President at the U.

My brother Ross inherited it on the death of my mother, more than 20 years ago. Well, he and his son Rudy Larsen, named for my dad, are huge Utah Football Fans. In fact Rudy, who has done very well with his yard care business that he started in his teens, Lawn Butler, has a suite at the stadium, and due to donations to the program, he has his name on the plaque on the locker of the quarterback.

Yep, Ross decided to gift the pin on a gold chain to Rudy so that he could enjoy Rudy enjoying it now, instead of Rudy getting it after he is gone.

Friday was Curtis' birthday, and this is the collage that Dad posted on line.

I spent much of the day working on posts for fleaology, which would be just a week away. Yikes!!

That day I was able to put our Alice outside, she had finally fallen down the rabbit hole late on Tuesday .... er arrived by special delivery ... but I had two days of work. Yep, I finished cleaning out the top of the well, and brought her out to the garden to over look her Wonderland. I spread florist marbles around her, and in the spring I will plant flowers at her feet.

Meanwhile another pretty long haired girl in Idaho is enjoying some freeze dried goodies.!! She is starting a business to help pay for her dance lessons, dance wear and travel.

Here's a picture of her from a recent photo shoot that I loved.

Dad and I headed to Salt Lake early on Saturday to get the tin awning we had bought the week before from Robins Roost. We also picked up a huge garden gate, which we are using, along with other iron fencing we have at the front of the garden area to complete our long time fencing project out there. She also had a set of gates that we will use to replace the chain link gates on the main street side of the yard. Hurrah.

Davin and Bri loaned us their truck and equipted us with all the accouterments we would need. Thanks Dave! Note the red and white polka dot caution flag.

While we were there we noticed four huge carriage house doors that Robin had found in Northern Utah. We had planned to us French Doors to enclose the back patio (former carport) for our family party dining room. But when we saw these doors, we knew they would be perfect hung like sliding barn instead of new French doors. (The picture on the bottom right shows how we will hang them.) We will be picking them up in the future.

With the change of doors for the car port transition, we have decided to have our huge cedar logs sawn into beautiful boards like this, to use for 5 foot high wainscoting for the party dining room. They have these on the interior walls at the Mosida Lodge and they are wonderfully rustic.

After unloading our treasures, we headed north to drop Dad off at Trevor's for the BYU game they would watch together. I also picked up the complete Alice commission Eva had completed. (noticed the clever signature emblem she uses, by flipping it variously it can be an E, and V and an A.

Here we have the ceremonial handing over of the treasure.

The sunset in the back ground of the painting so reminds me of this disc golfing with friends picture Ashley posted this week.

And here we see Trevor getting ready to smoke the game day pizzas for himself and his Dad.

After leaving Dad in Trevor's custody, I drove to a buying appointment based on a recommendation by Ann. It was at this lovely old house on Center Street in Provo. It had seen better days, but what a beauty. Dad and I will be back with the van on Monday to pick up some goodies I made arrangements to buy. Thanks Ann.

The fence is just stunning.

After some time shopping second hand stores, I headed back to pick up Dad to watch the same BYU game, but delayed and without commercials, with the Moes at the Heuers.

When the game was over, smarty pants Robin, thought to have us all turn their huge (Mattress and Box Springs in one King Size) mattress .... this was not a chore for the faint of heart!