3 Plays, 2 Programs and a Prayer Run

I just loved this painting that I saw online but couldn't find the name of the artist.  Dang, but it really felt like this week to me ... breezy, sunny, colorful and fun.

Here's Dad's take on the subject of laundry, just not as colorful.

It started with me meeting up with Marci at Treasures, to do a great cupboard swap out.  I've been thinking about buying it for a while, really trying to talk myself out of it.  But I love it, it's sort of a Norwegian-Scottish mix, which is what I am.  The final straw was that I realized I needed another cupboard in my Carriage House, AKA party central, for more holiday/dishes and party supplies storage. I called Marci that morning and she already had plans to come into the mall to add a huge table, and had been up half the night trying to figure out how to fit it in.  Voila! The other person here is Richard, our manager.

I also got the other things out into the mall, that I had gotten from the book guy from whom I bought about 1500 books for $150 last week.  10 cents a book. Dad said I bought a library, and I did, since we roughly estimated our own library, and found that it held 1540 books The middle row of tarnished silver in the picture above are the items I bought initially before the deal for the books.

This silver plate1940's sacrament tray was in the mix.

Then it was off to Salt Lake where Dad, far left, sang in an informal Barbershop show.

Here he is with the whole chorus.

The show was hosted by the local Sweet Adiline's group as they were sending some quartets, like this one, to a competition and they wanted some audience practice.

My friend Kimi met me there, with her sister and niece, because she was to take delivery of a pink wicker dressing table she had bought at flea.o.logy, and didn't have room in her car to take home. She lives in Daybreak, and loves Barbershoppe, so she got to kill three birds with one stone, getting out with her sister, attending a show, and picking up her item. 

On the way home we got to facetime with Spencer and got to see how big Parks is getting.

On Tuesday we got to go to the Ruth with the usual suspects and see The Jersey Boys, which we all loved.

Such a great show.

At work on Wednesday, I was telling this customer how flavorful the strawberries in Finland are.  Then she asked about our mission and told me that Henry Mattis is her great grandfather.  He was the first Mission President to Finland, and it's a huge part of their heritage.  Her Uncle was there serving in the Temple with his wife on our first mission.

Also, that day I made some conical Mayday, flower baskets to give to our ministering people.

It was fun taking pictures of them.

That night we picked up Nadine to go and see Cinderella at the Ruth. Dad and I wanted to see the second cast, and Nadine was just up to going to a play.

We had a great time, and between, sitting, standing and leaning, she managed to get through it.  She is only allowed (By her doctor) to sit for 15 minutes per hour.  She broke her back near the bottom end 6 months ago, and they could not pin it, so she's mostly had to lay down on one side only while convalescing. 

After adding some sugar free chocolates to the bottom on these cones, as most of our ladies are diabetic, Dad took 5 and I took 5 to hang on doorknobs before work for me, and the temple for him.

Here's a collage of the five I delivered.

Dad wanted to show how the Finns celebrate.  The caps the people are wearing are their graduation caps, and they will wear them to public celebrations for the rest of their lives.  Besides involving balloons, donuts are the food of choice for the day.

At work that day I met this 70 something man, who was a lot of fun, and look, he's wearing black and white checked Vans.  I love it.  I told him that my son wore vans like that in high school and ended up naming his son Van.  Then I told him the ever so cool truth about how Van got his name.

That night we went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which was playing at the Liahona Acadamy, a charter school with a Fine Arts focus where Katrina and Ryan send their kids.  We were amazed to see this owl pop up on a stack of suitcases that were part of the train station scene set up for the beginning of the play.  No one could figure out if it was a mechanical toy, or a puppet. Then suddenly it flew to the back of the audience, presumable to its handler.  How totally cool is that the gift of one of the parents no doubt.  It was just magical. When we went to a Harry Potter event at a local castle a few years ago, there were some owl handlers with their owls, so I imagine this was the work of the same guys.

We see the Ron Weasley character on the left, and Harry's son with Harry on the right.  Barb and Randy in the middle, and a train station seene above and below.  The scenery was fabulous.  And most of the kids were really good actors.  If felt more like a community play.

Barb and Randy's oldest Grandson played the starring role of Harry and Jenny's oldest son. In the picture above we see 'Albus-Severus Potter" with his father Harry.

You may recall that when Becca and Brady came to Europe to see us on our first mission,

 they stopped in London to see the premiere of this play.

They had two large staircases that were moved around by student power, like in the movies.  It was amazing.

Afterwards Barb and I, who were both told we were 5ft 6 3/4 inches growing up, did a height check.  Looks like I've lost a bit of height over the 8 years that separate us. 

On Friday morning, I went along with Dad to put up the signs and markers for the Interfaith Prayer Run that he was in charge of this year, around town.

The run goes under the freeway on this farm road, that is always flooded in the spring.  The next day the mayor would be here in his truck to drive people through.  It's part of the 1/2 marathon route and Dad says that serious runners do NOT want to get their feet wet.

I made little sign meme this week using a scripture that connected for me.

... and a premade meme that just struck me right. (Says the woman that just bought 15,00 books)

Here's a blast from the past for you, as we attended a soccer game for Eva, a 'few' years back.

That night we headed to Highland to see Reagan in her final dance performance.

Loved this picture, even though it's a bit blurry, you get the idea.

You could just tell how much fun she was having.

We stopped on the way home at Winco to get the fruit for the race, and on the way out we ran into Scully Richardson a former Finnish Missionary that we have actually become acquainted with at reunions over the years.  Always fun to connect over what's happening in Finland.

J Scott hiked up to the G sign above his house sometime this week.  Way to go Scott!!

And my grandniece, Leigh Martinez went out to the Salt Flats for her engagement pictures.  Oh My gosh, I love these so much!!  She's an amazing artist, so I am not surprised.

When we got home Dad checked the Prayer Run registration and found this.  He had 20 sign up that day.  In the end the total of registrants was 93, which was greater by a third than those in the race last year.

Here's the man, with his bell, bright and early in front of the Prayer Chapel at the Baptist church in town.  The bell rope had broken, so ringing the bell as people came in was not possible. So, Dad brought Grandpa Carlo's retirement bell to ring.  It actually worked out pretty well.

Here's our worker Dandies ... Eva came to do the registration check offs and other errands, Trevor and Davin both drove shuttles. Eva is shown with our Mayor Bill Wright who is very supportive of recreational runs in town.

The chapel fills up.

Here's Dad giving the instructions in the chapel before the prayer.

This is the Baptist Sister who gave a beautiful message and prayer.  Her husband had rung the church bell last year but unfortunately had a traumatic brain injury last fall and is recovering.

Here's our van, and Perry Ewell's van, Davin's van is off to the right and the City Senior Citizen van is off screen to the left. 

Here's the Perkins'

Trevor with the Mayor.

This man runs the Parks and Rec here in Payson.  Trevor knew him from past events, but I had not met him.  I thought he looked just like Uncle Kelly, except 6 inches shorter. What do you think?

Eva with the mayor

Trevor is ready to head ...

His van full.

Davin ready to go ... isn't he always? 

with his load.

This group of Catholics, many from South America, may have boosted our numbers all by themselves.  

This gal, told us that there was a gal struggling finishing up.  She and her friend got in the van with me to go back along the route and pick her up.  In the process we found out that she is a good friend of Emma Quiggly, one of our most fun missionaries in Finland.  Both are redheads and both are from  Idaho, but Emma's from Kuna and Madeline is from Idaho Falls.  The gal we picked up was one of the pink shirt folks. 

Perry Ewell ran around and took down the signs from the race, and Dad returned the cones. We took it easy for the rest of the day, and it felt amazing!! (Though, I did sort through half a dozen boxes of books.)

And in case you weren't counting here are the 3 Finnish Connections we made this week.

On Sunday these folks celebrated their 12 year anniversary.  What adventures they have had. 

Today at church another Primary Teacher was also wearing a yellow dotted dress.  It's been fun getting to know the other staff in Primary, what good hearted people they all are.