Per Perkins Perhe: When the Dog Bites, When the Bee Stings ... Reunion Time

I was happy to learn, early in the week, that the artist who painted the cherries above, that I bought at the art show in Cottonwood a couple of weeks ago, had finished this companion piece. She will be shipping it to me, and it will arrive while we're on our trip ... can't wait.

All this beauty can lead one to believe that life really is a bowl of cherries, but later in the week we found that sometimes it seems that everything that can go wrong will go wrong ... ah yes, I am waxing philosophical.

But what can one expect, when a week starts with a new driver's license and putting in screws with a drill, while on a ladder at the antique mall. Yep, that was the kind of week it was.

Dad found a new place to get my license renewed, and it's just 2 miles from Treasures. There was no waiting at the new office in Springville at all. Phew, and then I spent about five hours at the mall finishing up my booth move.

Here's one of the little details of the new booth decor. I am pretty proud of the fact that I managed to go down from 4 1/2 booth to 4, which means, for the most part I crammed in most of a full booth into a half booth.

I was very pleased with how it all turned out. I even purchased this blue scalloped table from another dealer because it was perfect for the display.

You can see how much I managed to get in.

I even brought a few items from other booths, as I did a large amount of swapping over the three days at five hours a day.

When I got home, Dad had already gone to his Barbershop practice, and Davin had come to save the day. Dad had started to repair a sprinkler that a huge tree branch had fallen on during the cutting last week. Dad had dug it out and bought the parts, but realized it was a two-handed operation. I did not know that Dad had put in a sprinkling system at one of the rentals when Dave was a teenager, and Dad hired him and Daniel Patten to help him. Voila', Davin knows this stuff. Who knew, not me.

He also brought along his mowing crew! We have been so thankful to these guys and the Summers for their willingness to mow for us during Dad's convalescence. Thanks, you all.

On Tuesday I told myself that if I could move and decorate all that I had at the mall in three days of hard work, I should certainly be able to clear the dining room table. This grouping was a child of that thought. The base of this cloche, and the cloche itself had been sitting on the dining room table for 2 weeks. So, I added the blue ruffled plate and statue, and found it a home in the parlor, for now.

And there it is ... I even painted the 8th chair, as our chair painter still had the other four. Which, by the way we got back the following Saturday, on the great convergence of service day. (We had 4 little service projects we'd planned for up to a year, that all happened to come together in a two-hour window on Saturday, it was kind of magic ... I bought Pokémon cards from a kid in the ward, donated some cash to a neighbor who is struggling, bought an ice-cream cake for a widowed neighbor for whom it has a special meaning and paid for and picked up the chairs mentioned above.)

It was so energizing that I made a new recipe for dinner, which we loved. It's an edamame and wheat noodle salad, with a peanut butter Asian sauce. It was so pretty Dad thought it deserved a picture.

I worked on Wednesday while Dad did another Temple shift trade day, having also worked there Tuesday, as we get closer to our trip. My wonderful headgear was needed because the end of the workday brought on pouring rain, and Dad and I were going out after work.

And here we are with the Watsons from our first mission, and the Jamsas from our second mission. The Watsons just finished a mission to Africa, and the Jamsas are about to embark on the same. We had a wonderful conversation on the matter, and Mexican food to boot.

While walking with Tina at the cemetery early Thursday, I noticed a neighboring house's beautiful Hollyhocks.

And here are the Hollyhocks that Jeff's Mom planted, and Robin posted. Mine are not photo worthy this year, I am sorry to say, though I am happy that the plants I transplanted to the garden house, one on each side of the door, are blooming, though not looking great. Maybe next year.

When I got back from walking, I saw that Dad had made himself a bowl of oatmeal to sustain him for his third day at the temple for the week.

Later that day Emily and her family arrived in town. Stopping at the house, they got this picture of an amazed Benny, on the stump of stumps.

And I was tickled when they surprised me by stopping by the Antique Mall at the end of the day there.

And just for fun, I picked up this picture of Kim and, I think Salem, at their house, when she changed her profile picture on FB. So glad I get a few of these glimpses into their lives.

After work the Talleys came by. Now I have to mention when they first came into town, they went to Becca and Brady's house. Bekie had been snuggling one of their big dogs, being a huge animal lover like her Dad. The dog, who didn't remember her, though typically a very gentle dog, returned her affectionate snuggles with a bite on her upper lip. A few stitches, and a night at their hotel later, and they dropped by to see us.

Sadly, I knew we had some wasps somewhere around the Tea Party House, but had not investigated. Unfortunately, Bekie and Bennie both got stung when they went to check out the little house. Here Bekie shows her sting. Poor sweet girl.

Bennie seems to have recovered pretty well, also. (How cute are these freckles?)

William had his turn to be stung 6 years ago during the Cousin Camp when we 'found' a nest under the stairs at one of the buildings in the Sons of the Utah Pioneers Pioneer Village in Provo.

At work on Friday at The Grove, I found this beautiful painting for sale, and added her to our collection.

I had brought along my new Reunion T Shirt, shown here on the far right, and changed into it as I joined the reunion in progress at Trevor's after work that night.

This picture shows our first Reunion T, with Abraham Lincoln, and our second one, also from 6 years ago, with George Washington ... and so, Teddy Roosevelt is the 3rd, and possibly last. We did do one other reunion, at Becca's, but we did not have t-shirts for that one.

And here are some cousins modeling the shirt, Madi and Abbie.

Elias was very clever in draining the olives for me, after I threw away the lids. What a smart young man. He even shared his newfound innovation with the whole gang during the talent show that night.

Oh Oh ... Papa alert ... Emily sees her Dad carrying this chair and sends in reinforcements ... it's hard to keep a good man down.

Soon it was time for Hawaiin Haystacks for dinner, which most people loved.

As it started to get dark, we started the talent show, here Trevor gets things rolling.

Eva starts it off with some mouth bopping!!

Then Reagan and Bekie did some facepainting demos.

Davin went for the all-out treatment.

Its Adi's turn ...

She showed us some modern dance moves.

They we enjoyed some Acro-yoga compliments of Scott and Hannah.

They are so talented.

Then Abbie shared her interest by doing Harry Potter Trivia.

Benny was impressed with the Acro-Yoga and showed us some somersaults.

McKenna shows off some moves.

Here's the appreciative audience.

and McKenna's dance routine was a very different style than her sister's.

Davin managed to pantomime having a partner in his hilarious Acro-Yoga routine

while these two sang a song in Spanish that they had learned in their common Spanish Immersion School.

Emily helps out Dad with hand motions that go with 16 Tons as he displays his deep voice.

Bekie getting acquainted with Rosie, Trevor's family's dog.

Trevor and his guitar.

as it got dark it was fun to see the kids with glow in the dark items.

It was like sitting next to an eerie space creature during the movie, Wonka.

In the house later a few of us watch some old Ben videos.

Being to old and broken to sleep on the ground, Dad and I headed home to bed.

Good morning, Saturday ... Dad and I got back to the reunion and were greeted by this team of cousins.

Elias and his pancakes ... we soon tucked into a few ourselves ...

as did others.

This crew just kept 'em coming. Becca even brought plant-based sausage for the old broken people.

Cam hauling her own equipment.

Cousins loving on Parks.

Clean up time, and Scott B gets right at it.

Madi and Abbey get in a few more minutes in their tent.

A bit of singing along, as Emily brings out a game for a group of cousins.

Penney shows off Parks teeny tiny reunion shirt.

Hi Adi.

Hannah and Scott B

All gone.

McKenna with some yoga of her own.

Bekie with her cute camera and subjects.

More Parks time.

Cutest face painting picture yet.

and now for the big event.

everyone helps ...

Painted faces ...

The peanut gallery in session as we wait and wait and wait for the watermelon to burst.

maybe a little pop-up ball while we wait...

Bri takes over speeding things up ... just over 400 elastics did the trick, (Becca won the prediction contest) and she placed the final elastic. When I get a picture of the actual explosion, I will insert it here. It was a fairly clean break, sending the top half off like a missile, and I loved scooping out watermelon with my hands later. I was joined by Abbie Paula and other watermelon loving cousins, in our fight not to waste the best watermelon of four I have sampled this year.

Johnny pretty much just wanted his Mom, but others tried to entertain him to give her a break. Trevor became a favorite by running back and forth with him as a passenger.

Others, like Benny who saw the fun begged for rights too, wearing out their Uncle Trevor.

Shown here resting at Dad's Barbershop Concert at Taylorsville Dayzz, later in the day.

Adi soaking in the rays at the concert.

kids huddled in a shade structure.

Here is Dad in a subgroup of the singers. In the larger group he was on the opposite side and could not be seen.

There he is.

I laughed when I saw the temporary tattoo Reagan had put on her knee to show through the hole in her pants.

What a fun girl.

Oh, look four red drinks in boot containers. Benny noticed that it was just like one of his books back home, it is a counting book about Texas that has 4 red Cowboy Boots.

Here's the most people in reunion shirts we were able to get together ... thanks to those who made it happen.

and a few other pictures from the reunion from others ...

Briahnna is rewarded for her watermelon stewardship.

Games in the house.

Who was that masked man?

The obligatory pyramid ...

Fun on a hike up to bridal veil falls that some of us enjoyed.

and then on Sunday it was up to the hills above Alpine for some family photos. First there were individual families.

Here is the photographer Becca hired from her ward taking pictures of Ashley's family.

A selfie of me with Charley.

and Reagan.

Bekie needed a hat to keep the sun off her healing upper lip.

It was too fun to see Cam carrying around these tiny, tiny daisies that perfectly matched her outfit.

Some people have better luck kissing dogs ...

Then Abish met us at our house afterwards for a reunion winding down dinner.

Hmm, seating may have been just a little short ...

But having the Carriage House available helped a lot.

Having Kai with us, at his 5/8th point of his Appalachian trail hike was wonderful.

The big boys ...

and Trevor is still charming Johnny.

The men chatting, Scott B, Mike and Sam.

And look who's playing games at my newly cleared dining room table. Thanks Emily.

Brittany and Lu taking it easy.

Hi Eli

How perfect do their outfits match ... maybe because they stopped at the store, while she was wearing her adorable dress to pick out a shirt for him. I love it!