Random Revelry

After three weekends out of town, Dave and I were ready for a weekend of small pleasures, close to home.  On June 8, 9, and 10, we hauled treasures to the cabin (ex. Dave's new top hat for our hat tree).  We watched a first run Diane Keaton/Kevin Kline movie, hung out with face-painted children at the Durham Jones & Pinegar summer party, and entertained Dave's mom and siblings for Sunday dinner.  We also spent a precious two hours with Michael on Skype.  Michael was in his hotel room in Tibet, as we talked about the wonders he'd seen already, and the wonders to come in Chengdu and in Mongolia.

Tibet is as wondrously exotic as Michael expected, with monasteries lighted with yak butter lamps, beautifully crafted wall hangings and paintings, and charming native people.  The morning after we talked with him, Michael was off to Chengdu, China, to see the national panda breeding facility, and then to Mongolia to sleep in a yurt.

On Friday night, we relaxed at "Darling Companion," a movie which the Christian Science Monitor described as "a shaggy dog story about a shaggy family" and as "a pleasant little dawdle."  That faint praise described it well. 

On Saturday, we dropped by the DJP luau.  We savored the teriyaki ribs, shave ice, and crooners in Aloha shirts.  Best of all, though, was sharing the excitement of the kids who got their faces painted as Spiderman or humongeous butterflies.  I nearly sat down myself to ask for a transformation into Spiderman.

We spent a cozy afternoon and evening at the cabin.  The sun streamed across the property on Sunday morning, lighting up the fresh green leaves. 

Dave's sister, Janice, and her husband, Vincent, were in town to get son Ben settled at BYU.  We invited Nancy and Darrell, Alan Dale and Lindy, and Dave's mom and her Darrell to join Vincent, Janice, and us for Sunday dinner.  Since half the family are now vegetarians, there were plenty of "sides" served with the chicken--barley casserole, fresh asparagus, green salad with hearts of palm and artichokes, and a fresh apricot crisp.  The guests stayed on and on, laughing and talking at the dinner table.  It felt very good to feel the love waft around us.