PERRITONS AFTER KOREA

A Wedding!

2012-01-03T01:03:00.004+09:00

We are so excited to announce the marriage of our son John to Liz Goold and the addition of an amazing new daughter-in-law to our family! They met in their singles ward in Texas a couple of years ago and things just took off from then on!

For Unto Us A Grandchild is Born!

2011-12-31T04:28:00.005+09:00

Early on November 19 Alana and Brian became parents of beautiful, perfect little Hailey Mai! What a blessing it was to be there to witness the creation of this sweet new family! Australia is such a long, long way away, but the miracle of modern technology allows us to keep up with Hailey's daily changes. It was so hard to leave, and I treasure the hours spent holding and rocking her, feeling her silky head against my cheek, watching every little movement with awe! This waking up video was taken when she was just 3 days old. I wanted to remember her cute little squeaky voice.

Rock Climbing

2011-07-25T01:54:00.002+09:00

James hosted a wonderful rock climbing family activity in Rock Canyon. For most it was a first time experience. Lots of excitement and thrills, and no injuries!

Road Trip with my GREAT Grandchildren

2011-07-25T01:11:00.003+09:00

Alan and I enjoyed a trip to Texas to visit children and grandchildren. The heat was brutal, but we had a wonderful time. We took Graeme and Annie with us, and brought Ethen and Phoebe back to Utah so that the cousins could have more time together.

Amarillo Texas has a unique restaurant, in true Texas style! If you can eat a 72 oz. steak (and all the trimmings) in less than an hour you get it for free! I don't know how many people attempt such a thing, but it is a fun place to stop.

We stopped in Four Corners - the only place in America where you can stand in four different states at the same time - Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah! It's just a little bit off the main route.

At Four Corners there are lots of authentic American Indian crafts for sale, handmade by the many vendors there.

Day Trip in Choenan Area

2010-06-07T22:42:00.002+09:00

Alana, Brian and I spent a lovely afternoon seeing some of the sites near Cheonan. We happened to find the most beautiful Buddhist temple location at a nearby mountain.

Something Old and Something New

2010-05-27T15:05:00.002+09:00

Well, I couldn't resist taking home another piece of Korean furniture. I've always wanted a chest with some carving or inlay work, so we found this nice piece that is hand carved with scenes of old Korean games that you see in parklands. We intended to buy just one, but then another one caught our eye, with the rice paper lined lattice work and old brass adornment. I was trying to count in my mind's eye how many pieces of Korean furniture we have back home, and I think these will make 16 or 17! haha. I love it!

Sangsoo Herbland

2010-05-22T22:30:00.008+09:00

For nearly three years I have seen an exit off the freeway to this place and wanted to check it out. I'm glad that I waited to go with Alana, the horticulture expert! We had a lovely day walking the trails, smelling, touching, and even eating the herbs growing everywhere.
We had a beautiful lunch in the restaurant on site. This is called Gotbap (flower rice). Before eating, the flowers are removed to float in the bowl of clear liquid, then the rice is mixed into the herbs, and some Gotjujang (red pepper) sauce stirred in. Then, you take a spoonful of the rice/herb mixture and place a previously removed flower on top to enjoy each bite! Yum!

This is called the tunnel of love!

Outdoor field lecture arena, with log posts for seating. Hope the lecture isn't very long!

The most wonderful scents filled the air from the herbs growing everywhere. This is part of the tranquility walking path.

Lots of foxglove blooming all over!

One thousand year old pine tree, or bush?

Not sure what this gorgeous mass of blooms is called, but there were lots of bees loving it!

The bears are just up around the corner past the waterfall in this picture.

We happened upon this cage with two black bears inside - nothing like this, no other animals or anything anywhere like it in the whole park. When we stopped to wonder about it and feel sorry for the poor guys, one of them jumped up and started putting on a gymnastics show for us, doing flips and swinging, and doing pullups on the bar at the top of the cage. It almost looked like a man in a bear suit. It was so bizarre!

Speaking of Music

2010-05-21T11:43:00.004+09:00

One of my newest acquisitions to take back home with me is a traditional Korean musical instrument. It's called a haegum, and has just two strings. Since I once played the string bass pretty well, I figured mastering a two-stringed instrument would be a piece of cake, but realized quickly that I will have to actually spend a good amount of time practicing. Still, I am so excited! Alana and Brian picked it out and bought it for me in Seoul, and besides the fun and utility of it, it is a beautiful piece of art. My intention is not to become expert in playing Korean music, but I would love to be able to play hymns and simple folk songs.

Wonderful Reunion!

2010-05-19T18:11:00.005+09:00

We enjoyed a very special treat to have Elder D.Todd Christofferson and his wife Kathy visit our mission area for a Stake Conference last weekend. The Christoffersons were our neighbors when we lived in Tennessee, ah, 20 years ago now! We have fond memories of our association and love them dearly. Tennessee is my favorite of all the places we've lived and it was the hardest place to move from when GM dragged us away kicking and crying!While the men were having Priesthood meetings on Saturday afternoon, the Stake Presidencies' wives took us on a tour of the beautiful Hanok Village where an ancient fortress has been restored into a wonderful folk experience of old Korea. I have visited this place several times on my own, and was delighted to be shown some new areas. We had some delicious herbal tea served in a quaint museum-like old teahouse, and spent some time making a traditional papercraft in a little art studio.
Combined with very uplifting conference sessions, the weekend was an experience I will treasure as a favorite!

Doesn't It All Go By in a Blink!?

2010-05-07T16:27:00.002+09:00

On May 5 we celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary! I would never have imagined then, that I would be spending it in South Korea! Or, that we would spend nearly half of our married life living in Asia! About 18 years in total! Life is certainly unpredictable and peculiar! We feel so humbled and blessed to have had such a wonderful life of far reaching experiences!

Horangi

2010-03-28T19:15:00.005+09:00

Meet our new pet, Horangi! (That's "tiger" in Korean!) He's huge, and soft! I couldn't resist the man by the side of the highway selling these out of his van. He would cost a fortune from Shwartz Toys, but we got him for a sweet deal! I get a thrill and smile big everytime I walk by the living room and see him! haha

Tigers used to roam the mountains of Korea and are seen everywhere in traditional art. This year is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac. You are a tiger if you were born in the years 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938, 1926, 1914. Tigers are physically powerful, gracious, independent and brave, they are extremely bold animals. They are friendly and loving but can also be selfish and short tempered. Tigers seek attention and power. Tigers live dangerously which often leads to trouble. They are intolerant, take risks and are always searching for excitement. Tigers are also instilled with a good dose of courage. Perfect morning mist photo taken while driving on the freeway last week!

Duck Party

2010-03-28T16:52:00.004+09:00

We woke up the other day to a flood in our basement - about 2 inches of water and a steady stream of water coming out of a hard-to-get-to piece of concrete. Fortunately, most things were already up off the floor or set up on pallets. But my cases of wedding ducks that I bought for future wedding gifts were sitting in the water, and the water had seeped up and pretty much soaked the bottom couple of rows. A few are beyond repair, but the rest are hanging out on the dining room table drying off. An outside pipe was found broken and repaired without having to dig up the whole yard, so that was good. I guess another time this happened, they had to dig down 3 feet below the foundation to find the leak! I should have wondered why everything was up on pallets down there!

Nathan Returns to Korea After 31 Years!

2010-03-16T23:26:00.005+09:00

Ah! What a wonderful time we had spending time with Nathan and Jen and three awesome grandchildren! Springtime weather alluded us with cold and rain, but we still got out and about to see and do some fun things for the short 10 days they were here.Nathan first came to Korea when he was just one year old. We lived in Seoul for nearly six years on assignment with GM where Nathan attended preschool, kindergarten and part of first grade. We drove by the house we lived in way back then - it was quite the mansion, and is now the Czech Ambassador's residence! The only thing he really remembers is a liking for Korean food!We are so thrilled to have Alana and Brian living in Korea for the next year. Brian is teaching glass art at Namseoul University in Choenan, just an hour up the road from us where they are still getting settled and adjusting to their new "real world". It was so good to all be together a few times during Nathan's visit.
A favorite photo spot at SanGokSa, a Buddhist retreat not far from Daejeon.Too early for flowers in Flowerland, but the setting was still beautiful!

Every child in the world must thing they invented the 1-2-3 Whee! game. The infectious giggles keep Nana and Papa playing the game!Papa's magic touch!

We celebrated Papa's birthday with lemon jello cake. (one of Nathan's favorite things!)
Last month Nathan and Jen helped coordinated homestays for student teachers from the Daejeon area. They all came and worked for a month at an elementary school in Santa Clara. Back in Korea now, Jinny (who stayed with Nathan and Jen for the month )and her friends treated us to a wonderful Kalbi barbecue, a fine Korean traditional meal with lots of delicious panchans (sidedishes). It was an exciting reunion and an emotional final goodbye.

A Little Vacation?

2010-02-18T14:16:00.003+09:00

Alan with brother John, Deedee is hiding behind Jocelyn, Konrad & Sara and their two adorable little ones Denim and Demi, Kelly Joy (holding Demi), Tenealle Tenwolde(kneeling in the center) who is going to school at BYU-H and Brooke (sitting in front). I'm sorry if I've slaughtered any name spelling!

Alan had to return to US soil this month or lose his Green Card status, so he went to Hawaii for a couple of days. Besides the little chore of updating a re-entry stamp in his passport, he spent some time with family and some of our returned missionaries who are currently attending BYU-H. Doesn't seem right that his companion was not able to go with him, wish I could have seen them all too, but then I guess I had my turn for Alana's wedding last September, and hopefully it won't be too long til we can all spend time together again!

Christmas in Korea!

2009-12-30T17:55:00.002+09:00

I was so excited a few months ago to find this traditional style A-frame (Chigae) in a little town down south. For years I've been fascinated to watch merchants around the Dongdaemun Market in Seoul carry goods on their back in this sort of thing. Removing the basket and extending the steel-enforced bars on back, men could be seen carrying loads of fabric, eggs, appliances.... you name it..... to their places of business. I immediately saw it as a great Christmas decoration, useful for filling with gifts! The bamboo pole, bamboo being extremely strong, balances the load when the destination is reached, or a rest is needed. It is slotted and fits on the back of the frame and then leaned against the ground.
We used it at our missionary Christmas parties this year as the main decoration!

Yes, We Celebrate Thanksgiving in Korea!

2009-12-01T08:51:00.004+09:00

Even though the turkey cost at least 3 times as usual, we had a grand feast with all the fixins! We invited the Daejeon Stake Pres. and a few local members. Besides the office staff, Elders Duckworth and Hill joined us. Elder Duckworth recently beat the President in his ongoing pushup challenge, which ususally rewards the Elder (and his companion-lucky companion!) a steak dinner. Elder Duckworth opted for Thanksgiving feast at the mission home instead!

Always a Fun Surprise!

2009-11-02T15:24:00.003+09:00

A few times throughout the day, workers in grocery and department stores have an exercise break. The music starts up and all employees come to the ends of their aisles and perform a routine! I'm sure it's meant for the benefit of the employees, but it's also great entertainment!

My Five Grownup Monsters

2009-10-19T12:12:00.002+09:00

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Happy Birthday John!

2009-10-07T22:00:00.004+09:00

One day old

Welcome to the world!
October 7, 1983

A proud grandpa with his namesake!My favorite childhood picture!

For unto us a son was born! A delightful, beautiful child, so happy, cheerful, loving and good. Now grown into a fine young man, so handsome, thoughtful, grateful and kind. I love you!

My Beautiful Bride Daughter

2009-09-11T20:09:00.007+09:00

I loved the day we spent in Balboa Park taking bridal photos. It was a lovely mother-daughter day that I will treasure forever. She is wearing the veil that I made and wore for my own wedding.

I just returned from a wonderful trip to attend Alana's wedding in San Diego. I'll post some pictures taken from the professional photographer later on, but here are a few shots I took at her bridal shower, given by Alana's friend, Daniella Raynes. We had such a fun party at the Cheesecake Factory. Daniella planned several fun games and provided all kinds of favors and goodies to enjoy including some fun bling!
This is one of my favorite engagement photos. Brian is wonderful and we are happy to add him to our family tree!

Love These Signs!

2009-08-22T17:08:00.002+09:00

Best Sourdough Bread

2009-07-14T21:54:00.004+09:00

We have a couple of missionaries (Elders Brandon Taysom and Joshus Freckleton) who are very good cooks, and who both love to use sourdough starter. They shared some starter with me, and I've been making alot of bread, mostly given away, since you have to make it often to keep the starter healthy. If you can get your hands on a good starter, here is a great bread recipe!

1 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
6 cups bread flour

Mix starter, water, salt, sugar and oil together in a large bowl. Sift the flour and add to the mixture. Oil the dough and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise overnight.
Next day, knead the dough for 10 minutes (put on some music, set the timer and have fun). Divide in half and place into two greased 4 x 8 bread pans. Allow to double in size. Depending on the weather or temp. of the room from 2-8 hours.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and taps hollow.
(After removing the 1 cup of starter, I add back into the remaining: 1 cup each of flour and 1 cup water. Stir well, cover and allow to sit out for a few hours before returning to the refrigerator until the next use.)

Temple Crafting

2009-07-13T14:41:00.003+09:00

Lately I've been paper piece quilting and am in the process of redesigning a temple pattern that can be made more easily to make in mass for missionaries. Here is my first finished product which I gave away to a newly baptized family. I'm also adding some cute photos of children in the Yeasang Ward posing with some of the children's drawings of the Seoul temple.

Now And Then 1972-2009

2009-05-09T09:27:00.004+09:00

We celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. We were in Seoul for the day and enjoyed attending the Seoul temple, which I think was the first time we have gone to the temple ON our anniversary! As a young missionary Alan was out driving around with his mission president one day in about 1966 when they drove up on a little hill in the middle of nowhere with a view of the city aways off, and decided it would be a lovely place for a temple. President Palmer went ahead and purchased the land, and I think got a bit of a chewing out for doing something without any prior approval or authority for such a transaction, but what was done was done, and 20 years later a temple was indeed built on that land. It no longer has a view, being surrounded by taller structures which have expanded the boundaries of Seoul farther than could ever be imagined. But the grounds are lovely, and the temple is a wonderful place of peace and contemplation, enlightenment and service.
We had a great dinner at one of our favorite restaurants - the Il Ponte at the Hilton Hotel, and tried to do something new and different - I have never ridden the cable car to the top of Namsan Mountain in the middle of the city, so we went to the spot only to find hundreds of people lined up take the ride. We share our anniversary in Korea with Children's Day - yes, there really IS such a thing, and families do spend time together doing fun things. I remember asking my parents why there was no Children's Day - after all, there is Mother's Day and Father's Day, and my chlidren have asked us the same question. The answer was always, "Because every day is Children's Day"! Funny how that was always just accepted! Anyway, we chose not to stand in that line and so I still have never taken the cable car to the top of Namsan Mountain!

Great Day

2009-04-19T22:07:00.003+09:00

Today we attended a baptism at the beach! Young Seung Hi's wife and daughter joined the church about 5 years ago, and I am so glad that we traveled 3 hours to join in this special event of his baptism. The beach was awesome and I had a thrill wading out a bit to get some good photos. The sand and water felt so great, I could have jumped right in! My skirt did get a little soaked, and I tracked home some nostalgic sand in the car :) Made me a little homesick.

Another Fun Week

2009-03-29T00:18:00.002+09:00

We saved some of my favorite places to visit for Scott to see when he arrived for the second week of the trip - Daedunsan Mountain, Seongaksa and the 1000 buddahs, and the fortress wall climb in Gongju. What a wonderful two weeks we had together. It just ended all too soon!

Nearby Sightseeing

2009-03-23T09:10:00.005+09:00

The girls wore their pretty new Korean dresses (Hanbok) to church on Sunday

On Saturday, we found the last parking spot in the Dam Parking Lot and spent a lovely afternoon climbing the Dam Stairways and crossing the Dam Bridge. This gazebo has a great view across the Dam Lake of the Daejeon Dam, 2nd largest dam in Korea.

We had a fun afternoon at Muneui, an ancient fortress built in 474AD.

Nicole Comes to Korea

2009-03-19T21:28:00.005+09:00

I have been looking forward to this visit for so long! Paisley was just a few months old when I last saw her, and now is an extremely smart and active toddler. Luke, Phoebe and Ethen have also grown up so much in the last 20 months since our last visit. These are wonderful days! We have had a fabulous 5 days together, but the time is passing way too fast. Scott will arrive on Sunday for the second week of the trip. We are saving some fun things to do for when he is with us, but here are some shots of the fun days so far!

March 15th arrival at Inchon Airport after 22 hours of travel! Happy landing!

Day One - a trip to the awesome Daejeon zoo! The weather was perfect, and we nearly had the park to ourselves. Besides a zoo, there are amusement rides, and stage shows to enjoy. Everytime I have been to this zoo ALL the animals have been awake and active. It was a great day!

We took a bus safari ride, and Ethen nearly shared his seat with a zebra who tried to climb aboard. All the kids got a chance to pet him before he was shooed off.

On Wednesday we went to the fish/agriculture market where wonderful fresh food of all kinds is in abundance!

We brought home some yummy booty.

And a real live pet octopus that the kids (and Mom) played with before donating it to the Elders for their dinner.

Nicole had a hard time getting him to release his grip!

Thursday (today)we went ice skating with the missionaries for their district P'Day activity.

Happy Birthday to Alan

2009-03-05T20:26:00.004+09:00

We had a lunch birthday party in the mission office to celebrate Alan's birthday. Noone had ever had New Zealand pavlova before, so that was a treat. Elder Mathis recreated an Indiana Jones movie poster add, superimposing Alan's face over Harrison Ford's. His reaction was awesome, that really tickled him. We've hung it on the extra nail on the wall of Korea Daejeon Mission Presidents!
Later we enjoyed a visit from a former missionary, Kim Jeong Chul, who is heading off to BYU next month.

You Saw it Here First

2009-02-28T10:27:00.002+09:00

So, not only is this the first drive-thru McDonalds I have seen in Korea, but they also deliver via a whole fleet of these cute mopeds! Bet you haven't seen that in America!

It Was a RED Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T17:50:00.005+09:00

The pictures below are not for the faint of heart. Alan woke up with a severe stiff neck several days ago and decided to get some oriental medicine treatment to speed up the healing. Those of you who know me know how fascinated I am by oriental medicine, even having had some training in hand accupuncture, but this is the real thing, and I had such a fun time as the observer and photographer. It was a long process, that began by lying on a warming table with a hot neck wrap for a half hour or so, then accupuncture needles in the neck, leg and hands for 20 minutes, then an electro-magnetic shock treatment for 15 minutes that actually had his body jolting off the table!, and lastly, the buhang cupping treatment. Several punctures are made in a circular pattern, then a cup is placed over the area, the air drawn out of it (sort of like putting the vacuum nozzle on your skin). This removes the "bad" blood that pools in the muscles whenever you have an injury of any kind. It was quite a workover, but beneficial.
This was our Valentine's Day activity! But we are going out for a nice dinner tonight, neck-pain free!

All Better! Thank you Dr. Kim!

Happy Birthday Alana

2009-01-18T13:05:00.003+09:00

How time flies! It seems like yesterday that I held a newborn bundle of joy in my arms. What a happy blessing she has been, grown into a young woman of amazing talents and accomplishments, the most wonderfully diverse person I have ever known!

My New Favorite Thing

2009-01-04T14:28:00.005+09:00

My darling daughter Alana created this amazing blown/carved glass nativity. Not only is she extremely talented, but so kind hearted and thoughtful.
My favorite gifts have always been those that are given heart to heart. I have never really cared about "things" except when it is a special gift created and given in love, like the table my Dad made for me from a piece of redwood that I hauled from a lumberyard 30 years earlier, Mom's engagement watch, book of personal history, hand crocheted afghans, precious family photo albums......oh yeah, and that big box full of Colt's Bolts!

President and Sister Claus

2008-12-26T19:47:00.004+09:00

We had so much fun with our missionaries. We split the mission in half and had two big dinner parties, one on Christmas Eve and the other on Christmas Day. One talented Korean sister who was serving as a temporary missionary for a few weeks presented us with the delightful gift of this caricature. Thankyou, Jasmine Lee!

A Few of my Favorite Things

2008-12-08T13:03:00.008+09:00

Wooden hand carved creche acquired in Seoul in 1975

A gift from John from the Willow collection

All leather tooled from the Philippines

Korean celadon

From our May 2007 trip to South Africa

Silver from the Philippines

Jeruselem Olivewood (I haven't actually been there....yet)

I collect nativities. I try to find them in the places we have traveled to. I only brought a few with me on the mission, but I love them all and never get tired of them!

First Snow!

2008-12-06T10:50:00.004+09:00

It wasn't much, but yesterday we had our first snow. However, in a few spots in the mission, missionaries are reporting a foot of snow this morning!
I'm in the mood for Christmas and having fun decorating the house, baking, planning parties for zone conferences, and SO excited for John and James to be with us for the holidays.

Asia North Area Mission President's Seminar

2008-12-03T19:43:00.001+09:00

We enjoyed a wonderful three days in Seoul receiving counsel, sharing ideas, being fed and entertained until our cups were o'erflowing! Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Elder L.Whitney Clayton, and their lovely wives as well as our Area Presidency and Area Authorities gathered together the 12 Mission Presidents from Japan, Korea and Guam/Micronesia and we had the most wonderful bonding experience with both old and new friends, arriving back home with renewed zeal, excited to thrust in our sickles and press forward.
Here's one wonderful tidbit:
2 Nephi 2:7 - Words that should be engraven on our hearts during the sacrament. We lay our sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit on an altar as ancient as time; a sacred opportunity, a grave responsibility, to confess our sins and qualify for the blessing of always having the Spirit with us. 2 Nephi 31:13

New Horizon Reunion Concert Tour

2008-11-11T20:42:00.004+09:00

We all enjoyed attending the Seoul Temple one morning

Wow! I had such a fun, fun week. After months of preparation and hard work on the part of the New Horizons to compose, arrange and coordinate everything, everyone met from all over the US and Korea for a week of 10 shows.
The New Horizon were a missionary band, conceived by President Gene Till 1974-77. They teamed up with the Tender Apple choir and served their mission by appearing on TV and radio and performing all over the country. During those three years and because of their efforts, the name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints rose in name-recognition polls from 7% to %80. They even had a song written by Randy Davenport that rose to the top ten in the pop charts of the day, and produced two LP's!
As a popular TV actress during 1975, I also toured and sang with them some, hence the invitation to join with them on this reunion tour. Mostly we sang the same old songs, which were well received. As young missionaries, these Elders didn't proselyte as usual, or see many physical fruits of their labors, so it was exciting last week for Clyde Robbins to meet a woman who he had taught when she was a 16-year old student. She didn't join the church at that time, but 10 years later was baptized with her husband. Her two children have both served missions. Sometimes the harvest or news of it is a long time coming! What joy it was for Clyde to finally to see results of a sucessful harvest!
I really enjoyed meeting and spending fun time with the spouses and feel so grateful to feel like I have a whole bunch of new, very special friends. It was an emotional experience to say goodbye.

The Harvest Season

2008-11-02T21:25:00.005+09:00

Fall is glorious in Korea! The rice harvest was fascinating to watch, and we are now in the middle of persimmon season - all over the countryside and even in the city, trees are laden with the sweet juicy fruit.The marshmallows are also having a good year, extra huge, thanks to the kimchi used for fertilizer- it's powerful stuff! :)

Alana and Brian Visit Korea

2008-10-08T14:32:00.000+09:00

I Love Company!

2008-09-23T19:25:00.003+09:00

Me and my shadow! A downward view from the bridge.

Daedunsan suspended bridge

A typical traditional spread!

Our Asia North medical and mental health missionaries visited our mission last week. It was so fun to have the Browns and Jarvis' s come, and get to know the people we usually only meet on the phone! We had a little bit of free time to visit some of my favorite places!

Too Close for Comfort

2008-09-08T07:15:00.005+09:00

From our neighbor's backyard

From out neighborhood shopping area

Here is a photo of the recent mountain fire in Draper. (August 25-28) Our home is a two minute walk across the street! No homes were damaged, but the hills and canyons are blackened from three days of burning. Daily photo updates show that all is well, all is well. http://drapertemple.blogspot.com

New Wine a.k.a. Grape Juice!

2008-08-31T15:03:00.004+09:00

I tried my hand at making grape juice from the amazing crop that is at its' height right now. It turned out absolutely delicious! Pretty easy, too - just wash, squish, boil and strain. Only problem was I tipped over a small bit and it spilled into all the drawers down one side of the stove. Cleaning up that mess took more time than the whole juice making process!

Check This Out

2008-08-28T21:33:00.007+09:00

Jim ? has been doing an amazing job of daily photo documentation on the progress of the Draper Temple. Visit his blogsite for some great pictures! http://drapertemple.blogspot.com

Coming Home to Korea

2008-08-22T11:50:00.001+09:00

James' week in Korea came and went all too quickly. The office elders thought it was pretty interesting to see what a mom about to meet her returning missionary is like. It was the strangest thing! I was so excited that I was hyper-ventilating, unable to breathe normally!
It was all so wonderful to see him and hug him, and just look at him! What a joy to see the effects of 2 years of selfless service, growth and maturity. It was heart warming to share a deep love and appreciation of the scriptures together, and to witness a solidity that gives a parent great peace. Every moment was so fun, I didn't even mind one bit being slaughtered in every game of monopoly! I can't believe I forgot to take very many pictures, but these are fun!

Welcome Home James!

2008-08-08T06:45:00.004+09:00

PJ and family joined us for the welcoming hurrah!

The waiting is over! I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I thought I would post these first pics real quick before we head out for zone conference all day. James actually gets to be a missionary in Korea for a day before being released!

Roadside Attractions

2008-08-04T09:58:00.004+09:00

We've seen several of these fishing holes around and about- small lakes surrounded by easy chairs, or old carseats for your fishing pleasure!

Mushroom Town!

Rice Fields and Lotus Gardens

2008-08-03T06:59:00.006+09:00

In full bloom these lovely lotus flowers are about 10 inches wide and grow 3-4 ft. high on a lake of water. The leaves get up to nearly two feet in diameter! The lotus pod is in the center of the flower and hardens as the petals fall away. Incredibly beautiful, and in the nearby woods, the cicadas were screaming - a music I love to hear! There was a bench in the shade of the trees where I could have sat all day and listened!

The rice is still a couple of months away from harvesting, but here are an early and mid season picture. Farming in Korea is a work of art!

Project Finished

2008-07-19T10:27:00.003+09:00

My latest quilt is for PJ's firstborn, due any day now. He will be the most awesome Dad! I'm sure Lori will be very happy to have this summer pregnancy end!
I really do have quite alot of "free" time - about two out of every six weeks - and am thankful to be able to find everything I need to satsify my creative juices. These embroidery patterns were a free download from the internet, there is a cross stitch store with DMC thread just down the street within walking distance, and the Daejeon Shijung (street market) has one very nice street of nothing but fabric.

Cool Bird

2008-07-18T07:25:00.002+09:00

Anybody know what kind of bird this is wandering around our backyard? It seems like a kind of a woodpecker or kingfisher?

Survey Results

2008-07-13T20:59:00.002+09:00

High humidity makes heat more dangerous because it slows the body's evaporation rate of perspiration. This makes the body retain more heat than it would in dry air. The Heat Index combines actual air temperature and relative humidity to determine the human-perceived equivalent of temperature. But, exposure to full sun can increase the Heat Index value by up to 15 degrees. So, here are some examples:
100 degrees at 30% humidity feels like 104
110 degrees at 30% humidity feels like 123
100 degrees at 70% humidity feels like 144

So, it seems that Dallas and Daejeon are most dangerous. The past few days in Daejeon it has been 100 degrees and when you walk outside the air is thick, dense and very liquid. Rain doesn't really cool things off much, just makes it more like a steam bath! Everyone, wherever the heat is intense needs to keep an eye on the Heat Index throughout the summer, drink lots of water and avoid full sun.

What IS that?

2008-07-10T17:55:00.007+09:00

The lady behind the counter was not happy about my camera, but this was such a rare opportunity, I couldn't resist. This is a delicacy I have no intention of experiencing.

Asians are golf fanatics. This is a typical sight - huge driving ranges right in the middle of the city. Could be a problem if there were a hole in that netting facing the freeway!

How does he DO that? I went and stood right under him and couldn't figure it out!
Since so many roads are verrrry narrow and getting yourself out of tight spots can be extremely difficult, nearly every vehicle has a back-up sensor. It gradually beeps faster and faster to warn of impending damage.

Emergency Escape

2008-07-06T18:16:00.003+09:00

No kidding, this is an emergency exit. Can you imagine the pileup at the bottom during a real emergency?! Look out below!

Happy Birthday To Nathan!

2008-07-03T22:54:00.002+09:00

Thanks for surviving as the guinea pig to my bumbling motherhood. I've loved you since before you were even born and will forever. You are amazing to me - capable, strong, gentle, funny and you carry on with perfection the Perriton creeds that Dad is always preaching to the missionaries of things his father taught him, like: A job worth doing is worth doing well; Always leave a place better than you found it; and Don't just do what is required, but do more than expected. You are just like your father in so many wonderful ways.
Enjoy the fireworks for us this year!

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY TO JAMES

2008-07-02T23:26:00.001+09:00

James won't see this slideshow for awhile (34 days), but I will enjoy looking at it and I hope you do too!

Our Office Depot

2008-06-25T17:09:00.002+09:00

Here is a before and after of the office supply store (Moongu) in our little neighborhood. We were worried that the new store would put the old one out of business, and were happy to find that they were just moving a few doors up and remodeling. We love to give our business to the local vendors who are so friendly and helpful. If this small store doesn't have exactly what we are looking for, they will go out and find it and deliver it to the mission office! Besides office supplies, all manner of toys, craft and sewing supplies, and even sports equipment can be found here.

Jikji

2008-06-20T09:32:00.009+09:00

Jikji is the name of a book of Buddhist scripture printed on a moveable metal printing press in 1377 - that's 78 years before Guttenberg's famous invention. Yesterday we went to the printing museum in Cheongju at the location of the Buddhist temple where the book was printed. At the end of our most interesting tour we made a book of our own - made the paper, embossed the cover, and sewed the pages together to bind it.
Mark Petersen, Korean scholar, BYU faculty member of Asian Studies and dear old friend is in Korea with a group of teachers and students for a culture trip extradorinaire. We took most of a day (a very rare experience) to tag along and learn a few things. Afterward we had dinner at a sushi bar where all the little dishes come around on a conveyer belt and you take what looks good!

Sigh!

2008-06-05T09:33:00.002+09:00

I ordered the new Kenneth Cope CD and it arrived yesterday. I don’t know why his music moves me so, but it has an astounding effect on me. The lyrics are deep and heartfelt and the arrangements are beautiful. His lyrics demonstrate so many great earthly/eternal parallels. I love it, even with tears streaming down my face as I listen and liken it unto myself!

Let's go to the Movies!

2008-06-03T11:57:00.003+09:00

We don't have the same "rules" as the younger missionaries and enjoyed an evening out to see the new Indiana Jones movie the other day. It's only the 2nd movie we have seen in the almost year we have been here, and it was a good choice! Great fun, in the same old style. Thought you might like to see the Korean poster which comes as a 4-page handout!

Ah! Love that Smell!

2008-05-29T22:14:00.004+09:00

Nope, those are not flower blossoms, but great piles of garlic! You can't live in Korea and not love garlic. I use it in just about everything I cook!

A Visit to Another Pretty Place

2008-05-27T20:35:00.005+09:00

This place is called Mikasa - sounds japanese? The huge Buddah is holding a big crystal ball that glows and sparkles. At night the statue is lit up and while driving by on the road below, it looks like he is standing in mid-air. The big bell is about 10 feet tall!

The Relief Society

2008-05-22T21:00:00.003+09:00

Just around the corner from the mission compound is the local hangout for the senior citizens in the neighborhood. Every day they are sitting on these couches right on the edge of the road chatting and laughing and having a good ole time. We invited ourselves to join them for a few minutes and they were so happy to let us take a picture with them! They are sweethearts.

Fun in the Sun

2008-05-21T21:43:00.003+09:00

Now that the weather is getting warmer and the grass is growing again, Dad looks forward to yardwork - his way to chill after hours in the office. Here he is with his brand new toy. We went down to the street market area where these kinds of tools are sold and made the weedwhacker purchase from the nicest man who took the time to patiently explain and demonstrate how to use it, filled the fuel tank, threw in a few extra things and was even happy for us to send the missionaries to visit him!

Happy Birthday to my Amazing Mother

2008-05-17T12:31:00.002+09:00

Thank you for so many things, but most of all for always making me feel so very loved!

Conserving the Earth's Resources

2008-05-07T20:23:00.003+09:00

I guess I've never seen Dad at work in his office over the years. Maybe he's always been so conscientious to use a pencil to the nub! But he does use an electric pencil sharpener to sharpen it, using up valuable electricity!

Random Memories

2008-05-06T21:27:00.008+09:00

It's interesting how my mind wanders along strange paths as I walk in the mornings! This morning I was thinking of how my mother always cooked really healthy meals, nothing from a box, like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese or anything like that, and wondering where did I go wrong to give you all such lousy eating habits (and myself). I was thinking that I had never bought, or even heard of Stove Top stuffing, or Rice-a-roni, until some of you kids came home from a friend's house raving about how wonderful it was. So I bought it, and made it for you. I read all the same books you read, (sorry James, I didn't really read the car owner's manuals!) - I listened to the same music as you, (and actually like a lot of it - even Nathan’s!) and I did those things because I wanted to always know you and to be close to you. It suddenly struck me that we can do the same thing if we want to know the Savior better and be closer to him – eat the same foods, read the same books, listen to the same music - He is the "Bread of Life". We can feast on the Word by reading the scriptures; we can listen to hymns of praise and inspirational music. Those are the things that help me feel like I know Jesus Christ better, and help me to have the Spirit close. It's as close as we can get to remembering. Those are the things that make love grow. So there it is, my thought for the day.

How Time Flies

2008-05-05T06:50:00.006+09:00

We started out just the two of us 36 years ago, and now it's just the two of us again! I'm so grateful for all the goodness that fills in the gap!

Hilton Honors

2008-05-03T11:24:00.003+09:00

When Dad was at the Hilton last week for a 2-day interim mission president's seminar, he had many up close and personal moments with Elder Richard G. Scott. Dad is still treated like a celebrity at the Hilton, having been the longest staying guest in history (he maintained a room for 5 years while commuting between Seoul and Tokyo) and holding the one and only lifetime Hilton Honors Diamond card. He enjoyed being able to add a few perks to Elder Scott's stay.

Local Culture

2008-04-28T10:47:00.002+09:00

On Saturday we enjoyed a preparation day at some local Buddhist Temple grounds for a lovely cultural experience.

Happy Birthday Nicole

2008-04-22T20:15:00.002+09:00

Oh, How I love you! What a great blessing

you have been to me every day of your life.
You bring so much fun and laughter and love
into every life you touch. Have a wonderful day!
Love, Mom

Wahoo!

2008-04-18T21:26:00.005+09:00

Well, that turned out pretty good. 18 days from start to finish. Many a night workers were here til all hours. They were so nice, and really worked hard. I wish I'd taken a before pic of my laundry room, which was a horrible mess of stuff piled everywhere. I didn't realize I was getting new storage cupboards put in there at the same time as the new bath. I am so pleased to have that room nice and tidy!
I haven't actually turned on any water or flushed the toilet, so I hope my elation is not premature, but it sure looks good!

We are in Barney

2008-04-08T09:26:00.007+09:00

As in Rubble, rhymes with trouble! (From Ocean's 11 nonsense) Yes, we are in literal rubble. We have to wear combat boots to climb over the debri to get to our bedroom! And when the workers' truck is parked right up to the stairway to our lot, we've had to climb up a little ladder into the truckbed to even get to the house!
The cement floors have been dug up and refilled three times since every time they think they got the leak, it starts again! It's quite the circus!

Spring Blossoms

2008-04-03T22:23:00.002+09:00

This Korean Magnolia tree is right on the corner of our office building. We have another one in our backyard. Blossoms are bursting out all over and it is such a pretty sight everywhere we go- Forsythia, Cherry and Plum Blossoms - it's gorgeous!

Demolition Begin

2008-03-29T14:04:00.003+09:00

We finally had to poke a hole and drain the bubble in the ceiling when it started leaking from a new place. It was looking pretty scary and about to burst anyway so we avoided a worse mess. It has finally been agreed upon that the problem is in the ondul flooring in the upstairs guest bath, and not only do I get pipe repaired, but a whole new bathroom, including tearing out a useless wall, changing the exterior windows, new facilities, vanity and all new tile. This is all supposed to take a week to 10 days! We'll see about that. I'm taking before and after shots to post later.

The Sky is Falling!

2008-03-23T19:04:00.004+09:00

For months my oven has been on the blink, and finally baked its' last cookie just in time for transfer week. So I was excited and grateful last week to get a new one! That same day, I walked into the dining room to see water dripping down from the light fixture above the table. I had to just laugh at one more new surprise added to the dozens of things that have continually gone wrong with the house and appliances here. Of course, by the time the repairman came, the leaking had stopped, so it was impossible to tell what the source of the problem was. But about every other day, it starts up again, even when we have been gone from the house for 12 hours and have not turned on ANY water! So, here is my new table top decoration. I guess I won't be surprised if the ceiling falls in one day - so far the wallpaper job there holds the big bubble of water okay! The water problem has caused a short that constantly trips the breaker that controls the fridge, dishwasher and furnace - which also means no hot water. The new stove came just in time for me to be able to cook water to wash dishes in, and thank goodness we love the mogyoktang! (Korean bathhouse) I'm finding that missionary "work" has many dimensions.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

2008-03-17T09:35:00.002+09:00

May your day be touched
by a bit of Irish luck,
brightened by a song in your heart,
and warmed by the smiles
of the people you love.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Go n-eírí an bóthar leat.

Addiction

2008-03-12T13:52:00.003+09:00

This is the thing that gets me out the door to go exercise every morning. I found this contraption at what I call the Old People's Park. It is a bit off the regular trail, and makes my morning routine more than an hour long, but so worth it for the exhilaration of hanging upside down looking at the trees against the skyline from a whole new perspective. I was surprised that there is not alot of pressure like when we had to hang waiting after bungee jumping in New Zealand for a boat to come pick us up! There are other moving exercise machines at the park as well, and there is always a crowd of senior citizens playing badminton at 6:30 am. It is so invigorating. I love it!! Haha

SeongGokSa

2008-03-10T09:31:00.011+09:00

The other day we went on a little outing not far from Daejeon where there are thousands of Buddahs at a monks' mountain retreat. Surprisingly, there is hardly ever anyone visiting this place. I've been here at least4-5 times and we practically have the place to ourselves every time. It's a lovely area, and will be especially so in the Spring! This is a small peek at just a few Buddahs.

Happy Birthday Alan - YOU ARE LOVED!

2008-03-05T10:03:00.003+09:00

Daejeon Musicians

2008-02-25T16:48:00.003+09:00

This colorful group of musicians was walking all through the surrounding neighborhoods the other day. I think they were some kind of a church group going door to door to leave blessings at homes and businesses. They didn't stop in front of our door :-) but I followed them around for awhile and they were very happy to pose for pictures .

Surprise Visit

2008-02-23T09:12:00.003+09:00

This weekend we are having a District Conference down in the southern end of our mission, which is on the boundary of the Pusan Mission. Yesterday we finished our third zone conference of the week which is nearby. So we spent the night in Pusan where we have planned to meet our area president, Elder Evans, to take him over the border to our conference. We were delighted to meet Elder and Sister Oaks, Elder and Sister Choi, our area 70, and Elder and Sister Evans for breakfast before heading off this morning to Suncheon for our district conference. These authorities were in Pusan for a Stake Conference in the Pusan Mission. It is kind of a fun adventure to be out of our mission boundaries!
I haven't been to Pusan since 1977, when Nicole was a year old and we came on a family vacation to the beach here. At that time it was a very small town. I am quite amazed at what a beautiful, very large city it now is. I remember that 1977 visit well because we were out swimming in the ocean and there were these lovely jellyfish all around. Alan encouraged Nicole, aged 1, to touch one, and for the next 24 hours or so she was one poor miserable baby! Memories like that just stick!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-13T19:47:00.002+09:00

2008-02-08T14:49:00.001+09:00

We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet

2008-02-08T14:43:00.001+09:00

We were privileged last year to spend some personal time with President Monson, first when he called us to serve this mission, and again when we were set apart in June. Our whole family gathered in the President's conference room and enjoyed hearing stories, memories and council from both President Monson and President Eyring. President Monson set Alan apart and and then President Eyring set me apart with a truly beautiful blessing. It is a treasured experience we will always remember.

New Photos of James in LA

2008-01-26T15:07:00.000+09:00

WHAT?!!

2008-01-24T08:36:00.000+09:00

You can't get one east of Las Vegas, but we have one in Suncheon, Korea! We tried to have lunch here, but it is either only open in the evenings or just seasonal since it is an outdoor walk up to the window type place. I'm pretty almost definitely certain that it is not an authentic franchise, but it was an exciting find anyway!

Happy Birthday Alana

2008-01-18T11:07:00.001+09:00

The Hardest Thing

2008-01-06T20:40:00.000+09:00

Okay, with only 2 photos posted I have already had multiple comments about the hair colors. Getting my roots colored has been the worst nightmare of being in Korea. It's been a long funny series of mistakes, at least it used to be funny, it gets less so with time -- the first mistake was having the word "regular" taken for "red color"!!!, so trying to get it back to "normal" has been impossible to this point. I don't know what they use for permanent hair color, but every time I shampoo I get a new color. The missionaries can't wait to see what I will look like next. So here are a few shots of the new me's.

The Texas Piece of the Family

2008-01-06T14:38:00.000+09:00

Nicole and Scott are now a family of six with the addition of Paisley Reese born on Valentine's Day 2007! They are becoming die-hard (or is it dye-hard?) Texans. Visit their new blogsite through the doorway on the left!

Newest Perriton

2008-01-06T14:18:00.000+09:00

Toby John Perriton was born on November 20th, perfect and healthy. This makes 7 grandchildren for us! I couldn't be happier, unless I could be there to see him and hold him! The plan is for them to come for a visit soon!

Our missionary son

2008-01-04T19:26:00.000+09:00

James has already served 16 months in the California Los Angeles Mission (Spanish speaking). We love his weekly emails. He is happy, full of enthusiasm and is having phenomenal success!

Christmas in Daejeon

2008-01-04T18:58:00.000+09:00

This year was our first Christmas in about 10 years that we didn't have the whole family all together. Thankfully, Alana and John joined us, along with 100 missionaries that we divided into two zones for parties, so we weren't lonely, but it was certainly a different Christmas! It is kind of refreshing that the commercial glitz of Christmas is not evident here. It was easier to focus on the real meaning of Christmas and to celebrate the birth of the Savior in a more gentle and relaxing environment.

Getting Started

2008-01-04T14:58:00.001+09:00

I've just discovered the world of blogging and am so excited to join this great web of sharing information.
Alan and I have been presiding over the Korea Daejeon Mission for six months already. We have 100 missionaries to watch over, love and serve with, and are enjoying the adventure so much.
Short family history----
This is the third time for us to live in Korea. We first came on assignment with General Motors in 1974 when Nathan was just a year old. Nicole was born in Seoul in 1976. We moved back to the US at the end of 1979 and a month later Alana was born in Michigan. After 17 years in Michigan, California, and Tennessee we again moved to Seoul from 1996-99. Alana was a junior in high school, John (1983) was in 7th grade and James(1987) was in 4th grade.
1999-2005 was spent living in Tokyo after which Alan retired from 34 years with GM Corp. July 2007 found us back in Korea again for our current three year assignment in the mission field.
So, Korea has been a big part of our life! In fact, nearly half of our married life has been spent in Asia! Alan served a mission here from 1965-68 (even opening the Daejeon area in 1967 to missionary work) and life has intertwined here ever since.