Sunday - January 22nd, 1978

Dearest Ann & Ron, Jean & Rick, Bob and Roy,

It's Sunday morning and our Sunday school and priesthood meetings were cancelled because of snow so I can write my letter early - might not get it mailed though. Really, I believe we'll have Sacrament meeting because Daddy has gone over for the Little Rock Second Ward Conference - their Sunday School is at 11:30 and ours is at 9:30 and it has warmed up a little - Daddy didn't want to cancel their conference because it would be so hard to make up. I was thinking what an unusual January we have had with so much snow and ice and then I read where Providence, R. I. had 23 inches just this past week - we had an inch last night and everything closed up. Roy - I'll bet you are really snowed in!!!!! The papers are full of news about the East and the hardships involved with the heavy snowfall. I just hope you have warm rooms and enough sense to stay where you won't have problems.

Daddy went to New Orleans Friday morning and was supposed to come hope that night - he called at 6 p.m. and said they had had an accident on the airport and all flights were cancelled. He rented a car and drove to Houston and got there about 2 a.m. and was in a motel with a lot of teenagers who were having some kind of a celebration so he didn't sleep all night - he got a flight to Memphis and called me from there about 8 a.m. Saturday - so many of the flights coming in from Chicago were delayed because of the weather so he didn't get home until about noon and he was really tired. He leaves in the morning to go to Tampa, Florida until Wednesday. We have our Stake Conference next Sunday so he is really busy - he has to get ready for his trip to Egypt!!!!

Johnny went to Cotillion last night - it was costume night and he decided to go as Popeye. I spent all last week practically looking for a Navy hat - finally found a small youth one at Penneys that he could use. He wore white pants, turtle neck white shirts, navy kerchief, the hat and your blue blazer Ann that you had for being Heritage Hall's President. The blazer saved our lives - fit him cute - we took off the emblem but put it in the pocket and it's all back in your closet. We also got him a corn cob pipe - we couldn't find a play one so we had to get the real thing!!!! The "Cookie Monster" won the prize - some of the costume we saw were darling - snoopy, pink panther, etc. Next year I have promised I'll start early and make him a cuter one. He had the flu when they had the final practice for the skit so he didn't get to be in it and we were kinda' glad. He really does have fun. His school started again Friday after being out for seven days and he had to go yesterday, Saturday and I thought he was going to start a revolution. I believe they have two more days to make up and they'll probably be made up on Saturdays - I hope they do that rather than do away with his Spring vacation because that was when we planned to go see you Roy.

Roy - we were so happy you called last Sunday night. Your exam schedule goes through next Wednesday so we're assuming you're still having them - we hope so much that you do as well as you want to. Mrs. Prothro called me and said Jill had called her after talking to you and said you thought you had an "A" in organic chemistry -that's really great. I guess Jill has really been sick with her ear problems - that can be so painful and I hope she's much better by now. Fayetteville has really been paralyzed - I have heard that many of the teachers can't get to school so classes haven't been held. Mrs. Prothro was really worried about Jill missing so much school with her illness. I was so surprised when Ellen told me that Rick Martin had just gone back to school - Yale is on a funnier schedule than Brown!!!! Did you know that Rick's father is running for the school board - that seems like such a thankless job and with his children out of school I wonder why he wants to do it. I was also surprised about his age - the paper said he was 48 and I thought he was older than that - he must have really married young.

Bob - we haven't heard from you this week and hope all is well. David called the other night and we had a good visit- he got your address so maybe he has written to you. He is still dating Anna Nicholson and seems very happy. He says they're studying the human brain in one of his classes and he says it's so interesting - he says he already likes this Semester better so he's getting in the groove. He asked about Claire - he really liked her. Daddy has really enjoyed the book you gave us for Christmas and took it over to show Pres. Richards the other night. It must be really new because he hadn't seen it.

Ann & Ron - we haven't heard from you this week either but we know you're fine. We had a nice letter from Winston and Ramona and they said they really enjoyed the two quart jar of cookies you made them for the holidays - that was so sweet. They told us about Carolyn's baby being born on Christmas day - Angela Marie. They really keep busy with so many little grandchildren around. They sent us the finished pictures taken at Granny's Funeral and I look older than anyone and even older than Granny did so I'm going to stop worrying - Ha!!! We had enough copies of our family for each of our family so will get them to you - I wish we had had enough copies of the entire group but we didn't. That is really a beautiful family and we're happy to belong to it.

Jean & Rick - we haven't heard from you this week either but we know you're fine. We called Grandmother and Grandpa on Tuesday night to make sure everything was fine. They weren't there when we tried to call about 4:30 their time so I guess Grandpa feels well enough to get around a little - they didn't ever say where they were. They surely did appreciate all you did for them and we appreciate it too. I keep thinking of you in your beautiful and warm coat Jeannie and I'm so glad you have it - you would surely use it if you were here!!!! You haven't said anything about your new landlords - do you like them?

Do any of you remember Tom and Joan Barrett in Phoenix? They were good friends of ours when we lived there -he was a professor of Agronomy at Tempe and worked with Daddy a lot, and she composed that Primary children's record that we used a lot when we moved here. They always sent the most clever Christmas cards and we were disappointed to not receive one this year - last week Ed Abrahams sent us the clipping of her death and burial. We haven't heard why she died. We also had a long letter from Aino Mayers - the week before Christmas they had to take her husband Bob in for an emergency gall bladder operation. She said that their son Bob had quit his job and is going to be a professional golfer - how about that??? Bob and John both still live at home and neither one is married - John is a CPA, I think. She said the Marinellis were fine and also Mildred Cantrell - she didn't say anything about Dale.

Terry Woods came over the other day and brought us a book written by her Minister - it compares other churches with the Baptist church. (Terry left the First Christmas Church and joined the Baptist Church.) We couldn't believe some of the things that were written about the Mormons - very derogatory but so cleverly written that it would deceive many people - it is really a wonder that the Missionaries have any converts in this area. She was really sweet and wanted us to clear up some things for her - she said she had heard more bad things about the Mormons in the past three months than she had ever heard. I would like to send the missionaries to her but it would make her folks upset. She wants to go on to graduate school - is even applying to the University of Utah in the speech pathology department- she wants to move away form Arkansas. Pat Boone was on a television show the other day and he was asked about the relationship one of his daughters had with a Mormon - evidently the boy wanted to get married but wouldn't unless she joined the church so they could have a temple marriage - the girl wouldn't join the church and Pat Boone explained why and that was such a detriment to the Mormons because he said we believed in things contrary to the Bible. Anyway, Terry had heard about this and asked us about it. Johnny is getting to the age where he is having to defend his church and so far, he really holds his own.

Mark Richards left Thursday morning - they had him speak in Sacrament Meeting last week. I know he's anxious to get on with his mission - he has had so many farewells in our ward that it got to be embarrassing. Daddy went over to the Mission Home to set him apart and the Cobb family was there too. Mark and Rick have been quite close and Mark has been dating Shelley Cobb. Daddy gave him one of those little red knife and scissor sets to carry on his Mission - he has been a fine example to the youth in our Stake.

Well - that's all the news. We surely hope you are all doing just great - we surely do miss you and hope someday we can all be closer - wish you could all come for dinner on Sundays. We love you very much - please be very careful in everything you do.



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