Sunday - January 28, 1979

Dearest Ann, Ron & Susanna, Rick, Claire & Bob and Roy,

This has been a busy week-end - we had our Stake Conference this morning and it was just wonderful but it was hectic for Daddy in planning, mostly because of the weather. Friday morning the weather was so bad they closed all the schools and the forecast was for more snow and colder temperatures - the phone started ringing Friday morning - everyone from Hot Springs was snowed in, the members in Russellville were all snowed in and Brother Miller who was coming from Oklahoma couldn't get past Fort Smith. Daddy finally decided to just go ahead with all the meetings as they were scheduled and told the members to use their own judgment as to whether they should come or not - would you believe, we didn't get any more snow and the roads were all clear even though the temperatures have been in the teens. Brother Miller, our Regional Representative, had to fly instead of drive but he made it okay - he had planned at first to bring his wife but she became ill so he decided to bring some of his children but when he had to fly he came alone. We had wonderful attendance - the Jacksonville Stake Building was completely filled. I went over yesterday morning for a cooking chairman's meeting at 10:00 and I was surprised at the number of people who were there. The Beyers all asked about you - I showed them pictures of little Susanna and naturally they all raved - Eilleen (Steve's wife) is going to have another baby but she's having a few problems and had to leave conference early to go home. Linda Smithers can get flowers at wholesale price because of their restaurant and she took Daddy and I to the greenhouse on Friday to pick out come for conference - we got the most beautiful gladiolas and then Linda and I each bought a "huge" crystal" bubble to put them in - they were really outstanding. Now we have a huge crystal bubble if you ever need one!!!!

Bob and Claire - we really loved your long newsy letter - I love letters like that and read them over and over again. It was so wonderful to hear more in detail about your trip to California - it sounds like you have some neat friends and relatives there. Lille and LaVar Goulding used to live in a little town just out of San Francisco and they loved it. Claire - we're so proud of your accomplishments!!!! We hope you had a really Happy Birthday on Friday - we tried to call until about 10:00 p.m. and then we went to bed - we decided you must have gone skiing. Bob - I hope your children don't get the "Mellor" stomach either - I have teased Daddy a lot since I read an article in the paper about whether or not ulcers are hereditary - the answer was that ulcers themselves are not hereditary but "complaining" about them is - Ha! I know that isn't funny to those of you who have temperamental stomach - I complain a lot about my "aching back" and Daddy says he would ten times rather have the back problems than the stomach problems and since I haven't had the stomach problems I can't disagree. We can hardly wait to hear about your curtains - that should give your home a much cozier feeling - we can't believe you have wallpapered your bedroom - you have worked so hard on that house and we would love to see it. We hope Kim Miller is better by now - we're happy you were there so you could see Elaine - we don't hear anything about them since Granny has passed away - she used to keep us posted - that's great that Matt is going to get his "Eagle". Don't worry about that "land deal" - our time is up Feb 4th to try to stop the deed being cleared in Cecil Webb's favor but I feel sure it doesn't amount to anything and I'm not going to worry about.

We loved talking to you Jennie - you sound so happy. Annie - John said you called yesterday while we were at conference and he was so thrilled he was the only one home - he said Susanna had a cold - surely hope she is better by now. Ron and Rick - how's the skiing????

Roy - they have had so much really bad weather in the Vermont area, we'll be relived we hear that you are home (at school) safe and sound. We think it's great that you'll be taking a scuba diving class this semester - that will be nice relief from your hard, hard classes and will be good for you. We have your scuba gear ready to send but Friday was such a bad day to get out we didn't get it mailed - we'll for sure do it tomorrow. We hope you'll get all registered and ready for your next Semester - does it start Wednesday???

Johnny can hardly wait for you to play computer Chess with him -he has beaten it about three times now on the first level so he likes it better - he was getting discouraged when he couldn't beat it - that is the best investment we have made for him.

Daddy has business in Houston next Friday so we may take Johnny out of school and leave on Thursday and then after his business is over on Friday drive to Alabama to visit with Chris and Wayne Smith for a day and then come home Sunday - so if you should need to get in touch with us, I'll leave our number with Dorothy (the number where we can be reached), in fact I always do that and they know where we are if we aren't home-their number is 225-4810.

Dorothy called me yesterday - she had just had a letter from Terry and she loves school - this past week-end she has been in New Medico on another one of those "camping out" survival skills excursions or something. It was going to be really cold where she was going and she was excited about that.

Johnny had Cotillion last night - it was costume night and they were supposed to dress in costumes of their favorite circus animal - well, you know us and costumes - so Johnny borrowed one from Garic Power and it was a vest and hat and whip and he was going as the animal trainer. It was so funny - I left in the morning about 9:00 and told him I wouldn't be home in time to help him and Daddy left at 10:00 for the day - I called about 5:30 to see if he could get ready and he was panic stricken - he had locked himself out of the top of the house - you know where that door is at the top of the stairs and I thought it was impossible to lock except from the inside but somehow it had locked and his costume was in his bedroom. I held the phone while he searched for screw drivers and knives and everything else he could find to get it "Picked" and after about ten minutes of praying it finally come open. I felt relived and went to my meetings but when I got home I found his costume and he hadn't worn it - he decided at the last minute to just wear his suit with an open collared shirt and tell them he was the manager of the circus - he said they just about didn't let him in -what a character!!!!

Do you any of you remember little Chip Godwin? I'm sure you do Roy. The Godwins bought the Bridges home and they had two children, Christie who is 11 and Chip who is about 5. They divorced and sold that home so they don't live there now. Well - about three months ago Chip complained of stomach pains so his mother took him to the hospital and they discovered a mass on his liver- they operated and found it was malignant so they removed most of his liver but they were we sure they had operated in time and he would he fine. They came by the other day -Chip and his Mother, Suzanne - and she talked him as the "Miracle child" because he was doing so well. They had just been to Vail, Colorado on a skiing trip and he had had such a good time. Wall - last Wednesday, he became very ill so she took him to the doctor and they have discovered he has more masses by other organs in his body - they let him go home and give him less than six months to live - we are so sad - he and Johnny used to play and he just loves Johnny. He is just a darling little boy. Suzanne has really had a lot of bad things all at once - her father, who was a very prominent doctor in Little Rock died suddenly of a heart attack, then she got divorce and now this.

I haven't seen John Robert this week - he has been gone a lot so I guess he is supervising the decorating of his office. I surely hope things go well for him - I would hate to have to go in debt as much as he is - he'll be forty before he can even think of going in debt for a home. He is dating a girl who is a bank executive - I told him I thought he was very foolish to get another "executive type" girlfriend.

I can't think of any more news. We'll go to Sacrament Meeting in a little while and then we'll mail this when we take Bro. Miller to the airport - his plane leaves at 8 p.m. he is such a fine person - he and his wife have six children and they are all adopted Lamanite children - they have four at home and two in Salt Lake who are older - they got them when they were babies and have raised them.

We surely do love each one of you and hope you'll tell us if you need anything - please be really careful in everything you do.
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