August 15, 1982
Billings, Montana

Dearest Roy, Bob, Claire & Michael, Rick, Jean, Ricky & Barbara Jean and Roy, Ann, Susanna, Jessie and Russell,

We just came home from church - Daddy and I spoke at the 2nd Ward - it's in the Heights area. It was so funny - after the meeting a cute couple came up to talk to us and we found out the wife is from Brigham City and her husband is from Jerome - really a small world where you find two people like that who come from two such small places and have them so significant in our lives. His name is Luther (last name) and he went to school with your sister Joanne, Ron and knows her husband - he also knew you. Her maiden name is Ball (Marcia Ball) and I didn't know her but probably know her parents. They have just moved to Billings - in fact, they're looking for a place to buy - he is with IBM.

I am so tired today and I just about didn't get out of bed this morning. Yesterday I went to the garden early in the morning as I have been doing to water it and pick any vegetables that are ready - one of the men from the Wards caring for the corn told me I should start freezing the corn because it was getting too ripe. After my morning chores I started picking corn and finally Daddy came and helped me - We prepared ten quarts to freeze - this along with meal preparation and shopping and having a family come in who used to know us in Russellville, Arkansas. Then at 6 p.m., Sister Lowe and I went to the fair to help work in the church food booth - I have never worked so hard. They must have fed five hundred people and we helped fix the plates and serve it and then clean up the booth - scrubbing all the pots and pans and the tables, etc. We got home about 1 a.m. They do this each year to earn money for their welfare budget - I heard they clear about $5,000. I think it will be a lot easier herein the Winter when we won't have a garden. We have bottled 12 quarts of beets are 10 quarts of dill pickles and we have just barely started - we have carrots to do and more corn and the beans will soon be ready. We have had three tomatoes but will have a lot more. It was so funny we saw this huge thing on a squash vine and finally decided to pick it before it got too old - we cut it in pieces and baked it and it was delicious but there are a lot more out there and someone told me yesterday it is a pumpkin and shouldn't be picked until turns a golden brown. We haven't lived where things grow like this and it is really thrilled to have so many vegetables but it's a lot of work - the Elder who is supposed to be in charge of the garden will leave his mission the end of the month so he is training another Elder are they divide their time between here and Roundup so they don't have much time for garden work.

We really had a funny (?) experience this week. The two assistants of Daddy had been on tour for about ten days - they came home on Thursday and I was in the kitchen so they came in there to find me - I about fainted - one of them had a HUGE snake wrapped around his neck it was a "blow" snake and isn't poisonous but it was about 5 feet long and big around. Of course I screamed and they said they were going to put it out in the corn patch to scare of things that would hurt the corn - I asked them to keep it until Johnny got home - he had been in South Dakota and we expected him home in just about an hour. Well - we got busy and when we went to our apartment we noticed that John's bedroom door was closed - it is just never closed and we thought maybe he had come home so Daddy went in there to check and he left the door open. Later on Daddy was talking on the phone and I was sitting at the table writing letters - the funniest look came on his face and he pointed and right down by my feet was the snake slithering across our living room floor - of course, I screamed again and the man on phone was left hanging for a little while. Daddy opened our door and it went out on the balcony. To make a long story short - the Elders had put in it Johnny's room to scare him and it got out when Daddy opened the door. The Elders left it on the balcony all night because Johnny didn't get home until about midnight. The next morning it was no where to be found one of the doors into the guest rooms was a jar a little (Rick will understand this better) - we have searched high and low but no snake and as I tell the Elders, it has reduced my efficiency to at least one half. No one seems to think it would crawl up the balcony wall but there is the only possible explanation unless it's in the house. I scared the Elder who brought home to death - I told him Loren Dunn was due this week - he really isn't but it scared him. The Elders would do anything we asked them to do - they are the most obedient and self disc lined young men you could imagine - BUT they are still boys and I'm glad I have raised three.

Roy - we keep thinking about you riding your bicycle all over the Lackland Air Base - That really must be a big place and that was smart to rent a bicycle. We're so interested in your experience with a Military Hospital - what clerkship are you in? Daddy said he thought you sounded like you were enjoying the hot weather - it's so different from Providence that I imagine it would be fun for a little while. Have you talked to the Powers yet? We're so anxious to have you come - I'm going to send you our schedule for the month of September and I hope it won't discourage you from coming - there just isn't anything we can do about our schedules and we hope all of you will understand and we know you will - as you can see, we won't be in Billings Sept. 3rd or 4th but we'll be home the night of the 4th and will be here Sept. 5th, 6th, and most of 7th. Johnny will be here and will be able to come to Great Falls to pick you up if you come on the 3rd. We know it is hard for you to make plans too because of catching flights but we really want you to come and you would love it and Johnny would so love to have you here.

Bob - I keep forgetting to tell you that we met one of your former roommates at the BYU when we were in the MTC- his name is Greg Jones and he is going to the BYU Law school - he said to tell you "Hello". Claire - are they showing the wool "Leggings" in Little Rock - they're like long socks only without the feet - they make sense for the cold Montana Winters. We had a letter from the Woods and they have met the people who bought our home - they didn't say anything about the house - I think Dorothy is trying to spare me so she didn't say anything about the way they have probably changed things. It is really surprising - I get so homesick for the Sundays we had with you guys but I really don't miss our home that much - I guess it's because I'm too busy. Brenda Lowe says she hasn't been homesick one minute - she is doing a fabulous job as cook - I don't know what I would do without her - she is really a lovely, sweet and talented woman and I'm grateful for her. She is so willing to do anything that will help - vacuum, dust, arrange fresh flowers, do the laundry and besides she has joined our Ward Choir and helps in the Relief Society - she said she had no idea the church would be this fabulous - see, she has only known the church in Arkansas. We appreciated that talk from Jim - that will be so good for our memoirs - I wish we would have had a tape recording of yours - that whole night seems like a "blur" to me!!!!

We called Grandmother Forrest on her birthday - we called in the evening and there were still many people calling to wish her a Happy Birthday. Don and Cheryl gave her a wonderful birthday party and it sounded like most of Brigham City called to give their greetings - I wish we could have been with her. She said Jeannie had brought her a beautiful birthday cake and Annie had called and sent flowers - I just wish they had both known about the planned party so they could have been there. When I talked to Mother she said she wasn't feeling very good - Bob and Roy, I wish you would go into Geriatric Medicine because it just isn't right to not feel good. I have many, many wonderful blessings for which I am so thankful but I guess one of the greatest is my good health - I can (and do) eat anything and always feel so good. I know I should lose weight but I don't want to risk losing any of my good health so I don't - is that just an excuse????

Johnny had a wonderful time in South Dakota - the youth group from one of the wards here invited him to go and they stayed in the KOA campgrounds near Rapid City and they prepared the meals and everything. They saw the Passion Play and many other things - I am so grateful for good youth leaders. They were gone four days. He is happy here - we have found that we don't have a choice as to the High School he goes to - maybe he will find new friends that he will like as well as he does in the High School he wants to go to. We are really proud of the adjustment he has made. Jimmy is here with him and they have so much fun - they will probably drive into Yellowstone next week for a little while - if they go through the Cody Entrance it won't be so dangerous - the Bear Tooth Pass is too dangerous!!!!!

I must go start dinner - we're going to have waffles with blueberry and cool whip topping and ham and cheese quiche. We had rabbit one night last week - it was delicious. We are staying an educational project - we study a new word each day and discuss it during the meal time. We have had "afflatus", "amoral", "agape", "animism", "amentia", "dementia" and "agrestic". If you have any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated!!!!

We love each one of you very much - please be very careful in everything you do and let us know if we can help you in any way.


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