May 4, 1992 Orem, Utah
Dearest John; Roy, Patrice, Emily & Timothy; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, LeeAnna & Jimmy:
It seems a lot longer than one month since Daddy died. I have been SO busy though that I'm hardly accountable for measuring time. There is still a lot to do and I don't believe I will ever catch up. I am still having LOTS of company - I am looking forward to having Roy here because it seems like when I am alone my neighbors feel that I am lonely and they need to be here. They have been absolutely wonderful and I shouldn't and won't complain but I would like to catch up and then have them come.
Roy is coming in this evening and he said he would give me "Tuesday" to do whatever he could to help me. I hardly know what to ask him to do first - Ha!!! I would like for him to go to the cabin with me and that is probably the one thing he won't want to do. They don't usually have the water turned on up there until about now but I am worried about what will happen when they do turn it on. Our tap is connected to our neighbors tap and if he turns his on and the water goes into our cabin it will probably cause some damage. I never have understood the water system up there - I believe Daddy & Wayne Smith are the only ones who do. I also KNOW that the neighbors up there will be aware of the situation and if they can get into our cabin they will turn the taps off. I should have gone up there before now!
I also want Roy to help me with the truck registration and getting a sale price for the van. Daddy has registered the truck as using diesel fuel because then it doesn't have to pass the emission control test. The reason he did this is because it would cost more to get it fixed to pass this test than it is worth and it says diesel on it - it has been converted to use regular gas. He worried about this last year and called the assessor's office and someone there reassured him that it would be okay. I talked to my neighbor (Mike Theobald) last night and he suggested that I get it registered as a farm truck and then it wouldn't have to pass that test. I have called and called the assessor's office to try to find out how to do this but their line is always busy. I'm not going to sell it and that would probably be the smart thing to do - I really need it to haul leaves, etc. in the Fall.
People in business offices are much more likely to help men than they are to help women - I guess it's because they know I don't know what I'm talking about.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW RUSSELL!!!! He will be ten years old - I can't believe that. We're surely proud of you Russell and hope you have a happy birthday. I feel bad that I didn't get you a birthday card - I was in a hurry the day I got your gift!!!
Bob & Claire took their family to Zion National Park for a three day camping trip. They stopped here last night on their way home and they said they had had a wonderful time - the weather perfect and last year when they went to Moab at this time of year it was so windy they ended up staying in a motel. I'm SO glad when you do things like this with your families even though it is really hard. Little Katie was so cute as she was telling me about cooking pancakes and sleeping in a tent.
Ann & Ron and their family came over just a few minutes before the Mellors got here - they didn't know either family was coming and it was SO wonderful to have them here. I haven't seen any family members except for John for about three weeks. Every time Ann or Jean would call and say they were coming I would tell them I had company so they didn't come. Ann hasn't been feeling good - she said she had had the flu but I believe she is run down from too much stress of Daddy's illness and her vacation in Mexico. Jean called one day last week and said she was coming down and I said I was expecting a friend from Billings so she didn't come and then the friend from Billings didn't come until Friday. We visited and then went to lunch on Saturday.
Cissy & Charles Beyers are supposed to come sometime this week. Chris & Wayne Smith will be here in a few weeks and they will probably stay for a month or more. I just love all these people and don't want to do anything to discourage them from coming but I do worry about getting my flowers and vegetables planted.
Ramona dropped in for a few minutes last night and we were all so glad to see her. I went to see her soon after Winston's funeral but I haven't heard from her since - she has the same condition I do with a lot of people coming to visit. She looks good and is excited about going to Belgium in a couple weeks with her daughter and son-in-law to pick up their son who is finishing up his mission. She said she is going to have to sell the home that used to belong to Granny & Grandpa Mellor - she inherited it and her sons have taken turns living in it. Mike is living there now but she says she doesn't want to be a landlord to him - he is 49 and is going to school at UVCC to learn the basics again so he can learn to be a male nurse. He has had a hard life.
John is doing really good. He loves to go bicycling and went up around Timpanogos on Saturday and I have never seen a bicycle so muddy - it looks like it has been dipped in mud. He surely does keep the yard nice and I appreciate that SO much. I want to learn to mow the grass but so far I haven't!!!
I'm excited for Roy & John to go fishing in Montana. I believe they plan to leave on Wednesday evening and come home on Saturday and we all plan to meet at the Bob Mellors that afternoon for a little cookout for Mother's Day. That will be fun but I wish Patrice, Emily & Timothy could be here too. Thank you for letting Roy come - I'll make good use of his time - Ha!!!