October 19, 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:

This is "Birthday Week" - Happy Birthday to little Timothy on Friday, Susanna on Saturday, and Roy & Patrice on Sunday!!!

It's just like Summer here - they call it Indian Summer but it's almost too warm for that. John came over last week and drained my sprinkling system - I REALLY appreciated that because there is no way I could have turned that big long pipe that goes down into the ground. I pulled up all my beautiful flowers in the front and back and took them over to the farm - I crammed about fifteen big plastic sacks of them in the car - that's when I miss the van. I tried to start the truck over at the farm but it will have to be jump started - it just wouldn't quite turn over. Stan Lewis has his cows on the farm and I drove through manure and dust but it was really fun to go over there - that's the first time I have dared to go by myself. They have taken the for sale sign down from the home by our property so something must have been settled.

I hope you will all tell me about your weekend vacations. The Woolleys left little Wicket with me so I visited with them when they came by to get him last night. They had a wonderful time at Bryce Canyon and were so excited about some sand dunes they visited on their way home. Ron suggested that that would be a fun place to go as a family. It sounds like the place the Mellors used to go to on Easter when Daddy was growing up - we'll have to "check that out".

I talked to Jeannie last night and she said they had fun just staying home and getting caught up on some things they had to do. I had to laugh - she said she "dumped" the children's drawers and had them clean them out. That's something she inherited from me!!! They had also gone to see Peter Pan at City Rep in Salt Lake. It's like she said - why leave Utah when it's so pretty here. Really - Rick was on call and couldn't leave. They're doing fine and I hope to see Jeannie later in the week.

I talked to Patrice one day last week and they were getting ready for their trip to New Orleans. They had hotel reservations at the Hilton looking over the river - I hope they had good weather. Patrice said she didn't like Bourbon street - it reminded me of the time we went as a family down that street and Bob & Roy were so embarrassed they didn't ever want to go back. She said she would have a "benet'" (sp.?) donut for me - do you remember those sidewalk cafes selling donuts and Louisiana coffee?

The Bob Mellors went to California and as Jeannie told me - they were going to "take it all in". They had reservations for Phantom of the Opera and then they planed to go to Disneyland, Sea World, etc., I can just see Katie if she went to the play - she would be right up on the stage with the cast - Ha!!!

John is doing great! I thought he and Bob had planned to go deer hunting sometime but I guess it's till undecided. I hope they go to the cabin sometime soon just to check on it before Winter really sets in. John loves is "bachelor's pad"!!!

Speaking of deer hunting - the saddest thing happened on the very first day. A man from Lehi was shot to death accidentally right by his recreational vehicle in West Canyon where we have our property - they still don't know what happened. West Canyon has always been a very popular place for deer hunters - that's where my family always used to hunt. He was 64 years old and the Bishop of the 13th ward in Lehi and he was hunting alone.

I was shocked one day last week when I read in the paper about one of our very dear friends who died. Ted and Gladys Gardner were such good friends when we lived in Phoenix and we have kept up with them through the years. Ted was born and reared in Lehi and met Gladys in England where he served his mission and they were later married. He was a dentist in Phoenix and they wanted to move to Utah so when a job at the American Fork Training school became available they moved here. They had such a lovely party at their home for us when we first returned from our mission and I have said for the last five years - "we must have Ted and Gladys over for dinner". I didn't even know she had been ill but they said she has had Alzheimer's (sp.?) for three years and was really bad for the last year. I went to the funeral in American Fork and it was beautiful - Ted has a gorgeous singing voice and he sang a tribute to his wife - it had been recorded earlier. One of their sons asked you Bob - his name is John and he said you were friends in Phoenix. Dave & Joanne Doxey and also Dick & Opel Danley were there so it was good to visit with them - all Phoenix friends - do you remember them?

The night I came home from the funeral, one of my friends, Mary Knecht called and invited me to come for dinner. Her husband passed away two years ago this month. She said she had invited one of her sons and his family to come and at the last minute they couldn't - she said, "I have all this food prepared and the table set, please come". I REALLY didn't want to - it was the night of the Presidential debate and I was tired and just wanted to stay home and relax but I went. She had also invited another couple, Mae & Wayne Hacking, so there were four of us. It was just delightful - she served it very formally (the way I would like to) with candles, etc. and she had made a halibut casserole. I was glad I had gone. Wayne has had prostate cancer for eight years and has really had a hard tine but he's still alive!!!

This is a dumb letter and one that is really for my journal so won't "gotcha" if you don't read it. I love you all very much!!!
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