November 2, 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's cold and windy November morning here in Orem - it rained all night and we're expecting snow this afternoon. I raked leaves like crazy last week and fertilized the grass so it's good to have the moisture. There are still a lot of leaves yet to fall. Did I tell you that I had all the trees in the backyard trimmed? I have never seen so much "junk" as they trimmed out - my neighbor called me - she thought I was having the trees taken out. They REALLY look a lot better. That is one thing I have had hired done that I have been pleased with - there were three men who worked all afternoon and they REALLY worked - I kept taking them cokes, apples and cookies. Daddy has trimmed them before as far as he could reach but they have never been professionally done. I called them because the birch trees in the front are leaning - I thought they could cable them to straighten them out. The tree man said that wasn't the problem - he trimmed some of the large limbs off the cottonwood trees so they would get more light and he said they would straighten out naturally - we'll see. I have been worried about some or the evergreen trees in the backyard - they look sick. He suggested that I fertilize them with those evergreen fertilizer "Jobe spikes" - I got some and they are so big and you drive them into the soil.

Ann is feeling much better. Their family has had a bout with this abdominal flu bug that has been going around - first Jimmy got it, then Russell, then Ron and now Susanna is just getting over it. Ann said she didn't feel good on Saturday and she thinks she had it then. I have had it too and I'll bet some of you have too - it's just AWFUL!!! Ann's neighbors have been such a big help to her - bringing food, running carpools, etc., etc.

Last Tuesday was a fun day. Jessie came down to Ann's with all the "stuff" to make clam chowder and we just visited and visited and did a little cleaning. Ann's two hired girls came to clean too so when we all left, their home was mighty clean. The clam chowder was SO good and the children loved it too - that's the "acid test". Right after Jeannie left, John came with some of the best ice cream I have ever eaten - "Mrs. Field's chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream". We were sorry that Jeannie had already gone.

Halloween was a fun time. I passed out 250 treats and then I turned out my lights. You all think I am exaggerating but when I talked to other neighbors yesterday, they said they had that many too. It's really a lot of fun - the children are all so dressed up and I had made a jack-o-lantern with a candle in for my front porch along with my ghost and scarecrow and then the little Primary girls had filled an orange Halloween bag with leaves for my porch too. The children who come are always so polite and remember to say thank you. John & his friend, Eric came over and that was fun. I can't imagine what Halloween would be like if John weren't around - he came later and put my garbage out in front and that REALLY helped - it was full of wet leaves and mighty heavy!!!

Jeannie said that her children were "concerned" about their costumes - I hope they came up with something they were happy with. Times have really changed in that regard - kids used to be happy with just some face paint on and now it is really a competitive thing. I'm anxious to hear what the Bob and Roy Mellor children dressed like.

Tomorrow is the "BIG" election - if I were a betting person I would put my bet on Bill Clinton. It will be fun to watch the returns on television - I always hate to see people lose when they have put so much into campaigning. I read somewhere that Bill Clinton and George Bush were close to exhaustion - I think it's amazing that Bush has been able to keep the pace he had and with so much enthusiasm -he's my age and I surely couldn't do that - I would like to see him win but I don't believe he will.

My Mutual class is going to take the quilts they made here over to the homeless shelter tomorrow night. Three of the girls used some donated material to make patchwork quilts on their own- they didn't get them bound so they brought one of them over to me last night to finish. It won't be hard to do because I'm just going to do it on the sewing machine. It's made of very light material and really won't keep anyone very warm but they worked hard on it and they're proud of it.

I had an appointment with Dr. Anderson for my physical checkup this morning. He laughed when he looked at my chart because it has been 51/2 years since I had been in. He was very complimentary about my health ('course the results of some of the test aren't in yet) and I couldn't help but think how much I hope all of you have my genes. Daddy was in excellent health at my age too tough so you should have good genes from both sides. My big complaint was that "darn" heel spur. I had gone to a podiatrist a few months ago and it was amazing to see the difference in the way he explained it to me and the way Dr. Anderson explained it. He said it isn't the calcium deposit that causes the pain but it's the inflammation - I didn't know that. The podiatrist had given me "feldene" but I couldn't see where it had helped one bit so Dr. Anderson prescribed something else. The "lift" the podiatrist put in my shoe has helped a lot but I find myself wearing the same Reebok shoes everywhere - I'd like to wear them to church - Ha!!! They both say that surgery wouldn't help.

That's all the news. I love each one of you so very much. PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!!
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