May 24, 1993 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 will be a short letter. I really don't have much news and I have an idea that the only ones who read my letters are Roy & Patrice and they're coming on Friday and won't even get it.
I have been busy in my yard as I'm sure all of you have been. It has been fun to plant and now if everything grows I will have a pretty yard. I haven't used much imagination - I have the same plants in the back as I do in the front. The Inca marigolds are easy to care for and grow nicely here. I wasn't going to have a vegetable garden but I couldn't resist buying a few tomato and squash plants - I have already lost one tomato plant and I don't know what made it die!!!
We have had a lot of rain this Spring. I have told you all about my problems with the water and Don over at the farm. Ron & Ann have been gone this past week - they went to Detroit and had a fun time. Don called while Ron was gone and left a message on the answering machine that he was having more water on his garden. I tried to talk Ron out of going to check on things over there but he said he would go. Ann, Ron, Russell, Jimmy, John and I all went over there yesterday afternoon. Ron & John dug the trench deeper and tried to bank the fence up to prevent any more flooding.
I met the topsoil man over there last week and he drove down on our side of the farm where it was drier and he didn't have any problems. He cut a hole in the fence and drove his truck in and dumped some beautiful topsoil in the place where the water had washed it away. Stan (the man leasing the farm) dug trenches against the fence too. Stan told me that the entire Utah National Guard couldn't keep water from going on Don's garden if the runoff continues and we keep getting rain. I think we have done all we can do and I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I REALLY appreciate Ron taking all the calls for me and all the work he and John did over there yesterday.
Bob - I hope your work in Mexico went well. I know that is a very wonderful thing for you to do and I'm VERY PROUD OF YOU!!!
Roy & Patrice - I hope your trip out here goes well. I am SO anxious for you to come and I know you will have a wonderful time.
John was in San Jose all last week. I thought he was going to stay over the weekend but they decided to come home and then they went back early this morning. It is SO wonderful for me to have him "drop in" with his Kentucky Fried Chicken - Ha!!!
Jeannie & Rick are doing fine. Rick was supposed to go on a Father & Son's outing with Ricky on Friday night but the weather was terrible so I doubt that they went. I hope little Sarah had a fun, fun birthday party. I'm looking forward to her baptism and spending the afternoon with the family - I'll get my food assignment from you this weekend Jeannie.
Last Friday was really a hectic day for me. Daddy and I have had a service contract from Sears for our evaporative cooler for a long time and it has been very expensive. They are to come out in the Fall to cover it and turn it off and then again in the Spring to hook it up and change the pads, etc. Last year I waited for them one entire day and they finally came about 5 o'clock in the evening. This year I decided to call in plenty of time so I wouldn't have that problem. I called the first of May and they told me the earliest they could do it would be on the 21st. I made arrangements for them to be here between 8 and 12:30. About 10 a.m. they called and said they were running late and it would be from 12:30 to 3:30. Finally at 4:30 I called Sears and after getting one million different telephone numbers to call I just hung up - I won't tell you what I told them!!!
Friday was John Willardsen's wedding in Salt Lake. They were so sweet to invite me to everything and I had regretted everything except the reception but I just knew I had to go to that. Finally the Sears service man called and said I was the next in line and he would be here soon - I just about cried over the phone. He got here about 5:30 and in order to get to the reception I had to leave here at 6. I was so exasperated, I ended up taking a bath in my bathroom while he was working in the bathroom right next to it.
I left here about 6:30 and drove in a terrible rainstorm to get to Salt Lake. I stopped four different times to find out how to get to the Country Club and finally got there about 8 o'clock. It was a very beautiful reception and the family was SO sweet to me. I just wish someone would have told me about John Braithwaite's divorce. When I talked to Ann yesterday, she said that everyone knew about it - I DIDN'T!!! He came and got me to come meet his "new wife" and he said, "Isn't she young and beautiful"? I really and truly thought he was kidding and said something like - "Don't kid me John, that's your daughter". He finally convinced me - I said, where is Nadine and he said, "She's gone, gone, gone". His new wife is named Rosie and has worked for him in the dental clinic - she was born in New Zealand and lived a long time in Germany - she was baptized a month ago and they plan to be married in the temple in a year. He told me everything and I was impressed with how happy he was!!! Joanne and Dave Doxey were also at the wedding and it was fun to visit with them.
This is typical of my SHORT letters. Ellen Mae and Mel are coming tonight and we're going out for dinner - I haven't seen them for a long time and will love being with them.