February 7, 1994 Orem, Utah
Dearest John; Roy, Patrice, Emily, Timothy & Jesse; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, LeeAnna & Jimmy:
I just re-read the letter I sent to you last week and I promise to not tell you how busy I am in this week's letter. Things are going fine - I THINK!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO JESSE!!! I went to their Junior High production of "JOSEPH, and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and she did a wonderful job. I have an idea this is the first of many Thespian things Jesse will perform in - she is a "natural" performer - she sang and danced during the entire thing and Ron kept turning to me and saying, "I don't know where she gets it because neither Ann nor I have that talent". She was just darling and I was SO proud of her!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO MARY ANN TOO!!! She won the Reflections Contest in her school for her poetry work. That doesn't really surprise me - I have saved a lot of her poetry through the years and she in SO talented in that area - I'm SO proud of you!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO BARJI AND MARY ANN TOO!!! They both made the High Honor roll in their school. I think it is wonderful to strive for that but the most important thing is that children do their very best and if their very best is average work then that's fine with me.
I have been in touch with each one of you this week and that always makes me SO happy. One day last week UPS delivered a large package from Roy & Patrice - I was SO thrilled to have them send me some cracked Arkansas pecans. When I visited them in December Roy took me over to North Little Rock to Keightleys to get some - I could only get two packages because that's all I could squeeze into my suitcase and I used them all during Christmas. ANYWAY - I sat and watched television the night these came and shelled them all - I ate my share too!!! I have them in the freezer and will love cooking with them. I like pecans so much better than English walnuts and the walnuts are plentiful here.
Roy took Emily to a Y-Indian Princess party one night last week. Patrice said Emily was SO excited because he had bought her a corsage to wear - they had had a Daddy Daughter party at their church earlier in the week so she got double duty from the corsage. I am always REALLY happy when I hear about the Fathers in our family doing special things with their daughters because that it SO important. Baby Jesse is doing good and so is Timothy. I talked to Timothy and he talks a "blue streak" - some I can understand and some I can't!!! Ha!!!
Patrice went to Dallas on church business last weekend. She drove with some friends and of course, she took the baby. She admitted that it was hard but she had a good time and they accomplished what they had gone for. I know she must feel quite confined and it is SO hard to leave little babies but it's all worth it in a few years - I know you know that!!!
Bob & Claire left on their annual cruise trip yesterday. It is SO funny - we have all known they were going but no one knows where. I'm sure they will have a good time - it gets easier for them to leave each year as their children grow older - I believe they will be gone a week. Bob plans to take his Boy Scouts to West Canyon some time in March - I also think that is REALLY important. Since I have had this Relief Society Calling I have learned of SO many dysfunctional families - there will always be problems in families, including ours, but good parenting skills can eliminate most of them. I can just hear you saying "Oh Mother, cool it"!!!
John comes by often and it is always really good to see him but he doesn't stay very long. I feel bad because he was here over the weekend and I forgot to ask him about his trip to Monaco and I believe he leaves soon. It used to be fun to feed him but I don't do that anymore. I still wish he would bring Julianna over occasionally.
I had a WONDERFUL surprise yesterday! The doorbell rang and when I opened the door there was Ricky. The Weinerts had come down with a pan of delicious brownies to "just visit". Sundays will always be a "pain" for me even though I am usually busy and I love surprises like that. Ann, LeeAnna, Russell and Jimmy came for their usual Family Home Evening so we had such a good time.
Ann & Jean are coming down this Thursday - we usually get together once a month but we haven't been able to do that for several months. They want me to take all my drapery down in the living room and put up shades and valances or some kind of window treatment other than draperies. I am very much status quo right now but maybe they will be able to convince me. I can see something in every room that needs to be changed but I have a hard time getting really enthusiastic about doing it - am I getting old or what??? I practiced on a "puffy valance" in my bathroom and in putting up the rod for it, I put a screw through my thumb with the Makita.
We have had the warmest January on record I'm sure. I finally got the hose out of the shed one day last week and watered the hill with the vines on it. I have already decided I won't have a vegetable garden this Summer - I'm sure water is going to be scarce. That isn't the only reason - by the time my tomatoes are ripe I can buy them so cheaply at the market. I'll see how much I miss them this year and then go from there - it really takes a lot of time and effort to have a garden just for me. There has been snow in the mountains but very little in the valley.