February 20, 1995 Orem, Utah
Dearest John & Julianna; 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:
We are having absolutely gorgeous weather. This has been a perfect Winter for Utah - lots and lots of snow in the mountains, a little bit in the valley and quite mild temperatures. This is President's day and I believe everyone in my neighborhood is gone or else they are "sleeping in" - I am watching my neighbor's home across the street while they are snowmobiling in Yellowstone. I just went out to put their garbage bins on the street and I didn't see anyone else outside - that is unusual!!!
Speaking of people on little trips I had a funny experience last Thursday evening. I was gone and little Sarah called and left a message on my phone. They were going to the Targhee mountains to go for a snow vacation and I couldn't understand the word Targhee. When the Woolleys came over last night Susanna listened to it and she could understand it. I must have played it a dozen times and I thought she was saying "tithing". Is Targhee by Yellowstone? Anyway, I hope you have had a wonderful time.
The Roy Mellors are going to Gulf Shores, Alabama in March. They have been trying to find a good time to go there and I think March will be just perfect - the last time they went it was during the Summer and that is just too hot. I hope Chris and Wayne will be there because Wayne would take Roy out fishing and that would be a treat. The children love the beach and it sounds like a great vacation.
Claire - thank you for your sweet letter. I am assuming that you are home now from your "Tennis Camp" and I hope you had a fun, fun time. Claire and one of her friends went to Arizona to attend a tennis camp. I'm sorry you won't be able to join us for the Orem Women's Club luncheon and fashion show - your Stake Relief Society Convention will be a lot more fun. We don't ever have those - we have a million Stake R. S. Firesides but nothing like you have.
Bob - thank you for helping my friend, Ellen Mae. She called me last night and told me you had called in some prescriptions for her. I had talked to her a week ago and she was miserable with a bad head cold - she and Mel had become ill on their trip to California and had come home early.
Ann was sick last weekend. They couldn't come over for Family Home Evening so I drove to their place - Ann was in bed and couldn't even move she was SO sick. I went up to see how she was on Monday morning and she had already gone to work. It amazes me how some people stay in bed for weeks and even months and others "get on with it". I believe everyone in my Ward has been ill this past month expect me. I judge too much and it would serve me right to get ill and not be able to shake it off.
The Woolleys came over last night and we had such a fun time. They didn't stay very long because they wanted to get home to watch "The Patriot Games" on television. I tried to watch it but things like that unnerve me and I don't sleep good so I turned it off. I watched BYU get beaten by the worst team in the league on Saturday night and I didn't sleep all night. DUMB, DUMB, DUMB!!!
John - thank you for your phone message!!! Ann was telling me that she and Ron were at a dinner party with one of the men involved with the MBA program and when she told him she had a brother in that program he said, "That is the hardest way in the world to get an MBA". I KNOW you are busy. Julianna has been working at the Flower Box in Provo arranging flowers during her break from teaching school and she is also working on her master's thesis. I ADMIRE YOU GUYS!!!
I had a BIG surprise on Saturday. I called my brother Don to see if he knew how my nephew Tracy was - I hadn't been able to reach Judy. Tracy is having a hard time but Judy had been down to take care of the children. WELL - Don asked me if I would be home if he came down and I told him I would stay home all day if he would come. He came and brought me a HUGE trout he had caught the day before at Mona and also some Winter Squash from his garden that he had in storage. We had such a WONDERFUL visit. He brought his little grandson who is autistic and that was quite an experience. This little boy is seven years old and he doesn't say a word - he is very hyper and just as sweet as he could be. It was a pretty day so we went outside and he jumped on the trampoline for a long time. He kept holding his hands up to his ears - Don said he could hear noises that we couldn't hear. When we came inside I got four puzzles that Ann had given me for the grandchildren to play with and it was so neat to watch him. He would take all the pieces out of all four puzzles and then he would put them back in, in no time at all. He must have played with them for almost an hour. Don said his interest span isn't usually that long. Don and Cheryl keep him quite often so their daughter Pam can get some relief. Pam and her husband had gone to California to see the Phantom of the Opera. When I would try to hug him, he would push me away - Don said he didn't want any kind of affection - wouldn't that be hard???
We had our Relief Society Homemaking meeting last Thursday night. It was REALLY wonderful. We have "Taster's Tables" now instead of luncheons and they are such big improvements!!! The theme for the taster's table this time was "Mardi Gras" and the food was "MY" kind of food - red beans on rice, jambalaya (sp.?), corn & green pepper relish, corn bread, pastries, etc. etc. We had over 50 in attendance. I also went to the Orem Women's Club meeting and the program was put on by a marvelous pianist - David Glen Hatch. I also went to the High Priest Dinner and the program was by Jim Shumway - he performed Fiddler on the Roof and operas!!!