January 23, 1996 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, Lee Anna & Jimmy:

I'm sure you all know by now that I did go to Palm Springs with Ellen Mae & Mel. I HAD AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL TIME. It was one of those things that I didn't plan and really hurried to have my "bases covered" while I was gone but everything worked out just fine and I truly found that I am not indispensable.

The very funniest thing that happened involved the "sign" we have for our home making meetings. We had Stake Conference on the Sunday where we would have announced our homemaking meeting. It was just imperative that we put the sign out in the front yard of one of the neighbors to remind people. I always keep the sign in my furnace room and the easel to put it on in the garage. WELL Wednesday night while I was in bed in Palm Springs I remembered that I had forgotten to give it to Anne Smith who is the Home Making counselor and we usually put it out very early on Thursday morning. I got up early and called her to tell her where it was and she had already been over here and found it - I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT because it is really hidden behind that little cupboard in the furnace room. They had a HUGE snow storm the day before homemaking and then BYU had a basketball game that night so the attendance wasn't very good but everyone said it was a wonderful meeting.

I had the Presidency meeting on Tuesday morning and then Ellen Mae came about 1 o'clock to pick me up. Our first stop was in St. George - we went to see mutual friends who live there. Phyllis Sederholm Larson lives there and we all grew up together. Her husband has lost his shirt and hers too on his mining investments and he wasn't home - he was mining in New Mexico - but we had a good visit. Then we went to see another couple - Margaret Toolson Gardner and her husband Rulon. That was such a fun, fun visit. Ellen Mae and I were Margaret's bridesmaids in Burley, Idaho many years ago and this is the first time I have seen her since. Margaret's nephew is Andy Toolson, the basketball star who has just been dropped by the Utah Jazz. Danny Ainge is another nephew and they had Christmas pictures of both their families and that was fun. The best part though was hearing about Daddy's good friend, Wilford Gardner and his wife Marjorie. Wilford and Daddy worked together in different ways in the field of Agriculture and Wilford ended up being Dean of the School of Agriculture at the University of California in Berkeley. Wilford's father was Head of the Soils Department in Fort Collins where Daddy took his first job and they fished together more than they worked together but they truly enjoyed being together. ANYWAY - Wilford is Rulon's Uncle and they learned of Daddy's death from Margaret and Rulon and wrote to me.

We stopped in Mesquite, Nevada the first night - ate dinner and then stayed in a motel. They rent their rooms VERY cheaply so the people will spend their money gambling and their rooms are very nice - I couldn't believe that either.

We went into Las Vegas on Wednesday and Ellen Mae and Mel took me to some of the big "Casinos" - they are just magnificent!!! Daddy & I went to California after we came home from our Mission but we didn't go to Las Vegas - we went through Reno - I THINK!!! We did go to Las Vegas though sometime because I have seen the temple that has been built there fairly recently - I don't know what we did - maybe we went by way of Las Vegas and came back by way of Reno. Daddy was never very big about going into the casinos so I missed them. Mel has a very difficult time walking and he was SO sweet to do all that he did. They even have "white tigers" in one of their places. All of that part of Las Vegas is a "Den of Iniquity" as far as I am concerned and it's too bad they have to mix the gambling in with just marvelous architecture. Their restaurants serve delicious meals so cheaply and the motels are cheap but they must make all their money on gambling. We went through the "Luxor" which is built like a pyramid and we went on the "River Nile" and heard a talk about how the hotel was built and it cost 400 million dollars.

Ellen Mae and Mel have bought a time share for a condominium in a place called "Silver Springs" - it is just an oasis in the desert that is unbelievable - it is between Victorville and Barstow. They wanted to show that to me so we went there too - they will really enjoy going there because they love things like that.

We got to Palm Springs about 9 o'clock Wednesday night. The home where we stayed is just beautiful. The lady who arranged all this is one of Ellen Mae's school teaching friends. Her daughter is married to the Primary Children Hospital's Administrator - Dale Horton. Dale's parents own this home - he is a doctor who lives in Pasadena, California and they let Margaret Jost stay there a week every Winter. She is a widow and she also took another widow who also taught with them in Kaysville. They had flown in the day before. They were all just wonderful to me!!!

I decided to look up Art Willardsen's dental office there - Carol Ann had told me so much about it. Mel wanted to help me find it so we got the address and drove right to it - it is right on the main street in Palm Springs. I had no idea Art would be there because of his other practices in San Diego and Rialto. I went in to see the office and he happened to be there. His secretary got him for me and he just couldn't have been nicer. He invited my friends to come in and then he gave us the "grand tour". They have 9 chairs and they were really busy and then he took us upstairs to see their condominium and it is BEAUTIFUL - three bedrooms, a combined kitchen and dining room and it is furnished very nicely. I REALLY appreciated Art that day - he was so friendly and gracious and I know he left his patient to be with us. He said Carol Ann was flying in from Utah that afternoon.

We went on the "Tram" in Palm Springs and that was really an experience. It goes way up the mountain so you can see all of Palm Springs and it's something I will never forget.

The next day we went to Newport Beach to see Ellen Mae's brother, C.R. Ellen Mae and I used to tend C.R. almost daily when we were younger. He is 10 years younger than we are. He was in that terrible accident 23 years ago in Anchorage, Alaska and is quadriplegic - nothing in this world could possibly compensate for that but if you have to be in that situation you would want to be in C.R.'s situation. He has a gorgeous home right on the beach - you just walk out his door and there is the ocean. He designed it and it has everything he could possibly need - an elevator takes him up to his living quarters and then he has all the technological things he needs. He has a woman who comes in daily to prepare his meals and care for him - she is a Spanish woman and is darling - Marina. He has a specially equipped car so he can go places and he also has a beautiful apartment in the downstairs for his children to come - Ellen Mae & Mel and Gene & Wayne spend a lot of time there. He also has an equal place in San Diego. I have always wondered what his financial situation was but I didn't want to ask - one of Ellen Mae's teacher friends did ask and Mel told us that C.R. sued Volkswagen for millions because the seat belt in his car broke and that caused him to break his neck. His wife divorced him and he has had a lot of sadness with his children - BUT HE HAS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE AND I AM GLAD.

I called Dianne while we were at Cert.'s home but we didn't get to see them. I could tell Mel was not really anxious to look up an address in Liguna Niguel when we didn't have the faintest idea where it was. We also have mutual college friends who live there but when they weren't home we decided we had seen enough.

We just kinda' lounged around by the pool and golf course on Saturday and we also went shopping in Palm Springs on a "strip" that is supposed to be famous. I bought a little vest that is the very color I have been looking for. Ida Smith gives Ellen Mae some beautiful casual shirts for her birthdays and we found the place she buys them - they cost $150 so we bought a dozen!!!

We left to come home on Sunday and again stopped in Las Vegas and went through some of the Casinos we had missed on Wednesday. Ellen Mae & Mel were so dear to want to show me a good time. We stayed in Mesquite and then came home yesterday.

I got here in time to go to my Family Home Evening last night and that was fun too. Now I am going to have a permanent and then go care for that woman who has toxemia.

I am looking forward to being with Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie for a few days. Claire & Patrice - Thank you for your phone calls - it was fun to hear from you on my answering machine -

I AM SO GLAD TO BE IN MY LOVELY HOME - AND WE HAVE SNOW!!!

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