Thailand Letter
September 11, 1997
Bangkok, Thailand
Dearest Family,
I was SO happy to have messages from Bob and Jean on the computer this afternoon when I came home. I LOVE E-MAIL!!! Their messages were both written on Sept. 11th which is today except that we are 13 hours ahead of you - I THINK!!!
Bob - I'm glad you are home - I just feel better knowing you are home. Your trip to San Francisco sounded like lots of fun - you mentioned the good food and I'll bet you ate a lot of sea food. I remember Fishman's Wharf somewhere in California - is that in San Francisco? SO - you have reached the age of eye glasses - Ha!!! I can't imagine you with glasses but I agree that it is so wonderful to have help seeing. I wonder if you will have the problem I had when I first started wearing glasses -I was so vain I wouldn't keep them on and kept forgetting where I put them. I wish I could remember when my Father's macular degeneration started - I still have good eyesight but I have that to look forward to. PLEASE, PLEASE - all of you - TAKE CARE OF YOUR EYES AND YOUR TEETH. Lynn had very good eyesight right up until he died.
Don's address is: 823 Oakmont Ave. Murray, Utah 84107. He would be SO thrilled to hear from you. Their phone number is 801-266-9494. Dee's death has been a very hard thing for Don. I find myself missing Dee too but he and Don were very, very close and Judie was hard for Don and her marriage so soon just about did him in.
You made the right decision about the Lehi property. I sometimes think they just wait until there is a change in my life and then they try to get us to sell. That is choice property that will NEVER go down in value and I don't think we should ever sell. I don't know how long Don will be able to manage his garden there - he loves it but it doesn't sound like he is in very good health. When Dee inherited the family home in Brigham City, he was told to sell and put the money in the bank and draw interest and that would be more valuable than to hold on to the home. He did this and he could have made far more money if he had held on to it for at least a little longer. I am truly not very interested in making more money - that property means so much to me!!!
Jeannie - thank you for making me feel better about announcing Sarah's disappointment in my newsletter. I know you don't like me to do things like that and I expected for you to be angry with me. She is SO well adjusted that she can take disappointments without too much trouble. I laugh about all the fun you are having with Barji, Ricky & Mary Ann - what a fun, fun time in your lives. Thank you for keeping me informed about their activities.
I did remember that Ellen Mae had asked you for my phone number here. It is 990-4011. I have a "Friend Letter" ready to mail so I will send it to them and I will also write to Marian and Malcolm so don't worry about it. We are here most evenings and I would love to hear from someone from the States.
Our day at school was fun. We had 12 teachers all day and they could speak very little English. They are so responsive to the things we are teaching them and that makes it fun. We will go into the classrooms tomorrow and teach the children for part of the day. We visited a class today where 5th and 6th grade girls were cutting the hair of younger boys. It is wonderful the things they are taught. They also cut girls' hair.
Guess What??? They have black topped our little lane and we are THRILLED. We have been dodging mud puddles, rocks, motorcycles, vendors selling food etc. since we moved here. One night they worked all night long and the next morning the road was smooth and black topped. We like to think they did it for us - Ha!!! They have also built a darling little "club house" on a vacant lot going down the lane - I believe it is for neighborhood gatherings but I'm not sure. The neighbors are all so friendly - we say "good morning" and they look at us an laugh but the next time they try to say "good morning or afternoon" - IT'S FUN!