January 13, 1997

Dearest John & Julianna; Roy, Patrice, Emily, Timothy & Jesse; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, Lee Anna & Jimmy:

This would be a good day to send my letter email because I'm not sure I will be able to get to the mailbox and I'm not sure the mailman will be able to do his route today. WE ARE HAVING THE WORST WINTER BLIZZARD SINCE I HAVE MOVED BACK TO UTAH. We have a lot of snow and the wind has blown so hard there are drifts all over the house - even my windows on the main level have snow drifted on them. I feel like I am in a cave. I really do like it but I have a lot of frustrating things going on.

I had planned to go to Palm Springs with Ellen Mae and Mel tomorrow. I said in my last letter that we were going later in the month but the lady who owns the home where we will stay had already promised someone else they could stay there during that time so we had to move our stay up a week. The roads are closed in Southern Utah so I don't know when we will be able to go but it will probably be Wednesday. That will be better for me because I will be able to go to my PAF computer class tomorrow - I was going to miss the first two classes if we left tomorrow.

Cissy and Charles Beyers had planned to come stay with me tonight. Cissy called me a couple nights ago and said they would call as soon as they get into Salt Lake. I seriously doubt they will want to drive to Orem in this weather but I have to plan on them anyway. They will be in Utah all week and I asked them if they would "House sit" for me - so that is up in the air too.

My dogs need to be taken care of and Tyler Theobald who usually takes care of them always opens the garage door. WELL - my garage door doesn't fit really tight and the wind has been coming in that direction so I have plugged up all the sides with plastic and I don't want him to open the door. Their water keeps freezing and I am glad for the electric water bowl that Roy & Patrice gave me several years ago - I haven't needed to use that for several years.

On top of all that - I am in charge of the "Taster's Table" for Relief Society this Thursday. I had a meeting last week and got it all planned but with the weather so bad I am doing the decorating myself. I had planned to take dowels and things to those on the committee but it is easier to do it myself. I am painting the dowels -ugh!!! We are having a "Pasta Parade" - it is a "take off" of the Posture Parade we used to have in High School. No one else has ever heard of it. I am going to make that Acine-Pepe fruit salad (frog's eye salad) because that can be made in advance and I will take it to my neighbor to take to church. We call it a taster's table but it is really a dinner.

Claire - thank you SO much for the pictures - I LOVE them. I hope you are doing good!!!

I asked the Woolleys to not come over last night for Family Home Evening - Ann said she thought they could come without any trouble but it was so bad it scares me for anyone to drive in it if they don't have to. Am I getting old and paranoid??? She told me that Saturday Russell went to Little Cottonwood Canyon for skiing with some of his friends and then Ann and Ron had said they would go pick them up. WELL - the weather was SO bad they closed the road and wouldn't let them up the canyon. Ann & Ron had to wait in the parking lot at the base of the canyon from 4 o'clock until 10 o'clock before they finally got Russell. They got in touch with him with their cellular phones and told him to try to get a ride down the canyon with someone and they would wait for him. They didn't know for sure because they lost contact with their phone so they just waited and pretty soon here they came - they had begged a ride with complete strangers who weren't even from Utah. Ann said they didn't get home until after midnight. The boys were starving because they had taken a lunch but had eaten it early in the day. I heard on the news that there were thousands of people stranded there and they had to spend the night with the few blankets the resort could let them have. RUSSELL AND HIS FRIENDS WERE LUCKY.

Yesterday was our Stake Conference and our session didn't start until 2 o'clock. I had told Vonnie I would take her and she called me a million times all morning - she really wanted to go. About an hour before I was to leave another lady called and asked for a ride. John and Julianna came over - they didn't have church because it was cancelled due to the weather. John tried to talk me out of going but I decided to try it so he followed me and then he walked us all into the church. I still can't believe they didn't cancel it because after it was over the weather was worse than it had been earlier. My car really handles well on these bad roads. I worked at the temple on Saturday night as usual and when I came out my car was literally buried in the snow. They had cleared the parking area and piled the snow right onto my car - there weren't many cars in the lot. I thought sure I would get stuck but my little car just pulled right out. Someone ran into the back of John's white car and he felt SO bad. I have learned that you don't ever get too upset about things that can be fixed - I believe Ann has taught me that lesson.

I took Lucille Webb to the temple on Friday morning. I left my house about 9 o'clock and the fog was so bad I couldn't see more than a couple feet in front of me. I thought we would be the only ones in the temple but when we got there about 9:30 it was packed - I couldn't believe it. We had lunch in the temple and it was a very nice day and she appreciated it SO much. She is really stooped with osteoporosis and it makes me sad - she has always been such a pretty dignified lady. She will be 87 this year and she has been a widow for about 30 years. She was married to my Uncle Hugh and he died in 1946 and then she married Vern Webb and raised his 4 girls.

I was in charge of the program for the Orem Women's Club last Wednesday. I had arranged for President Romesburg of UVSC to come but at the last minute he had to send a Vice President for Student Services - Ryan Thomas. He gave an excellent talk and I was relieved when it was over. It was amazing to hear him report about the progress of the college - he said they plan for the enrollment to be 20,000 by the year 2000.

I went to a bridal shower on Saturday morning and I have never eaten more delicious food. The hostess was Constance Erickson who is Dean of one of the schools of law at BYU and I told her she should quit her job and be a caterer. She served spinach quiche, a broccoli, raisin, onion and pecan salad, cranberry and wheat breads, cheeses and CHOCOLATES. Her drink was equal portions of orange juice and apricot juice - DELICIOUS. This is where I lose Bob isn't it - Ha!!! ( He doesn't like to have such a detailed report of food.)

I have talked to Jeannie this week and she said they had an absolutely wonderful time in Florida. When she told me of her schedule since coming home I got dizzy - like going to bed at midnight and getting up at 4 a.m. for some crazy stake Young Women's activity planning thing

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January 13, 1997 Orem, Utah