February 24, 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:

WOW - we are really having strong winds this morning. They reported on the news that there have been two semi-trailers blown over on the freeway in Davis County and they have even closed some of the schools around there. We have had some winds here but nothing like that.

Bob called me this morning and he is going to come down late this afternoon to take the stitches out of my leg. I ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS!!! I want so much to drive up there but he says he doesn't want my leg down in the driving position for two hours and he says he may have to cut some of the dark areas out and it would be painful. I feel SO bad - I had no idea of the extent of this surgery and the inconvenience and trouble I have caused him. I thought it would be more like the biopsy but it hasn't - I tell my friends that my son cut half my leg off - Ha!!! Ann has seen it during the healing process and she says, "Bob took out all the animosity he has ever had towards you when he did that". Ha!!! I am TRULY GRATEFUL because I feel certain that if there were any cancer cells left he got them all - at least he did his best. My inexperienced eyes tell me that it is doing just WONDERFUL. It stopped hurting long ago and I can tell it feels better if I don't stay on it too long but it never hurts.

Jeannie - thank you and Sarah SO much for coming down to see me a week ago. Jeannie came down to give me a bath and wash the sheets and make my bed - I APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH.!!! I am enjoying the sponge baths I have had - it reminds me of the million sponge baths I have had during our camping experiences - especially those in Alaska. We had such a good time visiting and then we went to "Chilis" and got salads to bring home for dinner. I feel silly for all this attention and help because I am perfectly fine. Mary Ann - I hope you are happy with your performance for the judges when you play your violin - I know you will do great. I am proud of you - Mary Ann is representing her school in a music competition!!! Ricky is starting his tennis playing again - he is already on the Davis High School Tennis Team so he can concentrate on his playing skills now - I think those competitions are stressful. Barji is having such fun with her dating experiences - I am wondering if she is going to try out for the dance team again next year - that takes such a lot of time but she is so good at it and it's good for her.

The Woolleys came over last night for Family Home Evening and I always LOVE that. Susanna didn't come with them - she was with Ryan in Park City. I know this is a fun, fun time for them and their lives are going to change so much in the next few years. It is hard for me to believe that my oldest grandchild will be graduating this Spring - she has SO much going for her and I am excited about her plans for college. I was thrilled to read both Susanna and Jessies' names listed on the honor roll for Timpview. Jessie was SO sweet one day last week - she came by to visit and brought me a "Macadamia Nut Hogi Yogi". It was almost sinfully delicious - Ha!!!

The Woolleys hurried home last night so they could watch "Schindler's List " I wanted to watch it too but while I was watching it I worried because I have encouraged my grandchildren to watch it and be aware of those times and I thought it was very depressing. I have read the book but I hadn't seen the movie until last night. Ann wasn't going to watch it - she was going to put a quilt on for one of the girls in the Young Women's program so they could quilt it today. She has helped each of the girls makes quilts this Winter. I THINK THAT IS WONDERFUL!!!

John called me last week and wanted to bring his pictures of their Chile trip over to show me. I was going to go to a luncheon for the Orem Women's Club at that time so he said he would call later but I haven't heard from him since. He has to go out of town sometimes on short notice so I hope he will come over soon. He seemed quite pleased in the way his pictures turned out = he said they had some water damage but they were much better than he had expected. He said the photo lab people told him they were saved mostly because they had taken the film out of the camera quickly and in a dark place. I hope he can come over this evening while Bob is here.

Roy & Patrice - you have had some mighty rainy weather. I haven't talked to anyone in Little Rock this week but I have watched the weather news (since I have been catering to this leg I have watched every bit of weather news, etc. - Ha). I hope I didn't do a very dumb thing!!! I packed the picture of Grandpa Forrest that I had made for you and took it to UPS for mailing. They asked me what was in it and when I said a pictures - they asked if it had glass on it and of course it did. They refused to take it - they said they don't ship anything with glass anymore because they accept packages weighing up to 150 lbs. And so many glass things have been broken with those heavy packages. SO I took it to the post office - they didn't ask me what was in it so I didn't tell them. I didn't even mark fragile on it. I wouldn't have done it if it had been the original picture - I can replace the print if it is damaged and I doubt the frame would be broken. I'm anxious to hear if "it made it".

I went to Home Making last week and we learned more about "food storage". I have been on the verge of throwing all mine out. I have a lot of soybeans, wheat and powdered milk stored and I feel sure they are too old to be good. I don't know what the shelf life of soy beans is - no one in Utah stores soybeans - we got them in Arkansas.

I am in charge of arranging meals for the people in our ward who are ill. We have been taking meals in for a family of 7 for about a month now and I just learned that the mother in the home has eating disorders - either anorexia or bulimia. She is such a lovely woman and would be the first to help someone else but she is really in trouble and I am sick about it. She is being fed intravenously and carries a pump around with her because she refuses to stay in the hospital. Her husband is a physician and is so frustrated in trying to help her. I thought she was diagnosed as having pancreatistis and I guess they are kinda' related.

I am hostess for my luncheon club this week and I am going to take them to "Thanksgiving Point". I have never eaten lunch there but I understand it is good. There was an article in the paper the other day describing how they are going to build a toll gate entering that place. That will be really different but I guess it will keep out the riffraff. They plan to charge $2 per person.

I am also going to have the Book Review at my home tomorrow - I will make cookies this afternoon. Anne Smith is going to review the last of Erma Bombeck's book.

Anne Willardsen called me one day last week. She wants us to make a "Cousin Directory" and I told her I would let each one of you know that you are supposed to send me all your genealogy of your immediate family. John had that all up to date but I can't find that booklet - if any of you have it would you please let me know. She also wants to know when Roy and His family will be in Utah this Summer so we can plan a reunion. We talked about this for quite awhile and then she ended by saying "Well - Aunt Barbara, it's all up to you now". Daddy's family is very good at doing things like that!!! Ramona, Carol, Elaine and Anne are all like that - Shirley is a bit more willing to take the lead.

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