April 14, 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:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JEANNIE ON WEDNESDAY AND HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO JESSIE ON LAST FRIDAY!!! I can't believe I forgot to mention Jessie's birthday in my letter last week. That isn't the first one I have forgotten and it won't be the last. I am doing the dumbest things. Jessie told me last night that she had a happy day - she went to lunch with some of her friends and then after cheerleading tryouts their family went out to dinner. I hope you have a very happy day on Wednesday Jeannie - you're "thirty something" aren't you?

This weekend is Spring Break for the school districts where I live. It is hard for me to believe it is actually Spring because it has been SO cold. I didn't ever turn my sprinkling system off after my family had turned them on at Easter time and it has been so funny to look out and see ice all over everything. The weathermen tell us that it should be in the 70's before the end of the week and that is welcome news!!!

I have just finished sending e-mail messages to two of the young men who served with us in Montana. They found my address on the internet and wrote to me - it was SO good to hear from them. They live in Mesa and told me about their children and their lives - WHAT AN EXCITING WAY TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE I WOULD NEVER HEAR FROM OTHERWISE. I am SLOWLY, very slowly, learning about this computer - I needed to see some Egyptian letters so I came to the computer and "surfed the net" for the dead sea scrolls and when I found it I had it printed and copied it - that was a real accomplishment for me.

I believe I told you that I had signed up for a computer class for PAF (Personal Ancestral File) genealogy . Actually I have signed up for it 4 times - each time they have called me to change it to another date. The last call said I could take it in June and that will be too busy of a time for me so I just said I would try again in the Fall. I talked to the lady who teaches it yesterday and she said the problem has been that they didn't get the new PAF program finished in time for the classes. I finally told them to just refund my money. I need to study the manuals and try to figure it out for myself.

I hope to get the "final" copy of the invitation for the Mellor Reunion in a day or two. Carol Ann has planned a very elaborate reunion - much more so than I would have done. We have talked on the telephone a million times and I changed the pavilion to a larger one and now she wants to have scones ready to eat by 4 o'clock. We don't even get the pavilion until 4. THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME I WILL HELP PLAN IT. She has planned an auction and I can't think that will be very successful but I'm trying to be positive. Hopefully you will get your invitation soon!!!

I went to Chaconne's wedding reception last Friday. She is the daughter of Ramona's son, Michael. Michael's wife (Chaconne's mother) died so Michael's sister Carolyn Perkes and her husband Gerald have raised Chaconne. The reception was held at the home of Chris Crawford who is also a son of Ramona's. It was a lovely reception and Chaconne looked so pretty. She and her husband are students at the University of Utah.

Bob, Claire and Katie are going to visit the Roy Mellors the first weekend in May. I am SO thrilled. I want SO much for Katie and Emily to be pals - I think that would be a real incentive for Emily to come to Utah to visit by herself when she is ready. I am SO happy that I get to care for the Mellor children who are not going. It will be so much fun for Bob and Claire to visit Little Rock again - it has been a long time since they were there and they have lots of good memories of Arkansas. Jim Griffin's daughter Christy is a med student at the med center and she will be happy to see Bob if he has an opportunity to go visit his old school. I have watched the temperatures in the paper and Little Rock has had a cool Spring like we have had.

The Woolleys are going to Lake Powell this week. Ron had planned a trip for his parents and sister, Mimi. but Ron's Mom has to undergo some radiation treatments for cancer and won't be able to go. They have discovered some tumors behind her right eye - the primary cancer is in her breast. I hope so much the treatments will be effective and she will have many more years. This puts a lot of responsibility on Russ and I wish I could help them.

They are getting very worried about the floods that could happen in Utah. When I look at the pictures of the flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota on television I am grateful I don't live near a river. It amazes me when I hear about the destruction that Nature can bring. The man who leases the farm in Lehi, Stan Lewis, called me one day last week to tell me he was sending me some papers to sign. The county has the responsibility to clean the ditches that could get clogged and cause flooding and the ditch that is on the farm flooded one year. I had signed the paper and was ready to have it copied and mailed when John came over so I showed it to him. He didn't want it mailed until he could talk to Stan. I am SO glad he did. He had me change the wording so it will give them the right to go on the property with a back hoe until I revoke that agreement. The original wording was to give them perpetual rights. Stan needs to know that someone smarter than I am is watching over the farm. He is a nice guy but people have told me that I need to be careful with my dealings with him. The farm is in good shape and he does a great job. Aunt Marvel used to get in her truck at least twice a day and go check on her properties and the people who leased it from her knew just how far they could go - we don't keep that kind of check on them.

I am the nominating committee chairman for the 1997-98 officers of the Orem Women's Club. I agreed to do that so I could choose my office and not be on the program committee that I have been on for the last three years. We are going to put on a little skit on Wednesday and I will be glad when it is over. It is SO funny to work with women - each one has her own ideas and doesn't want to change them - I guess I am just as bad.

My neighbor, Vontella Smith, had an open house on Saturday for her mother's 90th birthday. She has 7 living children and she is healthier, physically and mentally, than any of them. She is a sweet little lady and always very pleasant.

I don't know if any of you are thinking about Mother's Day yet but since it is coming up soon I want you to know I don't want you to spend any money on me. REALLY AND TRULY, there isn't anything I need or want except for a card and to know that you haven't forgotten me I am actually embarrassed at all the things I have - my closets are full, my drawers are full, my walls are full, my pantry is full, I have flowers from my garden, etc. etc.!!!

I went to tutor last Thursday and when I got there the class was in an assembly hall watching a Shakespearean play. I told the teacher I would just not have the children that morning but she insisted that reading would be more important so I stayed. The children didn't want to miss the play so the reading wasn't very effective. I decided to not go back anymore - I had planned to quit this Tuesday anyway.

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