Dearest Family, July 8, 1998

ANNIE - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LETTER THIS MORNING. We have many, many obnoxious animals here in Thailand but so far I haven't heard that there are skunks here. (The Woolleys have a skunk trapped in one of their window wells and they are hoping animal control can take care of it without ruining their yard).  The other morning as we left for school we saw a big rat on the sidewalk next to our swimming pool - I was happy I hadn't stepped on it when I went to swim earlier. Dubey hadn't taken care of it because “that isn't his job” - Ha!

Thank you SO much for getting my shoes for me - I will be SO happy to get them. I bought some black ones yesterday for $12 U.S. money and they are quite cute but they are 8 1/2 and I take 9 1/2 - they are wide so that helps. We found a new shopping area yesterday to take you to and that is the first shoe store I have found that had anything larger than a 5. They didn't have any neutral colored ones in my size. I'll take you all there when you come and maybe you will be able to find a bargain. Don't buy any Olympic shirts - Bob brought a lot and anything you can find will be just fine - nothing expensive. I will have $200 in Thai money for you when you come and that helps you and then I will settle up what more I owe you. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH IF EACH ONE OF YOU COULD BRING AN EXTRA SUITCASE WITH YOU TO TAKE THINGS HOME FOR ME.

I can imagine the job of getting ready to go to Lake Powell - in fact, I can't even think of all the things all of you are doing - I get tired just reading your letters. PLEASE, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!

The BMA office is where the people work who take care of the LDSC English project. One thing I could promise BYU is that the people here would not abandon the student teachers if they ever come - they can't do enough for us. (Ann wrote that they were abandoned when they went to teach in some of the foreign countries.)

I bought a magnifying glass so I could find Jerusalem on our big world map. I was surprised to find that it is such a small country. I am SO anxious to hear from Susanna - I know she is one excited and over whelmed young woman. I didn't know that Christy was the only one of “their group” who was going.

JOHN - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SHORT MESSAGE - I LOVED IT. I am SO happy that Julianna was able to go visit her family in Ft. Worth - how long will she be gone? I missed hearing about her when you were all together.

BOB - THANK YOU FOR YOUR SHORT MESSAGE TOO - I am SO happy that Michael went to the cabin. When our sons were that age we would have given anything to have a place like that for them to go. I know times have changed and your circumstances are different from ours but that is a great place for them to go - you have never said if he likes to fish or not - I hope he does. I will be happy to have some news about the cabin. CLAIRE - Diane (Janet's sister) thinks you are WONDERFUL - I do too!!!

I believe our weather has cooled off - we don't have a thermometer so we don't know for sure but the water in the pool is cool!!! We have had a lot of rain.

The teachers who came last night taught us how to make “Thai vegetable stir fry” and it is delicious - they use fish and oyster sauce and soybean oil to fry it. They also made “Papaya Salad” - they use green papayas and since we can't get them in the U.S. they made some for us with carrots and I loved it. They use a mortar and pestle (sp ?) and use green chilies, green beans, coconut sugar, fish sauce, peanuts and they like dried shrimp in it but we don't so she left that out.

I am going to try to write a “Family and Friends” letter today - I am very far behind in my correspondence.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL. Grandma B