Thailand Letter
Dearest Family, Thursday November 5, 1998 8:45 p.m.
LEE ANNA - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR MESSAGE!!! I thought you had forgotten me - I loved your letter and hearing about your cheerleading at Timpview and going to all the State Championship Games. Have you been able to wear any of Jessie or Susanna's cheerleading uniforms or have you bought all new ones?
ANNIE - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR MESSAGE TOO!!! I have worried that Don and Cheryl and others would wonder what has happened to me - I finally got a family and friends letter written today and I hope I will be able to send it soon. It takes a long time to write a little personal note on the generic letters and get them addressed and taken to the post office. It sounds like the treatment Don has received for his Parkinson's disease has some after effects they didn't count on - is that right? Don and Dee inherited Mother's ill health and I was fortunate enough to inherit my father's excellent health. I hope Don gets along okay - I worry about him!!! Pam has had a building lot close to Don and Cheryl for a long time and maybe she is going to build on it now. I envy you going to Logan to see Russell's football games - this time of year in Logan can't be beat and you will get to see Jessie and Barji. I'll bet Ron gets tired of going out of town so often - it seems to me that he is "on the go" a lot. I'm SO happy that John and Julianna have invited you to their home for Thanksgiving - I can't imagine anything better than turkey and salmon - WOW!!! I miss Russ, Bev and Mimi at this time of year and I know it is a hard time for Russ and Mimi right now - I hope they can join all of you for Thanksgiving. I am SO sorry to hear that the Jackson's daughter is so ill that Marianne would leave their mission to bring her home - South America is not a good place to be when medical help is necessary - John can relate to that!!! Susanna - I think you are VERY BRAVE to model maternity clothes but I also know you would be beautiful in them. I had a letter from my friend Liesel Mc Bride who is in Jerusalem and she said to tell you hello. I am going to bring a bottle of Thailand Fish Sauce home with me and I just hope it doesn't break and go all over my clothes - they tell me that I will be able to buy the Asian spices in the Asian food stores in Salt Lake.
ANNIE - would you please order my pills again BUT don't send them? I will need them when I get home and since I have been in such good health for eighteen months it seems foolish to stop taking them when I get home.
CLAIRE - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LETTER TOO. Thank you for checking on the condo often for me. I am SO happy that I don't have to worry about Relief Society Homemaking any more - that is such a big job!!! Are you doing things for Christmas now? YOU ARE A WONDERFUL RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT!!!
BOB - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LETTER TOO. I am SO happy that you have used the space under your deck for a storage area - that is an ideal place. I can't imagine a pumper truck for cement - John may need something like that if he ever decides to pour cement in his backyard. Papa wheel barrowed many loads of cement to our backyard when he was building the cement wall and it wasn't easy. It was SO funny - I had just accessed your message when our gate bell rang and it was Nut. I read the paragraph in your letter where you asked her to write some directions in Thai for you for certain places here. She said she had written all those places down when she was here last - I have already mailed that letter to you - I couldn't remember exactly what she had done. If you need anything more let me know because I believe there will be time to get it to you in the mail before you come. I was SO happy to read that John and Julianna had been to see you and had checked on the condo.
My life is a circus right now!!! We have not had one free night for weeks. My friends who know I will be leaving soon all come to see me and they bring food and then sit and watch us eat it. While they are here, the phone rings and other friends are calling to visit. I absolutely have no control over my time. Somjit and Lamchuan just left - they brought enough food for an army. Somjit was here a couple nights ago with Chinese noodles, etc. (I believe I told you about that). Last night a teacher came with her son and they brought a very expensive box of Chinese balls - we can't decide if they are dessert or appetizers and we tried to get them to take most of them home and we could tell we hurt their feelings so we put them in the freezer. Another teacher at the school where we taught yesterday left to go get her daughter from school and then she followed us home. It is actually funny and Myrth and I don't dare look at each other because if we do, we get the giggles. It is quite relaxing to get on the bus on Saturday to go to Lopburi but now we find that teachers want to drive us there - spend the night and then bring us home on Sunday. I TRULY LOVE MY FRIENDS HERE but I also need some space and time to wash and iron clothes, etc. Our neighbors are also constantly bringing us food - tonight they brought sticky rice and mangos right off their trees. I will never be able to lose the weight I want before I come home.
We think they have announced the new Country Director for the English Project here but we don't know for sure who it is. Marc Hall will be released when I am so the new one needs to take over soon. Marc and Cherri have done a good job. We think it will be a Brother and Sister Christensen - they were sent to Korat and I never could figure that out because they are outstanding people and now I am learning that was just a temporary assignment. Marc said they would replace him with three men - they are expanding all over Thailand and not just in Bangkok - I am SO happy that I have seen this from the very beginning - WHAT A CHOICE EXPERIENCE!!! Myrth is doing good and I am giving her a great deal more responsibility all the time - I wish she would be a little more professional. She acts like it is just one big game and she doesn't realize how smart and capable the Thai teachers are - she will learn!!!
I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL. Grandma B