May 1, 1999 Farmington, Utah

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RUSSELL ON WEDNESDAY - 17 YEARS OLD!!! I will always remember that Russell was a baby when we went to Montana on our mission and it's hard to believe it has been that long ago. I hope you have a WONDERFUL DAY RUSSELL. What ever do you do for a 17 year old's birthday???

I am trying to "unwind" today. Last night when I came home from Beaver I talked to Margaret and I told her that I had always wanted to stay in bed all day and I thought I would do that today - Ha!!! I haven't stayed in bed but I have stayed in my robe. My Thailand company was WONDERFUL and I enjoyed them very much. I taught with a lady whose name is Lamchuan and she brought her husband, Dr. Pong and their friend Dr. Tip with her to America. They stayed with my missionary companion, Helen, in St. George for a week.

I drove to Beaver last Friday morning - it is about 250 miles from Farmington - I picked them up at a Wendy's restaurant where Helen had brought them from St. George. It was raining and rained all the way home. I wasn't certain that I would get back to the Orem and Provo area again so I took them by John and Juliannas' home - I didn't think they would be home but Julianna's car was in the driveway. We would have stopped but they had painters there so we drove on. I took them up to the Woolleys and Jimmy and LeeAnna were home so they took my friends through their home. I hope you're not angry with me Ann. I remembered later that Ron and Ann were going to Utah State to hear Jessie's orchestra concert - I want to hear about it!!! My friends LOVED your home and I LOVE your new addition - it is perfect!!!

I took them by the BYU campus but it was raining so hard they could hardly see it. I also drove by the farm in Lehi and the cemetery - they don't have cemeteries in Thailand. Then we came to Farmington and it was after 7 p.m. so I asked them if they would eat a pizza and they said yes so I cooked a "Tombstone Pizza" and made a salad and we had ice cream.

Saturday they wanted to cook Thai food so I took them to the Oriental Market that Bob and Claire had found in Clearfield - "The Saigon Market". They were thrilled because they could find all the ingredients they needed and they were all from Thailand - I was glad they didn't want the frozen squid they had there and also the "blood". We went to the place where I thought Katie was going to play soccer but I was mixed up and she played in Salt Lake and the game I should have gone to was Brett's game but by the time I figured it out, it was over. SO - we went to Smith's and got more groceries and then came home and they fixed dinner. Then we went to a musical program put on by my stake - it was music by Rogers and Hammerstein and was well done and they enjoyed it.

Sunday we got up early and went to Salt Lake for the Tabernacle Choir Broadcast. Margaret had called them and said we would be there so they had us go to Door 6 and we were treated like VIP's and that was special. They loved the music but Pong was REALLY interested in all the cameras, etc. He teaches Educational Technology at Sukhothai University in Bangkok. I was SO glad to recognize Dian Thomas who is a television personality and also an author of recipe books on how to cook outdoors. She went to school with Ann so I went to introduce myself and she asked all about you Ann and then she gave my friends and me one of her cards - she also had a foreign guest and they were seated right next to us. My friends took a million pictures at Temple Square - the flowers were beautiful. We then went to the museum and they loved that too. We had invited the Weinerts for dinner so we came home and they started to cook - it takes them hours to prepare the vegetables because they all have to be perfectly cut. Jeannie had invited us to their home for dessert so we went there and had fruit trifle which was delicious. Mary Ann and Sarah entertained with violin solos and I was very proud of them. We watched the last part of "Armageddon" on the Weinert's new big screen television and their sound system is spectacular.

Monday was forecast to be the only clear day of the week so we went to Park City. I had never driven there before but my neighbor, Arlo Nelson, gave me good directions and I didn't have any problems. There wasn't as much snow there as I had thought there would be but they enjoyed it and we went to Deer Valley where they could see the ski lifts and slopes and that was good. They enjoyed the outlet stores and I also took them to the factory outlet stores in Salt Lake. I can't remember what we ate that night so it must have been something left over or they cooked.

Tuesday, I told them I had to have the oil changed in my car and asked if they wanted to go with me and they did - they thought that was a new technology - ha!!! We went to the Layton Mall where they shopped some more and we got some videos to watch. Pong asked me to get the video "Mighty Joe Young" because he had seen it on the airplane - we watched it later that night and he just loved it so I gave it to him and he was as thrilled as if I had given him a million dollars. We invited Bob and Claire and their family to come for dinner that night so we came home and again they started to cook. It was VERY important that they cook for me so I really appreciate the Bob's and the Weinert's for supporting me. I was VERY happy that the children and Bob ate the things they had fixed. When they started cutting up lots and lots of green peppers and onions I thought, "Oh no, Bob will never eat anything" but he did and said it was good!!! I don't care too much for their "watery" soups so I was pleased that Michael liked it - they are very proud of their cooking and most of it is just delicious. Laura played a beautiful piano solo for them and so did Brett - I was very proud of them too!!!

Wednesday, we went to Logan for them to see Utah State and I LOVED that. We got a parking place right in front of "Old Main" and I just about cried as I thought of all the things that happened there that meant so much to me - it burned about ten years ago and they have restored it but it just isn't the same and "the clock" is not there. I tried to get them close to the Student Center but I couldn't find a parking place so I told them where to meet me while I parked the car. When I found them again they were talking to two Thai students. That was very special - they took them back to Old Main and to a business office where they gave them some schedule books that described the classes that were taught there and they were happy to have them. These Thai students are just darling - their nicknames are "Bea" and "Kitty" and I gave them my address and phone number so I may see them again. I would like Barji and Jessie to meet them. We then went up Logan Canyon and had a picnic - it rained off and on and when it rained we sat in the trunk of my car. We found a place right by the Logan river and they were just amazed at that. I also took them to Brigham City and showed them where I grew up and I enjoyed that. We didn't get home until about 8 p.m. and we were all tired so I made a quick "quiche" and some salad but I'm not sure they liked it.

Thursday we went to Bob's office. I wanted them to see him "at his work" and he said it would be okay for us to come that morning. He was super busy so we didn't stay very long but I was happy they got to see where he works - I was happy to see his new place too. I REALLY LIKE IT!!! Then we went "Antelope Island" and you won't believe this but that was one of the best places I took them and it was kind of an afterthought or a desperation move. It was just beautiful and they wanted to go to the Visitor's Center and they read EVERYTHING. The guides at the center suggested that we go to see the Buffaloes and WHAT A TREAT. They keep about 20 in a large fenced area and they just couldn't get enough of that - they took many pictures. They only know water buffalo and these are quite different. We found a beautiful picnic table close to the lake and had our peanut butter sandwiches and it was just delightful!! I stopped at Smiths on the way home to get some groceries and they wanted to shop some more so that took a long time - they loved to shop. We then came home and they started to cook again. Virginia came for dinner and the dinner was just excellent - in fact, I believe it was my favorite except that they scorched the curry.

Friday, I got up about 5:30 because I had to make a cake for a lady whose daughter was getting married and I am her visiting teacher so we took in lunch - I took a salad and a cake. We wanted to leave to go to Beaver by about 9 a.m. We stopped in Salt Lake and they went through the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and also the Beehive House and shopped a little in the ZCMI Mall. Then we went to Orem and John's office - he was in Salt Lake but I talked to him on the phone. Then we went to BYU and it wasn't raining so they took a lot of pictures. They wanted pictures of the University where Governor Bitchet attended. They also wanted to go to a Thrift Store so I took them to the "Saver's Store" and they bought a few things.

We left to go to Beaver about 1:00 and the drive is just beautiful - no traffic - so we got there about 4 o'clock which was just the time we had said we would meet Helen. We visited for a little while and then I said goodbye to them and started for home. I got about thirty minutes out of Beaver when it started a real cloudburst only it was cold so it was like ice and you know me - I don't drive very fast. All of a sudden I came upon the most terrible accident with five cars involved - I saw many children climbing up the mountain side and my first thought was, "I wonder what in the world they would pick on the mountain" in an ice storm. I could see that it had just happened and Margaret had loaned me her cell phone so I picked it up and showed it out the window but a man in another car waved me on and showed me his cell phone so I knew he had already called for help. In a little while there were two ambulances passing me from the other direction. I read in the paper today that a woman was killed. She was in the car that had gone into the medium (sp.?) and didn't have her seat belt on and was thrown from the car - her passenger was taken to the hospital in St. George. The people in the other cars were not hurt and I guess the parents of the children told them to get out of the car as fast as they could and get far away.

That was a sobering experience for me!!! I slowed down even more and didn't get home until after 9 last night and have "stayed put" today. I did a lot of driving last week and didn't have any problems and I don't want any!!! It is really funny that even though I grew up in Utah I am not familiar with many roads, etc. and it is difficult for me to be a "tour guide" to foreigners when they expect me to know what I am doing - Ha!!! I'll bet Bob and Claire can relate to that.

Patrice and Emily - thank you SO much for your letters!!! Emily - you haven't written to me for a long, long time and I LOVE your letters!!! I also LOVE to hear about your gardening and the park that is close by your ground where you can see barges going up the Arkansas River all the time. That makes me homesick for Arkansas and I think it is wonderful the children can ride their bikes and roller blades while their Mother and Father do all the weeding, etc. I honestly believe that is such an excellent experience for your children and I AM PROUD OF YOU!!! Roy - you are SO much like your Dad - he loved to grow things. Patrice - do you have a pressure canning cooker? I hope you will get one if you do much canning - I never did have one but I know they are better than the hot water method. Jeannie used to use her pressure canner a lot.