May 29, 2000 Farmington, Utah

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!! This day ranked right up there with Christmas when I was growing up in Brigham City - I believe I have told you this every year - HA!!! Lela and I always had beautiful new dresses that Mother had made for us and we wore white gloves and had new shoes and most of the time we wore pretty Spring hats and we went to the cemetery early in the morning because my Father always played "taps" on his bugle for the opening ceremonies. It was such a special and fun day - we visited with all our friends who were also dressed up in new clothes and we stayed at the cemetery until early afternoon - then we went to my home where ALL our relatives from all over would come for dinner. After Lela and Bob died the focus changed and my parents planned for weeks so they could have beautiful flowers to put on their graves. When we had unusually cool Spring weather and the flowers didn't bloom in time for Memorial Day my Father would drive all over trying to find places where they would sell him fresh flowers.

I drove to Brigham City last night arriving at the cemetery about 10 p.m. to decorate my family's graves and I don't believe I will ever do that again - IT WAS PITCH BLACK!!! Have you ever been in a cemetery at night? The Lehi cemetery isn't nearly that dark. I had found a beautiful arrangement of silk "purple" flowers for their graves - my mother loved purple. I went to Smiths and got some yellow chrysanthemums and then cut some little roses to put on my brother Bob's grave. - believe me, I didn't stay long enough to arrange them - Ha!!! Jeannie and her girls had been there earlier to put flowers on little Christopher's grave and they had put some iris in a pot for my family. My mother's best friend, Birdie Smith, is buried right next to my family and her grave was just loaded with flowers - it made me sad that I didn't do more.

I had decorated PaPa's grave on Friday and again on Saturday with fresh flowers but I'm sure they are wilted by now. Jessie promised me she would take some roses from their yard to put on his grave today - she has always done that and does such a good job. John had put a beautiful planter on it and it will last for a long time. I found a red, white and blue artificial arrangement so I put that next to the flag and David Taylor said he would put the "missionary flag" on it today. Every year I tell myself that I am going to do a better job the next year but I don't. I did put flowers on my grandparent's graves in Lehi and also Aunt Marvels but they looked "skimpy". It was interesting - there was a beautiful arrangement on Uncle Hugh's grave and his wife, Lucile, just died recently so I don't know who decorated it.

I am sitting at my computer right now in a FABULOUS "computer station" - I still can't believe it. I came home from Provo on Saturday night about 11 p.m. and since I had been awake from 3 a.m. I hurried and went right to bed. I was SO tired that I slept until 9 a.m. on Sunday. I always check my computer in the mornings to see if I have any messages and when I came in this room I just about fainted - it had been all rearranged and my sewing machine was gone and in its place is this WONDERFUL, FABULOUS, BEAUTIFUL computer table complete with a lamp and a new chair with the plastic mat under it. My first thought was that Bob had traded my sewing machine in for this but then I knew he wouldn't do that SO I started to look for it. He had taken my sewing machine downstairs and had it all set up in the most perfect place imaginable. Everything fits in like it was made for it. I AM SO THRILLED but I have people tell me they can't get an appointment with him because he is too busy and then I know it must have taken him all day to come do this. Now with all my shelves to hold my books, albums and other things I am SET UP. I could be content to just stay home for the rest of my life and use the computer, sew, look at my albums, write my family history,. etc., etc. THANK YOU JUST MILLIONS BOB!!! I know he had to have help to move all this stuff so I thank him for whomever helped him too. I haven't talked to him because I can't reach him by phone - I believe their family must have gone someplace for the weekend. I am wondering if this is all "on loan" from Michael until he returns from his mission - I'm not sure I will give it back - Ha!!!

PATRICE - thank you for your e-mail this week. I am always SO happy when I learn that you have read my letter because I know it can't be very interesting to any of you. My friend, Chris, called me and told me Little Rock has been having your "River Fest" - have you gone to any of it? Chris says she doesn't go because they expect 200,000 people so I don't believe you go to it either. Little Rock has been in our news a lot lately because of the involvement of Pres. Clinton in being disbarred from practicing law there - Sad!!! I am SO glad you are doing good - I keep thinking about your garden and how you must be enjoying it. Do you have snails there? I don't remember ever having them in our garden in Leawood but after seeing millions of them in our garden in Orem I think they must be everywhere!!! Will your children have art lessons again this Summer? I showed the pictures you sent to me to my friend, Ellen Mae, the other day and she commented on the things on your walls - I wish I had taken pictures of EVERYTHING on your walls. Your home is such a perfect example of a "home" with all the children's art work displayed - I LOVE IT!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO RUSSELL ON HIS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION!!! I attended it in the Marriott Center in Provo on Friday and it was spectacular. I thought there would just be a few there but the parking lots were full and at least three fourths of the center was filled. They have those "monitors" to show close up pictures of the graduates and they didn't have the graduates announced alphabetically as they marched to get their diplomas. There were over four hundred graduates so I thought I would watch as all four hundred went by with "W" for a last name before Russell got his diploma but he was among the first group. He looked SO handsome and I wanted him to wave or something but he just looked very distinguished and I was VERY proud of him in his blue cap and gown. I never did find their family - they had invited me to go to dinner with them after the graduation but I knew I had to leave early to get back to work.

I went to Provo again on Saturday for a dinner Annie had planned so they could meet Steve's family. WHAT A WONDERFUL FAMILY HE HAS!!! His Father's name is Doyle and his mother's name is Janet and they are LOVELY, LOVELY people and SO easy to be with. When I met Doyle it was like meeting an older Steve - they look just alike and act very much alike. I had met Steve's brother Greg before and he looks like his Mom. I am SO happy Annie invited me - her dinner was fabulous as I knew it would be. Ron cooked steaks and Ann had made potato salad, baked beans, spinach salad and bread sticks. Susanna had made the most delicious cookies I have ever eaten - she called them Oreo cookies. They gave me the recipes for her cookies and also the spinach salad so I will pass them on to you. YOU WILL WANT THEM!!! I am VERY impressed with Doyle and Janet - they are very solid down to earth kind of people and easy to love. Janet has a gift shop in Destin and I don't know what Doyle does. They have Doyle's parents live right close to them and they watch out for them although Janet says her mother-in-law can "outwork" her and she is 80 years old. Janet and Doyle joined the church in 1973 and he has been a Bishop and they are very active. They don't have a church building in Destin so they have to travel about thirty miles to another place (I can't remember the name of it) and they attend the temple in Georgia. THEY LOVE SUSANNA!!!

This is an exciting week for the Weinerts. Barji's friend boy, Boyd, will be home on Friday. His parents are going to Chicago to meet him (he's coming from Argentina) so they can meet some of his companions he has been serving with and then they will fly to Salt Lake and Barji will see him later that day after he has been released from his mission. Thank you Jeannie, for inviting me to come for dinner yesterday and then go to Brigham City with you to decorate graves - I didn't even access my phone messages until about 7 p.m. I came home from church with a sick headache and I NEVER get headaches!!! I went right to bed and slept until about 6:30 when a friend came by to give me money for some weddings being held in our ward (I buy the gifts) and she didn't leave until about 9 p.m. and then I went to Brigham City.

JOHN - I loved our little visit on Saturday night. John was up on his roof fixing his evaporative cooler when I got there after leaving the Woolley's home. He had been working in his yard and was "bushed" but his yard looks very nice. My neighbors always come over when they see my car and I wish I could park in another place so I could just visit with John but when they are home and see my car I can't just wave to them. I did get in to see what John had fixed himself for dinner and he REALLY is using good sense in the things he is eating now - HOW SMART JOHN!!! He had helped his neighbor, Vonnie, with her sprinklers and I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU JOHN!!! I REALLY need to serve other people more. Everyone in John's ward thinks Vonnie should move into a condo or someplace where she has yard care but why should she when she loves her home and she gets other people to help her. I LOVE JOHN'S HOME!!!

I am invited to a party tomorrow to honor one of my college friends on his 80th birthday. He and his wife were some of my good friends at Utah State and he went on to become an executive with New York Life Insurance and they have lived in California most of their lives. They have a home in Deer Valley and that is where the party will be. Their son is married to my neighbor Margaret's niece so she is going with Ellen Mae and Mel and me. It will be fun. I am going to Kinko's now and see if I can get a yearbook picture of him enlarged into a poster size - I can't think of anything else to give him.