February 11, 2001 Farmington, Utah

I just finished eating a dozen fabulous sugar cookies with a glass of milk - WOW - I am just going to enjoy being fat!!! It has been very cold and snowy most of the day and I was upstairs in my WONDERFUL television room watching the ski competition and the phone rang - when I answered it Sarah said, "Grandma we are at your front door". I didn't hear the doorbell so they called me on their cell phone - they had baked cookies and shared them with me. They were over earlier with dinner - Jeannie had invited me to their home but our church service times are SO different now and it really fouls them up if they have to wait for me. Sarah had a new recipe and she wanted her Mom to make it - they put a boneless ham in a crockpot and filled it with coca cola and cooked it. It was just delicious - so moist and had a special flavor. It was funny - Jeannie said, "Mother what were you going to eat today?" I had boiled many eggs because I must lose some weight so I try to eat well balanced meals and eggs are my protein and then I eat lots of salads. Sarah just loves hard boiled eggs and that made me happy to have her eat one. My cholesterol is 188 so I'm not worried about eating eggs.

I have thought about Russell often this week. I'm sure he is doing good but it has been very, very cold in Logan all week and if his nose is sensitive to cold weather I hope he has stayed inside or covered his nose - it has been below zero with highs in the teens. I'm also thinking he will be receiving his mission call soon. Annie sent me some pictures taken while she and Ron were in New York with John - one was taken at Times Square and it looked so exciting. She also sent a picture of the surprise birthday party they had for Lee Anna in December and she has such a darling group of friends.

Claire has perfected her digital picture taking and I LOVE the pictures she sends to me. The pictures of when we were all together last week turned out SO good and of course I REALLY enjoy the ones of Michael in Italy. She sent one of Katie last week and it was so good and looked like I could almost talk to her. Claire helps a woman in her ward who was in a terrible automobile accident several years ago - she invited me to go with them to lunch last week but I couldn't go. Bob has called to help me with my income tax stuff but I am waiting for things to be mailed to me and they haven't come yet.

I haven't heard from the Roy Mellors for awhile - I'm sure they are doing good. I thought about Emily especially today because there was a young woman who played a flute solo in our church services and it was just beautiful and I want to hear Emily play. I sat by an anesthesiologist at a dinner this weekend and he was interesting to talk to. He was in another specialty when he first started practicing and changed to anesthesia and has loved it but he is retired now. He was a medical missionary for the church covering many states and he was in charge of the problems in Montana in1997-99 and he told me that Montana missionaries had more health problems than any mission in the church during that time. That really surprised me because I felt like they were quite healthy during our mission - the senior missionaries had lots of problems but they do all over.

John called me a little while ago - he had been in Utah for the weekend to get some papers from his safety deposit box and take care of things at his home. He told me he has lowered the price of his home - I hope SO much that he sells it soon. He is concerned about it going into the Summer when he will have to worry about having the yard taken care of and I don't blame him. The best time to sell a home is in the Spring isn't it? I was relieved to hear from him - it has been very, very cold and I can't help but worry about his pipes freezing.

I had such a fun time on Friday and Saturday. I went to Logan with some condo friends and others to attend the "Glenn Miller" program at Utah State on Friday night. We had reservations at the University Inn that is right on campus and just a short distance to the Union Building where the program was held. I went to it two years ago when Barji and Jessie performed in it and they haven't put it on since that time. I had heard that it was so financially expensive they wouldn't do it that elaborately again BUT they did!!! They served a delicious dinner of prime rib, chicken, rice, salad, green beans, glazed carrots, rolls and cheese cake with a strawberry and blueberry topping before the program. It was simply elegant and the performers were very, very talented.

I sat right in back of Sandy and Gene Jones - do you all remember them? They look exactly like they did in Little Rock - Gene has a few gray hairs but Sandy hasn't aged one bit. They told me all their five daughters are married - their college son is living at home and has a girl friend and their youngest son is in his senior year of high school. It was fun to visit with them. As I was leaving I told a woman at the door how much I enjoyed it and told her I had a granddaughter who danced in it two years ago - when I told her about Barji she just shouted "Oh Barj" and wanted to know all about her. There were a million people waiting to talk to her so I didn't have a chance to brag about Jessie being the leprechaun who played the violin and I feel bad about that - I didn't even think to ask her what her name was.

When we stayed at the Inn they gave us a ticket for a free breakfast at a restaurant in town called "Angies" so we all met there on Saturday morning. There were about twelve of us and they are all such nice and fun friends. Margaret makes all these arrangements and does a good job - she really knows how!!! We rode with the parents of Jeannie's very good friends and it was fun to become better acquainted with them.

I got up early on Saturday morning and walked all around the campus. I walked on the "quad" and passed several people who had those ski masks on and all of a sudden I worried that I might get my face frost bitten. I wanted to go into Old Main but it was locked and as I passed the Home Economics building I noticed that it was on the National Historical Registry - I believe it was built in 1935. I spent half my college life in that building - Ha!!! I also went to the place by Old Main where Lynn gave me his fraternity pin - it was nostalgic and fun!!!

I can't think of anymore news. We are having a cold and snowy winter and I am loving it. I heard the men out getting the snow off the roads in front of my condo this morning and I hurried and dressed in my boots and warm clothes so I could shovel it off the little walk in front of my place but by the time I got out there they had already done it. We are responsible for our own entry walks but so far the men have done it before I can get out there. We had at least 6 inches during the night and it was that beautiful soft fluffy snow - the ski resorts are having a good year. I just hope it will be that way next year when the Olympics are here - we are hearing LOTS of news about that now - they are having a "countdown"!!!

Michael - we love the things from your letters that your Mom shares with us. It sounds like you are very happy and "putting up" with the inconveniences all missionaries have. The letters I receive from my friends in Russia tell me about the things they are enduring - they don't buy meat for example unless it is imported and so many things in their mission home are in constant need of repair because the workmen don't have the expertise to fix things right - can you relate to that? Our church sends many professors to foreign countries to teach them things like agriculture, etc., and I think they need to send some repairmen to teach them how to repair things - Ha!!!