Weekly Report April 1, 2001
Dearest Family,
HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!!! I remember nine
years ago when Daddy was SO sick and I worried that he would pass away on April
Fool's Day. Kevin Sondrup did die on this day one year ago - I had a
letter from Barbara yesterday and she was leaving to go to Destin, Florida so
she wouldn't have to be home.
I just came home from a very WONDERFUL family get
together at Bob & Claires' home. It was General Conference time and we
try to always get together between the morning and afternoon sessions for dinner
and then to watch the 2- 4 session all together. Someone was missing today
though - I kept looking around for John. I believe this is the first time
he has ever missed when I have been able to attend. We also missed the Roy
Mellors but I don't believe they have ever been able to be with us at conference
time. We had a delicious dinner - Claire had fixed a "Taco Soup"
with all the trimmings and also homemade rolls - Jeannie had fixed a green salad
- Annie had made strawberry short cake and I took some fruit. Our
conference was good as usual and we are all amazed at the vitality and youth of
President Hinckley. It was a very pretty day and we usually have cold and
rainy weather for conference.
We had a good time talking to Russell about his
mission to Madagascar - they have had a native missionary from that place in
their ward and he went to their home to tell them about it and they have also
had information from his Mission President that was interesting. I'm
betting the biggest challenge will be the food that will be very different - his
President told him to not expect anything American there like peanut butter and
he will have fruits and vegetables that are only grown in Madagascar. It
will be a treat for all of us to learn more about that part of the world. They
will be able to communicate with him via e-mail once a week but they told them
there would be no mail deliveries so he must take everything he will need for
the two years - 16 white shirts - WOW!!!
We also talked about Michael in Italy and we all
agreed that the language there is very beautiful and he is mastering it fast -
you'll be able to use that the rest of your life Michael. I don't believe
Russell will have much use for Malagasee but he will also learn French - Ha!!!
Bob and Claire just came home from Italy and they loved it - I know it
must have been hard to be so close to Michael and not be able to see him. They
showed a video of their trip and the things they saw make me realize how dumb I
am about history and geography. I expect Michael to be transferred before
too much longer but he is happy where he is and doing SO good!!!
EMILY - Thank you SO much for your letter. I
love your stationery and did you know the artist who makes the drawings grew up
in Hamilton, Montana and I have been there many times. He doesn't live
there now - he lives in Washington State according to the information on the
back of the card. The little dog on the card makes me think of Sammie.
I hope you had a WONDERFUL time in Gulf Shores - I worried about the
weather being cold and I hope it wasn't. Did you get to see Chris and
Wayne Smith - they would be very disappointed if they missed you!!! I
REALLY want you to come visit me in Utah this Summer - I want your whole family
to come if they can - I MISS ALL OF YOU VERY MUCH!!!
JOHN - Thank you SO much for letting me know that
you got back to New York safe and sound. I don't know when I have worried
so much about you as I did last week - it seemed like every time I turned on the
news there were more killings in Israel. The violence there is
unbelievable and many innocent people are killed with suicide bombers - I don't
understand that at all!!! I hope you will be able to "stay put"
for a little while now - traveling must be very tiring.
I am having fun making "Amish Bread".
Chris sent me a starter from Little Rock and it is kinda' fun to do but I
don't believe it is that much better than a regular mix from the store would be.
It takes 10 days to make and you alter the flavor by adding different
flavors of pudding mix - I just made the regular vanilla flavor last week but I
have two more starters just about ready and I believe I will do something
different like lemon or maybe chocolate. Chris says the chocolate tastes
just like a moist brownie. You only add 1 package of active yeast to
flour, sugar and milk and then it kinda' ferments.
Margaret invited me to go with her to the ground
breaking of the new "Utah State Botanical Gardens" in Kaysville.
It was fun for me to go because the new President of Utah State was
formerly the Provost at North Carolina State where Lynn got his Ph.D. and I
visited with his wife for a little while about that. Do any of you
remember where the "ponds" are right next to the freeway as you pass
through Kaysville? That's where the new gardens are going to be and it is
going to be a very ambitious project that will take five years to complete.
They will build a "Utah House of the Future" besides having all
the botanical gardens around it. It reminded me of Thanksgiving Point as
they described it. Many of the guides at the ground breaking were from the
College of Family Life at Utah State and since that was my college I enjoyed
that.
I went to a Thai Teacher Reunion in Salt Lake on
Thursday night with Virginia and that was fun. Most of the teachers were
from the 2nd group - I went out with the 1st group but stayed for two months
when the 2nd group came out to help train them. The reunion was a potluck
dinner - it was held in a small condo and I know there were about 25 - 30 people
there. President and Sister Goodman came and it was fun to see them.
I decided to not go to the Bangkok Thailand Missionary Reunion in Orem on
Friday night - I had seen most of the people I worked with anyway.
I had a fun experience on Wednesday night. We
had two favorite tailors while we were in Bangkok - Jesse and Sam Gulati.
Jesse came to America and I believe he was "hosted" by two
Elders who served in Thailand while I was there. One of these Elders lives
close to Bob and Claires' home so Bob had Gulati come and invited me to go see
him. I hardly recognized him - we always saw him in his shop with his long
gray hair (he's Muslim and they don't cut their hair) and his scraggly beard -
on Wednesday night he wore his turban and was all groomed up and looked very
dignified. I ordered a white temple dress - he suggested Chinese silk and
said he would line it. I hope I won't look like a bride - Ha!!! I
also ordered a mauve Spring dress made from the same pattern. I have REALLY
enjoyed the clothes he has made for me. His prices are higher here than in
Bangkok but I'm sure he has to charge more to pay his traveling expenses. I
think he would do very well financially if he came to Utah and "set up
shop" but he would never leave Asia. Sam is his son and they have had
this family business for many generations.
I looked at my grandchildren today and saw how much
they have grown through the years and I realize how GREAT it is that they still
enjoy coming together as a family - I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT!!! Susanna
and Steve were there and also Barji who is home for a little break while Boyd is
on golf tours. Jimmy just won't stop growing and he and Brett have so much
fun together. I was surprised to learn that Katie decided to not have a
birthday party this year - she and her Mother had been in St. George for a dance
competition and there just wasn't time to plan one. Jessie, Russell and
Ricky were with us from Utah State LeeAnna, Sarah, Mary Ann and
Laura are good pals and fun to be around too.
Cheryl and Don and I went to the 10 acre property in
Lehi yesterday and the surveyor caps are all on the places where they are
supposed to be. Cheryl and her son Bert planned to go today with a long
tape measure to make sure the footage is what it is supposed to be and then we
will sign the Title papers and that problem will be solved - I hope!!!
That's all the news. I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY,
VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Grandma
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