September 23, 2001 Farmington, Utah

"WE ARE PREPARING FOR A NEW WAR - how many times have we heard that this week or read it in headlines in our papers??? I read some place the other day that asked the question, "Would you like to go back to Monday, September 10th when many families were having their Family Home Evenings and war was the farthest thing from all of our minds"? I have heard from a few people who say that this generation needed something like this to help them be more patriotic - I don't feel like that at all. I personally feel like this generation is more intelligent and more ambitious than previous generations and what they are really made of will be shown in future months and I expect things to be better than ever. I have to admit that I have a difficult time being REALLY optimistic right now but I am REALLY convinced that that is the best way to be and I hope each one of us will "measure up" and do our part in spreading good will and happiness to those around us. We will never forget the events of this past 13 days but as we have also heard over and over "WE MUST MOVE ON". If I haven't learned anything else in my lifetime I have learned that good health is vitally important and our health is affected when we are pessimistic and sad so let's be grateful for our good health and live in such a way that we will preserve it.

Bob just dropped in to visit for a little while and he said Michael has been concerned about his family because he hasn't heard from them for awhile - with the airlines problem all the mail has been delayed. I appreciated Ron's message telling all of us that Russell's weekly letter hasn't arrived yet because of this problem. It is just amazing how far reaching a tragedy like this is - every business is affected isn't it? I wish I could convey to both Russell and Michael that everything on the home front is just like when they left and will be just like that when they return. Things like this are so much worse when you are far away. I remember when I was in Thailand and we received an e-mail from Roy telling us about Princess Dianna's death - I thought the world was coming to an end at that time.

John - I am SO glad you have updated the Grandma B Web Site. I spent a lot of time this morning looking at all the pictures of your triathlon and they are SO good. He went on a mile swim in the Jordanelle Lake, a 20 mile bicycle ride in the mountains and then a 6 mile run and HE CALLS THAT FUN - Ha!!! He has written this past week about jogging for 30 miles during the week and said he does that when he has frustrations like the tragedy in New York - I wish I would do that - I always eat everything in sight!!! John has some mail to pick up at my condo and I thought he might come today to get it because he said he planned to be in Utah over the weekend. I want to ask all of you to come for a "get together" next Sunday if he has time to come again - I'll let you know when I hear from him. I believe he has to go to Seattle this next week. I worry about him traveling right now but there isn't anything I can do about it. He has had enough experience this past couple weeks to last him a lifetime. I had a phone call from one of my former ward members in my Orem ward a few minutes ago and she told me that the people who are leasing John's home introduced them

selves in church this morning and they are very nice people. He is the director of the McKay Activity Center on the UVSC Campus and they have three sons who will live with them. They will love the ward and John's home is very close to the Activity Center so it is a perfect location for them. My friend told me that all the neighbors have talked about how much they appreciate the way John has kept his yard while he was been trying to sell his home - he has had gardeners taking care of it.

Bob is going to take me to Scofield on Tuesday and we will get some things we don't want to leave in the cabin. There is a man who is interested in buying it and is trying to get his finances in order - I said we will sell it for $17,000 which is the bargain of the century!!! I'm glad we have some pictures of the fun family times we have had there and maybe we will get another one that is closer to our homes. Utah has put a tax on cabins like that and it makes it very impractical to own them unless you use them a lot which we don't.

Annie - I'm SO proud that you have been called to serve in the Stake Relief Society of one of the BYU Stakes. You are perfect for that calling and if I understood you right you will be in the same Stake where Ron is on the High Council. I think you are wise to keep your callings in your ward though so you can be involved with Jimmy and Lee Anna. I think about Susanna and Jessie SO often as they are ending up their college careers this year - that doesn't seem possible. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jessie go on for an advanced degree. Susanna's degree is so much in demand that she will have a job wherever she goes and that is WONDERFUL. I REALLY felt bad about not going to see you when I was in Provo on Monday and I about cried all the way home - I was completely exhausted and just wanted to get home!!! I had closed the swimming pool that morning and ended up having to mop up a big "backwash" mess in the shed - the two young men who drained the pipes and everything just left it before I could go inspect it.

Jeannie - people keep telling me you are an angel and I believe them!!! I had a luncheon for my Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Group on Wednesday and my co-hostess decided to go to California so I REALLY depended on Jeannie to help me "pull it off" and she did a beautiful job and I appreciated it SO much. It was our opening social and we had the International President, the Company President and other dignitaries come besides our regular group so there were about 22 women here and I wanted so much for it to be special. I told them I would be Captain this year and most of them are older than I am and such nice women. I made a chicken salad and some cucumber sandwiches and then my neighbor, Martha Kasara, made five chocolate cookie logs and brownies. Jeannie fixed the ice cream frappe' and had everything already to serve right when our meeting ended - it was PERFECT!!! I didn't even have to introduce her because most of the people there already knew her - she has lived in this area a lot longer than I have and they all love her.

Roy and Patrice - John put the e-mail addresses of the family on the web site and I noticed that yours are different from the ones I have been using. Bob changed them on my address book when he was here so we will see if this letter gets to you. How is Arkansas coping with the tragic events in New York. I have surely noticed the difference in the political scene - Democrats like Republicans and vice versa - maybe Bill Clinton will be more welcome in Arkansas now - Ha!!!

I went to Provo on Monday to visit with a friend of a friend who has been called on a mission to Thailand - I took my albums and it was fun to go through them with her and tell her about all my Thai friends. She has been told that she might have to ride a bicycle - she's going to learn the language so she is going on a proselyting mission and she is 63 years old and a very lovely woman who was widowed at age 35 with four children. I went to a High Priest social on Friday night - it was held at the church bowery close by and they cooked steaks and played games - it was fun. Yesterday, Saturday, I went to Logan with Margaret and other condo friends to the Utah State football game. It was a WONDERFUL game and Utah State lost by one point mainly because of a penalty for "celebrating" too much after their last touchdown - I have never heard of such a thing but I believe they disrupted things too much and were pushed back too far to make the last kick that would have tied the game. I kept looking for Jessie, Laura, Mary Ann and Ricky but I couldn't find them. It was a beautiful night and LOTS of fun!!!

I have been invited to many Thailand reunions - one of them is at the Institute right in back of where John's home is in Orem. I would like to have a Montana Billings Reunion sometime in the future - maybe next April and maybe Jeannie and Rick would let me have it at their home. I don't know if there would be enough former missionaries who would be interested but it would be fun to see them if they would come. I still hear from a lot of them. Bob and John - are you going to go to your mission reunions? I wish you would.