September 30, 2001 Farmington, Utah

Patrice - thank you for your long and newsy letter. I'm SO thrilled that Emily won her audition to play her flute in the Academy Orchestra of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra - THAT IS JUST WONDERFUL AND I'M SO PROUD OF HER!!! I'm also proud that she made the "Quiz Bowl" at her school - does that specify one special subject is it like trivia in many subjects? Thinking about cotillion starting surely brings back multitudes of happy memories - I have always regretted that Annie was too old for that by the time we moved to Little Rock but our other children LOVED it and it was VERY good for them. I would love to see Timothy play soccer - he is a very good little athlete and I know he enjoys it too. I can close my eyes and see Jesse in his school - I'm SO glad I have been able to visit his school as often as I have and I think it is an exceptionally good school with good teachers. It's good to hear some news about your sisters and their families - Liz and Bob will want to show off their little daughter soon and will visit you I'm sure and I hope Joan and Andy will be able to go to Russia soon and get their little guy - WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!!!

Michael and Russell - I enjoy the messages your parents send to all of us from your letters. I'm SO proud of you and I can just imagine how difficult it has been during the last two weeks to just hear bits and pieces about the tragedy in New York. I can hardly tear myself away from the television news and to think that you don't hear very much about it is mind boggling. I receive letters from a Mission President and his wife who are in Russia and they don't even mention it so I guess it has been church policy to not spend much time talking about it in the mission field and that's good. Michael - what do you have in your food storage? I can't imagine the missionaries being asked to get food storage in case of an emergency. I hope you won't have to move from your apartment and I'm anxious to hear if you get transferred. Russell - you are surely asked some hard questions about the church!!! I have always thought that when people ask questions about our religion it means they are at least a little bit interested but it comes as quite a shock to young men and women who have lived most of their lives in Utah and those questions are never asked.

John - I was SO happy to have you come spend a couple hours with me on Friday. I learned SO MUCH about the "New War" that I hadn't even thought about. John explained to me that it is a war of "beliefs" and how can you fight a war like that? I worked with a lot of Muslim teachers in Thailand and they were very shy at first and not a bit friendly but after we gained their trust they were just wonderful and quick to learn. John explained to me that it is the fundamentalist Islam people who are causing all the problems and the other people in Afghanistan and Pakistan are great people. John is doing good and looks REALLY good - I was disappointed that he couldn't stay long enough this weekend for us to get together as a family but he had been gone from New York for two weeks and had to get back. He has put the pictures he took of the tragedy on the website and we accessed them while he was here and he explained them all to me - UNBELIEVABLE!!! I would never have had the tragedy happen for anything in this world but if it had to happen I am grateful John was there to give us first hand information - my friends can't believe I had a son who was in New York City at the very time the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were bombed.

Bob took Pat Guthrie, Margaret and I to Scofield on Tuesday to say goodbye to the cabin. I will always have good memories of that place and I kept thinking we would revive our enthusiasm for it but it just didn't happen. We got some personal things from it but left many things too - like all the furniture, kitchen pots and pans and dishes, linens, rugs, etc., etc. We haven't heard from Ramon for a few days - if he doesn't buy it I will go up in the Spring and give it a good cleaning and then put it on the market again - it REALLY needs a good cleaning. Bob winterized all the pipes and I put the mice decon around. It was a beautiful day and we had a good time - Bob took his trailer. Thursday, Bob came over and fixed Margaret and my flag pole hangers. The bolts had come loose from the bricks and the flags were just barely staying in their holders. He also started Margaret's car - she was just leaving for Star Valley with her family but couldn't get her car started. Bob could be kept busy full time over here and my friends think he's WONDERFUL!!!

My "Meals on Wheels" lady was here waiting for me when I came home from church today - Ha!!! Jeannie brought me a delicious salmon dinner with all the trimmings and then she stayed with me while I ate and we had the BEST visit!!! I haven't really visited with her for a long time so we had a lot to catch up on. Rick and Jean have been in Star Valley for a couple days where Boyd has been playing in a golf tournament - Barji had to go to school so she couldn't be with them. Sarah was with Boyd and Barji today and Ricky and Mary Ann are in Logan - Rick had to go to St. George so Jeannie was "home alone".

John - I knew that I didn't have to go buy that magazine but after I read the article you sent I really wanted it. There is an excellent article entitled "Roots of Rage" by Lisa Beyer in the October 1, 2001 issue of Time Magazine. I have learned a lot from that article.

I am REALLY looking forward to General Conference next weekend when our family will get together at the Weinert's home. I miss seeing my grandchildren and getting caught up on all their news. Besides that I don't have to go to the temple on Saturday morning - it will be closed for conference.