October 7, 2001 Farmington, Utah

I just came home from our semi-annual General Conference Family get together. We all got together at the Weinert's home and it was WONDERFUL - delicious food and it was GREAT to visit with everyone: Woolleys: Ron, Ann, Susanna, Steve, Jessie, Lee Anna and Jimmy; Weinerts: Rick, Jean, Ricky, Mary Ann and Sarah; Bob Mellors: Bob, Claire, Laura, Brett and Katie; and Grandma B. We missed John, Laura & Bren who are on a Caribbean cruise, the Roy Mellors, Russell, Michael and Barji and Boyd who were in Arizona preparing for a golf tournament. Ann had gone to Moroni, Utah (the Turkey Capital of the world) and bought fresh turkey breasts and had marinated them overnight and then cooked them on the grill at the Weinert's home. Claire brought all kinds of fresh fruit all cut up and a fruit bowl that included pomegranate and I haven't tasted that for a long time. Jeannie had made her famous bean, avocado and tomato dip, fabulous cooked squash, hot rolls, seasoned rice, and also pumpkin pie and carrot cake and I took a green salad. We watched the afternoon session of conference and then sang Happy Birthday to Mary Ann as she blew out the candles on her carrot cake.

This weekend has been our 171st General Conference of the L.D.S. church. We look forward to watching it in our homes on television - many places throughout the world, including Little Rock, members have to go to their Stake Centers to watch it via satellite. We have two sessions on Saturday and two sessions on Sunday and this morning when one of the speakers (a woman) started to speak they had to break for a news bulletin and they announced that air strikes had begun in Afghanistan so WE ARE AT WAR. We were able to switch channels and go to the KBYU Channel 11 to hear the rest of conference. I don't know about the rest of my family but I had a difficult time concentrating on the rest of the speakers. Most of the talks yesterday emphasized the importance of all members reaching out to their neighbors regardless of their religions and differences - I have a feeling that that is a problem here in Utah.

I have lived through World War 11, Korea War, Vietnam, and the Gulf War but this war is going to be so different. I watched a video that was made several days ago of Osama bin Laden and he is saying that anyone who is on the side of the United States is against God and I guess there are many, many of his followers who truly believe this and are SO brain washed they give their lives freely to defend the fundamentalists' beliefs.

Our Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, surely gave a good response after he was handed a note during the conference telling about the strikes and war being declared. He was very solemn as he asked the members of the church to get out of debt, pay our tithes, keep our food storage in good condition, show love to our families and our neighbors and be careful. Governor Leavitt was interviewed shortly after the conference and he said Utahns needed to "fasten our seat belts and be prepared" - I guess with the Olympics coming in February and with Hill Air Field Base we could be targets. I just want my family to stay home and be safe!!!

It was fun to see all my college grandchildren today and hear about their plans. Jessie and Susanna will graduate this next Spring - Jessie says she wants to go away from Utah for a little while anyway and Susanna says they will go where Steve can go to law school. I don't want them to move away but I remember when I was their ages and I wanted to move away too. Ricky, Mary Ann and Laura are happy in Logan - they have been home all weekend but will go back tonight. I'm SO glad they are close enough to their college to come home for occasions such as this - when our children went away to college they REALLY went away and didn't come home except for Christmas!!!

We had Primary Elections in Davis County last week. I went to vote and one of the women helping at the booth was Frankie Coulter - I wish I would have had a tape recorder to tape the nice things she said about Bob. Chuck had to have some nasal surgery and Bob did it - Frankie said everyone at the hospital told them that Bob was the best surgeon in the area and I'm so proud of him. I don't know how he accomplishes all he does - for all practical purposes we have sold the cabin and he has helped so much with that. I have paid the rent on it through April so we won't close the deal until that time - if any of you want to go and say goodbye to it you are welcome to do that. It won't be long until it will be "snowed in". It has been a beautiful day today - almost too warm for October.

I am going to Murray in the morning to help with Don. Cheryl and her daughter and daughter-in-law (Clint's wife) went to Las Vegas yesterday - Clint took his two little boys to Don and Cheryls' home and will stay until they get back and Cheryl asked me to go and help with laundry and prepare some food for them. I don't know how much longer Cheryl is going to be able to care for Don - he just isn't getting any better. They went to Loma Linda Hospital a few weeks ago and the Parkinson Doctor prescribed some herb medicine for him - I was surprised about that.

I had an assignment to be a docent at the DUP (Daughters of the Utah Pioneers) Museum in Salt Lake last Monday. I had been there before but I had never gone through the entire museum and I am SO impressed with it!!! It is just West of the State Capitol and I wish we could go as a family sometime. They have four large books at the entrance that have biographies of very prominent Utah Pioneer Women - there are two from the Mellor family and one from the Bushman family so we are represented. They have a restored fire engine there that is just beautiful - the sign says it cost about $8,000 to buy and $125,000 to restore. They have wonderful records of Pioneer families - they have to have been in Utah prior to May 10, 1869 when the railroad first came through. Anyone who came on the railroad is not considered a pioneer.

I went to my Thai Missionary reunion on Friday night with Virginia. I left my condo at 5:30 and we got to Orem at the Institute right in back of John's home about 8:15. There was a football game between BYU and Utah State and the traffic was unbelievable - normally it would have taken me about an hour at the most instead of over two hours. The reunion was fun and it was good to see many of the former missionaries and to hear President Goodman give his report - we at least got there in time for that but we missed Sister Goodman's talk. I couldn't believe the growth of their two little children - their daughter is in the 2nd grade and their son is in the 5th and when we were there they seemed so little. President Goodman teaches at BYU, is in a Bishopric and is working on his PhD. so he is a busy man!!! The missionaries who served under him surely do love him - it all reminds me of how much the Montana Missionaries loved President Mellor.

I think that's all the news - I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Grandma B XO

Dearest Family,

A "PS" sent on October 8 - I forgot the most important thing about going to my Thai missionary reunion. It was held at the LDS Institute right in back of John's home so we passed his home AND there were lights on in it - SO THE PEOPLE HAVE MOVED IN!!! I had a lump in my throat but I'm glad for John's sake that someone is renting it with the option to buy it in a year. I'm sure that once they have lived there for a year they will want to buy it and maybe sooner since the interest rates are so low right now - I'll keep my fingers crossed!!!

I'm not sure if I should mention this but Bob told me yesterday that Roy is planning to make the Guatemala humanitarian trip in November - I THINK THAT IS SIMPLY FABULOUS!!! I'm SO proud of both of them and also their families who will support them when they leave because it is not easy to have the Fathers in the home gone for that long.

HAVE A HAPPY DAY - I LOVE YOU - Grandma B XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO