Dearest Family,
This has been a fun and funny day!!! Our Stake
Conference was this morning and I refuse to go alone - Margaret and I
usually go together but she didn't call me so I assumed she was going with
her family since one of her sons is executive secretary of the stake. About
11 o'clock the phone rang and when I answered it, it was Margaret saying
"I'm making a survey of those who are at conference and those who are at
home" - Ha!!! Daddy was always disappointed in those members who used stake
conference days to do other things. Our conferences are held in Bountiful
in that building that was originally a big opera house or something until
the church bought it and there is always such a crowd that I have stayed
home all day and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Claire - Thank you SO much for your dinner
invitation. I decided that since I had wasted most of the day I would do
something worthwhile so I shampooed my hair and I look AWFUL!!! Claire has
made a video from some of her pictures she took at Lake Powell and I want to
take a raincheck and come another time to see that - besides that I would
LOVE to be with the Bob Mellor Family. They did such exciting things on
Halloween and it's always fun to feel the atmosphere in their home. My
condo is so quiet and drab all the time!!!
Roy and Jesse - Thank you SO much for your
WONDERFUL phone call last night. It was Jesse's birthday and I should have
called him but instead they called me and I LOVED it. I never know when to
call my families because you are all SO busy!!! Talking to Jesse is like
talking to one of my adult friends - he is a REAL conversationalist and has
answers for all my questions. Some of my grandchildren think an answer is
"yes or no" but Jesse elaborates on it and that is a gift at his age. He is
very well informed too and when I told him about Boyd's costume as Moses he
said he knew about Moses. Timothy was at Cotillion and Roy says he isn't
crazy about going but he goes and I remember it was that way with Bob and
Roy too but they learned to like it and it was very good for them!!! I am
THRILLED - Emily has moved her bedroom into the guest room above the garage
and she has painted it purple and her bathroom green. That is such a
special room and is perfect for Emily. Jesse says he has moved his bedroom
into Emily's former room and has it painted blue - he says I can sleep in
his bedroom when I go to visit and I can sleep with Sammie because Sammie
always sleeps with him. WHAT A FUN FAMILY!!! Timothy - thank you for your
letter too, that was SO sweet of you. GOOD HANDWRITING!!!
Emily - I am SO proud of you for baking
wholewheat bread!!! Jesse says it is REALLY GOOD and it is very smart for
you to learn to cook. I remember when I visited a couple years ago you
taught me how to make "Pizza Soup" and I have LOVED your recipe!!! You used
that refrigerator pizza dough and shaped it around a pyrex bowl and baked
it. Then you cut the strips left over and sprinkled them with Parmesan
cheese and Italian seasoning - prepared tomato soup and poured it into the
bowls and topped it with grated cheese and the pizza dough croutons. Do you
still make that? You and Katie will have to make that in my kitchen when
you come to Utah again.
I have watched alot of election news on
television today. I think about Annie and how frustrated she is at this
point - anxious to have the school board election over with!!! This has
been a good experience for their family and for all of us - the first time I
have had a relative in an election. My Father ran for Bob Elder County
Treasurer or something but I wasn't at home so I didn't really know much
about it - he lost. I believe Ann and Ron are going to Hawaii the day after
the election and they have that to look forward to - so win or lose they
will have a happy week.
Jeannie - I'm SO proud of you for the way you,
Mary Ann and David are planning for their wedding. It sounds like alot of
fun to have the family involved in helping and I'm excited. I'm SO glad
they are going to be married in the Bountiful Temple - there are many
beautiful places for picture taking after the ceremony and it's a very
special temple. I want to have a "girl cousin" and girl family luncheon to
honor Mary Ann - it will be fun to meet David's Mother and his sisters and
to have the cousins together and also her bridesmaids if Mary Ann woud
like. I'll have it at Oakridge so plan on it - I need a date and addresses,
Mary Ann!!!
I have watched the Utah Symphony Orchestra
program this afternoon and they had three celebrated violinists perform with
the orchestra and I thought about Jessie. I hope you are keeping up with
your violin Jessie - are you involved in any kind of orchestra? I know your
master's work keeps you very busy but I don't want you to lose your very,
very special talent.
I had a fun Halloween and I was THRILLED to have
Barji, Boyd and little Preston come by for treats. Boyd had a long white
beard on and a very elaborate costume and Barji wore a long red dress with
the letter "C" on it - she was the "Red Sea" and Boyd was "Moses". Preston
was the star though- he had the cutest pumpkin costume on I have ever seen
and he couldn't stop smiling. I hope my pictures turn out. I didn't have
many more trick or treaters so I have LOTS of candy left over.
John - I hope you are doing good. I haven't
heard from you for awhile. It's funny for me to hear and read about the
Utah deer hunters and not have any member of my family interested in that
anymore. Lynn was such an avid outdoorsman and he would be roaming the
hills looking for deer or elk if he had lived. There is such alot of
controversy about owning guns now that I wonder how long people will be able
to have them - I HATE GUNS!!! I don't believe any of us will ever forget
the famous elk hunt in the "BookCliffs" - I remember Claire saying it was
the "hunt from hell" - Ha!!! I think that experience killed your enthusiasm
for hunting and I'm kinda' glad. All your efforts to make it fun for your
Dad were worth it though. I'm glad you still like fishing!!!
My friend, Helen Jane Lemon, received her
mission call to the Nauvoo Visitor's Center and she is thrilled. We're
going to spend the day together on Wednesday and have lunch at Maddox's and
ride through all the "Old familiar places" where we played as teenagers.
She is only going to be gone a year so her children are going to take care
of her home - she has two sons and their families who live quite close to
her. She is VERY concerned about being gone from her grandchildren - WOW,
can I ever relate to that. It reminds me of how I didn't even know Mary Ann
when I got home - that was VERY weird!!!
Bob is going to Quatemala next Saturday. He
hadn't told me about it but I went to Dr. Washburn for my annual eye exam
and he told me they were going. I'M PROUD OF YOU BOB!!! Bob will be gone
for his birthday - maybe they will make him a Quatemala Cake - whatever kind
that is!!!
I sent Russell my "English Workshop" booklet
last week and I expect to have it returned any day from the Post Office
because I sent it "Pouch Mail" and it was in a large envelope. I wrote
"English Teaching Material" on it so maybe they will accept it. I would
have sent it air mail but I didn't have Russell's current address - if it
comes back to me I'll call Ann and get it.
That's all the news. I LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU SO
VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO.
Grandma B XXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOO
GOOD LUCK ANNIE - WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!