Dearest Family,
I awakened to a VERY different scene this
morning - we had a big snowfall last night and all the trees are covered
with snow - IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!! Yesterday was like Spring with temperatures
in the 60's and now it is in the 30's. We're grateful for the moisture and
hopefully we will get more.
I know all of you are feeling as sad as I am
about the Columbia Shuttle Tragedy - it is just TOO much to comprehend when
I think of it exploding in the sky and debris is scattered over 500 miles.
I guess one of my worst subjects in school was "Science" and I remember
learning the theory that "matter can neither be created nor destroyed". I
don't know if that is true or not but if it is then all the matter from the
shuttle is "somewhere". That also makes
me think of Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping and how hundreds of volunteers
searched every inch of the areas where they thought she might be and
couldn't find her SO how are they going to find the minute pieces of debris
scattered over such a large area. I am SO very sorry for the families of
all those involved and I was proud of President Bush as he gave such
comforting words to them in his address yesterday. I was at the temple when
it happened and a worker came up to me to tell me that one of the temple
patrons had just come in with the news. That gave me a funny feeling
because Daddy and I were in the temple when the Challenger exploded in 1988
and I was in the temple when my Mother died. I'm going to be a little
apprehensive when I am there from now on.
JESSIE - I was THRILLED to receive your
beautiful postcard from San Diego - THANK YOU SO MUCH. I bore my testimony
in church this morning and told how grateful I am for grandchildren who are
interested in my life and then said how much it pleased me for you to notice
the DUP memorial statue in San Diego honoring them. I guess that impressed
me alot because I had just visited with a High School friend in Brigham City
who has been VERY active in DUP and she has just received a big award for 4
generations of women in her family who have served in it; her grandmother,
her mother, her daughters and herself. I'm sure my daughters will want to
belong when they get older - there are many OLD people in my camp!!! I'm SO
happy that you love San Diego and your schooling - it's just absolutely
GREAT that you are teaching English - I'M PROUD OF YOU.
BARJI - I met one of your high school friends in
the temple yesterday. I didn't recognize her but she came up to me and said
"I know Barbara Jean Weinert". Her last name is Timothy and I believe her
first name is Shannon but I'm not sure - she's a BEAUTIFUL young woman. It
always makes me happy when my grandchildrens' friends recognize me and come
talk to me.
SUSANNA - I admire you SO much in the way you
are taking care of little Jackson. Every Mother has to have one difficult
baby and I know the rest of your family will be easy. I just love to be
with you because he reminds me so much of Ann - she was exactly like that
and Lynn and I always told each other that we deserved an award for being
brave enough to have more children. She grew out of it and was a pure
delight when she got older. You have alot more patience than I had!!!
Jackson is such a beautiful baby and so responsive - just smiles and makes
noises.
I had such a FUN time last Tuesday. Jeannie
picked me up and we met Annie, Susanna and Jackson at "Cafe Rio" in South
Salt Lake. I had never eaten there but they served the same kind of main
dish that Ann made for our Christmas dinner at the Weinerts - it was
delicious and HUGE and I had enough for the next day.
After lunch we drove to see where Mary Ann and David live - Jean said they
wouldn't be home but she wanted us to see their condo. When we drove up she
could see David's car so she knocked on their door and they were both there
and invited us in to see their condo - it is just WONDERFUL and it smelled
SO homey. They were cooking brownies and macaroni and cheese - a PERFECT
lunch!!!
THEN - we went to Gardner Village in Midvale. I
LOVE that place and I haven't been there for a long, long time - I could
spend the entire day there. They have little specialty shops and some of
the things I have bought there are still my favorites. Barji had planned to
come join us but I guess she decided not to - things are very different with
a baby to consider - Ha!!! Jeannie was anxious to get home to see what her
home looked like - she is having the inside painted and she was quite
worried because she didn't know exactly what color it would be. I'm anxious
to see it.
The Davis High School basketball team played a
game that same night and the cheer leaders put on a program at half time so
I wanted to go to it. The cheerleaders "out did" themselves - they are
VERY, VERY good and I'm SO proud of Sarah. I didn't know she could do those
backward flips but she did them the full length of the basketball field and
she is also the one they throw up in the air and even though it scares me to
death I am getting used to it - they used to throw Jessie up like that too.
BRETT - I could hear this fabulous drummer when
we walked into the basketball court to see the game and I was SO proud to
see that it was Brett. They didn't have alot of band players and they only
had one drummer. It is just wonderful that he can do that - must be a
talent from Claire's family!!! I am proud of Brett and Katie and the way
they have conducted themselves this past week while their parents have been
gone. I went to see them one day without them knowing I was going to go and
their home was just immaculate and everything was under control - GOOD
WORK!!!
I was a substitute at the temple on Wednesday
morning - the temple will be closed for the next two weeks and that will be
a good vacation because they have REALLY been busy. When I went to Park
City they had just started some work on the cable system in our area and
when I got back my television was TERRIBLE. I called the company and they
said the first time they could send someone out was on Wednesday afternoon.
This "technician" came and he turned on all my sets which were all bad and
went outside to the main "box" and did some work and then he plugged in a
small set out on my deck and the channels were all excellent. THEN he said,
the "problem must be in your home and I can't even see where the cable is
going in". I could tell he didn't know what he was doing so I told him to
just leave and I would cancel my cable and just use antennas for the local
channels. The next morning they came and did some work on the "box" out in
back and fixed everything!!! They called me and I said I wouldn't cancel my
cable and I appreciated having them fix it - John told me once that I was
the "Leona Helmsley of Utah County" - it is VERY difficult for me to have
service people in my home!!! My experience has been that they do more harm
than good.
PATRICE - they had alot of information about the
Sundance Film Festival in the papers this week. "The Station Agent",
"Pieces of April" and "All the Real Girls" were the ones that won awards.
The Station Agent was the most highly acclaimed film. I didn't see any of
them. I was surprised to learn there were many movie stars here - even Jo
Lopez and Brad Pitt - Ha!!!
JOHN - I hope Laura gets her landscaping done
before the "REAL" snow storms come. John said she had 3 bull dozers in her
back yard doing major landscaping. I kinda' miss doing some major yard work
so call on me if I can help - I can't compete with bull dozers though. I
didn't do any Fall preparation in my yard this year - Jeannie suggested that
I not cut my rose bushes way back so I didn't and I didn't cut anything else
either. I'm just not a gardener!!!
RUSSELL - I hope you're doing good in your
calling as Assistant to the President. I know from experience that your
President expects ALOT from you and I know you will measure up. Many of the
couples working in the Bountiful temple have been called to serve in the
Nauvoo temple and they are SO excited. One couple is going to Martin's Cove
in May and I am happy that I know where that is.
That's all the news - I think. I LOVE EACH ONE
OF YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING
YOU DO. Grandma B XXXXXXXOOOOO