Dearest Family,
First of all I want to thank Ann & Ron for
their letters from Madagascar - I truly do know how difficult it is to
find a place to send e-mails in a foreign country besides being "over
programmed" with the schedule Russell had made for them. I have been
thrilled to read what they have seen and I love Ann's expression "Oh My
Gosh, Oh My Gosh, Oh My Gosh" - I can just see the expression on her
face as she experienced the difference in Madagascar and anything else
she has ever seen. They are having a "once in a lifetime" experience
and I can hardly wait to hear them tell all about it and see their
pictures. I only received one line of "Day 2" and when I told Barji
about it she said she would forward the letter to me that they had
received and I was So happy she did that and also sent the later ones.
Ann & Ron had my e-mail wrong - a typo error but that's okay because the
Weinerts are forwarding them to me. I think Russell has done a super
job in scheduling their itinerary and it sounds like everything is "on
target".
I have appreciated the letters Bob and
Claire have sent to us from "far away places" - things like that enrich
my life so much and I feel as though I have traveled those same places.
That's the way I like to travel - Ha!!! Claire let me know that Bob,
Brett and Jimmy have arrived safe and sound in Guatemala - I hope they
have a successful and wonderful week helping those poor people who don't
have very much modern medical care.
I hope you all had a VERY HAPPY Fourth of
July. I had a WONDERFUL DAY. The Weinerts invited me to go to the
Oakridge Country Club to go golfing during the day and then have dinner
in the evening. I couldn't believe how beautiful the grounds of the
country club are - I have seen them from my deck for the last 4 1/2
years but I have never actually been on them. Rick reserved three golf
carts - Jean & Rick were in one, Ricky and I were in one and David &
Mary Ann were in one. David and Mary Ann didn't get there until almost
the 11th hole because Mary Ann had to work until 3 p.m. Rick, Jean and
Ricky all golfed 18 holes and I just rode around in the cart and it was
SO much fun. It reminded me of going to the Greenbrier with Lynn except
that I didn't ever get on the golf course there. Ricky is an excellent
golfer and it was so much fun to watch him. Rick and Jean are also
good. We had drinks and treats along the way and then we all had dinner
on the lawn of the country club - most of the people stayed to watch the
fireworks but I can see them from my deck and I don't like to stay out
late on Friday nights so I came home after dinner.
David is learning how to golf and Rick and
Ricky gave him some lessons. It was fun to visit with Mary Ann - she is
enjoying her job except that she was sad because an elderly woman had
died that day. They left right after dinner to go to Heber where Davids'
parents have a Summer cabin and they were going to spend the night
there. Barji, Boyd & Preston were in Eden at Boyd's parents Summer home
and Sarah was in California with her friend/boy and his family.
Michael - thank you SO very much for your
visit last Monday. My friend, Ellen Mae, had come over to bring me a
zucchini casserole and I was out saying goodbye to her in my driveway
and it was dark. I saw this young man in the background but I couldn't
see his face and didn't know who it was until he said, "Hello Grandma
B". He works at the Great Harvest Bread Company in Logan and he had
made a special fruit bread and he had brought me a loaf - it had fresh
blue berrie, fresh raspberries and other fruits in it and it was
HEAVENLY!!! I devoured most of it that night and I had been on a diet
for several months so you know how good it tasted. We had such a good
visit and it makes me SO happy to know that he loves Logan and his
college work. He is taking calculus and English and he is enjoying
them. I remember when Lynn took calculus and we just about had a
divorce - Ha!!!
Jeannie and I went to the Rodger's Memorial
Theatre in Centerville on Thursday night to see the production of
Oklahoma. It was very, very good - I am amazed at the talent they have
here and it is all volunteer work and I'm sure it involved a great deal
of practice. The costuming and scenery were just outstanding and I was
SO happy that Jeannie could go with me.
John - thanks for your phone calls. Ricky
has spent alot of time working on the "Picture Project" this last week
and I have been trying to catch up with my part of it. I find myself
laughing and talking to myself when I write the information aside each
of the pictures - we REALLY spent alot of time fishing and boating and
at one picture I wrote "Not another fish picture"!!! I'm sure I have
duplicated too many pictures but when I look at the backgrounds some of
them are different and they mean alot to me. I saw a picture of Roy
today with a huge bow tie on and he was not in a costume - I guess they
were in style - Ha!!! I saw another picture of John holding a long
thing that I didn't recognize so I wrote - "Could this be an eel?" I
know I am making a million mistakes with names of people, dates and
places but I don't have anyone to ask and I think the dates will be "In
the Ball Park" so to speak. I was completely at a lost to figure out
what one picture was - there were rows of freshly dug dirt and Lynn &
John were digging in it. I thought at first they were working at the
church farm but I finally remembered that we were at the Diamond place
in Arkansas where people go to dig for diamonds - I can't remember the
name of the place but I remember that it was very interesting and some
people have found valuable diamonds there.
Patrice - thank you for your letter. I'm
anxious to hear how Emily is doing and if she is making lots of new
friends and enjoying her neat experience in Andover, Massachusetts.
Timothy's ecology camp sounded very worthwhile - I know he is learning
much about our environment that most people don't know. I have been
interested in learning how many people are trying to find suitable
plants and flowers that will survive in a drought area like we have in
Utah now. I hope Timothy will tell us all about his camp when he is
with us. I know Jesse can keep mighty busy with his projects at home
and isn't it wonderful that you don't have to worry about your children
- I know them and they are taught right from wrong and they live that
way.
i want to end my letter by expressing my
great appreciation for the founding fathers of our great nation. I have
the Boy Scouts come put up a flag in my front yard and then I have
Patriotic bows on my door and my personal flag flying out in front -
they mean alot to me. I have re-read the letter that John wrote to us
as he experienced the horrible events in New York on 911 and I'm
grateful that he had the presence of mind to write his impressions down
as he saw them first hand and I appreciate his love for his country and
his compassion for those who have suffered so much. I hope we will
never lose sight of the real meaning of July fourth and that we will
govern our lives in the right way.
I LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO -- Grandma B
XXXXXOOOOO
I forgot to report about the parade on
the Fourth of July. My visiting teaching companion is just a year
older than I am but she is a tiny, tiny woman and very frail - she
owns a health shop and she refuses to eat any junk food but she
isn't very strong. ANYWAY - she asked if she could go to the
Kaysville parade with me. I usually park about six blocks away from
where we can see the parade but I went a little farther on Friday
and found a good parking place (in a person's driveway) close to the
parade route. I asked the family if I could park there and they
said it would be okay.
We had good close seats (we took our own
chairs) and it was just WONDERFUL!!! I am not sure I saw you Katie
- all the cheerleaders looked alike - their hair was braided and of
course they all dressed alike but I clapped and called your name.
When the marching band came by I was determined to find Brett and
they were almost past us when they stopped marching and I saw Brett
turn around and play on the drum in back of him. He was about the
only one with hair - Ha!!! Most of the young boys have crew cuts.
Anyway - I was proud to have two grandchildren in the parade and I
thought it was excellent. The fire engines came by and turned their
water hoses on Mary and I full force - if we hadn't had our
umbrellas to cover our heads we would have been completely soaked -
as it was our clothes were all soaked but it was a hot, hot day so
we didn't care.
AGAIN - I LOVE YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH.
GRANDMA B XXXXXOOOOO