Dearest Family,
THE SUN IS OUT!!! We are having a beautiful
day and I can almost believe we might have Spring. I have a planter of
beautiful crocus blossoms in my kitchen and even though they are not
coming through the ground in the snow they remind me of Spring and it is
fun as I look out at snow through my kitchen windows. The Roy Mellors
sent me the planter for Christmas and I didn't receive the bulbs until
late January and it was too late to follow the directions that came with
them so I put them in my cold garage until they started to sprout - I
NEVER have good luck with plants so I am thrilled these have actually
bloomed.
This has been a FUN week for me. I was with
Ann, Jean & Claire in Salt Lake and we went shopping and had lunch on
Thursday. I hadn't been with Annie for a LONG time and it was good to
catch up with her. We went to a special "craft" place and I could have
spent all afternoon there - you have to have an admittance card so I'll
have to wait until they invite me again. Jeannie had made some special
"furniture polish" for each of us and we laughed as she kept telling us
to tighten the lids on the jars because she could smell turpentine. I
am enjoying the homemade granola Annie brought for me - none of my
friends in this area are very domestic and it is such a treat to know
that my family still enjoys making things "from scratch". I have been
trying to "sell" my homemade vinegar and liquid soap recipe to Margaret
for cleaning but I haven't been successful yet. I don't know if any of
you use that but I like it better than any of the commercial "stuff".
I have LOVED the messages I have received
from Susanna, Mary Ann & Jessie this past week - I appreciate it SO much
when my grandchildren think of me. Mary Ann was SO sweet to take time
to come say "hello" one day last week and it just happened that I was
late for an appointment in Salt Lake to have my hair permed so I
couldn't visit with her - I FELT SO SAD!!! Jeannie keeps me up to date
about Barji and she is looking forward to having her come home soon.
Barji & Boyd are building a new home in West Farmington called
"Farmington Ranches" and I am THRILLED for them. Jeannie took me to see
it and they were digging the hole for the foundation and it is in a
beautiful place - a gorgeous view of the mountains. I hope Ricky and
his friends have a good time in San Diego at the "Beach" this weekend
for their Spring Break - I hope Jessie will be able to spend some time
with them.
I believe Bob, Claire, Michael, Stacey and
Laura left yesterday to go to Costa Rica - it will be GREAT for them to
get to a warm place and I know they will have a good time. I hope Brett
and Katie will call me if I can help them in any way. We have had so
much snow this Winter and now that it has started to thaw there have
been problems with flooding. Claire said they have had some water in
their basement and THAT IS SUCH A PAIN. I used to have that in my Orem
home - I'm not sure if John ever had it.
I had such a good time yesterday. I told
some of you that I had received an invitation to a marriage open house
for one of our Orem neighbors - this young man was about 5 years old
when we moved there and we watched him grow up and I wanted so much to
go. John told me he would take me so we met in Lehi about 6 o'clock.
John drove me around the farm and the area West of Lehi that is
developing so fast. I have always wanted to see Saratoga Springs
because they have developed that into a little community with the warm
springs swimming pool and picnic area. Aunt Marvel used to take Lela
& me there every Summer and it was such a fun place to go. I love the
Saratoga Springs community but John isn't too impressed with it. The
farm is filled with cows and it will really be pretty when Spring
comes. THEN we went to a Thai restaurant in Orem for dinner and then to
the Theobalds for the open house. It was just like "home" to go into
the open house - Shawna & Mike have always been like family and of
course they all love John. They hurried and got all their family so we
could see them. It was funny to walk past John's Orem home - the
Theobalds said the new owners are happy in the ward and they are tearing
down more walls and making more changes in the house.
I went to see Carol Edwards before meeting
John - she is Ray Edward's wife and is 71 years old. She is not in good
health and I was very sad to see her in a chair and not able to walk.
She has Parkinson's disease along with other health problems and her
daughter with her little girl have moved in to take care of her. Ray's
son and grandson came in to visit with me and we had such a good time
talking and laughing about the fishing and hunting trips they all went
on with Lynn. They want me to send them some pictures of Ray and Lynn
and I know I have some - it seems so funny to me that other people don't
take pictures!!! They told me about Ray's funeral and it must have been
very special - every police car and motorcycle in Lehi along with
representatives from American Fork, Pleasant Grove and Orem formed the
motorcade with his casket to the cemetery. Ray was fishing with a
friend in Millcreek, close to Richfield, and he stopped to eat lunch and
said to his friend "I think I'm in trouble" and fell dead from his
chair.
I believe most of you have heard me tell
about Ellen Mae's brother, C.R. Munns. He was a dentist in Anchorage,
Alaska and had an automobile accident on Christmas Eve - he has been a
paraplegic for 31 years. His wife divorced him and
he bought a home right on the beach in California where he has lived
with 24 hour care all this time. Ellen Mae, Mel and his other sister
and brother-in-law Gene and Wayne Rich have gone down to care for him
about four times a year - he died on Thursday morning and that is a
great blessing. They will bring his body home for a burial on Thursday
- he was 67 years old.
I don't know how any of you feel about
Martha Stewart being found guilty but I am SAD!!! I really believe she
is guilty of the charges but I hope she doesn't have to go to prison -
surely they could give her other things to do that would take advantage
of all her talents.
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 XXXXXOOOOO