Dearest Family,
I'M HOME TO STAY!!! I had the most
WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING I COULD POSSIBLY HAVE EVER HAD!!! I really
should wait until morning to write about it because I think more clearly
in the morning - I hope I don't forget anything!!!
Margaret took me to the airport last
Wednesday morning, Nov. 24th - John had called me and told me to pay the
"skycap" to take my luggage from the curb - he had made my electronic
reservations - I couldn't believe how easy that was!!! They handed me
two boarding passes and said I would get my luggage in Little Rock. The
flight went SO smoothly and I got the connection to Little Rock from
Dallas without any problems - sometimes the gate is so far away that I
have trouble making it in time.
Roy & Jesse were at the airport to meet me
and I was SO happy to see them. That little Jesse got my luggage and
wheeled it to their car and he was my "buddy" from then on - he "loaned"
me his bedroom and showed me how to work the television set and also his
bathroom stuff and then he "camped out" all the time I was there. I
found him asleep in their computer room one morning. I tried to get up
early enough this morning so he could have his room to get ready for
school but he was already by the time I got up. There was a poster on
his door with his picture on it that said "WANTED: JESSE MELLOR FOR
PRESIDENT". I found out later that he had won the election for
President of his Student Body at Forest Park Elementary School.
Timothy was at home to welcome me and I
couldn't believe how big he is - he has really had a "growth spurt"
since I saw him at Lake Powell. He is such a "gentleman" besides being
just too good looking - I love his hair. I am always grateful when my
big grandsons will take my luggage where it needs to be. He showed me
his electric guitar and also his saxophone but he kept putting off
playing them for me - Patrice told me he loved playing the saxophone in
a jazz group with some friends who are really good so maybe he'll play
for me when I go another time. Jesse plays some Christmas songs with a
jazz theme and it would be good for them to play some duets!!!
Emily came home soon and I was thrilled to
see how happy she is with EVERYTHING. She told me about some of her
experiences in Costa Rica and how she had met a young woman from Utah
who was also an exchange student for the Summer.
I forgot to ask her to play her flute for me
and I'll bet she is happy about that. She had made a VERY special cake
in a springform pan for Thanksgiving the afternoon I arrived - she is a
"natural" homemaker very much like her Mother. The cake was just
delicious and I brought her recipe home to make sometime. I decided
that Emily is beautiful in all situations - when she is dressed up or
when she is just casual and working in their kitchen soon after waking
up.
Patrice was putting the finishing touches on
a delicious soup that smelled heavenly and tasted that good too. She
also made "genuine Southern cornbread" in an iron skillet and I haven't
had that for a long, long time!!! I LOVE their kitchen and it makes me
want to have an "eating place" in my kitchen more than ever - one of
these days I'll get a hammer and start working on it - Ha!!! We just
ate and visited in their kitchen and as I told Roy "it was like going
home" - I will always love Little Rock and the memories it brings to me
of our time there when you were all growing up.
Thanksgiving morning was such a beautiful
day - their front and back yards were absolutely covered with Autumn
leaves. Roy reminded me so much of Lynn as he worked with Jesse &
Timothy and they raked and they raked and they raked - they didn't bag
them but piled them in one section of their back yard. Sammy was in
"heaven" as he played with them - WHAT A BEAUTIFUL AND OBEDIENT DOG!!!
Timothy showed me many tricks he had taught him. You can tell he is
greatly loved - they take very good care of him and he is very much a
family member. Patrice started working early that morning and she
didn't stop all day - her dinner was just fabulous and her Mom, Grandma
Suzie, came over about 4 o'clock and we ate about 5.
I will remember seeing Patrice go out to her
herb garden to get fresh herbs for her dressing (Annie, she didn't use
sage brush - Ha). She has many fresh herbs in her garden and I thought
of the little packages I buy at the grocery store that don't even smell
like they are supposed to. I will also remember watching Roy "grind"
wheat into flour so Patrice could make delicious whole wheat rolls. I
actually looked around expecting to see a live turkey somewhere in their
yard - Ha!!! A REAL THANKSGIVING. I didn't know Roy & Patrice had a
wheat grinder and they told me they bought it in Utah and use Utah
wheat.
Emily worked right along with her Mom - she
polished all the silver and they set a beautiful table with a beautiful
fresh flower centerpiece. I wanted to take pictures but they
discouraged me - they took digital pictures but I like the other kind
that I can hold and look at over & over again. Suzie brought delicious
raw cranberry and orange relish to go with turkey, dressing, mashed
potatoes, gravy, sweet potates with marshmallows, green beans, wheat
rolls, and Emily's delicious cake for dessert later. I did take alot of
pictures of them raking the leaves and I hope they will turn out good.
Roy and Patrice had Friday all planned and I
didn't cooperate like I wish I had. I LOVE to walk in their
neighborhood so I had gone out for a walk and didn't get back as soon as
I should have. Roy had driven me by the "Clinton Presidential Library"
on our way back from the airport and they planned for all of us to go
see it on Friday. I had no idea there would be MANY other people with
those same plans - we should have been there sooner than we were. There
was a line of people like you wouldn't believe waiting to go through it
- I heard later that 9,000 people went through it that day. Patrice was
such a "trooper" and she waited in line and saved us places and Roy,
Emily, Timothy, Jesse & I went shopping at the River Market which is
close by. Roy & Patrice were in contact with their cell phones and when
she got to the door we were all there to "break in the line" and the
people in back were very nice to us.
I just love the library and I bought a
little poster to show all of you. I wanted to take all kinds of
pictures but they didn't want you to use flashes so I didn't. The
library shows so much planning with the bridge right next to it that
will be converted into a pedestrian bridge as soon as possible. The
theme for the library is "A Bridge to the Future". I'm not a Clinton
fan but the library is surely a tribute to his Presidency. The entire
area surrounding the library is just wonderful - they have a big
amphitheatre that faces the Arkansas river where they have many
concerts, etc., and then there is a Clinton Museum Store and other
stores. There is also a Marriott courtyard there and Patrice says it
is a very nice hotel. You just wouldn't believe how Little Rock has
grown.
We came home from our visit to the library
and ate WONDERFUL Thanksgiving leftovers and Patrice fixed vegetables
and dips for us to enjoy later on that night as we watched television.
Saturday we all went to the Arkansas Arts Center for a special showing
of artwork that had hung in the White House during Clinton's Presidency
and it was on loan from Museums throughout the country. I think I got
that right - I enjoyed that very much even though I'm not much of an art
critic. I enjoyed Dianne Walker's photographs she had taken informally
of special happenings at the White House during several terms of
different Presidents - they weren't part of the special White House
showing but they were good.
I ran into a former Leawood neighbor who was
having lunch at the Arts Center - Charlotte Gadberry. I had decided to
not call Dorothy & Dan because I knew Thanksgiving was a special family
weekend so I'm hoping they won't find out I was there. Charlotte is a
good friend of the Woods and the last time I saw her was when I went to
their 50th wedding anniversary party. Chris Jordin had gone to
Fayetteville to spend Thanksgiving with her son John & his wife and
family but she came over on Sunday night and visited for a little while.
Saturday night was a big football game
between Central High and another school and Emily went with some of her
friends. It was fun to hear them as they came to get her. She is SO
obedient and came home when her parents had told her to come but then I
believe she went out again - I heard Roy telling them to drive
carefully. She was with friends most of the time except when she was
with the family doing things with Grandma B. I REALLY appreciated that
- I know alot of things we did were boring for them but they didn't ever
complain. Roy drove me by Central High on the way home from church on
Sunday and it is really a beautiful and very large school. Emily is
taking too many difficult classes - physics, calculus, Spanish and I
can't remember the others. Central plays for the State Championship
this Saturday - it would really be something if they win which would
mean Davis, Timpview and Central all won their State Championship games
this year.
Sunday morning was such a treat for me!!!!
Roy took me to Otter Creek to go to the Little Rock First Ward meeting
and he missed his own church meetings. I saw SO many friends and I was
thrilled to see how nice their building is. Lynn & I attended church
there soon after it was built when we went for some kind of a church
conference but I haven't been there since that time. I had talked to
Joy Geisler's daughter to find out the times for the meetings and she
told me that Joy wasn't the same person I had known - I thought she
looked and acted just fine. Tom Brown spoke at the meeting and Chris
told me he has just been diagnosed with liver cancer - Barbara Brown is
just the same, so sweet and pretty. Their daughter Sharon is just
darling - do any of you remember her? The Websters were there but I
didn't get to talk to them - do you remember Chris Webster who was in a
wheelchair while we were there - he is still in a wheel chair with
cerebral palsy but is a good looking young man. Bev & Gilbert Culwell
haven't changed very much. Floy & Mary McKell weren't there and I was
disappointed about that. Clarice Nance was there with Ann Kathleen but
I didn't get to talk to them either - Don Nance who married Mary Ellen
Horne is the Bishop and he looks just like his Dad. Leo & Barbara Aday
are just the same - Leo was SO glad to see Roy!!! He told us all about
Kim, Lillie & Shawn and they are all doing good. Sister Turnbull came
to visit with me but I really didn't know her very well - she & her
husband lived in the Northern part of Arkansas and Lynn spent alot of
time with them and I believe they have since divorced.
Roy & I sat right in back of a lady who
translated everything that was said from the pulpit to her Mother who
was German and didn't understand English. I don't believe I have ever
experienced anything more rude than that was. We moved when they sang
the song at intermission. Jarrell Shaw was the second speaker and my
goodness he is SO old!!! I laugh when I think about that because many
people didn't know who I was because I am SO old!!! The missionaries
taught the Sunday School lesson - one was from Provo and the other from
Pleasant Grove - they did a good job.
Roy, Patrice, Emily, Timothy, Jesse, Grandma
Suzie and I all went to dinner at a Chinese Restaurant which is close to
where they live on Sunday night and that was so much fun. It is in the
same shopping area where we shopped when we lived there - do you all
remember the restaurant "Bards"????? It is in that area.
Jeannie - thank you SO much for picking me
up this afternoon. The plane was an hour late but she had called the
airport and found that out so she didn't have to wait for me. She told
me about their Thanksgiving and they had a GREAT time too - she told me
that John had gone to help out at the homeless shelter and I think
that's WONDERFUL. Claire - thank you SO much for your pictures of
Thanksgiving at your home - your food looked FABULOUS as always.
Susanna - thank you So much for those adorable pictures. Annie - thank
you SO much for the WONDERFUL pictures of your "building project" at
Susanna & Steves' home in Chandler. I WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT
EVERYTHING AND I WANT TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT MY TRIP TO CHINA. I can
have anything at my condo for Christmas and I would love to but I just
can't "seat" everyone. I hope there will be pictures of Caroline and
Jared that I can hold in my hand and really examine - I appreciate SO
VERY MUCH the ones you send me but I want to look at them up close -
Ha!!!!
I hope this letter makes sense - IF YOU
READ IT!!!! I LOVE MY FAMILY SO VERY MUCH AND I'M SO THANKFUL EACH ONE
OF YOU WILL HELP EACH OTHER AS WELL AS OTHER PEOPLE. Grandma B
XXXXXOOOOO