Dearest Family,
It is a VERY foggy morning here in
Farmington - it's kinda' like "Christmas Magic"!!! I would much prefer
snow and ice to this fog and I'm glad I don't have to venture out in it
except to go a few blocks to church. It is supposed to clear out this
afternoon.
Jessie - THANK YOU for your official
announcement to me about your engagement to Jared. It's SO funny, I'm
not really sure of his last name. I believe it is Richards. I'm SO
anxious to meet him at our Christmas Eve party at the Weinert's home on
Friday night. I'm REALLY looking forward to being with my family that
night - I am anxious to see Caroline and Jackson and Gracie and
Preston. I have seen Preston fairly recently but it has been a long
time since I have seen Gracie and Jeannie says she has changed alot and
just smiles and is happy all the time - the last picture I have of her
is one when she is screaming bloody murder, Ha!!!! The last picture I
have of Caroline shows her gorgeous eyes and Annie says they are blue -
how could that be???? I am wondering if Jackson is still practicing his
"throwing" skills - Ha!!!
I can't help but feel a little sorry for
Jared - he will REALLY be under the microscope!!! He will survive
though. I won't care one bit if Caroline and Gracie are fussy - I
remember how difficult it was to take my little babies and children ALL
over to different places with different people holding them!!! They
will survive too.
I know how very busy all of you are in your
preparations for the holidays and it's fun to hear about them. I was at
the Weinert's home not long ago and there were MANY wrapped packages
under their Christmas tree. The Young Women in their ward had bought
these gifts for a family who needed help at this time - Jeannie is still
Young Women's President. Annie was preparing a Christmas Open House in
their home for all of the members in Ron's BYU ward last week - I
believe she was serving cheesecake and other things - SHE WOULD BE SUCH
A GREAT SPOKESWOMAN FOR COSCO - Ha!!! She is also preparing for MANY
houseguests during the holidays - most importantly will be Susanna,
Steve, Jackson & Caroline and they will find many open arms to welcome
them. They always look forward to the time when Grandpa Russ can be
with them and I believe he will be there sometime this week. Besides
all this - Jessie & Jareds' wedding plans are SO exciting!!!
I told you in my letter last week that
Claire had invited me to go to their Stake Christmas Program - I don't
like to leave on Sunday evening in case Jeannie & Rick and Bob & Claire
come over. Well - about an hour before the program, Jeannie & Rick came
over and when I told them about Claire's invitation, they decided they
would like to go to it too. Rick had been in Minneapolis all week on
business so he decided against going but Jeannie & I met Claire at their
home and we walked to their Stake Center and Bob who had been involved
in tithing settlement interviews came in and sat by us. I know I have
never been to a better Christmas program - this is an annual affair for
them and they practice for many months. One of the young men played a
solo on an instrument that was completely unfamiliar to me and it was SO
beautiful - we talked to him afterwards and he said it was a "soprano
saxophone". They have alot of talent in their Stake and it was
OUTSTANDING!!!
I went to an "Empty Nesters" party on Monday
night for our ward Family Home Evening. I took some of those little "smokies"
in barbecue sauce and then made some of the most horrible toffee I have
ever tasted. It is a microwave recipe and it went to sugar - I should
never have taken it but there wasn't time to make anything else. Today
at church we are having a "Member Mingle" after our meetings and I
signed up to take some treats. Jeannie brought me one of the most
delicious treats I have ever tasted and she said she & Sarah had made
them and they were SO easy. Well - what is easy for them is ALOT of
work for me. Maybe some of you have tasted them - large pretzel sticks
dipped in caramel, then melted chocolate and drizzled with white
chocolate. I started several days ago and just finished them this
morning - they don't look nearly as nice as the one Jeannie & Sarah had
made but I'm going to take them anyway. THEY ARE VERY RICH!!! It kinda'
reminds me of the time when we were in Little Rock and I would invite
MANY people to functions at church or at our home and Annie & Jeannie
would make all the refreshments - I thought it was SO easy until they
left for college and I had to do it.
Tuesday I went to Lehi to decorate Lynn's
grave for the holidays. I went to my favorite floral place, "Haws" and
they made a beautiful wreath for me. They put it on a heavy metal easel
and told me to make sure I put it into the soil deeply so it would
freeze and the people couldn't steal it. I did that and I hope so much
it will be there during the holidays - there is ALOT of theft in that
cemetery. There was SO much traffic on Main street that I couldn't get
to the farm before dark - I need to go there earlier in the day. I
stopped in Highland to "check on" Tar - I threw a million balls to him
and he looked SO sad when I left. I wish dogs could smile. John's home
is SO welcome and nice and I love it - he bought some things for his
walls while he was in Guatemala and they add alot of color and are
beautiful. You know me and color!!!!
I went to my D.U.P. Christmas party on
Wednesday and it was VERY nice. It was held at the home of one of our
members and it is a lovely home all decorated for the holidays. The
owner of the home is a cancer doctorand they will be moving to Provo
soon and I will miss them. Most of the members are very old and she is
very young and capable. A member slipped and fell as she was leaving
the party - she was carrying a glass dish with jello salad in it and it
went EVERYWHERE. It was on the walkway in front of their home and she
wasn't hurt so we all laughed with her but it was scary.
I went to Roger's Theatre on Friday night
for the "Christmas Carol" and I enjoyed it SO MUCH!!! Margaret's family
had large parts in it and she wanted all of us to see them - our tickets
were for next week but they wouldn't have been in it then. I drove Russ
Mears because everyone else was involved in something else. He wanted
me to drive on the old road going through Farmington so we could see the
Christmas lights - all of a sudden he said, "Barbara, there is a
policeman in back of you and he wants you to stop". I felt SO silly
- the policeman said "Mam, did you know there is a long string of cars
in back of you. You are going much too slow". I told him we were
looking at the lights and he said "If you feel more comfortable going
thirty miles an hour, you need to pull over once in a while and let the
other cars pass you". He was nice, though. The last time a policeman
stopped me, I was going too fast, 40 miles an hour by the Bountiful
temple. I can't win!!!
There was a very bad home fire in Bountiful
last week and the home was destroyed. My Relief Society President
called me on Friday and asked if I would help clean some of their
personal belongings. She brought the largest black garbage bag filled
with clothing and other things that were all wet and smokey. I didn't
want to bring them into my home so I left them on my front porch until I
came home from the temple yesterday. I took them to the "washateria"
and spent all afternoon washing and drying them - WHAT A MESS!!! The
owners don't live in my ward but their son who is single has just moved
here.
I worry about the Reeves family traveling
from Arizona, Boyd traveling from California (I think that's where he is
coming from)and I worry about each one of you traveling on the busy
roads in bad weather. PLEASE TAKE TIME TO ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AND
PROGRAMS OF THIS SEASON AND REMEMBER THE REAL REASON FOR OUR
CELEBRATION. BE CAREFUL. I LOVE YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH. GRANDMA B
XXXXXOOOOO