Saturday, March 26, 2011

Dear Kids,
      Dad and I are packed up, ready to leave for the airport in a few minutes. The cats are milling around, deciding on the last possible minute to hide from us. We know their routine, though, and we’re waiting for the last possible minute to throw them out. We’ll be gone to Michigan for 6 days, but Donna will be coming on Tuesday to run my piano class and refill the catfood container.
      We’re looking forward to conference weekend right after we get back. We’re hoping to have lots of you for dinner on Sunday, and possibly see some of you on Saturday, too. I presume the guys will be going to the Saturday night session in the new Francis church. (No more long "11-minute" drive to Marion!)
      I bought new towels for the cabin, and the old ones are piled on the dining room table. First come, first dibbs. They would be good for trips to the swimming pool, wiping the floor, etc.
      Vanessa says that Meg is doing great! She even went to Church the following Sunday. Thank goodness kids heal quickly!
      Dad is facebook friends with Emily Thomas Nixon, and she sent him a message that she and Marcus kept talking about those cookies I used to bake for their Sunday School classes. They wanted the recipe. Ah, yes, I remember those cookies. I looked forward to eating them as much as anybody in the class.
      Oops, our ride is here. I have to upload this quickly.
      Love, Mom

Friday, March 18, 2011

Dear Kids,
      I was just sitting here trying to think of some news for my family letter, when Vanessa called and said Meg was in the hospital and her appendix had been taken out. She woke up yesterday morning with stomach pain, and her white blood cell count was high, but the doctor wasn’t sure it was her appendix, because she wasn’t screaming in pain. (Sound familiar, anyone?) Luckily, with laporoscopy they can look all around inside you, and the appendix didn’t look terrible, but it wasn’t normal either. They found a place where her diverticulum had ruptured, though, which can be really bad. So they cleaned it all out and took out her appendix besides, and we hope she will make a fast recovery. She’ll probably be in the hospital for another day. They had planned to leave for Disneyland this morning, but naturally they’re not going now. Sterling was practicing his theatrics (mostly a very sad face) for telling his teacher that they weren’t going to Disneyland because of his sister’s appendix. Vanessa says Disneyland is the absolute last thing on her mind right now. We’re just happy that it all turned out OK for Meg.
      Paul has a job! No, it’s not engineering. It’s not full time. It doesn’t have benefits. He’s working at Frederico’s Pizza in Logan, three nights a week. He washes dishes and sometimes busses tables. Well, it’s honest work. You know what they say.
      My breathing troubles are back again. I thought I didn’t really have COPD, because I was doing so well, but something brought it back. Dr. Newbold prescribed a different inhaler, Dulera, but so far it isn’t doing much for me. He referred me to a specialist he thinks is very good, but whenever I call their number, I only get a recording that says to leave a name and number, and they’ll call back. I’ve left my name and number twice, but I haven’t heard from them yet. Pulmonary doctors are supposedly the hardest to get into. Maybe I’ll drive to their office and camp out at the front desk until they let me make an appointment. But maybe it doesn’t even matter. I’ll probably have trouble off and on for the long term now. Dr. Newbold said the last two tests have shown that my lungs are scarred, but it’s funny I’m just hearing about it now.
      Well, sorry for the downbeat news. I hope you’re all doing really well.
      Love, Mom

Monday, March 7, 2011

Dear Kids,
     Dad and I just bought tickets for a trip to Michigan March 26-31. Seth is doing his dissertation defense, and even though we won’t understand much of what’s going on, we’ll be there anyway. The Thackers are coming too, so it will be wild and crazy. I think Dad and I will be staying in a motel for a couple of nights, but we’re always up for a Motel 6 adventure. (Not a Hilton adventure, however.)
     Friday afternoon we were in Heber, checking out John’s new office. It’s actually the same old office with a totally new look, and everything’s laid out differently now. We gawked at his marble counter tops and funky new sinks and faucets. Later that night we went up to the cabin to stay overnight. There are still seven or eight lonely jackets and coats hanging on the coat rack. Anybody? Anybody? I’ll probably leave them there until Conference Sunday, and then haul them off to the DI after that.
     Saturday morning we did cabin work projects, and then drove to Midway so Dad could spend just a little more time with Donna and Bevan’s dishwasher, which he’s become so attached to. (It’s an electrical problem this time.) I worked on their bathroom tile. When I walked outside to get my chocolate chips out of the car, I noticed a kid on a skateboard coming down Center Street, right down the middle of the road. (It slopes downward for several blocks.) He sailed past me and kept on going. Cars went by him on both sides, but he just kept cruising. Is that a Midway thing, skateboarding down the middle of the road?
     When we were done with our projects, we drove down Provo Canyon to Orem, to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma looked a lot better than last time. Charlie told her about a woman in his ward who lived four years on hospice, and Grandma said that would take her to age 91, which might be a good time to go. She’s knitting again, too, which we thought she couldn’t do any more. Best of all, she looked cheerful. Grandpa, too. We had a fun visit.
     This coming Sunday, the 13th, I’ll be cooking Sunday dinner again. It won’t have been a month since the last time, but I want to get in one more dinner before Conference weekend, April 3rd, when I’ll be cooking dinner at the cabin. Be there or be square.
    Life is good! We’re grateful for all the wonderful things you kids are doing, now that you’re grownups.
     Lots of love, Mom