Dear Kids,
Kara McGettigan is hanging out with me this morning because Jana has gone to Sherri Winder’s funeral. Most of you heard that she was killed in a rollover last Sunday night. (9-11, of all days). I didn’t know her that well, and I figure thousands of people will be at the funeral. On facebook, there’s a sidebar where they suggest friends for you. Yesterday Sherri showed up there, on my page. Yes, she would have been a good friend, but they don’t have facebook where she’s gone. They don’t need it.
Here’s some great news, if you haven’t heard it: Sharon and Seth are expecting another little Thacker around April 6. Dad and I were already planning a trip east sometime in the spring, so we’ll be able to see the new baby. In the same trip, we’re going to Wisconsin to visit Monica and Neil and Jackson. We were originally going to make the trip this October, but I didn’t know how quickly (or slowly) my foot would recover from its surgery. So far, it’s not healing very fast, but it isn’t terribly painful, either. I just limp around, and wear my old clunky tire-tread sandals.
Here’s how well Dad and I are fitting into our new ward: in just a month, we’ve (1) done community cleanup (which is handled by the wards), (2) volunteered at Frontier Days (ditto), (3) attended ward temple night, (4) done an assignment at the cannery (Dad only), (5) signed up to clean the chapel on Saturday morning, and (6) we’ve already been asked to speak in Church. That’s happening in a couple of weeks. Normally we wouldn’t plunge into everything so energetically, but since we’re new, and we don’t have another 34 years to get settled in, we’re taking advantage of every opportunity.
Last weekend when we went to the cabin, I left my Sunday clothes at home. Luckily there are two little thrift stores on Main Street in Kamas, and I found a skirt (from the 90's) and a blouse (from the 80's) in one of the stores. Naturally, nobody commented on my outfit. You can wear anything there. After the Spanish branch, where everybody dressed pretty much alike, it’s very liberating.
Don’t forget I’m fixing Sunday dinner on October 2nd, conference weekend. And Dad will be making pancakes for breakfast that morning. There’s always more fun just around the corner!
Lots of love, Mom
Friday, September 9, 2011
Dear Kids,
Dad just pointed out that if Grandma Ackerson were still alive, she’d be 99 today. Happy birthday, Grandma Ackerson, wherever you are!
We had a wonderful time at Frontier Days last weekend. We worked in the information booth and sold rodeo tickets for two hours in the afternoon, and I think we saw everybody we know in Francis. It was the usual carnival-type crowd, lots more baseball caps than cowboy hats. At that rodeo that night, it was the opposite. Lots more cowboy hats. Next time we go, I’ll know what to wear. Tight levis. Boots. Cowboy hat, for sure. In fact, if I had an alternative life to live, I’d like to be a rodeo queen. Can’t you see me in spangled levis, a glittery shirt, and a cowboy hat? Then, if I had still another alternate life, I’d be a rodeo horse. They have the most fun of all. They get so excited! I think they have more fun than the cowboys and cowgirls put together. Anyway, it was great.
Don’t forget that Grandpa Allen’s birthday is coming up, and e-mail your messages to Bonnie, if you haven’t. Her e-mail is: bonnie.james10@yahoo.com.
Conference weekend is coming up, too. We’ll definitely be at the cabin. On that Sunday morning, dad is going to make pancakes for breakfast, so we can use the boysenberry syrup he brought home from his cannery assignment yesterday. We’ll have to eat a lot of pancakes, to use half a gallon of syrup. I’ll be fixing the usual conference Sunday dinner, of course. And conference itself is always good.
The weekend before conference is the alpaca open house at Blue Moon Ranch, just down the hill from us. The sign says September 24-25. Dad and I will be going on Saturday, probably sometime in the morning. It’s always fun! Come and join us!
So many great things going on! I love you all! Mom
Dad just pointed out that if Grandma Ackerson were still alive, she’d be 99 today. Happy birthday, Grandma Ackerson, wherever you are!
We had a wonderful time at Frontier Days last weekend. We worked in the information booth and sold rodeo tickets for two hours in the afternoon, and I think we saw everybody we know in Francis. It was the usual carnival-type crowd, lots more baseball caps than cowboy hats. At that rodeo that night, it was the opposite. Lots more cowboy hats. Next time we go, I’ll know what to wear. Tight levis. Boots. Cowboy hat, for sure. In fact, if I had an alternative life to live, I’d like to be a rodeo queen. Can’t you see me in spangled levis, a glittery shirt, and a cowboy hat? Then, if I had still another alternate life, I’d be a rodeo horse. They have the most fun of all. They get so excited! I think they have more fun than the cowboys and cowgirls put together. Anyway, it was great.
Don’t forget that Grandpa Allen’s birthday is coming up, and e-mail your messages to Bonnie, if you haven’t. Her e-mail is: bonnie.james10@yahoo.com.
Conference weekend is coming up, too. We’ll definitely be at the cabin. On that Sunday morning, dad is going to make pancakes for breakfast, so we can use the boysenberry syrup he brought home from his cannery assignment yesterday. We’ll have to eat a lot of pancakes, to use half a gallon of syrup. I’ll be fixing the usual conference Sunday dinner, of course. And conference itself is always good.
The weekend before conference is the alpaca open house at Blue Moon Ranch, just down the hill from us. The sign says September 24-25. Dad and I will be going on Saturday, probably sometime in the morning. It’s always fun! Come and join us!
So many great things going on! I love you all! Mom
Friday, September 2, 2011
Dear Kids,
I’m still clomping around in my surgical shoe, but Xena isn’t afraid of me any more. My foot hadn’t been hurting very much, until I went to see Dr. Rhodes on Monday. When he unwrapped it and I saw how far he cut, all of a sudden it started hurting more. I’ll be wearing the surgical shoe for at least another week, maybe two, and it will take several more weeks to heal completely. Hopefully by then I’ll be better off than before the surgery.
Our chess retreat with the seniors was a blast. Bevan and Donna and Anna came to the cabin Friday night, and Bevan played a couple of games with us. One of our guys had organized a tournament, and we played late into the night Friday, and started up again Saturday morning. At the end there was an awards ceremony, and everybody got a medal. (Nobody’s a loser in our chess club! Everybody’s special!) Of course we had great food, too. And everybody was captivated by our beautiful cabin. They said to put it on the calendar for the same week next year. I guess that means it was a success.
I already have a calling in Francis Second ward–I’m Relief Society chorister. That’s probably because the former chorister left to go back to college, not because I’m such a great singer, but I’m glad to have a Relief Society job. Primary would have been nice, too. Dad hasn’t been called to anything yet, but the bishop said they’d be getting together with him pretty soon. I was just talking to Paul on the phone, and he’s now Elders Quorum president of his ward! Go, Paul!
Last Sunday Dad and I went to visit Grandpa Allen. He’s pretty cheerful, but said he really misses Grandma. He said he’s starting to forget things about her, but he said his dementia is probably a blessing in that way. I asked him if he ever forgets that she died, and he said no. After our visit, Dad and I drove up the hill to the cemetery to see if the headstone was in place yet. It wasn’t. The next day, Nancy sent out an e-mail saying they had just put it on her grave, and it looks really nice. Bonnie has a plan for Grandpa’s 88th birthday, and she sent out this message: “Since we had a big party last year, I thought a simple gift might be nice for this year instead. He loves to sit in his chair and read grandma's history, journals, anything from their past. I thought it would be nice if everyone could write a paragraph of your favorite memory with mom/dad or grandpa/grandma and send it to me. I will put them in a binder so that he can read them over and over.” Bonnie’s email is bonnie.james10@yahoo.com. I have so many memories I don’t know where to start.
Life is good! Love, Mom
I’m still clomping around in my surgical shoe, but Xena isn’t afraid of me any more. My foot hadn’t been hurting very much, until I went to see Dr. Rhodes on Monday. When he unwrapped it and I saw how far he cut, all of a sudden it started hurting more. I’ll be wearing the surgical shoe for at least another week, maybe two, and it will take several more weeks to heal completely. Hopefully by then I’ll be better off than before the surgery.
Our chess retreat with the seniors was a blast. Bevan and Donna and Anna came to the cabin Friday night, and Bevan played a couple of games with us. One of our guys had organized a tournament, and we played late into the night Friday, and started up again Saturday morning. At the end there was an awards ceremony, and everybody got a medal. (Nobody’s a loser in our chess club! Everybody’s special!) Of course we had great food, too. And everybody was captivated by our beautiful cabin. They said to put it on the calendar for the same week next year. I guess that means it was a success.
I already have a calling in Francis Second ward–I’m Relief Society chorister. That’s probably because the former chorister left to go back to college, not because I’m such a great singer, but I’m glad to have a Relief Society job. Primary would have been nice, too. Dad hasn’t been called to anything yet, but the bishop said they’d be getting together with him pretty soon. I was just talking to Paul on the phone, and he’s now Elders Quorum president of his ward! Go, Paul!
Last Sunday Dad and I went to visit Grandpa Allen. He’s pretty cheerful, but said he really misses Grandma. He said he’s starting to forget things about her, but he said his dementia is probably a blessing in that way. I asked him if he ever forgets that she died, and he said no. After our visit, Dad and I drove up the hill to the cemetery to see if the headstone was in place yet. It wasn’t. The next day, Nancy sent out an e-mail saying they had just put it on her grave, and it looks really nice. Bonnie has a plan for Grandpa’s 88th birthday, and she sent out this message: “Since we had a big party last year, I thought a simple gift might be nice for this year instead. He loves to sit in his chair and read grandma's history, journals, anything from their past. I thought it would be nice if everyone could write a paragraph of your favorite memory with mom/dad or grandpa/grandma and send it to me. I will put them in a binder so that he can read them over and over.” Bonnie’s email is bonnie.james10@yahoo.com. I have so many memories I don’t know where to start.
Life is good! Love, Mom
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