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