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