Dear Kids,
        I assume everybody got Tom’s text message about Bentley speaking in Church this afternoon: 1pm, Tom’s ward, wear a mask, food afterwards.  Dad and I will be there.  We’re going to our own sacrament meeting this morning, because I’m playing the organ, and Dad couldn’t be kept back by wild horses. 
        I assume, too, you’ve heard about John’s cat, Blue, and his accident.  He was evidently hit by a car on the road behind their house, and he lay in the weeds for more than a day before Heather found him.  If he’d had internal injuries, he probably would have died.  As it was, his pelvis was broken, and he had extensive surgery to put it back together.  Of course the cost was shocking, but then, Blue is a unique cat.   Dad and I went to visit him Wednesday evening, and he was very calm.  We stroked his head and talked to him about how wonderful he is.  I’m sure he’ll make a good recovery.  John is going to start keeping his cats in the garage overnight, since that’s when all the accidents seem to happen.  We’ve been keeping Scout and Sonia in at night for quite a while now.  Cars, predators, everything is more dangerous for a cat at night.
        My left toe, where I had the toenail taken off, was still hurting after a month, so I went back to the podiatrist.  Besides, I wanted another toenail off, the pinkie one on the same foot.  I didn’t watch, but Dad said he just pulled it off.  And he did some cutting on my big toe.  So now my foot hurts even more, but I’m hoping it will be pain free in just a few more days.  I’m taking an antibiotic, soaking the foot twice a day, using neosporin, and keeping it bandaged.  I hope all that improves my luck.
        Dad and I have been busy at the cabin, still.  The rock wall around the moose has been falling apart for the last couple of  years, and I’m trying to put it back together.  If you’re there at the cabin, don’t let your kids play around it, OK?  It wasn’t kids that broke it up in the first place–it must have been bad mortar.  But it’s in really unstable shape right now. 
        Charlie and Matthew and Lucy are here!  We picked them up at Nora’s on Tuesday, and that evening we drove over Wolf Creek pass to Hanna, where we gave them over to Grandma and Grandpa Thacker.  I hope they have fun at the farm.  Maybe they’ll do some good work, too! 
        Lots going on!  What a family!  Lots of love, Mom