Thursday, December 28, 2006
Dear Kids,
This is my last letter for 2006. The year has flown by. I’ve been reading all the Christmas letters people have sent us, and I’m a little depressed by the overachievement of everybody we know. Can’t they just write about their cats and birds?
It sure was fun at the cabin on Tuesday! I spent a lot of time out on the hill with Dad’s cousins, so I didn’t get to visit with some of you, but it looked like you were having a good time. I think the little kids were having the most fun of all, with their Christmas presents from each other. We hauled out record numbers of bags of trash!
In contrast, our Christmas morning here at home was very quiet. Just Dad, me, Paul, and Donna (because Bevan had to go to work at 6:00 that morning.) We only filled one trash bag. But we all got great presents! Thanks to all of you for being so thoughtful! Later in the day we went to Nora’s, and had a good visit with James’s parents and Bev’s family, who were also there. And we had a great dinner! I can’t imagine Christmas without good food. Even the pathetic characters in “A Christmas Carol” end up having a good dinner.
Monica and Neil have moved out of Neil’s parents’ house, into a place of their own. The address is: 638 North 1st Ave., Tucson, AZ, 85719. Ramona is doing fine, of course. She’s moved so many times, she doesn’t care, as long as there are plenty of birds to watch, lizards to eat, and rabbits to whack.
Donna is settled in at the cabin now, with Bevan and his 4-wheeler. And they have an address! You can send them mail there! (Tom, too) It’s the cabin street address: 3970 S. Woodland View Drive, Woodland, Utah, 84036. After long years of just talking about it, the cabin association finally installed mailboxes at the bottom of the hill, by the trash cans. And the post office is obligingly delivering mail there.
Last night Dad and I went to an eagle court of honor for Matt Allen and Austin James. Rich and Jeanne are here in town for a week, so it worked out really well. They had it at their old church in South Jordan. I’m not usually a big fan of scout ceremonies, but they had a live eagle there! What a nasty-looking bird. He looked like he’d sooner kill any person there, than live on rats and fish. He had a 7-foot wingspan. Who decided that the eagle was noble? People had to keep their distance from him. (Although he knew how to pose very nicely, when he had his picture taken with the scouts who were getting their eagles.) And there were Indian dancers, too. (Pagan religion, sponsored by the Church). But in all, it was lots of fun. Jeanne’s parents were there, and her Dad, Leon, gave me a copy of his book, which I worked on last year. It’s his life story, and I learned a lot from it. They also gave me a 2-lb. Box of Sees dark chocolates. It was more than fair pay for the time I spent on the project.
Paul has a temp job at a CD packaging place, on 36th West, up around 23rd South. He got the job through SOS. I figured it wouldn’t be hard. Businesses are scared of hiring illegals now, so there are lots of opportunities for college kids. Paul spent his first shift taking CD covers off a conveyor belt, putting labels in them, and putting them back on the belt. He is now convinced of the value of a college education. He agreed to stay there till the end of the week. Maybe SOS can find him something even better for next week.
Sharon and Seth and Charlie are here today, packing up to go home. They had a lot of fun at the Thackers. Charlie was in heaven, with a truck, tractor, and backhoe on the premises. He even rode on a big dog. (Mike and Collette’s.)
I hope you all have a great new year! Love, Mom
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Dear Kids,
Well, the big event of the week was, of course, Donna and Bevan’s wedding. I was so glad to have nearly our whole family there. We felt bad that Kim and the kids couldn’t come, but it’s like that, when you have a tiny newborn in the middle of winter. (Ali seems to be doing well now.) Thanks so much to all of you who helped in the kitchen, and especially to those of you who stayed till the bitter end to clean up. I was so tired I could hardly move, and it was great to have you kids racing around, packing up and cleaning. I hope most of you got home before the storm hit. Dad and I (and Sharon and Seth and Charlie) left right as it was getting bad, and we went on a wild goose chase up through Alpine (hey, in a blizzard you don’t always know where you are) but we saw some very elegant houses, and eventually we found the highway and made it home. I assume Donna and Bevan are having a good time in Hawaii. No news is good news.
Sharon and Seth and Charlie have spent most of the week with us, and it’s been entertaining. Charlie feeds the cats for me every day. I think he’s a little scared of them, because he gets part way to the sliding door, and stops. I have to nudge him along the rest of the way, and open the door so he can dump the cat food into the pan. Then he laughs and has lots to say about feeding the kitties. In fact, he has lots to say overall. That kid is a talker!
Last night we had our first annual Christmas Music open house, for all my piano students and anybody else who wanted to come. Nora and James and Addie and Ben sang “Jingle Bells.” It was really cute. Al and Missy and their kids came, and I think I heard Allen playing the piano later on. And of course Sharon and Seth and Charlie. And the Fultons and the McGettigans and the Parkers and the Kilburns and a few others. Lots of people. Lots of food, but it went fast. In fact, we finished up most of the wedding leftovers. There were lots of good musical numbers, and some pretty ordinary ones, too. I think we’ll do it again next year. Sunday night, Dad’s cousin Marla had a “Beethoven’s Birthday Party” at her house, but we couldn’t go. She said she served smoked salmon, high-end cheeses, blanched vegetables, and eggnog that was spiked. She said it didn’t offend her Mormon friends, because they’re all OK with being in places where alcohol is served. (I asked her if any of them drank it, and she said No.) She played the first movement of Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata. We didn’t have any high-end numbers like that at our party. Or high-end cheeses, either. (Or eggnog.)
Paul has been hanging around here this week, working sudoku puzzles and watching TV. After Christmas, he might work at Deer Valley with Donna and Bevan. He just needs a good pair of boots. Too bad he can’t borrow them, but who else wears a 14? (The only good thing about wearing a 14 is that the boxes make very good cat coffins.)
We received a nice e-mail letter from Rich and Jeanne, telling a little about life in Calgary. If I can remember how, I’ll put it up on ackerson.org, under other family letters. They’re going to be here in town the week after Christmas, and there’s an eagle court of honor for Matt on Wednesday, the 27th, at their old ward house. (2550 W 9800 S., W. Jordan) Everybody’s invited. Austin James will be getting his eagle then, too.
Last week, it seemed my hands were getting dirtier and dirtier, but I thought it was just all the chocolate from the wedding cake. The lines in my hands were actually black! No matter how often I washed my hands, it didn’t get any better. Then I took a good look at the new lotion I’ve been using, which Dad bought. It’s a “bronzing moisturizer.” Duh! I told my sisters, and they laughed at how clueless I was. Katie uses it on her arms and legs, but she said you definitely don’t use it on your hands. So, does anybody want the rest of it? Or do we all prefer to be “Ackerson white?”
Gotta go! I love you all! Mom
Well, the big event of the week was, of course, Donna and Bevan’s wedding. I was so glad to have nearly our whole family there. We felt bad that Kim and the kids couldn’t come, but it’s like that, when you have a tiny newborn in the middle of winter. (Ali seems to be doing well now.) Thanks so much to all of you who helped in the kitchen, and especially to those of you who stayed till the bitter end to clean up. I was so tired I could hardly move, and it was great to have you kids racing around, packing up and cleaning. I hope most of you got home before the storm hit. Dad and I (and Sharon and Seth and Charlie) left right as it was getting bad, and we went on a wild goose chase up through Alpine (hey, in a blizzard you don’t always know where you are) but we saw some very elegant houses, and eventually we found the highway and made it home. I assume Donna and Bevan are having a good time in Hawaii. No news is good news.
Sharon and Seth and Charlie have spent most of the week with us, and it’s been entertaining. Charlie feeds the cats for me every day. I think he’s a little scared of them, because he gets part way to the sliding door, and stops. I have to nudge him along the rest of the way, and open the door so he can dump the cat food into the pan. Then he laughs and has lots to say about feeding the kitties. In fact, he has lots to say overall. That kid is a talker!
Last night we had our first annual Christmas Music open house, for all my piano students and anybody else who wanted to come. Nora and James and Addie and Ben sang “Jingle Bells.” It was really cute. Al and Missy and their kids came, and I think I heard Allen playing the piano later on. And of course Sharon and Seth and Charlie. And the Fultons and the McGettigans and the Parkers and the Kilburns and a few others. Lots of people. Lots of food, but it went fast. In fact, we finished up most of the wedding leftovers. There were lots of good musical numbers, and some pretty ordinary ones, too. I think we’ll do it again next year. Sunday night, Dad’s cousin Marla had a “Beethoven’s Birthday Party” at her house, but we couldn’t go. She said she served smoked salmon, high-end cheeses, blanched vegetables, and eggnog that was spiked. She said it didn’t offend her Mormon friends, because they’re all OK with being in places where alcohol is served. (I asked her if any of them drank it, and she said No.) She played the first movement of Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata. We didn’t have any high-end numbers like that at our party. Or high-end cheeses, either. (Or eggnog.)
Paul has been hanging around here this week, working sudoku puzzles and watching TV. After Christmas, he might work at Deer Valley with Donna and Bevan. He just needs a good pair of boots. Too bad he can’t borrow them, but who else wears a 14? (The only good thing about wearing a 14 is that the boxes make very good cat coffins.)
We received a nice e-mail letter from Rich and Jeanne, telling a little about life in Calgary. If I can remember how, I’ll put it up on ackerson.org, under other family letters. They’re going to be here in town the week after Christmas, and there’s an eagle court of honor for Matt on Wednesday, the 27th, at their old ward house. (2550 W 9800 S., W. Jordan) Everybody’s invited. Austin James will be getting his eagle then, too.
Last week, it seemed my hands were getting dirtier and dirtier, but I thought it was just all the chocolate from the wedding cake. The lines in my hands were actually black! No matter how often I washed my hands, it didn’t get any better. Then I took a good look at the new lotion I’ve been using, which Dad bought. It’s a “bronzing moisturizer.” Duh! I told my sisters, and they laughed at how clueless I was. Katie uses it on her arms and legs, but she said you definitely don’t use it on your hands. So, does anybody want the rest of it? Or do we all prefer to be “Ackerson white?”
Gotta go! I love you all! Mom
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Dear Kids,
The big event of the week, of course, was the very quick arrival of Ali Marie Ackerson on Sunday night. Tom called us about 7 pm, more or less, and said they were on their way to the hospital, and they were pretty sure it was going to happen. Or maybe Kim was just going to be “checked,” or whatever. But they weren’t in a big hurry. In fact, Tom and Paul had been planning to go to the Messiah, but Tom cancelled at the last minute. So Tom and Kim headed for the hospital, but evidently, Kim wasn’t in any huge distress. When they got there, the nurse checked Kim and saw that she was dilated to an “8,” and started yelling for people to get in there. Kim’s regular doctor was out of town, and the backup doctor, Tom was sure, was over at the Messiah playing the violin. But fortunately, he wasn’t. Just this once. I guess he got there just in time to deliver Ali, who pushed her way into the world very quickly. After the delivery, they had to suction lots of “gunk” out of her lungs, and air out of her stomach, and since then, they’ve been treating her for infection, but all’s well that ends well. You can see a complete slideshow on ackerson.org, on Tom’s photo gallery. There are lots of great pictures!
The second big even of the week (it would have been #1 in any ordinary week) was Dad appearing on the front page of the Deseret News. They did the interview a couple of months ago, and he had almost forgotten about it. I never heard anything. So it was a total surprise, when the phone started ringing Sunday morning, first John, and then Tom, and then other people, congratulating him. I had been online earlier in the morning, and I always skim the headlines of the Deseret News, before I go on to other things, and I had seen the story about State Street. I figured Dad would want to read it, but I forgot to tell him. I had no idea he was the featured driver! We saw the picture of him online, (you have to agree it could have been more flattering) but I had no idea how huge it was on the front page of the paper, until Nora and James brought theirs over, later on. Now if it had been me, I would have been totally hyped up and psyched out and feeling very important, but Dad was completely nonchalant. He seemed more concerned about a song he had to learn for choir, and getting his home teaching report done. Ah, life!
Monica says that it’s getting colder in Tucson. All the way down to 65°. She went apartment hunting on her scooter, and said it was chilly. They have to move again because Neil’s parents are coming to live in the house that they bought, which Monica and Neil have been tending. And Ramona has kept the lizards in check. Ramona is furry and fluffy again (after being shaved for the summer) so her attitude is out of control.
Speaking of cats, I had to replace our kitty door in the shop window, which, after eight years of abuse, was all twisted and warped. Lots of cold air was coming into the shop, which the cats didn’t appreciate. So I bought a new door, but I had to take the old one out to see how it was put together. Meanwhile, I closed the shop window all the way, to keep out the cold. I left the room, and when I came back in, Rat Cat was banging his head against the window, confused. He was thinking, “This always worked before!” He reminded me of some poor Harry Potter, trying to get through the brick wall at gate #9¾.
Things are coming together for Donna’s wedding! We’re going to need help in the kitchen, and I’ve already talked to some of you about volunteering a half hour apiece to help make sandwiches, fill nuts cups, and take foot out to the cultural hall. Vanessa is taking the first shift. There will probably be kids picking up the dirty dishes, and Donna says she thinks Beverly can find people to help wash the dishes (We’re using the glass plates and cups) so we only need help with the food. Cathy and Amber are coming (yay) and Cathy said they’d help, too. I think we’re covered for everything else!
So much excitement! So much fun! Love to all!
Mom
The big event of the week, of course, was the very quick arrival of Ali Marie Ackerson on Sunday night. Tom called us about 7 pm, more or less, and said they were on their way to the hospital, and they were pretty sure it was going to happen. Or maybe Kim was just going to be “checked,” or whatever. But they weren’t in a big hurry. In fact, Tom and Paul had been planning to go to the Messiah, but Tom cancelled at the last minute. So Tom and Kim headed for the hospital, but evidently, Kim wasn’t in any huge distress. When they got there, the nurse checked Kim and saw that she was dilated to an “8,” and started yelling for people to get in there. Kim’s regular doctor was out of town, and the backup doctor, Tom was sure, was over at the Messiah playing the violin. But fortunately, he wasn’t. Just this once. I guess he got there just in time to deliver Ali, who pushed her way into the world very quickly. After the delivery, they had to suction lots of “gunk” out of her lungs, and air out of her stomach, and since then, they’ve been treating her for infection, but all’s well that ends well. You can see a complete slideshow on ackerson.org, on Tom’s photo gallery. There are lots of great pictures!
The second big even of the week (it would have been #1 in any ordinary week) was Dad appearing on the front page of the Deseret News. They did the interview a couple of months ago, and he had almost forgotten about it. I never heard anything. So it was a total surprise, when the phone started ringing Sunday morning, first John, and then Tom, and then other people, congratulating him. I had been online earlier in the morning, and I always skim the headlines of the Deseret News, before I go on to other things, and I had seen the story about State Street. I figured Dad would want to read it, but I forgot to tell him. I had no idea he was the featured driver! We saw the picture of him online, (you have to agree it could have been more flattering) but I had no idea how huge it was on the front page of the paper, until Nora and James brought theirs over, later on. Now if it had been me, I would have been totally hyped up and psyched out and feeling very important, but Dad was completely nonchalant. He seemed more concerned about a song he had to learn for choir, and getting his home teaching report done. Ah, life!
Monica says that it’s getting colder in Tucson. All the way down to 65°. She went apartment hunting on her scooter, and said it was chilly. They have to move again because Neil’s parents are coming to live in the house that they bought, which Monica and Neil have been tending. And Ramona has kept the lizards in check. Ramona is furry and fluffy again (after being shaved for the summer) so her attitude is out of control.
Speaking of cats, I had to replace our kitty door in the shop window, which, after eight years of abuse, was all twisted and warped. Lots of cold air was coming into the shop, which the cats didn’t appreciate. So I bought a new door, but I had to take the old one out to see how it was put together. Meanwhile, I closed the shop window all the way, to keep out the cold. I left the room, and when I came back in, Rat Cat was banging his head against the window, confused. He was thinking, “This always worked before!” He reminded me of some poor Harry Potter, trying to get through the brick wall at gate #9¾.
Things are coming together for Donna’s wedding! We’re going to need help in the kitchen, and I’ve already talked to some of you about volunteering a half hour apiece to help make sandwiches, fill nuts cups, and take foot out to the cultural hall. Vanessa is taking the first shift. There will probably be kids picking up the dirty dishes, and Donna says she thinks Beverly can find people to help wash the dishes (We’re using the glass plates and cups) so we only need help with the food. Cathy and Amber are coming (yay) and Cathy said they’d help, too. I think we’re covered for everything else!
So much excitement! So much fun! Love to all!
Mom
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Dear Kids,
I didn’t write a letter last week because Thanksgiving wiped everything out of my mind. (I even forgot about my piano students Wednesday afternoon, which I’ve never done before.) But it was great to see everybody during the holiday! Except for Sharon and Seth and Charlie, who will be here soon. (Dec. 14th.) And Monica and Neil. They went camping in the savannah for Thanksgiving, like they did last year. I asked Monica if she wants Tucson to be their permanent home, and she said she would really rather be closer to the snow, and the skiing. Still, 80° in November sounds pretty good to me.
But we’ve got snow here now, and that’s great, too. A couple of weeks ago, Tom got blizzak tires on his car, and then he predicted we wouldn’t have snow for a long time. But Monday evening a snowstorm hit Heber really hard, and he drove to the cabin in the middle of it. He passed a car off the road, on its side, but otherwise, there wasn’t any traffic, except for him. His car cruised right up the hills to the cabin, no problem. So now he’s agreeing with me, Blizzak tires are worth what you pay for them.
And speaking of shelling out money, we got a great big snowblower for the cabin. (John did the shopping for us. He got one for himself, too.) Bevan is already a pro at using snowblowers, from his job at Deer Valley, and everybody else is learning. It’s supposed to be lots of fun, shooting a long jet of snow into the air, but I’ll probably never get a chance at it.
I don’t need to write anything about Thanksgiving, because you can read it all on Nora’s blog: (mairmania.blogspot.com/), or on Missy’s blog: (justthe4ofus-missy.blogspot.com/). Missy also has a great slide show of Thanksgiving, and some new family pictures of them all. If you want to know about Sharon and Seth’s Thanksgiving in Michigan, well, guess what? Sharon has a blog, now, too! The address is: thackersinmichigan.blogspot.com/ She put up some great pictures! I love blogs! How about the rest of you getting on the bandwagon??
If you happen to be listening to the radio in Heber, on their local country station, you might hear an ad for Ackerson Eyecare! As if John didn’t have the market completely sewn up, he’s now into radio ads. Supposedly, you get to hear about the different kinds of contact lenses. But considering it’s a country station, he could also have mentioned his guns, his dogs, his truck, and his lovely wife Heather. (Oh, I forgot, country music is all about love gone wrong. John doesn’t qualify.)
Kim might have their baby any day now. Her doctor is willing to start her labor this Friday (Dec. 1) so Tom will be there, but she hasn’t decided yet. I’m sure she’ll keep us posted.
I know there’s lots more news, but I can’t think what it is. So I’ll mail off this letter, and then I’ll remember everything.
Lots of love, Mom
I didn’t write a letter last week because Thanksgiving wiped everything out of my mind. (I even forgot about my piano students Wednesday afternoon, which I’ve never done before.) But it was great to see everybody during the holiday! Except for Sharon and Seth and Charlie, who will be here soon. (Dec. 14th.) And Monica and Neil. They went camping in the savannah for Thanksgiving, like they did last year. I asked Monica if she wants Tucson to be their permanent home, and she said she would really rather be closer to the snow, and the skiing. Still, 80° in November sounds pretty good to me.
But we’ve got snow here now, and that’s great, too. A couple of weeks ago, Tom got blizzak tires on his car, and then he predicted we wouldn’t have snow for a long time. But Monday evening a snowstorm hit Heber really hard, and he drove to the cabin in the middle of it. He passed a car off the road, on its side, but otherwise, there wasn’t any traffic, except for him. His car cruised right up the hills to the cabin, no problem. So now he’s agreeing with me, Blizzak tires are worth what you pay for them.
And speaking of shelling out money, we got a great big snowblower for the cabin. (John did the shopping for us. He got one for himself, too.) Bevan is already a pro at using snowblowers, from his job at Deer Valley, and everybody else is learning. It’s supposed to be lots of fun, shooting a long jet of snow into the air, but I’ll probably never get a chance at it.
I don’t need to write anything about Thanksgiving, because you can read it all on Nora’s blog: (mairmania.blogspot.com/), or on Missy’s blog: (justthe4ofus-missy.blogspot.com/). Missy also has a great slide show of Thanksgiving, and some new family pictures of them all. If you want to know about Sharon and Seth’s Thanksgiving in Michigan, well, guess what? Sharon has a blog, now, too! The address is: thackersinmichigan.blogspot.com/ She put up some great pictures! I love blogs! How about the rest of you getting on the bandwagon??
If you happen to be listening to the radio in Heber, on their local country station, you might hear an ad for Ackerson Eyecare! As if John didn’t have the market completely sewn up, he’s now into radio ads. Supposedly, you get to hear about the different kinds of contact lenses. But considering it’s a country station, he could also have mentioned his guns, his dogs, his truck, and his lovely wife Heather. (Oh, I forgot, country music is all about love gone wrong. John doesn’t qualify.)
Kim might have their baby any day now. Her doctor is willing to start her labor this Friday (Dec. 1) so Tom will be there, but she hasn’t decided yet. I’m sure she’ll keep us posted.
I know there’s lots more news, but I can’t think what it is. So I’ll mail off this letter, and then I’ll remember everything.
Lots of love, Mom
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Dear Kids,
I just got back from the dentist, and my mouth is numb. So I can’t eat. Besides that, my Dell DJ is dead (won’t charge) and the Windstar still isn’t running like it should. So I’m stuck at home with nothing interesting to do. But there are fun things coming up. Tomorrow I’m driving Grandma and Grandpa to Vernal for Jamie Quinn’s wedding. Grandma has been doing a lot better lately, and she thinks she can make it. (We’re taking their car.) We have reservations at the Dinosaur Inn for Friday night, and we’re coming back Saturday morning. The weather is supposed to be nice! So at least I can look forward to that.
I’m also looking forward to Thanksgiving. Who wouldn’t? There’s 8" of snow at the cabin. Maybe we can go sledding!
And I’m also looking forward to next October, when Dad and I are going camping in the Florida Keys. Dad got his vacation week already: October 1-6. Anybody want to come along? Nora said they’re really tempted. The weather is in the 80's in the daytime and 70's at night.
Donna had her invitations printed, and they look really nice. Tom took the picture, of course, and the writing is printed on one side of the picture, with Donna and Bevan on the other side, hugging each other, looking cute. Donna has decided to hand-address the envelopes, because that’s what’s Beverly Hawkins is doing. The Etiquette books say that’s what you’re supposed to do, but we’re spoiled, with the computer age, where we can print out labels so easily. However, Donna is going by the book. She’s getting Amy to help her, and she says they’ll have a good “bonding session.” Meanwhile, Bevan has moved into the cabin. I haven’t heard whether he and Tom have put up a satellite dish yet, or ordered ESPN. He was promoted at Deer Valley: now he’s a Mountain Supervisor.
I’ve been cleaning out cupboards and shelves, and I’ve found three (3) graduation gowns, two hats, a couple of tassles, and several sets of honor cords. I know last time we needed the gowns, we only found one, but they’re all here now. So Paul, Donna, anybody else graduating, any friends–we’re all set for next spring.
Has anybody been wondering what happened to Miss Strassburg? Vanessa saw her on TV. Actually, it was a satellite broadcast from the conference center. They’ve been having these stake conferences for about 80 stakes at a time, and you meet in your own meetinghouse and watch it on the screen. We had one a couple of months ago. (It sounded great in Spanish. I used the headphones.) Anyway, Vanessa and Trent’s stake was having one, and when they stood up to sing the congregational hymn, at half time, there was Miss Strassburg leading the music. Vanessa got pretty excited, and Trent didn’t know what all the fuss was about. But who in our family wouldn’t get excited to see Miss Strassburg again! I think she’s back downtown, at Eagle Gate, where she lived before.
Paul came home for the weekend, and it was nice to have him around again. He did his laundry, lounged around, went to Church with us, ate Sunday dinner with us, all the usual college-kid stuff. But he knew better than to try to study. He said Tom told him not to even bother bringing books home, because you won’t open them, anyway, and you might forget them when it’s time to go back. It happened to Tom.
The cats are getting thick fur. It’s going to be a snowy winter!
Lots of love, Mom
I just got back from the dentist, and my mouth is numb. So I can’t eat. Besides that, my Dell DJ is dead (won’t charge) and the Windstar still isn’t running like it should. So I’m stuck at home with nothing interesting to do. But there are fun things coming up. Tomorrow I’m driving Grandma and Grandpa to Vernal for Jamie Quinn’s wedding. Grandma has been doing a lot better lately, and she thinks she can make it. (We’re taking their car.) We have reservations at the Dinosaur Inn for Friday night, and we’re coming back Saturday morning. The weather is supposed to be nice! So at least I can look forward to that.
I’m also looking forward to Thanksgiving. Who wouldn’t? There’s 8" of snow at the cabin. Maybe we can go sledding!
And I’m also looking forward to next October, when Dad and I are going camping in the Florida Keys. Dad got his vacation week already: October 1-6. Anybody want to come along? Nora said they’re really tempted. The weather is in the 80's in the daytime and 70's at night.
Donna had her invitations printed, and they look really nice. Tom took the picture, of course, and the writing is printed on one side of the picture, with Donna and Bevan on the other side, hugging each other, looking cute. Donna has decided to hand-address the envelopes, because that’s what’s Beverly Hawkins is doing. The Etiquette books say that’s what you’re supposed to do, but we’re spoiled, with the computer age, where we can print out labels so easily. However, Donna is going by the book. She’s getting Amy to help her, and she says they’ll have a good “bonding session.” Meanwhile, Bevan has moved into the cabin. I haven’t heard whether he and Tom have put up a satellite dish yet, or ordered ESPN. He was promoted at Deer Valley: now he’s a Mountain Supervisor.
I’ve been cleaning out cupboards and shelves, and I’ve found three (3) graduation gowns, two hats, a couple of tassles, and several sets of honor cords. I know last time we needed the gowns, we only found one, but they’re all here now. So Paul, Donna, anybody else graduating, any friends–we’re all set for next spring.
Has anybody been wondering what happened to Miss Strassburg? Vanessa saw her on TV. Actually, it was a satellite broadcast from the conference center. They’ve been having these stake conferences for about 80 stakes at a time, and you meet in your own meetinghouse and watch it on the screen. We had one a couple of months ago. (It sounded great in Spanish. I used the headphones.) Anyway, Vanessa and Trent’s stake was having one, and when they stood up to sing the congregational hymn, at half time, there was Miss Strassburg leading the music. Vanessa got pretty excited, and Trent didn’t know what all the fuss was about. But who in our family wouldn’t get excited to see Miss Strassburg again! I think she’s back downtown, at Eagle Gate, where she lived before.
Paul came home for the weekend, and it was nice to have him around again. He did his laundry, lounged around, went to Church with us, ate Sunday dinner with us, all the usual college-kid stuff. But he knew better than to try to study. He said Tom told him not to even bother bringing books home, because you won’t open them, anyway, and you might forget them when it’s time to go back. It happened to Tom.
The cats are getting thick fur. It’s going to be a snowy winter!
Lots of love, Mom
Thursday, November 9, 2006
Dear Kids,
I’m baking cookies for my fall piano recital, which is on Saturday. It’s such a tradition! I’m sort of nostalgic when I think of how we used to have a whole van full of kids, going to the recital, and now it’s just Dad and myself. But still fun. The Fultons and McGettigans all take piano from me now, and they seem like our kids. We just have to share them with their real parents.
Two letters ago, when I painstakingly listed all the new family members and their numbers, I left off Tom and Kim’s new daughter, due December 8th. I had all my info scribbled on an envelope, and I had made a lot of changes, and somehow I just overlooked her. So sorry!!! To think I would leave off one of my own grandchildren!
Last Friday night Dad and I went to the Hale Center Theater to see “Man of LaMancha” with the McGettigans. (They always have free tickets, because of all the productions their kids are in.) We were just sitting down when somebody called to us from a couple of rows behind, and it was Michael Allen, with his girlfriend, Kylee. There was another couple with them, too. We talked for a few minutes, and then the play started. The next morning, at the bridal shower, I was telling Nancy about the performance, and Renae said that she and Andy were there, too! On the same aisle, but farther back, on the other side. I don’t know how we missed them. So, were any of you there, too? I wouldn’t be surprised. By the way, it was a fabulous performance. Cliff Cole, who posed for the Joseph Smith paintings you see everywhere, played the part of Don Quixote. (We also saw him play the pirate king in “Pirates of Penzance,” a few years ago. He’s one of their regulars.)
Dad had a great time fixing the Windstar, and it’s up and running again. (He even talked about my “freeway incident” in testimony meeting on Sunday.) He found lots to do, and it took about three days. But he was having so much fun, I didn’t want to rush him. I just rode my bike everywhere. He was so psyched up after that, he went out and bought a new timing belt for the truck. He said it’s lots cheaper than paying for a tow truck. If it were me, of course, I wouldn’t do anything until I had to. But then, I don’t like fixing cars.
Allen and Missy already RSVP’d for Thanksgiving, and got their food assignment, so I reserved them a room. Does anybody else want to make a reservation? I’m sure it will be fun, whether we have a lot of people or just a few. I’m planning to bake the pies at the cabin the night before. There’s nothing like the smell of pumpkin pies baking! It’s almost as good as Thanksgiving itself.
Dad and I were election workers on Tuesday, at the Redwood Multipurpose center. We had to be there at 5:30 am to set up the voting machines, and we weren’t done until 9 that night, but the day went really fast. I was surprised. You know the strange people that sit at their tables, eating sandwiches and drinking their drinks, and looking up your name in the polling book? That was me, and a couple of other quirky ladies. Dad roamed around showing people where to go, helping with the machines, filling in for whoever needed a break. We never had long lines of people, but it wasn’t slow, either. Just a steady stream of good citizens coming to vote. Working in that part of town, I thought we’d see a lot of weirdos, but there weren’t too many. Our boss was Laura Searle (now Laura Shepherd,) who started taking piano from me when she was seven. Who would think she’d end up being our boss? We had a lot of fun gossiping about people in the 16th Ward.
Last Friday Donna and Bevan helped me rake leaves and till them into the garden. We’re going to have the best dirt next year! I can’t wait.
Love, Mom
I’m baking cookies for my fall piano recital, which is on Saturday. It’s such a tradition! I’m sort of nostalgic when I think of how we used to have a whole van full of kids, going to the recital, and now it’s just Dad and myself. But still fun. The Fultons and McGettigans all take piano from me now, and they seem like our kids. We just have to share them with their real parents.
Two letters ago, when I painstakingly listed all the new family members and their numbers, I left off Tom and Kim’s new daughter, due December 8th. I had all my info scribbled on an envelope, and I had made a lot of changes, and somehow I just overlooked her. So sorry!!! To think I would leave off one of my own grandchildren!
Last Friday night Dad and I went to the Hale Center Theater to see “Man of LaMancha” with the McGettigans. (They always have free tickets, because of all the productions their kids are in.) We were just sitting down when somebody called to us from a couple of rows behind, and it was Michael Allen, with his girlfriend, Kylee. There was another couple with them, too. We talked for a few minutes, and then the play started. The next morning, at the bridal shower, I was telling Nancy about the performance, and Renae said that she and Andy were there, too! On the same aisle, but farther back, on the other side. I don’t know how we missed them. So, were any of you there, too? I wouldn’t be surprised. By the way, it was a fabulous performance. Cliff Cole, who posed for the Joseph Smith paintings you see everywhere, played the part of Don Quixote. (We also saw him play the pirate king in “Pirates of Penzance,” a few years ago. He’s one of their regulars.)
Dad had a great time fixing the Windstar, and it’s up and running again. (He even talked about my “freeway incident” in testimony meeting on Sunday.) He found lots to do, and it took about three days. But he was having so much fun, I didn’t want to rush him. I just rode my bike everywhere. He was so psyched up after that, he went out and bought a new timing belt for the truck. He said it’s lots cheaper than paying for a tow truck. If it were me, of course, I wouldn’t do anything until I had to. But then, I don’t like fixing cars.
Allen and Missy already RSVP’d for Thanksgiving, and got their food assignment, so I reserved them a room. Does anybody else want to make a reservation? I’m sure it will be fun, whether we have a lot of people or just a few. I’m planning to bake the pies at the cabin the night before. There’s nothing like the smell of pumpkin pies baking! It’s almost as good as Thanksgiving itself.
Dad and I were election workers on Tuesday, at the Redwood Multipurpose center. We had to be there at 5:30 am to set up the voting machines, and we weren’t done until 9 that night, but the day went really fast. I was surprised. You know the strange people that sit at their tables, eating sandwiches and drinking their drinks, and looking up your name in the polling book? That was me, and a couple of other quirky ladies. Dad roamed around showing people where to go, helping with the machines, filling in for whoever needed a break. We never had long lines of people, but it wasn’t slow, either. Just a steady stream of good citizens coming to vote. Working in that part of town, I thought we’d see a lot of weirdos, but there weren’t too many. Our boss was Laura Searle (now Laura Shepherd,) who started taking piano from me when she was seven. Who would think she’d end up being our boss? We had a lot of fun gossiping about people in the 16th Ward.
Last Friday Donna and Bevan helped me rake leaves and till them into the garden. We’re going to have the best dirt next year! I can’t wait.
Love, Mom
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Dear Kids,
I’m stuck home today without a car, because the Windstar died on the interstate yesterday. I was toodling merrily down towards Orem, near Lehi Roller Mills, when I heard a thunking sound inside. But it only lasted a few seconds. No matter. But when I got off the interstate in Orem, I discovered I didn’t have any power steering. I called Dad on my cell, and he said just to be careful. So I drove to Grandma and Grandpa’s, where we had a great visit. (News: Michael Allen has a serious girlfriend, the girl who came with him to Grandpa’s birthday party. Richard flew here from Canada to check her out, and they approve.) So, we had a great time, but when I left for home, I smelled a burning-rubber sort of smell in the car. Then, on the interstate, I saw that the rpm indicator had dropped to zero, and the car started bucking. I called Dad, and while I was talking to him, the speedometer dropped to zero. Dad told me to get off to the side of the road as soon as possible, which I did. Just as I was slowing down on the shoulder, the car totally died. So I called a tow truck, and had it bring us back home. Me and the car. Now it’s sitting sadly in the carport, where Dad has been working on it. First he showed me the shredded timing belt. Several other things went wrong, too–sort of a chain reaction. But he thinks he can get it going again. I hope so! I’ve had so much fun in that car, I can’t stand to give it up. (The car, of course. I won’t give up the fun.)
Dad and I had a lot of fun on Halloween. There weren’t very many trick-or-treaters, (the only really big group was the 20 Polynesians from across the street), but we got to see Nora and James’s kids, because they came over here early in their costumes. (We also got to see Carson and Ellie on Sunday, in their costumes). Which reminds me, I really would like some pictures of your kids in their Halloween costumes, either real pictures, or a disk, or e-mailed ones. Actually, any recent pictures would be great. I’m finally getting back into doing my photo albums, and I hope to be caught up pretty soon.
Thanksgiving is coming up, three weeks from today. Last year I didn’t cook dinner at the cabin, and we just met there for pie in the evening, so I presume some of you are “on” for this year? Let me know. I’ll gladly cook a turkey and pies, and make the gravy, if anybody wants to volunteer for potatoes, salads, rolls, or anything else. Let me know, and also, if you want to reserve a room for any of the nights. I think Dad and I will be there for the whole weekend. Who could believe that it’s time to be thinking about Thanksgiving already?
I talked Nora into starting a blog. You can see it at http://mairmania.blogspot.com/. Right now she just has one picture up, and one entry, but it’s a start. Missy had a long entry last week. I had fun reading it all.
I can’t think of any real news. Oh, well, I wrote a lot last week.
Love, Mom
I’m stuck home today without a car, because the Windstar died on the interstate yesterday. I was toodling merrily down towards Orem, near Lehi Roller Mills, when I heard a thunking sound inside. But it only lasted a few seconds. No matter. But when I got off the interstate in Orem, I discovered I didn’t have any power steering. I called Dad on my cell, and he said just to be careful. So I drove to Grandma and Grandpa’s, where we had a great visit. (News: Michael Allen has a serious girlfriend, the girl who came with him to Grandpa’s birthday party. Richard flew here from Canada to check her out, and they approve.) So, we had a great time, but when I left for home, I smelled a burning-rubber sort of smell in the car. Then, on the interstate, I saw that the rpm indicator had dropped to zero, and the car started bucking. I called Dad, and while I was talking to him, the speedometer dropped to zero. Dad told me to get off to the side of the road as soon as possible, which I did. Just as I was slowing down on the shoulder, the car totally died. So I called a tow truck, and had it bring us back home. Me and the car. Now it’s sitting sadly in the carport, where Dad has been working on it. First he showed me the shredded timing belt. Several other things went wrong, too–sort of a chain reaction. But he thinks he can get it going again. I hope so! I’ve had so much fun in that car, I can’t stand to give it up. (The car, of course. I won’t give up the fun.)
Dad and I had a lot of fun on Halloween. There weren’t very many trick-or-treaters, (the only really big group was the 20 Polynesians from across the street), but we got to see Nora and James’s kids, because they came over here early in their costumes. (We also got to see Carson and Ellie on Sunday, in their costumes). Which reminds me, I really would like some pictures of your kids in their Halloween costumes, either real pictures, or a disk, or e-mailed ones. Actually, any recent pictures would be great. I’m finally getting back into doing my photo albums, and I hope to be caught up pretty soon.
Thanksgiving is coming up, three weeks from today. Last year I didn’t cook dinner at the cabin, and we just met there for pie in the evening, so I presume some of you are “on” for this year? Let me know. I’ll gladly cook a turkey and pies, and make the gravy, if anybody wants to volunteer for potatoes, salads, rolls, or anything else. Let me know, and also, if you want to reserve a room for any of the nights. I think Dad and I will be there for the whole weekend. Who could believe that it’s time to be thinking about Thanksgiving already?
I talked Nora into starting a blog. You can see it at http://mairmania.blogspot.com/. Right now she just has one picture up, and one entry, but it’s a start. Missy had a long entry last week. I had fun reading it all.
I can’t think of any real news. Oh, well, I wrote a lot last week.
Love, Mom
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