March 17, 2003

Dear Jude- - -

We were just delighted to get an ole fashioned hand written note! Will you accept a computer typed letter in return??? I could send you an email, and will one of these times.

You are most welcome to the birthday gift. It sounds as though you made $25.00 go a long way. That's our Judy!!

I am so excited that you now have Windows 95. That is what I have, too. And I understand your frustration!!!!! I get so mad at mine some times I feel like smacking it to the side of the head so I have to get up and leave the room for awhile. It is great that Angela is able to teach you how to use it. I think it is amazing that these young kids know so much about it. She will be able to help you more in June?? I hope she shapes up, too. You will have a good influence on her I'm sure. It surely was nice of your sister to send you a computer. Our foster son, Clint, and his father gave us ours or we still wouldn't have one. You may remember that I keep notes on my calender more-or-less daily and have done since 1982. I am in the process of typing these notes on the computer so I will have a written journal. Do you have a printer yet? I am slow at it as other things take precedent, but I am currently typing 1998. So, I wouldn't want to be without the computer now, and told Merlin if it dies I will have to have a new one.

It is fun that your brother can email you now. And I am glad that the missionaries that contacted him were "nice." Does your sister email you, too? It is a great way to communicate. Is your computer set up so all your sent messages are saved? That is a neat feature to have as it is a history you can refer to later. Ask Angela to set this up for you if it isn't already done.

Sorry about your friend, Velda. Is her blood pressure stabilized now? I surely wish someone could get your names temple ready. It is strange to me you are having so much trouble. Of course, what do I know? I've never tried to submit any names myself, I am ashamed to admit.

I did send you that email about what might work to lower gas prices. Hope you got the message. That is something I haven't tried to do before - - - forward a message to other people and I did send it to 10 others. That is about all I have on my mailing list except for people my sister had already sent it to.

You really surprised me by getting your eyelids done!! I didn't think they needed it. Guess I was comparing yours with the way mine looked before my operation. They were REALLY droopy. Anyway, I'm glad you did, and am glad you are pleased with the results. You better be for the price it cost you!!!!!!!!

The note card your wrote on is very cute. It looks like an original and not a copy of the girl's art but it must be a copy - - - she surely couldn't draw enough originals to be sending them out for note paper. Sounds like a good organization that is helping her and others. Lots of good people in this old world but we hear the most about the other kind.

Your tomato plants sound interesting. I hope you get some really edible fruit. It would be quite an accomplishment.!

Your friend, Melissa, is home now and I assume you have had a visit with her. Did she really enjoy her time in Japan? It is wonderful she stayed sober 4 ½ months. Hope she can stick to it now she is home. You did say she is a church member, didn't you?

Does the lady you took to the AA meeting live in your ward? It is an acknowledgment of how far you have come that they would send her to you for help. Sorry she was a "smart pants" but you certainly would know how to handle that and not be put down by her. Maybe she will think about it and go again.

Doug and Gwen went away, to Zions Park, for 3 days and two nights and we went out to their house to ride herd on the kids and their friends. The kids were all well behaved so it wasn't a trial. Gwen had pizza and meat pies in the freezer and vegetables and cottage cheese and etc. all there for our use so I didn't have to cook from scratch, which was good. The kids have chores and part of them did theirs but grandma (being grandma) did some of the work. I did all the dishes and cooked what was there to cook, and that was about all. When we got the kids off to school then Mer and I came home until time to be there when they returned. Doug and Gwen were celebrating their wedding anniversary. Their oldest son, Jeffery Ammon, is going to college in Ft. Collins, CO to get his Master's degree but it was Spring break and he came "home" for a week. His wife had to stay in CO as she has a job. He came to visit us for a few hours and we had lunch then played a game of Scrabble. He LOVES to play games. Have you ever played Scrabble? We should play it together some time. When will you come again??

Lori's daughter, Marnie, turned 10 on the 13th and I just can't believe it has been 7 years since I was tending her while Lori worked! In some ways the time goes by very quickly. We went out to their house for dinner and strawberry shortcake. I've never had that for a birthday cake before, but that is what she wanted and it was delicious. The little girl, Charlotte, is now 19 months old and such fun. She put her little hand out and beaconed to grandpa and said, "Mere" and took him over to the couch where was a pile of books. He thought she wanted him to read to her but she wanted to "read" to him and proceeded to turn the pages and her voice took on a definite "reading" sound but you couldn't understand a word she said. She "read" him 6 books and it was darned cute. Lori said, "well, that makes me feel like I am doing something right." Of course, she is really doing most things right. We are really well pleased with her and Chris in almost every way. They could do better in the money management area. They just purchased a baby grand piano, which is lovely but was not a necessary item to be sure. And now they have monthly payments for that as well as their home payment and etc. UGH!

Our kids on the east coast and those on the west coast are all doing well. We have two granddaughters going to BYU and we see them occasionally . One is a cross country runner on the BYU team and that is fun.

Kay and Don are in Mesa but will be coming home the first part of April. I will be glad to have them back. Bea, Leah and I play "Oh, Hell" most Tues mornings and Kay will join us when she gets home and it is then even more fun. Leah and Al are both none to well. Bea and Cliff are doing somewhat better. Don is having acupuncture treatments as he is bent over and hurts all the time. It is not doing him a lot of good this year. Last year it seemed to help quite a bit.

However, he will come home and get to work on his Iris plants and will work and work and work. Kay thinks he will eventually drop dead in his Iris garden and he will think that was a really neat way to go! Kay has a lot of pain but keeps on working like the world would fall to pieces if she slowed down! She puts all the rest of us to shame.

Well, Dear Jude, it is time for me to go prepare dinner, so I will print this off and get it in the mail tomorrow.

Think about you a lot and love you bunches