I have wondered where to
start, and often wished someone else was writing about me. It may not belong in
an auto-biography, but I think I will tell something of the life of my mother.
Already entered in the computer is much from the
journal of my Grandfather Hovey, and all I have about my grandmother Hovey. I
have made copies of the journals of my mother, which she kept from just before
she met the missionaries and joined the church until she arrived in "
Annie Stokes Hovey was born
Annie was the eldest in the family, as was her father in his family. Her
sister Maud was born two years later, her sister Sophia (Sophie) 1886, brother William 1891. Another brother, Cecil, was born in
1893, and died 1895 of exema.
Annie's mother came from very well to do people. Her mother and her
mother's two brothers were very talented musically and went around the country
giving concerts. Her two great
uncles on her mother's side raised fine horses for the
Queen's carriages. (It is interesting that my husband's great grandfather Peter
Betts invented a spring which made the Queen's carriages much more comfortable
to ride in, and he was Knighted for it.)
Annie’s father had a "green thumb" and loved gardening. He
raised and sold plants to neighbors. This was his hobby. His work was in
insurance, as he collected insurance premiums from the miners who worked the
mines nearby. He did not make a great deal of money, and probably would have
liked to spend all his time growing things. Annie's mother had her own money
which lasted most of her life, so the family were well
provided for, a good average middle class family.
Annie had what would now be called Polio in her youth, which left her
feet and legs crippled. The doctors of the day wanted to break the bones in her
feet and reset them to enable her to walk more comfortably, but this she would
not let them do.
Most children of those days went to school until they were fifteen years
old, then were apprenticed to some Master of a trade.
Annie was apprenticed to a Dressmaker for five years, her sister Maud in the Shopkeeping trade, and Sophia got an automatic knitting
machine. I think she worked in a shop also. They worked a five and a half day week.
On the half day off they did the heavy work around the home, including the
washing, which was far from easy then. The white clothes were boiled as well as
washed. Being raised in a middle class home did not mean they did not learn to
work.
Nevertheless they often found time to visits friends, take tea with
them, and give entertainments in their homes in the evenings. In those days
they provided the entertainment. Songs, skits and such things were the order of
the entertainments. They seemed to do much cooking, always having pies or tarts
or other goodies to pass around every time anyone came to call. Bread or meat
was taken to the bake houses to be cooked, and called for when done.
Cleaning and blacking the stove was one of the jobs to be done often,
and even oftener the taking out of the ashes.
Spring cleaning came oftener than spring, when they whitewashed all the
walls and ceilings, needed because of the smoke from the open fires.
So Annie and her sisters grew up and learned to work, and learned a
trade, and obeyed their parents. They attended the Church of England regularly.
The one in the family who became somewhat "spoiled" was the one
brother, William.
Annie finished her dressmaking apprenticeship and set up as dressmaker
in a nearby town for a while. Later she returned home and did dressmaking from
her parent’s home. I am not sure why she went back home, but would guess that
it was to help her mother. Her sisters and brother were still at home at the
time. Her sisters and mother helped her with the dressmaking when she was
rushed, so they helped each other as families should.
One day Annie was alone downstairs, probably working or sewing, when
there was a knock at the door. She started to go to the door to answer the
knock, but some power seemed to make it impossible for her to move. My mother
could be a very determined lady indeed, and she said to herself, "I will
go and answer the door," and with renewed effort she managed to break free
and go to the door. There she found two young men, who had called to see the
lady of the house as they had been told she had a room to rent.
My mother went upstairs to tell her mother the gentlemen wanted to see
her. Her aunt was there, and she said to her aunt, "I have the strangest
feeling that the coming of those men will change my whole life."
The young men rented the room, and as all good missionaries do, preceded
every chance they had, to tell members of the family about the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
My grandmother was very good to the young men, who did not seem to have
very much to eat, so she often sent them things to add to what they were
having. They often had only bread and onions for supper. (I wonder if that is why
I like so much to have bread and thin slices of raw onion for my supper?)
My grandparents listened to the young men and were good to them, but
were not interested in their message. But my mother and her sister Maud were
interested in what they had to say. They read the Book of Mormon and my mother
received that "Burning in the bosom" which told her beyond any doubt
that it was true. Maud too decided it was true.
Then my grandparents were very upset that they had converted their
daughters, and told the missionaries to leave the house. They wanted their
daughters to have nothing more to do with them. But for once they did not obey
their parents, and it was a very hard thing to do, for until that time they had
always obeyed their parents. They were of age to act for themselves so they
were baptized. Things were not as comfortable around home after that, and while
the missionaries
did come back to visit the girls, their parents did
not want them there.
But while there were the two of them to go together to meetings and
conferences, and read the scriptures and have prayers together it was not bad.
Then after being faithful for some time, I do not know just how long, my aunt
began to go out with a young man who had been ordained minister for another church.
At first he would go to her church with her if she would in turn go to his
church. So it is not hard to guess that before long she left the church.
Then my mother felt lonely indeed, with her parents wanting her to do as
her sister had done, leave the church. Her father was quite antagonistic
against the missionaries so they could hardly come to strengthen her. She had
one good friend who told her she could come and live at her house if her
parents put her out. This friend was very good to her and to the missionaries,
although she did not join the church while my mother knew her.
So it is no wonder that Annie longed to go to "
So Annie sewed and saved to earn enough money to go to
It took quite a while but finally she had enough. The conference
president told her he thought she should go to
After Annie joined the church she would not date young men who were not
members of the church. So as there were none such in her vicinity, she did not
go out with any young men.
By 1902 she was ready to leave
On the ship she found the girl she was traveling with had head lice, and
it was necessary to wash her waist long hair every day to keep the pests away.
The girl was going to
When she arrived in
We have the gospel of Jesus Christ today because our parents and
grandparents had the courage to give their all that we might have it. What a
debt we owe to them.
But life was not easy for her after realizing her dreams. She did
dressmaking to make a living, and not a easy living
either. One day Grafton G. Hovey sat in a meeting in
So she had done everything the way she believed it should be done by a
member of the true church. But her sorrows were not over. They wanted a family,
but did not have a baby for five years. Then because of a difficult birth the
baby was stillborn. The baby would have been a son, just what my father wanted.
But it was not to be. The next child was myself, and I was strong and healthy,
and had too much of the wild blood of Ephraim to be an easy child to raise, especially for parents past their youth.
Later Annie had twin girls, and lost one stillborn because the doctor
was "under the influence" and smothered the unborn twin. The other
little girl lived to six weeks and contracted whooping cough. Babies that age
are supposed to be immune to communicable diseases, but she caught it from me
and died from it. One child left out of the four. A child who felt that in some
way she was responsible for the baby's death. And so
acted as mean as could be because she did not know what else to do. Poor parents.
As the Lord says He tries those he loves, I can only assume he loved my
mother and father very much.
Life on a farm in
Annie always told people about the gospel. From the time she was
converted, she went around her village in
Considering her lameness, my mother accomplished a surprising amount of
work. Always busy. And nearly always suffering with pain in
her legs and feet. She did all the genealogical work she could, and
attended the temple as often as possible.
I did not know how she likely felt when I went to
And I grew up, and got married, and a few years later my father had a
growth which was found to be cancer. As it grew into his head, he had to go to
Mother sold her home in Raymond when we moved to the farm to look after
it, and lived in the small house we had in Raymond. When we moved to Rosemary
she came with us and lived with us off and on until her death. It was rather
lonely for her on our farm in Rosemary, so from time to time she visited friends
in Raymond, and for a while lived with a niece of my father who was alone too.
She could often be found reading the scriptures in her room. I seem to
remember that she often read the Doctrine and Covenants and I have a picture in
my mind of her sitting in her rocking chair reading it. And if she was not
reading she was sewing. She did much sewing for other people all her life, and
especially for me and my family. I think she likely did some sewing the year
she died. From the time she was converted to the gospel until her death she had
a strong testimony, and it never wavered.
One of her happiest times was when the first grandson went on a mission.
Always she wanted to "make repayment" for the sacrifice of the
missionaries who brought the gospel to her. As she did not have a son to go on
a mission a grandson was the next best. Many of the missionaries she knew in
She died at age 88 in the hospital in
I think because my mother had such a difficult time when she had her
first child, when the second was expected Grandmother Stokes came to
I grew up on the farm until I was seven. I can remember playing outside,
and often running into the house to ask my mother "what can I do?"
With an only child that seems to be an eternal question.
I did have a few playmates, only in the summers. A couple who had a farm
half a mile away had adopted a Hawaiian girl while on their mission. I remember
playing with a young duck we had captured and put in a tub of water. And on the
west side of them there was a family named
We went to church in
This probably influenced my life to some extent and it seemed easier to
be by myself than make efforts to be friendly. The same girls, later then they
wanted to come to Raymond for a dance or entertainment and wanted some place to
stay and eat, were very friendly with me, or tried to be. I think I managed to
be nice to them, which seemed to be quite an achievement to me at the time.
After the death of my twin sisters, my father thought it might help my
mother to take her on a trip to visit his folks. He never felt he had the money
to send her home to
I remember that my father had given my mother some gold pieces for the
trip, each worth $20.00, which was quite a bit of money then. I thought those
gold pieces were just what I wanted, and coaxed my mother to let me hold them.
She was a softie and let me take them. When my father saw that I had them he
took them away from me and kept them himself. My mother was too proud to ask
for money after that, and did not spend a cent on the trip. My father could not
stand having money carelessly handled, he had found it
too hard to come by. So I am not sure how much good the trip did for my mother,
but she did enjoy visiting.
We also met two of my father's sisters. They seemed very tall and stern
to me at age near five. Later they came to visit us and tried their best to
reform me, so I was still of the same opinion. I was terrified of thunder
storms as a child, and never have liked them as an adult. We had a bad storm
while the aunts were visiting. I knew I was very wicked and they were always so
good, so I crept up to one of the chairs an aunt was sitting on, and put my
feet on a spindle of the chair. That, I was sure, would protect me because I
was right by her and she was so good she was sure to be protected. And she was.
By the time I had children of my own I just had to overcome my fear of
thunder and lightening, at least enough so that I could raise my children
without them being frightened to storms. I think I succeeded. Maybe it could be
because they thought I was so silly to be frightened of them. I fear kids can
always tell if you are frightened.
When I was a baby the way to go anywhere was by buggy and horse. My
mother learned to drive the horse, but was, I am sure, very nervous about doing
it. Once when I was a small baby we, my mother and grandmother and I, were
driving to
I can't remember how old I was when my mother's brother William came to
stay with us. He was a young man and wanted to do something different as young
men do. He worked for my father on the farm, and tried his patience no end. A
green Englishman, and one who did not learn fast enough to suit my father, but
he put up with him as he was mother's brother.
William liked to encourage me to do things my parents did not want me to
do. I could always run to him and hide after doing something I should not have
done. That is not good for a child. Uncle Willie had a bit of an ornery
disposition.
I can still see him riding off in the evenings. He never did learn to
ride a horse with any elegance. Both arms would flop up and down with each move
of the horse, and it was quite a sight. On those evenings he stayed at home he
embroidered. A man embroidering? Many of the men in
When the world war came along he was very frightened that he would be
drafted back to
My aunt told us that he came back to
Then when I was still a small child my father decided to get a Ford car.
I am sure he thought long and carefully before doing such a daring thing. He
learned to drive, but it was much longer before he learned that saying
"Whoa" did not stop a car. The special occasions were going to
One time on such a trip in
One of the things I can still remember is when we went to the dedication
of the
So we moved to Raymond and I started school at age seven. I did not have
any trouble with the school work, but getting along with the other students was
not always easy. But I had plenty of friends, and got into trouble along with
them without any effort. Maybe I led them into trouble,
at least we usually found it. When there are two parents, and only one child,
they do seem to have a lot of time to correct you! This is likely as difficult
as not having enough attention.
My parents took me to all the church meetings, and there were three on
Sunday then. Sunday School in the morning, sacrament
meeting in the afternoon, and a meeting called Mutual meeting in the evening.
This was a meeting like the afternoon one, except that it was where returned
missionaries spoke, and visiting speakers, etc. As you may guess, that was a
lot of meetings for a child. On a hot summer day it seemed the hardest thing in
the world to go to the afternoon meeting. I never objected to going to Sunday School or the evening meeting. But object I did to the
afternoon meeting. To no effect. If necessary my
father took me in hand, literally, and marched me to church.
You might think that would cause me to stop going to church when I was
old enough. Not so. I always knew that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints was the true church of our Heavenly Father. I knew Jesus Christ had died
for us, and the least we could do was try to do as he wanted us to do. And I
still feel the same way, and pray I will endure to the end and be as staunch as
my forefathers. I don't want them to be ashamed of me when we meet over there.
I was a conscientious student, and could not bear to get a low mark for
anything. Usually I was about third place in the marks, always there were two
people who got a mark or two better than I did.
Soon after we moved to Raymond my parents purchased a new piano so that
I could become a good musician. My mother always wanted to play and sing. But
the good singing voice others in her family enjoyed did not come to her, but
she did the best she could with what she had. I was either fortunate or
unfortunate to have Lorenzo Snow Mitchell for my piano teacher. He later went
to
Children usually like to play better than practice the piano, and I was
no different. I also liked to work in the garden better than practice. But I
did get through some grades and play not too badly, but had one problem I have
never overcome. I could not play in public, no matter how much I wanted to. So
I have only played for my own satisfaction. Every time I tried to play in
public everything that made my playing worth listening to deserted me.
One of the usual chores before going to school on washday was turning
the washer with a stick in a socket that ran the washer. No electricity or gas
motors. How tired a kid could get of swinging that washer stick back and forth. And if I got into too much trouble that washer stick
made a good punishment rod. Once I was late because I had to swing the stick
too long. How unfair that was, for I had never been late before and thought it
a terrible thing to happen to me.
When I was a child I remember keeping my small bit of spending money in
a little tin cough drop box. That money was saved for a long time until we went
to the Fair. If I had 35 cents to spend there, I was probably the richest child
there. Those were the days when a nickel bought a nickel’s worth. And a Fair
was the place to spend money, and faster than a wink.
I could howl very loudly when I put my mind to it. One time my father
decided I really must be punished. I am sure I did not get a fraction of the
punishment I earned, as he hardly ever chastized me. But this time he gave me a
switching with a willow stick, and I howled loud enough to bring the neighbors,
who lived half a mile away, out where they could see what terrible thing had
happened to me. My father did not deserve that embarrassment. I can't remember
that he punished me after that.
I always liked to raise plants, and helped my mother in the garden. She
must have had her father's green thumb too. I remember she usually had nice
ripe tomatoes by July 1.
I liked to raise flowers and in the growing season I was usually busy in
my spare time around the yard. You would not think that would cause trouble for
me, but it did. The neighbors seeing me digging and
spading and working would say to their children "Why don't you do
something in the yard like
When we were living in Raymond the job I hated the most was mopping the
kitchen floor, which I had to do every Saturday afternoon. Why, mopping that
floor actually made me sick, but it was surprising how fact I felt better after
I had finished doing it.
As my father was out at the farm most of the time we lived in town, I
automatically became the man of the house. My mother was not strong, so I tried
to do the hard work, and the chores. I painted the ceilings and walls and
woodwork in the house, and finally decided the outside needed painting too. At
this time I was probably about fourteen or fifteen. So I painted all the
outside of the house, which anyone could do, but for me it was especially hard
as I hated high places. I had to force myself to paint around the top of the
house.
But my green thumb persisted through the years, and I went from failure
to failure, without a great deal of encourage-
meant from the results. I just liked doing it.
I do not know, not having tried it with brothers and sisters, but
perhaps being the only child makes one more serious, and more apt to take the
weight of the world on your shoulders. A neighbor man liked to ask me questions
to hear my answers, which were more like an adult speaking. I spoke with adults
all the time at home, so why not.
In spite of being strong physically, I got bad colds every winter. One
winter I had one so bad my parents were sure they were going to lose me. I
suppose it was pneumonia. How my poor mother managed all that nursing and worry
I will never know, because she was not physically strong. She jumped at every
sound I made, thinking I must be dying. I did not get well for a long time, and
looked like a ghost when I first tried to walk.
I must not forget to write about my first date. Don't think the kids now
days would win a prize for early dating. I think it might have been in grade
three or four, and the boy sitting across the aisle
asked me for a date. What excitement. Nobody else in the class was dating, but
I suppose someone had to start it. He took me to an entertainment in the Opera
House, and we shyly held hands as we walked across the alley from the school.
This Opera House was built about the year my father came to
One summer, after we had gone to Raymond for Church, we could see a
storm coming, but wanted to get back to the farm before the storm broke. So we
started out but did not make it. The storm brought thunder and lightening and
hailstones as large as golf balls. The sides of the car consisted of
"curtains" made of fairly heavy material. They were not heavy enough
for the hail though. My mother shrieked out that she had been hit, and she
thought she had been hit by the lightening, but it was by the hail. Made a very nasty bruise. We turned around and went back to
the house in Raymond and found the windows had been broken out on the storm
side of the house. That took care of the crops for that year for many farmers,
but I can't remember if the farm was in the area that caught storm. It seems
like it missed the worst of it.
Blizzards were common in those days in southern
When we lived in Raymond during the school year, we needed milk, so we
kept a cow or two in town for that purpose. That was a common thing then. We
had a small pasture and a barn and small chicken house on the home lot. So I
learned to milk cows fairly early and had that job. Also
feeding them.
So wear old clothes to milk night and morning, and change clothes for
school. And change after milking in the evening.
Early on I got tired of changing clothes. One Sunday I missed changing
my shoes and wore the old milk splattered ones to evening meeting. Of course I
noticed it immediately I got in the building. That was a very uncomfortable
meeting, worse than wearing odd shoes.
As my father did not have the son he wanted, and he needed the help of
one on the farm, I did some of the things a brother would have done. I can
remember staying out of school to help in the harvest, mainly stooking grain.
When night came I thought I had never been so tired, or ever would be again.
Those bundles of grain were
I suppose it is no wonder I was at least half tomboy.
As my mother was a dressmaker I started to sew at an early age. She was
always willing to teach me what she knew, but never did I come even close to
sewing as well as she did. Had I put in as many hours sewing I might have
reached the same perfection. I was not afraid to tackle anything anyway. At
about age 14 I made my own winter coat, and my friends would not believe that I
had made it.
In my early teens I wanted to embroider everything, bed spreads, dresser
runners, table covers, any kind of fancy work. I knit
and crocheted and tatted, and hooked rugs. I also painted on cloth and all such
things. I think I did so much of that kind of work I did not want to do much of
it after I was older.
One winter my father made arrangements to have the stock on the farm
looked after by a neighbor, and prepared to serve a six month's mission for the
church. He left two cows in town for me to milk, with sufficient feed. One of
the cows liked to kick and I was frightened of her. I kept trying to milk her,
but was not old enough to have enough authority to make her behave. She ended
up going dry. My father went to
When I was fourteen years of age, my parents took a seven year old girl
to live with us. The difference in age made it impossible for us to be close
friends at that time although I do not remember any particular difficulties
between us. She was the daughter of Howard's cousin, and her mother had died.
Her father did not keep the children together as he could not look after them.
When she was sixteen she left to live with friends. We kept in touch with her
and visited her after she was married. Her name was Georgina Crawford, and she
married Paul Woolersheim and they lived in
In those days we did not have disposable sacrament cups. The Bee Hive
girls, so called, were called to wash the sacrament cups each Sunday. We all
had plenty of turns. Each cup had to be well washed and dried. And it was a
good sized ward. That kept us out of mischief for a while.
My parents, being staunch members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints taught me well in the scriptures and doctrines of the church.
Many hours my mother read to me from the Book of Mormon, until I read it for
myself. I went through all the classes for girls, and the full young women's
program. As soon as I was 17 I was called to teach a small group of girls
barely two years younger than myself.
A year or so later I was called to be Stake Sunday School Secretary.
After public school I attended the Raymond School of Agriculture for two
years. This school had high school subjects and also subjects relating to farms
for the boys and housekeeping and sewing for the girls. We also studied
Horticulture. In the second year after, supposedly, learning to cook, we cooked
and served a banquet to the staff. That was a very nerve wracking experience.
Another was when I and another girl were assigned to clean the coal cook
stove. We had sets of instructions, which said
But all in all I have always been glad I attended that school. Not only
did I learn a few things, but I had a great time. I walked to the school, and
it was over a mile. In winter it was possible to get rather frost bitten. And
one time a train man offered me a ride on the engine, and I was foolish enough
to take it. Rather dirty.
After that school, I went to
What did young people do for dates in those days.
We went to motion picture shows, to church and church functions, visited in the
homes as now, and sometimes took trips. To row in a boat on a lake near
Howard had been the boy across the road, as his family had moved into
the house across the main road from us when I was about age twelve. He had two
sisters, one about the same age as I was, Effie, and
Lenna who was a couple of years or so older. We became friends. Not long after
this "they" were saying Howard and I had a very bad case of puppy
love. For years some horrid boys in the neighborhood called me Howard. And they
had chosen a great way to make life miserable for me. Years later I met one of
those boys then grown up to a middle aged man, and to my surprise he seemed to
be a nice fellow. I would never have believed that could happen when I was
young. It is not only in this age that young people date too early, I have to
admit.
We had been going together for some time before getting married in the
I had a garden and some flowers and could always keep busy.
A few times I went with Howard when he went to work for farmers and the
land was a distance away. After Denyse was born I did not go out to work again
until after our youngest son was twenty-three. So I stayed home and looked
after the children, and after we went on the farm, raised chickens and turkeys
and helped on the farm.
One day about a month before Denyse was born,
there was a great storm of lightening and thunder. The Lightening hit the
electrical wire near our house and knocked the electrical meter from the wall,
and it rolled to my feet. As I was frightened of Lightening anyway, it was a
wonder that Denyse was not marked in some way by this occurrence.
When Denyse was about 18 months, my father developed signs of cancer. He
had a brown spot on the side of his face, and the doctor told him he should
have it removed. But he grew up in the days when you never went to a doctor
unless all else failed, so he did not have it done, and it turned to cancer. It
grew into his head, and of course he could no longer be responsible for all his
actions. This was a terrible time for all of us, and finally we had to let him
to go Oliver, where he stayed until his death. For years afterwards I dreamed
about him and what he had to suffer. It was hard to understand why a righteous
man should have to suffer so much. We felt we could not stand it, but had to.
So we had to move to the farm to take care of it. Mother sold her house
and lived in our little house in town. On the farm we lived in the house my
father built as his first house there.
The other three children were born while we were living on the farm
there. We found plenty of work to do there. The farm was not big enough to make
a good living, but it seemed to take as much work. We had some cattle, hogs and
I raised some turkeys. The turkeys were a lot of work, as we did not have a
barn for them. When the hens started laying it was too cold for the eggs to be
left out, and it seemed like I spent my time hunting to find where they hid
their nests. I managed to find enough to raise a flock of turkeys. I waited
until I found the hen sitting on the nest all the time, and put enough eggs
back for her to sit on. Usually some of them hatched. One year I raised 115
mature turkeys from 12 mother hens, and of course a gobbler.
The flocks, after the young were large, would take to wandering to the
neighbors, and it was a job to bring them back. We lost turkeys that way too, as the neighbors raised a few turkeys and were sure
some of ours belonged to them, and accused us of stealing them. Their turkeys
wandered to our place first, and so mixed with ours and started them wandering.
But rather than have a fight over it, we let them have what they claimed,
although I knew they were the ones I had raised. We sold the turkeys after
dressing them, and that was work too.
My father always told me that I could drive his car if he did not have
to teach me to drive. No Drivers Ed. then.
And it always turned out that someone who said "sure, I will be
glad to teach you to drive" ended up not doing so. It was not until 1937 I
learned to drive, the year Colin was born. Colin was born in the poorest year
we had on the Raymond farm. I remember driving to town and buying a pound of
hamburger the week before he was born. That was a great treat for us, and
tasted so good.
We raised grain and hay, and sugar beets. We had a Japanese family from
It was a job watching the children and getting the work done. I would
have to feed hay crews, and men who helped haul the beets and other things. We
had help from time to time. It was a good thing a new mother got to stay in the
hospital for ten days then, it was the only rest we got.
I did get sick a couple of times and had to "rest".
We did not have a car much of the time. We had to have a tractor, and
could not have both. So we rode to town in a trailer Howard built, pulled back
of the tractor. I could not have a church position when we did not have a car.
And the only time anyone from the Relief Society came to visit me was in the
fall when they wanted to have a turkey dinner.
Then the Presidency would come out in their fine car and fine clothes,
and into our humble home, and ask me to donate the turkeys. And so I did. Had to dress them too, of course.
While we went to town in the trailer, we would take the children to
Sunday school, but as meeting was at night we did not feel we could take them
to that. With the trailer it took some time to get home and was too late for
them to be up.
We milked cows, and I traded butter for groceries. We could only have
meat in the winter, when it could be kept frozen. So we had some chickens for
meat in the summer. We did not have a refrigerator. We used a hole dug in the
ground, with a cover. It would keep milk and water and butter cool for a day or
two, but we were not able to keep meat long that way.
We had a coal stove and heater. I used flat irons heated on the coal
stove, and everything needed ironing, no perma-press. Later I got a gas iron.
We used coal oil lamps at first, and when we got a gas lamp we thought we had
enough light for anything.
For a while after we moved to the Raymond farm I went back to town to
wash with the washer there, but the washer was not too reliable. Later Howard
traded a load of wheat for a used Maytag washer. We got a gas motor and I could
wash on the farm, when I could start the motor, or Howard started it for me.
Many a time I started that motor when it stopped by a prayer. And sometimes
nothing worked and I had to leave the washing in the middle and do it another
day. That was frustrating as the water had to be hauled from the well for
washing, and then heated on the stove in a boiler. Twice seemed too much, with
all there was to do. And a load of wheat was a high price to pay for a washer.
One time we were all caught in town by a blizzard. Howard was worried
about a heifer which was due to calve, but could do nothing about it until the
storm stopped, when he walked to the farm. He hunted for the heifer, and found
her and knew she had calved. He had little hope of finding the calf. She was
standing by a small irrigation ditch, and he dug down through the snow to the
bottom of the ditch. To his surprise he found the calf snug and warm under the
snow and very much alive.
The house needed insulation but we had no money to do it, so were none
too warm on the farm during the winter. The only warm place sometimes seemed to
be in bed. For us, that is. It was a nightmare to keep the smallest child
covered. No matter how cold they always kick off all the covers and lie there
happily getting colder and colder. After trying sewing them in sleeping bags, and having them still get out, I often took them to bed
with us. Then we knew they were warm, and so were we, if sometimes rather damp.
(No plastic diaper covers in those days).
Several times we were storm bound in Raymond when I had gone there to
wash. Howard would leave me and the children there and go back to work on the
farm. Several times he walked through deep snow to bring a pail of milk to town
for the children. You could not buy milk in the stores, but had to order it
through a dairy and then they would deliver it, but you could not order it for only
one or two days, nor get it delivered immediately when you ordered it. So we
had to have milk, for the youngest at the time if not the others. We had a few
good blizzards while we lived on the Raymond farm.
We tried to teach the children not to play with matches, but I suppose
it only made them more determined to find out what matches were all about. One
day Colin and Rod made a fire under our bed. Why under our bed? It was, they
thought, big enough to hide what they were doing. I could smell smoke however
so stopped that before the bedding caught fire.
Howard needed help in driving the tractor, especially one time when a
calf belonging to his father which he was pasturing
got away and headed back home. He and Colin went on the tractor to bring it
back. They found the calf all right but Colin could not drive it the way it did
not want to go. So Colin had to drive the tractor while Howard drove the calf
back. Colin was six at that time and after that was soon driving the truck as
well, but on the farm only. In those days when you needed help the children had
to supply it, sometimes anyway.
We only had 40 acres of the farm that was irrigated, where we raised hay
and beets. Several years the rest of the land was too dry for a good crop. So
it sounded good when a man named Bishop Norton spoke at conference and told us
what a good place Rosemary was to live and raise a family. All irrigated land
and sure crops. Howard was not a bit interested at first, and said he had all
the irrigation he wanted to handle. He was not going. But gradually something
changed his mind and we ended up selling the farm and moving to Rosemary. We
finally got everything packed up and on the train and wagon, and went by car on
What a move that was, as we took everything. Literally
everything. I said I would never move again if we had to take everything
we had on a farm with us. Cattle and horses went by train, and everything that
we did not need immediately. A loaded wagon took the things we felt we had to
have until the train load arrived. I even took a few plants with me, as it was
warm enough in March that year to dig them up and plant them in Rosemary.
Being warm in Rosemary was what caused us to get stuck when we were
nearly there. Had to get a new neighbor out of bed to pull us
out with his tractor. When the cattle got there, they wanted to go back
home right away, and were very hard to drive to the new farm from the train.
After they got there they got away again later and started for home. A man saw
them and corralled them and milked the cows, and we found them the next
morning.
It took a long time to get everything settled in the house. There was
painting to be done on some floors before putting all the furniture in, some
changing and fixing.
We were afraid that the move would upset Bartly as he was three years
the following May 28th, and every time we had taken him anywhere he wanted to
go home. The first morning he awakened in the house in Rosemary, he looked
around and said "I like this house" and there was no wanting to go
back home. It was home. That helped make it all easier.
On the Raymond farm the children could walk a half mile and catch a
school bus by the time Colin started. Denyse had stayed in town with her
Grandmother before that, and they both stayed in town during the winter. In
Rosemary it was also a half mile to catch the school bus, and they could not
stay in town. So they could easily walk the distance if the weather was not too
cold.
When it was cold, but not below 11 degrees F, I would watch from the
window until the school bus passed our corner. If the children were ready they
could jog and run to the corner before they got too cold and catch the bus on
the way back from Kunkles. When it was below 11 degrees their father took them
to the corner. When the roads were so bad that the bus could not come, he took
them all the way to town, riding in a box fastened on the back of the tractor.
Oh, that Rosemary mud, called Rosemary Gumbo by the people there. In
rainy weather the children came home plastered with mud to the knees, more if
they fell down. I had to scrape the mud off with a knife, and have them take
the muddy clothes off in the entrance before going into the house.
Children always have a good time on a farm, and ours were no exception.
There was a big "swimming hole" in the canal close to the house,
where they had lots of fun. There were horses and a dog and cats, and gophers
to catch and shoot. And soon chores that were not much fun. Just can't get away
from work on a farm, especially an irrigated farm.
We always went to church, and there were people there we knew, and
others we soon knew. The boys made friends and liked to go. Denyse had lots of
friends in the church in Raymond but the move to Rosemary was not good for her.
There were no girls her age at church and she had to take one year of primary
the only one in the class. It was not much better when she got in the Bee
Hives. One year alone there too. Then the local
leaders told her if she would try to catch up she could go in the class ahead.
Then the Stake Leaders said no, she could not. I think it would have been
better for her if we had stayed in Raymond.
It was not always easy to get to Sunday School
on time with the chores which had to be done first. But you could always do it
if you got up early enough.
It is not much fun to start school, especially for boys used to running
free on a farm. Denyse and Colin started in Raymond, and Rod started in
Rosemary. It was hard for him. Bartly seemed more outgoing and seemed to like
school.
We had some good blizzards in Rosemary too. One time we barely made it
back from church, which dismissed early so we could all get home. Mother was
with us and I do not know what we would have done if we had got stalled.
Fortunately we made it into our yard. That storm filled the closed car with
snow to the roof during the storm.
Another time we were snowbound for six weeks. We had to make a trail
through the fields, following places where the wind had blown the snow away. We
used this trail when we had to get out, but the children missed much school, as
did other students. I think they rather liked that. One time when the roads
were plowed out after a storm, there were banks of snow seven feet high on each
side of the road, so it was somewhat like going through a tunnel.
The time seemed to fly by on muddy roads and snowbound winters. Later we
had better roads. And of course there was much good weather too.
We did not have electricity on the Rosemary farm either when we went
there. No phone, and coal stove and furnace. When the North wind blew hard and
strong in cold weather the only warm place was still around the kitchen stove.
Before too long we got electricity and a deep freeze, but did not have a
refrigerator. When I needed to keep the turkey eggs cool we got what was called
a "cooler" which was big and seemed to take up about half our
kitchen.
The first year in Rosemary we tried a few potatoes, and they turned out
so well we planted more the next year. Howard's brothers had returned from the
war by the next year and
That first year we found we had not left all the wind behind us. One of
the reasons I wanted to leave the Raymond farm was the wind which blew dust
into the house all the month of March and other times too. Now the spring we
arrived in Rosemary a big wind came up and blew dust into every crack and
crevice of the house. It was a Sunday morning early when it started, and we
felt too dirty with all the dust to try going to see if they were having
church. So we went off to visit Effie and Lovett in
I was always home when the children came home from school, but often out
in a field or cleaning a poultry house. I liked working outside better than
housework. The only problem I could not stand to have the housework left
either, so tried to do both.
It was not long after we went to Rosemary that I was asked to be Relief
Society President. I certainly felt unequal to the task, as I had not held a
position in the church for a while. I tried my best and had good counsellors.
One time I was notified of a death and the car was away, so I rode to town on
Sweetheart. I felt silly riding a horse to town, so tied her a little way out
of town to a fence and walked in.
I suppose I learned more than anyone else did. I remember one thing I
learned was that you never ask one sister who considers herself a midwife to
help another sister who thinks the same. Even if they are both sisters in the
ward and should be willing to help where ever needed. And I found out that some
husbands and fathers can be unbelievably helpless when something needs to be
done. I had not before seen anyone so unable to cope with what had to be done.
And I learned how willing to do things are most of the
sisters in a ward, and learned to love those I dealt with, which is the
main thing you need to learn. And that no matter how busy you are you can do
it. I know I was able to do it because my mother did so many things at home so
that I could be away. Later on I was again called to be Relief Society
President. I was called to teach children, but have to admit I was far from
good at it. I just lacked something all teachers need to have. I taught the
gospel doctrine class for years and found that much easier than teaching
children.
And in between I found time to be, at various times, Speech Director,
Sunday School teacher, young girls secretary
(attendance), Relief Society Secretary, member of genealogical committee, Stake
Board member- Sunday School, Relief Society Visiting Teacher, Literature
Leader, and Theology leader in Relief Society. But when they asked me to put on
a drama, I actually was too busy. They also asked me if I would be on the
building committee when they were going to build the new church. This was a big
surprise to me, but I started jotting down things I thought were important. I
had not had experience in building, but I had experience in living in houses
which were not built as they should be, and I started from there. I got quite
enthusiastic about it. And then I found out that when they had a meeting of the
committee I was not advised of the date and time. In fact it seemed as if I had
not been asked to be on the committee and no one missed me. I suppose someone,
or perhaps more, thought I should not have been asked. Perhaps if I had asked
around enough I might have found out when a meeting was and attended. But that
did not seem the thing to do, as they notified everyone else.
I suppose everyone is given tests in this life to see what they will do.
Perhaps this was just a test for me. I may not have been smart enough to be on
the building committee, but I was smart enough to know that if I let this snub
direct turn me away from the church I would hurt myself more than anyone else
could. I was fortunate to know that the best thing to do in any situation was
hold fast to the church and try to be a good member. Just set your goal and
everything else will not matter in the long run.
First I raised chickens, for eggs, and broilers. I started having some
turkeys, and then more turkeys. By the time Colin was going on a mission, or
soon after, I had a chance to sell turkey hatching eggs. This I did until about
the time Bartly finished his mission. And while I had the hatching eggs, first
from chickens, and then turkeys, I was too busy to hold a church position other
than teach one class. Hatching eggs take much care to be of any use.
Over the years I learned a few things about turkeys. They are very silly
birds. And we had many losses. Once when we did not yet have a turkey barn,
they were sitting on roots and trees in the yard. During the night some coyotes
came and killed many of the turkeys. I think they frightened the turkeys so
that they got excited and jumped or fell from the roots, because they could not
have got them from most of the roosts. Another time after we had a turkey barn
an airplane flew over, and the unaccustomed noise frightened them so that they
piled up in a corner and smothered many of them.
And speaking of turkeys, I always felt sure one of them swallowed the
diamond from my original engagement ring.
I did not like the job of killing a chicken or turkey. I could not count
on Howard being around to do it, so I became quite proficient in putting a cord
around the neck and then pulling the neck out over a log, and a swift hatchet
stroke did the rest. I just hope I do not have to meet all the poultry
"over there" that I dispatched that way.
The children grew up, and likely they can remember more about it than I
can. We had our worries, as all parents do.
We tried to give them some good times as well as teaching them to work.
We knew everyone needed to know how to work, if they are going to have any kind
of successful life.
We went visiting sometimes, berry picking in
the season thereof, even went several times to B. C. for fruit. And always the
berries and fruit had to be "put up", some in cans until the garage
burned up, and then in bottles. As the family were
growing I often put up over 1000 quarts of food. That too was a bit of work.
We had three fires. First the garage burned up with the small tractor
inside, the children's bicycles, and my canner, as well as other things stored
there. Once when I had turkey poults in two granaries a faulty brooder caused a
fire and buildings and poults were lost. And later we had a small electrical
fire in the entrance roof. It was small because we had help to put it out.
The boys were a help on the farm, but of course often things they wanted
to attend came at the same time as work needed to be done. It helped to have
them run errands after they were old enough to drive the car. They drove the
tractor from a very early age on our own farm.
Denyse visited
I had Elise Shields make a wedding cake and we took it with us. We had a
nice time there after we arrived, and the trip home went well. I found it a
little harder without her help; she did a lot of ironing for me as well as
other things.
One time Denyse sent her two children out to visit us for the summer and
we took them back in a little car Colin had at the time. The exhaust leaked and
we were all sick when we got there.
Colin worked a summer or two on a farm, and went to Brooks and worked
there until he went on his mission. He was interested in cattle and got some of
his own after returning from his mission, the Southern Far East Mission which
lasted for 2 3/4 years for him. Then he went to the school of agriculture in
Olds. The next year he went to the BYU.
Rod went to Brooks and apprenticed as mechanic. Later he quit to go on a
mission, before Colin came home from his mission. One interesting thing, Colin
had a suit made for him in
Bartly went on a mission before Rod returned, and then we were alone on
the farm. After Bartly returned he worked for a while until the next semester
and went to the BYU, and got married in his first year. They came back to
Colin liked to have cattle, and ended up with quite a few, and would
come home in the summers and work on the farm. We looked after his cattle the
rest of the year. But Howard had never liked farming too well, and so went out
doing carpenter and mechanical work, and rented the farm. It was hard to keep
the farm up on the rent, and so we decided to sell and Colin's cattle had to be
sold. He did not want to work on an irrigated farm as his life's work, and we
felt we should leave the farm.
Rod came home most summers and worked until school started again. One
summer Rod and Bartly came home and helped us build the house in Rosemary. That
was more a labor of love than a source of great income for them. We really
appreciated it. We lived in that house until 1984, when we decided to go to the
states with Bartly and family.
Rod got married at the end of his last summer vacation from the BYU,
finished the last year there and went to work for a while at Macy's in
I think it was the year we built the house that I started going to work
again. Both Howard and I worked for Pheasant Valley Farms for some years.
Howard did both carpenter work and mechanical work there, and also helped with
packaging vegetables. I did the bookkeeping etc. and also packaged vegetables.
One year we took a trip to the States and went to visit Colin in
Colin, although the eldest son, was the last to get
married. I guess it took him quite a while to make up his mind. He had been
attending the
As I was not working full time at Pheasant Valley Farms, one year, after
I had worked there five years, I decided to try for a job in Brooks. I worked
for Bow Valley Veterinary Clinic for five years.
During the years we went to visit the children. We visited Bartly and
Jaqui in
We visited Colin while they lived in Olds, and later in Two Hills and
then
At one point Howard decided to have a shoe repair shop in Rosemary. He
tried it for a year or so, but did not get enough work to make it profitable.
As I was working in Brooks he decided to try it there, with good success. Later
Bartly got interested in what he was doing, quit his job, and came to work with
him. About that time they had to leave the shop they were renting, so they
bought a store building in downtown Brooks. Other lines were added, and there
was need of help, and after I had worked at a couple of other places, I quit
and went to help them. We all worked there about ten years.
Then Bartly got interested in using the Computer. It easily became the
main thing in his life so he wanted to get a job using a computer. It was not
that he did not like the leather work he was doing, and was very good at it,
but he now liked the computer better. He was successful and got a job with
Tandy in
After living all our lives thus far in
We went to
We also went back and visited Colin in
We suggested we would like to go on a mission to the Bishop in
And where did they send us on a mission? Why, to what seemed even a
hotter place. I guess we needed
We had to have a physical examination before being allowed to go on a
mission. Everything was fine with me, but the doctor called me into his office
before Howard came out and told us that his blood count was so low that it was
not safe for him to walk anywhere, or be alone. His machine read it so low the
doctor was quite excited, but excited was not the work for us. Howard said
"that will be the end of our mission". The doctor said not
necessarily, they might get him fixed up. We asked if he could take the plane
to
We were certainly offering fervent prayers that this would not make the
mission impossible, and that Howard would soon be all right. He entered the
hospital and for some reason they did not take the tests the doctor had
ordered. Either they were too busy or it was better to wait. When they took the
blood tests, they said something is not right, and took more blood to test.
Howard asked them if they were trying to take all the blood he had.
Howard asked me to go and phone Bartly and ask him to get someone to
come with him to administer to him, which they did. Howard has had faith to be
healed several times. In the morning the doctor came to see him in the hospital
and told him his machine must have read the test wrong, as it was all right
now, and he was sorry for putting him in the hospital, and he would pay
anything the insurance did not cover. He never did pay that, but we felt it was
all right, as we did not feel it was his fault. For we knew
why he was better in the morning. The night he entered the hospital his
fingers were blue and his lips. In the morning they were pink. He came home and
continued to prepare for his mission. Our prayers were answered very quickly
that time.
So it ended up that we had to be in the employment office because I
could not stand the heat on the streets. The Mission President said he had sent
word to the missionary training center to teach us about the employment program
and give us some Spanish. Instead they put us through as proselyting
missionaries, which we enjoyed, but it was not what we needed. We would watch
elders going by on their bicycles and wonder how they could stand it. Most of
the people were used to the heat, especially those with dark skins from
I think one of the main things I learned there was that people could be
raised in this extreme heat and it did not bother them. I could not understand
that.
I could understand the homeless people coming to
The Employment office was in a Bishop's office. And I learned that I was
thankful I could never be called to be a Bishop. Being in his office, we got all
the calls from people wanting something from the Bishop, and as we answered the
phone, often they expected us to give them what they wanted. We learned how
much the Bishop helped people from his own pocket. He would give everyone who
asked for money a meal, and help in any other way he could. But as there were
literally thousands in
The couple who had been in the Employment office before us had been
blessed with an abundance of this world's goods, and they had been giving
people money from their own pocket. This made it very hard for us to follow in
their footsteps, as we were not able to give so abundantly. So the people who came to the employment office, or many of them,
did not like us as well.
We learned something of the Spanish people. If they wanted a job and got
us to set up an appointment for them to be interviewed for a job, maybe they
would turn up at that time, and maybe you would not hear from them again. Their
idea of time and our varied a great deal. They would do things "manana" if at all. This did not encourage employers to
make appointments for our people.
The people from
I was told, but had no proof of this, that one Bishop who was a Cuban
disagreed with something those in authority wanted,
and led his whole ward away from the church with him.
I do know that at the time we were there, they were appointing bishops
for the Spanish wards from the South American people. These were a very loving
people, and it was a joy to be around them a good part of the time. If you
became friendly with them, they always said they were going to invite you to
dinner. But we learned to disregard this, as we never had to go to dinner, no
matter how much they talked about next week or the following as the time we
should go.
The conditions in
Not so lucky were a pair of missionaries riding
on their bicycles. A car drove up to one of them and hit him with
something, and I have to confess that I cannot bring
the name to mind. It was something which was very likely to cause serious
damage, much worse than a bat. The missionary was in the hospital for a week.
They could not plant any nice flowers around the church, because someone
would pull them all up the next night. Prickly rose bushes
near the church was about the only thing that lasted, and they only
dared have one or two of them.
It was in
No matter how careful the missionaries were with their bicycles they
were stolen. One time while a meeting was going on in the church, the wheels
were stolen from two bicycles locked to a metal post. Then later they worked
the post loose from the ground and took the rest of the bicycles. None of the
children walked to school alone. Those who walked, if only
half a block, had a parent with them. Others who had farther to go came
in buses their neighborhood parents had purchased, and one of them acted as
driver.
The stolen bicycles were loaded on a small ship and taken to other
places to sell. The police captured one such ship, and got the bicycles back,
but no one could prove that one of them was theirs, so they were sold at
auction. When the police recovered anything it never went to the one from whom
it was stolen, it was always auctioned off and the money went, supposedly, to
keep the police force going. In order to claim any stolen item, you had to have
the purchase slip or the serial number at least.
There were many fine people there, but those who were not made it a very
uncomfortable place for the others to live. There have been bad hurricanes and
tornados there, and some of the young foolish missionaries wished one would
come along while they were there. We were thankful they did not get their wish.
We enjoyed some of the animal and other life. We had almost a pet Iguana
who liked to climb the porch pillar. And a few times we had a pet frog whether
we wanted it or not. They would get up on the porch and slip into the house
when we went in at night. The first time we wondered what that big brown daub
on the wall was. But when the church custodian, a lady, killed a scorpion by
the church we did not think we liked that. Someone told us that a scorpion came
to meeting one day and headed for a foot in the aisle, but a few motions shooed
it back the way it had come.
The houses are so close together there that the rule that missionaries
could not have television could not be enforced. In the hot weather there all
the windows had to be open and the houses being so close together you could
hear the neighbor's television as well as if you had it in your home. You just
did not get a chance to pick the station you preferred. Neither did you get the
chance to shut them off when you wished. How tired we got of them.
We spent as little time on the streets as possible. It was nice and cool
in the air-conditioned office. We did have to go the store and the laundry, but
that was about it for the week days. We went to the same church as the Bishop's
office was located in that was also the Employment office. We were not able to
attend any function at night, as it was not safe to walk anywhere at night (or
the daytime either for that matter, but it seemed safer.)
We talked with the people who came to the Employment office about the
Church, many of them were non-members. Once they came to ask for help in
finding jobs they had to listen to what we had to say. Not the best way to get
them but the only one we had. We had some referrals for the missionaries, but
did not learn what happened in most cases. We even had one man phone the office
and ask how he could go about joining our church. He was moving to
I tried to do my part in handing out Books of Mormon, to the Dentist and
Doctor and where ever we went. They were all polite about it.
We had a very good mission President and his wife, who did many things
for the missionaries. I think most missionaries feel that they have the best
President ever, and we did too.
The missionaries all had Christmas together, and it was a great
Christmas. The Mission President's wife wrote to all the families of the
missionaries to have them send presents for the missionaries to her, so they
could be given out on Christmas day. What a variety of presents. One missionary
got a microwave oven and one got a giant sized panda. I think the microwave was
more useful. The mission president's wife made a pound box of candy for every
missionary, all 161 of them, and she made most of it the day before.
The missionaries in our group of four couples who went through the
missionary training center together all still keep in touch. Two couples went
to different missions, and the other couple was on the keys, which was not far
from where we were. It was a very busy time at the mission training center but
we made good friends and had a great time.
In the house we lived in I had a constant battle with the cockroaches,
but I was thankful we did not live in the house a couple of the men
missionaries lived in; they had a constant battle with rats. I literally chased
those cockroaches until they could run no more. One in desperation ran up
Howard's leg inside his pants. He did not think that was a good idea, as it
felt nearly as bad as having a mouse run up your leg under the clothing. We
shipped some things home to
The President and his wife had a fine dinner party for all the
missionaries who finished their missions. Usually there were several leaving at
the same time. I was going to say that the saddest thing was when one of the
missionaries had to go home because of cancer in his leg, but a few who were
sent home for misbehavior were causing as much sadness. All in all it was a
great group of missionaries, practically all of them were
true and faithful.
We keep getting notices of reunions for missionaries of that area, but
we have not been able to go, and now likely we would not find too many we know.
We returned home in the spring and stayed in Fort Worth a While. We
visited in
Bartly had sent his resume in to Microsoft some time before he was
accepted. Oh how I did wish he would move to
We like it here very much even if we are continually warned this area is
due for a bad earthquake. If we have a bad earthquake maybe we will be able to
go out of this life in a hurry. They say an earthquake lasts about two seconds.
A long lingering illness is far from desirable. But I don't suppose I would be so
lucky as to go in two seconds.
And that about brings me up to date on my life
story.
This is now
Still March 26. Jin is working nights
and keeping the other shoe shop going. So more shoes will go there and we will
have to let him go because we cannot pay him. With hard times that is perhaps
best after all.
I have discovered I cannot talk to anyone without making them mad, so my
natural feelings are right - say as little as possible as seldom as possible to
any person.
March 27. Today I got my new mop. Howard (I guess) decided to get it
after all. Maybe I will try it tonight.
April 2. Cold weather for April 2. My mop stuck
to the metal door this morning, and the windows are all over frost. Must be a record.
Prices are high - for instance, we now have to charge $27.00 for half
soles and heels on men's shoes, $5.00 for ladies lifts. Soling leather is $5.50
per square foot.
Jin is a good fellow and stopped working nights at the other place after
I told him he couldn't work both places. Now there is a shoemaker in Bassano so
likely we won't get so many shoes from there.
Jin is happy in that a Korean family is coming from
We are having a sale (not our idea, The
downtown Business Association set it up) from March 31, and including to April
12. So far the only difference it has made to us is that we had to give them
$60.00 to promote the sale and Bartly took time to make sale Banners for us. No
one reads them, and business goes on as usual!
April 15. Many things I could write - not sure I want to! But things
have turned out better than we hoped. A very nice day today, so perhaps spring
is coming. I have Watermelon plants in peat starting pots and they love the
sunshine. (I got them as a free gift last year.)
Time is going quickly and Denyse will soon be gone. I will miss her.
Suppose I will have to get someone else in her place, part time anyway.
We are going to try to sell the business, and if we can, move somewhere.
Bartly and Jaqui discussed
Not at all sure we can sell out now. Will see what happens. And not sure
what we would do if we did sell. Since the Canadian Government is determined to
ruin
looks better at the moment. I am sure all countries will
have bad times.
Jaqui and kids are
June 17. Why did I wait so long to write here again.
Denyse
left and I have been busier. In my spare time I have
started arranging and typing my genealogical sheets. As there are so many, it
is taking a long time. My glasses are giving me trouble, working on these
sheets. I seem to be looking through the wrong part of the glasses and can't
seem to see the sheets any other way. I think I will have to have my glasses
changed.
We are still trying to sell the business, but with the depression I
doubt we can unless the Lord helps us as much as he did when we bought it. Of
course we tell Him that if it is not the best thing to do, not to help us sell
it. I feel I would like to "retire" as our ad. says,
to something different now. I would hate to have Bartly try to do it alone
here. He would get ulcers and not have enough time for his family.
Not only are things getting bad world wide, but our Premier wants them
to get as bad as possible in
Jin Ho Lee would like to buy our business with the help of his family if
they can emigrate to
Had an extremely hot day yesterday, but a bit cooler today I am happy to
say. Summer no sooner begins than it is about over and winter looming ahead. I
do not know how much longer I will be able to be in the store, and then what?
October 15. Just been busy, and not much of interest
to write about. Not much of interest to future generations anyway. I am
still working on the genealogy to leave a neat record of that for future
generations. I have been working on a line going back to Royalty and on to
Adam. (Never completely correct, of course.) I think
the work has been done for all those lines, so it is just for fun. I have much
confusion with so many sheets.
Had beautiful days this week, but forecast says weather will change.
Alas, I would have liked it to last until spring! I have had the 'flu, and once
I have it, I usually have it several times during the
winter, and then miss the next winter or two. Bartly had it first and it looked
like he would have bronchitis for months, but our Home Teachers gave him a
blessing and he was much better the next day and got
better much faster than usual for him.
Today Bartly and Jaqui went to
November 5. Went to
We are almost ready to get Howard's passport. I had to write one more
letter, but they did take the money so guess they will accept what they have as
proof. Alma Betts was born in the
Quite a nice day today and no snow.
Dec. 2. Times goes, but that is about all that goes. Selling so slow
this Christmas it looks like we will have to cut down all we can, which is a
sad thought for Christmas.
So I must think of the meaning of Christmas which surpasses all things
relating to money. If only it were possible to do without all the things which
cost money. And even better would be to never owe anyone anything.
Dec. 9. How slow things are. Until it happened did not know it could be
slow. This is only two weeks before Christmas and it seems no one is yet buying
Christmas presents. Other stores are not doing well either. At this time not
enough work is coming in to pay the wages of our good employees.
It was a good thing, because there was more work than usual during
Christmas and New Years. As we are hoping to sell the business we took actual
count inventory, what I could do the Friday before New Years and what six of us
could do New Years day and the following Monday. It took me four days to sort
and add after that. Then I had book work for the R.E.A. and for our business. Made statements for Jin to send to the Canadian Embassy in
Argentine.
In my spare time I am copying my Mother's diary. In my own journal it
does not seem much use saying day after day I got up at six or seven or
whatever and retired so and so. So I do not write every day.
I went to
Jin came back from
As I did not get my tooth filled in
Found a good thrift shop in Bassano in the bit of spare time we had. I
got a stenographer chair and adding machine, for when we leave the store and
leave the business adding machine there. I also got a broken portable
typewriter, which will be handy to have IF it can be repaired. Also found a
pair of skates the size Heather needs. We found a pair which fitted Marie, and
hated to go without one for Heather also. It may be Heather does not need a
pair now, if not likely she can sell them. She wrote back that she did need
them for school the next week, and tried hard to be appreciative. She does not
want Chantry to move further away. We are just waiting to see what happens
next.
I have decided if I am going to do any more Genealogical work I should
get going. So I made charts and sheets required to have Achievements Lts. get going on English lines. Had to send $150.00 pounds
to start and intend doing a bit on William Betts if I can.
Achievements Ltd. are a non-profit organization
so the money should go as far or further than anywhere else I could send it.
They have researchers in all areas of
I think I am looking forward to working in the after life where, I hope,
money is not required. But it seems logical that something will be required.
Things are certainly slower than this time last year. I am getting on well in
typing up my mother's diaries. I can probably read them easier than anyone
else, so I should be the one to do it. But it is still hard to make anything
like a perfect copy the first time. (What I need is a computer.) Bartly
suggested we should put them on the computer, then we
could make as many copies as we wanted to. I did make imperfect typing copies
for our children.
A lovely day today, if only the mud did not track in. I must be getting old, I keep transposing letters in words and cannot prevent
it by forethought. (Note to myself: Just wait until you are
eighty, which happens in 1992.)
In what I am copying my mother keeps on making mince pies, one of my
favorites, which started when she made them for our meals as I was growing up.
I am on my diet again, and writing of mince pies is not the best thing I could
do. Just have to make decisions every five minutes or so. If I don't conquer my
appetite, I may overeat through all eternity. Just think of that before taking
a bite. They tell us easy things are not worth doing. Somehow there always
seems to come a time when hard things do not seem worth doing either.
My mother, after she joined the church, would cook for the family on
fast day, and make those mince pies, and never eat so much as a taste. She even
washed up after the rest had eaten, which was just carrying it too far.
Just had a nice experience. Two missionaries I had
not met came in, Elder Zaugg, and I did not get the other name. I related to
them as much if not more than any other Elders I have ever met. One of them was
from
March 25. I have been letting my writing here go while I finished typing
my Mother's Journals, and my Father's missionary journal. I also added a bit of
information in the period before they start and the period after they finish,
to the end of their lives. Now I can feel satisfied that it is all copied. Not
nearly as perfectly done as I wanted it to be, but likely the best I can now
do. I have the satisfaction of knowing I did not leave it until it was too
late.
I found it became much more meaningful to me when I typed every word
than when I read it. I was able to move back into the time they wrote about and
I actually seemed to live there and share their experiences, and I sometimes
felt lost when coming back to this time. Of course if I had typed it up while
they were living I could have asked questions and been sure I have read it
correctly, and added additional information too. So in that sense I left it until
it was too late.
Yesterday a young man came into the store, and as we talked I found he
was the great grandson of the brother of D. F. Fawns who had lived near us in
Raymond many years ago. D. F. Fawns was a Patriarch, and gave me my Patriarchal
blessing when I was quite young. He would not take out excess plants in his
garden and let them die, because every plant had a spirit, so he looked for
someone who wanted them. I suppose he must have had to get rid of weeds even if
they did have a spirit. There was another gardener on the other side of town,
and he would not irrigate, as he said the Lord would send the moisture if he
would do his part by cultivating, and he raised the best gardens around.
Young brother Fawns is dickering for the Shore house, and if he gets
approval of the loan his family will be a new LDS family in the ward, and a
neighbor in Rosemary. (He did get the house, and then his wife hated it in
Rosemary and wanted to go back to
It has been snowing a bit every day for a while until now. Nice sunny
day today so we can hope for spring. It is 100%
Sunday at Church tomorrow, but doubt it will be completely
successful as there is lots of 'flu around and we
have been sampling it, and Bartly's family too. I did not go to church last
Sunday, and Howard walked to church in Brooks. I think we can both go tomorrow.
Lots of people want to pawn things now, but I can't give them much as
few pick them up again, in spite of what they say they will do. The Police
asked me to phone them if anyone who looks nervous about selling something came
in. But for the life of me I can't tell a thief by looking at him.
Since I wrote last Rod and his partner have sold out the business they
had together, and I think Rod will move to
the
We are no further along. Jin's parents can't come now, due to the
economic conditions in
Monday March 28. My mother wrote in her diary that people who read it
might be interested in how she spent her time. Don't know if anyone will ever
be interested in how I spend my time, but I may give a few samples.
Last Saturday we went to Rosemary after work, actually about an hour
after. As it was fast Sunday the next day did not need to get any supper, so
just washed my hair, looked through one of our picture albums for a picture of
a family who were so good to mother in England. She mentioned them giving her
one, but so far cannot find it. Went to bed early after
talking a bit to grandkids.
Sunday morning had a bath and groomed myself. Read a bit from Church
lessons I expected they would be giving. Got Sunday School
lesson right, but for some reason got the wrong Relief Society lesson. I then
got ready and attended Relief Society, Sunday School
and Fast and Testimony meeting. I had prepared most of the meal in the morning
so it was not a long task to prepare the rest of the dinner.
We had been requested to remember the sick before breaking our fast,
especially Elder Livingston, who had become sick while on his mission. Howard
decided we should have prayer with Bartly and family and ask for a blessing for
our business as well. This we did, as we do feel too old to keep at it. In the
poor times we are now having Bartly likely could not make it alone, and pay
wages to take our places, and it looks very, very doubtful that we can sell it.
We do indeed need wisdom to know what we can do.
After dinner, and after I had done some dishes and
cleaning up, we rested a while and got ready to come back to Brooks.
After we got back we had a bit of lunch and studied the next Sunday School lesson. Then got the garbage ready to put out in the
morning, and gathered the clothes to wash Monday.
Got up early this morning, as I had awakened about
I took my exercise and prepared for a day at work. I cleaned the floor
after breakfast. Howard puts the wash through, as I have so little time for it.
I typed a couple of small notes for my genealogical record. Opened the shop and
answered the telephone a few times. Looked up a few
genealogical things as there are not many customers who come in early.
Bartly was doing some copying for the church and did not get in until about
10:30.
The day is fairly nice, but windy and the dust is blowing down the road.
Few customers this morning. At
Now it is the part of the day that is really boring unless someone comes
in often. I have done all the things I wanted to do today and now wish it was
time to close (4.23 now). A while ago a couple of fellows came in to see how
much I would give for a $400.00 gold wedding ring. No way did we want that, nor
did they want my offer of $20.00. Why put money in rings when they are not
selling. People think we have everything because we do have so many different
things. "Do you have an engraving tool?" "A
seal for a pressure cooker?" "Cloth
dye?" So the day passed until time to close. A
fair day after all for this time of economic depression.
I got supper, cleaned up and washed the dishes and went to bed. Read
half an hour and went to sleep until another day.
March 30. About the same as yesterday except that I worked on store
books in my spare time until about
A lady came in and wanted to sell us advertising in a paper put out by
the Hanna Herald. Told her we have enough advertising. I thought we should
support our own area anyway. Somebody needs to. A fellow came in looking for
show halters. He looked at some Vieng Khoune had made, which had a flaw. The
Brought them back up and told us he was going to bring some saddles for
Bartly to refurbish and that he definitely had to buy a show halter and bridle
in the future, and we would see him again when he brought the saddles. Guess a
dollar is a dollar anyway.
Of course people want things I am out of, like Scotch oatmeal and
lecithin liquid and different salt. And things we do not carry. "No
calorie Jell-O." I have not heard of that. She was sure she did not mean
Low Calorie.
March 31. End of another month. I did a little work on the books until
Went to Nellie's funeral, which was held in the
funeral parlor chapel. I have known Nellie since we moved to Rosemary and
worked with her at Hubers packaging vegetables and digging potatoes.
Saturday April 2. Got up etc. as usual. Not a
bad day for holiday week end. Lots of people come in to look and leave things
out of place. I am not fond of Saturdays for that reason. I did not really
accomplish much else. After work I used the dust mop on the linoleum and
vacuumed the black strips. I thought I might get by for Monday this way. Had to
do some cleaning up when I got back to Rosemary as I will likely have home
teachers Sunday.
Monday, April 4. After getting here I put the things we had brought back
away, put the clothes out for the wash. Added some month's income up for last
year as a guide to how it might go this year in regards to keeping Jin on.
Decided we should let him go but will wait a bit. I retyped a page and
corrected another after opening up. Rather slow morning. Watered my plants, one
was wilted, the newest one, and it was moist when we left Saturday. It is recovering.
At
April 5. Usual morning. After cleaning packaged
some corn nuts. Opened up and worked on a copy of my large pedigree chart for
Colin. It will be to my advantage to have a copy elsewhere in case of fire. It
will take me a while and then I will do the Betts line. Time goes faster when
you keep busy. But why do I want time to go faster? I will only grow older and
I am old enough already! I always find something more to check in the genealogy
too. Will never be perfect in it. It is almost twelve.
It is the Easter holidays so the children are out of school. Bartly brought
Kadin in yesterday and Tandy today. Very nice day again.
The day passed and I used up the extra time working on the genealogical chart,
checking again on the way back lines which are only in pencil so far.
April 6. Morning the same. Got
a few new books from Deseret Book in the mail. One of them is
Reflections of a Scientist, by Henry Eyring, and I am reading that one in my
spare time this afternoon. Today I sold a macramé bead in the form of an owl that
I have had in the window for years. You never know what you will sell next.
April 7. Got up early and cleaned store, as I usually
do. Had a nice check come in for leather and Tandy stuff we sold to the
school long ago. We have to wait so long I try to forget it instead of worrying
that we need it. We still need it when it does come. We ought to get interest. Have not heard from Denyse for a long time.
Kadin and Shawndra came in with Bartly. Kadin got his walking cast on,
can try it out Saturday. Will have to have it on all month
again.
April 8. Morning the same. A lady came in who
is very touchy about everything. She brought a pair of shoes for minor repairs,
and asked me if we had a rest room. That is a moot point as we do have a sort
of one way back through the basement. It is hard to get to, and stumbling
blocks in the way, and not like the usual one when you get there. As we are not
a restaurant we do not have to have one, so I said I was sorry we did not. I
could tell she thought the door next the back door led to one, and it doesn't.
She was very angry, and said give me back the shoes, I will take them
elsewhere. I wanted to say I hope they have a rest room there, as Shoe Repair
shops never do, but held my tongue. I am not sure if she was more
angry than she would have been if I had sent her down through the
basement. Oh well, one thing I have learned is that whatever you do or say, you
will be wrong a good part of the time. She is so hard to wait on that I will
not miss her coming, quite the contrary.
Sold two packages of curtain strings I have had for a long time for
$3.00 each. It was a busy day and lots of work came in. Jin had much work to do
that was wanted the same day, and he missed one pair because he doesn't check
the date wanted often enough. Bartly went for insurance for the Motorcycle (for
which he traded a saddle). They bill us for all the car insurance as well as
shop insurance, but they would not give him the insurance for the motorcycle
without a check. He was so angry he wanted to take all our insurance for
everything to another company. But I think he took a cheque to them later. He
plans to ride the motorcycle to work.
Today is Monday, and it is snowing. Lusannah (Anna now) came in with
Bartly and somehow twisted her ankle, which she seems to do frequently. She was
crying with that for a while, but it must be better now as she is running
around all happy again.
April 10. Sunday, went to same meetings. From Relief Society remember
that Christ gave Peter, James and John the Melchizedek Priesthood at the time
of the transfiguration and to the other Apostles later. In Sunday School we discussed that Christ is the bread of life.
Lessons are not quite correlated, as next Sunday we will be discussing the
Transfiguration and Priesthood. But one thing I remember from Sunday School is that Brother Eastman is determined to let out on
time. Those who conduct other meetings are not so dedicated to this principle.
At Sacrament meeting Bartly and George Reil were the speakers. Bartly's topic
was on determining to follow the Savior and Bro. Reil's was related.
After preparing dinner, eating and doing dishes I looked through a few
records. Do you want to know what we had for dinner. I
being on my diet had figs. Howard had Liver and Onions, steamed potatoes and
gravy, peas, cooked celery, cucumbers. And a little pie that Jaqui had made
Howard for Christmas. I thought all the pies she gave him for Christmas were
gone, but found this one. We had to go back to Brooks so I could start cleaning
early Monday morning. Saturday was muddy and I could not do it then.
Monday, April 11. Usual morning. I typed a
couple of things I had found about Daniel Hovey to put in the genealogical
book. Prepared an order for a couple of books about the Empire Loyalists,
hoping to find something on Stephen Montgomery, Howard's Ancestor, but won't be
able to send the order right now. I had the money but have to borrow it to help
pay a large book order from Deseret Books. Got the mail and there were several
parcels which took two trips to get them, and took me a good part of the
afternoon to unpack them between customers.
Went to the store and to my delight found Tom Boy had Mangos in, and at
a rather reasonable price for them. I love them so could not resist. They make
a very nice change in my fruit diet. A fellow came in to see if Bartly would
make him leather coveralls. Bartly told him no, and then if he couldn't find
anyone else to do it, told him Jaqui might, as they want to get money for a
Seminary trip, which cost $117.00 each
At night I made some diet bagels which are used for the only bread in my
diet. I used some flour which had been in stock long enough. They are not
identical to the recipe but should pass. I did not get finished until after
April 12. Tuesday. A cold day
for the time of year. Had snow Saturday and Sunday and
a sprinkle on Monday. This morning I had to clean up a few things after
my cooking bout last night. I do not always sweep the sidewalk now, but it did
need it this morning, mud sprayed up along the curb side. We had a fairly good
morning, and I got the mail and received the personalized deposit slips for the
business. I had told them the others were all right, so hope they do not charge
us for them.
To our surprise today the repair people brought the parts needed for our
typewriters. Hope the letter E for Jaqui's is the right one as she needs it. I
looked at a paper, and on one side of the sheet it said "Hope of better
prices for farmer's grain." On the other side the Government tells farmers
to plant less acres so price will be better. This
seems to leave the farmers in the same spot.
Wednesday, April 13. A nicer day, but not as many people came in the
store. One of the clerks from Smith's Jewellery store came in, so I asked her
if my watch was back from being repaired. When she went back she phoned me that
it was, but I wished I had not asked when she told me the price. (Now in 1992 the watch is still running well, so it was worth it.)
$24.00. My journal says this price was for repairing
the gold strap holders, but I think I only had it in once for repairs, and
there was other things to do, including cleaning. This is the watch that Howard
and Bartly gave me many years ago, so that is why I had it repaired. It has a
gold case, which is not often the case now days.
Got the mail and the Accountant's billing was a shock. Everything goes
up and less comes in. Yesterday Howard had Bartly got an antenna for the TV,
and today they are putting it up. I wondered at the time if we would be there
long to use it, as things were so slow. But that was not the reason he was not
there to use it for long. It was left up on the building. This evening I
defrosted and cleaned the treat freezer.
April 14. Similar day, weather getting better. Bartly came to work on the motorcycle and found it colder than he
expected, so found warmer clothing, and chaps. It will take about half
as much gas as a car. An average day for this time. In
the evening I emptied the white fridge and let it defrost over night.
April 15. Good day, weather wise. In my spare time I have been still
making copies of pedigree sheets and also copying some of the family group
sheets.
April 30. Been busy doing genealogical work and have not written in my
journal for a while. A week ago Thursday Rod phoned early in the morning and
asked if we would like to go up for Sunday as he was to be made a High Priest.
Outcome was Bartly drove us up Saturday and Jaqui handled the shop Saturday and
Monday so we could have enough time. We had a nice visit. It was Conference
there and we arrived in time to have gone Saturday night, but I feel too tired
at night to go. And Bartly had taken Damon and Ayrian and had to get them
settled for the night.
We went in the morning, and the meeting lasted about two and a half
hours. There were many ordinations to take care of, and we waited a while.
Howard officiated and Colin and Bartly stood there too. It was good they could
all be there. The time changed to daylight saving time, so the
We found out Colin and Annette are going to be
able to adopt Martha Marie, who is going to pick a new name as she does not
like those names. She was named after two women and does not seem to like
either of them. This made them very happy. (Note: They had her about five years
as their daughter. Then she started to grow up and many problems came to light,
and it all ended up with her leaving them and going her own way. It was sad for
them.)
We heard storm warnings Monday morning for Calgary South. We were very
lucky as we stayed shopping in
Howard wanted to go to McKenzie Leather and it was way out. So all this
took us long enough to miss the storm, and it was all over by the time we got
south. It was a nasty storm with high winds and snow. It stuck to the sides of
the fence posts from the force of the wind, but soon melted on the ground.
A man told me he lost a colt in the storm, and the power was off around Brooks, and in the shop for three to four hours. It was off
much longer in the country.
We have been busy since we got back. Rod gave me money to do
genealogical work and I am doing much thinking, sorting and planning how to
spend the money to get the most results. It is so easy to spend money and get
little, and I wish to avoid this as much as I can. I had already picked the
English Genealogists I thought might be best and had sent them $200.00 pounds
and I am awaiting results there. Perhaps with prayer and thought I can obtain a
worthwhile foundation from which to work.
I am trying to make copies of the family group sheets for our children,
and that means typing them, as copying machines charge enough that it would
soon mount up. I would rather spend the money getting new names.
May 18. Raining today. I have all the
genealogical sheets ready to be copied. Howard is still having trouble with an
ulcer. He went to
I have found out I need to have 13, unlucky number, of fillings in my
teeth. Some of them are old ones which need to be replaced. That takes three or
four trips to Bassano where I am having the work done. Howard is at home
connecting up a gas stove for Bartly. With all the cooking Jaqui does the
electric one did not hold up.
I received nice thoughts from the children for Mother's Day.
May 26. Forecast says we will have some warm days, the warmest this
year. I cleaned out one of the jewellery show cases this morning, and the other
two cases yesterday morning. It seems my cleaning lady comes a little less all
the time, so I may as well do some of it. Anyway I did it all until a while
ago. I rather hope the cleaning lady will keep on through the summer, as I hope
to have some holidays, and do not want to come back to find everything needs
cleaning, dusting and defrosting.
For a change I wore a dress today. Slacks are better for bending, which
comes up often. I thought I should get some use from the dresses, but like
slacks better for the work I do. We had three days this week which were much
better, and we do need them.
Aug. 3. A long time has passed since I wrote in my journal. We went on
"vacation" to Colin's. We stayed with Colin 13 nights, which are
easier to count than days and part days. We went to Sunday meetings twice. We
tried to help Colin and Annette all we could. I in the garden
and Howard in the greenhouse. I can't help remembering how Colin once
said he would not like to be in the business with us because it took too many
hours of work. The time and work he is doing in the greenhouse is greater. I
hope he does not have the greenhouse too long. It rained and rained while we
were there and replanted the weeds as fast as I could hoe them up.
I found a wide typewriter, 18" carriage, I
could afford to replace the old one that gave up while I was doing the
genealogical sheets, so that was a lucky find in the second hand store here in
Two Hills. Buying it was cheaper than repairing the old one,
and it should last until I finish.
We went back home and I finished typing the copies of genealogical
sheets. Day after tomorrow I am leaving (if all goes well)
with Jaqui and some girls for
August 19. We have been back from that trip two and a half days, and I
wish I was still in the
We arrived in Salt Lake Saturday afternoon and had to deliver the three
girls Jaqui took with her to the relatives where they were staying until Monday
morning when they would be going to BYU for Especially for Youth. We stayed
that night in Rod's new house in Mapleton (they had not moved in yet, but Rod
gave me a key so we could get in.) Sunday we went to temple Square and listened
to the early broadcast. It was Fast Sunday. Then we went to see Jaqui's Aunt
Helen and went to Church with her. After that Jaqui took me to the Motel so I
could get an early start Monday morning at the library. She and Jessie and
Shawndra went back to stay one more night at Rod's house.
Friday, after taking the day off, I went back to the Library and looked
at some film, but not nearly as much as I wanted to see. I wished I had many
more days to go to the Library. I must save my money so I can go again.
Coming home Jaqui wanted to go by way of
We were late in arriving in
Finally we found a motel that said ring for service, and we sure did.
Nice rooms but we spent too little time in them. We arrived back home about
Since getting back have been trying to catch up on
things. I have the store books up to date, and now have got around to writing
in my journal. There is still much cleaning to do, but I can't do it all at
once. Back on my diet again to do away with the results of the food people gave
us, and what we could buy. Not so far to go this time.
September 20. A nice day today, so I think it will soon be warm enough
to clean the windows, oh joy. Bartly came to work and said "Now I have
made it to work, where is a comfortable bed?" I
said "Your Dad has the same idea and he has found one, and I think it is a
good idea too." So we decided that what is the matter with our business is
the energetic management.
I keep telling myself when I get my energy back I will do more, now I
just do what has to be done and no extra miles at all. My memory seems to be
having more frequent lapses, so I went and got a bottle of memory food. That we
carry.
A traveller came in and tried to get a big order from me for the Aloe
Vera Products they are bottling in Taber. They buy aloe juice in concentrated
form in big barrels and dilute it and bottle in plastic bottles. It was very
cheap, but they wanted to sell case lots and we only sell a small amount. It
did not appeal to me for some reason anyway. So no order.
I think I will stick to the glass bottles for what I need.
After writing a letter and seeing the traveller, it is nearly
October 15. Slow, dull, "look like storm"
day. Have been cleaning out holes back of one counter and finding a few
things I can put out to sell. Cleaning up is an on going process here, where we
have so many shelves, cubby holes and cases and refrigerators. Thanksgiving has
come and gone. Colin and family made a quick visit and arrived about
October 18. Here I am, thinking "I wish I could go somewhere
else", and with the luck we are having trying to sell enough of the
business to get out of debt so we can go, I will probably still be here ten
years from now wishing the same thing (Oh ye of little faith. I only have these
moments once in a while, the rest of the time I have faith we will sell.) Note:
And here I am living in
I suppose thinking of going elsewhere tends to unsettle me, and I cannot
settle down here. All my life I have lived in
A nice sunny day outside, quite cool but nice. That is cheering. I
wonder if a person can be too conscientious about paying debts, and worry about
them when they could be enjoying other things. And this is my lucky day too.
After nearly ten years of sweeping the sidewalk, I found a reward today. A ten dollar bill. No way to find the owner, so how is that
for luck. I'll just add that to the money to pay a bill---. The most I have
found when sweeping before was twenty-five cents, and that was a long time ago.
It is Howard's birthday today. I don't know that he needs a birthday, but has
one anyway.
October 24. Saturday. A very high wind, so Bill
Easter cannot shingle the house roof as planned. Maybe
tomorrow. Order just came in, so I will be busy unpacking it.
November 3. And I should write something, but what? Our house roof is
shingled now. We had to do it, there were some bald patches. We are lucky to
get it done this time of year. Money is always a problem, but so are people,
like the man who calls me "my dear" every time he comes in the store.
I hate it. And then there are others who would like to call me __________
(censored). People came in all forms and shapes, and have all kinds of
dispositions and outlooks on life, and on other people. Some treat you like you
are a Queen, and some like you are not worth the
smallest of kind words, or even a civil word.
We had a good day yesterday for these times, so today we are having a
very small day to make up the usual balance.
I bought a new pair of slacks to wear to the Rosemary Rural Electrical
Association. The members will vote at this meeting on whether to sell or not to
sell to Transalta Utilities. I found when I got back from the store the belt
had been lost that went with the slacks, and I had to buy another which cost
more than a quarter of the price of the slacks. I bought them at Images 111 in the
Mall where I went to the so called "farmer's market" and bought my
"home made" Christmas baking. Cookies. small cake and small Christmas Pudding. It takes very small
ones for the two of us. I got some little pies from the Brooks LDS church pie
sale. They always raise money that way.
I got some nice home made bread to take to Church for Sacrament meeting.
We have been supplying the bread for at least eight years.
Nov. 22. Today is the day I expect the members to vote the R.E.A. away.
(to be sold). Many changes are happening now. I wonder
what our part of the earth will be like in another ten years. Maybe I will be
around to find out. I have been working out Christmas presents, and am planning
family presents as it is just too hard to get so many individual presents for
everyone now. I have Bartly's and he gave me an idea for Rod and Colin's
families, and as I also have Denyse's that about takes care of it. I am not
finished doing Denyse's, but once I know what I am going to do the rest is
easy.
November 25. Today it is snowing steadily and looks like it will last a
while. Not many people are interested in shopping today. But enough to keep me
leaping to my feet every once in a while, which is good for me. If I sit still
too long I will get stiff, to say nothing of stenographer's spread. Tomorrow I
should do some shelf dusting, but might put it off until the first of the week.
I wonder what makes me think I will like doing it better then?
I am getting along well with Christmas presents and think they will be
ready to mail next week. Sanna is here today and cannot find anything to do. I
know that is boring even if I do not experience it here. I can always dust and
clean, wanting to do it is another matter.
December 3. Mailed the Christmas presents I am sending today. The cold
weather is over again and it is a lovely day. In spite of the nice weather I
sold a pair of lambskin slippers today. Also the last pair of suede high
moccasins Vieng Khoune made. They were for a Christmas present.
All the children in the schools are getting a kind of 'flu. Fever and coughing etc. Bartly got it too, and we are of two
minds about going home tonight. Don't want to get the 'flu, but weatherwise
there is no excuse.
December 9. I did not get the 'flu yet, maybe I have had it enough this
year. There was another funeral yesterday, for Clark Lund. The Sunday before he
died we shook hands with him at church, and it is hard to realize we won't do
it again. He was fortunate in that he just dropped down when he went out to
care for his horses. Nice and quick for him, but a shock for
Dickie who went out to see why he was taking so long.
Weather has been quite cold, nasty wind making it colder. I suppose we
have to have some winter, but I have reached the age where I could do without
it. This writing in my journal is hard work for someone like me who does not
want to tell anyone anything personal.
December 17. Sure cold this morning, 31 deg. below F. I stepped inside
to warm up a time or two before I finished clearing the sidewalk. Cracking cold out there. Business still
slow and now eight days before Christmas if you count today.
December 20. Another cold morning, the temperature is higher but we have
a wind so it seems about the same. I went out and got a breath of very
"fresh" air as I swept the sidewalk. And I fear all the sweeping was
in vain, as the wind is blowing it all back again. Had a reasonably good day
yesterday, but only five more days to Christmas counting today. Not enough to
bring in what we need. No one around so far, but it is only 22 minutes past
nine, so can't expect them. It is harder to get up in cold weather,
the warm bed has a great pull.
I saw a picture of a man celebrating his 123rd birthday in the Deseret
News. I don't want to shoot for that myself, but the choice will not be mine.
Perhaps I have influenced it a great deal by the way I have conducted my life,
but doubt I could change it too much after reaching this age. It only warmed up
so it could snow again.
December 22. Still very, very cold. Must have been close to 40 deg. below (F.) early this a.m. Blizzard
warnings for Brooks today but no sign of it yet. Better if it waits
until night, if coming at all.
Our income for the past year must, I suppose, be considered good for
this year, although it would have seemed terrible two years ago. If gaining age
means gaining wisdom, we are two years wiser since the last good year. So far
today I have sold a saddle bag kit for $57.95, a pair of sheepskin mocs. for $32.95 and a few small
items.
It has been so cold we have not gone home for three weeks. Maybe we will
make it for Christmas. The car radiator was frozen the week before last and we
got partly to Rosemary Sunday morning and had to turn back. Just got into town
by the time the car stopped. I took a taxi, which was at hand as it stopped by
us when the car stopped. When I got to the store I phoned a car towing service
which cost $30.00, plus the garage charge, and I paid $5.00 for the taxi. We
were too late to go to church in Brooks, and too poor to pay more taxi fares.
In very cold weather we had no other choices. Last Sunday we could not start
the car, and the heater is ruined and we need a new block heater. So we took a
taxi to church in Brooks and a former Bishop, Bro. Hutchingson, brought us
back. I like cold weather less than ever.
It is hard to work up enthusiasm for the Christmas festivities. Perhaps
the cold weather is partly to blame. I fully realize that Christ's birth is the
greatest thing that ever happened as far as I am concerned, and I remember that
every day and not just at Christmas time. It makes everything else worthwhile.
Bartly is home today doing year end Church books. Things have been
slower at the store since Christmas, of course, and I fill my time in writing
letters and checking genealogy and like things when not cleaning. Now it is
time to do the shop books up for the year end. 1983 has gone so will have to
make the best of 1984.
I have been cleaning and dusting health food shelves. Howard gave me a
little battery "Dust Buster" for Christmas. I used it to clean out
the windows and it is great to clean up spills.
February 25. Some time since I wrote in here. Much of my time is now
spent trying to recognize old French records, since we were called to work in
the French name extraction program. The hardest part is getting time to go look
at films as they cannot be taken out. We are hoping to take pictures and that
way I can look at them at work. Now things are slow I have much time I could
use for it at work, and little time after work.
We have had marvelous weather most of February but today it is snowing,
lightly and wetly so far.
March 7. Here I am, busy cleaning out back of the counter and found my
journal, so felt duty bound to write in it. I have been too busy because the
motor in the furnace burnt out and dusty smoke filled the shop. We closed one
day and I did more heavy dusting than I have done for a long time if not ever.
There were thousands of little items to do as well as big ones. The worst has
been done but still enough to keep me busy remains. I got the spring cleaning
done early whether I wanted it early or not. It is snowing today. We got a nice
letter from Colin, which he said was too long, but we did not find it so.
April 11. Where does the time go, and how can it be so long since I
wrote in this journal. I waited until I finished reading the small French name
extraction tape before doing much else in my spare time. Then everything needed
dusting so I started that. I have the health foods done, which is the most
important to deep clean and free of dust. Now I am taking time to write a bit
before more dusting, bookkeeping, etc.
Tomorrow we are going to
He received a favorable answer from Tandy Corp. in
Colin and Annette are having a bad time now, as Gideon is sick in the
hospital in
After all the tests the findings were taken to a meeting of eleven
doctors knowledgeable about the brain. I think this means the tests give no
clear cut picture of the problem. They suggested to his parents he might be
flown to
But they never did really find out what was Gideon's problem. The branch
fasted and prayed for him and he had blessings. Actually the doctors tried some
medication which reduced the swelling in the brain stem, and perhaps the Lord
cured the rest. After a long and painful illness he recovered.
May 7th. Corbin and I both got our visas. Got a
parking ticket too, because we could not leave the Consulate when more money
was needed in the parking meter. But that is a small matter considering
everything else. Bartly and Jaqui and Jerrin left right after we got back
(Jaqui had driven us to
Jaqui went looking for a place for Bartly to stay until the family
arrived, and for a house large enough for all of us, perhaps for us an
apartment over the garage or something. She and Jerrin will come back by plane
leaving the car for Bartly. How lost we feel with everything now left in our
hands.
While Jaqui was gone, the sewer of the house in Rosemary backed up again
and flooded some of the basement. The children handled it better than could be
expected. Bro. Les Grusendorf cleared the sewer and loaned the kids a wet
vacuum to clean it up.
And the Lord is mindful of us all, for now we have, at the last minute,
a lady who wants to buy the building and will take the upstairs stock. Not at
the price we wanted, of course, but as we are in a bind, a lifesaver. She thinks
she will have the money in time, and wanted the phone company to give her a
number for the store so she could have business cards made. She has had a small
business of her own in the outskirts of town, and wants to get in the downtown
area. She is coming in to learn about things.
She got the money, and we took an inventory of everything upstairs and
she saw it all. Afterwards when Howard came in to get a roll of canvas she had
agreed would be ours, she was angry and said she was robbed. That the stock was
old and no good, and he could not have the canvas. I
felt bad about this, as I had checked everything carefully and taken out any
old stock, and she saw everything before she bought it. She said "she did
not notice" it then, but surely that was not our fault.
Anyway she threw out much of the stock without trying to sell it, which
was unnecessary. But that was her decision and the sale had gone through before
she made any fuss at all, which strongly indicates she wanted to buy it and was
satisfied at the time. Perhaps it was that things did not sell well after she
took over and she blamed the stock. She could have had sales and realized a
good sum to clear things out if she wanted. People are a little slow to buy
from a new owner sometimes, and it would have made some difference that people
were not coming in for shoe and leather work.
May 20. In my journal I have written many inconsequential things, and
now that something, to us at least, monumental has happened, it has been
condensed into little space. The main reason is that it happened in a short
time, and I was too busy to write much. We are now home in Rosemary after
selling the shop. The final cleanup was a lot of work. And here at home the
same thing goes on. Getting packed to move, sorting everything. No matter than
the moving company will come in and pack things, we have to do a lot first.
Deciding what to take with us, and what to put in the garbage, give away or
otherwise dispose of. And packing small things together.
Deciding what to put in our suitcases for the trip, which
will be made in the Van with Jaqui, 10 children, 1 dog and 2 grandparents.
And cleaning the house up for possible sale. Disposing of the year's
supply was a problem. Some was taken with us, some taken to the dump, like older
milk powder. Some given away. Everything taken with us
in the food line had to be put in secure pails or bottles, as there are many
bugs in
We have been going to the brooks ward to carry out our assignment for
the French Extraction program. And we put in much time we needed for something
else, and it was all for nothing. The lady who checked the work done could not
do it before we left, and so it had to be all done over, and what we have done
was junked. If we had only known we could have saved a lot of hours. It seemed
she really did not want to check ours. That's the way it goes, often we work
without accomplishing anything.
May 28. Today is Bartly's birthday. I do not know what to pack up now so
I have time to do this writing. This should be an exciting time, but right now
I need to be busier. This morning I finished the books and looked up some
things for Ilene who now thinks she wants to get her passport. Bartly wrote in
a letter to Jaqui that the Bishop of the ward we are to attend in
June 2. How do people find anything to write in their journals every
day? I took the books to the accountant yesterday. Howard is getting ceiling
tile for the downstairs ceiling, as long ago the goldfish tank was broken and
the water soaked through staining the ceiling. I suppose I should clean the
basement windows and paint around them. I have done one and do not like doing
more, as if that mattered. I am up early so have to wait for others to waken so
I can do it.
June 12. We are back from a visit to Colin and it rained every day we
were there. At least we got to see them. And we are still putting time in the
Extraction program, because it was not until later than this that we found out
it was all in vain. If it had not been for that would have stayed at Colin's a
little longer. Had they known at the time they were calling people for the
program that we were moving, likely they would not have called us. It has been
hard getting to Brooks to work on the French tape we started, as I did not
renew my driver's license after having the eye trouble. I was so determined to
get there and finish that tape, and did not know what the outcome would be.
We had some rain here which will help the farmers. Before this rain it
has been very dry and windy. We had a Stake fast for rain and help for people
in the Stake who are unemployed.
We have someone interested in the house, if it works out. If not will
just have to leave it, as we can't take it with us. We have more than enough to
take without the house. There are still more repairs needed, will have to see
what I can do after finishing the French tape. Don't suppose it is worth fixing
if it stays empty, but just have to do the best we can whatever the outcome. I
guess I am the kind of sucker who works and does all I can whether of any value
or not. I think I am not much good for anything else.
And I was just told it was too early for anyone with any sense to be up.
Today I am going to check the French film I copies in Rosemary with
someone here who has done it also. There should be some surprises for each of
us. Doubt if we will get it done in one sitting. Would like to get away now,
but we are not ready.
I awakened early one morning as I usually do, and looked at the window,
trying to estimate the time by the degree of light showing. Decided it was
quite early and wished I could go back to sleep, but knew I could not. Then the
bed was caught up in a gigantic swirl like a hurricane and I expected it to
come over on top of me, but it didn't. Just headed off into
the darkness. Must be about like dying, which I thought I was doing.
When I came out of it I felt as miserable as if I had arrived in hell. I would
do anything to prevent feeling like that again. I have not felt well since, but
can prevent, it seems, that from happening again by laying only on my stomach.
It comes back if I lay on my back. So I never lay on my back. If I forget I
leap up at the first bit of a swirl in my head. I feel better working than
sitting around.
Of course I can't work every minute. It is supposed to go away in ten
days or more. The doctor gave me some tablets to counteract it, but said they
might help or might not. If I take the full dosage I feel worse and very
sleepy, so am taking one third of a tablet instead of a whole one.
We have signed a lease agreement for our house with Tim and Val Betts
(Howard's nephew by adoption.) They are the only ones interested in getting it.
They have just purchased an expensive truck and it will be two years before it
is paid for, and then they can borrow the money for the house. In the mean time
they pay us $360.00 a month. Hope it works out, it is the best we can do, and I
believe they will take care of it well. There are many empty houses in Rosemary
now.
Even the dog gets into trouble here, chasing gophers under the wood pile
and having to go to the vet. And I sleep on my stomach or sitting up.
Before we leave Denyse and husband and her mother-in-law are coming, and
Colin and Family this week end, and then it will all soon be over. Denyse and
co. are staying at a motel, but Colin and family will stay here. Hope they will
enjoy their visit with all the confusion an people.
I still have to go to Brooks twice to check French cards after Martine
is through with them (she did not get them done before we left.) And I have to
go the bank twice and to the other bank and to the Post Office and to the
Lawyers to pick up a copy, and to the Brooks Bulletin to pay a bill, etc. and
etc. Surely will be glad when I have done it all.
June 30. Just a sittin' and waiting for
company to come. I am very tired of sitting, only like to stand and lay down
and cannot enjoy the latter now I have to lay on my
stomach. I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be able to lay
on my back again. But I would rather lay on my stomach
all my life than have that Vertigo again. I wonder if the doctor was right, as
my legs and feet are swollen too. I do not think that is from arthritis either.
I hope it works out all right going on the trip in this condition.
Did the lawyer ever make up for the reasonable price charged us when
selling the business when he made the house contract.
No hope of ever having anything "left over" now days. Guess it is too
easy to feel despondent when not feeling well.
Denyse and company visited us the day before yesterday, caught us in a
mess as we did not expect them so early. We had pulled the bookshelves out to
clean an unused clothes closet back of them. They came back yesterday when we
were tidy. Should be here any time now. And Colin and family soon too. I think someone just came for
the washer and dryer Denyse is selling. After keeping her things all this time,
now she doesn't want to take much of it. We could have sold it while we had the
store.
We had a nice visit with them all, and sent some things back with Colin
which means less to ship. Then the final business. I
went to Brooks Tuesday hoping to finish the French cards, but found the checker
had not done any more, so I checked mine for a while, and that is all I can do.
I had a doctor's appointment and a few final things to do, then back home for
the final packing and cleaning.
The packers for the moving company had started Tuesday and continued
Wednesday. I should say the packer as his partner had a sprained wrist so he
was doing it alone. I packed our own things from the bathroom and most of the
kitchen. The company sent another helper in the afternoon and they got it all
done by that night. They spent two hours or more making an inventory. Friends
sent food in both Tuesday and Wednesday. Jaqui and family stayed at Bryan
Tillacks. We stayed in the house as I wanted to do more cleaning I saw needed
doing. I know what it is like to move into a dirty apartment or house, and
wanted to leave ours clean for Tim and Valery.
Meantime Bartly is having the pest exterminators for the house they are
buying in
We planned on an early start
We finally got away and had what we thought to be a rather hot ride,
until the next day was hotter. We stopped at the emigration office and we
officially became residents of the
As I indicated the next day was much hotter, and we arrived in
After this visit we drove to Rod's, arriving about
We left Jessie at Rods, to go to Especially for Youth, and come to
Monday we drove to
We saw some splendid scenery, small mountains of all sizes and shapes
which were red, as many parts of
When we arrived they treated us royally. They bought a fried chicken
dinner for us. The Aunt's landlord let her use an empty furnished apartment for
us, and Jaqui's family stayed with them. It was surely a nice place to stay,
and great for us as Howard had caught a bad summer cold, and he could rest,
away from other people. Rent in Montrose is lower than most places. It would be
a very nice place to live.
When we first thought of moving we thought of finding a place like
Montrose to live in. And
Jaqui is staying over a day here to visit and wash clothes, and it will
be good for Howard to rest longer. Tomorrow we head for
Thursday, July 12. We had to cross the mountains today at the highest
point we have ever been. It was a road I could have enjoyed missing, but by
afternoon we were on the plains. Some places seem similar to
Kadin had a pain in one ear, and we waited while he went to a doctor and
had a prescription filled. It was no fun waiting in the hot weather.
We saw some very nice scenery. Tonight we travelled longer and made it
to
I got up early this morning, if I can call it getting up. I had been
sleeping in a chair at the time. I still have to sleep on my stomach or in a
chair, and my neck takes a kink when I sleep on my stomach too long. I don't
enjoy going to bed no matter how tired I am. And Howard with his cold is not
enjoying the trip as much as he might have done. He does seem able to sleep a
lot, which helps him. We are hoping to get home tonight, as Jaqui has to sign
papers tomorrow.
By
Another time they came to Brooks when we had the
store there, and left Sanna there somewhere. Where she was, and I
can't remember, someone phoned the store, and they brought her there. She was
terribly upset and shaking like a leaf. It took some time before she felt a
little better. After they came and got her it was all right. She was somewhere
around 6 years. So they had learned it paid off to count noses. Had she not
counted on the trip we would have left the dog tied to a fence.
Bartly had the cleaning man in when we arrived, and he stopped working
to let the crowd of children run past into the house. It turned out he knew all
about large families, he was the eleventh child in his family. He is an
engineer at a plant here, but expects he may be laid off so is doing cleaning
nights. That was the way he earned his way through University. He was
originally from
We found the moving van had not arrived so made do with what we had.
Former tenants had left a king size mattress with a hole in it, but it looked
fairly clean and we used that and found it comfortable. Bartly and Jaqui made
do with the single bed Bartly had bought while he was living there alone.
Jaqui's youngest brother was also there, he had come on a visit. The children
and the brother slept in sleeping bags on the floor.
We found out later the moving van had the brakes go out and was delayed
for repairs, arriving Saturday afternoon. So we were in a good mess for Sunday.
Went to church for
July 30. I did not write in my journal sooner because of the work of
getting settled in, although I did not do that much. I can usually find some
hour's work each day. The people living in the apartment over the garage have
now moved out, and Howard is busy fixing it up. It is a great mess and has to
have everything cleaned up, cover the walls with plywood and part of the
ceiling, paint what is left, and put in a new wooden floor as well as cover it
with linoleum. Also build a clothes closet along one side of the larger room.
He will also build a kitchen cabinet, and we will get a new bath tub and sink
cupboard for the bathroom. I do not know how the people managed who lived in it
the was it was when we first looked at it.
Howard is also going to build an outside stair to the apartment, which
will give us the additional space as a storage closet. It even has to have new
windows. I am sure the walls and ceilings had not been painted or cleaned in
the 15 years these tenants had lived in it, and maybe years before that. Smoke from
cooking had put a dark greasy film over everything. They took everything out,
air conditioner, door bell and even all light bulbs, even the one outside over
the door. Anyway we will have everything new, except the toilet which looks
like it was new recently. It can be cleaned and disinfected.
Bartly had home teachers Sunday night so we stayed too as we have no
where to have them come yet. Also a councillor
in the bishopric and his wife, who is the Relief Society President. They
are a very heavy couple, but very nice. She talks so fast it is hard to grasp
it before it is replaced with the next item of talk.
Today I took a saw and cut down some dead trees and branches around the
place. There is lots more to do in the yard. The place
we are going to live in need the old paint scraped off and repainting.
August 7. Sometimes the weather is a little cooler now, which is a
relief. But often very hot also. Our memberships were
read out in church last Sunday, so we are officially members in the
I do wish I had more interesting things to do. I suppose everyone feels
that way. It is not so much fun to go shopping when you do not need anything.
But we do need enough to fix up the apartment for us. Most of that is not the things I buy. And it is not long since I was busy
all day and evening, so I feel the difference. Just for excitement Jaqui and I
put our names in as clerks at the little store on the corner. After loosing so
much on our Canadian money any
From our point of view it was a great idea, as if one of us was sick the
other would go work, if one had an appointment the other would go to work, etc.
We live so close and could be there all the time. Actually I don't know if I
want to work, it just seems that I have too much time as I am not used to it
yet. I wish I could begin feeling better and then I would have more enthusiasm
for things.
August 22. Almost time for the children to start school here, and that
will be different for them. Some of the older ones are scraping and painting
the garage building, they may get finished before school starts. All the older
ones tried painting, but Corbin, now called Eric, ( changed
to his first name on entering the
I have painted the kitchen cabinet frame in the apartment and the other
ceiling and also the ceiling over the stairwell. That is all that can be
painted yet. I hope I can paint inside the clothes closet before it is closed
in.
Last Saturday Jaqui, Howard and I went to a garage sale at
In the afternoon we went with Bartly to a new lumber yard, the best we
have been in and bought a ladder and some tile for the ceilings in the
apartment. While we were there I asked the salesman if they ever had damaged
tubs and basins. They said they had one now on a truck. We went to look at it,
and while he had called it "dough" color, it turned out to be yellow.
The damage was not bad and they had a sink too that would go with it, so we
bought them for the bathroom. The old tub was on legs and took up so much room,
the smaller one will be much better for us.
The damage on the tub could be covered by a good sized soap dish, as it
is on the upper corner. We repaired with some porcelain paint and it is not bad
at all. It was a left hand tub so Howard had to change the pipes. The tub cost
$25.00, and the basin was a discontinued line at, if I remember, $10.00. Bartly
got a white tub too.
As the old tub was so rough it would about peel your skin off, and I was
not sure we could get all the dirt off that rough surface and I hate other
people's dirt, a new one was just what we wanted.
A week ago Sunday Bartly's family put the program on in church. It was
good and involved many family members. Jessica and Shawndra spoke, Jaqui, Tandy
and Lusannah sang "Where Love Is." Jaqui spoke, Lusannah, Ayrian,
Damon Chantry and Jerrin sang "I Wonder When He Comes Again", and
Bartly finished off right on time!
This past Sunday the choir sang, and I am still thinking about it. Quite different. The director was more like an orchestra
leader. This week I have found the rest of my genealogical sheet covers and
have been able to get all the Royalty sheets in the binders. Four
large binders full. I also put away a few more things I found that I
wanted in them. I wrote some letters. I try to keep busy, more so when the
temperature is cooler. The heat in
Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday were very hot, reaching about 115
deg. F. They were good days to stay by the air conditioner, although I did
chase around in the heat Saturday. The stores are deliciously cool, which makes
it worse when you go out of them.
We found a doctor here we like and I got some new pills for the swelling
of my ankles caused now by the extreme heat here. The ones I got before I left
August 29. Still fairly hot, but someone at church said it would soon
start to get cooler. Winter here is supposed to be January and February,
according to a fellow Howard talked with. Mr. Bone and Chris.
came last Thursday night, they had made the trip in three
days. Mr. Bone stayed until Sunday and left on the
Next week school starts, and it will be good for the children to have
school, and good for the rest of us too. Last Saturday we went to the big flea
market. It covers about a quarter of a square mile, and they have about
everything. I got some paint and Howard got a bicycle for $25.00. I got some
delicious tomatoes, much better flavor than those in the stores. Also sugar pears, plums and cantaloupe.
September 6. Labor Day is over, and the children in school out of
mischief (we hope) and it is possible to keep the house relatively tidy for a
few hours. Last Friday we wanted to go to the bank to cash our checks. Then
they phoned Jaqui and told her the children could not go to school Tuesday
unless they had some shots for Measles and others. Here boys as well as girls
have to have shots for 3 day measles. It was finally after lunch before we
could go and Jaqui and Howard had to get license plates for the cars too, so by
then it was after
We bought outdoor carpet for the stairs and fans for the kitchen and
bathroom. We did not get home until after
Sunday was fast Sunday, and it is more difficult fasting in all this
heat without a drink of water. Taking the pills we do, we feel dehydrated, but
I am glad I made it. I wanted to bear my testimony, and it would not have
seemed right if I had taken a drink of water. There was hardly a chance in Fast
and Testimony meeting people got up so fast, but I did get in. A sister asked
me to give her lesson in Relief Society, as she will be away next week. It is
the same one I was teaching in Rosemary when I left, Compassionate Service.
Wednesday Jaqui took me to the main library. I stayed in the
genealogical dept. until Bartly went home from work. I did not expect to find
much, but I believe I found the name of the Father of Robert Dunbar and the
town he came from in
Today I painted in what will be the inside of the clothes closet and
some other small painting jobs. Some in the storage closet as the old stairs
are out and a floor is in the closet.
It is a little cooler so I can walk a few places, and I need the
exercise. Last week we went and got the rest of the material and floor covering
for the apartment. Last Sunday I gave the lesson before mentioned in Relief
Society. It seemed to be well received and I had many compliments on it, but
perhaps they just wanted to make me feel good. (Note: "Anyway to this date
of March 1992, the only other lesson I have given was given in the St. Paul
Relief Society. Now I am too old and do not hear quite as well.) The people are
nice here, and say many complimentary things.
We live near the train tracks and ambulance barn. So there are many,
many trains going through all day and night, and sirens going off often too.
There is a railway crossing a few blocks from here, and if one is not wise
enough to go around, they will be caught there by a long, long train, and wait
a long while. If you hurry to get across before the train comes, it is amazing
how fast it travels. Once it has you caught behind the crossed arms, it
leisurely rolls by. About all you can do is count the cars. Until I learned the
ambulance barn is only a few blocks away from us, I was beginning to think we
lived in the most accident prone place in the
Now the temple is nearly ready for dedication, and was open for the
public during September the opposition has been out in full force. The leader
of one group (an ex-Mormon) wears a complete set of temple clothing outside the
temple, and the temple is fully picketed every day. They hand out anti-Mormon
literature to all who will take it. Anyone going into the temple has to go
through their picket lines. They say they are trying to lead the Mormons back
to Christians beliefs.
Sometimes the temple guides have to turn the sprinkling system on to
keep the hecklers back. It sounds like the time of Joseph Smith again. Perhaps
it will not have the effect they hope it will, and many people will be
interested in learning about the
The shed was soon finished and painted. And while we were away once
later there was a bad storm which blew part of a tree down onto the roof of the
shed, and much of the vinyl roofing had to be replaced.
The next big project here is to rebuild the fence, with some new wooden
sections. It is really a mess. Ready to install sections cost about $30.00 and
they would have to have them delivered too. In the meantime need to prop the
old fence up. Kids took at least one prop out.
The end of my index finger is numb today so no fun to write or anything
else. I have been getting acquainted with today's Sunday School
and Relief Society lessons. Fast day today, so I am doing what I can so I can
quickly get dinner when we return from church. I have a problem as I am
supposed to take my pills regularly and they do not agree without water. The
meetings end late so I cannot wait to take them after fast day. What is the
right thing to do? I do get dehydrated without water. Going without the food is
no problem, although I do find I need it. And if I do not tale calcium tablets
I get bad cramps. What fun it is to get old. I guess we are all here in this
life to see if we solve our problems in the right way.
The last of life for which the first was made, the poet said. I must try
harder to accomplish something worthwhile before it is over. I am spending much
time in genealogical work, and I hope that is as important as missionary work.
Now my legs need a bit of pampering, I feel I am better at genealogical work
where I can sit, and then stand and walk around as needed. I can spend a day at
the library, as they have convenient bathrooms, but can't go far from one in
the mornings after taking my pills.
I wonder if I use these things as an excuse for not going on a mission.
Not driving any more would not be a help either. Excuses all the time, and all
the time I feel guilty.
One day Jaqui took us out to look for a piano. I would love to have one
if only I can find one small enough. There is not much room for it. We looked
at pianos, and organs, and keyboards (musical instruments I think they call
them.) We found one piano that was small enough. It was an old English one, and
I had one in Rosemary that was hard to tune, and this one was not tuned, so I
thought I should check into it. I found out that the piano, which was an
antique, could not be tuned satisfactorily. I called a piano tuner and he told
me that I should stick to American make pianos, that the old English ones could
not be tuned.
Although we found some organs which were the right size I decided I did
not want an organ. We went to Sears and looked at the "Music
machines" there. They are nice, no tuning needed,
and are very small and not too expensive, which may more than make up for other
things. I did not buy one then. (Note: but later on when we were in
While we were at Sears we noticed the Christmas trees. We saw one priced
at $399.95. It had nursery rhyme figures on it, such as jack in a box, etc.
Nice, but imagine paying $400.00 for a Christmas tree.
Oh dear, the weather has changed from 12 degrees above normal to colder
with rain. With this kind of weather in
Now I was going for a walk, but again it is raining harder so I will
wait a while for the walk.
We had a nice Christmas and New Years. All Rod's
family wrote to us and they sent pictures of the children. Maureen sent a
Cabbage Patch baby wall hanging. Denyse sent a nice wall clock. It looks
elegant on the wall. Colin phoned that their present was to phone us every two
months during this year. Bartly's family gave us an electric ice cream freezer,
so of course we had to try it out. We had home made ice-cream for New Years,
very nice.
For a change I got the dinner for us all for New Years. We have enough
left to do us for some time with the help of the deep freeze. What a boon the
Freezer is.
We had a surprise last night, about one and one
half inches of fluffy snow, with a colder temperature, about two degrees below
zero. F. Today the sun is shining but forecast says more snow. True to
Last night some one broke into the shop and stole three drills and
probably more. Once I get asleep early in the night, I seem to hear little,
even if it is right below. Had it been in the early a.m.
I likely would have awakened. The stealing is surely one thing I dislike here.
While I realize more every day "I can't take it with me," I would
prefer someone other than a thief to get it.
While we were having the worst of the 'flu the weather turned cold and
froze all the water pipes, which are on the outside of the building. Evidently
it was colder than they expected when they put them there. Howard sure did not
feel like doing anything about it, but did enough to get by. Bartly had to replace
some of those under the house.
I hate to have to ask someone to take me where I cannot walk. Maybe we
will go to
The crime here is enough to send anyone away. Women are not safe driving
in their cars, especially if they do not lock them or if they break down.
Nothing is safe unless under lock and key, and not even then often. But here
they have built a temple to the Lord, so there are many good people. It is only
the wicked ones you hear about. I have been to the temple three times.
Not sure just when it was that I tried to write a psalm, but think it
was the first time we were in
Another New Song
The whole earth was of one language, they all were of one speech.
In the
Here let us make a name for ourselves, here build a tower whose top may
reach heaven.
Lest we be scattered on the face of the whole earth, let us make a very
high place.
The Lord came down, He saw the tower, He found
they were as one.
Nothing will be restrained from them, because they work together.
I will confound their languages, not let them understand one another.
They shall be scattered; from thence will I send them over the earth.
The word of Moriancumer came unto the ear of the Lord,
at the bidding of Jared he cried "Confound us not."
The Lord in his compassion turned his heart unto them,
in His mercy he astonished them not.
O Lord, give ear unto this petition, I cannot depend on the help of man,
Confound not our friends, let us speak and understand them.
Wither shall we go, wilt thou drive us out of this place?
Who knoweth but to a choice land He will carry us forth.
The Lord satisfied their longing, the Lord in his tender mercy said:
"Gather thy families, male and female of thy flocks, gather seeds
of every kind.
I will meet thee at the head of the valley, and I will lead the way,
I will bless thee, and thy seed, and I will go before thee."
They travelled in the wilderness where never had been man, they
travelled the weary way.
The Lord instructed them to build barges, sufficient for they all,
To build them tight and seal them up. Long they labored.
The Lord commanded and raised up a mighty wind, they were driven toward
the promised land.
Their cries ascended to heaven, He preserved them and brought them up
upon the top of the waters.
O Praise our God, our Mighty God, his hand of mercy extendeth forever.
They were brought to a goodly land, Behold this land is choice above all
others.
He that doth possess it shall serve God, or he shall be utterly
destroyed from off the face of the land.
They began to spread over the face of all the land, they multiplied upon
the earth.
Serve ye the Lord, learn His decrees, repent
ye, continue not in your iniquities.
The Lord descended from His pavilion, He bowed the Heaven, and stood in
a cloud.
Moriancumer saw Him not. Deal with thy servant mercifully, forgive my
trespasses.
The Lord answereth him, and in his loving kindness withdrew the veil.
The Brother of Jared saw the finger of our living God.
O Lord, let thy servant see thy face -Believeth thou the words which I
speak?
Yea, Quicken my understanding, forgive my iniquities -
Behold, the God Everlasting stood revealed!
The Brother of Jared entered His presence, our most glorious, great
glorious God.
Time passed, wickedness prevailed, secret
combinations were formed, and flourished in the land.
Whatsoever nation shall uphold secret combinations shall be destroyed,
they shall be swept away by mine indignation.
O many were the wars waged, battles raged over
the land, God doth not profit the wicked.
The words of the Lord have all been fulfilled, our God speaketh only
truth.
Years passed - Ether said "Whether the Lord will I be translated - ( so be it I am saved in the
It mattereth not if I suffer His will in the flesh, or what happens to
me.
Man's mortal live is as the grass, as a shadow it fleeth away,
The Lord prepared eternal life, and gave to man immortal hope.
O Lord, how many are thy works, In wisdom thou
hast made them all.
March 6. 1985. A cloudy day. I have been repairing my clothes so they
will be ready when we go to
I have Bartly's computer here to see if I am interested in it. So far I
have found out all (no, only some) of the things I can do which are wrong.
Finally I took the program off the disk so I cannot use it until it is put back
on. I did not get going on the computer before we left on our trip.
Yesterday Jaqui had to go to a music store in
We had heard on the news that the wind Sunday night had taken the glass
windows out of a tall building in
One Saturday we went out with Bartly and Jaqui and got the luggage we
will need for our flight (so we must be going somewhere.) Got one suitcase and
two flight bags, one long for dresses, and one short for suits.
All for $33.50, so you will know we did not go to an expensive leather shop or
anything like that. True we will have "mix and match" luggage, and no
match either, but had we spent all our money on luggage there would have been
no trip. Better a trip and unmatched luggage. And I
got a very large purse of fabric so I can carry a lot in it with me when I go
on the plane.
We were asked to work in the temple, but as we do not have a way to get
there, that may be the reason we have heard no more about it. Our names have
been cleared and they were going to call us when they wanted us, but if we do
not hear soon it will be too late. We do not know how long we will be able to
travel, so want to have this trip.
Yesterday I got some medical insurance fixed up. I had sent a card to a
Senior Citizens Dept. in
Today the yard seen out of our kitchen window has many nice birds,
Robins, lots of them, blue jays, cardinals and others. How nice to have them in
the yard. Probably it is a sign that the worst of the winter is over. So Howard
got some scraps and put them out for the birds and that frightened them all
away. I think they thought he set traps for them. So much for
bird feeding.
I think I am going to the library today, but likely will not go Thursday
as Jaqui is going to the church at five, and at seven I can go to the church
genealogical library. I do not get too many chances to go there,
we live about five miles away across the city. Oh, one brave Robin came back to
the nearest tree, others are on the front lawn, so perhaps
they will become brave enough to get the food in time. The sparrows are always
there, next come the blue jays. Perhaps Robins do not like scraps, and only eat
worms. At least they spend much time on lawns. A blue jay carried off a piece
of orange peel. The blue jays are the best feeders, and eat nearly anything.
Sparrows are always after any food and Robins must eat worms.
March 27. Not much has been happening and I have not written here for a
while. We have had spring since I last wrote, some really warm days. The ones I
dislike most are the "muggy" days. Usually we hear of thunder and
tornados. We had lots of rain last night and felt a couple of good gusts of
wind, and then we were fortunate in that the storm went around us. The news says
damage was done in
Yesterday our nearest neighbors came back with a baby. I had not seen
the lady for a while and did not know they were expecting one, so they easily
fooled their closest neighbor. Our apartment is right next to their fence, and
that makes us the closest neighbor to their back door at least. Their dogs have
been a big nuisance lately, perhaps because the lady was not giving them as
much attention.
There are many beautiful blooming trees. We have a Redbud tree on the
edge of the property, and we did not know what it was until it bloomed. We have
planted some new fruit and nut trees here, an apricot, plum, pear and peach,
walnut and pecan. I do not suppose they will all grow, and if we do as we
usually do, will leave before any of them bear fruit. (Note: that is what they
did. The walnut and pear were growing rapidly, but not yet bearing. Some of the
others died due to too much shade, I think. We also planted a blackberry and
two grapes, which did fine, and asparagus. I have always wanted yellow
raspberries, but have not found any here. And I am sure all the bugs would be
the best harvesters of any fruit. Fruit trees have to be sprayed three or four
times a year.
We have had plenty of rain to keep things moist, even soaking wet, so
they should grow. Rain is better for them than watering. I also planted a
pretty little cedar with little flower like sprays on the end of the branches
which made them look two toned. (Note: this was still doing fine when we left,
and had grown much larger. It was planted by the front corner of the garage.) I
also planted a dwarf holly and it was still doing well when we left.
Yesterday I cleaned my big white suitcase, and after the month end I will
get our plane tickets to
I have been bringing Bartly's genealogy up to date and correcting
everything according to the new information I have found. My typewriter has
developed a bent letter "N" which makes it impossible to do good
work, so will have to see if it is worth repairing.
Well, here it is May 6. What did I do in the time since March 27? I
spent the time getting ready for our trip, moving all food etc., as it would be
boiling hot in the apartment once the air conditioner was shut off when we left.
I went to the library a few more days and to the church library some Wednesday
nights when I had a ride. The second Saturday before we left Bartly and Jaqui
took us out in the country to look around. It was nice to see it before the
heat turned everything brown. It was a nice green when we went, and we went
quite a distance. Went to look at the site of a town made famous by western
stories, but there was nothing much left now, and I have forgotten the name.
We saw several towns we had not seen before. Rain held off for us, as it
was supposed to rain that day. That night a terrible storm caused much damage
in one of the places we went through on the trip, and I can't seem to recall
the name of that place either. I should have made notes.
We finally had to get the tickets for our trip through a travel agency,
and after that got Power of Attorney for Bartly to handle anything that came up
here. Jaqui took us to the lawyers, and Jerrin went along, and he had a fine
time. The lawyer had a model car on his desk and let Jerrin play with it. He
got to change the tire too. As the lawyer knew we were going on a trip he told
us of an older couple he knew who never travelled on the same plane together,
but one took a following plane so that if the plane went down, it would not
kill both of them. Personally that does not seem much better to me. The lawyer
said that he could not see what good it would do for the surviving one of the
couple to fly over the wreck of the plane the other one travelled in.
Finally we got everything done that needed to be done before we left. We
had been babysitting Jerrin a bit while Jaqui worked before we left, so I
suppose we will miss him most. We started packing our bags a few days before
time to leave, so we would not forget anything important. Finally the big
morning arrived and we loaded our bags in the van and said goodbye to most of
the children. Chantry did not want to say goodbye as she did not want us to go.
Bartly and Jaqui took us to the airport and did everything for us, and after a
little while we were on our way to our first commercial airplane ride.
Not long after we were airborne they served breakfast. They served more
meals then than they do now, as they keep trying to cut down on expenses to
keep going. We saw many mountains as we passed over
Then it was soon time for lunch, and that
before we were hungry, but it was so nice we ate it anyway. It turned out to be
a long time before we ate again, so just as well we did. Some clouds hid the
view part of this flight, the rest of the time it was clear. Then we landed at
We went out the door and there was Colin waiting for us. He loaded out
luggage and we rode with him to
As Colin had an apartment we knew it would be too crowded for us there,
although Annette kept saying we could stay with them. Had we only arrived for a
two weeks stay, we would not have taken so much luggage,
and that helped to take up too much room.
So we first started calling all the rental advertisements in the paper
for apartments to rent, but found them all taken, as they were cheaper than
those in the apartment buildings like Colin lived in. We saw one fine apartment
completely furnished which was not in an apartment building, and loved it and
the price, but they wanted someone who would stay for at least two years. So we
sadly left that one. We settled for one for $335.00 a month in the same
building as Colin’s. The furnished one was only $200.00 a month, and was a
lovely apartment, and such a bargain we almost said we would stay two years!
Colin loaned us two chairs, and Annette her grandmother's table, that
her grandmother had used for genealogy. We bought two cheap lounging chairs and
a foam mattress and managed fine for the time we were there. As the sun through
one window bothered us I bought 3 sets of plastic curtains, they covered the
window when the lights were on too. They were used ones I could throw away when
we left. Colin loaned us a fan, but when we found it overheated when we ran it
too long, we bought another one for $25.00, which I still have.
We bought a few small items at yard sales, so we had enough dishes and
could manage. We do have a lot of unused space in our apartment. Too bad we
can't save until we need it. It is nice to live so close to Colin as we see
them often. Colin comes to visit us often, which makes me feel a bit guilty as
he could use the time with his family. One thing Colin will never need to feel
guilty about is not giving us enough attention while we are living. Nor the other
children either. I am sure they are all better to us than I was to my parents,
so I am the one to feel guilty.
We do not have a phone, but are called to Colin's phone, and Bartly was
the first one to call. He said the Bishop had called the day after we left to
ask us to go to the temple, but he was too late.
We have been to the doctor and etc. while here. I have a bit of
arthritis in both shoulders, and he suggested Tylenol for pain, but I do not
need it. I don't think it would do any good if I did. The only trouble I have
is reaching behind my back to fasten clothing. (Note: but the
arthritis got better and I can manage the fastening well now.)
I went to the Dentist on the 15th. He was a young eager fellow who
wanted to put crowns on all my teeth with big fillings, "as they would
likely have pieces break off sooner of later." It is more than enough to
have the work done that has to be done now. Let the future take care of other
problems. So I am having one crown and two fillings. I have an appointment with
the optometrist for this Friday.
And the rest of the six weeks we stayed in the apartment passed in what
seemed no time at all. We were supposed to clean the carpet after renting, so
got the steam cleaner and did it, although we had hardly made a speck on it.
Howard used the cleaner and I mixed the solution, a fair division of work? But
Howard carried too many things upstairs, did I say our apartment and Colin’s
were upstairs?, and so his back bothered him. While we
had the carpet cleaner, we moved some of Annette's stuff in their apartment and
cleaned what we could there. I had the fun of cleaning the machine up before we
took it back. In all it cost $10.00 for the steam cleaner and $4.45 for the
cleaner.
I went to town and mailed letters and bought some calcium tablets.
Sunday we all managed to get ready for church, crowded as we were with them
after leaving the apartment. They had a nice visit from their home teachers,
Brother Lybbert and son. Went to a fireside and Bro. Finley gave an exceptionally
good talk about our pre-existence. How we chose our side, fortunately the right
one, and how we then agreed to God's plan, and the commandments we are to live
by. So if we break them we are going against what we helped make in the
pre-existence. We had a voice in all the proceedings. Bro. Finley is an air
force Captain, perhaps retired now, and has a beautiful body and stance. What a
handsome Captain he would be. He has four daughters and his wife was there too.
After the meeting Annette fed us baked salmon, vegetables consisting of Zuccini cooked with onions, tomatoes and cheese, and
potatoes.
Today is Dominion Day, and I have discovered I can still sing O Canada
with the best of them. We repacked our luggage. Had a nice breakfast, and are
going for a picnic to some
Did not get my hair done as we were so late home.
We had lots of time to find the next flight and it was about
Denyse came in to get us. She had/has a terrible cold, having got over
it once and then having it again, so our arrival could not have been a joy to
her. Her house is large enough for us to have a room, and is a nice house. How
the children, Sandy and Kris have grown. Lance is looking much better now. He
cooked a very nice baked salmon dinner for us. As I had not had nearly enough
sleep I was glad to get to bed early.
The next day we walked around the neighborhood, came back to the house
and went to sleep again. Denyse is working today and the boys went off with
Lance this afternoon. We walked a bit again, and Howard is now sleeping. We
were fortunate in having the sun out yesterday and today. Everything looks nice
and green. They had rain for some time before we arrived. When the sun shines
and a hard wind does not blow this is a lovely place.
One time
Today, Sunday,
Today was a nice day, which Big Sandy's mother had been waiting for, so
she could take us up to the summit of a mountain in a gondola to see the view.
I do not care much for mountains, but the view was worth it. We could see way
out over the sea, as well all the scenery and
Tuesday evening Denyse had company, Marg. Sievert and her sister, and
another lady, maybe a niece, and a man who was related too. We helped all we
could to get ready, as we knew Denyse still was not well. It was a good time,
but I think a bit too much for Denyse. Thursday she went to the doctor and took
Kris with her, they both have bronchitis. The doctor gave them both much
medicine, so hope for improvement. It is a good thing Denyse is on holiday, but
a lousy way to spend a holiday. We both planned for our visit, but the cold
made us wish we had not gone to visit her at that time.
Traci and three children arrived at
When they left Traci said they were going to come to
I am enjoying the cool weather here so much, it
will be a big shock when we go to the
Traci forgot Jamie's stroller, she will miss that before she gets it
back. Too bad no one noticed it.
Last Tuesday Lance took Howard salmon fishing. They had a nice day and
got an exceptionally good catch of fish. In pictures it is recorded as long as
the pictures last. Lance says it is not often fishing goes as well as it did
for them that day. As their deep freezes were already full they had to give
most of it away. We have enjoyed some very good salmon here, baked, then in
salad and sandwiches. It is only another three days before we are on our way.
If we can come again we will visit Traci at
Things were rather slow after they left, but all of a sudden it is the
day before we leave.
Sunday morning we took a taxi to church, and to my surprise it only cost
$2.90. A small box of laundry detergent costs $3.79, so it is cheaper to ride
in a taxi than wash your clothes! Another couple were
visiting the branch, they were now from
A man in the Priest's class said he was having a hard time doing
genealogy as his mother did not know who his father was. She had unfortunately
lived near a soldier's camp during the war. The soldiers took it as their right
to force the girls and women of the area.
All of a sudden there not time for the other fishing trip, Howard could
have gone today but decided against it as he did not want to be too tired for
tomorrow, when we start the long trip to Rods. We go back by plane to
Then came the time to leave, and we arrived early for the bus so we were
able to watch a big ocean liner which was in dock. Goodbyes said with many vows
to visit each other again, they would come to the states, we would come again,
but of course things do not work out as you think when you say goodbye. We did
see Denyse the next time we visited Colin, as she and Lance and the boys drove
to
So on the bus to the ferry to
We had an interesting ride until we got nearly to
And believe it or not, the driver managed to crawl out of the opposite
car window, and walk away. He did not walk steadily and we do not know if it
was from the accident or if he had been under the influence at the time. The
driver's side of the car was smashed, this was why he
got out of the window on the opposite side. There were many witnesses so we did
not have to stay there.
We spent the night in
Colin said he had ordered rain for the trip so it would not be too hot,
and the rain lasted until after we were in
We stayed at Rods place and visited a few days until Colin came back to
have some work done on his truck. He picked us up afterwards, and all our
things, and we went to
It took a week or so to get the apartment cleaned up and purchase the
things we thought we needed. Then I started looking up genealogy in the
library. Howard asked at the temple if they had anything he could do at the
temple. He started helping in the laundry.
Jessica was going to go to the BYU and Bartly thought of bringing her, then decided to send her on the plane. Rod and Maureen met
her when she arrived and she visited them a few days before going to the Y. In
fact she went on a Friday. On the next day we went to see Rod for the long
weekend, going on the bus to a place where he met us.
The first ward we attended in
We visited that ward once, but liked going in the morning better than
the afternoon, when they met. Altogether we attended the Mapleton ward three
Sundays, once the Fourth Ward, and the rest of the time the 13th Ward. The
Bishopric were all friendly good men and it was very
easy to love them.
The 13th Ward was assigned to have handicapped people, and two sisters
were appointed to friendship them and get them to church whenever possible.
These sisters did a great job. Most of the people they brought worked out very
well, but a couple of the mentally retarded boys could not keep still long
enough for the meeting. It made us all very thankful for our blessings and more
sympathetic with the problems of others.
We lived between three or blocks from
On October 14th the genealogical library was closed so they could move
everything to the new building, which cost 8.5 million dollars. I suppose by
the time anyone reads this that amount will either be a very small amount or a
very large one, depending on what happens to the economy.
While we were living in Salt Lake President Spencer W. Kimball died. And
so we had our first, and likely last chance to go to a funeral of a Church
President. We may have seen more at home watching it on TV, but the feelings we
were touched by were not something we wanted to miss. It was a fine funeral for
a fine man of God. He has done so much for so many people. He loved and cared
for everyone.
We watched the October conference on the TV, and our little TV received
it very well.
President Benson looks frail, but gets around better than President
Kimball was able to do the last four years. I am glad President Gordon B.
Hinckley is still in the presidency. And President Monson will be a very good
counselor. President Benson said the church will follow the policy of the
preceding Presidency, missionary work, genealogy, and perfecting saints. (To preach the gospel, to perfect the saints, and to redeem the
dead.)
I guess if President Benson at 86 is young enough to be President of the
church, we are young enough to go on a mission. We have decided to go. I think
one of the Conference talks caused Howard to say he guessed we should go on a
mission. If they will accept us. I am hoping it will
be a real proselyting mission. I have been trying all my life to do something
for the dead, and think I should do something for the living now. However I
think we will go where inspiration leads them to send us, meekly as we should.
I think Howard would be happier with a temple assignment, so it seems
unlikely we will both get our "choice," and perhaps neither of us
will. We have both enjoyed living in
Maureen came and fetched us and all our belongings on Friday evening,
November 15th. One Sunday Maureen fetched Jessica so we could see her before we
left. She has more self confidence now, I could see. We had not seen her since
the 6th or 7th of May. We stayed with them until the 21st of November, when we
went to the train station.
I set the alarm for early arising on Thursday morning. Rod gave us some
breakfast (and our Christmas present which Maureen had made.) I had found
something I could get for their Christmas, but will have to mail it. We did
have a lot of luggage to take back to
When we went to the train station it was deserted, with a sign advising
we should go some other place for the tickets. We found that and he scared us
to death by saying "Yes you get the tickets here if you have time to catch
the train." Then after a bit the fellow said the train would be late, and
we had plenty of time. We finally got the tickets and baggage tags, and then
had to go back to the first station (all this was in
We waited, and waited. Another lady was waiting too, for her son who was
supposedly coming in on the train we were waiting for. The train was scheduled
to arrive at five to eight. At about nine Rod went
back to the ticket office to find out when the train would arrive. They said it
had been held up and would arrive in about twenty minutes.
It finally came and they wanted us on board in a hurry. All the way to
the station Rod's truck had a very strong diesel smell, so while we were
waiting Rod checked it to find out what was the matter. He found he had a leak
in the gas hose. He was able to cut the part which leaked out and refasten it.
Fortunately the escaping gas did not catch fire.
The train man said "Oh, my" when he saw all
our luggage, but when he hefted the suitcases and flight bags did not
say anything about paying more to take it. Now if we have the same luck when we
board another train in
The ride is nice and smooth, the train seems to
be filled with passengers. Already I know I will hate the so called rest rooms
on the train. But it is nice riding through the mountains. We just passed a
freight train. We did not actually need to bring pillows, but an extra one will
be fine for my feet as they need to be higher than the foot rest. Lots of snow
in the mountains we are travelling through. We do not go as fast as a car while
going through the mountains.
Saw the same beautiful Red Cliffs which we have not seen anywhere else,
only in
They are changing crews here, but as they are late they wish all of us
to stay aboard. A few are getting off here. Gateway to
Now I am going to try another pen, a better one I hope. The train has
stopped for something, and it seems to be in the middle of nowhere. So Howard
guesses it is a cow on the track, but in that case it is a very slow cow. Now
another train is passing us, and that may be the reason for the stop. I think
the passing train has a hundred cars. This train may as well have stopped
longer at the last station, and the other train would have been gone on its way
by the time we arrived here. (At this point the reader may well begin to
surmise that I am writing so much here because I have nothing else to do. I
should have brought knitting.)
We are passing fruit orchards now, in a nice valley. The trees are dead
looking at this time of year, of course. And here is a garden of old corn,
proving that it is much more fun to grow corn than it is to clear it from the
garden after the crop has been taken off. Just passed a little town but can't
see the name, and big fields of fruit trees next to the mountains, and big
greenhouses. Here we go around the bend of a good sized river. A sign says
Cameo one half mile. Not nearly as much snow here as in
Now a whole field of fruit trees and all the tops are red, wonder what
kind they are. And here a coal mine. What do they do with the coal? A flume across the river, with what appears to be little Dutch
houses across it every so often. Another tunnel, about
the fourth or fifth so far. Some cattle chutes going down to the river,
so suppose they must be for loading cattle on a boat, what else could they be
for?
I bet any reader who has read this far wishes it would get dark so I
could write no more. I have just been looking at a map Amtrak supplies, and a railway
is marked as going right across to
We are going between extremely high mountains. I used to think I
preferred being at the bottom of the mountains, but when I look up and see all
the pieces which could fall if we had a good "tremor" I want out.
Here we go through a tunnel if that is any better. Now we are out of the
mountains that loomed over us, but the country is still not flat. Now we are
stopped again, can another train be coming? No here we go again. Now I know
what they mean by "clouds sitting on the tops of the mountains." Some
are doing exactly that. You will be pleased to know it is getting dark at
They just told us we are going through a tunnel over six miles long.
Built in 1922 to 1927, it cost 18 lives and 15 million dollars. Elevation 9400 feet, highest elevation of the trip. As it is
dark outside it does not make much difference being in the tunnel. I would have
preferred to go through the tunnel in the daytime. One ear just popped. Ten
minutes to go through the tunnel.
We managed to sleep about enough, I think. Stopped at
At the moment I feel that the whole idea of travelling by train was a
disaster. We wanted to see what it was like to ride on a train now, as it had been
years since we had been on one. We arrived at
Ottumeva named for Indians playing there 1836.
They announced that one train would be held for one transfer, and the
rest should make it, as they expected to arrive in
The land is flat and quite nice looking at this time of year. Large
farms which look prosperous. Lots of corn fields here in
At
We have seen the
Writing in a moving train makes my writing even worse than normal. We
have passed Malvem, now passing Arkadelphis.
Lots of trees, brush and hills in the distance. Some
people do live close to the railroad. Have seen a grove of trees, or more, that
remind me of the pictures of the Sacred Grove, but we are a good distance from
that now. We saw a field of what Howard says is cotton. I did not expect such
small plants.
The first herd of cattle we saw this morning had a big Brahma bull. Now
we are at
We passed
In the ward we left they were having a fast this next Sunday for the
starving people. Do not yet know if
We passed a little place called
Whew, skunks around! A mad one too. Passed a
field which looked like it had melons laying around in
the grass, pasture grass type. And then another place where what looked like yellow delicious apples on the ground under the trees.
And I think of what I have to pay for them.
Here we are waiting at Dallas, train not shaking my arm and I have
nothing to say. We have been ready and anxious to go, but train driver does not
have the word, so we wait, and wait. Some people are waiting outside, maybe for
the next train which will take our spot. Here we go, but I can see how we might
take until
After greetings we waited for our luggage, and saw people getting theirs
from a cart just outside the door. So I asked and it was the right cart, but no
luggage for Betts. I asked the man and he thought it was because we arrived
late in
As we got home about
We had fun finding any clothes that we had left at home that would do
for Church. Howard had an old suit and several shirts at home, so his problem was
his shoes. He had to redeye what he was wearing, and polish them. I had a nice
enough dress but it was stretchy and stretched enough to outline all parts of
my figure that I wished to hide. However, I had a nice jacket, or reasonably
nice even if old, that went well enough with the dress, and I did not dare take
it off! I had an old but fairly decent pair of shoes I could wear. I think the
people in the ward must have thought we came back home much poorer than we
left.
Sunday I had to wash every dish, utensil, cutlery and micro wave oven
before we could eat. As we expected the luggage Monday I had to clean out the
clothes closet before they came. We also threw away all the old clothes we
could bear to part with to make room for the clothes in the luggage. I had some
toiletries stored at Bartly’s and Sunday they gave them to Howard so I had to
clean out the closet in the bathroom so I could put them away. So I did not get
the cupboards in the kitchen cabinet cleaned out until today, other than a
shelf or two to hold what we were using.
So there was cleaning to do for some days. When you live where there are
all kinds of bugs, you do not fancy anything without cleaning it very often.
And I walked to Grundys and got what I forgot when I went grocery shopping.
We are having Thanksgiving with Bartly's family, and I get to make the
pumpkin pies, either tomorrow afternoon or early Thursday morning, which is
Thanksgiving. But likely if they eat much of the dinner they will not need
dessert until later. I will make some extra pies and not have to do it at
Christmas time. I still need to go through the accumulation of mail and get rid
of what I do not want to keep.
December 16. Busy still, and need more time to get the genealogy in
order. At least I have the new sheets in Bartly's book, and a set made for
Colin, and even a set of the new sheets for my own book. Jaqui made some copies
for me at the place she works. I only paid five cents a copy there and we
furnished the paper.
We talked with the Bishop about going on a mission, and he gave us a
form to fill out. We found out two weeks later that he should have also given
us medical and dental forms to get made out and submitted with the first form.
Today he took us to an LDS dentist for that part. As he was in
I wonder if all the missionaries’ shoes we repaired in our shop would
have amounted to this much. We did indeed get it back again with the cup
running over. The Dentist was a convert to the Church, and he always looks
after the missionaries. He was a great man, and likely he will get it back
again too.
Tomorrow we go for our medicals. I would have liked to get a lady
doctor, but not only do they charge more, but it takes longer to get an
appointment with them, it seems. So we are going to a doctor we had never heard
of before today. Dr. Moser, our usual doctor, was not accepting appointments,
which likely means he is not well himself. He has a very bad kind of high blood
pressure, which started in his twenties, so he told us. Occasionally he has to
go in the hospital for treatment. (Note: before long he gave up his practice,
so I guess his health was not improving.)
His receptionist gave me the number of the doctor who answers Dr.
Moser's calls when needed. I was surprised they could take both of us tomorrow.
So we can go in the same taxi. When they have made out the medical form they
must mail it to our Bishop. It will be confidential, which means all my
secrets, even the ones I do not know,, are revealed to
the Bishop and the Stake President, and probably others. Tough luck, so much
has never before been revealed about me. Just like confessing you have false
teeth, wooden legs, plastic joints and etc, and the present condition of every
part of the body. This is my second sacrifice in going on a mission. I will be
very happy when this part is over.
The day after the visit to the dentist I called a taxi, in plenty of
time. He came and we found we had a long way to go. And the address they had
given me did not tell the taxi driver where to go, so he ended up on the wrong
end of the drive. When we had turned back and were waiting for a chance to get
back on the highway, we saw an accident. I looked up just in time to see a car
ram the back of the one ahead of it. The car shot ahead about twelve feet.
Our driver asked the man who got out from the passenger side of the car
which had been hit if the lady driver was injured, but he said she was all
right. She did not look all right to me, but like her neck had been whiplashed.
Our driver looked up and down the road and said "Man, I am afraid
to go out there, someone will hit me." He was a Negro and quite a fellow.
We enjoyed his company.
He went and phoned the doctor's office after I found their phone number.
He came back and said "she" had told him he was right across from the
building. (She later told me our driver had said he was just across from it.
There certainly is a lot of misunderstanding between people.) So he drove off
to find the building right across from the phone booth, and of course it was
not there. So after inquiring again he found he had to go to the other end of
the drive, and we arrived late for the appointments.
But I found that was the least of my troubles when I remembered I had
started out with the forms for the doctor to fill out. I had let them slip from
my grasp at some point in the ride (really no wonder.) So the receptionist
phoned the Taxi Company to have "Robert" our driver, bring the papers
back to the office. In the meantime he now had two passengers and had promised
to take them where they wanted to go, so it had to wait until he was free.
They sent all the patients they could in ahead of us, while I paced the
corridors, not being able to sit still. Finally the doctor said he would give
us our physicals and check the forms after they arrived to see if anything else
was needed. I knew I had to find out my blood type, so got them to do that, and
gave him the Bishops address, as the elusive forms had to be mailed to him.
The forms had not yet arrived and the doctor thought he should check
Howard's blood. He noticed his eyelids were very pale on the inside and
suspected anemia. So our excitement was not over, if you want to call it that.
After checking his blood they called Howard back, and then me, and I thought,
Oh no.
The doctor said the test revealed Howard only had about half the red
blood count he should have. The normal was 40, and he had 19. That if he had a
hemorrhage he would die. Most people can spare some blood, but he could not. In
fact he could fall dead any time. What should we do? Hospital bills would wreck
our economy but fast.
I asked about flying to
So the taxi driver arrived with the forms, and they seemed of no
importance by the time they arrived. We decided Howard should go in the
hospital for the three days (Howard says I decided, no one asked him what he
wanted. Well, he was the one I was looking after in that situation. Right?) The taxi driver waited a few minutes so he could
take us to the hospital. I asked the doctor what he would put on the forms for
Howard, and he said he would wait until the results of the tests in the
hospital were known.
The taxi driver seemed to be interested in us, and when he first picked
us up had asked if we were going to see a doctor. When we left the doctor's
office he asked "what is the matter with him?" I told him the doctor
said he did not have enough red blood cells, so he said they should give him a
transfusion. I told him the doctor wanted to find out what was wrong before he
gave a transfusion, as it might interfere with his body’s efforts to make the
red blood cells.
We found out where All Saints Hospital was located, and where the
admissions office was located, and it seemed like we waited three hours, but
couldn't have been that long. Had Howard been having the hemorrhage the doctor
feared, he would have been a dead man.
We learned that it does not pay to jump to conclusions, as this turned
out to be the first faith promoting experience of our missionary experiences,
if you could call it that before we were yet missionaries. We were worried
about the cost of the stay in hospital, of course, as it alone could prevent us
going on the mission.
Howard said he felt all right and wanted to go home. He may have thought
he felt all right, but his arms looked right white, no color in his face and
hands, rather a bluish tinge. Howard said he had noticed his hands and arms
were getting more colorless while we were in
After Howard was in bed he asked me to phone Bartly and have him pick up
another priesthood member so they could come and give him a blessing. Howard has
had the faith to be healed several times. The doctor's instructions were that
the hospital personal were to take the tests he had
ordered as soon as he was admitted, but it seemed they did not have time.
Before long Bartly and Brother Gonzolas came and gave him a blessing.
Jaqui came along too, and brought the things he would need for a stay in the
hospital. I went back home with them after they had visited until it was time
to leave. Brother Gonzolas said he was on holiday and he would take me to the
hospital the next day, and Bartly would pick me up on his way home from work. I
found that I felt all right about it and was not worried after I got home, and
did not know why, that was very unusual for me, a compulsive worrier. I felt
calm and had a good nights sleep. The doctor had explained to me why Howard
felt all right, that it had happened slowly and the body had compensated for
it, but could not do so much longer.
I decided I should go to the hospital earlier than I had said, to talk with them about the insurance we had, and was just
picking up the phone to call Brother Gonzolas, when I heard familiar sounding
steps coming up our stairs. I was still surprised when Howard came walking into
our apartment. He said the nurses had not taken his blood for the tests and
other things until about
Others kept coming, telling him to drink only a big mug of clear soup
and eat apple sauce for his supper. And they brought a big pitcher of water and
said as he needed fluids he should drink it all to prepare him for x-rays in
the morning. So he ended up drinking and running all night, with the help of a
couple of doses of laxatives too.
In the morning he had all the x-rays. Later the doctor came in and told
Howard he was a well man, and could walk all he wanted to. He said his machine
must have made a mistake when the test was made in his office, something that
had not happened before, and this morning his machine was working all right. So
he apologized and said he was sorry about it, and said his office would pay
anything our insurance did not cover. We paid it all, as we knew it was not his
mistake, just another instance of Howard being healed by the blessing through
his faith. They called a taxi for him and gave him the money to pay for it!
I guess we are supposed to go on a mission, as it has been made possible
through divine help. Our medical reports are good after all. We are very humble
and thankful for this blessing. I hope our missionary efforts are worth it.
I am glad our medicals are over. I would rather knock on doors, if Howard will let any dog so inclined bite him, and
not me. I'll do the knocking and speaking, that should
be a fair division. For now we can turn our attention to Christmas. We do not
have much left to do, wrap some presents and a few other things to do.
I should tell you about the Christmas party at the church. The girls put
on a short play, but we could not hear what they said so it did not mean much
to us. Then the various classes presented the life, in brief, of the person
they had chosen. Only one person except in our case.
They were quite good and we could hear some of the speakers. We could hear
Tandy and Jeff Gonzolas, who told about our life and a few others. Some
speakers were so shy or soft spoken I doubt if anyone heard them. This party
was also in our memorable week, the one we in which went for our medicals. They
presented gifts to all those who were represented on the program.
The widow next to us got a lovely and small bouquet of fresh flowers,
and a mysterious box, as she took it home unopened. We were the last to receive
a gift, and what did they give to a couple who lived in a very. very small apartment? A big, big centerpiece which would
grace a table even larger than Bartly's and which would cover over half of ours
We did not even have a space available to set it on, nor a wall to hang it, so
sent it over to Bartly's, and we have no idea if they ever used it, or what
happened to it. They also gave everyone a lovely Christmas plant, and I found
room for that and am enjoying it. In the daytime I set it on the air
conditioner, which we are not using now, and that puts it in the living cum
bedroom window so it can get some natural light. At night I put it on the
little round table back of the clock, so we can put the blinds down at night.
It was the only Christmas decoration I put up, and it looked nice from the
outside as well as inside.
I thought the big centerpiece would be fine on a casket, with the big
maroon colored balls and blue candles removed, if we should need one while it
is around! I think the boy's leader, or MIA Superintendent, or at least a man,
chose it. It is very nice to look at, and being artificial it would last a long
time. Whoever chose it had never been in our little apartment. We thought it
might look funny hanging on the slanted ceiling over the filing cabinet, the
only unused wall we had!
I am still working on genealogical sheets, the aunts and uncles on
direct lines, and scripture study, and practicing the piano and exercising.
There is never a moment when I do not know what I could do. Hardly time to keep
up this journal. I said I would not type these journals, but I suppose if I
live long enough and have time (Note: I did.)
The dogs are having a field day in barking at the neighbors. But that is
preferable to goes on at the other neighbor's house. There are some new
renter's, and they must be running some kind of house, like prostitution or and
drugs etc. Cars come and go all night, usually accompanied by loud voices,
slamming doors, etc. We were awakened one night last week at
Howard called out "Yes, what is it?' and a woman’s voice said
something, but we could not understand it. Howard looked out but she was gone.
Probably she was "high" or something. Howard dressed and went out and
looked around, but no one was to be seen. I suppose we could complain about it
to the police, but that might mean we have enemies living beside us, and no
favorable results, so better as it is.
We could, possibly sleep all day and stay awake at night. We are not
getting much sleep with the dogs and the other neighbors. I was so sleepy the
next night I slept through most of it. "They" always say older people
do not need much sleep, but I still like seven hours sleep.
Jessica arrived Saturday night, but had been up so much preparing for
exams, and getting ready to come home, she did not feel very well. The plane
was an hour late, because when she was to change planes, the next plane missed
the edge of the runway and got stuck, and all the passengers had to get out and
push. Just like an old car, but probably not too many airplane passengers have
to get out and push! I do not think I would feel very secure riding in a plane
that could not keep on the runway, even before it tried flying in the air.
Christmas Eve arrived, the weather is nice and no snow. We went to
Bartly's and all opened one present, and had the bible reading, and the usual
Christmas Eve things. The next morning we went over to see them open the rest
of the presents. I had started our own dinner so we did not eat there when
invited. We did go over there again in the evening. Jaqui's brother visited
earlier in the evening. He is moving further south where he hopes the job will
not mean working such long hours. The place he is going to is only open 13
hours a day, the one he is leaving is open 24 hours a day.
Now it is the day after Christmas, so time as been passing away as
swiftly as usual.
This morning I followed my usual custom and wrote 1986 on the first
cheques in my checkbooks, so I cannot write 1985 by mistake.
Last Sunday we went out with Bartly's family on a drive to get a guard
dog. They thought the older dogs too expensive so got a puppy. A great Dane, I believe. All black except a bit on one front
paw, toes, of white. So much stealing goes on, they feel a guard dog a
necessity. And what with child abductions going on, it is nice for the children
to take a dog along if walking anywhere. As the dog is only six weeks old, that
will be later. So now we know why everyone in
The dog is now named Targo and seems a nice quiet dog for her age. The
children give her so much attention during this holiday,
she will be lonesome when school starts again. Her nose is like an unexpanded
accordion now. I suppose when she is grown it will be like a Great Dane.
Sunday, January 5. Weather still nice. Bartly
took us out Saturday to a clothing store he had heard about. He did not find
anything he wanted, but I happened to notice a suit that fit Howard, even pant
legs just the right length, but he wants the waist let out a little. Good
material, looks new, no sign of wear, hand finished which would be a sign of
quality. And it is light enough to wear in hot weather. Color grey, but not
solid grey. Maybe not as sharp on him as his blue suit, but
fine for everyday mission wear. And the cost, $14.00, but all men’s
clothing was half price also.
Still lovely weather, which we enjoy. But there are
draw-backs here, the stealing is over 40% above that
of last year. Bartly's house was burglarized between when Howard and Jerrin
came over here for lunch and a little rest, and by the time they got back, and
it was not long either. I went along the side of the house to the mailbox to
see if there was any mail, and heard the dog barking, but did not see anything.
I don't suppose it would have been smart for me to tackle the thieves anyway,
had I known they were there. We were not expecting it in the middle of the day,
but I think any time goes here.
Bartly said he was glad no one was at home, or someone might have been
hurt. And even if we had seen them go in or out, the phone was over in the
house. It might have taken too long to have found anyone at home who would let
us use their phone. I feel bad that we did not notice and try to do something
about it. Now Howard has put on better locks, they will have to break something
to get in now. The house was locked at the time, but the police say they can
get in with that kind of lock using a credit card. The outside doors have glass
squares in the top part, and I suppose they could knock that out. The insurance
will cover loss, but some things will not get replaced.
I am tired of waiting to hear if they accepted us for a mission. Perhaps
they are having a hard time finding a place where they can use us. I feel so up
in the air when I cannot make any plans for the future.
Such lovely weather, it is hard not to have spring fever.
February 16. The mission calls came in a little over a month, and I
suppose that is not long. They say we go to the Florida Fort Lauderdale
Mission. About the worst as far as climate is concerned. I want to go where
called, but can't help thinking about how the hot weather affects me. I am no
good for anything when the temperature is high. I think the medicine I am
taking makes this problem worse. The mission president wanted us to have a car,
and we do not think we can drive in a city, and do not have a car worth taking
anyway. I suppose there are always problems. I thought we could walk around and
take buses, but in that heat?
I asked Howard if I should tell the mission president we did not have a
car, and he said it would do no harm. But he was wrong, because the mission president
phoned the Stake President and told him we did not want to go there, which was
somewhat true. So Howard thought I had told him we did not want to go, and he
was angry with me. Reasonably good intentions sure can cause trouble. Maybe
better to have no good intentions.
Perhaps it would have been better to have sneaked in with my problems
unsolved, and let them find out the hard way. Howard thinks all I need is
enough faith and I would have no problem, which I would like. On the other hand
if the Lord decided not to answer that way, and thought I should tough it
through, they might have had to send us elsewhere, taking much time from our
all too short year. We later knew a couple who had to be moved because the heat
made the lady sick. I thought they should at least know, and from the
President's letter, it sounded like he would much rather have someone else who
could stand the climate, etc.
I suppose we might buy a second hand car when we arrived in the mission
field, but if it cost more than $500.00 we would end up in financial
difficulties, and if it cost a lot for repairs while we were there, it would
have the same result. So Howard now thinks we will not go there, but will be
called to
Howard is not a good driver in congested areas because he has had no
experience, and I do not think I am brave enough to ride with him while he gets
the experience. The main question is what the Lord thinks about all this. So
far we have not been rejected for a mission, and I am trying to find a few
things we will need.
I got a rain coat, with a detachable warm lining, so it can be used
anywhere! We will need the raincoat in
Howard found a little shop where they guarantee to fit you, and he was
sure he could fit me. Ha. The only shoes he could suggest, after I had walked
about 12 blocks, were so ugly I could just as well buy men's shoes for me,
because they looked better. Everything else I might have tried, were only
samples and you had to order the shoes you wanted. We did not have time for
that. So back all those blocks and my legs are telling me loud and clear how
far I walked yesterday. And I don't suppose that was far enough for a
missionary.
Jaqui thinks she has found sandals like I want, and will take me there
Monday night. Stores are always open here expect early in the morning. Unless
we go to a freezing climate it is sandals for me, as I can't wear anything
else. What if it freezes? Casual shoes which we should not wear, or overshoes
if I can find any of those to fit loosely. For the rest of my clothes I will
take what I have. Can't find what I would like that fits
me anyway. I guess they will have a hard time with me all around.
I have been spending so much time on scripture study I can understand,
if not emulate, missionaries who break away and go to a movie or something for
a change. I would like a change, but nothing suitable is available. So more
study until I go to bed for a change.
Another sacrifice I made, the first one, while we were in
So more study until I go to bed. We have the discussions
and now need to learn all of them, without giving up scripture study, and it
will be no time until we go, unless they change the time too. We have our
flight booked for March 7th. Just 19 days until we go, if it
all goes according to plan.
We have to have shots for TD, but Howard has had it so no shot for him,
tetanus, but Howard had this when the dog bit him last spring, diphtheria,
mumps, I have had this, and measles, rubella. They have to order the serum, and
they have not yet phoned that it is in.
I have about reached the point where I am willing to go with what we
have, and go without what we do not have. We are
getting our temple recommends Wednesday night.
I have to pack up everything we are leaving, as well as what we are
taking. Hope the genealogical records will be safe while we are gone. The
toiletries and things that can't take he heat are going to Bartly's house
again. What with my sins catching up with me and everything else, it is rather
a nerve wracking time.
Had a nice farewell meeting last Sunday. As I felt like I was
getting the 'flu a couple of days before, I was happy it did not, yet, anyway,
develop into anything. I felt lazy and coughed, but I did not cough on Sunday,
so had no extra trouble while giving my talk.
Finally we got our tickets, and obtained our temple recommends. After
giving up on the vaccine, it arrived Monday and we had out shots today. Howard
had two teeth getting loose. They felt all right when he had the other one out.
So back to the dentist who pulled them yesterday. He said come back in three
weeks and Howard said he would not be here. So he is going to take him the day
before we leave, to put the two additional teeth on his partial. A good thing
the dentists here do the work much sooner than those in
Bartly was telling me about the way they capped a tooth for him. No
sending away for a crown, they just impress it right on the tooth, and as
quickly have it done.
It is hard for me to have enough study time now, but I get all I can. As
I packed up things we did not need to use for our stay, I do not have as much
to put in plastic bags to keep clean for the year, but it is enough. I do not
know how we will get all we have to take in our suitcases. We are shipping a
box of bedding, kitchen ware essentials and a few other items, and clothes we
could not get in the luggage.
This is March 4, three days left. I am busy enough, and could spend all
my time on the discussions. I have to spend time cleaning up and still packing
things away.
Jaqui took Howard to the Dentist and brought him back, as he was not there
long.
March 7. The day of departure has arrived. Up early to finalize
everything. All ready, including the washing of all dirty clothes and putting
them away. Goodbyes to everyone. It is much more fun
to greet them. We were early for the flight, which was much better than being
late and hurrying at the last minute. Bartly stayed away from work to take us
to the airport, and we appreciated his help with the heavy luggage. (Note: Long
after we learned he was coming down with a bad case of the 'flu, and can't have
felt at all like doing this. So sorry.)
He talked with us a little, and then had to leave as his parking time
was up. Soon afterwards our flight was called. I was sleepy, but they kept me
awake with first a snack, then a meal. It did not seem very long until we
arrived at the