Grandma Ree's letters

  Dear Family and Friends, This month’s letter will also include happenings at the end of October and the beginning of December.  I hope it won’t be too long.    I have already mentioned that I have been attending a seniors group twice a week at a place called Nu Hope.  It consists of both male and female folks mainly in their 70’s & early 80’s, I’d say, and in fairly good physical condition.  Some are brought by bus from various locations.  For Halloween, I was amazed to see almost all of them come in costumes of every kind and to be so free with their emotions.  When some background music was played, many of them began singing and dancing to it, and the rest of us clapped to the rhythm.  It was such fun! Because Dan & Cathy didn’t return from being with her family in  Oklahoma until Wednesday Nov. 5th, I wasn’t able to get my hair done, go to church, or attend the senior group at Nu Hope.  But I didn’t mind it, because the...

  Dear Family and Friends:  GREETINGS FROM FLORIDA!  I can’t believe that I have been here over two months now and I am getting to like it more and more each day.  That is, except for the ice-cold air conditioning that has plagued me since I arrived.  So finally I got Dan to turn it completely off in my house and open all the doors and windows so I can just enjoy the fresh air instead, both day and night.  It’s much better that way, or at least until next summer, they say.  I just have to remember to take a sweater to church because their Relief Society room is always more chilly than the chapel. And I find that in getting into either of their cars, I must immediately shut off the AC to the passenger’s side, or else I shiver.  Having overhead fans in each room to circulate the air is enough for me, without having the cold air blowing besides.  Other than that, everything else is just fine. Because I was interested to know more about where I a...

  Dear Family and Friends, The month of July was rather full of sunshine and flowers and memorable moments.  It started out with True coming home on the 1st after being gone for the whole month of.June.  She brought with her a dear friend from Sedona, AZ named Che, pronounced Shay, to stay for about a week. She is really a nice lady who right away made herself well acquainted with our kitchen and made her own meals.. True gave her bed to Che and slept on the couch. We also had the visit of several close relatives from Utah who were here over the 4th of July weekend, but they had to rent motel rooms.  Though very short, their visit was extremely enjoyable. It was a chance for us to meet and get to know Rees Rasmussen, the new husband of my niece Diana, and we were surprised by how easily he fit into the McBride family. And we talked about what Terry and Kristol plan to do now that he is no longer bishop of their ward in Layton. Steve wasn’t able to come with Sandy thi...

                 July 1, 2025  Dear Family and Friends, The month of June was continually up and down, weather-wise, with temperatures in a nice springtime 70 degrees one day and then a scorching summertime 100 degrees the next.  But since I don’t venture out much, I’m not really bothered by what the weather is like outside each day.  It is the newspaper and what Diane says when she walks the short distance bringing me food, that keep me informed about our almost daily weather changes.  Although my 74 degrees inside is delightfully comfortable, it’s also a little boring sometimes, but I don’t complain.  Would you? Speaking of our newspaper, the last of May and first part of June were filled with pictures and information about all the graduations taking place, not only at Grants Pass High School but all the other high schools a...

 Dear Family and Friends,  I hope you all enjoyed a fine Mother's Day. I received beautiful cards from family members, and this year the church offered succulent plants to all mothers, which I thought was even better than the usual single rose of former years. Then a few days later, I got an unexpected surprise. The former owner of Riviera Mobile Park, Beverley Hilterbrand, appeared at my door bearing a vase of lovely flowers that she said was for me for no particular reason, other than that she thought I was an amazing lady. That sweet thought warmed my heart and ‘made my day’. Beverley is such a dear soul to have thought of me that way. When she saw all the many blooming orchids everywhere, she wondered where we could put the vase. We decided that even though the kitchen table already had a little vase of petite orchids, that her large one with its flowers of various sizes, shapes, and colors would be ideal there, so that I could enjoy more freely all of the different kinds ...

 Dear Family and Friends,  General Conference, with its five sessions on April 5th and 6th, was great, as usual. But seeing our 100-year-old President Russell M. Nelson there and looking so good was really a great sight to behold.  To hear his message, along with all the others, was very inspiring and uplifting. Knowing that this was the 195th anniversary of the founding of the Church by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830 made this meeting even more special, as did having singers from various countries join the tabernacle choir in presenting their beautiful music. I hope all of you were able to enjoy the sessions of both days. It just so happened that my daughter Linda’s birthday falls on April 5th, and it was a very special one this year - her 65th - but because of the conference, its observance was postponed to a couple of days later. When asked where she would like to go to eat, she didn’t say, but just got me and True into her car and started driving.  Bless her heart...