June 2024

 Dear Family and Friends,

Well, this month’s letter is a bit more full of holidays and my puzzles about them. May began with Cinco De Mayo, honoring a Mexican holiday not much celebrated here, but I enjoyed doing a puzzle for it anyway. Mother’s Day, however, is well celebrated by everyone. And its puzzle this year, along with an attached pencil, was my gift to all the sisters at church that Sunday. As for myself, I received a lovely handmade card from my talented daughter True, along with a pair of hard-to-come-by pearl clip on earrings. Linda’s body soap and card were appreciated, as was the card from Dan and Cathy from Hawaii, except that Cathy ‘spilled the beans’ by writing “I hope you like the shoes.” It seems that all three had gone together to get me (and Buddy) a new pair of shoes.

From the beginning, I have been wearing an athletic shoe from True that has served me well, but now seems to be cramping my toes and hurting me as I wear it. Thus, the gift of new shoes. Without my knowledge, they had arrived from Amazon, been wrapped in pink paper, with pink ribbon and bow, and when opened revealed pink athletic shoes, which they hoped were the correct size. But, in trying them on, they were not wide enough, so had to be sent back. Too bad. However, a wider pair will arrive this week!

I always thought Graduation was in June and made my puzzle to be used then. But I found that many schools, especially colleges, have theirs in May, and even in April, so I began using my puzzle sooner. You may recall me mentioning about being Grandma Ree to the Jeff and Heidi Jarvis family. Well, Heidi has her sister, Kirsten Savage (and Mark) living here and I am “Grandma Ree” to their family too. Their oldest son Anson just graduated from BYU in April and his younger brother Stephan just graduated from Grants Pass High in May. So the grandparents, Kathleeen and Stephan Seable, gave a humdinger of a celebration for both boys at the end of May. It also involved the boy’s younger sister Eliza, who was turning 16 on the 30th. And also Grandpa Stephan’s 87th birthday on June 1st. Quite a combination to celebrate on the 31st, and right after Memorial Day. Wow! So, the Graduation and Memorial Day puzzles were combined, too, back to back. And shared with all.

The DUP (Daughters of Utah Pioneers) camp meeting held each third Friday morning at the church and followed by a potluck, goes from Sept thru May of each year. This May’s meeting was held at Elmer’s Restaurant for a nice luncheon, and where special commendations and pins were handed out and where camp officers for the next two years were installed, having been elected earlier in the year. With a regular monthly attendance of 12 to14 members, we are a rather small, but active group of devoted “Daughters” from the various wards of the stake. Not only those of direct ancestry from a pioneer who came to Utah before the railroad, but also others interested in pioneer history and participating with our group are ‘associate’ members of each camp. Here I also share my timely word search puzzles, which seem to be well liked, even anticipated.

I certainly do enjoy making and sharing my puzzles at every gathering I attend. True says it’s an obsession, evan an addiction, with me now. Maybe so, but I figure - what’s the use of going to the trouble of making a puzzle for every holiday, if nobody’s going to know about it? It’s sorta like a game that has to have players to be useful. And with a little pencil provided, it can be done now or saved until later. It is true, however, that I do have to have her or someone to pass them out for me when there is a crowd. No one is forced to accept them, and it’s not an exam that is going to be graded. It’s just fun! And it pleases me to see how others do seem to find pleasure in such a simple thing a word-search puzzle. So, True, addict or not, I’ll still continue to share my puzzles, if you please. I do hope that those receiving puzzles by email will take the time to print them off onto paper so they can be solved.

I don’t get out very often just for a ride, but one day as True was preparing for a short trip to Mount Shasta, Calif. (2 hrs), to collect the spring water that we drink. I asked if I might accompany her. She said, “Yes, that’s a good idea.” Every now and then, True and Linda make the 100 mile trip to fill 5 gallon jugs with the pure water coming from a spring at the base of Mt. Shasta. It was perfect weather. The spring was actually part of the town, but in a forestry area that is really nice. Because of my walker and a steep incline, I was unable to get to it, but True took a video of it so I could see how the water came streaming out of the rock. Fantastic! Many people were there filling their jugs too.

With the car filled to capacity with jugs heavy with Shasta water, we ate at an outdoor eatery in town, then left for home. When nearing Medford, True said, “Would you like some ice cream?” We soon turned into the Food For Less grocery store parking lot. She got out and took off to investigate if they still had an ice cream stand, after asking what flavor I preferred. When she returned, I couldn’t believe my eyes! She handed me a large cup filled with a cone that had so much ice cream that it had to be turned upside down into the cup in order to hold all of it. True’s was the same, but a single scoop, supposedly, while mine was two scoops, but looked like four or more. With its little spoon, I dug right in and took my last bite of the cone just as we were about to take the Grants Pass exit off the freeway, 30 miles away. Can you imagine so much ice cream that it would last that long? It was, indeed, a fantastic finish to a wonderful outing for me.

I guess I can't leave May without saying something about the main attraction of Grants Pass on Memorial Day - Hydroplane boats. Above all the other activities of the day, most people (including us) gather along the river, somewhere along its path, to observe the little one-man boats skim over the top of rough treacherous rapids on our fabulous Rogue River, at 100+ miles an hour. They traverse the nearly 20 mile course four times to determine the winner. Since Riviera property includes river frontage, we have an excellent view of the proceedings. We are about ten minutes from their starting place, which is the Caveman Bridge in town, and about 20 minutes from Robertson Bridge, their turnaround place. There were 14 boats that entered, but only 10 survived the ordeal. It was exciting to hear them coming, try to catch their number as they went whizzing by one right after the other, and root for the one you hoped would be the winner. The one who had been leading all along was almost caught at the finish line, making the race all that much more exciting. We didn’t get to the cemetery this year to see the tiny flags on every grave and to put flowers on each of our 12 “residents” there, but will plan to do so soon.

Oh, and I do want to mention how much I have appreciated receiving the Readers Digest from someone all these many months. I was just informed that the May issue would be my last, sorry to say. I have been able to enjoy its stories and jokes and then pass it along to someone else to enjoy, as well. But, I still don’t have the slightest idea who it was that started them coming. Such a delightful thing to do. Since I’d like to end this month’s letter of May’s doings on that thankful thought, I’ll leave our water woes till next month and wish you all good health and happiness and may the Good Lord pour out upon you his great blessings of love, and peace and contentment. And I hope you know how much I love you, too.

I am including the two puzzles indicated in the letter, but since Father’s Day will be here before another letter is written, I’ll include that one too. And give a big salute and heartfelt greeting to all of our wonderful fathers and strong priesthood holders. I’m sorry if you sometimes feel ignored or forgotten by not having grand festivities for your day, but rest assured, you are definitely needed and loved very dearly by your own family and the many others of us who love you, too. So, enjoy your special day this month!

I send my love to all. Enjoy your summer! 

Marie