Sep / Oct 2024

 Dear Family and Friends, Sept. / Oct. 2024

It’s Autumn - with a bit of a breeze and coolness in the air and even a little rain; but still lovely weather.  Leaves are beginning to turn beautiful colors and will soon be falling from the trees.  This is an energetic time of year. True loves being able to stroll, walk, or run about in this kind of weather. I wish I could too.

Early in the month I had Norma give me a permanent because my big head of hair was getting too long and unwieldy even though she does do it up nicely for me each week. It is naturally straight as a board so usually has to have a permanent about every four months or so in order to keep it curly. It was also time for me to get a realignment of my sixty year old dentures. And in so doing, I was reminded of the cute poem my Aunt Lizzy, as we called my mother’s sister, had created about Grandma’s disobedient teeth. It has become a family ‘gem’ and is a bit lengthy, but I thought I’d like to share it with you.

GRANDMA’S ELUSIVE FALSE TEETH

By Elizabeth Moody Crandall Gale

A long time ago my grandmother had 
A set of false teeth that were very bad.
They wobbled and bothered and pinched her gums 
Till sometimes I think she had to take Tums.

It seems they were always inclined to stray. 
So elusive and really mischievous were they.
Sometimes we would search till we were weak as a willow 
Only to find them tucked under her pillow.

When Grandma washed dishes one fine day 
She put her teeth on the sink to stay.
Then Grandpa comes in the garbage to get 
We just die laughin’ when we think of it yet.

For he gathers them up with the refuse and then 
With his pail plum full he’s off to the hog pen.
When Grandma realizes what he has done 
Away to the hog pen she goes on the run.

She looks all around and there sure enough 
Her teeth lay a-grinnin’ on the edge of the trough.
She picks them up and yells “You simple soul!” 
And Grandpa yells back “Well keep them in a bowl.”

Now time passes on and she does pretty good 
Keepin’’em in her mouth the way that she should.
But the weather gets warm and she thinks she’d go 
Out on the lawn to relax and to sew.

She’s no sooner settled when she’s beginnin’ to doze 
And out go those teeth on her lap to repose.
The telephone rings she jumps up a-runnin’ 
Forgettin’ her teeth are out there a-sunnin’.

She looks all around with her head in a fog 
Till she sees her teeth glistenin’ in the mouth of the dog!
Well he didn’t hurt ‘em so she takes ‘em away 
And scours and cleans ‘em for a night and a day.

One day the children were swimmin’in a ditch close by 
And Grandma was sittin’ on the bank watchin’ nigh.
She stretches and heaves a great sigh of relief 
And out go those same elusive false teeth.

When one of the kids yells “Jim’s ‘bout to drown!” 
Into that ditch Grandma goes with a bound.
Forgettin’ her teeth and everythin’ else 
Save the plight of that child; her poor heart melts.

When all’s settled down and the children in the house 
Are takin’ their naps as silent as a mouse.
She remembers her teeth - alas and alack - 
My teeth are in the ditch and I must get them back.

She calls up the water master ”Turn the water out of the ditch!” 
And gets that old man in a terrible pitch.
Thinkin’ someone is surely about to drown 
He turns off the water and comes into town.

But when he finds it’s only grandma’s false teeth 
He curses and raves in pure disbelief.
Now don’t go away there’s more to this yet 
This is a time I think Grandpa will never forget.

They were off on a campin’ trip up in the hills 
Just campin’ out without comfort or frills.
By nighttime they were tired as a little red wagon 
With its hind wheel off and axle a-draggin’.

As they blew out the light and crawled into bed 
Grandpa remembered the terrible thirst that he had.
He rolled right over and started to get up 
When his hand came in contact with Grandma’s tin cup.

Well he didn’t even think should he oughter? 
But just up and drank every drop of that water.
Then he jumped out of bed with such a clatter 
That Grandma got up to see what was the matter.

Well I’m tellin’ you Grandpa to this day 
At the sight of a tin cup his face will turn gray.
And I’ll bet from now on he’ll stop look and listen 
Before he’ll drink from a tin cup that glistens!

Now don’t you fret and don’t you wail 
When you hear the rest of this little tale.
“Cause I think it brought them marital bliss 
And as I recall it goes like this:

One wash day all bright and sunny 
With birds a-singin’ and bees makin’ honey.
Grandma was washin’ and singin’ away 
When those pesky teeth began to hold sway.

So she takes ‘em out and puts ‘em on a shelf 
Still singin’ and happy in spite of herself.
But the teeth didn’t stay on the shelf like they oughter 
But went down slap dab right into the water.

While Grandma was thinkin’ wasn’t she a good singer 
Her teeth with the clothes went right through the wringer.
All of a sudden there was a crackin’ and a droppin’ 
Sounded to her just like popcorn a-poppin.

She turned off the wringer and looked around 
There lay her false teeth all crushed on the ground.
Well, what she went through with those teeth I’m a-thinkin’ 
Will Grandpa some new ones for Grandma be a-gettin?

And so there it is. It was really a ‘treat’ to see and hear Aunt Lizzy recite her poem. I hope you like it.

It is amazing how often ‘time’ can change. I marvel at how fast the days and months seem to be flying by at one time, and then they seem to be dragging at another time. If I continue to have good health, in just over three years I’ll be 100 years old! That’s awesome to think about.  I know my mother was lucid and able to fully enjoy the people and festivities of her 100th birthday celebration. I hope I will be too.

It is marvelous that the Lord’s PROPHET on the earth today - Russell M. Nelson - who on the 9th of Sept. celebrated his 100th birthday, is still very active and able to function and guide the close to 20 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints through these troublesome times. He was a well-known heart surgeon and so I’m sure he knows how to care for his body and his mind, thus enabling him to manage his church responsibilities well - with God’s help - of course.

As always happens twice a year, our own Stake Conference precedes by a week the weekend of General Conference from Salt Lake, which always falls on the first weekend of April and of October. So we receive a double dose of instruction and encouragement from our local and general authorities to last for the next six months and to aid us in keeping our feet on the covenant path. It was especially inspiring and heartwarming to see President Nelson, along with his two counselors and the 12 apostles presiding over this conference and to hear their strong yet loving advice as though it were coming directly from God himself to each of us, personally. And to hear their testimonies of the truthfulness of this, God’s work here on earth.

So, with those words and a request for the Lord’s choicest blessings to be poured out upon you, I’ll close this letter sending along my love for each of you and a hope that this month will prove to be a really great and productive one for you.

With love, Marie

P. S. I hope you enjoyed the Picture Puzzles of last month and tried your hand at making some too. Here are some more I came up with. Sorry about the poor artwork. I can’t even make good stick-men. Enjoy!