April 2025

 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, Linda has undoubtedly suffered great pain from the hip replacement surgery that was done on March 4th, but you’d never know it from her. I let others know when I am in pain, but my baby daughter bears up under pain so well. It must have been terribly painful for her when her physical therapist asked to get up and start walking right away, and even start driving soon thereafter. But she takes it all in stride and doesn’t let it show. Yes, she’s really quite a spunky little gal!

I don’t get a chance to eat out very often, so I was looking forward to this and wondered which of the many fine restaurants in Grants Pass she might choose. When she turned south out of town, I wondered if one had sprung up out that way. When she kept going on Williams Highway past the little town of Murphy, I became quite curious.  But she said, “Just sit back and enjoy the ride. You probably haven’t been out this way for a long time, have you?” I did enjoy the scenery, but still wondered what there could be to entice her to come clear out here to eat as we passed the 10-mile marker. Then about two miles later she turned off the highway onto a gravel road that led to a place called Pennington Farms. That’s quite a coincidence, for we know a Pennington family in Grants Pass quire well, and I wondered if they might be related.  I wondered how Linda had ever found this place so far from town. She said her daughter Naomi, who had worked for a while in the town of Williams, a few miles further down the highway, had passed by it many times before stopping one day to check it out.  But when she did, she just had to tell her mom about it. It was just a farm house, so I wondered what made it so unique that Linda would want to spend her special birthday there. I was even more surprised when all she ordered from the man behind the counter inside was a PIE!

Both of my girls are very conscious of their bodies and very careful about what they eat, so they shy away from sweets. But this homemade ‘very berry’ pie was chock-full to the brim with a delicious blackberry/raspberry combination that was absolutely luscious. Even so, I thought it a little strange that she wanted nothing else. But, if pie was only what pleased Sister Babe as her birthday meal, then so be it!  Yes, it was a delightful outing for me, and I enjoyed being with both of my girls. I even had a second piece of her ‘extra special’ pie. And, yes, it was oh, so good! 

During my last visit to my primary doctor, when I showed him how swollen my leg and foot were, he said to get separate compression socks to cover both areas. I thought separates would be hard to find, but sure enough, Linda was able to come up with both styles in matching black. One for the foot that went to just over the ankle, but left the toes open.  The other was for the leg, from just above the ankle to just below the knee. Together they cover the entire leg, which has been swollen and very touchy for quite some time, but should be easier to put on one at a time. I leave them on day and night, and try to keep the leg elevated as often as possible.  I also try to keep the foot pumping up and down all the time to help keep the blood circulating. I sure hope something works, because for now I can no longer get into my shoes. And that makes things pretty tough, as you can imagine. I rely on my leg completely. It must be in good shape, or I cannot walk with my Buddy (prosthesis) at all.

I do have one shoe, however, which is too big and must be stuffed to keep it from falling off me and my Buddy. I wanted to attend my DUP meeting, so I fitted that one onto us and thought we managed okay.  Linda attends DUP too, and she drove me, my Buddy, my 3-wheeled walker, and my Jello salad for the potluck at the church on time. Using the walker, I went just a little past the appropriate door, so I needed to back up. But in doing so, Buddy buckled under me and I fell to the floor. With only ladies around to help, I pushed the button on the safety device that is continually worn around my neck, and fortunately an ambulance was soon there to help get me up and check me over. Thank goodness for a little extra padding on my behind, plus the carpeted floor, so that no real damage was done. They gave me an ice pack for a spot that did seem a little tender, had me sign a waiver indicating that I refused hospital treatment, and that was it. No big deal. Really! I never did feel any soreness after arriving back home, nor from then on. But I was still a bit leery about using my Buddy right away. Could I trust him not to dump me again?

True is so clever and creative. For Easter, she made a cute little grass and jelly bean filled basket/container for me and her friend Pavel, who had spent Easter weekend with us as a stopover on his way from Seattle to San Diego. He is quite a character who kept us entertained with his fantastic tales. Then the very next day, another of True’s friends, Joshua, along with his friend Ric, who had come to see his ailing brother in nearby Shady Cove, wanted to spend some time with us too before traveling back to Portland. I like JS (now Joshua), and it was good to see him again after so many years. True keeps in close contact with him, so he already knew about my amputation, etc. I wanted to share with our guests the newspaper article and pictures about the terrific job my two girls did in remodeling this mobile in preparation for my return, so I went in search of the paper, but could not locate it at that particular time. So they left, and I was aggravated with myself. Some other time I’ll probably be able to go right to where it is with no problem. But unfortunately not when I need it. Things like that are very frustrating, aren’t they?

The day after Easter, I received a package in the mail from my friend Sherri Bird in Corvallis containing a jigsaw puzzle that was very unique.  It's made of tiny, slender pieces of wood in odd shapes that fit together  to form a large, solitary sunflower. With no square edges to start from, it will be a tough one, indeed!   And since I don’t have a table space available to lay it out on, I knew I wouldn’t be able to use her nice gift after all. Too bad. But I called Sherri, and she agreed to let me re-gift the puzzle to my friend Norma, who often has puzzles laid out on a little table in her hair salon. Norma was happy to receive it and eagerly began working on it. So that was a nice ending to that little situation.

So that’s how my Easter time was spent ... with friends, hers and mine. I did get to go to my ward’s Easter service, but I missed the broadcast from Salt Lake. It’s too bad that the Bunny has taken over Easter just like Santa has taken over Christmas. We as members of the true church, with revelations from Christ himself, know that Jesus was not born in the dead of winter but in the springtime when lambs are abounding, even April 6th, to be exact. And He chose that same day, His real birthdate, to have His restored church officially established again on the earth. And likewise with Easter, again through revelation, we know that although Jesus died on the cross, his real suffering and agony happened in Gethsemane, where he actually took upon himself the sins of all humanity, both collectively and individually, for you and for me, which suffering caused blood to come as sweat from every pore. That type of excruciating pain I can’t even begin to imagine.  That’s why we appreciate and love Him so.

Upon hearing of the death of the Pope, and reading about of the number of Cardinals who are vying for that position, but we won’t know who is elected for quite some time, has made me appreciate even more the Lord’s system for succession that exists in His church, where the prophet and 12 apostles each possess the same priesthood power and authority, but it is the senior apostle (according to tenure) that assumes the position of prophet and president of the church immediately upon the passing of the previous one. We are so blessed to have our 100-year-old prophet, Russell M. Nelson, with us and still able to function well.  But of course we realize that he may be called home at any time. We also know that there will be no need for an election, because Dallin H. Oaks is already well prepared by the Lord to become His new prophet for the world, as well as for His church, and will occupy that leadership position for the rest of his life. He must of course be presented and approved by the membership of the church before taking office. The same is done for every church calling.

I was so glad to be able to attend the temple again after a few months of not going because the husband of Ellen, who is my driver and helper, had had a stroke, which kept her quite occupied. It seems that Ellen is the only one of my ward sisters who is able and willing to handle me and my wheelchair, and so she would take me once a month to the 5:00 session on our ward’s temple night. I was grateful to see her husband Michael at church on Sunday and I was amazed that he was getting around in using a regular walker.  But I was dumbfounded to see him in the car when Ellen came to pick me up. How could she handle both of us? But he was already wearing his temple whites and using his walker, and managed well by himself. Ellen said I could do the same. But somehow I just wouldn’t feel right about wearing them outside the temple, even though it is a time-consuming struggle for me to do the changing. So maybe I will think about it.

Now that True’s book,”Anasazi Vision” is in print, she is anxious to begin working on its promised sequels, #1 by the end of this year and #2 by the end of the following year.  She says that from the beginning it was intended to be a trilogy. Trying to work from home is not conducive to her success because of too many distractions, so she has agreed to rent a room from her friend Lisa at her home in Portland for a month to see if that will prove to be productive for her. She has arranged with Diane to supply me with meals and for Linda, if she feels able, to perform her previous duties. But because Linda is also scheduled to begin working again, if she still doesn’t feel quite able to help out here in addition to working part-time, then there are others who will step in to fill the gap.

I have told True many times that because I do feel quite confident in being alone, she is free to go and do whatever she needs to do and stay for as long as she needs to stay. She is always so good about seeing that sufficient help is provided to take care of my needs before she leaves. All useful things are brought down to my level so I won’t have to reach for anything, and I promise to be careful and not do anything unsafe.

After all, I do have HaiKu the cat to keep me company and the safety button around my neck. So I feel that I am able to make out just fine for whatever amount of time is involved.

Sorry if this seems a little lengthy. Sometimes I do tend to get rather ‘wordy’ in describing the things I want to share with you. But I hope you will forgive me and just enjoy what I have written. I guess now is a good time for me to say goodbye to April doings, and as our days quickly become May days, I hope you will remember to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  To help remind you, I am including that puzzle with this month’s letter. But for now, I wish you good health and happiness and any other blessings the Lord may decide to pour out upon you. And of course to let you know of the great love that God has for all of you who receive this letter. And of my love for each of you too.

Adios, Marie.