Robert writes home #78 4 Oct 1996

4 Oct 1996

Dear Mother,

                We Just got back from seeing conference on the satellite at the chapel. Yesterday, I spent 10 hours in the stake center watching conference. I didn’t leave between sessions. I just relaxed and read on the sofa in the foyer between sessions. It was great to bask in the quietude of the spirit like that. I have my kids go to all five sessions. They went out  on the breaks, however. I really think it is important for them to hear conference and feel the spirit. I have this little gimmick for getting them to pay attention. I give a “pop” Quiz at the end of the day. It’s called a “pop” quiz because I give them a two liter bottle of pop if they score above 70% I have a double purpose in this; I want to reinforce the ideas as well as get them to hear them the first time.

                I came across an idea which has really helped my “allergies”. First I went to an allergist. He gave me the tests and told me that I really didn’t have much allergy…only a mild response to a couple of pollens and no eosinophil cells (the ones that always accompany allergic responses) in the drainage. I asked what was causing the redness and drainage. He said secondary infection and irritation to irritants in the air. I guess that is why allergy medicines didn’t ever help much.

                Then, Melba Beere, who has been having the same kind of trouble at the same time as I do, came over to show me the thing that had helped her the most. It was a water pic with special attachment to squirt salt water. That was about 3 weeks ago. I haven’t had trouble since and it’s the bad time of year when cotton defoliant is in the air all around Dos Palos. It seems like just washing off the irritants and the congealed mucus twice a day is enough to make a big difference. I am delighted to find such a simple solution to a big problem.

                The boys are happy in school. Charlie won two votes on the senior personality page for the year book. He got the most votes for “Best Personality” and “Most Likely to Succeed”. Since one person can't have two spots he’ll get the one he got the most votes on which is “Most Likely to Succeed”. He’s really pleased. It was a big boost to his confidence. He also got chosen as one of the three senior boy Attendants to the Homecoming Queen and her court. They will have another vote at homecoming time to pick the king and queen form the attendants.

                Sam had his first student body officer council meeting last week. That was his first official duty as Freshman class president. These guys are really getting all the breaks. None of the other kids were ever chosen for any of these things. Except Carrie was Homecoming attendant her senior year.

                Carrie is back on the BYU Ballroom dance team. She is going to be dancing in Oakland Nov. 1 and wanted us to go up and see her. It will be right there at the regional center on the temple grounds so we could tie it to a temple outing. But I don’t know if we’re up to the drive home that late night.

                We’re still having 90 degree weather. It would be nice if there wasn’t so much cotton defoliant in the air.

                I hope all is well with you.

Love,

Robert, Janet, Charlie and Sam