Robert writes home #115 12 Apr. 1998

12 April 1998

Dear Mother, 

                I hope this finds you doing okay.

                Our son, Charlie’s farewell will be on the 10^th of May. I think its going to be a Mother’s Day/Missionary farewell sacrament meeting. Then it will be off to Columbia.

                At Easter Sunday, we had an extra long sacrament meeting. They had a youth speaker, a special musical number, a main speaker (Janet) and the Easter cantata on the program. Then they added two confirmations and some ward business. When the speakers were done, the time was about up, so the bishop, changed the format and canceled the middle block and called 5 or 6 people from the audience to come up and bear their testimonies an say a few extemp. Words before proceeding on to the cantata and just used up both blocks with the meeting. It worked well and was a good meeting. The bishop chose the extemporaneous speakers because they were people with special circumstances or at special times in their lives and it was meaningful. The Cantata was really nice.

                My peacock is gorgeous. Hes a real pet. He just hangs around and fans his tail for us when we go outside. He makes a lot of noise early morning and in the evening with his calls since its mating season. I love him. He really decorates our place. I named him Warren Beatty because he’s so good looking.

                We’re still getting rain storms about every three days but they seem to be tapering off a little.

                Heidi Jo got offered a job teaching school at a private school in Palo Alto starting at the first of the summer as a training position in prep for teaching full-time in the fall (You don’t have to have a teachers credential to teach in ta private school). They offered to start her now as a substitute for the rest of the year to fill in until summer if she wanted it.

                She has another offer to full-time substitute in music here in Dos Palos til the end of the school year.

                She graduated from, BYU in English so doesn’t have a teaching credential. There aren’t many job opportunities for a BA in English. She didn’t think she wanted to teach lower than college level, but couldn't afford to go on to an advanced degree at this time. She was substituting here because she ran out of money and came home and needed a job and substituting was the best opportunity available. Heidi Jo has had an opportunity to organize a little choir in the high school as a result of her substituting there. Shes really likes music, drama and literary type stuff. She likes substituting in high school. Shes had a lot of fun doing it. That’s amazing  to me because I thought substituting was the worst, when I did it (thirty eight years ago). I especially didn’t like junior high and high school. She plans to see if she can do the sub job here in DP until school’s out, then go to Palo Alto. It is so expensive to live Palo Alto that she needs to save some money first so she can pay her rent there in advance. But it is exciting. She has had a good time here in DP Lots of activity and interesting opportunities. Janet is really going to be lonely when she leaves she has loved having her here with us. Me too.

                This coming week is spring break, so school’s out and seminary is off for a week.

                Last week I had a sub in seminary while I went visiting other seminaries. It was great. So interesting and helpful to see other teachers in action…plus it gives me two weeks off to get renewed.

                Yesterday we took Sam to his Cancer Dr. for his annual checkup. He’s been in remission now for about 5 years. They are so warm and friendly and fun at the children’s hospital. Its like an old friend’s reunion rather than a doctor’s appointment. It was fun to see them all again and have them be like that.

Love,