Dear Friends and Relatives:
In going through my Christmas card list I found that there were so many of you that I would like to have a good long visit with, and many that I would like to at least write a few lines to at Holiday time. But, since neither of these two alternatives are possible I thought I would devise a sort of news letter that would bring you up to date on some of my activities, and that of my family during the past year.
One of the most interesting things that happened to me in the early Spring was a trip via jet to Chicago for the American Personnel and Guidance Association Convention. The gal in charge of Women’s Housing and myself went a couple of days early to do the town, since I had never been there, and we had a marvelous time. The Convention was very good and all in all it was a tremendous experience.
The last of May, Cliff, Joan’s husband, received his bachelor’s degree at our Graduation Exercises and decided to stay and work on his master’s. Cliff also received an assistantship and is doing some fine things in drama. Little David is growing fast and is a joy to the entire family. Joan is teaching first grade in Orem this year and doing her usual fine job.
The first week in June, Linda received her master’s from Long Beach State University and boyfriend Richard Williams received his bachelor’s. Since relatives would be gathering for the graduation, the two of them decided to move their wedding date ahead to the Saturday after graduation on Friday. You can imagine the rush this weekend turned out to be. Cliff, Joan, baby David and myself left here on Thursday evening, and I returned on Sunday. But we got Linda and Richard graduated and married in practically ’one fell swoop” and off on their honeymoon. Richard is a very talented and fine person and we especially appreciate him for the way he love and cares for Linda’s boys. He is very conscientious about giving them all the love and firm yet loving discipline they need and no one would ever suspect that they weren’t his own.
On July 6th, I left on what was to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I traveled with the BYU Leadership Week group to the Northwest. We made stops in LeGrande and Portland, Oregon, and Tacoma and Spokane, Washington. We then went to Ricks College and home. The entire circuit took nearly a month. We had one day off for the World’s Fair (which was entirely enough for me). We also had three days to go from Spokane to Rexburg, so our carload went through Yellowstone Park. I had never been there before so my traveling companions decided to show me the park in it’s entirety in one day. I could write a book about the lightning trip through Yellowstone, and all the experiences we had in one night and one day there. Time just won’t permit.
When I returned to Provo, Linda and Rich and boys were here and Rich was attending summer school at the Y. He had been impressed with the Y when he was here at Christmastime. He applied for an assistantship for the Fall, but at the same time was attempting to get into Julliard School of Music in New York City. In September, they made the trip to New York, stayed there three days and decided to return and attend school here and take advantage of the assistantship. So they drove back in three days and he registered here, where he is assistant director of the Symphony Orchestra and director of the Opera Workshop orchestra. He is going to teach two classes next semester. Linda is teaching Freshman English and enjoying it very much. Kent, 5, my oldest grandson, is in kindergarten, and it enthralled by it, except that he isn’t learning to read and do arithmetic. Steve, 4, doesn’t like staying home while Kent is at school but is comforted by three kittens who have adopted him.
Marilyn, Chris and their two sweet little girls have had their usual busy and rewarding year. Marilyn is now expecting their third in February and I imagine rather hoping it will be a boy. She is doing quite a bit of singing professionally, and is also now doing something which she says she has wanted to do all her life…take ballet lessons. Chris is Superintendent of the MIA in Wilshire Ward and doing a good job there, as well as making fine advancement on his job. And, of course, I think my granddaughters are the sweetest in the world.
It seems unbelievable time-wise, but Steve is beginning his second year of his mission. He is enjoying it very much and it has been a fine experience for him. He is now traveling with the second counselor out of the Mission Home in Minneapolis.
In October, my sister Donna and I took a week’s flying trip to the Northwest. And for someone who doesn’t like fairs, world or otherwise, it is rather ironic that I went to the one in Seattle twice this year. We spent one day at the Fair and then went on to Canada, spending a short time in Vancouver and Victoria. Donna has a new Falcon Futura, with bucket seats no less, so we felt like quite a sporty pair dashing over the countryside.
Homecoming was in November, and this year Janie Thompson of the Program Bureau asked my girls to sing on the Fieldhouse Frolics. Marilyn and her two little girls came up a week before the show and we spent a busy and fun week getting the trio dresses alike and in rehearsal. They sang one serious number (The song was How About You and Linda wrote new lyrics about BYU…..’holding hands as we take a walk down lover’s lane…to talk’ got a big laugh.) Then they did Linda’s hilarious arrangement of children’s nursery rhyme songs in modern style and rhythms. The medley started and ended with the beginning of the song, You Make Me Feel So Young, then into the children’s songs. The song that brought down the house was Give Said The Little Stream sung in a ‘twany’ country style.
I worked with the Homecoming Queens again this year and that is always one of the highlights of my job…getting acquainted and working with the outstanding and lovely girls who are nominated.
The last exciting thing which happened to me this year is that in October I was asked to assume a new job. For the present I am retaining the same title, but my assignment is sort of Assistant to the Dean of Students in Charge of Women’s Activities. Now you can see why I kept the old title of Counselor for Women. I have moved to a new office in Dean Cameron’s suite, and while I am still doing a great deal of counseling, I am slowly moving into activities which will be connected with the tremendous new Y Center, like student union buildings in other universities. This promises to be a very challenging experience and one which I am looking forward to ’getting my teeth into.”
In looking back over the year as a whole I feel that my family and I have been greatly blessed. My work is constantly rewarding, often exciting, many other times exhausting, but all in all an opportunity far beyond what I deserve.
I’ll close by sending along the same old, but sincere wish:
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
Klea