Dear Friends and Relatives:
Greetings!…wherever you are all over the world. I hope that this has been a year full of blessings for all of you.
As for me, my life continues to be one round of surprises and one challenging experience after another. After my fabulous trip to Greece, the Greek Islands, Egypt and the Holy Land last Fall, I thought that my life might settle down into a rather daily routine of being retired…writing my history, refinishing furniture, visiting my family, etc., but it seems that this isn’t to be my lot in life just yet.
In February, a new grandson arrived for Joan and her husband, Dick. This made nine boys between the two of them. His name is Matthew and he is a joy and delight to all of us.
Then about the middle of April I was called in to take over the Young Ambassadors singing group because of an emergency in the ranks, to get them ready for their European tour. We had 2 1/2 weeks to do this and if you ever saw a group work ’we-uns’ were it. We even had some new costumes made and in a flurry of excitement took the plane about the first of May and flew into Amsterdam. The tour was a great success everywhere we went which was Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium. They were a great group of your people who cooperated with me to the limit and gave everything they had for every performance. We felt that we did a great deal of good for the missionary effort in those countries and the mission and stake presidents must have felt the same because they have invited the group back for next summer. I was asked if I wanted to stay with the group when we returned, but I felt I should turn them over to someone younger, and really retire.
However, somehow retirement escapes me and soon after school started, due to the requests of many students who didn’t get into a performing group, I found myself starting new groups and at present am working with three of them; booking, doing sound, the whole bit. Meantime, in July I went to California again and welcomed another darling baby girl into Steve and Cheryl’s family. That is four daughters for them and the baby is so cute and loveable we wonder how we could have ever thought of a boy.
Then about three weeks ago I received a call from the directors of the Miss Utah Pageant asking if I would be interested in directing a group composed mainly of Miss Utah contestants from around the state and perhaps bolstered by four talented fellows, and have a semi-permanent group who would travel and sell Utah. If it is a success, it may be sponsored by the Utah Travel Council and be sent around the country telling about Utah and all it has to offer visitors. The show will have one segment selling Utah. I am now in the middle of auditioning, getting show repertoire ready, and getting the whole project off the ground. Other than all the above, I’m not doing a thing.
My family is doing well. Marilyn and Chris have made more progress on the remodeling of their home this year than in the five years before that they have been in the painful process. What is finished is beautiful. Their Kathy is here at the Y, and is in one of my groups. Linda and family are in London for at least a year, so this is a good excuse for my sister, Donna and I to go there in May. We will not only visit them and all of us go traipsing in their car to Ireland, Wales and more of England, but hope to get to Southern Spain and Portugal, etc. Linda spends a great deal of time upstairs in her work room composing music, which is being published at last. Rich flies home to conduct his orchestra regularly, and is also doing a great deal of guest conducting there.
My Church job is teaching the Money Management classes in Relief Society, and since my children say I am one of the original ’wheeler-dealers’ they think I’m qualified for the job. But after going through my accounts this afternoon, I’m not so sure. I’m probably headed for the poorhouse. But, if so, I’ll think up something interesting to do there.
And my blessings are too numerous to mention. May this find you enjoying the Holiday Season buoyed up in body and spirit by celebrating the birth of our Savoir. Always, Klea