Happy Anniversary Mary and Max!

In honor of a very momentous year in the now, 48-year marriage of Mary and Max, I present their annual Christmas letter.

  ~ photos by me, by iTouch in August 2015, DC area

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

December 2015 finds us back in Utah after a very rich and fulfilling time in the Washington D.C. area as missionaries at the Washington, D.C. temple. Our service in the temple was very spiritual. The people we met there will be eternal friends whom we miss daily. The "hundred-things-to-see-and-do-in-the-D.C.-are" list that we received when we arrived was not completed, but we did explore some places we had not seen in our thirty plus years on the East Coast--the Baltimore Inner Harbor and Ft. McHenry; Gettysburg; Hershey, PA; Ocean City, MD; Assateague Island and the wild ponies *, to name a few. In July we got permission to go up to Palmyra, NY to see the Pageant and then to Niagara Falls, which was on my "Bucket List." I was not disappointed. [So, you can now assume that Mary is writing this.]

The temple closed August 8 for some major renovations, a month earlier than our original release date. So, we took our time coming home with detours to NC to visit relatives and a week at Topsail Island and to CT and the Cape for a week. ** (No, I cannot get the Cape sand out of my heart.) We then headed West via Interstate 90 with Moscow, Idaho as our goal to meet our newest grand daughter [Jaime]. We made it as far as Mt. Rushmore when we got a call that brought us home by September 13.

The call was to inform us that the water pipe bringing water from the street into our utility room had burst above the shut-off valve for the house. (That valve was closed). Our neighbor who walks his dog discovered water coming from under the garage door on the afternoon walk. He called our friend who had keys. She rushed over and called our son [Jed] who drove quickly from Mesquite [Nevada] and then called us as we sat enjoying Mt. Rushmore. We told him to call the insurance company and ServiceMaster was here in an hour. We got home to torn out carpet, twenty fan/heaters roaring, and major decisions to make. Three months later, new flooring throughout and a clean house. Now, to convince Max to go on another mission!

The grandchildren grew and thrived while we were gone. Drew is nearly 11; his twin brother and sister are three. The Moscow kids are nearly ten, eight, and six, and Jaime is one. We did get to see her at ten months when we left the mess here for ten days. FaceTime is a farmily-connecting tool we love.

So, what do we do now? We started our service at the St. George temple December 3 and submitted our paperwork to serve for another year at the Home Storage Center the first of January. We need to be busy with enough time to explore our beautiful area, work off the weight we gained from all the missionary parties, and help our neighbors. We are grateful for all our blessings, you being one of them for enriching our lives. May 2016 be good to you.

Love, Max and Mary

~photo by me, November 2015

* Hey, that's on MY bucket list. No fair
** And, hey, I visited for a few days in August to help clear out a lot of stuff. A LOT of the stuff. A CAR FULL OF STUFF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MANY PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING ALL THE STUFF.

Mary and Max are Going on a Mission

I Hope They Call Me On a Mission
 

Lyrics 

I hope they call me on a mission

When I have grown a foot or two.

I hope by then I will be ready

To teach and preach and work as missionaries do. 

 I hope that I can share the gospel

With those who want to know the truth.

I want to be a missionary

And serve and help the Lord while I am in my youth.*

 Words and music: Newel Kay Brown, b. 1932. (c) 1969 IRI

*These are the words of a traditional Mormon "Sunday School" song for the youth. As far as I know, there isn't a version for the more "mature" sets of missionaries that go out to serve. But there should be.

By the time you read this, Grumpa Max and Grandmary should be en route to/or in Salt Lake City, UT to get a few weeks of specialized training in preparation for about a year's missionary service at the Washington, D.C. Temple starting in October 2014. Here's a drones'-eye view of the Washington, D.C. temple.

If you can't view this video, click this link or cut and paste:  http://youtu.be/aDy81Wxqb8k

Pretty impressive, no?

Now, I'm sure there are questions.

Q: What's a mission? 

A: "Missionary (LDS Church) Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—widely known as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the LDS Church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and community service."
~ per a wikipedia entry

Q: What's a temple?

A: "...a temple is a building dedicated to be a house of God and is reserved for special forms of worship. A temple differs from a church meetinghouse, which is used for weekly worship services..."
~ per another wikipedia entry

Q: Why do they need retirees to do this?

A: Not to be flip, but some retirees LIKE to be busy AND they have the time. It takes a lot of work to keep humanitarian efforts going, administration churning, training ticking, etc. 

Q: But won't they miss [insert family celebrations here aka births of grandchildren, birthdays, holidays?]

A: Yes, they will miss them -- in person -- but thanks to technology, senior couples can be in contact with family more and more. Family can visit, within reason. If family emergencies or healthy issues arise, things are more flexible for senior couples. I remember visiting Grandma Ollie in D.C. when she was on her mission. I plan to visit the 'rents when they are in D.C. - and apparently I better put my bid in for a visit, since they already have reservations for others who want to visit. THEY AREN'T EVEN IN D.C. YET!


Q: Why do your parents want to do this?

A: Good question. I can't answer for them -- though I will ask -- but I suspect:
a) It's a family tradition. Grandma Ollie actually did a mission in Washington, D.C. Many of my great-aunts and uncles have been on senior Church missions. Both of my brothers went on missions; one to California, the other to Brazil.

b) Dad did not go on the "traditional" youth mission when he was the usual age. He instead served this country faithfully in the Navy during the Vietnam era.
c) Mom did not go on the "traditional" youth mission when she was the usual age. She was serving the youth of America by teaching them about English literature.

d) They have served the Church in other various ways throughout their adult life. While "retired" in Utah, they have worked together in Church service: at the Saint George Temple and in Church humanitarian work in a cannery.

e) They are healthy, willing, and able.

 I'm proud of these two!

I'm hoping to share Max and Mary's Mission Moments as we go through the year. I'm trying to make sure it's documented SOMEWHERE!

Letters to the Grandmas - April 4, 1998

This entry will conclude the Letters from/to Grandmas project. Over the last year, I've been traveling down memory lane, posting the letters from my grandmothers that I managed to save over the years, and adding some context, comments, or other ramblings.

Despite the personal, geographic, and religious differences between these two remarkable women, Grandma Ollie and Grandma Roa were united in their love of their children and us, their grandchildren. On special occasions like graduations, they reunited to celebrate with us in Connecticut. It was in 1993, when they were in town for my brother Jed's high school graduation, that I captured my grandmas out exploring in a local garden.
Perhaps it is fitting that the year comes to a close featuring a letter from me to them, one of a handful of the letters that have surfaced that I sent to them over the years.

Although this is written to Grandma Ollie (on left above), since I did this on a work computer, I probably used a version of this for Grandma Roa as well; most of it was probably was the same. Cutting and pasting a Word document is infinitely easier than writing out letters long-hand, plus my writing is a bit odd – and their older eyes need larger and more legible printing.

Letter folded up in a card:

Saturday, April 4, 1998

[New York]

Dear Grandma [Ollie],

I finally got a day off from the office and realized that the calendar was flipped to April. I could I have sworn it was still March. I feel like I have been swimming upstream against the clock of time since way back in February. Please forgive me for not writing sooner.

Life has been speeding out of control since our trip West to drop off J at the MTC. I’m glad that Mom and Dad let me come with them. It was nice to spend time together as family, and since I hadn’t gotten to know Kelli before, I really enjoyed staying at their house. Jed and I still have to learn to deal with each other as adults and that is going to take more visits. Kelli hasn’t ever gotten the opportunity to see us interact before, so it was an eye-opening experience for her. We weren’t too bad, but there was some juvenile behavior on both our parts, old bickering that’s a throwback to growing up. I also got a chance to meet her side of the family and see Jed acting as an uncle, brother-in-law, and son-in-law. If he’s as good with his kids as he is with his nieces, he’ll be a good daddy. The house is adorable and they really seem to be settling into their jobs, the marriage, and the community.

It was nice to be able to spend a day in Logan [Utah] seeing Aunt Shirley, Uncle Preston, Aunt Dorothy, and Aunt Ruby. The town hardly resembles what I remember and I swear the house gets smaller every time I see it. The “girls” don’t look a day older, and I always feel like that little 8-year-old when I visit Aunt Shirley’s house. It triggers memories from the years in Utah, which I don’t have that often.

We also spent time with Grandma [Roa] when we were in Ogden. Despite fears that things would be very tense, it wasn’t too bad. The only awkward part was seeing my cousins again. The last time I saw them was in 1994 for Ray’s wedding, and things are just as strained now as they were then. I don’t think we said that much to each other the entire time we were there. Clint, who’s Jed’s age, was off doing his trucking run, and we never saw him. The six of us have really grown up and had radically different experiences since we moved in 1980. It’s unfortunate that we’re so uncomfortable with each other. I think if we had a chance to spend more time together we might begin to re-develop an adult relationship. We’ll have to see what the years bring.

J did very well about hiding how anxious he was to go to the MTC until the morning he was due to report. Dad gave him a blessing before we left Grandma’s and except for lunch, where he was cracking jokes all over the place (his way of hiding things), he was very, very quiet.

I was really proud of J. Before we dropped him off at the MTC, we stopped in Provo for lunch. Obviously, a lot of other families had had the same idea. As we can in, there was a large family group in front of us waiting for a table, with a very frightened looking young man in a brand-new suit. J walked right up to the lad, said “Hi, how you doing? Where are you going and when do you report?” The poor boy looked like he thought J was going to jump him. Turns out the boy was to report a half hour after J and was bound for Portugal. J was like, “good, I’ll see you in language class.” That’s my brother. [J was eventually to end up in Recife, Brazil – the other Portuguese speaking country.]

He’s already so much more prepared than some of the elder I’ve seen who’ve been in the field for a while. Although he’s been frustrated by the whole visa situation and struggling with the language and the inevitable personality conflicts that occur when four strangers live in a room together, his letters are really upbeat and positive.

Mom cried the entire time, which we had expected. After we left, I truly understood why Dad had told her he wasn’t going through that experience along again. [Dad had dropped off Jed at the MTC a few years earlier.] I think J was just glad that the family group wasn’t bigger. There were kids there with almost 20 family members. The mission leaders were very good about explaining life at the MTC and they tried to make the experience as painless as possible, but it was still hard on Mom. Whenever he leaves the country will be hard too, but that first separation at the door of the MTC really took a lot out of her.

I’d truly forgotten what is like to be in a region where the Church is predominant. Just to see a chapel on seemingly every street and the mass exodus of MTC bound missionaries on the highway is awe-inspiring.

The last few days we were out West, Mom, Dad and I went sight-seeing. The enclosed pictures don’t truly do the landscape justice. The weather was only good a few days of the trip, and Dad and I would like to go back with good cameras and film and do a few hikes to scope out sites for a photographic study. They tell me that when the sun hits some of the redrock and lava rock at certain points, its truly spectacular. Maybe in a few years I’ll make it back out there to visit Jed and Kelli, and J where ever he settles.

Ever since we got back, I’ve been running at full tilt. The weekdays at the office are getting longer. It seems that my responsibilities grow every year. This spring is particularly bad because we are all scrambling to cover two women who are out on maternity leave: one we expected, the other lady had been confined to bed rest for the last trimester of her term. Thankfully, everything worked out for them, but the rest of us are starting to get a little ragged. I wondered why I was so tired the other day when I realized that today is the one day off I’ve had since March 23 and the last until I head home for Easter weekend.

Tomorrow it’s back to work. We are presenting an opera and before the benefit crowd shows up for brunch and a lecture at 1, I have to assemble some brochures, stuff the programs with the brochures, set up seating assignments, make sure the caterer is okay, organize the ushers and run interference with the opera cast and orchestra. I also get to the run the at-the-door Box Office and handle any other emergencies that erupt. Whew, I’m exhausted just thinking about it. The weekends are filled with fund raising dinners and mini-concerts intended to woo wealthy patrons out of their money. The dinners aren’t the hard part; it’s all the minute preparations like the flowers, set-up, caterer preparations, and staff coordination that’s the hard part. I come home and collapse into bed.

I am truly looking forward to leaving work early on Thursday to head home for Easter. I haven’t had a haircut since before Christmas and I can’t see through my bangs, and putting my hair up in a ponytail is just not professional or flattering. I also plan to SLEEP and meet up with some old high school friends and just relax, after I get the snow tires changed. Since I’m planning a bridal shower for a college friend, I also have to run to a few stores to look for trimmings. The problem with organizing this shower is that I’m in NY, the other bridesmaids are in Albany, NY and Boston, MA and the bride and her family are in Maine. The shower is scheduled for June 13th in Maine and I’m having an interesting time corresponding with everyone via the Internet to organize the party.

I also want to spend some time with Dad, providing of course that Church isn’t too bad. His responsibilities are beginning to wear him down and I worry about him. He says he’s fine, but even his e-mail echoes with a bone-tiredness that he denies. He and Mom went away this weekend and hopefully they’ll get some time to unwind.

I hope you and Mom have a good time next week. I’m sorry my work schedule is such that I can’t come with her. Have a hush puppy and some barbeque for me!

I love you and miss you horribly.

[Auntie Nettie]

Dear Grandma:

Here a[sic] just a few photos of our trip West. Enjoy,

Enclosures:
Prints of ruins on the Indian Reservation
Scenes from the West
St. George Temple
Provo Temple
Tuachan

Grandma Roa and Ollie exploring and appreciating nature in their own ways.

It was almost a year ago that I started this journey. Thanks for walking with me.
I hope you've come to love my grandmas as much as I do.

Letters from Roa S - March 21, 1994

The soft-focus photo at right is of Grandma Roa and Aunt Jerry at Grandma's house in the late 2000s. However, it's pretty representative of Grandma; the chair, her apartment, surrounded by photos of family, paintings, and close to family.

This letter from Grandma Roa references my trip to Costa Rica, and also my brother Jed's mission to California. Grandma may not have been so into some part of Utah's main religion, but was proud of both boys' service, especially seeing as she shared that apartment house with innumerable sets of missionaries.

The stories of my brothers' missions to California and Brazil are really theirs to tell. I have some very fun letters to and from them during these times, but will let them tell those tales to their kids when, and if, it's appropriate.

3 21 94

Ogden, Utah

Dear [Granddaughter],

I was going to have this answered by the time you got back from Costa Rica. I hope you had a good time & saw a lot of new things. At least you got away from the snow for a few days now you guys know how its been here a few winters. I am glad we haven’t had it bad this year but like I said it will snow in May like it has a few times befor[sic].

I got a letter from Jed today he said he has been real bissay[sic] & likes it in Victorvill[sic] as it is out of the Smog & they have a car there I don’t think he liked going up & down hills on his bike. He’s worried about the heat but I don’t think it will be as bad as he thinks.

It took me a while to read all of the paper you sent then I got down to the bottom & saw you had done the writing doing good girl keep it up one of these days you will get where you want to be. At least I hope you can do better than your grandma & not have to worry about everything all the time.

I’m sending your Easter card early like I did Jed’s.

Have a good Easter and get back to work.

Love

Grandma

Cool Cousins in the Media

So, I don't usually use this forum to proselytize so much, but I'm making an exception. Because this time it's about family, and when it come to family, you tend to want to brag.

Meet my cousin Josh. (Actually my mother's first cousin's son Josh. So, that makes him my cousin, once removed, or something like that. WHATEVS. He's family.)

My cousin Josh seems to be cooler than most of the whole extended family tree put together. Josh is a skateboarder and photographer, and one of the real people selected to put a face on Mormons in a new public relations campaign.

Ironically, although Josh and I both live and work in and near New York, we've never actually met. How sad is that? He's too cool for me anyway, so it's just as well.

Go here to learn more about my cousin Josh Maready, his/our faith, and to get more information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aka Mormons.