cc: file, Sara and Des, Diane Cluff, Tony Hafen, Darrell and Nancy Krueger, Eric and Annette Krueger, Eric and Renee Miner, Claude and Katherine Warner, Forest and Amy Warner, and Ivan and Chell Warner.
"Tonight Sara joined Larry Law and I, Paul and Karen Sullivan and their four kids, and Rick Zimmerman for dutch oven potatoes and onions, steak, salad, asparagas, and dutch oven peach cobbler. It was a real fun evening. Maybe because they listened to me tell the story about taking Grandma Hafen to China, having my passport stolen, and going to Urumuchi in the far northwest corner of China (close to where Paul is) without a passport. Rick told stories about being held up by bandits in Peru. And I talked about my first trip into China and the Fragrent Hills experience, then the trip to Dakar, Senegal and the flight up to Nauakchott, Mauritania and back to Dakar by cab. It is late, I have not got these Thoughtlets organized so I know if I am repeating myself yet, and so I will save these stories for another time.
Speaking of Paul, I have been copying each of you kids on Paul's letters. However, there are several things he says in yesterday's letter you will be interested in prior to getting the mail. Also Grandma Hafen, your Aunt Sara, and others who get these Thoughtlets will probably be interested in a brief report from Paul. He says it is starting to get cold. No snow yet, but soon. He is the Branch President in Tolmsk, which is the oldest town in Siberia. He is the third Branch President there. They have about 50 members. The missionary work is going great and he seems very excited about his work. He did get a Dear John letter from Kristina this past week and he says he is fine. He says he has lost 30-40 pounds, although his photograph he sent last week doesn't look like he has lost near that much weight. He had his 20th birthday yesterday and he sounds homesick. He wrote: `I got a package of girlscout cookies from Roice. My first one from California. He sounds well, just lonely. How's everyone? Where is everyone? Rob? Sara? I have addresses for everyone else. ... Hello everyone. Ben (+ Sarah), Mel! (Thanks for the note I'll drop you a line soon). Sara (Love ya), Rob (your rad), Roice (Thanks for the cookies, I am saving them for my Birthday in 10 days), Dad (for the letters I get them all!) Mom (I am learning how to cook better! and I love you). I will of course get letters off to you individually soon (over the next month). That's just a quick "HI" from Siberia.'
Siberia is such a long ways away! It is like the distance through time and space to Calf Springs Ranch and to Grandpa and Grandma Hafen's Dutch Oven Cooking. I remember so well the parties they had on the patio in back of and between the log cabin house and guest house. While they were cooking we were throwing bread to the fish in the pond, swinging on the old bench swing, and playing in the old (un)covered wagon. It seems like there must have been 50 people at those parties, with two or three rows of tables, with as much fish and beef and potatoes and onions and macaroni salad and pomegranates from St. George and pine nuts from Pinto and fresh grown strawberries and homemade ice cream as anyone wanted to or could eat.
A little closer in time, I remember when I got my Dear John letter from Robin Baker. I had been writing faithfully, and yet there were very few letters coming to England. Then the letter came which said she was getting married. I remember telling my companion `Oh well! I know this really neat girl in Colorado who has written to me a couple of times. Who knows what the future will hold?' I had grown up part of the `hippy' (as much as is possible sheltered in the valleys of Southern Utah), instantaneous gratification generation. One of the most important personal character growths that came from my mission was to learn to delay gratification. Sometimes I overdo it. But learing to control my appetites (food and sexual), to fast, to eat and enjoy different foods, to save up for a new suit, to do without, to share, etc. have been and continue to be very important. Obviously, because of the circumstance I find myself in, I have had to learn to control my temper, find productive outlets for anger and disappointment, etc. I think I am doing pretty good these days, thanks to PAIRS and thanks to the training I received and experiences I had on my mission. I knew better than my mission President when he said not to marry someone who was a convert to the church. I knew better than Dad's hired hand Steve Lovell when he said fall in love with your wife's mother because she will become just like her. I was relieved when Robin got married, because she was going to medical school and I strongly felt a Mom needed to be in the home and not in a profession. It is exciting and sad to see Paul coming across the same challenges and I just hope you all make better choices than I seem to have made, at least as I look at some choices from my limited perspective of tonight.
Karen Sullivan said tonight that the last time they moved back to Houston, one of the first places they were invited was to our house for a dinner. Her memories seemed fond. Last Saturday the High Priest Group leadership came over to the house and Rob and Larry and I cooked steaks and Dutch Oven Potatoes and cobbler. This next Saturday the missionary committee of the High Priest Group is having Dutch Oven Cooking at the house. I really enjoyed last week. I thoroughly enjoyed tonight (even though it makes this letter a little late since I am driving to Austin tomorrow morning for two days of work). I am looking forward to next Saturday evening. I dream of those days I will be able to do the same kind of cooking for each of you and your families when you come to visit. I hope we can enjoy each other and that you will each want to spend time with me as well as with your Mom."