cc: file, Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail., Sara and Des Penny, Claude and Katherine Warner, Lloyd and Luana Warner, Diane Cluff, Maxine Shirts via mail.
"Rick and Pat Hawthorne came and stayed with us Wednesday and Thursday night. Melisa was on here way to an internship on the Donnie and Marie Show with a friend Brett, and Rick and Pat decided to drive over half way and visit us. For those that don't know, I had the opportunity to teach and baptize Rick and Pat when I was on my mission. A year later, and about three months before I went home, I had the opportunity to go through the London Temple with them and see them be sealed for time and eternity. They named their oldest son Roice Fielding, and he was killed in a tragic car accident several years ago. He would be 27 if he was still alive. The second night of their visit there were a couple of those very special spiritual moments. The ones that make life, and any challenges we ever could face, worth living.
Rick and Pat had spent most of the day reading my missionary journal and making copies of pages about them and their friends. Pat refered to one of the things I had written for one Sunday:
As she told me about finding this, tears welled up. I remembered the accident where Lucky had followed us down the lane (Minersville Road), when Mom took me to Garfields to go to 4-H camp, and was hit by a car that didn't see him. I remember Brent (?) Murray reminding me I cried when we were at 4-H camp. I couldn't remember hearing Pat's testimony, but I had `seen her testimony' over the previous day. She has had all of the callings, been a Relief Society President, and is now serving in the Stake Young Women's Presidency. She has had four letters published in The Church News. She has raised wonderful kids, with an absentee husband (Rick is often only home on weekends). Tracie Ann, 25, married Kim Mayfield in the Atlanta Temple a year ago, and they they are expecting their first child. Rick and Pat's second son was recently admitted to a facilty for the mentally retarded. Ryan Frank is 23, and has the mind of a 6 year old. There was a wonderful newspaper article written about Ryan and the family, which I scanned and put on-line at http://www.walden3d.com/photos/Friends/Hawthorne_Rick_Pat/NorthwestFloridaDailyNews20Dec99Ryan1.jpg and ...Ryan2.jpg, which I have on the bookshelf for you to read when you come home. Ronnie Frederick, 22, has struggled with the word of wisdom and is doing better. Melisa Ann is a wonderful person, and it was a real pleasure to feel of her spirit on Wednesday night. Ricky Francis, 15, is staying with Tracie while Mom and Dad came to copy my missionary journal. Listening to Pats lovely English accent, and feeling the intensity of her words was wonderful. Rick has been a close friend for years, and we have kept in touch by e-mail and he has visited a couple of times. I guess I have written more about Pat because I hadn't seen her since the summer of 1973. And it was very touching to realize the impact my efforts as a missionary had on this wonderful person.
The other special spiritual experience was with Rick. I gave Rick and Pat a copy of Prime Words. Rick asked me to autograph it. I hesitated. Finally, after Andrea called us to the table for a 9:30 dinner, I scribbled out:
Later we were sitting in the living room talking, and Rick opened up the book and read what I wrote. He said, `Did you read what I wrote for you?' I said, `No.' He had brought us a copy of his novel, `Graven Image.' I had noticed the book, we had talked about it a little bit, and I didn't even realize, at this time, the copy was for us to keep. Rick handed it to me and I read:
As I read Rick's words, and thought of what had finally come to my mind when I wrote my note to him and Pat, the spirit bore witness that we truly are eternal friends. What joy there is when you know someone truly cares for you and they know you truly care for them. There is a digital photo of the three of us at: http://www.walden3d.com/photos/Friends/Hawthorne_Rick_Pat/000107PatRickRoice856AM2.JPG As we got reacquainted, I began to really understand the impact of the words written about Ammon in The Book of Mormon:
Tonight Andrea, Sara, Rachel, Matt, and I drove up to The Woodlands to visit with some more of my eternal friends, Todd and Michelle Stahli. What a wonderful spirit they have in their home. Wesley still thinks she is 21. Logan is all boy. Madison is a doll. The new baby is due next week (see http://www.walden3d.com/photos/Friends/Stahli_Todd_Michelle/000109MichelleStahli.JPG), and is positioned breech, which means feet or rear end down. As I watched Michelle give herself an insulin shot just before dinner, I shuttered remembering all of the allergy shots I had as a kid. Todd just had his second hernia operation, and was very sore. Watching his careful movements reminded me of when Dad had his double hernia operation, and the pain he described that causing. Todd cooked dinner (http://www.walden3d.com/photos/Friends/Stahli_Todd_Michelle/000109ToddStahli.JPG). It was really good. Of course, what I enjoy is talking to someone who thinks I have something useful to say, questions what I say and makes sure he understands the implications to his work, and who has lots of neat experiences and wonderful things to say himself. The Ukraine dolls, chess set, maps, butterfly collections, etc. make a wonderful environment. Paul, you must visit the Stahli's next time you are in Houston. I walked off and left the camera and my notebook, remembered as we were getting on the main road out of the subdivision, and as I went up to the front door, it hit me how much I enjoy these folks. They truly are eternal friends.
The wonderful thing about my life is that there are hundreds of people all across the earth, of many different cultures, religions, races, and backgrounds, whom I can call my eternal friends. I could write as much as I have about Hawthornes and Stahlis about Ray Gardner, Randy Shirts, and Dale Hatch of the KeyNotes, John Bennett or others who I baptized, Ed Gray, Riley Skeen, and others from the University of Utah, etc., etc. Sometimes I get caught up in my own little world, and forget what a wonderful life it is, what wonderful friends I have, how much they care about me, and how much I care about them. And what is especially exciting to me, is that as I watch you kids, I see you each busy developing your own network of eternal friends, each in your own way Keep it up, for it is one of the things which brings lasting happiness.
This week was very busy. Monday was a company holiday, and I spent the day working on catching e-mail up. Rob and Joe Amason and I attempted to go to Bicentennial Man again on Monday afternoon. It was sold out again. We had the missionaries over for dinner. I was only in the office for three days, and they seemed to fly past. Lot's of e-mail from over the holidays, and there is a lot of work to get ready for our RC-SIG 2 day meeting the end of this month. Also had follow-up on the meetings at SUU and in Provo. Wednesday evening the Venturing Crew went to Conoco to see Brother Steve Wood's work and Conoco's pipeline command and control center. It was neat. Rick, Pat, Melisa, and Brett were with us Wednesday evening. Thursday morning was the sales call, and we had senior executives in from Enron. I thought I had a GSH Board Meeting, and I was off by a week (again). Rick, Pat, Andrea, and I went to The Macaroni Grill for lunch. I built an `As Is' process model for one of the projects Peter Duncan had been working on. Andrea and I had the annual Youth Planning Meeting in the evening. The rest of the time was spent with Rick and Pat.
Rick and Pat left for Florida at 9:00 Friday, and Andrea and I left for Plano shortly after this. The Arco computer lost two of it's four graphics processors and so they could not show me any demos. Had a great discussion with Geoff Dorn, Tracy Stark, and Mary Cole. Tracy and his wife Laura are expecting their first child in April. They joined Ben, Sarah, Andrea, and I to go see Fantasia 2000, at the Cinemax IMAX on Webs Chapel just a few blocks from where we used to live on Lockmore Lane. Then we went out to dinner at an Italian Resturant across the street. We talked late. Saturday morning Andrea and I went to a session at the Dallas Temple. It was one of the first times I have not run into several of my eternal friends from the Dallas 1st Ward. It was the first time Andrea and I were asked to be the witness couple. It was nice. I want to make the movie a 3-D immersive experience. Oh well, guess that is not my calling. We went back to Ben and Sarahs and watched their wedding video with them, Sarah's Mom and Sister Karen, and her three daughters: Rachel, Hannah, and Abby (see http://www.walden3d.com/photos/Family/02_BenSarah/000108AbbyKarenRachelBenHannahSarah137PMX.JPG and others <.../000108*). It was a fun finish to the morning and a Pizza Party on top of all that. We left about 2:30 and got back in time for Andrea to go to Stake Leadership Meeting in conjunction with Stake Conference at 7:00 PM. I read most of Rick's book, Graven Image, while she was gone. Ken Turner, my kindred spirit and another eternal friend, was talking to me about his big art show in April when Andrea got home. We actually had a bit of an argument about who was going to be able to finish Rick's book first. Since I was talking to Ken she won. She finished about 11:30, and I finshed about 12:30. I think it is a great story. Would be good to be about twice as long.
Today was Stake Conference, and it was the first time I ever sat in the soft seats (thanks to Rachel going early with Andrea when she went to practice with the choir and saving Matt and I a seat). Too bad Matt didn't use his seat. This afternoon I moved some pictures over to the Sun, worked on the Thoughtlet, and we all went out to Stahli's. All in all it has been another great week, especially thanks to my truly eternal friends."
