1 People actually say these things?

On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995. During the Miss USA contest she was asked the following question: "If you could live forever, would you and why?" Her answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever."
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"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff" (Mariah Carey).
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"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life" (Brooke Shields, during an interview to become a spokesman for a Federal anti-smoking campaign).
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"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body" (Winston Bennett,  University of Kentucky basketball forward).
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"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country" (Mayor Marion Barry, Washington  DC).
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"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it" (A congressional candidate in Texas).
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"Half this game is ninety percent mental" (Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark)
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"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it" (Vice President Al Gore).
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"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix" (Dan Quayle).
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"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?" (Lee Iacocca).
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"The word 'genius' isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein" (Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback and sports analyst).
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"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people" (Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC instructor).
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And this I think was my favorite: "Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992, because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances" (Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina).
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"Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas" (Keppel Enderbery).
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"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed, and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record" (Mark S. Fowler, FCC chairman).

2 Quote of the week

“Let us be a temple-attending and a temple-loving people. Let us hasten to the temple as frequently as time and means and personal circumstances allow. Let us go not only for our kindred dead, but let us also go for the personal blessing of temple worship.”

— President Howard W. Hunter (1907-1995)

3 This week in our family

Our family's calendar for the next fortnight

Wed, Feb 9: Anna's birthday [Dean]
Wed, Feb 9: John's birthday [Gail]
Thurs, Feb 10: Ben's birthday [Dean]
Fri, Feb 11: Samantha Packwood's birthday [Gene]
Sat, Feb 12: Lincoln's birthday
Sun, Feb 13: Scott's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Feb 14: Valentine's Day
Tues, Feb 15: Faustino Dela Cruz's birthday [Gail]
Wed, Feb 16: Cassidy's birthday [Kay]

Thurs, Feb 17: Emily Real's birthday [Gene]
Fri, Feb 18: Dale & LeAnn married 1984 [Dale]
Sun, Feb 20: Louis Real's birthday [Gene]
Mon, Feb 21: Washington's birthday observed
Tues, Feb 22: George Washington's birthday
Wed, Feb 23: Lyle & Barbara married 1954 [Lyle]
Wed, Feb 23: Next issue of newsletter

If we are missing anyone's birthday or anniversary, please let us know

4 Bits and tidbits

Dean's family
Claudia and I just returned Monday night from a five-day visit to Robert and Rachael Hodson in Harrisburg, Illinois. We flew in and out of St. Louis, which is the closest major airport to their where they live. We had to rent a car to drive the two hours to their house.

Our granddaughter (the oldest of their four daughters) was baptized and confirmed on Saturday, February 5. And another granddaughter (the youngest of their four daughters) was named and blessed. On Sunday Claudia celebrated her 60th birthday. A special bonus for us was that Paul and Eliza Challis and their three children drove up from Atlanta for the weekend for the special occasion.

5 Our family 50 years ago

Excerpts from the February 1961 diary of Dorothy Batt Cleverly (1915–1982). The full text of her diary can be found online at Dorothy's Idaho Diaries and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on a 40-acre farm in the Deer Flat area south of Nampa, Idaho.

Thurs, Feb 9.  Jerry & Kay helped Ivard load Gene's sow & 3 little pigs & Ivard & Jackie took them to Caldwell sale. Ivard & all the Kids went to tournment. They called & told Ivard he couldn't coach & play so he's going to play. His team played Nampa 2nd & won 74 to 36. Kids played Nampa 4th & won 44-43.

Fri, Feb 10.  I came home from work & Jerry took Kids to school. Ray stayed home to clean for company. Kay & I went to town & got 31. worth of groc. I didn't have to work tonite.

Sat, Feb 11.  I made my big Kettle right full of chilli & 4 apple pies & 3 carmel pies. Ruth, Ray, Kim, Janice & Sharon & Mother got here from Utah about 2: Ray had Jackie rideing on bike & got her foot cought in spokes & took all the skin off & its all swelled up.

Sun, Feb 12.  Ivard-Jerry-Gene-Ray Ray T & Kim went to priesthood & sunday school. Mother & I made 2 jello salads & put Turkey on to cook & got dressing ready then Mother Ruth & I took all the Kids & went to sunday school. Jackie had to give Sacrament gem, had to carry her. When we came out to go home it was snowing. Jackie cried with her foot so we soaked it. When we got home Gail was here & had potatoes peeled. We ate Turkey dinner buffet style. 21 of us for dinner. We all went to church to Kays Farewell mother gave a real good talk.

Mon, Feb 13.  We ate & Ruth-Ray & Kids left for home at 8:45. Kay went with them to stay until he enters the mission home. Mother stayed until we go to Utah to see Kay off.

Tues, Feb 14.  Mother & Jerry took Kids to school & mother, Jackie & I went to relief society work day, had real good dinner. Jerry made Valentine cookies & got supper. At 6:30 we all went to Stake House for last game of basketball tournment.

Wed, Feb 15.  I came home from work & made some pop corn & cooked hot cakes for Ivard, Mother & Jackie while Jerry took Kids to school.

Thurs, Feb 16.  Mother fixed us a piece of angel food cake with whipped cream & crushed peanut brittle. Ray came home sick. I have an awful cold.

Fri, Feb 17.  Snowed awhile & rained a little. Mother crocheted & her & Ivard watched T.V. all day. I have such an awful cold.

Sat, Feb 18.  I came home from work & cooked hot cakes for them. I played Scrabble with Mother & Ivard until noon. Gail, Lynda & Kids came at 9: & stayed all nite.

Sun, Feb 19.  I got up & made biscuits & mush & we all ate then Ivard - Jerry Gene & Ray went to Priesthood. I took Dean Dale, Jackie & Debbie & we went to sunday school. Mother had a bad cold & stayed home with Gail. Mother made a rasher pudding.

Mon Feb 20.  Jerry - Gene - Ray went to Mutual. Ivard went to Boise to work. Kay entered Mission Home.

Tues, Feb 21.  Ivard went in to sign for unemployment this afternoon & Jerry went to Dr. Ivard went to work in Boise at 10:30. Jerry showed them his slides.

Wed, Feb 22.  I went in to office & was late getting home, stoped & got rolls for Pendelton funeral. I got up at 12:30 & got ready & Ethel Hays came & got me & we went out genelogy teaching, went to 4 houses. Mother feels a lot better.

6 What in the world

Super Bowl XLV
The Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in this year's Super Bowl match up on Sunday, February 6. It was the Packers' fourth Super Bowl win out of five appearances. With an average U.S. audience of 111 million viewers, this was the most-watched program of any kind in American television history, beating the previous record of 106.5 million viewers. It was the first time in Super Bowl history that it was played in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Temple openings and closings
The First Presidency announced the rededication of the Atlanta Georgia Temple on Sunday, May 1, following major remodeling and updating. A public open house will be held from April 9 through 23, excluding Sundays.

The Ogden Utah Temple will close for major renovation beginning Saturday, April 2. Several members of the family live in the Ogden temple district.

7 A final word

I am a person who, as soon as the Christmas holidays are over, is ready for spring to arrive. Cold and I do not peacefully coexist.

Utah has experienced a relatively mild winter, a little wetter than normal, but some parts of the country have been absolutely clobbered with ice and snow. Major metropolitan areas like Atlanta and St. Louis and Chicago and New York City have been shut down for days at a time. Some of them more than once.

Fortunately, winter doesn't last forever. And neither do bad days. Or economic downturns. Dawn always follows the night. And there is always a tomorrow.

So, maybe not all your dreams are realized right away, not all your days go as planned. But be grateful for what you do have, for the tender mercies from a loving Heavenly Father. As the psalmist wrote long ago, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalms 118:24).