I hauled retarded people both ways to their work at Beacon Foundation.  Usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday I get up early & run 3 miles.  Down at work, trying to finalize arrangements for Ft. Thomas building to be build there in Mesa at General Mobile Industries.  We have all the paperwork complete now (it’s just a matter of getting it all together and turned in to Bill Woolf in Salt Lake).  I gave the lesson at Family Home Evening.  Beautiful weather again today.  Lesson was on “our choices.”

Went to priesthood meeting with Dad Nelson. Lesson was on Church Education, a spinoff from our recent Education Seminary in the stake. I taught the Gospel doctrine class for Jim Cornia, who was out of town: Lesson on 2 Nephi 31, 32, 33.  A real good area!  I enjoyed it.  At Sacrament Meeting I was sustained as Teachers Quorum Advisor.  Now real grass roots work!  Had a good day with the Nelsons.  It’s good to have them here.  It’s hard to convince them—especially Mom, that they’re really here—and here to stay.  Whenever the occasion arrives, Dad says they’re not staying long.

Transplanting roses, flower. Preparing for the room addition.  Nice day again after a cold morning.  Lost another tomato plant to the frost.

Rodeo holiday.  Worked around home most of day—just went to office to look at mail.  Marian & I did some shopping. Planted some more tomato plants—that makes 14!  Too many.  But, at night it froze, so I lost one right off. I tried to cover them, but one got a bad shuffle on the covers. Still fairly windy-and cold!  Had dinner at Pancho’s with folks, Dave & his family.

Got to go back to Thatcher.  Pres. Cecil of the Globe Stake called yesterday, wanted to meet with Glenn Brown & me in Thatcher, as he was there for a Boy Scout meeting.  I had a good talk with Lund Johnson, our Thatcher principal. I didn’t get there ‘til 2:30.  I spent the morning at home working on the coming house modification.  Real windy again today. Our meeting with Pres. Cecil was basically concerning Franklin Stanley, our Indian (Apache) area director on the San Carlos Reservation. Pres. Cecil wants to make him branch president at San Carlos.  Glenn and I are in favor—we want to do what’s best for the man at this point. Met again with Pres. Palmer on the Ft. Thomas building.  Had a couple of bean burros there—hot! And good!  Sister Palmer is always very gracious.  Got home at 9:00.

Visited Catalina Seminary 1st period.  Joe Steward gave a good lesson.  My secretary is home with strept throat.  I was on the phone nearly all day. Still real windy.  Went home a little early and planted tomatoes in the garden. It’s a little early, yet, but the weather is so mild, it is blossoming out all the fruit treas. I need to get an early jump.  I planted the plants—no seeds this year!

Go to Thatcher by 8:45. Sat in on Andy Fox’s 2nd period.  It was pretty good-but rowdy.  I spent an hour almost with Pres. Hoopes.  It was to try to get him back on our side at Seminary.  We particularly need help at Duncan and there at Safford.  Duncan has a real problem teaching there—Max Germaine.  I won’t elaborate on his shortcomings.  But we want him out of there.  I’ve tried to resolve this Duncan matter—plus a couple of other things—without directly involving Pres. Hoopes, but it can’t be done.  I had to see the man directly.  He’s the key. Got bids on the Ft. Thomas building from Wesch & Taylor, Pima, for contracting the installation of water & gas lines plus septic tank, and from Daley Mobile sales for hauling the unit from Mesa to Ft. Thomas.  Boy, what a windy day!  I about got blown away getting into and out of the car!  I got the bid to Pres. Palmer, Thatcher Stake President.  He needs to get a check for 20%, plus a form filled out, for forwarding to our office.  Talked with Andy Fox.  He’s thinking of quitting Seminary teaching.  Cotton pick!  With Russell Packer leaving, we need Andy to stay and settle that place down again.  Got home late—long day.

In town all day. I spent some time at Catalina Seminary.  Sent out some memos from the office. Good secretary—good secretary.  Home evening lesson was given by Marian.  Prior to that, I planted carrots, onions & beets in the garden.

The Lord’s Day.  I love them!  I didn’t feel very well today.  Got allergy problems and so sleepy.  I just couldn’t hardly navigate all day.  Dad Nelson & I went to Priesthood Meeting, then I stayed home from Sunday School with him and Mom Nelson.  I slept.  Sacrament Meeting was a Primary program.  But the sacrament was served.  That makes any meeting worthwhile.  I really love to take the sacrament. It’s a great moment.  We drove over to visit Dave’s family afterward.  Peggy was to a meeting, but Dave was there with Russell.  Heather was asleep.  Home teachers came in the evening—Bishop John Andes and his son, David.  We got phone calls from K and also from Susan.  This calling to the advisorship of the Teachers Quorum is a calling I’m very happy about.  For one thing, it will free me from the stake services and activities committee chairmanship—a calling I have not enjoyed (and have not magnified.).  But it puts me to work at the grass roots.  That’s not where the honors are.  But that’s where the action is.  I just hope I can fulfill the requirements, and be a help to these young men.  This is my first opportunity in many years to teach and directly work at the ward level with the youth.  I’m really happy about it—thankful for it.

Bought the Litton range.  Looked at cabinets at Handy Andy.  Frank and Bev came to visit the folks.  They’ve been a little lonely the past few days.  It was great to see them.  We had a real good visit.  I was going to plant the garden today, bit didn’t get to it—too much company.

Big push tonight was looking for a new stove, dishwasher, fridge.  Mostly stove.  We think we’ve located a Litton range with a microwave oven.

Only thing of moment was Jim Post & Ned Carson coming over to see the house & bid on the room addition.  Also Rusty Nelson came by to visit.  He’s working in Tucson today.  We all went out to eat at Furr’s Cafeteria.

Trying to get the building at Ft. Thomas solidified.  I need to get a second bid.  I went to see Bill Fink at Port-a-structure.  Also getting the brochures together for the education seminary we had at the Tucson Stake tonight.  Jan Babcock, my secretary, is really working on that. The ed seminar went off well.  About 100-120 people were there.  This is where we help a stake to understand its responsibilities in Church Education. This seminar was planned and arranged by L. Goodman.

Project SHARE is being conducted in my District this week.  The Seminaries are having slave auctions, food sales, games, fasting, etc to raise money for students elsewhere who need help with education.  I visited Catalina, Rincon and Palo Verde, sampling the atmosphere.  Evening—a Jim Smith came over to talk about an addition to the house.  He didn’t look too promising.

Work, then take Donna to her first class of Special Education Seminary, held from 4-5 at Catalina Seminary.  Family Home Evening.

Dad Nelson and I went to Priesthood Meeting at 7 a.m.  I introduced him to all the High Priests.  Then we came home & I stayed with him and Mom Nelson while everyone else went to Sunday School.  Someone has to be with them most all the time.  We all went to Sacrament Meeting, however.  Dean McCook of the High Council spoke.  After meeting we drove out in the Foothills and looked at model homes.  They are really nice.  Dave & Peggy, Russell & Heather came over in the evening, bringing their friend Steve with them.  They played guitar and banjo for a couple of hours.  It was great!  It sure is a thrill to watch David, my son, to perform—or do anything.  He’s so cute.  And he’s taking good care of his little family plus his church responsibilities.  That’s great!  I’m really proud!

Up early for a 7:15 district meeting before the regular meetings start.  A business meeting.  Bro. Jeffrey Holland addressed us in the opening session of the day.  Then we had workshop sessions with regional representatives.  Bro. Lamar Shelley was with my district teachers, his regions being Thatcher and Tucson.  We discussed problems in our district in seminaries and Institutes.  The wives had a workshop of their own at the same time.  Sister Holland spoke to them, then they had a works hp on problems important to them-ways to help your children, etc.  the closing session was at 11:30- each of the 5 coordinators gave a short talk.  Mine was on our profession as our church callings.  After the men and their wives left, the coordinator and Dan Workman had several sessions-independently and together.  He’s trying to get some feeling for how to arrange our Division.  It’s a mess!  No comment.  About 2:00 Marian and I went to Nelson’s place in Phoenix to get some things of theirs and a load of wood.  We were riding in my Datsun pickup.  Rusty, K’s son, is moving in to live there.  He’ll be married in a couple of weeks.  We drove back to Tucson, arriving about 6:00 p.m.

To Mesa by 8:00 a.m. for a Division Council Meeting.  This is the beginning of a 8-day Division Convention.  Each year for several years we have met together, all Seminary and institute men together with our wives.  We have had some real good occasions together.  Marian would have gone up with me, but she felt she needed to stay and given Mom Nelson her shot and prepare breakfast for them.  So I arranged for her to come up later with Ron & Ruby Nielsen.  So I left at 5:30. I drove the new (last October) Datsun pickup, as usual.  Our Division Council is composed of Keith Crockett, Division Coordinator, Earnest M. Skinner, Central Arizona District Coordinator, David M. Willmore, Northern Arizona District Coordinator, and myself-Southern Arizona District.  Alan Nielsen, Coordinator of the New Mexico Division was there with us today.  Our agenda covered the range of activities of the Division.  We were joined at 11:30 by Dan Workman, our area administrator.  There is a great deal of undercurrent right no in our Council over who should do what, and who should be doing anything.  I won’t describe it.  But part of Dan’s visit is to straighten us out.  He didn’t do it.  I will say this much: he said I was going to stay put-in Tucson.  He said the department leaders are satisfied with my work as a coordinator, but that they see me as continuing here.  I do have some aspirations to lead a division.  Perhaps that’s not a worthy goal!  But I do have that desire, and I’m 49.  I know in this young department that if I don’t receive that assignment soon, I won’t receive it at all because of my age.  But probably some other factors weigh even more heavily.  Anyway, it may be a little unrighteous—aspiring to a position.  I don’t now.  But I’ve been here as a district coordinator for 10 years now-come August.  Perhaps that’s as far as I go.  I am very satisfied in my assignment, as well as in my location.  A person couldn’t ask for a better job; working for the Lord in His business of instructing the youth of the Church.  And the place: Southern Arizona is surely home to me and my family.  Anyway, I’ve advised the personnel leaders of my desires.  I think they have dismissed them.  After the council meeting I checked into the motel-the Vagabond in Tempe.  Our meetings begin at 2:00.  Primarily, we began by having some introductory remarks from Keith, then we were instructed by Dan Workman.  Then we spent the rest of the afternoon in 2 workshops--one led by Wendel Johnson—personnel specialist—on husband-wife relations, and one led by Lee Miller and Jeff Holland on teaching with the scriptures.  Marian arrives late-she hates that.  But her fellow travelers were very late getting started.  We had a dinner at the ASU Student Union building.  It was a buffet, then a Joyful Noise, the _____ Institute choir performed.  Following the banquet Bro. Jeff Holland, Church Commissioner of Education, was the speaker at the Institute speaker series.  Marian and I didn’t go to it.  We went back to the motel, & K and Joy came over to visit us until late.  The subject of discussion was, naturally, Mom & Dad Nelson.

Met Mack at the Ramada at 5:15, breakfast, head for Thatcher and an 8:00 appointment with Lund Johnson at our Seminary there.  9:30 with Glenn Brown at Ft. Thomas, 11:00 at Safford Seminary with Russell Packer on these interviews Mack is running.  From 1:00 to 3:00 we visited Joe Allen & John D. Smith at Thatcher Institute, then to Pima Seminary with Carval Allen.  That completed our interviews in my District.  Mack will get Richard Moor, from Globe-Miami tomorrow at our Division meetings.  Carvel and Margaret Allen invited us to have a bowl of soup with them, which we were  happy to accept.  They have a lovely little family of a girl, then 2 boys, then another girl.  And Margaret is expecting again.  (July?) Other wives in our district who are expecting—Karen Johnson, Ella Stanley, Nancy Packer.  I think that’s all.  New babies are Susan Fox’s, and Judy Roundy’s.  At 5:30 p.m. the area Scripture Convention was held at Safford Relation St. Chapel.  It was a convention which was attended by the youth of Miami-Globe, Ft. Thomas, Pima, Thatcher, Safford, Clifton-Morenci, and Animas.  I think that’s all that participated.  The students had a real convention.  It was rigged sort of like a track meet—scripture relays, scripture hurdles, scripture (javelin) throw, etc.  Each seminary participated with 5-person teams.  To qualify for being at the occasion at all, a student had to memorize word-perfect 25 new Testament scriptures.  The kids had quite a time!  After the games, they had a devotional then Bro. Dan Workman, our area administrator, spoke.  His talk was followed by a banquet and dance.  There were almost 150 kids there.  All the full-time teachers from Safford, Thatcher and Globe stakes were there.  Bro. Lee Miller accompanied Dan Workman here.  He’s a regional representative and is with the Church Welfare Dept.  Mack Bowen was there, and I left him with Workman and Miller to stay overnight at the Safford Desert Inn, then ride down to Tempe.  I didn’t stay for the banquet and dance.  I came home arriving about 11:00 p.m.

Picked up Mack Bowen at 6:15. After breakfast at the Ramada we went to St. David where Mack interviewed Reed Richens, our teacher/area director there.  The survey Mack is conducting, with others from his office in other places, is concerning rollbacks, record-keeping, Priesthood relationships.  After St. David we visited Palo Verde Seminary her in Tucson, the teacher being Lynn Roundy, then to the Tucson Institute and Mack’s visit/interview with Paul Dahl, the Director.  Afternoon our visit, we were with Lincoln Goodman at Rincon Seminary, and Joe Steward at Catalina.  At 6:00 I dropped Mack off at Roundy’s.  They were associated for 4 years at Orem Seminary several years ago.

This evening Bro. Mack Bowen flew in from the department office.  His trip is to survey our records in the Seminary and institutes of my District.  I put him in the Ramada Inn.  Lynn Roundy went to the plane with me to meet him.  I’ve been associated with Mack for years as a coordinator.  He was in charge of the Utah Valley District seminaries.  A really fine gentleman.  I remember we two instructed a section of a class in summer school at BYU in 1970.

Thing of note: our first Family Home Evening with Mom & Dad Nelson.  It’s different, and it’s nice—having elderly loved ones to give their perspective on things.  I gave a lesson on prayer.

Stake conference.  Mom & Dad Nelson went with us to Sacrament Meeting, but only Dad went to conference.  She’s pretty shaky for many things.  Pres. Vern Busby was released from the stake presidency, and Bruce Larson was installed.  He joins Pres. Arthur W. Elray and Paul E. Dahl.  Eathel and Vern gave good talks in saying goodbye. They’ve been called to the Hawaii Honolulu Mission.

Still working around the home & getting the folks settled.  Bought a bookcase & looked for carpeting.  Stake conference session at 7:00.  Subject: Preparing your records and your family organization.

Went to Phoenix to pick up Mom & Dad Nelson.  They were there with K and Joy.  Frank came soon, then Bev.  (Cal & Judy are up in Alaska.)  They were already pretty well packed.  We had a U-Haul on my little Datsun truck.  We loaded it with furniture & such.  Put Mom & Dad in their car, then I drove the truck with Dad & Marian drove their car with Mom.  We got home in Tucson about 4:30.  This was a very tough day.  The Nelsons are so resigned and dependent now.  Their kids are making decisions for them.  They must be helped with everything.  Mom’s diabetes is a major problem.  And of course her heart trouble-and Dad’s heart trouble and stomach problems.  She is totally forgetful-he is to a great degree.  He can’t help her with her diet needs and pills-taking anymore.  He can’t remember when she last had them.  Doctor Price has now put her on insulin, so someone needs to give her a shot every morning.  She—they moved into their new quarters with us!  They didn’t seem to mind too much—they’re resigned to it.  In fact, I think Dad is relieved that he doesn’t have to make the decisions anymore.  They’re in John’s old room.

Finished up on the room, then worked until dark on a metal storage shed.  It was challenging, but I conquered.  Sore fingers!  I never got to the office today.

Awhile at the office to try to keep the bid on, then home to continue working on the room.  We papered it all, then worked on the new light fixtures.  All this, of course, interspersed with visits to stores.