May 1, 2012 NEWS FROM THE DAYS FOR APRIL 2012: Last month we discovered a small leak in the water pipe going to our hot water heater. The plumber fixed it but discovered water had seeped into an empty closet next to it, and we now had a mold problem. Long story short, a disaster cleanup company had to come in to replace some closet walls, remove spores, yada, yada, yada. Of course, the deductable on the house insurance was just slightly more than the cost of the mold issue. Then, we discovered the cause of the small leak, a faulty water pressure reducer valve gone bad, and enough pressure in the house water pipes to support Old Faithful. Easter was nice – great weather to support our backyard Easter egg hunt for the grandkids. And Cole and Jessica had us out for Emry’s 3rd birthday party! Cole and Jessica live in this neat subdivision (the same one Derek and Tiffany live in), and they have wildlife and lots of ponds. Unfortunately, the deer had come and eaten all their tulips and daffodils. They just put in two good sized above ground containers to plant their garden in. Medical news for the month – Linda continues with physical therapy for her arthritic shoulder, and got a shot recently to lessen the pain. I went to have a tooth implant started. That’s where they take carpenter tools, drill a hole in your jaw, and use a socket wrench to install a screw. They put a screw cap on the screw sticking out of your jaw socket, and replace it with a cap in about four months. Kind of like installing spark plugs, but having to drill the hole first. I’m going in for toe surgery (a hammer toe giving me some problem) on Friday. I’m getting used to the hearing aids. I feel that from head to toe, literally, I have aids in place, or am taking pills or drops to further this earthly existence. I’m not sure, but I think the hammer toe was the result of the dentist turning the screw one notch too tight. Linda decided to celebrate her qualifying for Medicare by having dinner at The Spaghetti Factory. It was a great time, and the next weekend, I took her to spend a weekend in her favorite getaway, Wendover. We both paid a full tithe while there. But it was worth it. And Linda enjoyed it – that’s what mattered. We had dinner with Bruce Baird and his new girlfriend, Kathy. We watched Steph’s kids two weekends, and look forward to Steph’s graduation from Salt Lake Community College in a few days. We got to watch Jack and Sofie one Sunday while Katie and Bill vacationed in Ixtapia, Mexico celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. Bill’s parents, retired, watched their kids the rest of the time. We’ve watched Jessica play two softball games, and I practiced and coached her in hitting this past weekend. Her team is undefeated so far. We took Steph to LaCaille at Quail Run for a very, very nice dinner for her graduation. She had never been there and loved it. Jackie and Wiggins motor homed to Vegas for a Nascar race. They went with friends and had a great time. Debbie loaned them her motor home for the trip. And Christopher finally arrived home from his four year enlistment in the army. He looks forward to civilian life once again. And that’s the news, the whole news, and the only true news from the Days for April, 2012. Love, Tom & Linda