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I'm sorry that I've been neglecting my blog page. It's hard to blog when you are never near a computer long enough to get your thoughts flowing. I know it's a poor excuse, but my husband was in the hospital for six days and that really took a hunk of time out of each day. He is home, and doing fairly well.
My wish for the New Year for each of you, including myself, is a wonderful year full of great adventures, and lots of success in whatever you do. Good health the entire year for you and your entire family.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Important People – Part II
In my area many years ago, it was popular in the church to attend musical firesides with well-known artist. Most the youth and young single adults spent Sunday evenings traveling from one stake to another listening to the beautiful music, testimonies, and life experiences of these famous LDS singers. With my young teenagers, I attended many of these gatherings.
Through this and other experiences, I have met many important people. Some of them I met because I was in charge of finding people to speak at stake firesides. I worry about leaving some of them out because I haven’t always kept a great journal. Sometimes my life has been so busy I hardly had time to live it, and although I love writing, I didn’t always write about the things I was doing.
One of the most memorable firesides for the youth in our stake was the time they were able to perform with Michael Webb at his studio, in a play, Marvelous Light. We live on the west side of town and don’t always have all the updated equipment necessary to put on such a performance. Our lighting was bad and we had no microphones for such a production. Still this was going to be a fun experience. After all, Michael Webb was going to come and sing with them.
This was on April 18, 1993. Some of the young people had speaking parts, and some sang solos, or duets, or participated in a choir. For weeks, they attended all of the rehearsals. The stake president didn’t want me to take them out of the area to perform. It didn’t matter that some of their parents were driving them and I had permission slips signed by all of their parents. I thought I might lose my membership over this experience, but I fought tooth and nail for this once in a lifetime opportunity for them. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that the performance was spectacular.
On October 20, 1996, Chris Heimberdinger, the author of the Tennis Shoes Adventure series as well as many other books for youth and adults spoke at a stake fireside. Besides being an
impressive fireside speaker, he is also a remarkable teacher. I took a novel writing class from him in September 1998, and appreciate the fantastic help given to me in that class.
I was certainly surprised that a man as important as Michael Ballam,
would consider coming to our stake. We were not disappointed as he told stories about his family, the gospel and shared his beautiful voice with us.
My stake was especially blessed the evening that we were fortunate enough to have Lloyd D. Newell
of The Spoken Word speak to us on February 16, 1997. His life experiences and stories about the choir were great.
The artist, Chad Hawkins, came to our stake on March 16, 1997, to speak about his talent and show us some of his beautiful temple pictures with the hidden images.
He began his series of temple artwork in 1989, at the age of seventeen, to support his eventual two-year mission in Frankfurt, Germany, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When he returned from his mission in 1993, he continued with his artwork. Since hearing him speak he has gone on to publish a book, The First 100 Temples. He has also done work for the governor, the legislature, and the University of Utah. I cherish the artwork in my home done by Chad Hawkins.
The list of people I’ve met goes on and on, but I know I’ll leave many of them out. Here is a short list – John Bytheway, Roger Hoffman, Janice Kapp Perry, Steven Kapp Perry, Joyce Quinn (actress in Legacy), Barbara Smith (former R.S. pres), Michael Stewart, Brenton Yorgason, and Margaret Young.
Through this and other experiences, I have met many important people. Some of them I met because I was in charge of finding people to speak at stake firesides. I worry about leaving some of them out because I haven’t always kept a great journal. Sometimes my life has been so busy I hardly had time to live it, and although I love writing, I didn’t always write about the things I was doing.
One of the most memorable firesides for the youth in our stake was the time they were able to perform with Michael Webb at his studio, in a play, Marvelous Light. We live on the west side of town and don’t always have all the updated equipment necessary to put on such a performance. Our lighting was bad and we had no microphones for such a production. Still this was going to be a fun experience. After all, Michael Webb was going to come and sing with them.
This was on April 18, 1993. Some of the young people had speaking parts, and some sang solos, or duets, or participated in a choir. For weeks, they attended all of the rehearsals. The stake president didn’t want me to take them out of the area to perform. It didn’t matter that some of their parents were driving them and I had permission slips signed by all of their parents. I thought I might lose my membership over this experience, but I fought tooth and nail for this once in a lifetime opportunity for them. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that the performance was spectacular.
On October 20, 1996, Chris Heimberdinger, the author of the Tennis Shoes Adventure series as well as many other books for youth and adults spoke at a stake fireside. Besides being an
impressive fireside speaker, he is also a remarkable teacher. I took a novel writing class from him in September 1998, and appreciate the fantastic help given to me in that class.I was certainly surprised that a man as important as Michael Ballam,
would consider coming to our stake. We were not disappointed as he told stories about his family, the gospel and shared his beautiful voice with us.My stake was especially blessed the evening that we were fortunate enough to have Lloyd D. Newell
of The Spoken Word speak to us on February 16, 1997. His life experiences and stories about the choir were great.The artist, Chad Hawkins, came to our stake on March 16, 1997, to speak about his talent and show us some of his beautiful temple pictures with the hidden images.
He began his series of temple artwork in 1989, at the age of seventeen, to support his eventual two-year mission in Frankfurt, Germany, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When he returned from his mission in 1993, he continued with his artwork. Since hearing him speak he has gone on to publish a book, The First 100 Temples. He has also done work for the governor, the legislature, and the University of Utah. I cherish the artwork in my home done by Chad Hawkins.The list of people I’ve met goes on and on, but I know I’ll leave many of them out. Here is a short list – John Bytheway, Roger Hoffman, Janice Kapp Perry, Steven Kapp Perry, Joyce Quinn (actress in Legacy), Barbara Smith (former R.S. pres), Michael Stewart, Brenton Yorgason, and Margaret Young.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Rachelle's Contest
The Bead Princess giveaway entry period is from December 10th until Tuesday December 15th at 11:59pm. You can enter it if you want, but I intend to win because the 15th is my birthday and I love these watchlets.
To be fair I guess I have to tell you where to go to enter this great giveaway.
For the Bead Princess giveaway go to my sidebar under blogging friends and click on Rachelle's Writing Spot.
To be fair I guess I have to tell you where to go to enter this great giveaway.For the Bead Princess giveaway go to my sidebar under blogging friends and click on Rachelle's Writing Spot.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Book Launch
Cindy and Nichole's book launch last night was fantastic. I have no idea how many books they sold, but it was lots. There were people there continually from 6 pm until almost 9 pm. It you didn't show up, you missed a good time.Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Family Record Keeper
My friend, Mary Greathouse, has released a new book called, The Family Record Keeper. This book is for organizing important information for everyone in the family. It's a personal record journal for parents, children and grandparents to keep all of your important personal family records from babyhood through senior citizen years, all in one place.
The part I like best is that you can add or remove pages to fit your own needs. Click here to order your copy.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Important People - Part I
On my blog, I’ve decided to write about some of the wonderful people that I’ve met throughout my lifetime. Of course, the best ones are my family, and close friends.
Meeting important people is a big deal to some, but to me, they are just like me – ordinary people who did something extraordinary. Some left a bigger impression on me than others, by showing that it’s what you do, not what your name is that matters the most.
The first groups of people I want to mention are the leaders of the church I belong too.
As a young girl of about 10 years of age, I remember seeing a prophet up close for the first time, President George Albert Smith, the 8th prophet of the church.
He attended the funeral for my great-grandfather. They held the funeral in the Spanish Fork high school gymnasium. All of a sudden, I noticed a tall slender man with a short beard making his way to a seat near the front. Everyone in the audience started to stand, and I tugged on my mom’s arm and asked, “Why are all the people standing up?” She bent down and whispered, “That man is our prophet.”
Many years later, I met the apostle Spencer W. Kimball when he ordained my father a seventy. Years later after he was the prophet I again met him on several occasions.
One year my husband and I attended a dinner/dance with my parents at Hotel Utah. We were sitting at a table in the ballroom when to our surprise and delight, President Kimball approached our table. He slapped my father on the back, and shook his hand. After my father made introductions, Present Kimball sat in an empty chair and quietly visited with my father for quite some time. If you are interested in reading a humorous version of this it can be found in the book Mormon Mishaps and Mischief, or you can go to http://www.mormonmishaps.com/
My mom and I were once in a pioneer choir that traveled each Sunday during the summer to sing in sacrament meetings in the Salt Lake valley. One of the wards we sang in was the home ward of Thomas S. Monson. He was a friendly apostle and towered over both of us as we shook his hand. That was many years ago and it’s hard to imagine that he’s now our prophet.
To me the most memorable prophet was President Howard W. Hunter.
I’ll always remember shaking his hand because as I looked into his eyes it seemed I was looking into the eyes of the Savior himself. President Hunter was so kind and a very soft-spoken man. Although he wasn’t a prophet for long, he was very dear to me.
On several occasions, I met President Hinckley and his dear wife,
as well as President Faust. 
President Gordon B. Hinckley is the prophet that most everyone remembers the best because he led our church from 1995 until 2008, and during that time, the temple program grew rapidly under his leadership.
All of these men mean a lot to me. They were beloved by many and it’s been an honor to be in their presence. They didn’t just preach about being a Christian they showed us by their every day actions. They were extraordinary men.
Meeting important people is a big deal to some, but to me, they are just like me – ordinary people who did something extraordinary. Some left a bigger impression on me than others, by showing that it’s what you do, not what your name is that matters the most.
The first groups of people I want to mention are the leaders of the church I belong too.
As a young girl of about 10 years of age, I remember seeing a prophet up close for the first time, President George Albert Smith, the 8th prophet of the church.
He attended the funeral for my great-grandfather. They held the funeral in the Spanish Fork high school gymnasium. All of a sudden, I noticed a tall slender man with a short beard making his way to a seat near the front. Everyone in the audience started to stand, and I tugged on my mom’s arm and asked, “Why are all the people standing up?” She bent down and whispered, “That man is our prophet.”Many years later, I met the apostle Spencer W. Kimball when he ordained my father a seventy. Years later after he was the prophet I again met him on several occasions.
One year my husband and I attended a dinner/dance with my parents at Hotel Utah. We were sitting at a table in the ballroom when to our surprise and delight, President Kimball approached our table. He slapped my father on the back, and shook his hand. After my father made introductions, Present Kimball sat in an empty chair and quietly visited with my father for quite some time. If you are interested in reading a humorous version of this it can be found in the book Mormon Mishaps and Mischief, or you can go to http://www.mormonmishaps.com/My mom and I were once in a pioneer choir that traveled each Sunday during the summer to sing in sacrament meetings in the Salt Lake valley. One of the wards we sang in was the home ward of Thomas S. Monson. He was a friendly apostle and towered over both of us as we shook his hand. That was many years ago and it’s hard to imagine that he’s now our prophet.
To me the most memorable prophet was President Howard W. Hunter.
I’ll always remember shaking his hand because as I looked into his eyes it seemed I was looking into the eyes of the Savior himself. President Hunter was so kind and a very soft-spoken man. Although he wasn’t a prophet for long, he was very dear to me.On several occasions, I met President Hinckley and his dear wife,
as well as President Faust. President Gordon B. Hinckley is the prophet that most everyone remembers the best because he led our church from 1995 until 2008, and during that time, the temple program grew rapidly under his leadership.All of these men mean a lot to me. They were beloved by many and it’s been an honor to be in their presence. They didn’t just preach about being a Christian they showed us by their every day actions. They were extraordinary men.
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Ball’s In Her Court by Heather Justesen
Heather did a great job writing this story. She captured my interest and held it throughout the entire book. There is plenty of romance and mystery.
Here's the blurb from the back of the book:
Here's the blurb from the back of the book:
She's got a great job, a loving group of family and friends and basketball skills like you wouldn't believe, but Denise DeWalt's life is far from perfect, and she's about to come face-to-face with a past she hoped to leave behind forever.Twenty-six-year-old Denise thinks she's come to terms with her childhood in the foster care system, but when her old nightmares return, Denise realizes that she must deal with her past once and for all if she ever wants to move on to a brighter future with Rich, the only man who can see past her former life. As Denise's search moves her closer and closer to the one person she hoped she'd never have to face again, she begins to realize that her future depends on just one person-- herself.This emotional and inspirational love story proves that life is full of unexpected twists and turns-- especially when it comes to facing your demons, fighting for love, and finding happiness for the future.
I never before realized what a difficult journey it is for adopted children when they have a desire to locate their birth parents.
You first meet Denise, a girl who on the outside seems to have everything. When old nightmares return she knows it is time to put her past behind her, so she searches for answers to her life before foster care and adoption. To do this she had to face those who hurt her. Like most of us, she doesn’t want to do that, but with the encouragement of a good man, Rich, she soon realized that her future depends on herself, not anyone else.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the struggles and triumphs in Denise’s life. Heather made all the characters real. I cried with Denise and was upset because of the way she treated Rich, and her sister Paige. It gave me a good feeling to see Denise take charge of her own life and confront the emotional heartache from her troubled childhood. I was excited as she met new family members, but felt relief to see that she still stayed close to the parents who had raised her.
I recommend this book to all of you because I know you won’t be disappointed. You can purchase this book at Deseret Book, Seagull Book, or Barnes & Noble. It would make a great book for those in your life who love romance.
I never before realized what a difficult journey it is for adopted children when they have a desire to locate their birth parents.
You first meet Denise, a girl who on the outside seems to have everything. When old nightmares return she knows it is time to put her past behind her, so she searches for answers to her life before foster care and adoption. To do this she had to face those who hurt her. Like most of us, she doesn’t want to do that, but with the encouragement of a good man, Rich, she soon realized that her future depends on herself, not anyone else.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the struggles and triumphs in Denise’s life. Heather made all the characters real. I cried with Denise and was upset because of the way she treated Rich, and her sister Paige. It gave me a good feeling to see Denise take charge of her own life and confront the emotional heartache from her troubled childhood. I was excited as she met new family members, but felt relief to see that she still stayed close to the parents who had raised her.
I recommend this book to all of you because I know you won’t be disappointed. You can purchase this book at Deseret Book, Seagull Book, or Barnes & Noble. It would make a great book for those in your life who love romance.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Another Contest
Karlene is giving away three copies of Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season to three very lucky winners!
To enter to win you need to leave a comment any time before midnight on Saturday, December 5, 2009, telling her some of the best books you've read THIS YEAR.For extra chances to win, help spread the word. . .
Go to http://www.inksplasher.blogspot.com/ to enter the contest.
To enter to win you need to leave a comment any time before midnight on Saturday, December 5, 2009, telling her some of the best books you've read THIS YEAR.For extra chances to win, help spread the word. . .
Go to http://www.inksplasher.blogspot.com/ to enter the contest.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
I'm A Winner Again
Wow - what a great way to start out the month of December. I already won a book from Heather Justesen, in the contest that I mentioned yesterday. It's really not to late for you to enter to win. I almost forgot to mention what I won - it is the book by Tristi Pinkston, Nothing to Regret.
Usually I don't like this month much because it's full of so many things to do. Besides my birthday, my son's birthday, my sister's birthday, my brother-in-law's birthday, there is Christmas (that's a good thing). With Christmas comes decorating, cooking, and lots of parties.
It's the one month that I don't really plan on getting much written. Instead I just plan on enjoying the festivities. Sad part is that several things come on the same day, and then I have to pick and choose where to spend my time. I already have to spread my self thin this coming Saturday.
Be sure to get your entries in for that contest.
Usually I don't like this month much because it's full of so many things to do. Besides my birthday, my son's birthday, my sister's birthday, my brother-in-law's birthday, there is Christmas (that's a good thing). With Christmas comes decorating, cooking, and lots of parties.
It's the one month that I don't really plan on getting much written. Instead I just plan on enjoying the festivities. Sad part is that several things come on the same day, and then I have to pick and choose where to spend my time. I already have to spread my self thin this coming Saturday.
Be sure to get your entries in for that contest.
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