A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKEND

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.
~Thornton Wilder
American Playwright
1897-1975

The NaNoWriMo Experience

We're almost at the halfway mark for National Novel Writing Month.  I've been reading a healthy amount of criticism for the project, but as a writer I'm finding it not only challenging, but quite the learning experience. 

The thing is, it's not supposed to be this wonderful, complete, ready to publish novel when you get done.  Instead I believe the point of it all is to just get people writing, being creative and seeing what the possibilities are if you put your shoulder to the wheel.

My grandfather Neal Jacobsen, came to America from Denmark when he was 11.  His mother, who was very poor, had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the city of Aalborg in the early 1900s.  The church offered a program where they would take children and send them to America where they would live with families from the church.  It offered the children an opportunity for a better life, and Neal's mother chose to send Neal, along with his sisters Mary and Ove to America.

My grandpa was given to a family named Hillyard who lived halfway between Smithfield and Richmond in Cache Valley, Utah.

It is from his personal history that I am basing my novel.  It is not about him, but I have taken some of his experiences and given them to my main character.  It's a wonderful, and fun, experience for me to write this book.  I am looking forward to November 30th!

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKEND

Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble.
Frank Tyger, 1929-
Editorial Cartoonist

50,000 Words in Thirty Days!

Today is the start of National Novel Writing Month!  NaNoWriMo, as it is called, was set up to promote the written word.  It is not supposed to be a competition but to be a situation wherein you can challenge yourself to write.  In this case, a novel in 30 days!

Sounds exciting,doesn't it?  I've started, have a little over 800 words into my first attempt at NaNoWriMo.  I have about a dozen writing buddies over there.  We encourage, nag and support each other so that we can finish. 

Everyone who actually finishes their novel is considered a winner of NaNoWriMo.  I am confident and hopeful, and when I do finish at the end of the month I'll receive a logo that I can display on my blog.

I'll be posting here everyone once in awhile how it's going, and when it's completed, I will edit it and publish it on Smashwords.com where it'll be available to read if you're interested.

So, back to the WIP.  I'll probably be low profile during November.  See you around!

Halloween 2010

Jack O'Lanterns!



Some Thoughts for the HALLOWEEN Weekend!

Just for fun, and since Halloween is this weekend, here are some famous and funny tombstone quotes for you to enjoy!



Here lies Clyde

Whose life was full

Until he tried

To milk a bull

EZEKIEL PEASE

Pease is not here,

Only his pod

He shelled out his Peas

And went to his God

Here lies cold and hard

The last cat that pooped in my yard.

Here lies the body of

MARGARET BENT

She kicked up her heels

And away she went

In memory of

ANNA HOPEWELL

Here lies the body of our Anna

Done to death

by a banana

It wasn't the fruit

that laid her low

But the skin of the thing

that made her go

HERE LIES

a man named Zeke

Second fastest draw

in Cripple Creek

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKEND

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Winston Churchill
1874-1965

My BFF

For some reason I've been missing my friend Beth lately.  We've been friends since-gulp!-1968 when we were seated next to each other in 8th grade English class.  The teacher wanted to keep an eye on us both so he decided if he put us together right in front of his desk we would be quiet and behave.

Hah!  Here we are, all these years later, and we're still not behaving.  Whenever we do get together we still find ways to get in trouble, even at the ripe ol' age of 55.  Can't tell you how many shops we've been in and gotten reprimanded by management.

Beth is a grief counselor (her specialty) but also works in disaster relief situations like the recent PG&E explosion near San Francisco where she worked with the victims helping them cope with the situation, then went to a memorial service for a co-worker and her daughter who were killed in the same explosion.  She's a remarkable woman.

Many years ago I was asked to give a talk at a Relief Society birthday dinner.  They asked me to talk about the woman who had most influenced my life.  Two other women were asked to speak as well.  One spoke about Eleanor Roosevelt, the other about Ruth from the Bible.  I told them about Beth.  How she's never judged, always been there for me.  And, like a true friend, we've had some doozy fights.  Our love for each other has withstood it all.

Being far away from her is hard.  I have made some remarkable friendships here in Colorado, but there is something to be said for a friend who is your heart's twin.  We know, we feel each other always.  We don't have to explain because we've liveed  each other's histories.  Having such a friend is a gift from God.  Not everyone is so blessed, but if you have been, treasure your friend.

I miss Beth.

Twenty-One

 AJ at about 2

Today is AJ's Twenty-First Birthday!

This day has gotten here so fast.  The years, the days, the moments having him for my son, the blessing of being his mother .... so much fun!  So much joy!  He has brought so much, given so much to our family.  Having Arland was one of the best decisions we ever made.

He was born two months premature.  He was immediately taken from me and given to a neonatologist who worked hard to save his life.  The next morning Dr. Heller told me that they were only giving AJ 48 hours to live. 

I couldn't wrap my mind or my heart around that. 

I called my home teacher, Nathan Baker, who came to administer to my baby.  Of course, because AJ was so very sick he had a nurse assigned to care solely for him on their shift.  That's all they did, the only baby they cared for was him.

With AJ's nurses permission my home teachers came. They had to scrub up and put on those gowns to protect him.  They gave him a blessing, and the change was immediate.

Dr. Heller had told us that if AJ lived, he would be in the neonatal intensive care unit for two months at least.

He went home in ten days.

My gratitude to my Father in Heaven knows no bounds.

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy.  And many many more to come!

Celebrating!

 AJ's birthday is next week, but Stan took today off so we could celebrate together.  First we went to a movie that AJ picked out, and afterwards we went up to the Smokehouse in Woodland Park for their "all you can eat" beef ribs, one of AJ's favorite things!

 After dinner we came home to cake and presents.  Yummo!  Can't believe my sweet little guy is now over six feet tall and about to turn 21.  How did the time fly by so doggone fast anyway??

 AJ did a good job blowing out the candles!

 The sister missionaries, Sister Chan and Sister Carter, stopped by and enjoyed the celebration with us.  As Kevin said, they helped turn it into a party!

 First the cards, telling him how much we love and appreciate him, and one included a poem written for him by his father.

AJ's favorite color is green.  We gave him a green 4GB flash drive to use for school, and this great green shirt.  Kevin gave him some new earphones for his MP3 player.  I think he was happy with his gifts and the day in general.  Funtastic!