Monday, December 29, 2008

Barbie and the Diamond Castle (2008)

Having a preteen daughter in our house, we’ve seen all of the Barbie movies. While “Barbie and the Diamond Castle” may be my least favorite of the series, it was still enjoyable, in a hyper-girly sort of way.

Barbie plays Liana and Teresa is Alexa in this story of two girls, best friends, who live together in a cottage in the woods. They raise and sell flowers for their living, but when a huge storm comes up and destroys their garden, they worry that they won’t have enough to live on. With only bread and jam left in their cupboard, Liana determines to be grateful for what they have, while Alexa wishes for more—more food, more clothes, and more house than they’ll ever need.

While walking down the path, they encounter an elderly beggar woman. Liana feels urged to give the woman her lunch, and in return, the woman gives Liana a gift from her scrap metal bag—a mirror that is tarnished with age. When the girls return home, Liana cleans the mirror to discover it’s made from solid gold, with jewels encrusting the edges. What’s more, someone lives inside it.

Her name is Melody, and she is an apprentice to the muses of music who live in the Diamond Castle. When Lydia, the most selfish of the three muses, decides to take over control of the Castle, the other two muses hide the castle and give the key to Melody, who then has to run and hide. She uses her magic to hide in the mirror, and now Alexa and Liana vow to help her defeat Lydia.

Alexa and Liana are both singers, and with their talents, they help Melody restore the Diamond Castle to its rightful place.

All I can say is, Mattel is brilliant. Not only do these movies hit the little girl demographic through storyline and adventure, but the stores are flooded with Barbie movie merchandise. You can buy the Barbie (this doll sells for $37.00), the hero, the carriage, whatever silly animal Barbie has adopted this time, and changes of clothing for all of them. They must be raking in the bucks.

If you have a young daughter, this film will be a must for your list. I do suggest you keep a book nearby for your own entertainment—I doubt you’ll be as enraptured as your daughter.

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Teaching Children to Work

As I talk with other moms, I hear a wide variety of opinions about giving children chores. Some feel that children should be allowed to enjoy their childhood and shouldn’t have “undue” stress placed upon them. One friend grew up in a home where her only chore was picking up her bedroom, and before she got married, her mother put her through a course in how to keep a house. Others were raised doing chores from the time they were old enough to reach a sink, and so they knew how to run a home when it was time for them to marry. As I look at the differences in situation and rearing, I have to say, children who are taught early how to work are children who are prepared for their futures.

Shortly after I was married, I spent some time managing a fast food restaurant. It was easy for me to determine which of the employees had been taught to work, and which hadn’t. Some of the teens were at a loss to know how to mop a floor or wipe a counter, and they needed instruction on the most simple things, let alone counting out the cash drawer or doing more complicated tasks. Other employees jumped right in, handling the dishes with the ease of having done it many times at home. I’m sure you can guess which workers I preferred to have on my crew each night.

This doesn’t just happen in a fast food setting. Companies on every economic level are looking for employees who are willing to get in there and get the job done, who are self-starters and only need an assignment before heading off to see to its completion. Children who are taught at home to work will grow up to be these employees who can motivate themselves and see to it that their department succeeds.

I realize I can’t make a broad generalization, but I will say that from what I’ve personally observed, children who aren’t taught to work don’t feel as confident. They take things for granted. They assume things will be handed to them, rather than earned. They tend to be disrespectful to their parents. They don’t understand the value of money. When they are asked to do something, it’s so contrary to what they’re used to, they become sullen and resentful.

I agree that our children should have happy childhoods. But I’d like to know where it’s written that chores make for unhappy childhoods. I’ve had many pleasant moments washing dishes with my daughter or folding laundry with my son. It’s a time to connect and to bond. Chore time doesn’t have to be miserable. It can be fun. And when your children grow up and see what you’ve taught them through those chores, they will thank you for building them a foundation for their futures.

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Friday, December 26, 2008

Horton Hears a Who (2008)

We’ve all seen the classic movie of this story, made for television in 1970. And of course, we’re all familiar with the book, “Horton Hears a Who” by the immortal Dr. Seuss. But now Jim Carrey and Steve Carell bring us the tale in a whole new way.

Horton the elephant has remarkable ears. When a speck goes drifting by and he hears a tiny voice calling out for help, he grabs a clover to catch the speck on. He learns that an entire city of tiny people exists on that speck, and he vows to do whatever he can to find a safe place to put it so it will no longer be at the whim of weather and wind.

But others in the jungle are not so understanding, especially one kangaroo (voiced by Carol Burnett). When she learns that Horton believes a tiny city is on the speck, she takes it upon herself to teach Horton a lesson. She claims her only concern is for the welfare of the children. After all, if they were to start using their imaginations, that would lead to anarchy!

True to the story, the Mayor of Whoville convinces everyone in the town to yell, allowing those in the jungle to hear them, and Horton is vindicated.

This movie has many entertaining moments, as you would expect from a Jim Carrey film. I did find a few of the scenes to be a little scary, as Horton is chased by the vulture hired by the kangaroo. But there were some valuable lessons to be learned as well—not just that a person is a person, no matter how small, but also the importance of believing in something we can’t see and the value in standing up for what we know is right, regardless of the opposition we might face. In the end, Horton shows his true character as he extends his forgiveness to the kangaroo, the source of all his troubles.

I don’t think the classic film will ever be ousted from its place of honor, but this remake is a worthy addition to your DVD library or at the very least, to your Netflix queue.

This film is rated G.

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All Creatures Great and Small

We read in the scriptures that God is aware of everything, even the fall of a sparrow. We might think this is just an expression, but it can be taken literally as well. With everything we’ve gone through over the last few months with my daughter’s pets, we’ve become a little hyper-vigilant about her current pet, a little golden hamster named Honeysuckle, and this week I’ve had the chance to see firsthand just how much the Lord does watch over His creatures.

A couple of weeks ago, we discovered a sore on the bottom of Honeysuckle’s paw. I blogged about it at the time, and you can click here to read how it came to be and the resolution of that medical condition, as well as finding out just how awesome I am at putting hamsters to sleep. The sore was quite large and infected, and we’ve been concerned that she might develop another, as we didn’t know how she became injured in the first place.

Last week, my daughter brought the hamster to me and showed me a speck of dried blood on the bottom of her paw. We’ve had so many incidents with pets, and my daughter is rather a drama queen anyway, that I felt as though I had reached the end of my rope. I sent a little prayer heavenward, asking the Lord to please solve the problem of the hamster’s foot. I just couldn’t handle it. I received the impression to have my daughter remove the hamster’s wheel from her cage.

The next day, my daughter told me that the hamster had really been bored the night before, and had started gnawing on the bars of the cage, so she put the wheel back in. Sure enough, the foot was bleeding again. I asked my daughter to take the wheel out of the cage until further notice.

I was having company come into town and I had a list of a million things to do, so I told my daughter I would look at the wheel when I had a minute. Well, a few days went by, and I finally found the time to investigate. Sure enough, one place on the wheel was sharp and pointed, and I told my daughter to throw it in the trash. Two days after that, Honeysuckle’s paw was completely healed.

When you buy a piece of equipment from a pet store, you expect it to be in safe, usable condition, and I had not automatically thought to check the wheel for hazards. I had thought that the sores were caused by some kind of bacteria, and so we’d been washing the cage regularly with hot water and bleach, as instructed at the store. I do not believe I would have hit upon the answer of a defective wheel without asking the Lord for His advice.

He does care. He cares about the hamsters and the mice and the rats and the bugs and the fleas. I don’t know if He provided the answer for the hamster’s sake or for my daughter’s, and it really doesn’t matter. But her beloved hamster is healthy again because He took the time to answer a brief little prayer. And if He’ll do that for a scratch on a hamster’s paw, how much more will He do that when we truly need His help with the big stuff?

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Monday, December 22, 2008

Food Additives

Our ancestors didn’t have the luxury of refrigeration until the ice box (left) was invented, and they’d probably faint at the idea of taking food out of a box and eating it. Food preservation was limited to salting things down or drying them out. We are blessed to have ways to keep food on our shelves for months and years, and I don’t know a single person who doesn’t own at least one refrigerator, while there are many who own two.

But with this advance in food preservation comes a price to be paid, that in the cost of our health. Many of the preservatives added to our food are chemically-based and are not suited to our bodies.

Take, for instance, sodium nitrate, the most common preservative in lunch meats and hot dogs. Studies done by the American Dietetic Association have shown this substance to be carcinogenic, meaning it can cause cancer.

Also be on the lookout for MSG, which can cause headaches and nausea. (I’ve experienced this one myself.) While this additive is most commonly found in Chinese food, many Chinese restaurants are now going MSG free.

We’ve all heard about the dangers of trans fats, but did you know that they are actually a food preservative? I had no idea. I thought they just existed, not that they were added. Interesting. I quote a representative from the American Dietetic Association: "Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease, and make conditions perfect for stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and limb loss due to vascular disease. It would be wonderful if they could be banned."

Aspartame is especially dangerous. According to the FDA, it can cause headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain. You will especially want to avoid it if you have brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes, as it can make the effects of these conditions worse.

Our ancestors had to eat their foods fresh and quickly before they went bad. We may be considered more “advanced,” but we’d do well to take a page from the lives of our ancestors and eat the bulk of our foods as fresh as we can get them, as unprocessed as possible. Our bodies simply weren’t made to accommodate these high levels of chemical additives.

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The Many Faces of “A Christmas Carol”

“A Christmas Carol” is probably the most timeless of all Christmas stories. It’s been spoofed on sitcoms since the invention of the sitcom. It’s been quoted a kathousand times in talks and Christmas programs, and it’s been remade so many times, I’ve lost count. Believe it or not, it was first adapted to film in 1901.

I can’t really blame us for this Dickens obsession we have—it’s a wonderful story and brings home the importance of showing love to those around us and making ourselves fit to be the Lord’s servants in answering others’ prayers.

Here are just a few of my favorite versions of this perennial Christmas favorite, in no particular order.

The Muppet Christmas Carol
(1992): Trust the Muppets to come up with their own spin on a classic story. Michael Caine stars as Scrooge, with Kermit at Bob Cratchit and (you guessed it) Miss Piggy as Mrs. Cratchit. This movie is significant because it was the first movie the Muppets made after the death of Jim Henson.

Mickey’s Christmas Carol
(1983) is a short version of the story, with Scrooge McDuck starring in the lead with Mickey as Bob Cratchit. The best part of the film is when Scrooge’s doorknocker, in the shape of Pluto, comes alive to howl at him.

I enjoyed the 1999 television version that featured Patrick Stewart, and who can forget the Bugs Bunny version with Yosemite Sam as our famous miser?

In my opinion, the message of the story is priceless, but some adaptations are frightening. Many of the earlier versions show a frightening ghost of Christmas future, and I don’t think that portrayal is appropriate for children. That’s why I tend to lean toward the animated versions and those starring familiar characters. Whichever version I choose, I like to contemplate my own life and think of the ways in which I could do better at reaching out to those around me, a valuable assessment to take at this Christmas season.

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Christmas Story Contest, Winners Announced!

Hey All,

The winners of the Christmas story contest have been announced, here. Congratulations! There were some awesome stories submitted and it was a hard choice, what to vote for. Thanks to the contributors for helping me feel the Christmas spirit this season!

Now to conclude my own little contest ... no one correctly identified my story, so I'm sorry, there's no winner. I wrote "Empty Arms."

As my gift to you this year, I'm reposting it here for your (I hope) enjoyment. Merry Christmas!!


Empty Arms by Tristi Pinkston


“Come on, honey. We’re going to be late.”

I ignored my husband and continued shoving laundry into the washing machine. I knew Jason wanted to go to the ward Christmas party like we had every year since we’d been married. But I couldn’t take one more evening of Christmas carols and ho ho ho’s, or hearing one more story of a destitute family who got what they most wanted for Christmas. Those things were good and I didn’t begrudge them to others, but no amount of mistletoe and holiday cheer would solve my problems.

We’d been married only six months when we decided to start having children. Jason and I both came from large families and we couldn’t wait to fill our home with the pitter-patter of little feet, even though we knew those feet would need shoes and we were living on a tight budget. But time passed. We finished school, Jason got a good job, and in all that time, no baby.

At first I tried to be cheerful about it. After all, we were much better off financially now—maybe the forced wait had been a blessing. But eight years of hoping and fasting and praying had taken their toll on me. I felt angry and betrayed. God had told me to have a family. It had been confirmed to my mind over and over again. Why couldn’t I get pregnant?

Jason appeared in the laundry room doorway, holding my coat in one hand and our contribution to the feast in the other. He’d baked a cake. I thought if I didn’t scrounge something together, maybe he’d change his mind about going. But he’d hunted in the cupboard until he found a cake mix. I knew I should have hidden it better.

We drove to the church in silence. Jason tried once or twice to get me to talk, but I refused, and he gave up. My determined sullenness didn’t seem to put a damper on his holiday spirit, though—he waved and smiled at passing cars, even if we didn’t know the drivers. I wanted to strangle him with his own scarf.

“Can we leave right after dinner?” I begged.

“I’d like to stay until Santa comes. You know, see the kids’ faces?”

That was exactly why I wanted to leave early. Jason found comfort in surrounding himself with children, while I watched them from a distance and envied their parents. He couldn’t understand my standoffishness and I couldn’t explain how badly it hurt to let my guard down. I wanted to share the joy of the holiday with my own children, to see their eyes light up with excitement. I couldn’t live by proxy like he could.

I didn’t say anything. Jason took that as agreement and tucked into his dry turkey dinner with good appetite. I just pushed my food around until the meal was over.

The microphone squealed when our ward activities director flicked it on.

“Sorry,” he said, clearing his throat. “Um, brothers and sisters, we have a special treat for you tonight. I’d like to ask you to remain seated and be as reverent as possible during our presentation.”

He stepped aside and the stage curtains opened. I gasped as I saw the elaborate scenery that had been constructed to depict a stable in the dark of night. The bishop began to read a narrative of the Christmas story, and actors filed onto the stage, taking their places and then holding their poses. I didn’t recognize any of them. They must have been borrowed from another ward.

I sat and listened, somewhat dispassionately, until I saw a tiny fist pop out of the bundle in Mary’s arms. She wasn’t holding a doll, like I first thought—she held a real baby.

I watched that hand wave back and forth while tears streamed down my cheeks. Mary got what she wanted for Christmas. But I wouldn’t.

I slipped out of the gym and went outside, not bothering with my coat. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked up at the sky, seeing thousands upon thousands of snowflakes rushing toward my face. I closed my eyes and let the snow mingle with the tears on my cheeks.

“Why?” I whispered, the stone in my heart growing heavy and constricting my breathing. “Have I done something wrong? Am I being punished? Why can’t I have a baby?”

I don’t know how long I stood in the falling snow. My pain took away all sense of time. From inside the church, I heard the faint strains of music, first “Silent Night” and then “Away in a Manger.” I couldn’t help but picture that holy baby, welcomed to earth by concourses of angels at what had to be the most glorious baby shower the world has ever known. I imagined that baby and my empty arms ached to hold him.

I glanced up and noticed a break in the clouds just large enough to let me see a patch of stars on the other side. At that moment, I felt a warmth seep into my soul, and my shivering stopped. The thought that struck my mind was so powerful, my knees nearly buckled.

Jesus was not just God’s baby or Mary’s baby or Joseph’s baby. He was sent into the world for all of us—He was my baby, too. And then He grew and fulfilled His mission on the earth, suffering to take away my suffering. He was my baby and He was my Savior and He was my brother and He was my friend.

I started to cry again, this time with relief at being understood and loved so completely. I felt as though a prison had been thrown open and I was allowed to walk free.

My coat came down over my shoulders as Jason stepped up behind me. “It’s freezing,” he said, wrapping the coat snugly around me. “What are you doing out here?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Instead, I turned to face him. He wiped my tears away with his thumbs, then just held me.

“You see that patch of sky?” he said after a moment. “The stars aren’t any less bright—they’re just hidden away for a little while. We’re going to make it through this, and there will be stars on the other side.”

I let him lead me to the car and we drove home, again in silence, only this time, my head was on his shoulder and my heart was full of gratitude. I didn’t know if I would ever be a mother, but I was a daughter, and that knowledge was priceless to me.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

An Observation

It would appear that if you're in the grocery store, and there are tons of people all around and you're frustrated because you've already had to backtrack a thousand times, and you realize you've forgotten oven bags, and you grab your ten-year-old son by the shoulders and wail, "Save me! Save me from my insanity!" people will stop and stare at you.

And yes, that was me ....

Friday, December 19, 2008

Keeping the Stress Out of the Season

I’m sure I’m not the only one expecting large quantities of guests over the holidays. This Sunday, my two sisters, their husbands, and their children are coming over for a Christmas meal, and my dad is expected to make an appearance as well. My house is far from ready, and I’m running short on time. However, my ultimate goal is not to have a sparkling clean house and perfumed finger towels in each bathroom—my goal is to create an atmosphere where everyone can have a good time, and that is most easily accomplished by keeping the stress out of the situation. A relaxed hostess creates relaxed guests.

Here are some things I’ve learned over the years as I’ve tried to transform from an uptight control freak to a gracious hostess:

1. Yes, a clean house is nice. You want your guests to feel comfortable. But you don’t need to agonize about the basket of ironing that is still sitting on your bed. The most important areas to clean are the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the room where your guests will be gathering. If you don’t have time to clean out from beneath little Bobby’s bed, no one really cares.

2. Do as much as you can ahead of time. As you look at your menu, I’m sure you’ll find items that can be prepared the day before and then placed in the fridge. Only prepare your most time-sensitive foods at the last minute (for instance, boxed stuffing is terrible reheated and you should make it right before serving). But many other items can be prepared in advance. If you’re making a fruit salad and worry about browning, slice the fruit directly into a bowl of water with a little Fruit Fresh sprinkled into it. This keeps the natural color in the fruit and retards browning. Drain off the water, mix the salad, and place in the fridge.

3. Keep things simple. I know your guests love your homemade pies, your homemade custard, your homemade cider, your homemade rolls, your homemade … you get the drift. But if you try to create an entire meal from scratch, for forty people, you might end up with a homemade nervous breakdown. Consider purchasing some of the items from a bakery or grocery store. There’s no shame in asking your guests to bring something, either. If Mary Beth makes good rolls, ask Mary Beth to bring some.

Remember, the holidays are a time to come together, enjoy each other’s company, and feel the joy of the season. If you’re so worked up over the spot on the tablecloth that you can’t enjoy your guests, you need to pull back and reprioritize. Chances are, no one is going to notice the spot, and if they do, they won’t even care. Well, Aunt Eunice will, but she’s just that way and you need to accept it and ignore her. She’s been ruining your get-togethers with her rotten attitude long enough.

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The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

Sometimes we get so caught up in the pursuit of doing something good, we forget to do those things that are great. Such is the case in “The Bishop’s Wife,” a classic Christmas movie starring David Niven, Loretta Young, and Cary Grant.

Niven is Bishop Brougham, an earnest man who is deeply concerned about the fate of his church and congregation. He needs a large sum of money to complete his church, and the strain is eating away at him. By his side is his lovely wife, Julia (played by Young) who understands what he’s trying to do but also wishes he could pull himself away from his worries long enough to enjoy the Christmas season and perhaps even spend some time with her.

Angels can be wily sometimes, if need be. Grant stars as Dudley, a messenger sent from on high to remind the good bishop of his priorities. Dudley arrives under the guise of being sent to help the bishop with his office duties, but he really was sent by a Higher Power. As Dudley grows closer to the family, he especially grows close to Julia, causing some jealousy on the part of the bishop. Well, it was good for him! Sometimes men need to be reminded of what they’ve got. Okay, women too, but we’re not talking about women right now.

Dudley creates a few more Christmas miracles before he leaves, and everyone is benefited by his visit. The people get their church, the bishop and his wife fall even more in love, and we are reminded that people are always more important than things, even if those things seem to be very needful.

This is an unusual film in that Cary Grant doesn’t get the girl. I don’t know if I can think of another movie where this is the case—he’s usually the successful suitor. But he serves his purpose well; he never was there to steal the woman, just to create a little moment of realization.

This is a fun Christmas movie I’ve enjoyed time and again. The remake, “The Preacher’s Wife,” is also good, but you just can’t beat Cary Grant. Many have tried, many have failed …

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Random Thoughts, Late at Night

1. I was in Walmart the other day and passed a display of scarf and glove sets. The packaging read, "Set of two, gloves and scarf." Um, shouldn't that be a set of three? Or do you only get one glove?

2. I've decided that if we have any more sons, we're going to forget the whole "teaching the proper anatomical term" nonsense and just refer to it as Body Part #37. This way, when he decides to shriek about it in public, oh, say, in the grocery store, what he'll say will be, "Mom! (My brother) just bonked me on my Body Part #37!" instead of the other, more embarrassing alternative.

3. We were in a parking lot tonight and saw a darling little Japanese toddler bend down and touch the snow with one finger, obviously entranced by it. He was so entranced, he had to commit the moment to memory by using the taste method, the time-honored method used by all toddlers everywhere. Before his horrified mother could stop him, he'd popped a whole chunk of dirty, muddy, tire-marked snow in his mouth. Turns out that "What do you think you're doing? Spit that out!" sounds the same in any language.

4. I've lost four pounds doing the Body-for-Life program this week (yes!) but I'm sorry to say, I got sidetracked tonight. I came down with a killer headache and nausea thing (no, I didn't eat the muddy snow too) and had to resort to Ibuprofen and Coke. That will probably set me back a bit, but I have to say, getting off this first four pounds has felt so good. I can do it! It is possible!

And now I'm going to bed. Good night.

Anybody wanna come help me clean my house tomorrow? I'm having company on Sunday and I'm nowhere near ready ...

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Breaking News: Conference Registration is Now Open!

Those of you who read my blog regularly should know how very excited I feel right now - registration is now open for the LDStorymakers Writers Conference. From the Storymakers site:


LDStorymakers
is excited to announce

the Sixth Annual
LDStorymakers Writers Conference

Friday & Saturday April 24-25, 2009

Provo Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
101 West 100 North
Provo, Utah 84601
Phone: 801-377-4700
Fax: 801-377-4708
Toll-free: 800-777-7144


PRESENTERS INCLUDE:

Keynote Speaker Dean Lorey
who has written extensively for film, television,
and recently, a middle grade fantasy series

National Agent Amy Jameson
of A + B Works Literary Agency

Editor Stacy Whitman
previously with Mirrorstone, the children's and young adult imprint
of Wizards of the Coast, and now a consulting editor for Tor's children's and YA lines

Representatives from LDS publishers
including Deseret Book and Covenant

Plus many, many national and LDS authors

As always, the conference begins at 11:00 a.m. Friday, with a full day Saturday, followed by the Whitney Awards dinner on Saturday night. Boot camp, agent and editor one-on-ones, and many workshops will be offered. The conference will be divided into three tracks: fiction, non-fiction, and the business of writing. We will cover topics on everything from picture books to ghost writing (and writing ghosts.)

Admission may be purchased for one or both days. Early-bird discounts will be available through January 31st. This year we have much more space, so we will not be limiting the number of attendees. But boot camp and agent and editor meetings will still be limited, and typically fill quickly. In addition, this year's conference coincides with BYU's graduation, and as a result, rooms for out of state attendees will be gone well before the conference. If you plan on attending, we highly recommend that you reserve your room early.

The price for this year’s conference is $150 for the full two days, or $75 for one day, with Early Bird discounts for those who register by the end of January. This is a slight increase over last year, but the accommodations are much roomier, and the food will all be handled by the hotel, including lunches Friday and Saturday, and a plated dinner Friday night. You can also register for the second annual Whitney Awards banquet at the same time. That ticket, plus boot camp, editor pitch sessions, and agent manuscript critiques, are priced separately.

We have a group discount of $99/night for accommodations at the Provo Marriott Hotel. To book by phone, please call 888-825-3162 and reference LDS Storymakers, or book online by visiting www.provomarriott.com. Enter in the dates of your stay during the conference, then below that, enter Group Code STOSTOA to confirm the group rate.

We will also be holding the 2009 LDStorymakers "First Chapters" Writers Contest in conjunction with the conference. Submission deadline is MIDNIGHT (MST) March 15, 2009 (all entries must be received by midnight).

As always, we expect this to be another great conference with lots of chances to mingle and learn from some of the best—and nicest—authors around. We hope you'll join us.


I look forward to this conference like nothing else. Not even Christmas or birthdays make me this happy. (But then, I'm Santa and I know what all the presents are, so there's no surprise.) What do you get when you bring together over a hundred participants at all skill levels, classes designed just for them, taught by people who really know what they're talking about, in an atmosphere of support and edification? You get magic, and that's what this conference is. We're seeing our participants get published. We're making friends. We're having the time of our lives.

If you would like to come hang out with us for the weekend (and you do, you know you do) click here.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Basic Kitchen Hygiene

We all know what hygiene is, and I’m sure we all use it when we cook. But there are some things I didn’t know until I took a food handler’s class about twelve years ago. With the holidays upon us and the high likelihood that we’ll be cooking for company, I figure a quick refresher is in order.

1. Of course, remember to wash your hands frequently while cooking. That one almost goes without saying.

2. When handling raw meat, be sure not to touch vegetables, breads, or anything that could become contaminated by the bacteria on the meat. Especially be careful not to grasp cupboard or drawer handles, or the fridge handle. When you’re done handling the meat, wash your hands extra long with hot water and antibacterial soap.

3. We all know that licking our fingers is taboo, but you’d be amazed how many people do it anyway. When cooking for company, it’s especially important to avoid this almost subconscious habit. With our own families, we get away with it because in a family, we’re more accustomed to each other’s germs. As my sister says, “We all have the same germs. They’re just different flavors.” But when you’re cooking for company, and they’re not used to your germs, you run a higher risk of making them sick. Plus, it’s just yucky. So knock it off!

4. If you’re putting something hot in the fridge, don’t seal it with a lid or a tight wrapping of tin foil or plastic wrap. The steam has to escape. If the steam can’t escape, the food doesn’t come down in temperature quickly enough, and you’re running the risk of growing your own botulism or other food bacteria in your own fridge. If you can, allow the item to cool somewhat on the counter before placing it in the fridge, but not too long, or it can go bad on your counter.

5. Eggs are sensitive. If your eggs are getting near their expiration date, it’s best to throw them out than to trust the date implicitly. I’ve gotten very sick on eggs the day before they were set to expire, so I always throw mine out a few days ahead of time. The fresher the egg, the better!

6. Wipe your counters and other work surfaces carefully with an antibacterial cleaner between each use. If you’re making a salad, and then rolls, and then a dessert, wipe that counter between each dish. But also make sure that you’re not getting cleaner into the food.

7. If you need to sneeze or cough, bury your face in your sleeve. The germs become trapped in the fabric and don’t spread to the food. If you do use your hand, wash that hand immediately before doing anything else. There’s a great video about this here.

All of this is common sense, and I doubt I surprised you with new information. But it never hurts to be reminded, especially at this time of year when germs are having the time of their lives! Let’s put an end to their party so we can continue with ours.

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Holiday Inn (1942)

I’ve heard many movie reviewers refer to “White Christmas” as being a remake of “Holiday Inn.” Well, I consider myself to be a “White Christmas” aficionado and I watched “Holiday Inn” for the second time last night. I don't know if it was the movie makers' intention to create a remake, but I must say, they really aren’t that similar. Bing Crosby is in both, he sings “White Christmas” in both, and there’s an inn in both. That’s about as far as it goes.

So, let’s take a closer look at “Holiday Inn.” Bing plays Jim, a crooner who’s tired of the stage. He wants his holidays off, rather than doing two shows on those special occasions. He’s planning to marry Lila, the girl in the act, and live on a farm he recently purchased in Connecticut. What he doesn’t know is that his partner, Ted (played by Fred Astaire) has also fallen for Lila and plans to marry her himself. When he finds out, he goes off to his farm and sulks—he and Ted have fought over women for years, but it’s never come down to marriage before.

A year passes—a hard year of chopping wood, pitching hay, and caring for the animals. Jim decides that life on a farm just isn’t as relaxing as he thought it would be, so he comes up with another idea, to turn the farm into an inn that’s only open on holidays. He’ll put on a show themed around each holiday and people will have a place to come to celebrate. He thinks it’s a wonderful idea, and he goes to New York to round up some entertainers to join him.

Linda Mason is looking for a job in the entertainment business, and she applies to work at the inn. Soon she and Jim are an item, but when Lila dumps Ted and he comes to the inn looking for solace, the rivalry starts up again as Ted sets his sights on Linda, not only as a dance partner but as a wife. This throws the friends at odds, and Jim resorts to sabotage to keep Linda from achieving success with Ted, which of course only drives her further into Ted’s arms when she finds out what Jim has done.

The movie is full of songs for each holiday, and some pretty snazzy dance routines, too. But the biggest emphasis is on Christmas, which makes this a good film to enjoy at this time of year. Knowing what we know now about political correctness, and, oh, basic respect for human beings on this planet, I was a little put off by the black face routine presented on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, but I’m willing to let bygones be bygones and recommend this film as a fun addition to your holiday lineup and possibly a good jumping-off place to discuss human rights with your children.

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I Do Love a Good Challenge

Those of you who join me for my writing challenges over on my other blog know that I do enjoy a good challenge. I'm rather competitive by nature and I like to feel I'm doing well. But sometimes rather than challenging ourselves, life gives challenges to us and we have a decision to make - crumple or buck up?

You'll recall that last June, I was put on a low sodium diet by my doctor. The recommendation didn't fix the problem I was having with my ears, but I enjoyed the other benefits, so I've stuck with it, mostly consistently. I do swerve from time to time. I've had fun trying out new recipes, and in the spirit of turning a weakness into a strength, I'm writing a cookbook of low sodium recipes. It's been pretty fun.

This last week, though, a wrench was thrown into my works.

I had an appointment with an endrocrinologist. I've had Hashimoto's thyroiditis most of my life. Here are some of the symptoms: "Symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis might include symptoms of hyperthyroidism in the early phase of the disease, and then hypothyroidism. Weight gain, depression, mania, fatigue, panic attacks, bradycardia, tachycardia, high cholesterol, reactive hypoglycemia, constipation, migraines, memory loss, infertility and hair loss are a few possible symptoms." I've had or do have a goodly number of these symptoms, so of course, getting proper treatment seems like a great idea. However, my body is just quirky enough, we had to call in the specialists.

The upshot of all this is - I've been put on a low carb, high protein, low cholesterol diet, in addition to the low sodium diet I was already on. How completely overwhelming. This leaves me with, what - beans and pineapple? Well, apparently not the pineapple. Too many carbs.

A good friend of mine got me pointed in the right direction, after I wandered around for two days trying to figure out what to eat. I'm now giving the Body-for-Life diet a try, tweaking it to adjust for my sodium needs. (Those people eat scads of cottage cheese, and I can't.) My goal is to lose 23 pounds by the time I see my doctor again in a couple of months, and to get my cholesterol down a couple of points. I don't know how to set a cholesterol goal, as I'm not sure how fast one can reasonably lower it, or if lowering it will work for me - I've got the thyroid making it high, plus it's hereditary, so I'm not sure if my dietary changes will be enough. I guess we'll see.

I realize I'm rambling, but this whole thing has been a little confusing for me. Once I get fully educated on just what carbs are and how to manage them for proper health, I think I'll be less rambly.

So, to make a long story short, you all get to come along with me on my journey. I'm starting the twelve-week program tomorrow. I've been following the eating plan for three days now, but until you add in the exercise, it's really not a complete effort. Wish me luck, and keep an eye on the sidebar for my progress!

In the meantime, it seems that the cosmos has been smiling kindly upon me and I finally figured out why I'm so emotionally attached to food. It's a little too personal to share online, but I'm so glad to make this discovery because now I can nurture myself through it instead of feeding myself through it, and that's a crucial key for me.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Friday, December 12, 2008

I Liked It, But …

Into every movie reviewer’s life, a few questionable scenes must fall. What really bugs me is when I’m going along, enjoying the movie, “getting” the characters, and then something happens in the plot, with language or content, that interrupts my enjoyment of the film. Hence I offer the following reviews so you can decide for yourself if these films sound like something you’d like … or not.

Made of Honor” is a fairly recent release. I thought the premise sounded fun – a guy and a girl have been best friends for years, and it’s only when she becomes engaged that he realizes he’s in love with her. When she asks him to be her maid of honor, he agrees in the hopes that he’ll have the chance to break up her engagement and swipe her for himself. Along the way, he learns a lot of lessons about himself, and becomes a better man for the hard knocks he takes. All that, I liked. However, the movie did have a lot of sexual innuendo and language. Drat.

Get Smart” was hysterical. I laughed so hard, I got a stomach ache. Maxwell Smart is a wanna-be secret agent who has been doing desk work for ages because he can’t pass the agent exam. When he finally does achieve that lofty status, he’s told he should keep his desk job, as they need him too much. But when the agency is compromised and the identities of all the agents are revealed to their enemies, Max is the perfect choice to get out there and do what needs to be done … in his own inimitable way. Unfortunately, this movie also contained a lot of innuendo, and the biggest shame is, it wasn’t needed. This film was great on its own merit and didn’t need anything to pull in an audience.

Frequency” is a little bit older than the other two films I’ve mentioned. It has an awesome plot – a young family man who works as a firefighter enjoys using his ham radio late at night. He is killed in a fire, and his son and wife carry on without him. But the son finds his old ham radio one day, and begins using it. The film turns into a cool time-warp thing as the son flips on the radio to find himself talking to his father, thirty years earlier. It’s a little confusing, but the plot is absolutely awesome as the son tells the father to be careful in the fire, and saves his father’s life. But that sets off a whole chain of other events, and they work together to make everything right. I really liked this movie, and the ending gave me chills. My concern with it is the level of violence toward the end that might make some viewers uncomfortable. It’s not as bad as others, but may push the limits for some.

As always, it's your call. My opinions might not jive with yours at all, but I offer them so you can better choose what works for you.

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The Holiday Spirit

I think it’s safe to say we’re all pretty stressed by the current economy. While it hasn’t affected everyone on a financial level, the ripples are far outreaching and sometimes feel like whirlpools rather than just ripples.

I’ve been having a hard time getting into the holiday groove. As our finances have bobbed along in those ripples and I’ve had to cut back, it’s been difficult for me to be excited about shopping for stocking stuffers and holiday meals.

What’s been making it worse is the fact that we’re having unseasonably warm weather. You know how Utah’s known for having “the greatest snow on earth?” Yeah, that slogan is even written on our license plates. But this year, it’s been as dry as a bone.

Last Monday, I was out at the dollar store, picking up some stocking stuffers and little gifts, and feeling picked on. The dollar store hardly inspires feelings of prosperity. But I was able to find things for each of my children, and even some gifts for home teaching and visiting teaching families.

As I walked out of the store, I looked up and saw something incredible. Actual snowflakes, actually falling from the sky. I stopped for a minute and just took it in. A man approached me on his way into the store, and I said to him, “It’s snowing!” He responded, “Um-hmm. Excuse me,” and continued into the store. I wanted to grab him and shake him. Where was his holiday spirit? How could he not appreciate what was happening, this little Christmas miracle? Right when I needed some reassurance that everything would be okay, right when I was down and depressed about finances and the utter, total lack of snow, snow was sent. Maybe I’m the only one who saw it, because it certainly didn’t last more than a few minutes. Maybe the Grinch-y man couldn’t see it at all. But I did. For five minutes, I watched it fall as I drove home and I listened to Christmas music on the radio.

We haven’t seen any snow since. The weather reports say we’re in for three storms in a row this weekend and through next week, but here it is, Friday, and I haven’t seen the start of it yet. But that snow came, right when I needed it, to remind me that the season really has begun.

Bring it on.

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Christmas Shopping All Year Long

Would you hate me forever if I told you my Christmas shopping has been done for several months now? I bet you’d forgive me if I explained that statement.

I don’t just limit my Christmas shopping to those crazy weeks right before the holiday. I keep my eyes open for deals all through the year, and when I find something I know someone will love, and it’s on sale, I pick it up right then, not relying on it to be on sale later. I pay for it with cash, not my credit card—a sale price is not really a sale price if you’re paying interest on it!

I also love going to the store the day after Christmas. Now, I know it's crazy out there and there are horror stories by the kazillions of shoppers pulling out Uzis to fight over the last half-price microwave. But I've never had an experience like that.

For the most part, Walmart is a pretty considerate place at 7:00 am on December 26th. It's crowded, but people maneuver their carts and let you through. Everything Christmas-related is 50% off, and if you wait about three days, the discount goes to 75%. You would not believe the beautiful gifts I've found there.

I also got a bunch of new Christmas tree decorations. I like to give my tree a different look every year, and this is how I do it, by getting the decorations when they're 75% off. I can redo my whole tree for $20, no lie. And then every fourth year or so, I mix up the decorations from the three previous years. I even got my artificial Christmas tree for $10. I got it six years ago, so this year, it will only have cost me $1.66 a year.

To organize this, I keep a list of the important people in my life and next to that, a list of holidays. Then as I find and purchase something that's just right for them, I mark it down on my list. This way, I know I've already purchased something for Aunt Betty's birthday, but I still need her Christmas gift.

It all goes into the deep recesses of my closet to be pulled out when needed. And how do I keep the kids from seeing their gifts? I wrap them when I bring them home. And since they're marked down on the list, I know what they are. I'd sure rather spend five minutes here and there to wrap presents than three hours in December.

I admit, this does sound a little compulsive, but it has saved me hundreds of dollars and also scads of time. I can sit back and enjoy the holidays because I know I only need to go find four gifts, instead of the whole ball of wax for everyone, in-laws and grandparents included. It's worth a little extra effort on my part now to keep me from feeling the holiday stress later. I’m able to focus on the joy of the holiday instead of fighting traffic, skidding on the snow and ice, and stressing because I can’t find exactly what I want for Aunt Bertha.

It’s no wonder that our attentions get pulled further and further way from Christ during this time of year. The pressures are immense, from planning the parties and the special meals to cleaning the house to prepare for guests. If we could do one thing ahead of time to help lessen that stress, it would be invaluable, and that’s the benefit I get from looking ahead. I can’t store a cooked ham in my closet, but I can tuck away the gifts and pull them out as needed.

I encourage you to look at all your holiday traditions and think of ways to simplify. Neal A. Maxwell commented that we have a tendency to get bogged down by distraction, and I agree—how many of these little things get in the way of our true enjoyment of the holiday? Let’s do what we can to put the focus back where it belongs, on the Savior, and keep ourselves from going totally insane with preparations in the meantime.

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Monday, December 08, 2008

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

My husband and I went on a rare date while this movie was in the theater, and we did something even more rare—we forked over $8 a ticket to see it. It was worth it.

Jack Black stars as the voice of Po, a huge panda who works in his father’s noodle house. Every night, he dreams of being a kung fu master, just like his heroes, the Furious Five. But every morning, he wakes up to reality—he’s clumsy, he’s overweight, and his father expects him to take over the family noodle business.

Meanwhile, at the Jade Palace, home of the kung fu masters, Master Oogway has a vision. Tai Lung, a former kung fu student who turned to the dark side (sorry, wrong movie) will return. He laid waste to the village years before when he was not chosen to be the Dragon Warrior, the hero of the people. Master Oogway senses it’s only a matter of time before Tai Lung comes back to seek revenge. It seems crazy—Tai Lung is in prison, guarded by a thousand soldiers. But Master Oogway has never been wrong before.

A Dragon Warrior must be chosen to protect the people from this threat. A competition is held to select that warrior, and Po desperately wants to go and see who will be chosen. When the day arrives, Master Oogway chooses Po, to the astonishment and dismay of all.

Master Shifu begins Po’s training. Shifu has no confidence in Po whatsoever, but he doesn’t count on Po’s unflagging enthusiasm. In the end, we learn that what you are on the outside has nothing to do with the strength of your heart or the purity of your character.

This movie is rated PG for scenes of peril. It’s less frightening on the small screen than it was in the theater, but I do encourage you to consider the needs of your more sensitive viewers. Tai Lung isn’t a nice kitty. That said, the humor is fabulous and you’ll come away feeling inspired and uplifted. We're definitely going to add a copy to our home collection.

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Creating Your Own Traditions


We always invite my mother over to spend Christmas morning with us. A couple of years ago, as my children opened their socks and pulled out the apples and oranges inside, my mother said, “Now, kids, you’d better eat everything in your socks because your mommy’s not cooking breakfast today.” My little five-year-old’s eyes filled with tears.

You see, in my home of origin, my mother hated making breakfast on Christmas. She’d put fruit and nuts in our socks, and that was our morning meal. However, I enjoy making breakfast. I think having something warm and hearty to eat helps set the tone for the day. My children had gone to the store with me and they saw me buy hot chocolate mix and orange juice to supplement the meal. Now, to be told I wasn’t making it? What a disappointment!

I explained to my mother I actually had every intention of making Christmas morning breakfast, I didn’t mind, and I enjoyed it. This was so different from her own experience, she was quite flabbergasted. But she did knock back her own fair share of cocoa.

When we establish a home of our own, we determine which traditions we’re going to bring with us. Your spouse also grew up with traditions that might differ from yours, and so there’s some compromise that goes on. With any luck, the two of you will decide which traditions fit best with this new family you’ve created, and you’ll stumble upon some of your own, as well. The trick is to carry on the traditions that fit you and your situation, not those you feel duty-bound to perform because that’s how it’s always been done.

You’ll also find refinements to old traditions. Your children will share with you their fond memories from the years before, and you’ll know which activities were hits and which were merely a drain on time and resources.

It’s wonderful to carry on traditions from one generation to the next. But we should choose with care just how we’ll implement them. The most important traditions are those of kindness, charity, selflessness, and a feeling of worship at this holiday season. As long as those things are manifest, it really doesn’t matter whether you do or do not make Christmas morning breakfast. Everything else is just icing on the cinnamon rolls.

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Sunday, December 07, 2008

Something's Missing

Indulge me for just a second, if you would.

Go over to your wall calendar and see if there's anything printed on it for today (or yesterday, if you happen to be reading this on Monday). Not that you put there, but what the calendar manufacturer put on there.

Is it blank, or do you see something?

Well, something's missing from mine.

It used to be that every calendar I bought had this day marked. I'm a bit dismayed to discover that this particular calendar forgot to include a day I consider to be one of the most impacting, important days in our history.

And just to be snotty, but more importantly, to make sure you remember, I'm not going to tell you what today is. I want you to leave me a comment and tell me. No fair reading off other people's comments, either.

After taking fifteen comments ...

Most of you did pretty well. I do need to correct one misconception, however - Pearl Harbor didn't start World War II. We were already at war in Europe. Pearl Harbor brought us into war with Japan, thereby making the war a two-pronged effort for the United States as we sent military forces into the Pacific and to Europe.

Pearl Harbor was a completely unprecedented event in our history. Things had been simmering with Japan for a little while, but more on a government level - Japan was unhappy with the United States for interfering with the nasty doings Japan was trying to carry out with China. The American people had no reason to think there might be some kind of attack. All our attention was focused on Europe, and that's part of what made the Pearl Harbor attack so shocking. We feared the Nazis, but all of a sudden, our people were being shot down by a new enemy from a new frontier.

I want to know why this event is not still on our calendars. I haven't purchased my 2009 calendar yet, but I'm going to see if I can find one that still remembers.

And because David mentioned the USS Arizona, when I went searching for an image for this blog, I decided on this one. Do not forget. Do not let your children forget. When we forget these moments of our history, we forget who we are.

Now, if I could only find a calendar that has August 6th marked, I'd be a completely happy camper. But I don't suppose the calendar makers consider that day important, either.

It's Christmas Story Contest Time!

Hey Everybody!

How would you like the chance to get a short story viewed by hundreds of people? Now's your chance. LDSPublisher is hosting her annual Christmas Story Contest right now, and if you hurry and send her your submission before the 13th, she'll post it on her blog. All her readers will see it, and everyone will have the chance to vote on their favorite stories. You could win a free book from one of your favorite authors. But act fast - the 13th will be here before we know it.

Click here for contest rules, and send your submissions in the body of an e-mail to ldspublisher@hotmail.com

Thursday, December 04, 2008

All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Moviegoers must have loved the combination of Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman in “Magnificent Obsession,” for just one year later, Hollywood paired them up again for “All That Heaven Allows,” a film that concludes at Christmastime. I found myself a bit captivated by this melodramatic romance, not because I’m a big fan of melodrama, but because this film made me think about my own life.

Hudson plays Ron Kirby, a young man who has taken over his father’s landscaping business. Wyman is Cary Scott, a wealthy widow who has employed the Kirby company for the last several years to prune the trees around her property and do general maintenance.

One day, Cary invites a friend over for tea and sets her tea service outside on the patio. When her friend is unable to come, Cary doesn’t like the thought of the food going to waste, so she invites Ron across the yard to share lunch with her. She’s impressed with his carefree attitude and enjoys the few minutes they spend together. As he finishes up the work in her yard, they’ve developed a friendship that turns into romance.

This sets tongues wagging all over town. Cary’s husband left her a good sum of money, and it’s unseemly that she would be spending her time with a laborer, of all people. After all, he’s so beneath her in social ranking. But part of what Cary loves about Ron is his total lack of caring about the social norm. His philosophy of life is very simple and very honest—he does what he knows is right and doesn’t care a bit what other people think. He tries to get Cary to see that it really doesn’t matter if they’re the topic of all the town’s hot gossip, but it does matter to her. She was raised to believe that social standing is everything.

Their relationship is further complicated by her two grown children, who feel she’s dishonoring their father’s memory by entering a new relationship. Unable to put her foot down with her children, and unable to turn a deaf ear to the winds of gossip, Cary calls off her relationship with Ron, only to realize that she’s done herself a great disservice by letting others tell her how to live her life.

Ron Kirby was a fascinating character. He held so fast to his ideals, he was unshakable. I did wish he’d been a little more flexible, for Cary’s sake, but his steadfastness got me thinking. Am I strong in my beliefs? Am I sure enough of my own identity and my own purpose here on earth that I’m willing to stand up in the face of any opposition and stare it down? Even if I didn’t agree with all Ron’s choices, I have to admire his integrity, for it greatly influenced my own.

This film was unrated.

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Decorating to Scale

Several years ago, we bit the bullet and got an eight-foot live Christmas tree. It took up a fairly large corner of our living room, but it was majestic, with all the lights and ornaments. Everyone who came over commented on it. I was pleased with it for about a week, but as Christmas grew near, I found myself wishing we could speed through the holidays and just get them over with.

We took the tree down right after New Year’s, and I sighed with relief when that tree was dragged outside. I couldn’t understand why I felt the way I did. Wasn’t Christmas the most joyous season of all? Why was I so anxious to see the end of it?

I finally realized that the tree had been too large for our space. The whole time it was in the house, I felt encroached upon, a little claustrophobic, and like I was being crowded out of my own home. Sure, it was a lovely tree, but it was demanding attention because of its size, rather than commanding it because of its beauty.

The following year, I was able to pick up a five-foot artificial tree at Walmart for $10.00. Yes, I was very pleased with myself. We’ve used that tree every year since, and I love it. It’s simple to put together, it’s easy to store, I got a screaming deal on it, and it’s appropriate for the size of our space. Now that we live in a trailer, I’m even more grateful for it, as it complements the space we have rather than taking it over like some alien thing from another dimension.

As we decorate our homes, not only for the Christmas holiday but the others throughout the year, we should keep in mind that decorations are meant to enhance the space we have, not crowd us out or take over the house. If you’ve only got a fifteen square foot living room, and you get a tree that takes up an entire corner, the tree becomes the boss as you must step around it and essentially play host to it for the entire duration of the season. On the other hand, if you have a large living room or an alcove that will take a big tree, you can have your ten-foot wonder and live happily with it, as you’re not having to make way for it every time you pass through the room.

The same goes for other areas in your home. If you want to put garlands on your banister, but the rail in question is very thin, you might consider a thin garland. If you want to hang lights on your windows, but you only have small windows, use small lights. Whatever your goal in decorating this holiday season, keep in mind the space you have and the amount of energy you have to invest. Otherwise, decorations can become a burden rather than the joy they were designed to be.

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Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Just Call Me ... The Hamster Whisperer

So, you all remember how I got my daughter a rat as a reward for keeping her room clean, and he died, so we got another one? If not, you can read the story here. Unfortunately and to our great dismay, Billy was only with us two weeks. My daughter noticed he was looking lethargic, we rushed him in to the pet store, and he passed away in her hands while we were talking to the manager. It was pretty traumatic for all of us. He was buried with William.

After losing two rats in a row, she wasn't sure she wanted to try rats again. We decided to go a different route and go with a hamster.

The picture above is of the hamster in question. Her name began as Honeysuckle, then went through many mutations until it became Honeysuckle Holly Moonflower Pinkston. It took Honeysuckle a couple of days to get used to our house, but now she's a very beloved pet. We've had her roughly two months now, and she's doing well.

Or rather, she was doing well, until this last week when my daughter noticed a sore on her left rear paw. We've been keeping an eye on it, and last night it started to bleed. We decided to take her in to be examined. Sure enough, she had a swollen infection in her paw, which had formed a hard area. The vet lanced the sore and told us how to care for her, part of which is to put Neosporin on her paw twice a day, leaving it on for fifteen minutes, and not letting her lick it off her paw. Then we dab off the excess so she doesn't ingest a lethal amount.

Have you ever watched a hamster? Yeah, they're the ones who look like they're doped up on caffeine all the time and you can't get them to hold still for anything. I really had my doubts about our ability to keep this creature still long enough to put on the ointment, let alone to keep her from licking her foot.

However ...

It appears that I'm magic.

I discovered if I hold her cradled against my stomach and stroke the top of her head just right, I can put her to sleep. She'll doze in my hand for fifteen minutes, we wipe off the ointment, and we're good to go.

I don't know if my secret abilities extend themselves to horses, but I've never had to make a horse go to sleep, so it's a moot point.

There's some stress involved in this, though -- hamsters can die from staph infections and if this foot doesn't heal, we might be facing another fatality. I don't think my daughter could take that. And I think my dad is getting tired of digging graves.

If you all wouldn't mind sending some positive thoughts into the cosmos for a cute little hamster ...

Monday, December 01, 2008

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007)

We first met Ben Gates in “National Treasure,” when pursuit of treasure led him on a hunt using historical artifacts, including the Declaration of Independence, as clues. In the sequel “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets,” Ben is presented with another historically based mystery.

Eighteen pages are missing from John Wilkes Booth’s diary. Ben and his father both believe those pages will lead to a treasure, based on the stories told by one of their ancestors who was asked to translate the code within the diary. However, a man shows up who claims to have one of the missing pages, and he says that page proves the Gates’ ancestor was actually involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Feeling his family’s honor is at stake, Ben sets out on a quest to find out the truth—was his ancestor a traitor to his country?

With clues gathered from the French Statue of Liberty and the Resolute Desks in both Buckingham Palace and the White House, Ben realizes they are in search of El Dorado, the fabled City of Gold. With the help of his mother, an expert in ancient languages, he is able to determine that the city is buried behind Mount Rushmore.

I love how both the first movie and this sequel give us history lessons while tweaking actual history a bit. We learn a lot about the artifacts and their origins while at the same time investigating the theories and the myths that surround them. I also appreciate how we’re given an exciting thrill ride without the language and sex we find in other films.

This movie is great for adventure seekers young and old. I probably wouldn’t recommend it for a viewer younger than ten, as it does contain an intense car chase and an Indiana Jones-like climax, but after the age of ten, I’d say you’re good to go.

This film is rated PG.

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