Daffodiles and Pansies

Confession . . .

2009-08-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

As a hobby, I've written a few books over the years. I'm quite self-concsious about my work, so I haven't really ever told anyone. Caytee was helping clean the house months ago, and she came across one of my manuscripts. She read it, and insisted I try getting it published. Thanks to her, I'm proud to now officially announce that a local publisher has agreed to print several of my books. For those interested in purchasing a copy, please visit my new website. Thanks for the help in setting that up Curt.

It's essentially Christian fiction with an LDS twist. You'll notice a few family experiences that I have woven into each story. Here are a few examples.

A Test of Faith -- This is a story about how a local scoundrel broke the arm of a sweet 11-year old Providence resident.
A Bride So Fair -- Can you say Miss Franklin County?
Fair Game -- A story of a young boy's struggle to make his rocket fly. Think October Sky but Mormon.
Ticket to Remember -- A local boy band sensation gets his chance to punch his ticket to stardom.
Home for Christmas -- Christmas excitement as can only be seen through the eyes of a child.
Dog Days -- An Atlanta couple find out how much they miss their family and friends back home.
A Stitch in Time -- The Constitution hangs by a thread, and democracy as we know it becomes a think of the past.

Anyhow, thanks for all of your support throughout this new chapter in my life. It means so much to me. And don't forget to check out my new Facebook and Twitter pages.

I've Been Tagged

2008-10-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Michelle invited me to do this, so I guess it's a good excuse to try blogging again.

5 Joys

-Almond Joy
-Joy to the World
-Jackie Joyner-Kersee
-Joy in the Journey
-Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

5 Fears

-Falling prey to alcohol addiction again.
-People with peg legs.
-Dale not letting me vote in a credit union board election.
-One of my kids being kidnapped. Unless it was Nate.
-Landon really becoming a pirate.

5 Obsessions

-Cherry Coke
-Going to Motocross rallies
-Neal and I love the Grateful Dead
-Reading self-help books to give dating tips to Jon
-Getting discreet tattoos

5 Surprising Facts

-Until he was 2, I always dressed Curt in girl's clothes.
-Before I married Neal, I was a world champion barrel racer. We bought Charlie in hopes that I could pick up the sport again.
-Chad's two different colored eyes are a result of standing in front of the microwave too long while pregnant. Same thing happened to Splash.
-I was going to spell Caytee's name, "K-A-T-I-E," but I was on some pretty serious morphine after the birth. Oops.
-Crystal was really my first-born child.

5 People to Tag

-Logan
-Hillary Clinton
-Elvis (he is SO still alive)
-Splash (also still alive)
-Charlie (dead, but still in my thoughts and prayers)

Hey It's Just a Test

2008-07-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

This morning I went for a stress test at the hospital. Here are some of the instructions.

Do not eat caffine for 24-hours. Okay, no problem, since when have I had to monitor caffine till at night you realize that you did in fact eat a Hersehey Chocolate bar. This test is doomed!

Wear loose fitting clothes. Do I own loose fitting clothes that I can wear outside my home?

No water or food after midnight. Why water? Well, I asked that question. They put this radioactive dye in your IV when you get there and then put you through a CT scan. I guess that is to show how your blood is moving through your heart (and possibly every place else). Then they put these probes on your chest, ask your bra size and a lot of other questions and then say "step up lady, you are going for a high tech walk/jog!". (Yes, I did ask why they wanted to know my bra size.) At the top speed of your upward jog, they give you some more dye. I guess, from how they explained it, all that dye heads to your heart instead of your stomach had you eaten or had water. So, all I could figure out is this dye wants in on the action and find where great amounts of energy are being extended.

No blood pressure medicine for two days. Well, if it wasn't high before, it is now.

Let them know 24 hours ahead of time if you can't make this appointment. I dreaded this appointment. How to get out of it.

Well, back to the CT scan. Another 15 minutes of not moving, sneezing, twiching, nose scratching, hiccuping, gaging, just plain hold your hands above your head and freeze. You may have intermitent breathing but to a bare minimum.

So, for all you who would like to spend a good part of your morning trying to find visitors parking and then the radioloy area which is hidden quite well and then pay big bucks to run again, may I suggest getting a stress test.

Mom is back in

2008-07-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

Caytee has taught me how to update my blog today...so I am making a commitment to be more up-to-date on my blog. I love you all!

---written by Caytee for Mom

An Old Dance Video of Neal and I

2007-10-15T15:46:00.001-07:00

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!Look at us go!

What's Challenging to Carol....Blogging

2007-07-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

4 Jobs I Have Held:

1. Poppin' Pin Bowling Alley - Waitress
2. Arctic Circle - Outdoor Waitress
3. Montgomery Ward (San Jose, CA) - Credit Payments Processor
4. Sears - Accounts Receivable, Phone Lady

4 Movies I can Watch Over and Over:
1. Sabrina
2. You've Got Mail
3. Pride & Prejudice (A&E version)
4. It's a Wonderful Life

4 Places I have Lived:
1. Western Samoa
2. Oak Brook, IL
3. San Jose, CA
4. Preston, ID

4 TV Shows I enjoy:
1. Perry Mason
2. Simply Quilt
3. House Hunters
4. Designed to Sell

4 Places I have Been on Vacation:
1. Mexican Riviera (Cabos)
2. Nauvoo
3. Disneyland
4. Florida

4 of My Favorite Dishes/Restaurants:
1. Sweet and Sour (Chicken/Pork)
2. Raspberries
3. Creamed peas and potatoes from my dad's garden
4. Chinese Restaurants

4 Websites I visit Daily: (Occasionally)
1. The Company Store (clearance items)
2. everyone's blogs
3. my email
4. HGTV

4 Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
1. relaxing on a warm beach
2. up at the cabin reading a good book
3. a musical
4. BYU Education Week

4 People I would Challenge to do This:
1. Caytee
2. Shelley
3. Marian
4. Mom

2007-05-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

This is my handsome husband, Neal. He is a wonderful grandfather! He is holding our grandson Colby. This is probably what heaven is like-time to sit on the beach and enjoy your children and grandchildren. We have eight grandchildren-Natalie, Preston, Logan, Brady, Colby, Landon, Carson and Julia.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

2006-11-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been humming a tune or listening to the words of a particular song and a phrase jumps out. That happened to me during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Prayer of Thanksgiving
Hymn 93
To be sung "Joyfully"

". . . He forgets not his own."

In my patriarchal blessing, it starts with "Sister Carol, you are a child of God and your Heavenly Father loves you . . ." From the very beginning of my memory of this life I have always known I have a Father in Heaven and that he loves me. How wonderful to know He still considers me His own.

I teach the gospel doctrine class every other Sunday. This last Sunday was Bishop Lowder's lesson. I was surprised by the prayers. Usually they pray for the teacher who is giving the lesson. This time both prayers added my name also. I was very touched and then thought that probably I was being prayed over more than I thought. I know I pray over my family and friends (and a few characters), but I hadn't thought much about them praying over me. That was a sweet incite!

I love printed quotes, incites, scriptures, etc. and hang them throughout my home. I have found a new one. In the Ensign/November '06, President Monson's quotes a wonderful thought. "The Lord has two homes, heaven and a grateful heart".

"Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side; All glory be thine!"

Ode to the Lost First Blog

2006-11-26T16:02:00.001-08:00

Where is my first blog?

It was filled with witty prologue, profound questions, deep inner perspective thoughts, and awesome quotes. There were hours spent on it to place my blog above all other blogs. Yes, family and friends it was all in there. It just didn't make it past------------.....

What? Error? "Your HTML cannot be accepted; closing tag has not matching opening tag;" "WHAT IS A TAG?"

I just pushed publish. No problem. I'll just save it! I can cut and paste.

Highlight blog/edit/lose my highlight!
Highlight blog/edit/lose my highlight?
Right click/copy/paste blocked. What is going on?

I'll call Crystal, we will save it!

"Mom go here, do this, what do you see?" SEE! I see disaster. I am going to lose my masterpiece. (Light swearing under breath "Raspberry POOP!) "Mom what do you see now? Nothing. I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!! "Mom, I'll try to retrieve it. I'll call you back." Okay, Crystal, the title is WHY? (Stupid title!!!)

Mom, do you know what you did to lose it? Muttering under breath. "I flushed the toilet". Are you kidding? Have you ever gone to the Help section? Trust me it is not a pretty place. All I want is a human voice that says "I feel your pain, push the easy button and everything will be okay." At the end they ask, Was this information helpful (YES), (NO). They should have asked, can we take over from here and put you out of your misery?

But then it is a scary thought, to send your personal thoughts and intimate concerns into cyberspace. Why, someone could steal my personal identity and make off with my $369.14 from my Capitol One bank account. (HAH, HAH, I caught you cyberspace bank snitches, there is no such account). Yes, I may be a bit paranoid but...

"Mom what did you do besides spell check?" Lets see, up in that row of icons for spell checking is an icon for quotations. Yes, I pushed that but it didn't work.

"MOM, not that icon! Do you know what that icon is? It is used for special codes. For people with degrees in cryptic languages. YOU PUSHED THAT?"

Why do these programs give you so many choices.

"Hello, mom? I just found out what HTML means... (Yadda, Yadda)

You know, I'm not surprised this happens to you. Oh by the way mom, remember that this is just blogging."

So here goes the second blog... NEAL, NEAAAAL, don't flush that toliet!!!

Rest of the story-

Well, the second blog was almost a "Forgotten Carol" ;) comment but Crystal came to the rescue. It's queer how the same Error came up again but this time I tried to save as a draft. I closed down the internet and let Crystal blog in. There was nothing there, so by modern communications, cell phone and land phones I dictated the draft that was still on my computer screen to her. Thanks Crystal, for being there and never giving up.