While I’ve Been Away

Well, I never meant to wait this long before posting another blog but, hey, life happens. Or, I had the best of intentions or who knows what I might use to explain away my absence? So, I won’t do that now… I’ll just note some of things that I missed telling you all about because… well… I didn’t do it:

· Our Media Fast ended. It’s amazing what you “hear” when it is quiet. It’s also revealing how many other things you can get done when you’re not preoccupied with media. I think the thing that surprised us the most was how early we ended up going to bed when there was no TV or DVD’s to watch, etc. However, I’ll save “media fast revelations” for another post, another time (sounds like more procrastination to me!! But I am trying to be brief here ~ which is one more thing I’m not very good at).
· We had a bunch of birthdays from March to the end of May in our family ~ too many to mention but all of them fun!
· I had a hilarious visitor, LDS fiction author, Susan Corpany, from Hawaii. We mostly have been in touch via email although we met a few years ago at an ANWA writer’s conference. This time she was in town for a wedding and stayed with us. We laughed a lot, found some common ground and complementary abilities and made plans to collaborate on a screenplay and we became fast friends.
· The Mesa Arizona Temple held the Easter Pageant… it just keeps getting better and better ~ took Susan to it as she had never been before! We also were privileged to see the breathtaking photographic display in the Visitor’s Center: Reflections of Christ.
· Went to a delightful screening of the documentary Young @ Heart, about a singing group of senior citizens who perform rock songs… when it showed them in wheelchairs racing down a hospital corridor singing, “I Just Want to Be Sedated” I thought I would pee my pants. Sadly, I haven’t been able to find it playing anywhere since. That’s what happens with Indy films sometimes. Can’t wait for it to come out on DVD.
· Our Stake had a fabulous Youth Trek – focused on the Old Testament this time rather than the pioneers, complete with tribes, captains, and various simulated MOSES-type experiences.
· I substituted most days until the last couple of weeks of school, went to a bunch of wedding receptions, and received a ton of graduation announcements including our own Becky Temp’s announcement of her graduation from Dental School!! Way to go ~ ceremony is in 2 weeks.
· Had General Conference and our traditional extended family meal after all the sessions at Jim’s sister’s house.
· Went to Nevada to tend grandkids while Mandy and Jason were in Wyoming.
· Our precious new grandson, Steven Ronnie Shiflett was blessed.
· Wrote articles for the Arizona Beehive and the ANWA newsletter.
· Found out Jim has a small Basal Cell Carcinoma on his forehead that needs surgery. Not a big deal though. He also repelled down a mountain and rode on several long scout bike rides (up to 50 miles at a time, more than once)!! He’s my he-man!!!
· Jim has been swamped with Scouting activities and planning for the Aaronic Priesthood camp that starts on Tuesday. He also has made a bunch of Mormon Battalion presentations for Eagle Scouts that earned the patch and neckerchief slide.
· Saturday, Mar 31, we went to the baptism of Jim’s high school girlfriend… Jim’s been out of high school for over 40 years but it was so sweet to see her baptized… such a lovely lady. I didn’t go to high school around here so I had never met her before.

Wow, I can’t believe I summed up nearly 3 months in so few words… there may be hope yet!! Thanks for stopping by. I need to continue on because there are some very cool things coming up… like the LDS Summer Book Trek ~ post to follow!!

You've Got to Start Sometime!!

Friends and family ~

Well, now I've gone and done it... jumped feet first into blogging!! This is new territory for me, but I think it will be fun. I always have dozens of thoughts racing through my mind and yet, they never seem to make it into a book (have lots of ideas for those too!!) or even a journal, so maybe this will be a good starting point... for me to just take a few moments every day or so and share what's on my mind and you are totally free to read it or do something else and I'll never know the difference... unless you post a comment, I guess.

Today was a lovely day. Quiet. Sundays usually are. It's going to be a lot quieter around here as the week progresses as we are having a "media fast" in our ward (our church congregation)... oops!! So, what am I doing on the Internet if we are having a "media fast?" Good question for which I can probably come up with a lame answer... I have agreed with Jim that the TV will remain off (thank goodness for DVR taping all of my favorites to view NEXT week) and the radio is off but I need the computer for my "work," such as it is... whether as a writer or a networker, I need access to my email and at least limited access to the Internet... so that's it... I'm tiptoeing on the edge of my "limited access" right now. Actually, I'm working on a couple of articles... one for my writer's group newsletter ANWA - American Night Writers Association and one for the Arizona Beehive newspaper that I'll finish in the morning.

So, I'll keep this first entry brief... but dang, it's not very interesting... will you ever drop by again? I hope so... this is mainly just to get SET UP and looks like I managed that... so, I probably won't notify everyone of this blog yet (at least not those involved in the "media fast") hee hee... So how do I do that anyway? Send out announcements and links or whatever... have a party??? to announce that I now have a blogging site? I may tell a few friends or family that are NOT following the "media fast" now. Then on Sat. night after the "fast" is over and I have recorded some of my impressions from the "media fast" and whatever else is happening at the time, I'll clue them in as well. So, I guess that's all for now!!

Blessings,
Stephanie