Poverty in the world

I guess today is something called "Blog-Action Day....Poor "Apparently all through the year this organization invites bloggers to make entries on particular subjects."

An internet friend just sent an e-mail to visit her site and read what she had written about poverty. It was very thought provoking. I have listed a link to her website below.
http://ldspaz.blogspot.com/2008/10/ahem-blog-action-day.html

I would like to approach the topic from a different viewpoint. A few years ago, my daughter went to Ethiopia on a medical humanitarian aid trip. It was only ten days or so long, so they didn't save the world. The doctors who went treated all sorts of maladies, many of which probably came back when the team left. When the doctors told the people that they just needed to drink clean water to avoid many of the diseases, they replied that the doctors just didn't understand.
The village water well have been filled in by the Communists many years ago. The whole village was so poor that it couldn't afford to drill another one for clean water. Every day the women would have to walk several miles down to the river to get water in their empty anti-freeze (or other) plastic jugs. The water was full of parasites, which the people then drank and got sick. Even water for gardens and animals had to be hauled back this way. Food consisted of ingera, (sp) a flat pancake type of bread and not much else. House were made of mud and shared with animals. Food cooked inside over fires produced smoke that stayed in the house.
We raised money to send large water filters to the village. They were taken into the country in someones luggage because the government of the country doesn't allow that type of thing. We don't know if they were ever used. A year or two ago, the LDS church dug a well for the people. Sometimes we ask why we help
people in other countries when we have poor here at home. I wondered that myself, until I realized that we are all brothers and sisters and need to help each other. Our government, though not perfect, does give aid the poor in our own countries. In some of these other countries, the government does nothing for the poor and probably even wishes they would cease to exist.
Poverty is sad every where. We need to open our eyes and be a part of the solution.

Extra C and Forever Strong.

I just watched a really good video on you-tube. It wasn't funny or quirky. It was tender and gentle, about the infant son of an internet friend. Her son has Down's Syndrome and she has put together a video about him. Take a look at



I am thinking of adding my picture to my blog. I got a fairly good one as a passport photo. Maybe.....

I saw a good movie last night, too. It didn't have swearing, sex, violence..wait, I take that back. It was a rugby movie and rugby looks like it is seriously violent. the movie was Forever Strong. It was about a guy that does a travel show on the local radio station (really, he does it on our station) but the show was about when he was coaching a rugby team. Actually he still coaches the team. Great show. 3 1/2 stars. I think you will like it.

Moo tagged me and told me to put down six quirky things about myself. This is impossible. There are no quirky things about me. I guess I will just have to make some up.
1. I stay up really late sometimes because if I don't think I get enough done in a day, I don't think I should go to bed. I'm not up doing things, I just don't go to bed.

2. I, too, close my eyes when I shower. I would understand if there was a mirror in the shower but there isn't.

3. When I put jelly on my toast, I only put it on one side in case I don't want it on the other side.

4. When I sit down to eat, I have three books to read, or do crosswords or anything. I don't always take three books when I sit down because some places have way more than three already.

5. I don't have a read good memory so I forget things. But I am a fast learner so when I don't remember something I just hurry and relearn it.

6. I don't like to have my feet covered at night. I actually don't like the sheets even touching me sometimes and will fidget and fidget until everything is perfect.

7. I don't like stupid stuff like cartoons (usually) One exception used to be Pinky and the Brain. And Bullwinkle of course. The Simpsons aren't stupid so I can occassionally (I never spell that word right!) watch it, but it is rude, crude, and impolite so I have to make sure I don't laugh at inappropriate things.

There you go. You wanted 6, but since they aren't true, I gave you seven.
PS I'm not tagging anyone. It is rude crude and impolite
PPS I just read the list after I posted it. When I said I only put jelly on one side of the toast, I didn't mean back and front, I mean the rounded part and the square part.
8. I can't even find my own blog. I have to go through Megan's....I mean Moo's. To get to hers, I have to go the Cynthia's. Hers is posted on our tool bar. She has this really cute little girl we like to see pictures of. We also like her blog. Keeps us up to date.
Please post comments. I like to feel like someone knows that I am here

The Santa Letters book review

The Santa Letters

by Stacy Gooch-Anderson
Sweetwater Books
190 (or so) pages

To purchase go to www.amazon.com and type in title.

Please excuse the weird format. It got messed up when I brought the picture in and I don't have all day to correct it.

Santa Letters. Most Santa letters begin “I’ve been a good little girl. I would like you to bring me......” But these letters were different. They were from Santa. The first one began, “Dear Jensens, I know that this year has been a difficult one for you.......” Santa was so right.

A few years earlier, William Jensen had joked about dying young. When his wife Emma became sullen and told him not to even joke about that, he hugged her and said, “Hey, I was only kidding. You know that neither heaven nor earth could keep me away from you and the kids.”

“Do you promise? Promise you’ll always be here for us?” Emma asked.

“...even if some mystical force did try to separate us. I promise you somehow, someway, I’d find a way to let you know that I wasn’t far off.”

It was not some mystical force that separated them, but a traffic accident. Emma was left to raise their four young children alone.
Now it was Christmas time and McKenna was asking hard questions.

“Mama, when will Daddy be home for Christmas?” Emma froze... It took a moment before she could face her daughter.
“Why would you ask that, sweetie?”
“Because in my dream, he said he’d be here with us.”

Daddy wouldn’t be home for Christmas. Emma didn’t think Santa would even be there for Christmas.
But Santa had other ideas. The first letter arrived on December 13. Santa had been watching them very closely. “...as Christmas season has grown closer, I’ve also noticed that there is sadness, a burden that has become too heavy to bear on your own. And so as I’ve watched over you while checking in to see that you’ve remained “nice,” I decided that rather than the traditional gifts of toys and “stuff,” I wanted to give you a Christmas to savor. One that would help you remember what the true gifts of the season are.”
Santa was watching through the big picture window as the family read the words and tried to guess who had written them. He didn’t hear Mc Kenna say, “Duh, Mom. It’s from Santa. See, it says so right there.” But he saw the excitement in her eyes. He turned away from the scene, pulling his cap down over his brow, and walked slowly off whistling “Silent Night.”

When I read this story, my first thought was “I’ll have to buy this one for Mom.” My mother loved Christmas stories and I think this is one she would have added to her permanent collection. But Mom is gone and her Christmas books are split between her children.
The Santa Letters will become a Christmas classic in LDS homes. It is being marketed nationwide and is sure to become a best seller. Readers will relate to the way Stacy has captured the grief of this little family and found a way to turn it around. The family, especially the mother, has understandably been under the shadow of sorrow for too long and needs desperately to find its way out. Santa helps them step outside of themselves and into the sunshine. He helps Emma understand the man responsible for her husband’s death so that she may let go of her anguish.

The Santa Letters were based on Stacy’s own experiences. She lost her father to cancer in 2004 and her mother battled it until her death in 2008. In between, Stacy found out that two of her sons had been sexually abused. Her world crashing down about her with burning questions about whether all she had been taught was wrong, she knew that she must decide whether to abandon trust, honesty and faith and bring out her own brand of justice.
She looked at herself in the mirror one day and decided that if she wanted her sons to grow up in the type of environment she wanted for them, then she must set the example.
Thousands of dollars were spent on therapists and lawyers and left very little for Christmas that year. But Stacy knew that with all they had already been through, the children did not need Christmas ruined, too. So she came up with her “Santa letters” project helping her family come “ to understand that one would never find Christmas under the tree unless they could first find it in their hearts.”
The forgiveness at the end of the story becomes much more poignant knowing the forgiveness that Stacy herself faced in her own life.
The Santa Letters lets us see into our own difficulties and gives us direction into finding hope.
Good luck to Stacy. I think she has a winner.

See more about the author and her book on http://www.thesantaletters.org Check out the media kit section. But turn down the sound!
For some reason, my blog messed up when I tried to put in links to the book cover and amazon. If you go to amazon.com you can see the cover and purchase the book.

The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch-Anderson
Sweetwater Books
To purchase: Go to www.amazon.com and type in the title.

Santa Letters. Most Santa letters begin “I’ve been a good little girl. I would like you to bring me......” But these letters were different. They were from Santa. The first one began, “Dear Jensens, I know that this year has been a difficult one for you.......” Santa was so right.

A few years earlier, William Jensen had joked about dying young. When his wife Emma became sullen and told him not to even joke about that, he hugged her and said, “Hey, I was only kidding. You know that neither heaven nor earth could keep me away from you and the kids.”

“Do you promise? Promise you’ll always be here for us?” Emma asked.

“...even if some mystical force did try to separate us. I promise you somehow, someway, I’d find a way to let you know that I wasn’t far off.”

It was not some mystical force that separated them, but a traffic accident. Emma was left to raise their four young children alone.
Now it was Christmas time and McKenna was asking hard questions.

“Mama, when will Daddy be home for Christmas?” Emma froze... It took a moment before she could face her daughter.
“Why would you ask that, sweetie?”
“Because in my dream, he said he’d be here with us.”

Daddy wouldn’t be home for Christmas. Emma didn’t think Santa would even be there for Christmas.
But Santa had other ideas. The first letter arrived on December 13. Santa had been watching them very closely. “...as Christmas season has grown closer, I’ve also noticed that there is sadness, a burden that has become too heavy to bear on your own. And so as I’ve watched over you while checking in to see that you’ve remained “nice,” I decided that rather than the traditional gifts of toys and “stuff,” I wanted to give you a Christmas to savor. One that would help you remember what the true gifts of the season are.”
Santa was watching through the big picture window as the family read the words and tried to guess who had written them. He didn’t hear Mc Kenna say, “Duh, Mom. It’s from Santa. See, it says so right there.” But he saw the excitement in her eyes. He turned away from the scene, pulling his cap down over his brow, and walked slowly off whistling “Silent Night.”

When I read this story, my first thought was “I’ll have to buy this one for Mom.” My mother loved Christmas stories and I think this is one she would have added to her permanent collection. But Mom is gone and her Christmas books are split between her children.
The Santa Letters will become a Christmas classic in LDS homes. It is being marketed nationwide and is sure to become a best seller. Readers will relate to the way Stacy has captured the grief of this little family and found a way to turn it around. The family, especially the mother, has understandably been under the shadow of sorrow for too long and needs desperately to find its way out. Santa helps them step outside of themselves and into the sunshine. He helps Emma understand the man responsible for her husband’s death so that she may let go of her anguish.

The Santa Letters were based on Stacy’s own experiences. She lost her father to cancer in 2004 and her mother battled it until her death in 2008. In between, Stacy found out that two of her sons had been sexually abused. Her world crashing down about her with burning questions about whether all she had been taught was wrong, she knew that she must decide whether to abandon trust, honesty and faith and bring out her own brand of justice.
She looked at herself in the mirror one day and decided that if she wanted her sons to grow up in the type of environment she wanted for them, then she must set the example.
Thousands of dollars were spent on therapists and lawyers and left very little for Christmas that year. But Stacy knew that with all they had already been through, the children did not need Christmas ruined, too. So she came up with her “Santa letters” project helping her family come “ to understand that one would never find Christmas under the tree unless they could first find it in their hearts.”
The forgiveness at the end of the story becomes much more poignant knowing the forgiveness that Stacy herself faced in her own life.
The Santa Letters lets us see into our own difficulties and gives us direction into finding hope.
Good luck to Stacy. I think she has a winner.

See more about the author and her book on http://www.thesantaletters.org Check out the media kit section. But turn down the sound!

OK, I know this is cheating, but I am copying one of Elizabeth's e-mails about words here. Then I can direct other word lovers to this blog. Thanks Elizabeth.

Subject: For all you lexiophiles (Lover of words)

1. A bicycle can't stand alone because it is two-tired.

2. What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway)

3. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana

4. A backward poet writes inverse.

5. In democracy it's your vote that count's; in feudalism it's your
count that votes.

6. She had a boyfriend with a wooden leg, but broke it off.

7. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

8. Marathon runners with bad footwear suffer the agony of defeat.

9. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

10. Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll show you A-flat minor.

11. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

12. The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

13. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum
Blownapart.

14. You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

15. Local Area Network in Australia: the LAN down under.

16. He often broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

17. Every calendar's days are numbered.

18. A lot of money is tainted. 'Taint yours and 'taint mine.

19. A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

20. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

21. A plateau is a high form of flattery.

22. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium
at large.

23. Acupuncture is a jab well done.

24. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

25. Those who jump off a Paris bridge are in Seine.

26. When an actress saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she'd
dye.

Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone

We got in a few weekend trips this summer, first to Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef National Parks in Utah. Then last week we visited Yellowstone National Park in Montana and Wyoming. All I can say about either one of them is "Wow!" I have traveled to several places in the world and I don't think I have ever been to anywhere as spectacular as these places in my own back yard. If I had been in a foreign country and seen these places, I would have been in total awe. Italy had Michaelangelo, but we had God.

Room for Two

Trade Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Cedar Fort (August 2007)

ISBN-10: 1599550628

ISBN-13: 978-1599550626



Amazon.com Sales Rank: #208,955 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Purchase book here:

I don’t know quite how to recommend a book that deals with the issues surrounding suicide. But I do recommend Room for Two by Abel Keogh, a book based on the true life experiences of Keogh as he works through the suicide of his young wife, Krista, and the death of the child she carried. He takes us on his journey from the shot he hears as he walks into his apartment to the light he finds at the end of the tunnel.
Although Mr. Keogh lets us know of his love for his wife and his pain at her death, he does not draw us through all the anguish he must have felt during that difficult time. A more deeply compassionate picture of what he went through might have made this book unbearable for the reader to endure.
Room for Two is a gentle look at a harsh subject. It reads more like a poignant romance novel than a tragedy as Keogh reaches out for the company of others in his loneliness. He encounters the usual uncomfortable situations as he seeks for women to just spend time with and finds that being a widower brings its own unique challenges to the dating world.
He didn’t often mention to his dates that his wife was dead or what the circumstances were behind the death. But after a rocky start with one of the women, Julianna, he sat down and had a heart to heart talk and broke the news that Krista had taken her own life.

“Juliana’s lips were pursed as if in deep thought.”
‘I don’t know if I can do it,” she finally said.’
‘Do what?’
‘Date a widower.’
‘Why?’
‘Why? You have to ask why?’
‘Tell me why it would be hard,’ I said. I could foresee a lot of potential problems but wanted to know if Julianna’s concerns were the same as the ones I saw.
‘I don’t know if I can live with having my every action compared to those of a dead woman,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to compete with a ghost.’
‘Have you felt like I’ve been comparing you to Krista?’
‘I don’t know you or Krista well enough to answer that question,’ Julianna said. ‘But I know when someone dies, they tend to be put on a pedestal. It doesn’t matter what they did wrong. All anyone can remember is the good, loving things about them. Meanwhile I’d be with you making mistakes and being compared to a woman who is a saint in some people’s minds.’

Sentiments most of us have probably never think about in our own normal worlds.
I had the privilege of listening to Abel Keogh at a recent writer’s conference I attended. Abel was talking about how to start a blog and why it was a good idea. He shared his own experiences.
Five months after his wife’s death, Abel felt a need to write his thoughts down and so started an anonymous blog, not really for the general public, just mostly for himself. That original blog is still available on his website www.abelkeogh.com Here is an excerpt.

“I don’t know where to begin. Maybe writing all this stuff down will do me some good. Maybe I’ll just give it up after an entry or two. Anyway, it a nice break from my daily routine at work.
“I’m not writing anything on this site for your sympathy or compassion. I’m just writing down how I feel, hoping that somehow I can straighten out me feelings of loss, anger, and grief. Hoping that somehow I can come to terms with the lost of my best friend: my wife of five years. Like others on Diaryland, I placed a guestbook on this site so that you can leave your thoughts. All I ask is that you don’t smother me with sympathetic nonsense. Like I said, I’m not looking for anyone’s compassion or trying to pull anyone’s heartstrings. The most common thing I heard after my wife’s death is “I don’t know what to say.” Well, there is nothing you can say. You can’t tell me anything which will bring her back or make anything better. I just have do deal with what I am going through one day at a time, hour by hour, minute by minute. I have friends whose shoulders I cry on. I’m not looking to cry on yours.” (End of quote)

As he wrote more entries in his blog, Able was somewhat surprised to find that people were logging on and sharing their own feelings and experiences. They were comforted to know that someone was out there who shared some of their same experiences. He included the words “dating a widower” in his subject line. The longer he wrote, the more hits he got and he realized that there was a real need for a forum where people could openly talk about their experiences. He gave up on the anonymity and soon people were typing in his name to find his blog. He used his own name spelled correctly and misspelled .....the same way I was misspelling it until I read this...in his subject line. Abel’s 2002 blogs hold a timeless messages for those going through their own trials today. The appeal is universal as well. In May of 2008, his blog had over 2000 hits from different people in 56 different countries.

Eventually, Able wrote a book about his experiences and in 2007, Room for Two was published by Cedar Fort Publishing. The first chapter is available online by going to www.abelkeogh.com . Get up your courage and read it. You'll be glad you did.