Sisters in Spirit

Once day my dad told me that he could count on one hand the number of lifelong friends he had. Although I was in the throes of adolescent popularity and friendships, I took a step backward and let that sink in. Yes, I knew I was wasting a lot of time and energy on friends who wouldn't know a thing about me in a few short years. I figured that when I was his age I'd be saying the same thing to my own kids. And that's exactly what happened.

Today, it takes me only one hand to count my lifelong friends. And it takes a lot of work to keep those friendships alive. Unfortunately I haven't been diligent enough to maintain these relationships, but they are part of my life just the same. Sheila, Susan, Arlene, Camille, Brandie -- we are sisters in spirit and nothing can really break that bond.

I've always wanted to write a book about my observations and studies of sisterless women. Most of my closest friends have been girls/women who -- like me -- have no sisters. We are a different breed from the other women who grew up with sisters. More on this topic later...

Funerals & Doctor Visits

They say that old people live their lives around funerals and doctor visits. Holy Crap - I must be old! I'm looking forward to singing at a funeral later this week. Of course, it's not just any funeral. This is the formal tribute to an international man for all seasons: Gordon B. Hinckley. What a giant of goodness and humor and love for all mankind. There aren't enough words to adequately describe a man who was --for lack of a better description--a voice of common sense and decency in a morally chaotic world.

Oh, yes -- the doctor visit. I can hardly wait for my next Botox injection to stop the facial twitching. My nose twitches like a rabbit's and the area between my eyebrows creases into a frown. I am so grateful to live in a time when bacteria can actually make your life better!

I adopted a dog this weekend -- yep, went to the Animal Shelter and walked around every kennel twice until I found one who spoke to me. Don't scoff! Those who know me are well aware that I haven't always had the best luck with dogs. But I love dogs, I really do. Indulge me in a description of this precious 10-month-old beauty I am calling "Molly":

Molly is larger than a Schnauzer, but smaller than a collie. Her rusty-colored fur is as soft as velvet, and her sweet face engages with people immediately. She is easy going, doesn't bark, doesn't get excited when you pull her tail or pinch her (need to know that for the grandkids' sake!). She is replacing a very hyperactive, neurotic puppy that I bought and sold after only two months. I have great expectations for a long relationship with this sweetheart. Molly needs me as much as I need her. I'll post her photo as soon as we get her home this week.

I'd love to hear from other dog and cat lovers. (Rodent owners need not respond -- I don't relate to mice, rats, or ferrets!)

Happy New Year! 2008 is going to be an exciting year for so many of my friends and family members. How do I know this? Well, they've shared with me their detailed plans for making great things happen. I'll post the results on this page to keep you in the loop, providing proof that "2008 is gonna be great!" That's my affirmation for the year.

On top of working fulltime, performing charity work 10-12 hours each week, and writing freelance articles, I'm experiencing a miracle in my own life: the pounds are beginning to melt away. Since adopting the Biggest Losers Club eating program, I have stopped drinking carbonated diet drinks, I've begun eating breakfast daily, and I now drink herb teas throughout the day to keep hydrated. Watching the Biggest Loser on tv has provided me with amazing inspiration. I love those guys for their determination!

My current writing projects include...

• Moliere's School for Wives - article for the Utah Shakespearean Festival's Midsummer Magazine.
• Stunt Wife - a full-length play about a support group of women who were once married to now-gay men. It's a humorous look at survival, and an affirmation that women who survive emotional abuse can look at life with a sense of humor and gratitude.
• Who's Killing Our Children? - a well-researched examination of the problem of child abuse in Utah. I've lived here for 34 years and have seen the incidence and severity of child abuse escalate. In addition to introducing the crimes and the victims, this book will focus heavily on the perpetrator: their background, their account of the crime, and where they are today. When I finish the research, I expect to find that most of them will serve very little, if any, time behind bars.
• My Memoir - when I talk about my life, people tell me they are fascinated by some of the things I've accomplished, created, and/or survived. So, I'm feeling the need to take 40 years worth of journals and turn them into one or more books. I knew my great-grandmother very well, since she lived until I was 23 years old. Born in 1883, this woman inspired four generations of women during her lifetime. I can use the inspiration gained from Maude Elizabeth Baker Hinds and pass it along to my daughter, my daughters-in-law, and my granddaughters. I can be the bridge between 1883 and 2003, when my first granddaughter was born. If I live until her daughter is born, I'll be the connection for seven generations.
• Family History - I presented my four children with their genealogy on Deceember 23, 2007. It is the culmination of 30 years of research on my part, and it includes the names and dates of family members in all four of their grandparents lines: Frost / Greenhalgh, and Jimison / Hiday.

Again, Happy New Year. I'll be tickled to get responses, so don't hesitate to leave one at any time.

Fourteen months is far too long to go between blogs. I will use this blogger spot to record my musings throughout 2008. So far I have found myself drawn to two other important web sites: Shelfari.com, where I list and comment on books I read; and The Biggest Loser Club, where I record my progress toward a healthier life. I've lost 8 pounds and have put on denim pants ("jeans" as we old folks call them) again after a half year hiatus.



My son read my initial blog and responded to it, saying he had learned something from me. Wow -- how many parents can say their kids are still learning things from them? I think, however, he meant he had learned something ABOUT me, not from me. (A girl can dream, can't she?) I learn more about life and living from watching others than I do from living it. That's as it should be, right? I hope so. I learned how to be an old person from my great grandmother, who has been on my mind so very much these days.



Maude Elizabeth Baker Hinds (1883-1976) was my mother's maternal grandmother. She never owned a home, but raise all five of her children to adulthood. By the time she died, she had outlived