Kicking and Screaming into the 21st Century

Emily — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

So here I am, ready to launch myself off the cliff into the world of modern communication. This is a big leap for me. I don't even own a cell phone. (I just can't stand the thought of being that accessible.) I listen to books on CASSETTE i...

Gideon Moments

Emily — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I was struck with panic today when I turned the page over on my week-at-a-glance calendar to realize that MAY STARTS THIS WEEK! How could we possibly be headed into May, when there is so much I have to get done in April?

Women's Conference

Emily — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The time is upon us once again! In a couple of days I'm hoping to meet many of my online friends at BYU Women's Conference, where I will be speaking in the Smith Fieldhouse at 2:00 on Thursday. However, in an astonishing stroke of poo...

The Power of Your Prayers

emily — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I am back in the office after a weekend at BYU Women's Conference that could only be described as transcendent. I had a glorious time, truly. And I know it was largely because I was sustained by the prayers of others--my friends, my family, an...

Today, While the Sun Shines (slightly altered)

emily — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I've had some requests to publish my "altered lyrics" to the beloved hymn "Today, While the Sun Shines." I thought hard about this, because I didn't want to seem irreverent in print, but since the original still st...

What the Book Group Is Reading

emily — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I love the new Enrichment program because it lets me enjoy what I LOVE and have it count as participation in the Relief Society program! And, as I'll bet you can guess, one of the things I LOVE is reading. So I am the unofficial hostess o...

Crying at Weird Times

Emily — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I've decided I cry at weird times. When all around me at high school graduation were dissolved in tears, I stood by dry-eyed. I'm not sure I've ever cried at a funeral, or at my kids' graduations. Most notably, when I dropped two c...

Is Meaningful Change Possible?

Emily — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I'm at a point in my life where I don't seem to be very good at changing. I recognize myself falling into the same bad habits over and over, despite the "wisdom" I have accumulated that tells me the habits are bad. Sometimes...

Meaningful Change, part 2

Emily — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I've had further evidence this weekend that meaningful change might actually be possible. My husband and I took a turn spending the weekend with his extremely disabled Down syndrome sister, who has been alone since his mother di...

Lilacs and Tender Mercies

Emily — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

We have had the most bizarre spring. Snow in May. Temperatures higher than 90 degrees three weeks later. Over 90 yesterday; barely 60 today. With all the confusion, I wasn't sure my lilacs were ever going to bloom, but I looked out the window ...

A Blogging Maniac

Emily — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I've been having so much fun with blogging that I just couldn't resist it when I was invited to join a group of really fun, hip, articulate women on a new group blog! It is called Light Refreshments Served, and I have to admit, it is reall...

Why It's So Hard to Lose Weight

emily — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I was being virtuous - okay, semi-virtuous. I was on the go, in the fast-food mart looking for a snack to tide me through the afternoon. I had contemplated buying the "sleeve" of Oreos; it wasn't the full-on package, but it probably ...

Playing the Game

Emily — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I'm confessing here to a little addiction I have developed. There's this game called "Book Worm" that I can play on my Palm Pilot. I fell in love with it mostly because no one in my family will play word games with me. ...

Five a Day

Emily — Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I have a question about the "five fruits and veggies a day" thing. We are doing this health challenge at work, and this month's challenge is to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. The fact that I am having a ridicul...

The Great and Terrible

Emily — Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I plan to make you all exceedlingly jealous by teasing you with the fact that I received this week the manuscript to edit for volume 6 of Chris Stewart's "last days" series,

An Aha Moment

Emily — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Do you ever have a moment when a scripture or a hymn that is just so familiar to you strikes you in a new way?
This happened to me recently. I was stressing out about a whole bunch of things, a list too long and gruesome to remember now, and...

Random Birthday Thoughts

Emily — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Today is my birthday, and that generally brings forth a spate of thoughts and feelings, mostly unrelated. And now that I have someplace to put them, maybe you can help me figure some things out:
1. Is it weird that I can never remember how o...

The Difference Between Men and Women

Emily — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Anyone who claims there are no significant emotional differences between men and women have never experienced Mother's Day and Father's Day in my ward.
Some wards don't even celebrate Father's Day, which shoul...

Wrong Height, or What?

Emily — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

When we moved our corporate headquarters to new offices a year ago, I learned that the new restrooms had those faucets where you don't have to turn a handle, you just stick your hands under the spout and the water begins running automatically....

It's All Still in There

emily — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Last week I drove myself to Vernal, a trip of three hours one way, to tend my grandbabies for a couple of days so their parents could attend a seminar. On the way home on Saturday afternoon, I found myself singing. It was amazing to me how one son...

I HATE it!

emily — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Last week, my daughter and her husband went to the doctor for physicals. The doctor told my daughter that her Body Mass Index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height) was a bit too low, meaning that she would probably feel better if she could put o...

What the Book Group Read in June

Emily — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I really meant to stay current with this feature, but hey, if I actually DID everything I've ever really MEANT to do . . . well, I would weigh a lot less, for one thing.
Anyhow, I want to catch you up, because if you haven't encounte...

The Perfection Process

emily — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

As an editor, some of my happiest days are the ones when I send a book off to press. I did so on Friday (Leven Thumps and the Wrath of Ezra, in case you were curious), and it felt GREAT. Seeing how far we had come from the original manusc...

Letting Off the Pressure

emily — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite summertime treats is generically subtitled "Naturally Flavored Sparkling Water Beverage." I used to feel virtuous about drinking this in preference to soda, until it became quite evident that what i...

Why Telecommuting Sounds So Good Right Now

Emily — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I am attempting to perform delicate editorial tasks requiring intense concentration. Outside my window, a jackhammer is sounding - but the sound is intermittent. Just when I think, with a sigh of relief, that they are finished banging around...

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Kicking and Screaming into the 21st Century

Gideon Moments

Women's Conference

The Power of Your Prayers

Today, While the Sun Shines (slightly altered)

What the Book Group Is Reading

Crying at Weird Times

Is Meaningful Change Possible?

Meaningful Change, part 2

Lilacs and Tender Mercies

A Blogging Maniac

Why It's So Hard to Lose Weight

Playing the Game

Five a Day

The Great and Terrible

An Aha Moment

Random Birthday Thoughts

The Difference Between Men and Women

Wrong Height, or What?

It's All Still in There

I HATE it!

What the Book Group Read in June

The Perfection Process

Letting Off the Pressure

Why Telecommuting Sounds So Good Right Now