ONE HOUR LIFE HISTORY

This is from an article I found in a magazine from 1994, by a woman named Carol Huber... That is all the reference I have I am sorry. It's great advice! :)

Writing a life history sounds like a monumental task but it can be done in an hour. It's easy, It's even fun. Here is one way to begin:

• Set aside an hour - use a timer to ease your mind, and find a comfortable place to write.
• Use a legal pad and a ballpoint pen, a typewriter or a computer. Or if writing is difficult for you, talk into a tape recorder and have someone else transcribe it.
• Begin with your name. Simply write "My name is...." Tell how you got your name what it means, your nicknames etc. If you were named for Aunt Matilda or Grandpa George, write that down.
• Now write everything you know about where you were born: the name of the hospital or the address of the house or the location of the farm. Add details about the weather, the time of day, and the day of the week.
• List the names, birthplaces, and birth dates of your parents, brothers and sisters.
• Name the schools you attended, including college. You may be tempted to begin a long story about the time you and your best friend got lost collecting for a paper drive. Resist the temptation. Straying from the assignment will run into overtime and make you reluctant to return to your history!
• List the organizations you joined as a child - Primary, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Boy scouts. Did you play the tuba in a marching band?
• List important Church dates, such as your baptism and other ordinances, and your Church callings.
• List the date, location and other significant details of your marriage. Then list your children and their birth dates. Mention important changes in your family - - a child's marriage, deaths, divorces, moves and jobs. Remember, keep to the bare bones of your life. You only have one hour so stick to the facts.Describe how you have spent your adult life - at work, at home, and so forth.

You're done!
Make a clean copy of your work. Use page protectors and insert it into a folder or a binder. The binder will make it easy to add material later on. Keep this history with your baby book and journal. Continue to write in your journal. Your one-hour life history will be a fair representation of your life. You never have to worry about writing your life history again if you don't want to.

Picture from Rose Briar.

To GEEK or NOT to GEEK... that is the question.....

When I first came back to UT. abt. a year and a half ago, I was in Twilight Mode with a bit of Regency Era thrown in, I am not ashamed to admit I was (and still in some was am) all about Edward and the immortal.... The kids here made fun, baited me and in general tried to harass it out of me, but unbeknownst to me the geek was deeply rooted and being as stubborn as I am they made no headway..... Then, in a sheer moment of brilliancy, (on their part) they introduced me to the Doctor.... Who might you ask.... (as well you should....) My first episode was "Blink" and boy was it it a whooper...

To make a long story short I was continually reluctant for about a couple of months and my attraction was at first to the Brilliant LOVELY "tall, lanky lad" from Scotland; Mr. David Tennant. I had watched him before and had sort of a "super-like"'ish crush on him, but after I'd watched a few episodes of Series 4 my fan-girl'dom (for the Doctor) was solid and irrevocable.... Since then the "damage" went from bad to worse, and the geek in me came waaaay out of the (Geek) Closet!!!! At that point we had caught up to the last season/series of Davids' and I was at my first regeneration.... (that's how the doctor changes and the actor can move on... I'll get back to the technical stuff later...) The new guy was an rather unknown actor named Matt Smith and I was scared an skeptical yet hopeful at the same time..... Well, as hard and emotional (YES, I cried!!!! Bawled like a baby!!!!! Complete mess and lost it at the end.....) as that experience was, the next year brought a new Doctor, a new companion (those who travel with the doctor) and new adventures, I grew in fondness and love for the 11th Doctor and the actor who portrayed him. It's now the middle of the second season for Doc. 11 and his comps, and I'm still going strong.... So why this long chronicle about my history with Doctor Who????


Because that is what started the whole madness of letting out the Geek inside me... it had been hidden and oppressed for so very many years, but after the Doctor came into my life, it was able to fight it's way out and proclaim itself... Am I still a fan of Twilight? YES!
Am I still a fan of Jane Austen et all?? HECK YEAH!!!!
But I am definitely also a GEEK!!!!!


My FANDOM index:

• Doctor Who
• Torchwood/Sarah Jane Chronicles
• Superman/Smallville
• Star WARS (NOT trek!!!!!!)
• Lord of the Rings/Tolkien
• Chronicles of Narnia
• Iron Man
• Other Comics (include Elf Quest, Astrix, the Phantom, SilverArrow, etc.)
• Firefly/Serenity
• Charmed
• Jane Austen/Brontes/et all

The list is longer and more plentiful, and I'm sure I will continue to add to the catalog the rest of my life... but hey, this gives me more to blog about as well so it's all good... lol.


Granted, it depends largely on my surroundings and environment, and I'm sure the intensity for some things will come and go (as with everything in our lives) but the Doctor has forever a place in my heart, and so (though I won't admit it to them) do these kids for doing this to me! ;p


However, I have to affirm, Mr. Darcy is still number one for me!!!!



Look for yours truly in this:

Pias verden: Baby, vanlig mat, spising og grising.

A fabulous piece (sorry that it is in Norwegian... but let google chrome translate it for you!!!! ) about children and eating!!! GOOD JOB PIA!! :)

Pias verden: Baby, vanlig mat, spising og grising.: "De fleste foreldre gjør sine egne erfaringer og kommer dermed med klare konklusjoner. Som de da tror gjelder for alle barn. Dere har vel a..."

The Fam... :D

There's Grandma Verda and Grandpa Willard, they have 7 kids:


Nadine (Terry)
Steve (Tami)
Neil (Pat)
Diana (John)
Toni (Larry)
Susi (Seth)
Heidi (John)


and these guys all have children and grandchildren:) of which I am an "adopted grandchild" as I "belong" to Heidi's "gang" Heidi, however, is older than me but not old enough to be my mum... so (in my eyes) she's more like my older sister :) (by 15 yrs).


I consider myself very fortunate to be part of this large, crazy, wonderful clan of people. 

Varied Tastes

I'm a bit of an eclectic when it comes to taste of music, books, films and other such interests....

PARTICULARLY when it comes to music... for example, I LOOOOVED the 80's puffy rock, the nineties Hard (and somewhat alternative) Rock, but I am absolutely in LOVE with Classical music, and Opera in particular. I remember as a little girl I would watch the New Year Concert from Wien with my grandmother each New Years day and I would stand behind a chair, do little ballet poses, swing with the Waltz and practice my opera... you see I was going to be an opera singing ballerina!! Fortunately in my life, I've been able to surround myself with friends who actually managed to become Opera singers, and I enjoy their talents immensely! :) (needless to say that didn't happen for me... either of them...)

Last night I was able to attend a recital at one of our neighbors' of one of my dear friends singing with two of her co-students who are getting their Doctorates at the University of Utah in Vocal Performance (correct me if I'm wrong Erin!)

And boy was it a fantastic way to spend the evening! (Not to mention the yummy treats afterward!!!) These ladies are sooo talented and it was such a pleasure to see the relationship between the three singers and also with their accompanist. The program was magnificently put together with varied yet comparable songs, from a handful of composers. There was even a piece by George Gershwin and one by Stephen Sondheim!! :) (For those not in the "know", they are not generally considered Opera composers.. though there is certainly debates about it.. )

Anywho, I was going somewhere with this, but it's after one in the morning and the conclusion to this post has left me a long time ago... so here is the substitute ending...It was a fun evening, with wonderful Opera music, the end ;)

Marjorie Morgan Gray Wagstaff

Today I said goodbye to an old friend.

Marge or Gramma Marge as she was also called was a cankerous, grumpy, outspoken, beautiful and kind generous woman.

She was born in Salt Lake City, UT. in April 1914 and was 97 when she died. She passed away in her sleep, in the wee morning hours, last sunday and it was not wholly unexpected as she'd been feeling a little "off" for a week.

She had a quick wit and a bright and winning personality and was loved by many. Me included. I was fortunate to be able to spend some time caring for her in her home and she could make me smile and laugh like no one else. Even when she was in pain or uncomfortable, her focus was elsewhere.

Marge was a great lady and a beautiful person (fitting, as she was a beautician). She took me in and loved me with open arms, and I am a better person for having known her.
The funeral today was lovely.. funny, sharp and a little sad. Not because Marge had died, but more because she has left us behind.

A great life lived and continues on elsewhere. Thanks for your love Marge!

GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Living with Autism is hard! Living with teenagers is hard... put the two together, and sometimes you want to scream and tear your hair out!!!!!

And, I'm not trying to lessen anyones burdens or make light of a difficult situation... but sometimes I can't help but wonder if living with High Functioning Autism is almost worse.... Why do I make this claim??? Well, because, with some "issues" it might be easier to acknowledge that there are issues and one remembers it better I think. With the HFA, people seem more capable and "normal" (for the lack of a better word or term...) and it's easier to forget about the things they just can't do..

The unfortunate problem, in my experience, is topping it off when there are simple ways of tricks or tools one can implement in order to lessen the burden for all involved, and not everyone involved are on board... That makes it REALLY REALLY HARD!!! Not to mention frustrating!!!

Now of course, everyones' experience is different and unique, and I only claim my personal experience with this disorder and living with it!

To start of with, let me tell you what Aspergers is:

Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics.

Doctors group Asperger's syndrome with other conditions that are called autistic spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders. These disorders all involve problems with social skills and communication. Asperger's syndrome is generally thought to be at the milder end of this spectrum.

Parents often first notice the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome when their child starts preschool and begins to interact with other children. Children with Asperger's syndrome may:

Not pick up on social cues and may lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others' body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking.

Dislike any changes in routines.

Appear to lack empathy.

Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others’ speech. Thus, they may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally.

While there's no cure for Asperger's syndrome, if your child has the condition treatment can help him or her learn how to interact more successfully in social situations.

Now, of course this is just in technical terms. And with each individual it reveals itself differently, and at different times/ages.

For me, living in a house with one definite and three possible Aspies, life can get pretty rocky.. and sometimes downright depressing! So I have to remind myself that this is a real proper issue and to be more patient... But BOY is it HARD!!!!