Carey Family

Sue

More reading in 2009

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montgomeryI saw this mini-challenge today and I couldn’t resist joining because it will push me to read some of the 11 non-Anne books on my shelf that I’ve never read.  I know I’ve racked up a large share of challenges already, but I’m starting to feel like my friend, alisonwonderland-there are so many interesting challenges, I just want to join them all!  Even with the several I’ve joined, it’s not as many as the host of this challenge.  She has a list of all her completed 2008 Challenges and there were 46!  Anyway, the rules and my list:

By November 30th, 2009 (her would-be 135th birthday) read at least 4 books by Lucy Maud Montgomery that aren’t part of the Anne series.

  • Jane of Lantern Hill
  • Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side
  • Along the Shore
  • The Doctor’s Sweetheart and Other Stories

2009 Reading Challenges

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Today is December 20 and I can proudy say that I have accomplished my first reading challenge with 11 days to spare.  Waa-hoo!  I am going to attempt some reading challenges next year and here are my goals.  I will be continuing the Book Awards II Challenge begun in 2008 and finishing 1 June 2009, and then starting 5 new ones.  I think I can do it.  Once again, these are books I currently own in my to-be-read pile, because that pile is large and I have so many books in it that I’ve been wanting to read for ages.

Numbers Challenge runs 1 Jan-1 Aug 2009

5 books whose titles have a number in them

Themed Reading Challenge runs 1 Feb-31 July 2009

4 books with the same theme; from your TBR pile; my theme is books with a musical instrument as a major plot device

 War Through the Generations runs 1 Jan-31 Dec 2009WWII Challenge (2009)

at least 5 books about WWII, fiction or non-fiction

What’s in a Name-2? runs 1 Jan-31 Dec 2009

6 books that require something specific in the title

  • profession: Captain’s Glory, William Shatner
  • time of day: Night of Many Dreams, Gail Tsukiyama
  • relative: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards
  • body part: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
  • building: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Anne Tyler
  • medical condition: Born in Fire, Nora Roberts

Read Your Name Challenge runs 1 Jan-31 Dec 2009

Using your name or any name you like, read books with first title letters that spell out your name; I’m using SCOTT so I can read some fun books that I want to be sure and get to this year.

  • Snakewater Affair, Liz Adair
  • Captain’s Blood, William Shatner
  • Onion John, John Krumgold (Newbery Award)
  • The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith
  • The Quilter’s Apprentice, Jennifer Chiaverini

A week in the life…

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of a volunteer child advocate.

Sometimes my friends wonder what exactly I do during the week.  I am the Family Life Commissioner for Utah PTA.  This is an elected position with a 2-year term that can be repeated once.  Because I was appointed to fill out the remaining year of someone else’s term in 2007-08, I can serve in this position for a total of 5 years.  I’m now in the middle of year two.  So here’s a brief look back at a typical week for me.

Monday-Got up early to get ready and check email before meeting with 2 sisters from my church.  Taught the lesson, then dashed off to downtown Salt Lake to meet with the Underage Drinking Prevention Workgroup and discuss matters related to ParentsEmpowered.org.  Stopped at the Utah PTA office in Murray to photocopy material for the resolution I’m preparing for our next convention, answered the questions of a council Legislative VP who came in needing some help, resolved some other issues and headed for home.  Got home by 4, straightened up house, did some dishes, worked on PTA stuff on my computer, ate dinner, went to Brian’s opening night of “The Scarlet Pimpernel”, attended the opening night gala afterwards, got to bed by midnight.

Tuesday-Got up early to be in downtown SLC for a meeting of the Child Care Resource & Referral-Metro Advisory Board.  Stopped at the PTA office to go to lunch with the one of my colleagues, did some errands on the way home, got home about 4, cleaned up around house, checked email, did PTA work on my computer, ate dinner, went to work the box office for the school play but there were enough people, so we got to go home!  Gave me more time to work on PTA stuff on my computer and get to bed earlier.

Wednesday-Got up early to fight the traffic to the Capitol in SLC for Interim day.  Legislative committees meet once a month when not in session to hear reports and discuss legislation for the upcoming session in January.  Went to Judiciary in the morning and was not caught on film for the evening news while testifying, (phew!), had a working lunch with my fellow commissioners, and went to Health & Human Services in the afternoon.  Lots of draft legislation to read and hear debated.  Talked with lawmakers, got home by 7 pm.  Ate a lovely dinner prepared by Scott, checked email, worked on computer doing PTA work, collapsed in bed about 11 pm.

Thursday-Got up early, drove to meeting of the Utah Family Partnership Network at 25th South in Salt Lake City.  After meeting, went to PTA office to join group taking our receptionist to lunch for her birthday.  Returned to office to help with some items, hit sale at scrapbook store on the way home, got home by 5.  Cleaned up, ate dinner, went to performance of Brian’s play.  Got home at 10 pm, checked email, went to bed.

Friday-a day at home-am visited by 2 sisters from church, did 5 loads of laundry, vacuumed, did dishes, swept floors, admired the new paint job Scott is giving our walls, read a novel for a while, cleaned some more, worked backstage at Brian’s play.  Fulfilled vow to do no PTA work today, not even checking email, although stressed some about how behind I am on certain projects.

So there you have it-my life in a nutshell.  I think that may mean that I’m the nut.

Filed Under: Sue

Lovely fall, er, winter weather

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Most of the leaves on our trees are still green and have not turned yet.  This is because it hasn’t been cold enough yet to make them turn.  But today the weather skipped over fall and went straight to winter, so I guess the trees are in for a shock.  My roses braved the snow and kept blooming.  Go roses!

oct-12snowy-rose

Singing in the choir

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Saturday, Sept. 27, was the General Relief Society Meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The music was furnished by a choir of sisters from the Alpine and Highland areas.  I was fortunate to be allowed to sing in the choir and it was a wonderful experience.  We have been rehearsing on Sunday evenings for the last 6 weeks.  The singing was a small part of the rehearsal time as we were expected to learn the music on our own: what we really learned was to be better people and to strengthen our testimony.  Every week the director said Aloha and gave us a gift, which was to sing a Hawaiian chant that partly says  that “You are the precious adornment worn around the neck of your ancestors.”  What a lovely thought and how wonderful for our self-esteem.

I was on TV several times and if you go to BYU TV and click on LDS Church Broadcasts.  You’ll see a separate file under there for each of the talks and the musical numbers, so you can watch the 3 numbers and see me on TV (or the internet, as it were).  Wow!