Division

Mia: Mommy? Does Heavenly Father know everything? Even very, very, hard division?

Mom: Yes, he knows everything. He created it.

Mia: He created Division? Why would he do that?

Dead People aren't Magicians

May has been a strange month - I've had a few funerals that I attended. Both I will post a link if you are curious about people that have had an effect on my life -

Matty~
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?n=matthew-foger&pid=150632316&fhid=4563

Grandpa "Hap"~
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?n=earl-holmstead&pid=150959590

...but enough about that, I wanted to tell you some funny things that come from kids trying to understand death.

Jules- my 4 yr old tough as nail princess - who we call Miss Bossy Pants, attended the viewing of Grandpa "Hap", my husband's grandfather.

I was delicate, because I wasn't sure she would handle it. When I took her to my own grandma's funeral, she was barely three and kept trying to wake her up.

Here are some conversations:

Dad: Does it look like he is sleeping.

Jules: (Matter of fact) No. It looks like he's dead.

She was very curious about the casket and said.

Jules: Are the pillows so he can sleep better?

Only half of the casket was open and she couldn't see his feet, this was a big concern to her.

Jules: Mom? His he a magician?

Me: A magician?

Jules: Yes, he looks like they cut him in half.

Me: (snicker) No honey, his legs are there.

Jules: Are they in the drawer?

Me: What drawer?

Jules moves to the handle on the front and tries to move it.

Me: Sweetie, that's not a drawer. That's so people can lift him up and carry him to the car.

Jules: But when it tips over we can see his legs. Then will he stand up?

Me: Honey, it's not going to tip over.

Jules: It might tip over if the drawer comes out.

At this point I gave up and just agreed with her.

The next day when we went to the family viewing before the funeral my husband took her back over there to see his body.

Dad: What do you think?

Jules: Nope, he's still dead.

Mia - my 7 yr old wanted nothing to do with it. She just said "Funerals are Boring," and complained the entire time. I happened to mention that my grandpa died when I was 7. I said, "Think about if he were your own Grandpa and if he died."

....Wrong thing to say. She burst into tears, but was good the rest of the time.

Bloggies and Sweeties!

In this world of Blogging I have to say that anything is possible.


I was recently approached by a blogger on Goodreads if she could review my book. I was ecstatic! It is always a little nerve racking knowing someone is going to look at your work and judge you. YIKES! No one wants to be judged, but to do it on purpose just seems stupid.

I've been nervous about people reading my stuff, but that is what an author does. I think that anything that an author writes that is not polished is frankly embarrassing for others to see, since everyone expects the quality to be impeccable. But authors are human and sometimes my "they"s are "the"s and so on. I feel more comfortable knowing this is, at the very least, edited.

She just received my novel and posted it on your blog.

http://www.storiesandsweeties.com/

She will be posting a review within the next few months.

I will also soon be interviewed on a blog featuring local artists. This is run by a great friend Mike Frye, who is a columnist, photographer, blogger, and one of my biggest cheerleaders. He is helping me understand more of the world of Social Media and how to get my name out. Thank you Mike!

http://photocapm.com/


In celebration of these exciting moments I have discounted my ebooks to $4.99 from $8.99.

I'm tickled with these opportunities and grateful that this person as wanting to give my little novel a chance. :)

Mia Moments

Just some memorable things that have happened lately:

Mia tends to talk in her sleep. The other night she sat up and yelled -

Mia: Daddy?

Daddy from the family room: Yes?

Mia: Did Peter Piper really pick a giant pack of pickled peppers?

Daddy laughing: Uh... Yes. Now go to bed.

Mia: Okay.

...............

I was about to leave my mother's house when Mia stopped and said...

Mia: Mom? How do you get gum out of your belly button?

Me: What? How did you get gum there?

Mia: I put it there.

Me: But why?

Mia: Because I didn't see a garbage.

Me: But you know where Grandma's garbage is. You could have come and thrown it away there.

Mia: I know and I wanted to, but I forgot about it and then it got really sticky so I tried to get it out by myself, but then it got smeared on my belly and on my shirt, so then I tried to hide it from you because I didn't want to get in trouble. But now... I need help.

(just a little hint, gum doesn't come out of belly buttons.)

........

Mia kept talking to us when she should have been going to sleep.

Me: Mia. I don't want to hear anything else from you. You eed to close your mouth and go to sleep.

Mia: Mommy? Just one more question.

Me: sigh... What?

Mia: Did you get the end of the story I told you?

Me: (Look confused) What story?

Mia: (Grumble) You mean you don't remember? Well let me tell you. There once lived three bears. One was born in a candy store and all he could say was Goody goody gumdrops...

(On she went for five minutes telling a silly joke that know she has never told me before.... WORLDS BIGGEST STALL)

My first "FIRST PLACE"

I won!! I actually got a place in something. For a while now I have received some high Honorable Mentions on my stories, but this one was First Place in the Children's/Teen category at the Oquirrh Chapter in the League of Utah Writers. I was actually shocked.

Here is an idea of the night.

I have been sick for the past few days and I didn't want to go at all. My husband was out of town and my awesome family were gathered to watch the BYU game, which sounded more fun than attending this meeting. But a few weeks before I had receive an email from the committee chair stating I had won and to be in attendance that night. So I braved the night and went.

I was one of the last, if no the last to come in, so I had to sit near the back. They talked about a bunch of things before and we introduced ourselves and what we write. Then they moved to the awards.

The chairperson - a woman name Natty Dye - who is so adorable I would love to be her new best friend - introduced herself and mentioned about the emails and was grateful for the turnout, but she did mention that the email stated - YOU MAY HAVE WON - not that you HAVE won. At that thought I got nervous...

There were a few different categories and the first one was First Chapter contest. That was the one I entered, so I listened for my name... third place, nope - second place, nope - first place, ....nope... She didn't read my name.

So here I am - sick as a dog, feeling like an idiot for coming and realizing I had not won, and felt tricked.

But I didn't have the courage to leave, so I sat there listening to the winners read or tell about their stories and how awesome and more wonderful they are than mine.

When she got to the last category - CHILDREN'S - she read through third and second place and I honestly was trying to be interested, but I was more interested in the clock and how soon I could go home and go to bed.

Then she read "First Place... Prodigal - Candace Thomas".

What??? I stood a little shocked. I wasn't prepared at all. What I had submitted was my first chapter of my sequel novel to the Young Adult Fiction the Vivatera called the Conjectrix, but I wanted to spare the committee the explanation of the title, so I called it Prodigal after the Chapter name.

I hadn't prepared to read it either. I had lost my voice and then had to think on the fly of what I could tell them about it without horrendous detail. I think I did okay, but I got nervous and my words rambled around. I felt like an idiot, and all these people thought I was a rambling idiot too.

But it's too bad. The chapter is very good and I may post it here later when I have more time.

Thought I would share... Yeah me!!

P.S. I checked at home in my emails and mine did say You Won, so I feel better about that.