Been There, Done That—Bruce Willis

My husband is a set medic. For those of you who aren’t familiar with film crew jargon, that means he is on call on film, television, or commercials sets for any medical needs and emergencies. The job sounds glamorous and exciting, but in reality he spends most of his time sitting around, waiting for someone to have a headache, stomachache, or get a splinter that needs to be removed.

Sometimes he has an exciting moment—like the day he resuscitated Hillary Swank’s dog who had electrocuted itself by chomping on a live wire, the time he had to convince Shirley MacLaine that he did understand the concepts of holistic medicine but all she really needed was to be helped up from where she had fallen, or the hours he spent massaging Liza Minelli’s legs to keep them from cramping—but most of the time the days are long and he is far from home.

Back in the days when we were first married, and before we were raising a houseful of boys, I used to travel to be on set with him. And that’s how I happened to see a different side to both Bruce Willis and Nick Nolte from what I ever expected as my husband worked on the set of Breakfast of Champions.

We had a long weekend from school, and I drove to Twin Falls, Idaho, to meet up with my husband for a few days together. After wrap the first evening, we just chilled at the hotel, enjoying the hot tub and talking about our week. The next two days, he didn’t have to work, but that’s where the real fun began.

On Saturday night, Bruce Willis was hosting a wrap party—something that usually happens before the filming is done, despite the fact it is meant to celebrate the end of the shoot. The location: The Mint Bar in Hailey, Idaho, one of his own business interests.

I had been to wrap parties before, ones that were hosted by either the LDS Motion Picture Studio, other LDS producers, or a bevy of Osmonds, which meant that this party was already going to different—it was at a bar and the L.A. based crew was going to be drinking. Call that the understatement of the year—they were soused by the time we arrived, not too long after the scheduled time for the party.

The place was packed and it was hard for Mike and me to walk around together, despite the fact he was holding my hand for dear life. I knew he needed to go around and chat with these people since they were the ones he was working with, so he sort of “parked” me at a back table, got me an un-spiked soft drink of some kind, then left me there alone to enjoy the music.

Also provided by Bruce Willis—himself. Seriously! He was playing the piano and singing away—if you can call either activity that—somewhere across the room. It wasn’t especially great entertainment, but what can you say. The guy was footing the bill for much of the shindig, so I guess he’s allowed to indulge himself however he would like.

I spent quite a bit of my time looking around the room, trying to scope out if his then-wife, Demi Moore, was anywhere to be seen, but when Mike returned to rescue me, he told me the couple was already experiencing conflict and there was no way she would be there. Somewhat disappointed, but not surprised, I enjoyed a few more minutes just watching the people, catching a glimpse or two of Lukas Haas, and generally being amazed by the drunken state some of the crew had managed to get themselves into.

The next morning we drove around downtown back in Twin Falls, looking for a place to grab some breakfast. That’s when we happened to see Nick Nolte walking down the street, holding a cup of coffee, and dressed in his pajamas, robe, and slippers. He was muttering script lines—something my husband told me the actor often did in the mornings dressed in this very same way. We stopped by him long enough for my husband to call, “Mr. Nolte, do you need a ride?” Nick said “No,” waving us off with his coffee cup—the same thing Mike said he did every day. I guess Nolte is living proof that actors can sometimes be eccentric.

And sometimes that’s the very reason my husband, or other set medics, are hired. Somebody has to be there to deal with the crazies. And you thought actors and actresses were normal people, just like you and me.

Press Release: Coincidence or Purpose: It's All in Your Mind

A thought comes into your mind. You don't know where it originated, but you feel compelled to act upon it. Sometimes you do, and interesting experiences or opportunities come into your life. Sometimes you don't, and you sit back and reflect later about how life might have been different if you had only. . .

Psychic and mentalist Jim Karol believes "everything happens for a reason." Our brains have more capability than we could ever imagine, including the power to show us where we should be and what we can become. "No matter what you want to become in this life, you can do it," Karol says in Psychic Madman, his newest book with co-author Lu Ann Brobst Staheli. "You don't need a special gift if you only discover how to interpret the messages that are already given to you—those bits of inspiration that come into your heart and mind."

Everyone experiences this insight, even if they seem to be of little importance at first. Check the door to make sure it's locked, set the timer before settling down to watch a video in bed, or using the car's parking brake when on a hill may all seem like trivial thoughts that pass through our minds. But what if we didn't follow those prompts of inspiration? Someone breaks into the house, you wake in the middle of the night disoriented by the blank television screen, or the car rolls down the hill, becoming one of those examples in an insurance commercial.

Perhaps your flashes of thought are of more significance. Call Mom, apply for a new job, or write a press release. The positives might be an important moment of time with your Mom, a great new job, or increased sales for your business. If you fail to follow that inspiration, it could be that nothing happens and you wonder why you considered acting at all, or it could turn out to be the last time you spoke to your mother alive, you are let go from your job without any new possibilities, or your company experiences a dip in revenue.

Granted, not every random thought that comes to mind is the key to a successful and abundant future, but you never know. Acting upon them certainly can bring about change in our lives. But what if you still don't believe your psychic moments are anything more than crazy thinking? Perhaps the only way to find out for sure is to test them. Start with something small—call this person today—and see where the results can take you. Karol encourages readers to "Become aware, stay positive and learn to use them."

Maybe these flashes of direction or insight are more powerful than you ever imagined. Perhaps you too have psychic tendencies. "It's possible you have been experiencing psychic moments without realizing it because you never knew it was possible," Karol adds. "Have there been turning points, little hinges that have swung a different way or a little farther, opening doors you never imagined to opportunities in your life that have made a difference in who you are and who you might yet become? If so, maybe it's time you recognized those gifts and talents, just like I did."

And if you do, you never know what will happen because in reality, everything is possible.

If you'd like to know more about Jim Karol and the way you can change your life by learning to recognize those moments of insight and developing your super mind, read Psychic Madman, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sourced Media Books, JimKarol.com or LuAnnBrobstStaheli.com.

(ArticlesBase SC #2811436)

Touchstones: Robert Lewis Brobst

One might think that an eighteen-year age difference would preclude any kind of real relationship—or friendship—between a brother and sister. At least in my case, this is not so. Love between my older brother Bob and I has embraced a series of events—or touchstones—where we have been there for each other in perhaps an even more durable way than siblings who are close in age might ever be.

It was the spring of 1954, and two very important events were supposed to happen almost simultaneously—my birth and Bob’s high school graduation. I won the race and arrived the end of April. Of course, I don’t remember this event, but I’ve heard the stories about how my dad was so happy to have another baby girl that he took me from my mother’s arms and rushed into the house to rock me while my brother Bob and sister Sue helped Mom into the house from the car.

Having been an older brother twice before—Sue was seventeen and Don was nine—Bob knew that babies spent an awful lot of time crying. With graduation ceremonies only three weeks away, he was worried.

“Mom, what if she cries during graduation?” Bob asked. “I’ll be so embarrassed.

"We’ll take care of it when the time comes,” our mother assured him.

But his concern was unfounded. Almost as if I knew the importance of staying quiet for him, I slept through the entire ceremony, well, like a baby.

After his graduation, Bob left home for awhile to attend training camp with the Washington Senators, a baseball farm team. I continued to sleep and grow and do all those things babies are wont to do. By the time he returned I was sitting up and starting to pay attention to the world around me. Bob must have spent a lot of time with me and made a huge impact on my life because my first recorded words that had meaning were. “Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob.”

Never was an older brother more proud than mine.

As a toddler, I spent time with my big brother and must have begun to believe he was mine—mine, mine, mine—like most two-year-olds believe of everything they see. If Bob went on a date with his girlfriend, then he owed me a date, too. Photographs of me sleeping on the living room floor prove that I would attempt to wait up for him for the promised trip to the A&W Root Beer stand once he got home. But gosh, anything after eight was just too late for a little girl like me to stay awake. Soon he learned to take me on my date before he left on another. This satisfied the little girl who adored her big brother.

I was four when Bob got married, but not to be outdone by the bride, I had a brand new blue satin dress made for the wedding. After all, my part was nearly as important as hers. I was the flower girl, and if I didn’t proceed down the aisle, dropping petals onto the white runner—and tossing a few toward the seats of close family—then the organist would never be able to play “Here Comes the Bride.”

The next year, Bob made me an aunt for the second time. (Sue's daughter, Connie, beat Bob's son, Tony, by two days.) I spent some of my own childhood with these two, trying to be a good aunt to babies who were closer in age to me than my own siblings, but Bob moved around a lot for the next several years and family gatherings—holidays, summer picnics, an occasional Sunday dinner, and relatives visiting from out of town—seemed to be the core of most memories.

As time passed, I became a teenager, old enough to babysit for Bob’s three boys for an entire summer, then in high school my summers became filled with marching band practice. Bob’s house was at the end of the practice field, and I often stopped in to say hello. Soon I was a high school graduate myself, with Bob and his family attending the ceremony. His youngest was six so I didn’t have to worry about the crying like Bob did with me. The events of our lives had come full-circle, and now I had at last caught up with the moment where he had been when we first started.

The next few years flew by with me off at college then into a teaching career, but visits home always included a few hours with my big brother. Out next touchstone moment was one of sadness, when in 1980, our dad unexpectedly passed away, and somehow the title “Head of the Family” was passed on to Bob. At the age of 44 he was now the one Mom, Sue, Don, and I looked to for comfort and wisdom. He became more than a brother—now he was like a dad as well. And that was a title he wore when at my own wedding he “gave the bride away.”

Since then, he’s been there through our adoption of five sons—willing to provide insight learned through the raising of three of his own—the death of our sister Sue, an illness of his own, his bright optimism continuing to guide the way for his baby sister as she faces the future that may someday come without him.

Yes, our life has been one of touchstones—birth, graduation, marriage, and death—but never once has the eighteen-year age gap made a difference. There’s something special that happens between brothers and sisters—a bond that doesn’t seem to match the one sisters have together. Maybe brothers and sisters are closer because there was never a need for rivalry. Maybe because they didn’t share clothing, rooms, or even crushes. Maybe because older brothers are a little protective. Whatever the reasons, brothers and sisters have a special love for one another—a love that can span the barrier of time, both in ages and across the years.

Those little touchstone moments—the quintessential parts—provide the safe places that make up the journey of family togetherness, and the basis of love that will last beyond life and into memories of generations though the ages.

October 2009
Lu Ann Brobst Staheli

Week in Review: Summer ‘10

I love movies, almost as much as I love books. I remember the very first movie I saw in the theater with my parents: a screening of the classic Gone with the Wind. I don’t remember for sure how old I was, but I’m pretty sure we saw the film in the Alexandria Theater, located across from Kyle’s Funeral Home. The cool thing about that theater was the soundproof room where parents could take their crying babies so they didn’t disturb the other patrons.

After the last couple screenings I’ve been to here in Utah, I would pay extra to have one of those soundproof rooms so I could hear the movie over the whimpering, chattering, and out-right talking I’ve sat through recently—and most of that was from the parents!

Sorry, I stray away from the purpose of this blog. I’m here to tell you about the movies I’ve seen so far this summer. Since I tend to find myself spending a lot of hours during the summer sitting in the local movie theaters, and since I’ve been known to express my opinions on things a time or two, I thought I should share. I’ll be careful not to include spoilers, but I’m also warning you—I WILL be honest.

So far, I’ve seen ten movies. Of those ten, I’ll likely buy eight to add to our home movie collection. The other two, I won’t even rent. One time watching them was painful enough, or at least satisfied my curiosity. So, here we go, starting with the best movie I’ve seen so far in the summer of 2010.

Letters to Juliet. I am a hopeless romantic. I have had a passion for Shakespeare since I first saw Leonard Whiting walk onto the screen as Romeo. I’ve taught Romeo & Juliet now for 31 years, and the biggest regret I have from my trip to Europe was that our train only passed through Verona on our way to Venice. I had heard the story before about the ladies who write letters to Juliet and leave them under her balcony, so the story premise made sense to me from the very beginning, and since Venice was my favorite stop on my own trip, I was absolutely in love with the scenery. Add all of these together with a totally clean and incredibly romantic plot, and Letters to Juliet was a perfect date night movie with my husband. We both loved it, and shed a tear or two in joy.

Toy Story 3. In 1999, my husband and I were blessed to welcome into our home two little boys to be ours forever. Chan was 6 and Kent was 5, and they loved, loved, loved movies (How appropriate in a home like ours where my husband works on film sets, and I write scripts). One of their favorite movies was Toy Story, and one of the first movies we took them to the theater to see was Toy Story 2. Woody and Buzz dominated everything in our house from toys to Halloween costumes, birthday cakes to home video nights for the next couple years. “Reach for the sky” and “Are you mocking me?” became family institutions. Is it any wonder that the boys have been non-too-anxiously awaiting the premiere this weekend? Today we went to see the movie in 3D, and although Tommy and Zach went with us, I don’t think they quite understood why Mom and Dad blubbered like babies toward the end of the film. These characters are indelibly linked to our years with Chan and Kent, and the idea of Andy moving out to go to college struck a chord that soon we would be seeing our own little boys moving on with their lives as adults. Where did those little boys years go?

Shrek Forever After. After a forgettable Shrek the Third, I didn’t think I’d be able to drag my kids to see this one, but Zach and I went and I actually liked it—a lot! Enough that Chan and Kent decided to finally go see it as well, and the consensus is in—they ALL liked it. Maybe because this one takes us back to the beginning and lets viewers see an alternate outcome, what might have been in Shrek had never made it to rescue Fiona in the first place. The humor still shines for both kids and adults, the romance makes sparks fly, and the ending was truly satisfying at saying, at last Shrek feels like it’s over, and that’s okay. Of course, I cried a tear or two at this one as well. Are we seeing a pattern?

The Karate Kid. Okay, I told myself there was no way I was going to see this movie in remake. How could you possibly get better than Ralph Macchio and Pat Morika as Mr. Miyagi? Besides, why would I want to go see Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s spoiled son Jaden in a role he got simply because Mommy and Daddy were the executive producers for the film? Okay, okay, so it also stars Jackie Chan and his comedies always make me laugh, so off I went. And, WOW, was I surprised. I was on the edge of my seat during the final match, terrified that Dre Parker (the new name for the Karate Kid) wouldn’t make it back onto the mat. And Jackie Chan showed a whole new depth to his acting that totally sold me on him being the new Mr. Miyagi (So he was renamed Mr. Han) I LOVED the new version, and, you guessed it, I even cried!

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I’m not a huge fan of video games, and think some of my kids have wasted too many hours of their lives attached to the PS 3, but what the heck, I decided to go see what the screenwriters came up with in their quest to turn a mindless video game scenario into a two hour film, and I liked it! Jake Gyllenhaal was funny, agile, and even a little cute in his role of Dastan.  I had Ben Kingsley pegged from the very beginning, but his acting was, as always, superb. The movie was filled with action, adventure, and humor, and so you won’t be disappointed, yes, I even found a moment to cry.

The A-Team. You know, I was thinking it was my dad who used to watch The A-Team on television then I checked the air dates on IMBD and realized, my dad was already dead by the time the show was on, so The A-Team fan in my house had to have been my MOM! This strikes me as pretty funny, until I consider how much I liked the movie. The cast provide a perfect bridge between the original actors and today’s action, adventure movies. I loved the humor, and I wasn’t offended by any of the violence. I wanted to stand up and cheer at the end, and hoped that someone in Washington would get a clue and hire this group to work for the defense of our country. I can’t remember if there were any tears on this one, but I do know I left the theater hoping there would be a sequel to this one.

Iron Man 2: If I can keep the theme song out of my head long enough so that I can think, I’ll tell you that I did like Iron Man 2. Oh, maybe not as much as Iron Man 1, but enough that I would recommend it. Once again, Robert Downey, Jr. is looking fine, and it’s great to see him holding his life together to make the string of movies he’s been in the past two years. I loved the romantic elements that continue to develop between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. The only negative about this film was that I thought Tony’s health issues got solved a little too quickly and without enough difficult to sustain the angst the audience needed, but hey, what can I say other than there were still a couple of minutes that made me cry!

Marmaduke. I have a ten-year-old son. That’s what got me to the theater to see this movie, based on a cartoon character I once hated, and that’s why I’m so surprised I actually thought the movie was cute. Okay, cheesy romance and gang fights between talking dogs doesn’t make for high quality entertainment, but Owen Wilson and pleasant memories of Marley & Me helped me get past the faults and see the fun. I’m sure Zach will want to own a copy, which means I’ll probably have to sit through at least parts of this one again. At least it won’t be totally painful!

Killers. I loved the premise. Some of the romantic and action scenes between Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl were enjoyable, but there was much to be disappointed in with this one. I usually love Tom Selleck, but I never really connected with   him in this one. The look was wrong, the lines didn’t seem to fit him, and the usual charisma he shows in his other films was simply missing. My biggest complaint was that it seemed like the producers were worried about running out of money and chopped the movie into ill-fitting pieces. The story arc was missing, and the resolution didn’t feel well developed. If they had added another ten minutes after the wedding in the beginning and after the climax in the end, I think the story would have been better crafted and worth seeing again (this time without the giggling grandmas who could hardly contain themselves every time Kutcher was on the screen!) As it stands now, I’m hoping that Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz bring me a film that is much better at putting it all together.

Robin Hood. By far the biggest disappointment of the summer. Russell Crowe’s mumbling was rarely understandable. Cate Blanchett was the ugliest Maid Marion I’ve ever seen. If I hadn’t already known the back story, I would have been completely lost for the entire three hour movie (it only seemed like it lasted three days!) And, despite its length, never once did we get around to Robin Hood taking from the rich to give to the poor, seeing the Merry Men as his Merry Men, or ever finding Robin Hood to be the kind of hero I would trust to do anything. Boring, boring, boring, and the only tears I cried were those of joy that this painful movie was finally over.

That’s it for this time. I’m sure I’ll be back soon with another ten movies to review. The calendar is already filling up as we await Knight & Day, Grown Ups, The Last Airbender, Despicable Me, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Inception (my husband worked on this one), Eat Pray Love, The Expendables, and Nanny McPhee Returns.

Book Signings: All a Mystery to Me

Annette Lyon blogged about book signings over on her post today, and included this video from mystery author, Parnell Hall. Like both Annette and Parnell, I've been in similar book signing situations. You just try sitting next to Richard Paul Evans at a signing and see how you do. Parnell's signing next to Mary Higgins Clark all over again.

Anyway, after watching the video, I had to know more about him, so I popped over to Amazon where I discovered he has three book series, comprised of over 40 novels, is an actor/screenwriter/songwriter, and is a former President of the Private Eye Writers of America. I love mysteries. Why have I never heard of this guy before now?

Anyway, good book buyer that I am, I ordered the first of the Crossword Lady series (I love to do the crossword puzzles in the newspaper), and I'm looking forward to discovering if I like his novels as well as I did this song. I'll be sure to let you know.

Ghost-Writer

Okay, so maybe it's not quite so bad for me because I've had full cover credit on both of my published ghost-written books so far, but today's comic in the New Yorker made me laugh. Is this where my writing career is headed?

New Yorker

Wisdom Keys: What You Repeatedly Hear You Will Eventually Believe

Perhaps you’ve heard the line often attributed to Adolph Hitler: “If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.” Based on the source alone, you might be hesitant to believe it is true, but, like it or not, the idea is sound.

Politicians use repetition all the time to sway our vote. “Vote for me. I’ll solve all your problems. My opponent believes. . .(insert an option here that the people won’t like). Then the campaign runs that commercial repeatedly on every form of media at their disposal, pounding the negative idea into our heads until there is no way we will vote for the other guy, unless we do because we’ve heard the other candidate’s name so often in the negative campaigning that it’s the one embedded into our memory once we reach the polls.

According to the advertising industry, a potential client needs to see your ads at least seven times before they'll act on it. Only seven times and the new information is in your long-term memory forever. Consider the new song you hear on the radio. The first few times you might hum along, catching a phrase or two that sticks with you. Usually the first words you remember are the oft-repeated chorus. Eventually you learn the rest of the words, sometimes whether you want to or not. I’m sure each of us knows the lyrics to a song we can’t stand–“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”–and finds the words stuck in our heads the rest of the day anytime we run across the song out of happenstance.

The things we hear repeatedly bore into our minds and become a solid part of who we are. Too often the things we hear come from our own minds, and they are usually negative. When we assign ourselves negative labels–You’re fat. You’re too stupid. You can’t do that.–we can be guilty of stopping our own progression toward the goals we want and the potential within us. We become our own worst enemy.

But what can we do to turn our lives around? How can we change that little negative voice with so much power into a force for good within our own minds?

Believe.

Think and Grow Rich author Napoleon Hill once said, “Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” Protestant preacher and author Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking) said, “Change your thoughts, and you change your world.” We are even told in the New Testament book of Matthew: “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

Did you catch that? All things. Not just some things, yet how many times have we been guilty of picking and choosing those scriptures we will believe and those we do not? If we believe part of the scriptures to be true, then why not all? As we learn in Proverbs 3: 4-5, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.”

Change the negative thoughts in your head to those which are more positive, and you will find your life begins to change for the better. Trust and believe that you can lose weight, and you’ll find your actions become more supportive of that goal. Tell yourself you can learn whatever it is you need to know, and you’ll find a sudden hunger for knowledge that can be gained through reading or taking courses. If you want to change an aspect of your life or relationships, you can do that, if you only believe in yourself and you are willing to put forth the effort to do so.

Find those positive affirmations that work best for you and repeat them often. Act as if the things you say are true. Then watch the changes that come about in your life, and perhaps in the lives of the people around you. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish, if you only believe.

Student Book Recommendations

One of the last things I ask my students to do at the end of the school year is to make a list of books they would recommend to their peers. I give a copy of this list to each student as a place to start their summer reading. I'm also happy to share this year's list with all of you. I've read 90 of them already. How did you do?

Recommended Books 2009-2010

13th Reality series – Dashner
39 Clues series – various
Alcatraz and the Librarian series – Sanderson
Alchemist, The series – Scott
Alex Rider series – Horowitz
Aliens series – various
All-American Girl – Cabot
Among the Hidden series – Haddix
Antsy Does Time – Schusterman
Artemis Fowl – Colfer
Bear Dancer – Wyss
Bella at Midnight – Stanley
Body Finder, The – Derting
Breath - Winton
Candy Shop Wars, The – Mull
Charlie Bone series – Nimmo
Chasing Vermeer - Ballitt
Children of the Lamp series – Kerr
Chosen One, The – Williams
Christmas Jar, The – Wright
Christmas List, The – Evans
Christmas Sweater, The – Beck
Chronicles of Vladmire Tod, The series – Brewer
Cirque du Freak – Shan
Cleopatra VI - Gregory
Climbing the Stairs – Venkatraman
Clique series – Harrison
Cold Service – Parker
Counting Stars – Holmes
Courting Miss Lancaster – Eden
Crooked Kind of Perfect – Urban
Cry of the Icemark series – Hill
Cut – McCormick
Daniel X series – Patterson
Dark Hills Divide - Carmer
Darklight – Livingston
Deadly Little Secret – Stolarz
Deathwatch – White
Deep & Dark & Dangerous – Hahn
Deep Down Popular – Stone
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series - Kinney
Don’t Don’t Tell Jokes – Sachar
Double Identity – Haddix
Dragon Keeper - Wilkinson
Dragon Slippers series – George
Dune series – Herbert
Dusty Britches – McClure
Elantris – Sanderson
Ella Enchanted – Levine
Ender’s Game series – Card
Eragon series – Paolini
Esperanza Rising – Ryan
Ever – Levine
Everest series – Korman
Extraordinary Adventures Alfred Kropp – Yancy
Fablehaven series – Mull
Face, The – Koonz
Fairest – Levine
Farworld series – Savage
Giver, The – Lowry
Going Postal – Pratchett
Goose Girl series – Hale
Guardians of Ga’Hoole series – Lasky
Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie – Shaffer
Harry Potter series – Rowling
Heart Only Knows, The – Blair
Heat – Lupica
Heir Apparent – Van Velde
Hoot – Haaisen
Host, The – Meyers
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – Ford
Hourglass Door, The series – Mangum
House of Night, The series – Cast
How to Survive Middle School – Gephart
Huckleberry Finn – Twain
Hunger Games, The series – Collins
I’d Tell You I Love You series – Carter
Ice – Durst
Ida B. – Hannigan
Immortals series, The – Noel
Inkheart series – Funke
Island series – Korman
Jinx – Cabot
Just One Wish – Rallison
Kate’s Turn series – Crane
Key to Rondo, The – Rodda
Keys to the Golden Firebird – Johnson
Last Song, The – Sparks
Lean on Me – Weyland
Lemon Tart – Kilpack
Levan Thumps series – Skye
Leviathan – Westerfeld
Lightning Thief, The series – Riordan
Line, The – Hall
Lord of the Rings trilogy – Tolkien
Luxe, The series –Godberson
Magician Trilogy, The – Nimmo
Maximum Ride series – Patterson
Maze Runner, The – Dashner
Missing series – Haddix
Molly Moon series – Byng
Morganville Vampires series - Caine
My Fair Godmother – Rallison
My Life in Pink and Green – Greenwald
Mysterious Benedict Society, The – Stewart
Notebook, The – Sparks
Number the Stars – Lowry
Old Willis Place, The - Hahn
Of Mice and Magic series – Farland
Once Upon a Marigold – Fern
Out of the Dust – Hesse
Peak series – Smith
Pendragon series – MacHale
Persuasion – Austen
Peter and the Starcatchers series – Berry/Pearson
Predator series – various
Prelude to Glory series – Carter
Pride and Prejudice – Austen
Princess Bride, The – Goldman
Princess Diaries, The series – Cabot
Princess of the Midnight Ball – George
Rag and Bone Shop, The – Cormier
Ranger’s Apprentice – Flanagan
Raymond & Graham – Knudson
Rebel Angels – Bray
Rune Lords series Farland
Running Out of Time – Haddix
Sammy Keyes series – Van Draanen
Santa Maybe – Mace
Secret Life of Bees, The – Kidd
Secret, The – Byrne
Shiver – Stiefvater
Silverfin – Higson
Small Gods – Pratchett
Stolen Children – Kehret
Stop Pretending – Sones
Summer Ball – Lupica
Summer of the Monkeys – Rawls
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow – George
Sunflower, The – Evans
Sunrise Over Fallujah – Meyers
Surgeon, The – Gerritsen
Surviving Antarctica 2086 – White
Switch – Horowitz
Tale of Despereaux, The – DiCamillo
Tantalize – Smith
Teens at War – Zullo
Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites series – Heimerdinger
Tower of Strength - Lyon
Traitor -Gray
Tunnels – Williams
Two Little Girls in Blue - Clark
Twlight series – Meyers
Uglies series – Westerfeld
Un Lun Dun – Mieville
Undaunted, The – Lund
Uprising – Haddix
Vampire Diaries, The series – Smith
Vampirates series – Somper
Variant – Wells
Walk to Remember, A – Sparks
Walk Two Moons – Creech
Ways to Live Forever – Nicholls
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town – Holt
Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls
Where the River Runs North – Morton
Witch & Wizard series – Patterson
Witch Child – Rees
Witness – Hesse
Wuthering Heights – Bronte

Press Release: Lu Ann Staheli Wins Best of State: Non-Fiction

Lu Ann Brobst Staheli has been named Utah’s 2010 Best of State Medalist in Literary Arts: Non-Fiction. In the past year, Staheli saw the publication of her first full length book, When Hearts Conjoin, “Which Way—Do-It-Yourself or Traditional?” as a featured cover article for The Writer Magazine, “Bringing the Library Back to Life After the Library Dragon is Slain” in Library Media Connection Magazine, and Fablehaven Teacher’s Guides for Shadow Mountain Publishers. In addition, Lu Ann had articles published in Desert Saints Magazine, Your LDS Neighborhood, and Meridian Magazine, while she continues to write professional book reviews for LMC, The ALAN Review, and The SIGNAL Journal.

A former member of the Spanish Fork City Arts Council and columnist for both the Spanish Fork Press and the Spanish Fork News, Lu Ann is a popular speaker, having delivered workshop presentations for the League of Utah Writers Round-Up, Utah Council of Teachers of English Language Arts, Utah Educator Library Media Association Spring Conference, LDS Storymakers Conference, WriteWise Publishing Book Camp, UELMA Fall Workshop, and two area chapters of the League of Utah Writers in the past year.

Staheli uses her vast knowledge of publication to coach aspiring authors and is a Senior Editor for Precision Editing Group (PEG). Her efforts to teach others the craft of writing has resulted in more than fifty new authors seeing their first books published in the last two years, and a bevy of other authors finding their books best-sellers or as finalists and winners of the Whitney Award since its inception.

Named Best of State Educator K-12 in 2008, Lu Ann recently saw the release of her second biography, Psychic Madman, co-written with Jim Karol. Her upcoming projects include The Business of Marriage with Dino Watt and a biography with entertainer and humanitarian Alan Osmond.

Psychic Madman Released

I am pleased to announce that Psychic Madman is now available on Amazon.com. You can read details about the book and order you copy by clicking on the following link:



Or, if you're feeling lucky, and you don't mind the waiting, we are giving away three copies on Good Reads. See the details on their site:

The Psychic Madman by Jim Karol


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As the co-author of this book, I learned so much about recognizing inspiration and improving my memorization. Jim is a great guy, and I totally enjoyed having the opportunity to help him tell his story and share his insider secrets to memory and magic skills you can learn as well.

View all my reviews >>

Women of the Book of Mormon: Insights and Inspiration by Heather B. Moore

If you’re looking for a perfect Mother’s Day gift, look no farther than Heather Moore’s new book, Women of the Book of Mormon. Don’t let this slim volume fool you into thinking it is light-weight, because it is not. The information is well-researched and documented, yet easy-to-read and interesting.

Despite the fact I had read the manuscript in its early draft form, I still found myself stopping often to ponder the information and insight Moore had provided into the lives of these women. One striking moment for me was the reason why male children were preferred over females—because females left a family to join the family of their husband, and males remain a part of their father’s household. Suddenly, I understood not just these women, but also the centuries-old preference for male children which still seems to exist around the world today.

Another strength with Moore’s book is the chapters devoted to women who are also in the Bible—Eve, Mary, and Sarah—making this an appropriate gift for your Non-LDS friends and family members as well.

The color illustrations add a new dimension to the text, allowing readers to visualize each of these women in their unique situations.

I know Women of the Book of Mormon is a book I will return to reread again during my scripture study, or when I need a moment to ponder how blessed I am in my own life trials. I know I will buy multiple copies of this book to share with my family members, of all Christian faiths.

Psychic Madman

The new cover for the book I wrote with Jim Karol. This one should be available both online and in stores in a couple of weeks.

Jim is a mentalist who uses his psychic ability, great memory, and mind-over-matter to entertain audiences in his stage shows and TV and film appearances.

Hidden Treasures: Great Books Overlooked by the National Awards

I was a presenter at the Utah Educators Library Media Association (UELMA) conference on Friday. This is the list of books I recommended to the librarians during my presentation. Since readers are always asking me for a list of great books, I thought I'd share this one here for all of you.

Hidden Treasures: Great Books Overlooked by the National Awards

Lu Ann Brobst Staheli, M.Ed.

The 13^th Reality: The Journal of Curious Secrets – James Dashner (Aladdin, 2009)

The 13^th Reality: The Hunt for Dark Infinity – James Dashner (Aladdin, 2010)

The Alchemyst: Secrets of Immortal Nicholas Flamel -- Michael Scott (Del

acorte, 2008)

Antsy Does Time – Neal Schusterman (Dutton Juvenile, 2008)

The Body Finder – Kimberly Dertney (HarperCollins, 2010)

The Chosen One – Carol Lynch Williams (St. Martin's Griffin, 2009)

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X – James Patterson (Grand Central Publishing, 2009)

Dragon Spear – Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2009)

Everything is Fine – Ann Dee Ellis (Little Brown, 2009)

Far World: Water Keep – J. Scott Savage (Shadow Mountain, 2008)

Far World: Land Keep – J. Scott Savage (Shadow Mountain, 2009)

Forest Born – Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury, 2009)

The Hourglass Door – Lisa Mangum (Shadow Mountain, 2009)

How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend – Janette Rallison (Putnam Juvenile, 2007)

Ice – Sarah Beth Durst (Margaret K. McElderry, 2009)

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You – Ally Carter (Hyperion, 2007)

If I Stay – Gayle Forman (Dutton, 2009)

Just One Wish – Janette Rallison (Putnam Juvenile, 2009)

Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse, 2009)

Life as We Know It – Susan Beth Pfeffer (Harcourt, 2008)

Lily Dale: Awakening – Wendy Corsi Staub (Walker Books, 2009)

Lily Dale: Connecting – Wendy Corsi Staub (Walker Books, 2009)

The Line – Teri Hall (Dial, 2010)

The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love: A Novel – A.E. Cannon (Harper Teen, 2008)

The Luxe: Envy – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2009)

The Luxe: Splendor – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2009)

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment – James Patterson (Little Brown, 2007)

Missing: Found – Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

Missing: Sent – Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

My Fair Godmother – Janette Rallison (Walker Books, 2009)

Peter and the Starcatchers – Dave Berry & Ridley Pearson (Disney Editions, 2004)

Pillage – Obert Skye (Shadow Mountain, 2008)

Princess of the Midnight Ball – Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2009)

A Season of Gifts – Richard Peck (Dial, 2009)

The Secret to Teen Power – Paul Harrington (Simon Pulse, 2009)

Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2009)

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow – Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2008)

Sunrise Over Fallujah – Walter Dean Meyers (Scholastic, 2009)

This Is What I Did – Ann Dee Ellis (Little Brown, 2009)

Uprising – Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster, 2007)

Wings – Aprilynn Pike (HarperTeen, 2009)

Wonderous Strange – Lesley Livingston (HarperTeen, 2009)

NATIONAL BUZZ

Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2009)

The Maze Runner – James Dashner (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009)

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2008)

BONUS: Books that Never Fail to Hook Reluctant Readers

The Christmas Box – Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster, 1995)

Deathwatch – Robb White (Laurel Leaf, 1973)

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp – Richard Yancy (Bloomsbury, 2008)

The Luxe – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2008)

The Luxe: Rumors – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2008)

On Wings of Heroes – Richard Peck (Puffin, 2008)

The Rag and Bone Shop – Robert Cormier (Laurel Leaf, 2003)

Tantalize – Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, 2008)

The Warrior Heir – Cinda Williams Chima (Hyperion, 2007)

When Santa Fell to Earth – Cornelia Funke (Scholastic. 2009)

Professional Reading

This Book is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save us All – Marilyn Johnson (Harper, 2010)

Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It – Kelly Gallagher (Stenhouse, 2009)

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything – Ken Robinson (Penguin, 2009)

Books for YOU!

Band of Sisters – Annette Lyon (Covenant, 2010)

Christmas Jars Reunion – Jason F. Wright (Shadow Mountain, 2009)

The Christmas List – Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

Courting Miss Lancaster – Sarah M. Eden (Covenant, 2010)

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Schaffer (Dial Press, 2009)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – Jamie Ford (Ballentine, 2009)

Lemon Tart: A Culinary Mystery – Josi Kilpack (Deseret Book, 2009)

Sarah’s Key – Tatiana de Rosnay (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008)

Traitor – Sandra Gray (Covenant, 2008)

Lu Ann Brobst Staheli is the author of:

When Hearts Conjoin (Richard Paul Evans Publishing)

Jim Karol: Psychic Madman (Sourced Media)

Coming Soon:

The Business of Marriage with Dino Watt

From Showbiz to Starbiz with Alan Osmond

Make 'Em Laugh

I was watching the film The Secret the other day, and one of the seconds talked about a woman who diagnosed with cancer. This woman decided to forgo the usual treatment and spend her time releasing stress by watching the funniest films she could find.

Now, I'm not suffering from cancer, or any other devastating disease that I'm aware of, but I do place myself under a lot of stress in my daily life, so I decided that maybe I needed to revel in a bit of humor from my own video shelves in the past few weeks. And I've found some doozies! Even after multiple viewings of each of these movies, they make me laugh right out loud every time I see them.

I know I always feel better after watching one of them. Maybe they can do the same for YOU!

Rhinestone



The premise of this one alone is enough to make me start to chuckle. Sylvestor Stallone as a country singer? Add the perfect timing of real-life country singer Dolly Parton and you have a pair you will fall in love with, if you don't laugh yourself to death while Stallone is singing --is that what we call it? And the moment he dons the Rhinestone cowboy outfit and hits the back of a horse straight from The Electric Horseman? Priceless! You gotta watch it! This one's funnier than the auditions for America Idol.

Galaxy Quest



If you enjoyed last year's new Star Trek film, and if you were ever any kind of a fan of the TV show, you'll appreciate the subtle parallels that Tim Allen and crew bring to this movie. Maybe not every fan at World Con is wearing a costume, but when some real aliens show up, Commander Peter Quincy Taggert gets taken on a ride that teaches him more about himself than he ever could have learned alone if he really had traveled the entire universe. I really loved seeing "Snape" play a character perhaps a little too close to Mr. Spock than Nimoy himself would have liked. Laugh out loud at this one without feeling the least bit guilty.

American Dreamz



Wait! If you're really an American Idol and Simon Cowell fan, then you have GOT to see this one! Hugh Grant is dead-right on spot in his Cowell-like personae as the host of American Dreamz--with a Z! Mandy Moore's performance didn't thrill me all that much, but hey, the rest of the movie TOTALLY made up for it!

In & Out



By far the most irreverent, but also the most absolute side-splitting movie in the bunch, Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck can actually make you believe they are gay, even while knowing in your heart they are not. Joan Cusack's performance is perfect, and Debbie Reynolds and Wilford Brimley deliver stellar performances as the parent of the now-outed English teacher played by Kline. Just try not to pee your pants when Howard tries out his manly man tapes by trying to keep himself from dancing a little Y.M.C.A.

Chick Flicks and Valentine's Day

February 14th, the day that used to be the most dreaded day of my life. Back in the days before I was married, I hated Valentine's Day. Why? I didn't have a boyfriend, lover, or special someone--a fact that was brought even more clear into my life and to the eyes of the world every Valentine's Day as flowers, candy, and special presents were delivered to the other girls in my classes starting somewhere when I was in grade school and following through for years of my teaching career.

Of course, all that changed for me when I met and married my husband, but I still found myself feeling the hurt of those girls who didn't get something special during the Valentine delivery parade at school on Friday. Oh, the student council tried to right the wrong by delivering candy-grams to almost everyone in the school (somehow a half dozen kids in my class got missed), but word soon spread who those secret admirer messages came from and those who got them still felt let down.

I understood their pain. Too many years of my own life found me hoping, wishing, praying that things would change. I was 40 before that happened. Even now, I think of al those years of looking for love and find myself ready for a good cry.

That's where a great chick flick comes in handy. If you want a great reason to cry without looking like you need to, find a film and settle in for the evening, tissues at the ready. My husband has been working out of town--although he will be here for the special day--but that hasn't kept me from hitting the video shelves and finding some great chick flicks to remind me just how special love is and how much I miss him.

Here's a quick run-down of the movies I've watched in the last couple weeks. Lucky for me, he was here for a couple to snuggle and remember just how much he loves me.



Who needs to go to a packed theater to enjoy a star-packed romantic comedy? Julie Roberts, Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and John Cusack headline this hysterically funny film that hits perhaps a little too close to the world of movie-making and celebrity where my husband and I sometimes live. Funny or not, this one will still make the true romantic have a little cry.



Another laugh-out loud comedy, Greek or not, I still identified with screenwriter and star Nia Vardalos in this film as Toula made her search for the perfect man by becoming the perfect woman. Every time I watch the movie, I thank God my family is NOTHING like hers, well. . . almost!



I first saw this movie in the theater with my husband, and we both loved the rich beauty of Italy, mixed with the romance of relationships that don't always work out the way you expect them to.



Okay, so you might ask how does a story about a man who ends up in a "It's a Wonderful Life" scenerio classify itself as a chick flick? Because Tia Leoni makes you want to live her life and love this man so much that when she almost loses him it will break your heart. I had to call my husband late, late at night after watching this one, just to tell him just how much I loved and missed him.



I watched this movie this afternoon in the kitchen with a houseful of boys, and cried like a baby when it looked like all was lost. And no, the tears weren't because I was figuring out the paperwork for taxes at the same time! I knew the problems worked out too easy in this ghost-like relationship between Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo, and even though I was seeing the movie for a second time, my heart was broken when I thought, just for a moment, that nothing would work out right in the end. That's probably what hooked two of those boys to sit down and watch the movie with me to the very end. It's a good thing none of us walked away unsatisfied.

So, if you forgot to get your special someone a Valentine, or if your special someone hasn't yet walked into your life, I hope you have a great, romantic time anyway this Valentine's Day, and consider watching a chick flick sometime during the day. It will make you feel good about love, no matter what your current circumstances.

Coming Soon: Jim Karol's Supermind

So many people have been asking me about Supermind, my next book coming soon, that I thought you'd like to discover a little bit about Jim Karol, the man whose story we tell. Check out this clip from NBC's Phenomenon where Jim performs the bear trap segment from his show. The book will be released this spring. Jim's part is about 5 minutes into the clip.

Been There, Done That – The Monkees

In 1966 on a Monday night you would have found me glued to the color television set in my parents’ living room. No one—and I mean NO one—was allowed to make a sound for the half-hour that Mike, Mickey, Davy, and Peter were on the screen, because that was my sacred time to watch and listen to my favorite band, The Monkees.

Back in the day before iTunes, CDs or even VHS, I would sit close to the screen, trying to memorize every move as my reel-to-reel tape recorder saved every word and note that came through the speaker. Once the show was over, I would take my recorder into my bedroom to listen again to the show I had just seen.

Back in those days, Peter Tork was my favorite Monkee, followed closely by Mike Nesmith. Like most girls, I liked Davy with his darling British accent—but that was the problem—most girls already liked Davy. There was too much competition, or confusion, or craziness associated with the mere mention of his name. And speaking of craziness-Mickey was just a little too crazy for me.

Yes, I was hooked on The Monkees. Posters were plastered across my bedroom wall, hours were spent listening to the albums over and over again, Tiger Beat was read religiously, and gossip sessions with my friends all revolved around which guy was really cuter.

In 1966, I would never have imagined I’d have the chance to actually meet any of The Monkees, but in 1986 I got my chance. The place: Las Vegas, but that’s not where this story begins.

Just north of Salt Lake City, there’s an amusement park once made famous in a Beach Boys song, “We'll be coming soon; There's a park near the city, yeah; All the kids dig the Lagoon now.” Although it doesn’t seem like the park continues to have big-name performers there anymore, for some reason they were hosting The Monkees there that year, and a bunch of my Osmond-fan friends all ended up going.

Of course, being the type of fans we were, we had a great time—singing along, snapping photos, and trying to meet guys after the show. (Mike was no longer touring with the band by this time, but seeing three out of four ain’t bad!)

To our disappointment, my friend Jess and I were not successful at tracking down any of The Monkees for autographs after the show, but not to be stopped we came up with the brilliant idea, “Hey, they are performing next weekend in Las Vegas. Let’s go!”

Why not? We were single and had money back then, and a trip to Vegas was just a short drive in the car compared to some of the places we had been on our Osmond treks. But we knew if things worked out and we’d actually get the chance to meet The Monkees, we wanted to have something great—something special for them to sign.

I was thrilled when I got my pictures back from Worldwide Photos and saw the great solo shots I had of each one of the guys. I immediately ordered 9x12 prints to take on my trip to Vegas, just in case.

And that move paid off. Years of experience had taught the group of us about locating the most likely spots for celebrities to arrive at a variety of hotels all over Vegas; we knew where to stand; what to have with us; and how to talk to them to get an autograph, even if we didn’t get to pose for a picture.

And this time, we were in luck. I think Mickey must have been the first one off the bus when they arrived at the hotel, and I rushed right up to him, managing to get a scrawled autograph on my previous picture without too much of a fuss.

Davy was next, and he was so gracious. “Wow! Where did you get this picture?” he asked and he wrote David Jones across the top.

“I took it last week in Utah,” I told him.

He gave me a double-take and said, “How did you get it so fast?”

I just smiled and thanked him. Sometimes it pays to be a regular customer in a business establishment with big bucks to spend.

Now I only had Peter to track down and my autograph collection would be complete. But where was he, anyway? Somehow, during the minutes I spent with Davy, Peter had slipped from the bus and headed toward the outdoor pool and his room somewhere beyond. Once I spotted him, I was on my way.

“Peter! Peter,” I called. He lowered his head and seemed even more determined to get away, but I kept following. When I caught up with him a few seconds later, I said, “Peter can you sign my photo for me?”

He glanced over his shoulder before suddenly slowing down. We had left the entourage behind, and he seemed to relax a little. “Okay,” he said, “but we have to hurry.”

“Okay,” I said, understanding that he didn’t want to get stopped by the rest of the soon-to-follow-us crowd.

He signed his name and handed the photo back to me before giving me a smile and saying, “Enjoy the show.”

“I will,” I assured him. “I will.”

And I certainly did. After all, I had met The Monkees, and twenty-years of Daydream Believing had just come true.

Wisdom Keys: The Secret of Your Future is Hidden in Your Daily Routine

If your life is anything like mine, you hit the floor running the moment you get out of bed, and fall back into bed at the end of the day, exhausted beyond measure. Sometimes you find it hard to remember exactly what you did accomplish on a certain day, or perhaps you even wonder if you managed to really accomplish anything.

It’s hard to imagine finding the time to add anything to our already-busy lives, even if making a simple change might make all the difference in bringing us more satisfaction, greater wealth, or an abundance of spiritual blessings.

We know we should participate in daily scripture reading. Prayer should be a regular part of our lives. Spending quality time with our spouse and children should be a top priority. Giving service to others in our neighborhood, church, and community should be a top priority.

But where on earth will we find the time?

Because I currently balance two full time careers, people often ask me, “How do you do it all? Where do you find the time?”

The fact is, I never find the time—I must MAKE the time.

When I have a specific writing deadline, there is no time for television, playing games on Facebook, or going to movies. If I have an obligation for a conference or other presentation, I shuffle critique group, book club, and reading to other nights or spare moments. When I’m required to give additional hours to my teaching job, no excuses will suffice—I simply must be there.

Should I not do the same to make time for my spiritual growth as well? As the Lord reminds us, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). If we allow all of our time to be taken up in the pattern of everyday living, promising ourselves we will find the time tomorrow to start daily scripture reading or next week for family prayer, both days will pass and no change will come.

Just as we must do if we want to further our careers, we must also improve our spiritual moments by making the time, scheduling time for prayer, scripture study, attending church meetings, going to the temple.

Look for those brief segments of time throughout the day that could be better utilized. Do you have a commute, wait for appointments, or attend your child’s sporting events? Can you spend a few moments in quiet meditation, memorize an Article of Faith, or study a single chapter from the scriptures while you wait?

I calculated that by reading only three chapters a day, I can complete the entire Old Testament in less than a year. Since the scriptures are online, I can read them at home or at work without carrying the set with me. I can even download a free mp3 version if I prefer to listen. When it comes to prayer, the Lord is used to hearing from me often as I drive to and from my job. The car is quiet, I’m all alone, and I don’t have to worry about lots of interruptions as I talk openly with my Father in Heaven.

Finding time to improve the spiritual me will also pay off when it comes to meeting my temporal needs. If I make the time to develop my testimony, study the scriptures, and talk to the Lord in prayer, I know he will listen and respond when I ask for the things I might need. By making the Lord part of my daily routine, I will become the person He has meant me to be.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:34; 3 Nephi 13:21) and if I want a treasure, the first place I need to look is where I’ve set my heart.

And that is where I’ll find the secret of my future.

Home Cooking: Helen’s Famous 30-Minute Meals

My mother was talented in many ways, but I think one of the most amazing things about her was her ability to make a complete and delicious home-cooked meal in thirty minutes. I suppose this is a talent she developed after all those years of working at the Camera Shop all day long with my dad, then coming home to feed him—and me—a hot meal.

In any case, some of my favorite meal memories are the things she whipped up as though on the spur of a moment, with no pre-planning required. Of course, I now know that she had likely been thinking about her menu since at least Monday night—the day before her weekly trip to the grocery. But when I was still a child, living at home, those meals seemed like a little bit of magic.

Breaded tenderloin, fried potatoes, cornbread and beans, chili soup—the list went on and on of the dishes she prepared and had on the table almost quicker than I could drop off my book bag, turn on the television news, and come to the table.

Sometimes I would sit on the stool next to the stove and watch her work. An electric skillet on one side of me; the stovetop on the other, Mom would pull together a full course meal with hardly an effort. I suppose this is how I really learned to cook, despite the three years of mandatory home economics classes I took in junior high and high school—back in the day when girls were being raised to be housewives.

“Turn the tenderloin, Lu Ann,” Mom would say when the time was right. “Can you help me peel the potatoes?”

I became an expert at using a paring knife. Give me a potato, an apple, or even a pear and I can skin it in almost one smooth curl—something that can’t be accomplished with a potato peeler.

Years before I was old enough to wield the sharpened knife, Mother had taught the same skills to Sue, who eventually taught them to her daughters, just like I’ve been teaching my sons. Society hasn’t changed its rules only for the girls, you know. Boys need to know their way around a kitchen the same way girls should know how to care for their car.

So, while my husband was off at work two weeks ago, my boys were called to duty to assist in the kitchen as I pulled together those thirty-minute meals my mother was so famous for. Pulling out their family favorites, we made biscuits and gravy, macaroni and cheese, tuna and macaroni salad, ham salad sandwiches, tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, chili soup, and potato soup, as well as a few of Sue’s recipes that perhaps took a little longer, but were so good.

This past week my husband has been home and once again taken charge of the cooking. We’ve had some great meals, but somehow I’ve found that cooking the things my mother made was more satisfying to the taste buds, keeping me away from those late-night snacks I always look for after eating steak or chicken. I’m almost convinced my children think so, too. None of my meals had leftovers, with the boys heading back two or three times to refill their plates or bowls.

Yep, those thirty-minute meals my mother taught me have remained successful. Even my youngest has noticed the difference. “Mom,” he said to me one night earlier this week, “it doesn’t take us as long to eat the stuff you make, but it sure is good.”

And I’d have to agree.

Thanks, Mom, for teaching your 30- minute cooking secrets to me.

Been There, Done That – David Cassidy

For along time now, I’ve considered writing a book titled Been There, Done That, Bought the T-Shirt about the crazy times this girl from Indiana has had since she grew up and moved away. With the popularity of the blog messages I’ve already posted in Living in an Osmond World, I thought it was time I started writing this book about my other celebrity adventures, so on Monday you’ll get the chance to read entries that will someday go into the book.

Enjoy!

Meeting David Cassidy

Perhaps you’re old enough to remember the Tiger Beat Magazine centerfold wars. One month it would be Donny Osmond; the next, David Cassidy. For me, it was never a war as to which poster was hanging in my room—the winner was always David Cassidy. (How ironic that I grew up to work for Donny and his brothers.)

I remember the first time I ever saw David. I was cleaning my closet and watching television in my bedroom. My mother had stopped in to talk about something—who knows what—and I stepped out of the walk-in to see what she wanted. I glanced at the set where Marcus Welby, M.D. was playing and this cute guy came onto the screen. From that moment on, I was hooked.

I sat down on the edge of the bed next to my mother, and watched the rest of the show. Wow! I thought, He sure is cute. With a new boy on my mind, is it any wonder I have no idea why my mom had wanted to talk with me in the first place?

As soon as she left, the poster search was on. The closet-cleaning forgotten, I carefully went through my old issues of Tiger Beat, lifting the center staples and withdrawing all the posters of my newest crush—David Cassidy. This ritual went on through his entire career as Keith Partridge, through the time I saw him as a tiny dot onstage at the Indiana State Fair, only stopping because his popularity in the teen mags seemed to dwindle about the same time I was off to college.

But that didn’t mean I’d forgotten about David.

And in 1976, I got the chance to finally meet him.

It was a Sunday morning when my roommate Debbie and I were heading to church in Bloomington, Indiana. We had the radio on and heard WIFE announced that David Cassidy would be live in studio from noon to two promoting his new single, Getting’ It in the Streets, and to “come on down.”

Debbie and I sort of looked at each, shrugged our shoulders, and headed toward Indy instead of the church. Bloomington was less than 50 miles away from Indianapolis, so it took us less than an hour to get there. David had also just arrived.

We stood outside the station in the cold with a couple other girls, and watched through the window as David was greeted by the DJ and took a seat near the mic. The two of them chatted and David gave us a little wave. I could hardly believe how close he was, and how great he looked.

The station had a speaker rigged up so people on the sidewalk could hear the music and talk going on inside, but that didn’t alter the fact it was freezing where we were huddled to watch and listen. After a little while, someone from the station came outside and said David wanted to invite us all in.

For the next hour, we crowded into the on air booth with him. David chatted with us while the songs played and talked on air between them. I don’t remember much of the conversation, but I was in the same room, talking with David Cassidy! My teenage daydreams had come to life.

I do remember I asked him about his interest in being on the Donny & Marie Show, which was still on at the time, and he said he'd love it.

“I’ll let the Osmonds know the next time I see then,” I told him.

(I wasn’t working for the family yet, but I did keep my promise. Is it my fault it took until April 14, 2007 at Wembley Arena for that to happen?)

)

When it was time for David to go, he hugged us—maybe maybe there was a quick brush like a kiss against a cheek (I can't remember!!!!!) then put on his HUGE fur coat (bigger than the one I described Merrill Osmond wearing in Living in an Osmond World Part 1) and went outside into the waiting limo.

Again Debbie and I looked at each other, shrugged, and decided to follow him!

Long before O.J. and the white Bronco, we were involved in a slow speed chase, north on Meridian Street to his hotel. The limo pulled slowly into the drive and entered the covered lane for easy access to the front doors.

We pulled our car into the adjacent parking lot and stopped. David got out of the car, turned and waved at us. We waved back. Then he walked into the hotel where a few others girls seemed to be camped out at the door, waiting for him as we drove away.

It would be a long time before I again got to see David in person—September 1, 2004, in Orem, Utah, at the Scera Shell Summer Concert series—but even though this time I could actually see his face during the concert, it still wasn’t quite as memorable as the hour I spent in the radio station studio chatting with David like the old friends I often wish we were.

Ah, one can’t have everything they want from life, can they?