Best hour spent

I listened to Stephanie Nielson speak to a crowd of about 10,000 Thursday night. Well, maybe not that many but I'll bet the Ballroom in the Wilk has never held so many people. What an inspiring woman! I shed some tears while listening but I was taking notes, sitting next to my reporter and photographer, so I didn't want to get going too much. I met Amy after and made her drive home while I cried the whole time, telling her things Stephanie said and of the pictures she showed.

If you don't know who she is, she was a popular blogger (NieNieDialogues.blogspot.com) and she and her husband were in a plane crash in 2008 where was burned over 84 percent of her body. The only parts that were unburned were the top of her head and the tips of her toes. The doctors have been growing new skin from her own skin to graft onto the worst burnt areas of her body.

The pictures of her after the accident were so hard to look at. The saddest story she told was of seeing her children for the first time in five months since the accident. She hadn't seen herself in a mirror and when she finally looked she described a "monster." Her children were brought in and one daughter looked at her, then didn't look at her again for three months.

The purpose of the event was to tell women about what beauty is. She is beautiful. Not in the sense that society defines beauty because that was burned away in a plane crash in August of 2008. Her beauty comes from her faith, her love of life, her love for her husband and children and her love for the gospel. She probably didn't want the burden of passing this message on, but she does it gracefully and believably. The Lord is using her as a tool of inspiration that we are all beloved children of our Heavenly Father, not matter what we look like or our limitations. And someday, as she walks through the veil, she'll be whole again and pain free. Until then, she's a marvel.

Two movies everyone should see

I have many favorite movies. Wizard of Oz will always be at the top but I just added a new one to my list - "Temple Grandin." It's about an autistic woman who excels in life, getting a B.A., a master's and a Ph.D. Her story won an Emmy recently for best picture. The best line in the movie is "autistic people are different, not less."

The other movie I love is called "The Boys Next Door" about a group of retarded men living in a house. It's funny but also poignant, especially one scene where a retarded man stands and gives an eloquent speech. The scene is how he'd give it if he wasn't retarded. It makes me think of the afterlife when we will be perfect and without physical problems.

Everyone should see these two films. We need to treat each other better, especially those who are different. Temple Grandin shows how people can be cruel to those who are different. It would be a great movie to show children and teenagers of how NOT to be, and to teach acceptance. It's very thought-provoking and I'm so glad we saw it.

I hate thieves

Why are there crappy people in the world? Is it so we can appreciate nice people? Because I can appreciate nice people without having to deal with the crappy ones.

A year and a half ago it was the druggie thugs that broke into the cabin and stole a bunch of our family antiques and other items. Now I have a new mess to deal with because of some dishonest, thieving, creepy junkyard lowlife who stole my old Texas driver's license number and had checks made in my name, then passed worthless checks at stores like Wal-Mart back in 2001. If I sound angry, I am. There's currently a warrant out for my arrest from an investigator in Texas who thinks I perpetrated this crime. I've had to spend time getting my signature notarized, faxing it to Texas (six times because their stupid fax machine wasn't working), calling to get details and explaining my side of the story all the while being treated like a criminal, alerting the Utah and Texas driver's license divisions about all of this and losing sleep over it. They will never find who did it. They opened a bogus bank account using my info so there won't be anyway to trace it back to them. And they have probably since moved on through a dozen other people's numbers, causing widespread grief.

I'm a forgiving person and it's been nine years so maybe they are reformed now but here is my hope for them: that their underwear rides up and pinches every time they sit down, that every can they open is half-full, that an expensive major appliance quits working, that their outdoor inflatable pool springs a slow leak, that their laundry detergent gives them the itchies in a place they can't reach, that a neighbor's dog barks incessantly, that they can't find their car keys every third day, that their favorite sweater shrinks in the wash and that every cake they bake falls. I can only hope.

Random thoughts

It was fun to be with the Paul Wheeler family this weekend. I caught up with nephews I haven't seen for awhile and found out one of my cute nieces is having baby #3!

I loved eating Cynthia Parrish's peach pie at the cabin. We get together with our college friends twice a year, once at the cabin in the summer. Nertz, food, bocce ball, ring toss, more nertz and laughter.

My mom's health is 110% better than it was at this time last year. Last year she was barely alive in the hospital. Today she is healthy and happy. Prayers are answered.

I got to see my two girls today. I love my girls. And my boy. And my Brandy.

Riley bought six lovely new angel fish for the aquarium today. They are hiding.

I'm giving a vacuum to the No More Homeless Pets Shelter. It's Jason and Brandy's. They said I could give it away. This is a good home for it.

I've been reading the scriptures daily for about seven weeks now. Most of the time I get happiness and comfort from them but occasionally they make me sad.

I'm glad Riley isn't traveling anywhere for a while. For a long while.