America Under Siege

Tristi Pinkston emailed this to me earlier this week. I just barely had the time to read the email. How she knew I am constantly asked about immigration issues and why I am so passionately against illegal aliens I don't know. But here are some statistics that are shocking in their conservative estimates:

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year. Source

2. $2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. Source

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. Source

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally although they cannot speak a word of English! Source

5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. Source

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. Source

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Source

8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers. Source

9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens. Source

10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the United States. Source

11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana, crossed into the U. S. From the Southern border. Homeland Security Report. Source

12. The National Policy Institute, 'estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.' Source

13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin. Source

14. 'The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States.' Source

So using the LOWEST estimates, the annual cost OF ILLEGAL ALIENS is $338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR! So if deporting them costs between $206 and $230 BILLION DOLLARS. We're still ahead of the game if we deport them.

Does anyone wonder why the talk show hosts and conservatives in the know have been screaming at the top of their lungs? Our economy cannot handle this. It's as simple as that. The countries they've come from are broken. Go home and fix them. We had to do that over two hundred years ago and our forefathers paid the price with their lives, families and lands.

My father came to this country legally. It took many years for him to become a citizen and a fiercer patriot has never existed in this nation, save Patrick Henry, maybe.

Why should anyone get to circumvent our laws, abuse our generosity and charity, cripple our health care, judicial and educational systems and face no consequences at all? Are you kidding me?!

Can we afford to NOT deal with this situation? No! Felipe Calderon, the schmuck who runs Mexico, was reported as saying:

Mexican President: We Are Coming!

Friday, September 28, 2007 10:19 AM

Calderon has criticized the U.S. Congress, calling lawmakers insensitive for failing to pass immigration reform.

PUERTO PENASCO, Mexico — Mexican President Felipe Calderon told U.S. governors Thursday that immigration is an inevitable, natural phenomenon and he urged the U.S. Congress to approve reforms that would allow more Mexicans to work legally north of the border.

Calderon demanded that the United States respect "the right to work wherever one can make the greatest contribution."

"Immigration is a natural phenomenon that is economically and socially inevitable," he told the meeting in this Sonora seaside resort town.

In a rare acknowledgment of the costs of migration for Mexico, Calderon said his country "doesn't not celebrate migration ... our best people are the ones who go."

Immigration and border security were among the top issues at the meeting, the 25th annual such event between Mexican and U.S. governors from states along the two countries' common border. Mexican officials were focused on stopping the illegal flow of U.S. weapons into Mexico and protesting expansion of U.S. border fencing. For the Americans, the drug trade, migration and border security topped the list.

On Monday, the U.S. government announced plans to erect about 370 miles (600 kilometers) of fencing and 200 miles (320 kilometers) of vehicle barriers by the end of 2008.

Tension over the fences — which have drawn criticism from environmentalists, land owners and politicians both in Mexico and the United States — surfaced at the meeting.

"This is the great tragedy," said Carlos de la Parra, a participant in the conference's environmental panel, as he pointed to a map of proposed border fences separating nature reserves. Mentioning a list of wildlife that migrates across the border, Parra, of Mexico's Colegio de la Frontera, noted "these animals don't cross the border to shop. They do it out of necessity."

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has opposed the border fencing, praised Mexico and its cooperation with its northern neighbor.

"The relationship has become stronger and stronger each year," he said. "We have become more than just good neighbors. We have become great friends."

Describing his many visits to Mexico since his first one 40 years ago, Schwarzenegger lifted a line from his movie "Terminator," quipping, "I always look forward to saying, 'I'll be back."

Eduardo Bours, governor of the border state of Sonora, called for more border crossings, saying those that exist between Arizona and Sonora are saturated.

"There are lines of three, four and five hours, and so we have to invest much more in border crossings," he said.

He also called for a crackdown on U.S. weapons that "cross the border all too easily." Calderon said weapons illicitly smuggled in from the U.S. had been responsible for killing dozens of Mexican policemen

While all the Mexican governors were scheduled to attend, half of the U.S. contingent of governors — New Mexico's Bill Richardson and Texas' Rick Perry were not coming.

Richardson, who is making a presidential bid, did not give a reason for his absence; Perry's office cited a scheduling conflict.

© 2007 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

His nerve is BEYOND BELIEF! The Mexican government is rife with corruption. The nation has been destroyed by a people who don't give a damn about their own country and improving conditions. If they do, they haven't done anything to fix it other to flee to our country and wreak havoc on our nation. It must stop. I call on I.C.E. to quit pussyfootin' around and start arresting every single illegal alien in this nation. Those who wish to become citizens may do so after serving ten years in the military and proving their loyalty to this nation. If they don't want to be Americans . . . GO HOME!

UPDATE: Someone has challenged these sources. When I checked them they were there. They are still there except for the CNN sources. That article is no longer live. I will try to track it down. I stand by these sources. Someone named Dee emailed me and said these sources were anti-Immigration sources. Maybe she didn't notice I AM anti-illegal immigration. I have no problem with legal immigrants. One of the sources she questioned . . . the House of Representatives. Got nothin' for ya baby!

A Day in Idaho

So I'm back, earlier than I expected. I headed up to Rigby, Idaho on Thursday, thinking I would be the lone person helping my friend move into her new house. Schedules were such that it sounded to me like she was going to be alone. So I hopped in my truck and drove northward.

The hills were much more vibrant than this, but you get the idea. It was a gorgeous drive. As I drove higher and higher peace invaded my spirit and my body began to relax. By the time I arrived at my friend's house I was still in pain (I injured my back earlier) but quite content. When I arrived, her husband, children, one child's spouse and the elders quorum were all working madly to get the truck unloaded. So I pretty much stayed out of the way and just gave Linda the moral support she needed. I was the queen of carrying blankets and single items.

By nightfall, the truck was completely unpacked and the elders quorum was gone. We piled in the cars and headed over to Bambino, a pizza place everyone recommended. Sadly, they were done seating people for the night (it was 8:30) and we were left with having to take pizza back to the house. Pretty sure I'll never be going back there. Customer service not really high on their list of priorities.

Did I mention that the house was inundated with spiders? Have I mentioned how much I HATE SPIDERS! Ugh. Sweet little Sariah (13 years old and a phenomenal artist) killed bugs and vacuumed her room within an inch of its life so that I could sleep in a bug free room for the night. Never underestimate the power of a writer's imagination in a situation like that. It was a long, long night. Come morning, I had two girls and a dog sitting on my bad chattering away while I smiled and stared blearily around me looking for the bugs that had been scattered throughout my dreams.

After awhile, I gave everyone tasks and sent them on their way. Now the day gets better, for me anyway. We decided to hit IHOP in Idaho Falls for breakfast.

I have a big brother, Jay, who lives in Idaho Falls. He's really smart. He's an expert on terrorism. He's my oldest brother. I love him. I called him for directions and I followed them to a "T." Sariah and I ended up in the foothills on a gravel road. The drive had been interspersed with numerous phone calls to my infallible big brother and I heard, "trust me, Candace. You're on the right road." Note to self: Ammon Road is NOT the right road. Hitt Road IS the right road." Finally, Jay decided to come retrieve the two of us when he realized he forgot to tell us to turn. He told me to stay put. I didn't. The next phone call was "You didn't stay put! You just shot past me!" I told him to turn around and come find me. He did.

Here's what I found on my meanderings around the back road, excuse me, wrong road, to IHOP in Idaho Falls. Lots and lots and lots of weeping willow trees. A new furniture yard sale (wishing I had more money for that. Called my friend and told her to come because when they moved from North Dakota they didn't bring a couch, table or chairs. She was waiting at IHOP and didn't want to leave.)

Then Sariah asked me what something was. It as a road sign full of holes. I shrugged and it somebody had shot it multiple times. The look on her face was priceless. I told her it was bored farm boys and there was no danger. I don't think she believed me.

I saw horses and cows and dogs and lots and lots and lots of farm land. Yes, I was calling my brother every five minutes. "Jay, this really doesn't look like Idaho Falls."

Anyway, we finally made it to IHOP and had a wonderful breakfast. I was able to spend some quality time with my brother, my friend and her family. Then everyone went their separate ways and I headed up to Rexburg to have lunch with our missionary son (translation: young man who served in a mission in Orem and we became so close to it was as if he were our son) at Craigos. Can you say PIZZA BOMB! Loved it! It was delicious and it was great to spend that time with Arthur.

This is a picture of him while he was on his mission. He really likes nice cars. Bet you couldn't guess. I really love that young man, as does Alvin. He's a phenomenal person and makes me long for daughters. And yes, ladies, if you have adorable, sweet daughters, he's free.

After lunch he showed me around BYU-Idaho. Sheesh, that campus has really changed. It's still as beautiful as ever, but there wasn't much that was familiar. I picked up at BYU-Idaho zip up hoodie and then we headed over to Arthur's apartment to pick up his roommates and it was back to Rigby.

Arthur and his roommates help Linda organize her food storage room and they did it in no time at all. My back and I were VERY, VERY, VERY grateful.

By 4:00 p.m. I was back on the road and on my way home. And I'm very glad to be home and looking forward to BYU and my boys kicking some Lobo butt! Go Cougars!

Health: Anyone else have allergies?

I went through life relatively allergy free, until about fifteen years ago. I don't know what happened, but little by little I became more and allergic to something in the air . . . and to milk. I loved milk, absolutely adored it, but it came to a point where I could no longer drink it. Then I had to stay away from citrus because it triggered arthritis attacks. Serious Bummer!

Earlier this year I was in need of some chiropractic care. I hurt my back lifting my dad and was really in a lot of pain. I saw my mother's chiropractor in Colorado, Dr. Adam Black but I had no one in Utah County that I was willing to go see. He, Dr. Black, recommended an old classmate of his from chiropractic school, Dr. Greg Kofford of the Freedom Chiropractic Clinic in American Fork.

When I finally returned from Colorado, my husband called and made an appointment for me for a chiropractic visit AND a N.A.E.T treatment. What? Nayet? What's that?

N.A.E.T. is something that literally changed my life. I went over to the doctor's website that developed this technique for treating allergies and grabbed the following description:

Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques, also known as NAET®, are a non-invasive, drug free, natural solution to eliminate allergies of all types and intensities using a blend of selective energy balancing, testing and treatment procedures from acupuncture/acupressure, allopathy, chiropractic, nutritional, and kinesiological disciplines of medicine. One allergen is treated at a time. If you are not severely immune deficient, you may need just one treatment to desensitize one allergen. A person with mild to moderate amount of allergies may take about 15-20 office visits to desensitize 15-20 food and environmental allergens. Basic essential nutrients are treated during the first few visits. Chemicals, environmental allergens, vaccinations, immunizations, etc. are treated after completing about ten basic essential nutrients. NAET® can successfully eliminate adverse reactions to egg, milk, peanuts, penicillin, aspirin, mushrooms, shellfish, latex, grass, ragweed, flowers, perfume, animal dander, animal epithelial, make-up, chemicals, cigarette smoke, pathogens, heat, cold, other environmental agents. It may take several office visits to desensitize a severe allergen.NAET® was discovered by Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad in November of 1983.

NAET® is available all over the world. Over 9000 licensed medical practitioners have been trained in NAET® procedures and are practicing all over the world. To help you find a NAET® specialist, the names of the trained practitioners have been listed on our website under the Find a Practitioner section. We ask that you browse the NAET® website for more information on NAET® and use our practitioner locator to find a NAET® practitioner near you. All NAET® practitioners in the practitioner locator have been trained by Dr. Nambudripad, but it is not possible for us to track each practitioner's performance. Please understand that these trained NAET® practitioners are independent medical practitioners, some may be doing various treatment procedures other than NAET®. It is your job to find the right practitioner for your treatment. Please read the open letter by Dr. Nambudripad, to become well informed, before you make an appointment with a NAET® practitioner from our website.

So I was game. I paid a visit to Dr. Kofford, who completely rocks as a chiropractor and person by the way, and went through the analysis session which identifies all my allergies. Here's the cool part -- NO NEEDLES. Oh yeah, that was seriously down my alley! Turned out I had more allergies than I thought, which explained quite a few things. In fact, that tiny little bulb that lights up when you an idea -- oh yeah, it was huge.

Dr. Kofford explained to me, in detail, what N.A.E.T. was and how it worked. Here's the explanation off the N.A.E.T. webpage . . . but first, let me just say this. I am free of my ten strongest allergies (drinking milk to my heart's content) and will continue going back until every allergy I have is gone. Sayonara, baby!

Let me give you a "for instance." Since I couldn't drink milk I took calcium supplement,s the absorbable kind, faithfully. A year or two ago I found that I was calcium deficient so I went to the dissolvable kind of calcium and faithfully drank that every night . . . yuck! Still, calcium deficient. I didn't know what to do or how to fix it from that point.

Dr. Kofford found that milk was my strongest allergy so we treated that one first. At 25 hours and one minute (25 hours explained below) I drank a milk shake. A big rich hot fudge banana milk shake. NO PROBLEMS! I waited a couple of days and drank a big ol' glass of milk. Still no problems. I was in heaven!

Here's the kicker, one of the things Dr. Kofford found was that I wasn't absorbing my calcium because I had a slight allergy to it. DUH! Why didn't somebody figure that out sooner? That would have been a good thing to know.

Okay, here's the explanation of the process from the doctor (Dr. Devi Nambudripad) who developed it. I always say go straight to the source!

What is correct NAET®?

All patients will be instructed to read the book, Say Goodbye to Illness, by me before you make an appointment with an NAET® practitioner. This will give you some idea about this new, revolutionary treatment and how it may help with your own health conditions. This is not a self-help book, even though, there is much information to help you to keep your health problems under control. You will also read many patients’ testimonials and case studies to help you understand how well they are doing after several years of initial NAET® treatments.

When you begin the NAET® treatments, your practitioner will also ask you to read The NAET® Guidebook (available from the practitioner’s office, or on this website, or amazon.com or any major book stores), to find the suitable foods and/or items to avoid during the course of your treatment.

Your NAET® practitioner will test your allergy using a special computerized allergy testing machine called NAET®ER (this is not mandatory, only optional), or by using muscle response testing as shown in the book Say Goodbye to Illness. He or she will then treat specific acupuncture points on your back using fairly strong acupressure either by hands or with a pressure device (manually operated or electrically stimulated, with a device called "arthrostim") while you are holding the allergen in your palm and touching the sample with the pads of your fingers several times (the number of times your practitioner stimulates your back will depend on the practitioner’s findings as to the nature of NAET® application at the time of evaluation before applying the treatment). All patients above the age of ten will then also receive acupressure (Dr. Kofford does acupressure, whew!) or acupuncture needles at specific points on the front of the body.

Patients are asked to remain for 15-20 minutes in the office after the treatment. At that time they are tested again for their muscle strength with the allergen in their hand. This time, if the treatment is successful, the patient’s arm should remain strong against the practitioner’s pressure. The patient is then asked to wash their hands or rub them together for a minute.

Patients are instructed to avoid all contact with the allergen that they were just treated for, for 25 hours. They are also advised to read The NAET® Guidebook to find the suitable foods they can eat for those 25 hours.

During the spinal NAET® treatment procedure the NAET® practitioner and the patient should be alone in the room to prevent electro-magnetic interference. Children, friends, patients, relatives, office staff or assistants, animals, and other pets should not be allowed in the treatment room.

On the following visit (anywhere from 1 day to 7 days) the practitioner re-tests the previously treated item. If the result is satisfactory (cleared) the practitioner can treat another item. If the allergen has not passed the test at least 80% while rechecking, the same allergen will be treated again alone or will be treated using BBF (brain-body balancing formula), or any other combinations detected by the practitioner at the time of rechecking. It is necessary to clear the treated allergen at least to 80-90% mark before attempting to treat another allergen. If an allergen has cleared 80-90% mark, that allergen will not cause any adverse reaction with future contacts. When the allergen clears at 100% mark, it will begin to compliment the person’s health by enhancing the person’s existing energy in many folds. For example: an allergy to vitamin C was causing arthritis before the NAET® treatment. When the allergy of vitamin C was cleared at 80% mark, the joints stopped hurting and the swelling began to subside by reducing the pain and inflammation at the joints. But when it was cleared at 100% mark, the foods and supplements containing vitamin C began strengthening the joints by helping with the repair of the unhealthy tissue of the joints. Occasionally, 100% clearance happens soon after one treats an item one or two times. Patients response to an NAET® treatment (or treatments) will depend on various factors: immune system of the patient at the time of treatment, age, sex, the duration of the illness, the severity of the illness, emotional status of the patient, the number and type of emotional energy blockages, the ability to follow and carry out the instructions, the energetic compatibility of the patient and the practitioner or whoever is involved with the patient care, and the patient’s belief system in the specific treatment. If a patient has any above mentioned complicated issues, the complete clearance will only happen after clearing a number of combinations and other related allergens in the basic groups because most foods we treat are in a complex group. For example: let’s look at the NAET® sample egg mix. This contains egg white, egg yolk, chicken, feathers, and Tetracycline. We know the egg contains most of the essential nutrients to nourish the body. NAET® Basic treatments are basic essential nutrients that are essential for the body’s survival. Egg mix alone and the detected combination treatments will clear initially about 80%. The rest (20%) of the clearance will take place while clearing specific ingredients from the NAET® basics, like calcium, B vitamins, iron, minerals, amino acids, etc. Complete clearance of the items may not be received until one treats all basics satisfactorily at all levels – (physical, physiological and psychological levels).

I receive many inquiries regarding the need to treat the NAET® basics. I hope this helps readers understand why some people need more than couple of NAET® treatments per item, or why they don’t feel great from day one, why they don’t stop reacting and don't feel great when eating, why practitioners are advising them to get treated for various combinations like heat, cold, acid, BBF, etc. NAET® treatment applications may look similar, but the treatment received by each patient is different and his/her response to the treatment is different because of the reasons given above.

Please interview your practitioner before you make your appointment if you want to receive TRUE NAET® treatments. There are many look-alike treatments that have been developed recently. Please find out if the practitioner has attended NAET® Basic, Advanced-1 and Advanced-2 level classes. If they started NAET® more than four years ago, please find out if they have been returning for mandatory yearly certification, as well as attended Basic, Advanced-1 and refresher’s class recently. Please also verify their information on our website: www.NAET®.com. Good luck with your NAET® treatments.

-Devi S. Nambudripad, M.D. (WI), D.C., L.Ac., Ph.D. (Acu.)

Apparently there are a lot of whack jobs out there doing crazy treatments and claiming to be N.A.E.T. practitioners . . . not Dr. Greg Kofford. He's as honest and solid as the day is long. And good, really, really good. Gentle chiropractor and N.A.E.T. practitioner . . . it's a twofer.

If you're in driving distance of Utah County, go see Dr. Kofford, you won't regret it. Tell Charity, Carissa and Dr. Kofford that I sent you and they'll be extra special nice! You'll love 'em, I promise.

Freedom Square Chiropractic
246 South 1100 East
American Fork, UT 84003
(801) 756-8833

Ask for Dr. Kofford . . . he's the man you want!

Dancing With The Stars

I can admit it. I'm a Dancing With The Stars addict. What can I say? When my husband was in the hospital a couple of years ago I was trapped in the hospital room with him. Patient controls the remote. That's the unwritten rule of the hospital. So I watched every show my husband wanted to watch. And yes, Dancing With The Stars was one of them. This year it's especially fun to watch because one of my best girlfriends is competing on the show.

As many of you know, Marie and I are dear friends. I was so excited when she told me she would be competing in this year's DWTS's. Then I found out she was paired with Jonathan and I thought to myself, "Could it be any more perfect." Jonathan is the master at making his partner look good.

So it was with baited breath that I watched her dancing debut tonight. She looked beautiful and Jonathan choreographed a marvelous routine that played to her strengths, as is usual with him.

For those of you who don't know how the show works, here's a basic rundown.

Professional ballroom dancers (top of their field) are paired with unlikely stars. With six weeks before the first night of competition, they learn the rudiments of ballroom, hone their skills and attempt to master in a short time what their partners have taken a lifetime to do. Then each week they have seven days to learn a new dance. Then, if they make it to this point, they have to start learning two dances in seven days. Challenging? Yes. Daunting? Yes? Possible? For some.

So on the roster this year are: Melanie Brown (Scary Spice), Sabrina Bryan (Cheetah Girl (don't ask me, I don't know)), Helio Castroneves (NASCAR racer), Mark Cuban (self-made billionaire/owner of the Houston Mavericks), Jennie Garth (90210 actress), Josie Maran (model/actress), Cameron Mathison (soap actor), Floyd Mayweather (boxer), Wayne Newton (entertainer), Marie Osmond (need I say more?), Albert Reed (model) and Jane Seymour (again, need I say more?) Quite an eclectic group, which is what the producers strive for.

Marie has been performing since she was three-years-old, but as she said to me and to the world, "I can't dance." Well Jonathan managed to prove her wrong. I think she'll only improve with every week. She has an incredible competitive streak!

I could not be prouder of my friend. She's a good woman with a good heart. And now she's participating in my favorite show. How fun is that?

So please watch the show and if you like her dancing, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE! It's a relatively painless process. You're allowed to vote six times from each phone number and email address. Yes, I voted six times from cellphone, from my home phone and from the internet. Hey, they let me do it!

So this is my shout out to Marie. Go girl! I'll be cheering you on.

Columbia President Bollinger Introduces Ahmadinejad

Columbia President Lee Bollinger has some questions before introducing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a speaker at the university, September 24 2007

I agree with every word this man said, but what was the purpose of bringing Ahmadinejad to the university? Why listen to the rantings of a madman? Why give him a platform? Why allow evil an unedited voice to reach the minds of the weak? Why?

Ahmadinejab in the U.S.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejab is in the United States of America. We let an evil man who is a progenitor of terrorism, acts of war (sending Iranian troops into Iraq to attack and our soldiers), genocide and frankly, the biggest nutjob walking the planet right now, waltz right into this country without hesitation

Why do I say this? For a number of reasons. I used to do a podcast, which I hope to get organized to start again soon. One of the men I interviewed was Jay Case, who is currently completing his doctorate in Terrorism under the tutelage of Dr. Sean Anderson, one of the foremost experts on the subject. This is when I first learned of Ahmadinejab. Here are some of the reasons he's a nutjob, a very dangerous evil one, but a nutjob.

Point 1: He believes the 12th Imam will return at the height of the apocalypse and either (this is where it gets a little fuzzy): Kill all infidels (everyone who is not Muslim); or Jesus Christ will come and say, "I have always worshiped Allah and my followers have had it wrong all these years," then Jesus will be a slave at the feet of Allah (I'm offended just typing that) and all the infidels will be killed; OR the 12th Imam will convert Jesus Christ yada, yada, yada and again ending with all the infidels being killed. In other words, the nutjob wants everyone who doesn't believe what he believes to be killed.

Oh, did I mention that the 12th Imam has been hiding in a well for thousands of years? Oh yeah, poor little guy must be completely deranged by now.

Point 2: Said nutjob believes it is his solemn duty to usher in the apocalypse and the return of the 12th Imam.

Point 3: Nutjob believes that the holocaust never happened.

Point 4: Nutjob intends to wipe Israel off the map.

Need I go on? Oh, I can. Even the Iranians have grown weary and exceedingly concerned about their delusional and dangerous leader's behavior and thought processes. He had the road between the 12th Imam well and the city rebuilt, presumably so the little guy won't stumble on a pebble and fall to the ground. Which after being kept in a cold, dark, dank well all these years, most likely would happen.

The University of Columbia has adamantly refused to cancel the nutjob's visit to the campus. The AP reports: "University President Lee Bollinger has resisted requests to cancel Ahmadinejad's speech this year but promised to introduce the talk himself with a series of tough questions on topics including the Iranian leader's views on the Holocaust, his call for the destruction of the state of Israel and his government's alleged support of terrorism."

Oooh, that'll keep everyone safe. Friends, this is as if Adolf Hitler were extended a personal invitation to come to the land of the free and the home of the brave to explain to us why he was bent on world domination and the destruction of all Jews.

DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS?

Update: I was cruising the news sites for my In the News section of my blog page and found this. How ironic!




So let me simply say this. It is the standard M.O. of nutjob Muslims to issue three warnings. Bin Laden is hard at work issuing his current three (although, I believe he has completed that with his last video) and Ahmadinejab is here for his second visit to issue another warning to the U.N. Did all the left wing media forget that?

Presidential Candidate, Mitt Romney has called for the arrest of Mahmoud Ahmadinejab. I like that. Giuliani refused to let another nutjob into New York City while he was still major. I liked that.

Do you all want to know what happens after the third warning . . . need I remind you of September 11th, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole, the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon and on and on and on . . . terrorist attacks did not begin with September 11th. Our citizenry simply woke up for a brief moment before nestling back in their beds with their covers over their heads.

So let me close with this. Jesus Christ is my God and the Son of God, Heavenly Father. I believe them to be two separate and distinct personages who are one in heart, mind and intent. He is not, nor will He ever be showing up anytime soon, or ever, to say He's been Muslim all along. He is the Everlasting Prince of Peace, the God of this world and our Savior and Redeemer.

The 12th Imam is a sad, dangerous little fairytale concocted to keep those Muslims who believe in him in a constant state of anxiety and chaos. (Ushering in the apocalypse. Please, let's not rush to total destruction.)

The minions of Satan may kick against the pricks for millennia but Jesus Christ WILL triumph in the end. All righteous people, of all faiths, will be gathered under the arm of His protection and peace will reign on this earth. Finally. I will follow Him wherever He leads me, for I know that He would never cause me to harm another unless the danger was imminent. He would never insist I convert or kill every single person in the world. He would never, never rule with hatred, vitriol and violence, for He is the Prince of Peace. I choose Jesus Christ.

Womens Retreat With My Sister

We didn't get to retreat to someplace wonderful like this because of the actions of a woman and two kids. Let me explain.

Every year, my sister's stake hosts a womens retreat in late August or mid-September. At this retreat, the women gather without husbands and children, and protected by camp security, they have a wonderful 24 hours. They begin with dinner and a fireside, and then end up staying up laughing and talking around the campfire. Up early for breakfast and then three classes on a variety of subjects and off you go. Heather's stake always does this wonderful thing up at Camp Kowoloho. But this year some idiot woman and two kids decided to derail that plan. They showed up at the camp, poured gasoline on the brand new kitchen and burned the lodge. Then they took chainsaws and cut all the tables in half. Then they shot out all the windows. Then, as if that wasn't enough, they took the tractor and ran it into every single cabin and destroyed them. After completing their work, they went on their merry, miserly, destructive little ways, leaving behind a completely destroyed camp that could not only no longer host girls camp but the yearly womens retreat. Now the church has to, and will, completely rebuild before it can be enjoyed by the thousands of girls and women again.

Does anybody get the sense I want to swear right now, because I do. I can't imagine what this woman was thinking or what her mental and moral dilemma is . . . but geez woman, GET A LIFE! And please, don't cross my path any time soon.

Oddly, that is not the topic of this blog. Really. What I wanted to talk about is the Plan B retreat they did this year. Because Camp Kowoloho was removed from the scenario: quick plans, changed schedules and hectic women and men shuffled, juggled and rearranged until they were able to have the retreat at the Stake Center in Santaquin.

The men served dinner to us, yummy enchiladas, rice and beans (I guess it's a good thing we weren't up at those cabins.) We then heard a song called Friend (composed by Michael McClean) sung beautifully by a local sister. Then Liz Lemon Swindle stood up and shared her life and experiences with us as an artist. Wonderful stories of the Savior and how she found the models for His paintings, experiences that colored her life and built her testimony. It was an amazing night. Here are a few of her paintings:

At the conclusion of the fireside we gathered as wards into different Sunday School rooms and held our "camp fire," it was a flashlight, but hey you work with what you have. Lots of games, music and stories. It was an absolutely delightful evening. I look forward to next year's and wonder why my stake doesn't do something cool like this?

But there's more . . .

The next morning, instead of teaching Jeff Savage's writing class (which I thought was 8 to 10 in evening and turned out to be 8 to 10 in the morning, talk about a dark and rainy night . . . but we won't go into that) I was eating breakfast with Heather and her stake. After breakfast, wait for it . . . oh yeah, we were taught how to play golf by Billy Casper. BILLY FREAKIN' CASPER! How cool is that? I still suck at golf, but that's not his fault.

You don't know who Billy Capser is . . . well, let's turn to the internet: William Earl "Billy" Casper (born June 24, 1931) is an American golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s. He was born in San Diego, California. Between 1964 and 1970 Casper won 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour, which was more than legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player did during that time period. He won 51 times in his career, placing him seventh on the all time list. He captained the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1979 and was considered the best putter of his era by many. After his professional career he has been a designer for many golf courses such as The Highlands, The Palm and Eagle Crest in Sun City Summerlin, Nevada . . . and he's a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) too.

At the conclusion of the golf lesson, armed with signed pictures and golf ball, we trotted on over to learn the joys of Dutch Oven cooking, and then on to learning how to make beautiful tiles to hang on the walls of my home. All in all, I was able to spend about 24 hours with my sweet little sister and her adorable baby, Elias. This is something I do with her every year as our "sisters" thing. I am always filled and edified, without fail. The women of her stake always make a tremendous effort to make this a night and morning to remember, filling the well within to get them through another year. It's really something else!

At the close of this wonderful event I hurried over to a friend's house to watch the BYU vs. Air Force game. I don't like to see military schools lose, unless their playing BYU. Oh yeah, we won! We stomped! We conquered! The team that had already taken out TCU and U of U had to bow at the alter of our greatness as a football team . . . all right, the last one may have been a little over the top. But, we won.

Maybe I'll leave the sports reporting to Dick Harmon of the Deseret News. Here's what will hit the papers this morning:

Did BYU defenders, splayed like fish in Tulsa last week, see Saturday's conference opener against Air Force as a chance to atone for themselves?

"Absolutely," said senior linebacker Bryan Kehl. "We have reason to smile. We came out and played the kind of defense we want to play, the kind of defense we know we can play."

The Cougar defense came within a long pass play of shutting out Air Force in Saturday's 31-6 Mountain West Conference opener for the defending champs.

Safety Quinn Gooch, a player humbled in Tulsa's 55-47 win over BYU last week, set the tone by intercepting Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney's second pass of the game.

"We did that last week, and didn't carry that momentum the whole game," said Kehl.

This time, the momentum did continue BYU's way as the Cougars defeated the Falcons by controlling the line of scrimmage and delivering defensive punches all game long.

The big ones included Kehl hitting Carney in the act of passing two different times on Air Force's third possession and linebacker David Nixon hitting Carney's arm so hard on a pass attempt in the third quarter that the ball went sideways almost in the stands. Sophomore defensive end Jan Jorgensen had two sacks and freshman Eathyn Manumaleuna added one.

BYU's defense all but shut down Air Force's new offense.

And on the other side of the ball, even with star receiver Austin Collie on the sidelines with a sprained ankle, coordinator Robert Anae unloaded Manase Tonga and Harvey Unga on the Falcons and simply wore down the smaller Cadets. In the end, both were ripping off 5- to 10-yard runs on a defense that hadn't given up more than 73 yards to any rusher all season.

With Fui Vakapuna sidelined with a broken hand, Unga had 111 yards and Tonga added 41. Where Air Force's rush defense had given up 70, 73 and 89 yards to South Carolina State, Utah and TCU, the Cougars rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

Said Air Force coach Troy Calhoun: "I thought their backs ran well, both after the catch and also whenever they were on predetermined hand-offs."

BYU sophomore quarterback Max Hall had plenty of other weapons, including receivers Matt Allen and Michael Reed. When the Falcon defense, ranked No. 12 nationally in scoring defense and No. 17 in rush defense, had linebackers concentrating on Unga and Tonga, Hall simply delivered monster plays to the tight ends, led by sophomore Dennis Pitta (five catches for 114 yards).

"I was impressed with BYU today," Calhoun said. "Just physically the size of them.

"They're a big group. They're a stout crew. When they get somebody at home they're going to be tough to beat. They're a good group on both sides of the ball."

Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney said the Cougars had more passion Saturday.

"There just wasn't the passion and excitement that we needed to win this game," he said. "I just thought that BYU wanted it more and it showed up front and in all the plays that they were making and that we were not making.

"Our MWC hopes are not dashed ... Our No. 1 goal right now is to win the Mountain West. We know that we're fine with one conference loss. We've already knocked out two of the top teams. BYU got the best of us today, but we're looking forward to seeing how the Mountain West is going to play out."

New Mexico goes down next. We own the Mountain West Conference! Go Cougars!

Kicking the Mountain Dew Addiction

I never thought I would type or say those words, not in a million years. But in February of 2006 Alvin was admitted to the hospital. Over the next six weeks my sweet husband underwent so many medical procedures to save his life. It was touch and go so many times that I feared falling asleep or going home. Every time I did, he crashed. Two weeks into this hospital stay is when I went down to the vending machine and purchased my first Mountain Dew. When I say first, I mean that I'd had one on occasion when driving on long trips, but at this point, I hadn't had a soda pop in ten years. But I needed something to keep awake and Mountain Dew did the trick.

By the end of the six weeks I was downing six to eight a day just to stay awake, just to keep moving forward. Time went on and Alvin recovered and life resumed in a normal fashion . . . kind of. The end result is the situation I find myself in now.

Now I need it to get through every day. There are no more emergencies. Nobody dying. Nobody needing surgery. Nobody needing constant care and attention. And I'm still drinking Mountain Dew every single day.

I'm not stupid, I know how bad pop is for me, not to mention caffeine.

Carbonation leaches the caclium from your bones.

High fructose corn syrup (which is in every blessed thing by the way) is linked to obesity (especially in the belly), diabetes type 2, Parkinsons and more

Caffeine overuse includes side effects such as: dizziness, tachycardia, blurred vision, drowsiness, dry mouth, flushed dry skin, diuresis, loss of appetite, dehydration . . . do I need to say anymore?

And yet, here I am in all my stupidity, trying to kick an addiction. While I like to think I wake up looking like this every day . . . okay, obviously I'm delusional (do you think I can blame that on the caffeine too?) I don't look like Cindy Crawford, I just wish I did. She probably drinks coffee every day too and still looks like that! Really, nobody wakes up looking like that in the morning!

Nevertheless, I digress. I'm more like this guy come mid-morning. Trade the coffee out for Mountain Dew and that would be me.

So I made a pact with my girlfriend, we were kicking the caffeine habit. She did. I didn't. I fell off the wagon.

I decided to give myself a little accountability. So I'm writing about this today. I am now 48 hours, and counting every agonizing, excruciating second, without caffeine.

Over on the righthand column you'll find a section dedicated to the kicking of this habit. I just wish Mountain Dew didn't taste so dang good! But I am relegated to water and milk, which I love! Wish me well.

And last, but certainly not least --- BYU faces Air Force today as is the lone team standing between them and an undefeated season. GO COUGARS! Don't forget to cheer for our boys. This is a must win.

Books, Books and More Books

I love books. I adore books. I don't worship books, but if I didn't consider it blasphemous I probably would.

Framed over at Framed and Booked tagged me about books . . . how could I resist?

So, here we go.

1. My Reading ∙ I love to read. Histories, biographies, autobiographies, romantic suspense (well really, any kind of suspense), westerns (if they are written by Louis L'Amour (not his kids)), humor. I just love to read and if its well-written I'll read any genre except for porn and horror. I'm with Framed and Booked about the gratuitous sex, I sure wish they'd leave it out. I love to be entertained, educated, enlightened and distracted from life. I always find that in the pages of a book.

2. Total Number of Books Owned ∙ 3,248 and counting, because I found a stack of books this morning that hadn't been cataloged. I'm certain I will find more as we continue transferring offices. Bookmooch? What's Bookmooch . . . don't think I won't be checking that out and soon!

3. Last Book Bought ∙ James L. Ferrell's The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Hearts and Homes. Tristi, you can have yours back now. The first paragraph on the inside jacket cover reads: "What does the atonement mean, practically speaking? How is Christ the answer to a strained relationship with a spouse, child, parent or sibling? What if I am being mistreated--how can the atonement help me cope with that? How can I discover the desire to repent when I don't feel the need to repent? And how can I invite others to do the same? . . . The Peacegiver is a book about the answers to these questions." How could I not pick it up? Although it's going to have to be very good to beat Tad Callisters Infinite Atonement.

4. Last Book Read ∙ White Heat by Cherry Adair is the last book I read. I wish I hadn't. While the story was very good, it was a little too predictable, waaaayyyyyy too much sex, I had to skip so much of the book. If they weren't having sex they talking about wanting to have it. It was ridiculous! You'll notice this book isn't hyperlinked. That's because I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I want my money back.

5. Five Meaningful Books ∙ I've found the most meaningful books in my life have all been religious.

Book 1: The Plan of Salvation: Doctrinal Notes and Commentary by Matthew B. Brown. Never have I read a text that gave a clearer presentation and understand of our Heavenly Father's plan of salvation;

Book 2: The Infinite Atonement by Tad Callister. This book helped me to understand the Atonement with all its nuances and applications better than any book I have read on the subject.

Book 3: Gethsemane by Andrew Skinner enlightened me as to the reasons for Gethsemane and the crucifixion. My heart was touched so deeply by the Savior's sacrifice. I pulled a quote from Gethsemane to include in my own book Forged in the Refiner's Fire: "As our dear Savior knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane and the full weight of sin, sorrow, illness, and grief of untold numbers of worlds fell on His shoulders for the first time, he felt “ekthambeisthai [translated as] ‘sore amazed’ (Mark 14:33). It is often rendered as ‘awestruck’ or ‘astonished.’ One respected New Testament scholar says that this word is best rendered as ‘terrified surprise’.” Gethsemane by Andrew Skinner. For the first time in our Lord and Redeemer’s existence, sin touched His perfect soul."

Book 4: Book of Mormon: 1830 Replica Edition ∙ as translated by the prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr. and the The Holy Bible King James Version: 1611 Edition. There are many passages in both books that literally speak to my soul. But in particular there is one known as Nephi's Psalm, written after had endured so much trial and tribulation at the hands of his older brothers. Found in the Book of Mormon, I'm going to include it in here (2 Nephi 4:16-35):

16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.

24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my ctrust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I bask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

Oh, how my heart has cried out to the Lord, echoing these sentiments at times. But I find solace in this passage of scripture because of the greatness and gentleness of Nephi, this ancient prophet of God.

Book 5: Temple and Cosmos: Beyond This Ignorant Present (The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol 12 : Ancient History) by Hugh Nibley. Now this author is not a fast read in any way, shape or form. But oh how I have learned from this volume of knowledge gathered by one the great minds and apologists of the century (20th century).

And that is the end of the tagging list. Kind of fun, isn't it? I know I added a lot more than most people will, but hey, that's me. Right?

Thanks for tagging me, Framed. It was nice to ponder over what I've read lately. Always good to realize what was money well spent and what wasn't. Now, I'm going to tag Karen Hoover over at A Writer's Ramblings, Ali at Girl in a Whirl, Karlene from Inksplasher and Kat over at JustaBeachKat. Like Framed, I'd like you to send me your links when you're done.

100 Things About Me

As always, when I need it, I start out a blog with a beautiful picture. This is of a farm in the early morning sunrise.

It seems that in Bloggerland there is a tradition upon your 100th post that you write 100 things about yourself. I really have to ask, who comes up with stuff? I bet they're related to the guy who came up with the scrum in rugby. Or maybe they're related to the guy who decided that cleaning house was a woman's job . . . you gotta wonder about these people.

Nevertheless, here I am -- writing 100 things about me, even though it is not my 100th post. This one will be 86, I think. But I always break certain rules to make myself feel better about all the rules I do keep. Yeah, you guessed it . . . this is one of them. So here goes, I'm not sure that it will be very easy, but here it goes.

1. I am a writer and have published three books and two booklets.

2. I was born in San Diego, California while my biological father was stationed on Coronado Island.

3. I went to twenty-four elementary schools.

4. I went to 3 junior highs my seventh grade year.

(Don't ask on 3 and 4 -- but it wasn't my fault.)

5. I love hot fudge/caramel brownie sundaes made with moose tracks ice cream created by Brick Oven. What fun is it if you have to make yourself? I restrict myself to one of those a year. My friends Merrill and Debbie were a bad influence last year as I had four over the course of the year!

6. Alvin and I were friends, dated, engaged, broke up, engaged and married . . . all in twelve years. Yeah, I know. That's kinda speedy, but we were crazy young kids. What were we to do?

7. I am married to the love of my life.

8. I love all the colors of the sunset.

9. My favorite season is fall.

10. My favorite music group or artist is . . . is . . . the Osmonds, Gary Morris, Josh Groban, Luther Vandross with Gregory Hines and Ronan Tynan, don't MAKE me choose.

11. My favorite authors are Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz and Kay Hooper.

12. I lived in California, Nebraska, Montana, Utah, Montana, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Colorado (and then I turned 18,) Idaho, Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Utah, California and finally stayed put in Utah. Sheesh, no wonder my husband can't get me out of this house. It's going to take a stick of dynamite to move me now.

13. I love the tops of the mountains at sunrise.

14. I own 3, 248 books and counting.

15. I am a member of LDS Storymakers.

16. I am the daughter of a father that survived Hitler's invasion of his homeland.

17. I was raised in the country. Although I've assimilated well into the city, I will always be a country girl at heart. And no, I never had the "F-chick" hairdo. And no, I do not know what the "F" stands for. Probably don't want to know.

18. There are very few things I love more than curling up with a good book, a warm quilt and a cup of hot chocolate on blustery Winnie the Pooh day.

19. I had open heart surgery when I was barely eighteen years old. (That was not fun, believe me! But at least the surgery was performed by Elder Russell M. Nelson (he was just Dr. Nelson then.))

20. I love to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

21. One of my favorite things is when my ten month old nephew curls into my body, wraps his little arm around my neck, rest his head on my shoulder and sleeps. Really, is there very much in life that is sweeter than that?

22. I am a Quantum-Touch practitioner.

23. I am very knowledgeable about herbs and alternative healing.

24. I love BYU Football . . . I mean REALLY LOVE BYU FOOTBALL! I know, I've kept that pretty quiet, but it had to come out some time.

25. I am deeply involved in politics and currently serve as my precinct chair.

26. I miss the hair I had in the 80's and 90's . . . it was five minutes and I was out the door. Man menopause really stinks, well except for all the good stuff!

27. I used to be addicted to Mountain Dew, okay maybe I still am . . . just a little. Don't tell Debb.

28. I have survived 44 years and it will only get better from here.

29. I am a gardener who can't tell the difference between a plant and a weed. Hence the purchase of plants already growing.

30. I appeared on the Phil Donahue Show defending my church in April of 1993.

31. I have been interviewed on a radio show five times.

32. I have a podcast called Imagine.

33. I have a business called Salima Enterprises, LLC.

34. I intend to have a publishing house, movie company and record label within ten years. I just hope I'm not too old to do anything with it by then.

35. I have written four screenplays.

36. I studied the life of the prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr. for two years. His life was broken out into colors and placed on index cards interspersed with American history, religious history, political history, socio-economic history, literary and artistic history.

37. My major in college was English Non-Teaching (no such thing as Creative Writing at BYU then) with a minor in History.

38. I have the BEST friends in the world.

39. My family is second to none.

40. I am happy and very blessed.

41. I love family history and genealogy.

-----MAN, this is hard. 100 things, really? Where is that guy, he needs a serious talkin' to!

42. I am co-writing a book with someone I admired so much as a teenager, Merrill Osmond. Who says life isn't odd?

43. I am directly descended from William the Conqueror, Henry I, Queen Matilda and Henry II --- where the heck is all my money, my kingdoms, thrones and principalities. Where the heck is my tiara?

44. Back to reality, I really love the movie The Mummy.

45. I hate to clean. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hate to clean.

46. I don't like to do laundry.

47. I clean and do laundry anyway because I don't like using a guide dog to get out the front door of my home.

48. My husband is the coolest husband in the world, but he can't win the contest anyway.

49. The Utah Chapter of the Beautiful Bodacious Babbling Blogging Babes is underway. Many gifts are being donated for door prizes for the first luncheon we are having.

50. When given the time and inclination I can put away five books in one day. Really. Can't remember the last time I had the time to do it, but I could if I wanted to and that's the important thing. Right?

51. I wrote Out of the Shadows . . . Into the Light in six weeks. Dreams Die Hard is approaching three years. Yeah, not the quickest sequel to ever hit the shelves.

52. I studied under the top story structurist in Hollywood, Paul Gray, for two years and learned more than I did all my years in college. Shhh, don't tell my mom.

52. I had to turn down an offer on a screenplay because the production company turned out to be a soft porn company. Man, that was a serious letdown. I'm pretty sure I don't want to know the changes they were going to make to my story.

53. I have three major comfort meals: spaghetti, garlic toast, corn and salad; roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and homemade bread; and taco salad.

54. I can make 52 main dishes, well.

55. I've seen the movie White Christmas at least 75 times. So sue me, I love Danny Kaye and the music in that movie.

56. I attended both Ricks College (oh yeah, that would be the Lord's school) and BYU Provo.

57. I have been on two national book tours.

58. I have friends in high places who can do absolutely nothing for me except be a good friend. Which in the scheme things this is a good thing . . . but it sure would be nice . . .

59. I re-read Kay Hooper's Bishop Series every time a new book in the series comes out.

60. I am currently writing four books.

61. I am a new fan of the The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy. The movies are what pulled me in.

62. I like to absolutely end in a prepositional phrase on occasion as well as split my infinitives.

63. Grammar is my greatest weakness in writing. Betcha didn't guess that.

64. I'm addicted to Food Network.

65. Love Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Rockinest show ever!

66. I like to use adjectives, adverbs and exclamation points, no matter what the experts say. Yes, that means you Chip MacGregor, Annette Lyon and Heather Moore.

67. I really hate making lists, have I mentioned that?

68. I am being overun by books and research in my office. We're in the process relocating it to the downstairs family room.

69. I spent 3 1/2 hours coercing three men to take a monster desk apart and load it into my truck so that I could drive it to Utah from Colorado. Yes, that would be the desk that is in pieces in my garage waiting to be put together in my new office.

70. If I could line every lawyer in the nation up and force them to work a farm for six months, it would make me the happiest woman in the world, better yet, put 'em on the front line in Iraq. Yes, there is more to that story that you will never hear.

71. I love 501s. I'd wear nothing but nice shirts and 501s every day if I could get away with it. Sadly, one of my best friends would give a fashion model a run for her money. So I definitely feel the need to trade out the 501s for some nicer clothes on occasion. Serious bummer!

72. I have a Ford Ranger Truck and I love it. I reiterate, "No, I am not an F-Chick." Again, I don't know what that stands for, just what it means.

73. I am a Xoçai distributor. That would be the chocolate of the gods for those not in the know.

74. My husband and I TiVo every single show we watch. Every two or three Saturdays I sit down on the couch, veg and watch as many shows as I can get in a single day.

75. I never miss a BYU football game.

76. I am the sixth of twelve children.

77. I am, without a doubt, the coolest aunty in the world. That is my story and I'll stick to it 'til the day I die. Oh yeah, I'm not going to die. I decided long ago to be twinkled. I guess I better let Heavenly Father in on that little plan.

78. I love history. I could absolutely immerse myself in history but I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up indoor plumbing.

79. I could listen to Gregory Hines and Luther Vandross sing Nothing Better Than Love over and over and over.

80. I have the sweetest nephews and nieces in the entire world.

81. Quiddler is my favorite game, bar none . . . well, expect for Trivial Pursuit.

82. I like taking walks up the canyon with my friend and end with three tortuous climbs up the stairs from hell. Anyone from Utah County knows where those stairs are.

83. I river-rafted down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon and down into Lake Mead for nine days. We hit rapids that literally turned us on end . . . once was enough. I'm never doing that again.

84. I hate roller coasters.

85. The best booksigning I ever had I signed 150+ copies of 13-0: Reflections of Champions. I guess I better own up to the fact that the only reason I signed that many copies is because LaVell Edwards was sitting right next to me signing the books as well. I tried to convince to him to accompany me on every booksigning thereafter, but I couldn't tear him away from the golf course.

86. If I could meet anyone who ever lived in the entire history of the world it would be Jesus Christ.

87. Running a close second would be Adam and Eve. Yes, I'm counting that as two different items. Are you kidding me? Have you ever tried to come up with 100 things about yourself. T'aint an easy thing!

88. While I was a latecomer to Blogland I find myself a comfortable and contented citizen.

89. I love movies.

90. I love books.

91. I love BBQs in the park.

92. I love the colors of fall as the leaves began to change.

93. Tristi Pinkston is my backdoor neighbor.

94. I have a new line of fragrances launching October 1st known as . . . by Candace. Check it out here!

95. I can design websites, I just don't like to.

96. I grew up on the back of a horse in the mountains of the American West and miss that so much!

97. I would be the happiest woman in the world if I could just travel around doing firesides sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

98. I can only remember two jokes. I'll tell them to you at another time.

99. I deserve to make $10,000 a month . . . I make considerably less. I'm not sure what happened.

100. I love breaking certain rules, like this one. I'm still shy of a 100 posts and I'm posting this anyway. Ha!

Have a great day one and all! My brain is now officially mush.