One More Catchall

The Studio 5 segment aired a few weeks ago on November 16. You can check out the prerecorded piece and the live interview via the links below.

Bridging the Religious Gap (prerecorded piece -- 3 minutes)

Teaching Kids Acceptance (live interview -- 9 minutes)

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And here are a couple of articles I wrote for the American Fork Citizen:

The Question I Didn't Get to Answer -- “What would be worse, if your child was ostracized because they weren’t LDS, or…if they converted?”

A Christmas Mary-cle -- Our Miniature Schnauzer has been sick, sick, sick. She was diagnosed with diabetes among other things.

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Life is full. Christmas is around the corner and I'm not ready. The stockings aren't hung by the chimney with care. They've been in a pile on the floor for several days, patiently waiting. Wreaths for the front doors are lying on the porch, also patiently waiting. Today, stockings and wreaths will go up! I hope.

My Feet Weren't Supposed To Be In The Shot

A few weeks ago, upon returning home from our 12-day Orlando vacation, I shared how excited the boys and I were to have real TV people come to our house to interview me about to Mormons, with LOVE.

Fresh Living aired the piece on Friday, April 13th. I'm unable to embed the video, but you can click here to view my 3 minutes and 30 seconds of quasi-fame.

For the record, I had planned to wear a cute pair of black boots with the understated outfit I painstakingly selected. I was getting ready to put my boots on when the doorbell rang that morning. After the interview location was selected in the house, I asked the camera guy if my feet would be visible in the shot. He said no. I only bring this up because a few friends have commented liberally on my socks.

And..."ouchies"? I was nervous, tired, and had an Orlando hangover.

In all seriousness, I'm very happy with how the piece turned out. Kate Valentine did the book justice and I'm so thankful that the Fresh Living team aired the story. Feeling grateful...that I was wearing socks, and not completely barefoot.

A Book Signing, A Review, An Article...and My Bad Jamaican Patois

First, a little housekeeping:

• I'll be signing books at the Sugarhouse Barnes & Noble this Saturday, March 24th, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. If you're in the area, please swing by and say hello! I'll throw some extra gum in my purse to share.

• I was thrilled to see a review of To Mormons, with LOVE in Deseret News!

• A piece I wrote about shunning appeared on LDSLiving.com last week. Check it out and join the discussion.

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While we were in Orlando I received an email from a Utah reporter who asked if she could interview me about my book for a local daytime television show, Fresh Living. YES! Who cares if I'm post-vacation puffy and have zero experience being interviewed...especially on camera. I can do this!

The lovely Kate Valentine and her camera guy, Dave, arrived at our home last Friday morning less than 48 hours after we'd returned from a 12-day Orlando vacation. The house was dusty, but orderly, and the kids were cooperative and excited about "TV people" coming to our house. We made our beds, brushed our teeth, and spent a little more time than usual consulting the mirror.

Mary (the dog), apparently still angry that we hadn't taken her to Florida, threw up and pooped on the carpet a few hours before Kate and Dave arrived. She did this in the room where the majority of the interview occurred. My good friends OxiClean, Febreze, and ShamWow handled the misfortune beautifully.

I don't remember each question or my exact answers. I felt nervous, self-conscious, and didn't want to blow an opportunity to generate interest in my book.

At one point I struggled to express myself; I said, "Don't worry, be happy," in a very bad Bobby McFerrin imitation. ??? The phrase...the accent...had nothing to do with our discussion.

The 60-90 minutes Kate and Dave spent in our home filming, taking notes, talking with the boys and me, will be reduced to a few moments. And until it airs, I have nothing to be self-conscious about. The piece was supposed to air on Monday, March 19th, but buzz surrounding some new movie...The Hunger Games...bumped it.

I know the show is local, so I don't have delusions of grandeur, yet as I've shared prior, I'm not in a space of false humility, either. The boys and I are anxious to see the result of our spit shining, babbling, and smiling. I'll share the date and time when I hear from Ms. Valentine, and if there's a link to the piece after it airs, I'll post here and on Twitter.

And for some reason, if the interview doesn't find it's way to television, the boys and I are still thankful for the unique experience. And we won't worry...we'll be happy...mon.

Getting miked = the same fear I feel on thrill rides and results in the same facial expression.