Cindy A. Christiansen's Blog, page 13

Winter is Snow Much Fun!

While the Midwest is being slammed with snow, we in Utah haven't even had one storm that laid on the ground for a day. We've been enjoying record warm days as well--in the 60s. Amazing!
I've been in the mood for spring cleaning  :)  I sure hope the trees and plants don't get confused and start blooming early.
Whether your surrounded in snow or outside in your short pants and flip-flops, let's grab a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy some studding snow sculptures.


Have a wonderful weekend!

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs! 
Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com

Dog photo: http://barkpost.com/uk-snow-dogs/Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

In The Dog House With Me: Author Anna del C Dye

Snippet from Once Upon Two Kingdoms: “I … could hardly bear the burden put on my shoulders by them. Oh, Elizabeth, I tried my child, I tried to protect you and I have failed you…”


Meet Author Anna del C Dye. She has a new book available called Once Upon Two Kingdoms.
About Anna:
Anna was born in the extreme South along some famous beaches. She grew up with four other siblings, being placed in the middle.

Anna moved to the USA to marry her husband Rodney, and has resided in Utah since then. Her husband, a native of Idaho, met her in her hometown. They fell in love and she came to Utah on Christmas Eve to be married two weeks later. They are the parents of three princes and a princess.

Early on in her life she showed an affinity for sewing and took classes that have rewarded her with the opportunities of doing the costuming for the cast of four musicals, and Utah’s own Fantasy Con, which she enjoyed immensely. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.


A Few of Anna’s Writing Recognitions:
She received the Editor’s Choice Award from the International Library of Poetry and had her article entitled A New American Mother published by Desert Saints Magazine.

Her short story entitled Amerine—Fairy Princess won an award in a League of Utah Writers contest later to be published by Kalkion Magazine. (Now it has been published as an e-book.)
Other articles about family and relationship have been published frequently in the MOMS CLUBÒ of Salt Lake Valley-West.

She has published 7 books in her Elf series.

Her and Rodney’s love story was published by Deseret Book in the anthology entitled Angels Round About compiled by July C. Olsen.

Another of her articles was included in the Anthology Mother’s Message in a Bottle, edited by Tyler Hayden and published by Nimbus Publishing.


Her Latest Book:


Available: February  1, 2015Genre: Young Adult Medieval Romance
Page Count: 240 pages
Theme: Freedom to Choose is Paramount for Any Human Being

Blurb: An arrangement made when Elizabeth was just a babe ties her to someone she has never met, never spoken to, never loved. Now she desires freedom—a way to choose her own path—her own husband. The moment Elizabeth meets Patrick she knows he is her soul mate. But when you are bound to a crown how is any choice your own?

Buy Now:
Website: http://www.annadelc.com
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1DhjiTE
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/18v5b3G


Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs! Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com
Dog Photo: http://www.123rf.com

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Just Smile...

What a week this has been.
I'm wondering what will happen next. We decided to change our ceiling lights and also add new recessed lighting to the dining room. A new switch had to be added in the wall and a very expensive, irreplaceable platter got broken.
I was still feeling bad when I lifted our heavy dutch oven, which had the lid on wrong, and it slipped off and smashed another one of our made in Italy platters.
The whole week has been filled with bumbles, stumbles, drops and smashes. So, why not enjoy a few dogs having a bad week, too!
Smile. Just smile.


Have a wonderful weekend.


Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs! 
Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

You Have No Worries… Yeah, Right!

“Um, I think I’ll wait,” I told the doctor, spinning my wedding ring on my finger.
“There’s no problem, Mrs. Christiansen.  This is a simple laparoscopic gallbladder removal.  You’ll be on your feet in a day or two. Don’t worry.”  The doctor gave me a pat on the knee for reassurance.
With my luck, I wasn’t too certain.
I was in charge of our family reunion.  I’d been working diligently and still had more to do.  I had put together a fun pirate theme and a record number of family members were coming. Since the reunion was out of town, I had a lot to see to and get ready to be hauled a couple of hundred miles away.  I couldn’t forget anything.
Fidgeting in the chair, I mulled over how to circumvent the situation.  I thought it might be better to wait until after the reunion to have the procedure but my sick gallbladder was making it difficult to even get out of the house and do the necessary shopping.  Let’s just say, I personally knew every bathroom in town.
“I’ll be on vacation for a few weeks by the time you're back from your reunion,” the doctor said.  “Honestly, now is the best time to have the surgery.”
Shrugging, I reluctantly nodded and thrust my hands into my pockets.  That little voice kept saying, “Not a good idea.”
Why don’t I listen?   
I had no idea that they tipped you upside down to do the procedure and when I awoke, the first thing I noticed was a stabbing pain in my left thigh.  My mind couldn’t get wrapped around that.  I knew my gallbladder wasn’t in my thigh. I kept asking them what was wrong, but no one gave me an answer and they started to get a LITTLE curt with me.
They finally moved me into a recovery room where my husband could join me.  I still had the IV in my arm and they said I needed a little more time in recovery before I could leave the hospital.  Again, I asked about the pain in my leg, and they said I could ask the doctor when he came to discuss how the procedure had gone.
I felt…funny…kinda floaty.  I didn’t want to say anything.  I wanted to go home.  Every outpatient procedure I had had always turned into at least an overnighter, so the less said the better.  My vision blurred. I felt far away.
“Honey,” I called to my husband. “I feel…funny.”  I looked down at the floor. My IV was disconnected and a pool of my blood covered the floor.  I blacked out.
I remember coming around just long enough to see the horror on the doctor’s face and him yelling orders to the nurses.  Sheer panic filled the air. My body started to shake and I was out again.  The next thing I knew, I was being wheeled down the hall to be admitted.
The blacking out and seizures continued throughout the night.  My abdomen turned blue.  I couldn’t get a straight answer out of my doctor, and I felt too awful to confront him.  The nurses were particularly attentive so I knew something was amiss.
Later, I found out that I had dropped below transfusion level but my doctor wouldn’t give me blood for some convoluted reasons.  I called my primary care but he didn’t want to get involved.
They sent me home still having seizures, my stomach turning black, my fever spiking to 104 degrees, my leg in sheer pain, and my mind foggy.  It was all I could do to sleep and eat.  The reunion was a week away and my oldest son’s sports day just two days away. 
Only with prayers and a wheelchair was I able to take my oldest son to his event and oversee the reunion.  My mind was so unclear that I forgot a lot of activities I had planned for the reunion, and I still don't remember either occasion very well.
So began a long series of health issues caused by the lack of blood that continue to this day.  By the time I was well enough to consider legal action, the doctor no longer worked at the hospital and his practice was closed in this state.  In fact, I couldn’t find any record of him anywhere in the US.
What began as a simple laparoscopic procedure turned into additional lifelong health issues.  Yes, I have trouble when a doctor says, “No worries.”


FYI:  The pain in my leg was a pinched nerved from strapping me too tight to the operating table for too long.  The pain continued for over a year.

Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs! Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com
  Copyright: / 123RF Stock PhotoCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Cheering Up Those Winter Blues!

Maybe it's because I have five auto-immune illnesses and around twenty-five other diagnosed health issues, but January has been nothing but sickness for me.To combat that, a good friend of mine has been sending me these wonderful images to keep me cheery.I must say, it works!That's why I'm sharing some of them with you this weekend.Kick back and enjoy!



 
 












Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs! 
Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com  
Copyright: images received in email and told to share Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

I’m Still Missing You

We had been working all day hauling hay.  The heat of the day made the leaves of the hay stick to my sweaty body and itched like crazy.  It didn’t help that I was allergic, but that was life on the farm.
We had no more gotten the hay in the stack when Dad told my brother he needed to take the dump truck to get a load of grain while he headed to work on afternoon shift.  I didn’t blame my brother for being annoyed.   It was a hot, miserable job that rated right up there with one of the worst jobs.  The grain dust was worse than the hay any day.
He finished his lunch, guzzled down an ice cold Coca-Cola, and stomped out to the truck. As I gathered up the dirty dishes, I heard the old truck rumble to a start and then my beloved dog, Scottie, cry out in pain.  My hands trembled as I dropped the dishes into the soapy water and ran out the door.
My brother was kneeling and pulling something out from under the truck—Scottie.
“I didn’t see him,” he said, holding my dog in his arms. “He must have been sleeping under there for the shade.”
Scottie whimpered. I thought of the day I finally got him—my first dog.  My very first dog.  Dad had many farm dogs.  I had always wanted a dog of my own.  The answer had always been no.  Until that one day when I turned thirteen and we went to the pound.  Scottie was with a litter of puppies but the only one I saw that day.
Now, I looked at Scottie’s sad brown eyes. A sour taste rose in my mouth and I had difficulty swallowing.
My brother checked him over.  There were no visible signs of injury—no blood, scratches, torn skin.  He stood my dog on the ground.  With head and tail hung low, Scottie slowly walked over to the front lawn and sat down in the shade of a tree.
“He’ll be all right, Cin,” my brother said.  “I’ve got to get that load of grain.  If he’s not better when I get back, we’ll take him to the vet.”  He jumped in the truck and left the yard, dust filling the air.
Mom stepped outside.  “Is he okay?”
My stomach quivered and my teeth chattered.  “He’ll be just fine,” I said, stroking his fur. 
He winced.
“Let’s finish the dishes.”  Mom opened the squeaky screen door.
With heavy footsteps, I followed her into the house, holding my stomach.  I chewed at my lip as I wiped the dishes with the towel just enough to say they were dry and shove them in the cupboard.  I kept looking out the window, wishing my brother would get back.
“Just go,” Mom said, not able to stand my anxiety any longer.

I dashed out the door.  My breath caught in my throat. Scottie wasn’t on the lawn.  I yelled for Mom, but she didn’t hear me.  I began searching, clutching my chest.  I spotted Scottie in the corner of the lawn under the house trailer.  “Come,” I said.  “I’ll hold you.”
Scottie didn’t move.
I reached under and pulled him out, his body stiff and lifeless.
“No, no, no!”
This hadn’t happened.  I wouldn’t accept it.  I ran as if running would make it all go away.  I ran down the dirt road as hard and fast as I could.  My lungs ached.  My brother’s truck came toward me.  I met him.
“He’s dead.”  Tears streamed down my face.
My brother’s complexion went pale.  “I’m sorry, Cin.”  He got out of the truck and hugged me.
I know my brother’s guilt was overwhelming. He knew that he should have checked under the truck.  The dogs often laid underneath, but he was mad.  Mad at having to go for that load of grain.
I didn’t blame him.  It was an accident.  And I didn’t want him to feel as horrible as I did. 
Other than when my brother died many years later, I don’t think I’ve cried as many tears as I did over Scottie’s death.  Yes, I've loved many dogs, but Scottie was my first dog—my best friend.  He is missed to this day and always.
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs! Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com





Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Dogs and Cats Having a Blast in the Snow!

It's January!
I can't believe we haven't had any serious snowfall in the valleys here in Utah.  I guess I'm going to have to head to the mountains for some outrageous snow fun.  But for right now, let's watch some dogs and cats enjoying that winter white stuff.




Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs!
Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com

Dog photo: Copyright: / 123RF Stock PhotoCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

I’m Not Superstitious! (Knock on Wood.)

We were at an antique mall in West Valley City when this sterling silver dragonfly brooch with an amber stone caught my eye. The reason happened to be my love of dragonflies because I hardly ever wear jewelry and especially not a brooch.
I commented on how beautiful it was and the clerk told me the price. Way too much for me to spend on something I would never wear. My friend and I left, and I had this funny feeling I was forgetting something. We stood by the car as I checked all my paraphernalia. Suddenly, the brooch came to mind.
I laughed. “I’m thinking about that dragonfly.”  I hesitantly opened the car door. “Let’s go.”
“Why don’t you get it?” my friend said.
“What would I do with it?” I wet my lips.
“You don’t have to wear it.”
“If I buy it, I’m wearing it.”
If I buy it… What a ridiculous thought. We climbed in the car and started to leave the parking lot. I had this horrible feeling I was making a huge mistake in leaving the dragonfly behind.
“Wait!” I cried, my hand fluttering to my lips.
My friend pulled up to the door. “Buy it. You haven’t bought anything all day.”
I rushed back in the store, terrified that someone might have bought it before I could get back to it. The dragonfly sat pleasantly in the center of the locked display case. I swallowed hard and pulled out my credit card. Wrapped in tissue, I carried the brooch out to the car and got it. I felt such relief. It belonged to me.
We headed to the next antique mall on our outing. I couldn’t stop thinking about the dragonfly. I carefully unwrapped and admired it until we got to our next destination.
“Put it on,” my friend suggested.
“Where else I am going to wear something like this?”  I fastened the pin securely and we headed inside.
As my friend bought some antique cookie cutters, the owner stared at the dragonfly.
“Isn’t that lovely,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said, beaming. “I just bought it.” Yet, I felt a tightening in my chest as a reached up to check on it fastened to my coat.
We continued to talk about it until my friend’s purchase was final and then we left for the next antique mall. It had been a wonderful day. I felt giddy as we were finally headed home. I looked down and the brooch had flown the coop!
 My friend pulled over and we ripped the car a part looking for it. We headed back to every mall, looked down every aisle, checked with every clerk. Nothing! It was gone! In just a few short hours, I had fallen in love with a brooch and lost it. This was so unlike me. I couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t calm my beating heart. I left my name and number with everyone in hopes of getting it back. I spent each day in agony.
One month went by…
Two months went by...
I gave up hope.
One day, I headed for the door to run a few errands and the phone rang. Reluctantly, I came back to the desk to answer. “Hello?”
“Hello. Is this Cindy?” a woman asked.
“Yes.”
“I think I’ve found your dragonfly brooch. I work at Vine Street Antiques.”
“Where did you find it?” I asked in amazement.
“In the parking lot.”
After two months? Freaky! I immediately drove to the shop, not believing it could possibly be my brooch. She handed me my dirty dragonfly with a flattened pin on the back. Yeah, it had been driven over a few times, but it was alive. Extraordinary! I thanked her profusely and ended up taking it to a jeweler for repair. With a sigh of relief, I brought it home.
Since “fly into a good book” is my tagline, I decided to wear the brooch to an annual writers’ conference. I clipped the new pin securely in place and headed out of my room to the elevator to head down for the first day of meetings and fun. Low and behold, the dragonfly flew off my jacket and right down the narrow space between the floor and the elevator. I swear it flew! It didn’t drop down as I walked over the opening. It flew off about two feet in front of me to reach the narrow opening between floors.
Shakily, I rode the elevator down to the main floor and told the desk clerk what had happened. I knew there was little chance of getting the brooch back. I was beginning to wonder why it kept calling to me that first day when it didn’t really want to stay with me. About two hours later, a maintenance worker brought me the dragonfly. He had found it on a ledge between floors! It was dinged and bent up but still intact. Totally amazing!
The maintenance worker pinned it on me and all of the people at the conference cheered. I nervously wore it for the rest of the day, checking it constantly to see if it was still there. When I got back to my room I packed it away in my luggage for the rest of the conference.
The next time I wore it was for a book signing. It managed not to fly away this time. I came home, put my clothes in the laundry, and started the wash. The next time I saw my dragonfly, it was flying around the clothes dryer…in two pieces!
I’ve never had this much frustration with any piece of jewelry in my life!
I took it to the jeweler…again…and had it repaired. It has remained in my jewelry box ever since. I can’t get rid of it. I can’t wear it. I feel completely attached to the brooch but also frightened of it.
You can’t tell me there isn’t history behind this antique dragonfly brooch. I am not superstitious but, if only dragonflies could talk…
Sometimes I wonder if I should keep it trapped in my jewelry door or whether I should let it fly.
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs!Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com  Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Ring in the New Year with Hope!

Hope is our emotional engine, the basis for engaging with life. It is our perception of possibilities. It is not the same as happiness or optimism. It is what we feel when we think that life is worth living. Happiness and optimism cannot exist without hope, but hope can exist without happiness or optimism. This is because we can fake optimism and pretend to be happy, but we know deep, down inside whether or not we have hope.
Believe it or not, doctors and therapists have actually said to me, my husband and children: Why do you stay together? The answer to that is because we all have hope—hope that things will improve, and life, health, and relationships will improve. And because life is ever-changing, and we have continually had hope, our lives have improved. The key is never to give up that hope and to remember if one door closes you can always hope another will open. You don’t have to keep the same hopes. Shift your hope to something new.
When I first got diagnosed with an auto-immune illness, I hoped to find a cure. That was thirty years ago. Through the years, my hopes have changed, but I have never given up hope. My current hope is to live a quality life and give others hope.
When I think of hope, I am reminded of a M*A*S*H episode with Coronel Potter. A wounded soldier, Saunders, wants to kill himself and Potter pleads and prevents Saunders multiple times from taking the easy way out. Finally, Potter gives him a dose of reverse psychology by holding the gas mask over his face. Saunders fights back. His desire to live is greater than his desire to die. That’s hope.
However, when we lose hope it can be hard to find motivation again. Therefore, we should continually keep it in mind each day by:Conducting a hope audit by thinking of all the positive things in your life.Reducing stress with meditation, breathing exercises, physical exercise, or relaxation techniques.Creating hopeful relationships with people who have a positive, hopeful attitude.Helping others see the best in themselves.The most important impact we have on each other is through how we affect each other’s hopes. When hope exists we give more of ourselves to what we do and so does everyone else around us. Hope is not phony and is grounded in reality with real problems such as quality of life, the development of human potential, and the wellbeing of our environment and all human living systems. Living a hopeful life is to recognize that everything and everyone matters.
Hope is energy – your positive energy, your talents, value and your soul. It is the lifeblood of the human race and needs to be treasured. Start the new year with hope and everything else will fall into place!

Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs! Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com 
Copyright: / 123RF Stock PhotoExcerpts about hope taken from an article at:  http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/how-to-create-a-more-hopeful-life.html


Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

If You Ain't Giving, You Ain't Living!

Through the years, I have worked to teach my boys the importance of giving to others. It is especially hard with my oldest son who is autistic and still lives a child-like existence of believing the world revolves around him. Still, I refuse to give up.

Each year we sit down and plan a giving event. We discuss the importance of giving, about the Savior, all that Heavenly Father has given us, and what fun way we can help others. Of course, there are many charities of which we could donate. But in teaching the importance of giving and having my boys feel that special feeling inside, mailing a check off to an organization just doesn't quite do it for us. It would be easier, but less meaningful.
Giving of our time to teach our children the importance of giving and also giving of our time to do so is just as important as the actual act.


One year, we ran across a book called  ChristmasJars  by Jason F. Wright. It's under $5.00. Without giving away the story, you collect all your pocket change in a jar and give it to someone in need. The story is very touching.

In order to help my sons understand that Christmas is not about getting all the toys they want, we chose a family that they knew so that it would be very meaningful. We each gathered our loose change around the house, and it quickly filled a mason jar. 
Along with a copy of the book, we drove to the family's home and the boys sneaked up to the door, rang the bell, raced back to the car, and we took off, laughing all the way. They were so excited and really felt the spirit of giving because it was on a level they could understand.
We heard through the grapevine just how much this act of kindness meant to the family. We also found out that they did it for another family the next year when times were better for them.
Make giving a part of your holiday season and part of your legacy to your children.
Merry Christmas,

Cindy

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs!
Fly into a good book at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com

Copyright of dog image: / 123RF Stock PhotoCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author