Rebecca Talley's Blog, page 42

"Taking Chance" starring Kevin Bacon

We've signed up for Netflix so we've been able to watch some movies that we hadn't been aware were even available. One of those was Taking Chance with Kevin Bacon.

I was not prepared for the emotional depth of this movie. It's an HBO movie so I'm not sure it was ever in theaters, and I'd never heard of it. But, wow, what a powerful movie.

Bacon is a Marine Corps officer who has a desk job. He analyzes statistics and then presents reports. He's safe. He's not in battle. His life is not on the li...

Random Thoughts after Stake Conference

We attended stake conference this last weekend. Elder Spencer J. Condie was our visiting General Authority. He's a great speaker and has some extremely funny stories. I really enjoyed his talks.

I always enjoy the evening session for the adults because I don't have to wrangle kids and can actually listen to the messages.

Our stake president is a very inspired man. He shared a story about when Elder Condie arrived for the conference and they had some time before the meetings began. Elder Condie...

The Route by Gale Sears

The Route
by
Gale Sears
From the back cover:

Zipping along life¹s highway . . .

Fifty makes you think. Thirty makes you morose, and forty makes you
panic, but fifty makes you think. Half a century, and what is my life?
Does it resemble anything I dreamed at sixteen, or expected at twenty,
or hoped at twenty-five? What am I doing here? . . . I thought of
climbing to the top of a high mountain in Tibet to consult a wise man,
but I like vacations where there ís indoor plumbing and vegetation.
Since I...

"Hello, Pants, Good to See You Again"

I seem to have fallen into the "wedding planning vat" and can't get out. I never knew how much there was to do in getting ready for a wedding, and this is my son--can't imagine when it's a daughter. Whew! Things seem to be coming along (if they'd stop making changes that'd help). I've been sewing dresses, calling to make plans, making reservations, finding addresses, figuring out the Open House, etc. It's a bit mind-boggling.

At this point, I've lost 29 lbs. I still have 7 lbs to go to meet my...

Altared Plans, Chapter 1, Part 5

Several hours later, Caitlyn awoke to her mom standing in the doorway with a tray in her hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I wanted to leave you a little something to eat." She placed the tray on the nightstand next to the bed.

Caitlyn wiped at her swollen eyes and sat up. She cleared her throat, "I'm not hungry."

"Maybe later."

Caitlyn shrugged.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sad. Confused"

"I'm so, so sorry, sweetheart."

Caitlyn nodded. She toppled back down on her bed and her mother snugg...

Altared Plans, Chapter 1, Part 4

Suddenly, Caitlyn couldn't breathe. She felt like someone was gripping her neck so tight she couldn't swallow. She eked out, "Is something wrong?"

The Haggertys both nodded.

Caitlyn clapped her hand to her mouth. Terrifying thoughts swirled in her mind. "What is it?"

Brother Haggerty began, "You know Justin came down here to spend time with Troy."

Caitlyn nodded. Tears formed in her eyes while her imagination exploded.

"He . . . well . . ."

"Is he okay?" Caitlyn's voice cracked.

"In a manner ...

Altared Plans, Chapter 1, Part 3

"Cait, you're being way too dramatic. Get a hold of yourself. We'll work something out, and it will be fine."

"Mom, this is my one and only wedding day. I wanted it to be perfect, and now my veil is missing."

Her mother checked her watch. "We need to get inside the temple. Your endowment session will begin in less than an hour and you need to prepare. You don't need your veil until you leave the temple after the ceremony. I'll make some calls and see if someone can go to the house and find it...

Altared Plans, Chapter 1, Part 2

"Looks like the weather will cooperate," her mom offered. Caitlyn recognized it as her mom's usual attempt at peacemaking.

Caitlyn gazed out of the window of her parents' silver Jaguar. "I sure miss California weather. I can't wait until Justin and I both graduate and we can move back to Santa Barbara and start our family. We'll have two boys and two girls."

"Sounds like you have it all planned out," her mom said. She laughed.

"What?"

"Not everything goes as planned, you know. You may end up w...

Altared Plans, Chapter One, Part 1

For the next several days, I'm going to post a few pages each day of the first chapter of my LDS romance, Altared Plans. Enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

Her wedding day. A day she'd never forget. A perfect day that would begin her perfect life with her perfect husband. It couldn't be anything but perfect because that's how she'd planned it.

Caitlyn grabbed her hand mirror. She tucked a wisp of her dark blond hair behind her ear as she examined her makeup for the hundredth time. The hum of the engine was the ...

Ted Kennedy

I have never, ever agreed with Ted Kennedy's politics. In fact, I have never agreed with any of the Kennedys or their agendas. I wasn't born when JFK was assassinated and I've never been mesmerized by that or "Camelot." I think the press glamorized the Kennedy family, making them bigger-than-life, and never held them to the same moral compass as others have been held to.

I also found it ironic that Ted Kennedy was working so hard to pass healthcare legislation that would more than likely deny...