Carey Family

Sue

Wherein I come to a bend in my road

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Life has a way of throwing us curve balls, taking twists and turns, sending us on a roller coaster ride…….you get the idea.  We try to plan and organize our lives but things change, we make choices, and one day we end up at the end of our forties with a new vista spreading wide and free before us.  This is where the bend in my road has brought me:  to an open meadow full of a multitude of beautiful choices.  How to decide?

After 17 years of PTA volunteering, my elected position as Utah PTA Education Commissioner has come to an end and I have chosen not to go for another term.  I have left the Board and some other related positions and am free to pursue other things.  I have some friends who have been noisy cheerleaders for this action and a long-suffering husband who is happy to see me at this bend in the road.

So where to go from here?  That’s the big question, isn’t it?  I found Deb’s blog and want to Pay It Forward to her this week because she has the idea I want to embrace.  Her blog profile says “I am a lifelong learner exploring new adventures after 32 years as an educator.”  I’ve always thought of myself as a lifelong learner AND an adventurer, so her blog was fun to click around and see what she’s doing with her life.

My One Little Word for 2011 is BALANCE and here are the things I want to balance in the last half of 2011 as I step off on my new path, in no particular order.

  • quilting
  • reading
  • scrapbooking
  • gardening
  • family history
  • service to family
  • service to friends
  • some child advocating
  • learning Photoshop Elements
  • blogging
  • practicing piano
  • exercising
  • organizing and cleaning out my home
  • crocheting

Let the adventures begin!

Our date night to 17 Miracles

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Scott and I went to see the movie, “17 Miracles”, last Friday on the recommendation of a neighbor.  It is in limited theatrical release and is a touching story of the Willie Handcart Company that left Iowa late in the season to travel to the Salt Lake Valley.  They encountered harsh winter conditions, ran perilously low on food, and many died along the way.  It was quite interesting and we enjoyed it, although my historian antennae were up during parts of it.  But it’s wholesome entertainment and it does a pretty good job at entertaining.  I was disappointed that the rescue was glossed over, but on the whole, I think people will be touched and get an idea of the hardships.  Maybe it will inspire them to “read more about it” and find some first-hand accounts by those who were really there.  The filming is lovely, the makeup and costumes are great, and I can listen to Dallyn Vail Bayles sing all day long.

I was looking up some info on the movie and found an interesting blog written by Karen, an extra in the movie who is also a descendant of one of the women highlighted.  She tells what it was like to be behind the scenes and her emotions at portraying a member of the company in which her great-grandmother crossed the plains.  There aren’t many posts, but I liked reading her account, so I’m Paying It Forward to Karen!

Music Notes

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I’d like to”Pay it Forward” to my eldest son this week.  Mark created a blog dedicated to his music, called appropriately, Mark Carey Music.  He’s posted an original song that I really like which he wrote, performed and recorded.  It’s called “From the Sea to the Sun”.  Mark is a music major with an emphasis in music sound recording and plays cello, guitar, piano, organ, and sings.  He’s pretty multi-talented and fun, too!

Recently he accompanied a local singer/songwriter, Taylor Olsen, at the new Muse Music Cafe, which has a blog detailing music events in Provo.  You can watch one of the videos, “She’s Not Me”, here; he also plays on her song, “Worst Enemy”.

http://youtu.be/aRs6ylydcKw

It seems the Provo music scene is really hopping as evidenced by a recent Deseret News article.  So I’m also giving a shout-out to the Provo Music Guide, a blog that gives all sorts of info about local bands, venues, and upcoming shows.  Rock on!

Aaron’s 1st birthday

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Today I would like to “Pay it Forward” to my friend, Rebekah, who is a heroine to me.  She has 9 children and her last has Trisomy 18 and was not expected to live long.  I’ve visited her at Primary Children’s Medical Center during long hospital stays and brought her and Aaron home from one, so in a tiny way, I’ve been involved in his life.  We’ve prayed for him and for their family over the last year and I’ve worried about her getting enough sleep and taking care of herself so she can do her mom job.  Through it all, she has been a great mom to her other children and become a fount of knowledge about Aaron and his condition.  She has helped other Trisomy parents with her encouragement and enthusiasm.  She wrote about his upcoming birthday on her blog, and last night Scott and I were able to join the celebration.  It was wonderful to see family, friends, and caregivers gather to celebrate this huge milestone.  There was even a Deseret News reporter on hand and they appear in the paper today.  It started raining during the evening and at the appointed time, William stood up to bring us together and say a few words.  People were huddled under canopies and umbrellas but just as he started to thank everyone, the rain stopped and a ray of sun shot through to light him up.  He read a poem and we released balloons in honor of Aaron’s birthday and also all his little friends who didn’t make it to one year.  It was very touching.  Congratulations, Aaron!