Arizona Crazy Cowgirl

2014-06-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Choir Boy: Why I Turned to a Life of Crime With the Whitey Bulger Gang After Being Raped By My Scoutmaster

Eric Schneider life of crime began after he was one of the young victims in the notorious Boy Scout sexual abuse case that rocked Boston in the mid-1980s. Most of the victims committed suicide. It’s a tragic fact that sex abuse instills such self-loathing many do not survive. It was big news all over the country at the time. But then the news moves on and the victims lead lives with long-term psychological effects of childhood sex abuse. Eric was no different.

Eric was a drug dealer, arsonist, and small-time thief from a very early age. The book begins with him buying a gun at the age of eleven. By the age of twenty, he was a major crime figure, working under the umbrella of the notorious Whitey Bulger organized crime network. He specialized in armed robberies, with a focus on banks and armored cars transporting large sums of cash.

Schneider given a new identity by the Witness Protection Program testified for the prosecution, sending his partners in crime to prison. He has lived in silent about his past since the early 1990s. Now with his book published, he has emerged from the safety to promote the book.

His book covers everything he went through from sex abuse to drugs to every kind of crime you can imagine. He writes as if he were sitting there telling you the story first hand. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine he experienced everything he writes. But his criminal record is verification enough. And it will make you sad, then make you mad that this could happen.

Schneider’s The Choir Boy is an inspirational story of a sexual abuse survivor. It is the author's hope that his story will help others who have suffered childhood abuse. Not that you can excuse a life of excess and crime, but we can see how once down a deviant path it is hard to change course.

This is an interesting read and speaks to the issue of child sex abuse and how it impacts an entire life.

“The Key of Life A Metaphysical Investigation” Book Review

2013-05-02T06:23:00.001-07:00

“The Key of Life A Metaphysical Investigation” by Randolph J Rogers

My friend Sandy was reading this book and knew that I had an interest in this area because of another book I had edited and co-wrote called “Beyond the Physical”. They both have the same subject matter, out of body experiences.

The Key of life was an interesting history of Rogers search for answers and the changes those answers brought to his life. He become obsessed to learn about a childhood classmate Kathy Lynch, and in his heart new that she had died. It took a while for him to track down her family and verify that indeed she had died of ovarian cancer. But that just added to the questions he had, about her life, about why he was so obsessed with her, and why his life felt so empty.

Another friend sent him to an acupuncturist to experience regression therapy to explore his past lives. He was skeptical at first but quickly accepted the results of his therapy as he easily slipped into the past and identified his relationship in a past life with Kathy. Over and again he went to the acupuncturist and experienced more and more past lives and built a relationship with Kathy that he had not had in this life.

His experiences were interesting. The only thing unbelievable was that many of his past lives were tied to extremely famous people. In one he was a Pharaoh and in another he was Peter walking with Jesus. The most interesting experience was when he was able to go to England and find the Castle he had experienced in his regression therapy. To be able to walk in a town that had changed that much from the 1500s and find the exact spots he had walked.

Rogers is a good job of keeping you turning the pages wanting to know what’s going to happen next and explaining his feelings as he encountered people from his past and how that had influenced who he is today. Also interesting is his explanation of how everyone is related and how the knowledge of all time stored behind gates somewhat like heaven. The concept of multiple dimensions and how past reincarnations influence who we are today thought-provoking. Looking for keys and signs in our lives that will tell us the meaning of our life, present, past and future makes you think about who has been in your life the beginning of time. And when you declare your love for all eternity, exactly how long is that going to be.

I found the book interesting, a good page turner, well-written, and a fascinating subject. The ISBN number is 978 – 0 – 9823850 –9 – 8. it sells $18.95 in the US and has reviews by Shirley Jones and Maria Shriver on the back cover.

Thunderstruck

2013-04-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Thunderstruck

by Erik Larson, author of the Devil in the White City

This New York Times bestseller, Thunderstruck, is a ripping yarn of murder and invention according to the Los Angeles Times. Erik Larson weaves intricate details from history and actual cases straight from historic news headlines, including scientific inventions of the day that changed the course of history.

In Thunderstruck, Larson tells the story of the invention of wireless by Marconi. The technology was being developed by several different inventors and scientists simultaneously and Marconi was credited with being the first to send wireless telegraphs.

Filled with the names of the leading scientific geniuses of the day like Faraday large hurts and even Alexander Graham Bell the story gives an interesting perspective on how scientific discovery is accomplished with one scientist building on the work of another. The political climate is intertwined as well with everyone from Winston Churchill to the King of England, Mussolini and Hitler, and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany prayer.

Billed as the first media tracked “slow car chase”, a.k.a. O.J. Simpson, a murder suspect boards and ocean liner in England and heads for Nova Scotia with the police in hot pursuit. While the media knows suspect is being pursued, and the captain of the ship knows the suspect is on board, the suspect remains in the dark.

Other Erik Larson does a wonderful job of building a story about a murder, a love triangle, and the technology first being used by the media and the police in a new and exciting way. This case brought the wireless to the attention of people all over the world. It spurred the expansion of wireless on board ships and across the country, no, across the world. The world suddenly became a much closer space.

A very enjoyable read especially for anyone interested in the history of technology.

“Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey” The Lost Legacy Of Highclere Castle by the Countess of Carnarvon

2013-02-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

Book review

“Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey” The Lost Legacy Of Highclere Castle by the Countess of Carnarvon

ISBN 978 – 0 – 7704 – 3562 – 2

Published by Broadway paperbacks of New York in 2011 and copyrighted by the 8th Countess of Carnarvon

The Public broadcasting system hit television show “Downton Abbey” has brought worldwide attention to Highclere Castle and a way of life that was coming to an end during the First World War. The book’s author, the 8th Countess of Carnarvon, writes the real history of this fabulous Castle which provided the inspiration for Julian Fellowes Emmy award winning PBS show.

In the history she outlines, Lady Fiona Carnarvon, who married the current Earl of Carnarvon in 1999, the real story is just as exciting as the masterpiece classic version written by Fellowes. The era from 1880 up to the First World War was truly a time of Camelot. As the enormously wealthy heiress and illegitimate daughter of Alfred de Rothschild, Almina Carnarvon brought the resources to the Castle to update both plumbing and electricity as well as improving the life of all those who lived and worked in its proximity.

The 5th Earl of Carnarvon, Almina’s husband, was a key player in Edwardian society well known in royal circles. His interests took full advantage of the wealth his marriage brought. In fact, much of his life was devoted to exploration in Egypt. He is most famous for his discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun with Howard Carter.

Just as Fellowes found the history of the Castle and changing social structure fascinating enough to create a television series, the Countess’s book is even more fascinating given that it is based on the real history. It’s not just about the fabulous wealth and the jewelry, gowns, banquets, parties, and travel to exotic places. There was a true sense of service to country as exemplified by the Countess turning the Castle into a hospital to treat injured soldiers returning from the war.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and it is spurred interest in reading about the people of this time who accomplish so much in their lifetime that shaped the world and brought us into the modern era.

Notorious Nineteen” , a Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich

2013-01-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

Book Review

“Notorious Nineteen” , a Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich, published by Bantam Books, New York,2012.

Once again Stephanie Plum is in the middle of it. With her sidekick Lula, Stephanie is on the hunt as a bounty hunter looking for Geoffrey Cubbin, who has run off with over $5 million from the Cranberry Manor nursing home where he was the accountant. He ended up in the hospital with an appendicitis, then promptly disappeared without checking out. Hospital security couldn’t find him, the police couldn’t find him, and Stephanie Plum, working for her cousin’s bond enforcement agency, could not find Geoffrey Cubbin . But that wasn’t the only case Stephanie was working.

Ranger asked Stephanie to work with him on a case very personal. Someone from his past Special Forces was stalking members of their team. One of Ranger’s good friends was about to be married and his wedding was being threatened. Once Stephanie was on the team, she was being threatened as well.

Working with Ranger complicated her personal life. Police officer Joe Morelli, with whom she had an on-again off-again love affair, was perfect as a potential husband and father to her future children. And they were currently on-again. Working with Ranger never made Joe happy.

As always Stephanie’s grandmother played a vital role in her undercover espionage at the Cranberry Manor nursing home. That along with the rumor mill in the Burg, especially at the hair salon or funeral home, always provided Stephanie with good intelligence. Another character from past adventures was Randy Briggs, the hospital security guard desperately trying to keep his job. As a dwarf, Randy was full of personality and anger.

Once again Stephanie managed to have at least five vehicles blown up in her possession. This time it included one of Ranger’s and one of Joe’s. Uncle Sandor’s Big Blue charmed Buick came through untouched.

Lula was a lot of help between her binges of junk food. One apprehension was on the nude beach in Atlantic City and required both of them to strip down to get close to the suspect. As always Stephanie and Lula managed to get their man.

Stephanie Plum novels provide an escape and easy reading to be enjoyed like junk food. Notorious Nineteen lived up to her reputation and was thoroughly satisfying.

2013-01-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Killing Kennedy: The End Of Camelot By Bill O’Reilly And Martin Dugard

Published by Henry Holt and Company New York 2012

Reviewed by LeeAnn Sharpe

Once again Bill O’Reilly and his team present a detailed analysis of the pivotal time in US history when the world was changed by the assassination of the president.

His previous book on Lincoln brought forth many facts of the case I was unaware of and changed my perception of what had led to his assassination. It seems many of the facts have been exposed by years of research and the honesty time can bring.

While an enormous amount of research has been done on the assassination of Kennedy, many of the files are still locked away until 2032, thus leaving the impression there’s more to be known. This of course has been the frustration of all Americans not knowing what really happened. Yes we hear all the conspiracy theories, and everyone seems to have their interpretation of what really happened. But in reality we still have many questions unanswered.

“Killing Kennedy: the End of Camelot” does an admirable job of putting together all of the facts, all of the players and everything that is known to this point. But it still doesn’t answer the question, did Oswald work alone. Was he a patsy? Had he been trained by the US government? Was Kennedy’s death manipulated by the mob, by Castro, by the Russians, by forces within the government, or simply the result of a political fanatic wanting his place in history?

The book reads well and keeps your interest exposing intimate details that I may or may not have heard before and rounding out the story in a good telling. It brought back lots of memories for me not only of the day we all remembered, but of all the friends over the years who have expounded on their own conspiracy theory. There always seems to be some new evidence that pops up, or retelling of old stories, that motivates the most unlikely people come up with their own interpretation.

This book is well worth the time to red and enjoy. Perhaps that is why over 2 millions readers have already bought “Killing Kennedy: the End of Camelot”.

Turn it up!: Love, Life, and Death, Southern Style By Ron Eckerman

2012-12-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Book review by Lee Ann Sharp

Turn it up!: Love, Life, and Death, Southern Style By Ron Eckerman

This book begins with a quote by Ronnie Van Zandt on October 20, 1977. “Ron, let’s keep the plane. Look, if your number’s up your number’s up. Don’t matter if were in a plane or a bus.”

Ron was an unwitting member of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band. He was the manager who oversaw the day-to-day operation of both the lighting and technical crews as well as the transportation and housing of the band getting from venue to venue. It started out as a temporary position until they could find a new manager. But the band proved to be difficult and most managers would run from this responsibility. So Ron ended up in the position of band manager for many years. He saw them through the early years of struggle, the middle years of destruction of hotel rooms and illicit drug use, multiple personality conflicts, and the later years where success proved difficult for many of the band members and their families.

Ron does an excellent job of describing how success along with excessive alcohol and drug use created tensions and destroyed friendships among the band and crew as well as their families. Even within his own life, Ron experience the hardship of trying to maintain a relationship with his wife, with frequent separations for long periods of time and the excesses available to both of them when apart. Eventually, his wife found another man and he began a new relationship with a friend.

Part of his responsibilities included the financial accounting of each concert. Everyone seemed to want a free pass into the venue and backstage with the bands. Counting up the number of passes against the gate earnings always frustrated him. Dealing with the public backstage before and after a concert posed its own set of problems. Ron was often put in the position of being the bad guy saying no to passes or throwing out people backstage so the band would have time to get in the right frame of mind to perform. Once the earnings from a concert were funded it was Ron’s responsibility to pay off the hotels for damages inflicted by the band members and the fans who partied too hard and often totally trashed their rooms. Forking out $15,000 or more a night was not an unusual event. One of the crew was designated as the bartender and ran up huge bills for liquor and drugs supplied to the band. The fact that they were able to perform under such conditions is pretty remarkable.

Ron uses a technique to describe the events leading up to the bands untimely death aboard a small aircraft crashed after a concert. At the start of each chapter he would describe a few more minutes of that flight which he survived. He had a feeling from the very beginning that he didn’t trust the plane. They had also taken on a new pilot when the old pilot had recently retired. New plane, new pilot, unusual circumstances all added up to a nervous flight. He described how when the plane began having problems everyone reacted in different ways. One ran up and down the aisle, others in their seats ,their heads down in their laps. He described how each shaking of the plane echoed in the synchronous shaking of each person in their seat. When the crash finally happened, he was blacked out off and on several times. Finally awakening he saw his friends lying dead on the ground in a surrealistic scene that was like a dream. How he survived he could never guess. The crash was the end of an era and a life he never knew again.

Eckerman does a good job of painting a detailed picture of life was like in the world of rock and roll. Anyone interested in the band, their music or the era will enjoy this read.

A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

2012-01-21T08:26:00.006-07:00

Review

A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas (2008, Hardcover)

I understand this is one in a series of light hearted romantic Regency era novels. Short and simple it is an entertaining read to anyone who enjoys the likes of Jane Austen and life in England of a certain time. For my reading this is an ideal quick treat and I shall look forward to all of Ms. Kleypas works in the near future.
Christmas was an especially good time to set this story as the tradition of putting a tree in the home and decorating had just started to become popular in America and was now being carried to Great Britain. The story brings to focus how trends can skip from Germany to the USA and back across the pond to England when families travel from one area to another.
Rafe Bowman is a rake who has arrived from America to settle on a marriage his father has decreed to earn his stake of the family fortunes. His chiseled good looks impress everyone, but his wild ways are known and may hinder his betrothed from accepting. Several love scenes get pretty juicy and may shock some readers. The author does a good job of being graphic without being obscene. His sisters and the Wallflowers (their friends) work in the most unexpected ways, seeing where his heart truly lies and work their magic to a happy end.
I enjoyed this story and will seek out more form this author.

alzeheimers.blogspot.com

2011-10-25T10:41:00.001-07:00

http://alzeheimers.blogspot.com/ is a new blog for the story of my mother's alzheimer's. If she had known about Kangen water many years ago I predict she could have avoided or at least reduced her alzheimer's symptoms dramatically.

The Alienist: A Novel By Caleb Carr Book Review

2011-09-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

The Alienist: A Novel

By Caleb Carr

Carr had been the author of several historic works of non-fiction prior to embarking on this his first novel. So it is not curious that he would fill his novel with rich historic detail and characters who leap out as we know them from news of the past had painted them to us explicitly.

One such character is Teddy Roosevelt, Commissioner of the New York police department. Portrayed in his full bully persona, Roosevelt plays a part in allowing his old Harvard college buddies his support in capturing a serial killer using cutting edge techniques of the day including profiling and fingerprinting, in their earliest stages of acceptance by the legal system of the day.

The Alienist , refers to a common term for a psychologist, here known as Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a specialist in children of tragic circumstances who become victims and perpetrators of crime. A series of murders with horribly mutilated adolescent boys, all prostitutes from New York brothels, pulls the doctor and his team including New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore, Sara Howard, who works as a secretary in the police department, two Jewish detectives trained in the strange new science of 'forensics', a black man in service to the doctor after being tried for murder and Stevie, a young boy the doctor has befriended, into a bizarre series of investigations. Colorful people and places known to New York City’s past play minor parts in coloring this adventure with sights, sounds and tastes that transport you into a different era. Carr holds your attention and leaves you wanting more.

The Sixth Lamentation Book Review

2011-08-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Sixth Lamentation

by William Brodrick

The Sixth Lamentation, published July 26, 2004, was the August selection for my Seasoned Readers Book Club. I read that the author, William Brodrick, was a Franciscan friar before leaving the order to become a practicing barrister. His character in the story, Father Anselm, has done just the opposite and serves as the narrator as such, going back and forth between the telling of the history and current trial and lives of the present generation. He weaves the church’s involvement into the Nazi war crimes suspects lives as they seek sanctuary in his Suffolk priory and learns they had been housed directly after the war as they escaped and assumed new identities to avoid prosecution.

The author notes his own family history that inspired the story including his mother’s attempt to smuggle an infant during the war, her arrest by the Gestapo and ultimate death from motor neurone disease in 1989. As a history laden thriller full of twists, turns, moving through time between occupied France and modern day England, it keeps you glued to what comes next.

The heroine Agnes Aubret writes her history in a simple notebook, knowing her life will end with terminal motor neuron disease, and wanting her granddaughter Lucy to know the stories she can not speak of aloud. Lucy, reads about her grandmother’s past in Occupied Paris as a member of a resistance group that smuggled Jewish Children to safety. Her story takes on a new life as Schwermann, a Nazi criminal is brought to trial all these many years later in London.

Father Anselm researches the heroic French resistance fighters of the Round Table, a group of students who attempted to rescue thousands of Jewish children. He weaves a story together that is never quite what it seems on the surface. Friends turned collaborators, babies adopted by conspirators, confusion over who died in death camps and who survived add up to an unfolding story filled with intrigue.

Brodrick writes well with a touch of prose to enhance the mood and bring this tragic story of tremendous loss of so many during the war to a bittersweet climax that brought tears and heartwarming satisfaction.

___

Eva Kor Forgiveness

2011-06-01T21:58:00.003-07:00

Eva Kor

By LeeAnn Sharpe

Could you forgive the most hated group of people in the history of all mankind? Eva Mozes Kor is a survivor of the Holocaust, a tortured subject of the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele, and a forgiveness advocate.

Eva brings an important message to all of humanity. “How can people survive atrocities in the world and still make a meaningful life after?” she inquires. “The only way is through forgiveness. I don’t think most people understand what it really is. It’s really for the injured party, rather than the perpetrator. I am often told the Nazis don’t deserve it. Maybe so. But I deserve it. If I don’t forgive, I remain a victim for the rest of my life. And I don’t think that is a destiny I or anybody else deserves.”

Portz is a tiny Romanian village in Transylvania, where twins Eva and Miriam were born in 1934. Their father, Alexander Mozes and his wife, Jaffa, were wealthy landowners and farmers. Along with elder sisters Edit and Aliz, the twins attended a one-room schoolhouse. The Mozes household led a quiet rustic farm life.

In 1940, the country was occupied by Hungary and tensions rose as hatred of both Jews and Romanians could be felt by the Mozes clan. As Hitler rose to power and the Germans expanded their territories, Alexander Mozes never believed the Nazis reach would extend to his small farm where his wife and children were the only Jews in the area. But when the Nazis occupation expanded to their village in March, 1944, the entire family was transported to the Szilagysomlyo ghetto. A few weeks later, they were loaded with other Jewish prisoners from the region onto a packed cattle car and transported to Auschwitz. Eva recalls being angry her father didn’t take the news of the approaching Nazis more seriously.

Eva and her loved ones emerged from the train onto the 85 foot by 35 foot selection platform at Auschwitz that, according to her, saw more families ripped apart than any other strip of land in the world. Terrified ten-year olds, Eva and Miriam gripped their mother's hands as the mass of people poured out.

Eva recalls, “When the doors to our cattle car opened, I heard the SS soldiers yelling, ‘Schnell! Schnell!’ordering everybody out. My mother grabbed Miriam and me by the hand. She was always trying to protect us because we were the youngest. Everything was moving very fast, and as I looked around, I noticed my father and my two older sisters were gone. As I clutched my mother’s hand, an SS man hurried by shouting, ‘Zwilling? Zwilling?’ (Twins? Twins?) He stopped to look at us as because Miriam and I looked very much alike. He queried my mother ‘Are they twins?’ Terrified, she responded, ‘Is that good?’ He nodded yes. ‘They are twins,’ she affirmed. Immediately, the SS guard took us away from our mother, without any warning or explanation. Our screams fell on deaf ears. I remember looking back and seeing my mother's arms stretched out in despair as we were led away by a soldier. That was the last time I saw her."

Eva and Miriam cried as they were pulled from their mother’s arms. Determined to remain strong, that was the last time Eva wept. In her autobiography Echoes from Auschwitz: Dr. Mengele’s Twins, The Story of Eva and Miriam Mozes, she blames the death camp for stealing her childhood.

The sisters became part of a group of children who were used as human guinea pigs in medical experiments of unspeakable horror. Genetic experiments were conducted under the direction of Dr. Josef Mengele. Twins as young as five and six years of age were usually murdered after the experiment was over, and their bodies were dissected. Approximately 1,500 sets of twins and 3,000 children were abused. Most of them died as a result of these experiments. Hideous tests included injecting chemicals into the eyes of children in an attempt to change their eye color, experimental surgeries performed without anesthesia, transfusions of blood from one twin to another, injections with lethal germs, sex change operations, and the removal of organs and limbs.

Eva recalls a woman trying to reach out to children who were being gruesomely torn apart by the German shepherd dogs, as the guards stood by and watched. She witnessed atrocities like these on a daily basis.

Approximately three thousand twins passed through Auschwitz during World War II until the liberation at the end of the Holocaust. Eva herself became deathly ill, but through sheer determination, she stayed alive and helped Miriam endure. Approximately 200 children were found holding on to life by the Soviet Army at the liberation of the camp in January, 1945. The majority of the children were Mengele twins. Eva and Miriam Mozes were among them. Her two elder sisters, father and mother had perished in the death camp.

Mengele had injected Eva’s sister Miriam with a drug that stunted the growth of her kidneys causing her problems all of her life. After her first child was born, the kidneys started to malfunction, Eva begged her not to have any more children, but after her third child, Miriam’s kidneys failed. Eva donated one of her kidneys to her sister in 1986. It extended her life by another six years until she passed away in 1993. Eva feels her sister would have agreed with her agenda of pardon.

During a recent trip to the death camps, Eva met with the adult children of Nazis, including Bettina Gehring, the Herman Gehring’s grandniece. She told them to stop feeling guilty and instead, use that energy to help someone. Eva encouraged them to excuse their parents and grandparents, and move on with their lives in a positive way. She feels free to dance and sing at the death camps where she has released the pain of the past. Onlookers were shocked when she danced at Auschwitz with another prisoner of that terrible camp, but came to understand when her history unfurled.

Recently, Eva challenged her husband Mickey to write a letter of clemency. She believes that reconciliation is a Christian concept, while non-believers have a harder time. He was reluctant to give up his hatred of the Nazis, but Eva found a way. “I will pay you $2,000 to write the letter,” she offered. He was motivated by her desire, not by the money, and finally he wrote the letter. Now she sends the challenge out to the other Mengele twins who made it through the atrocities to do the same. It is for their benefit to be freed of the burden of being the prey of these vile times.

Eva’s project also encompasses programs for school children. She finds a lot of insecurity among youngsters in today’s hectic, materialistic world. They are easily intimidated and bullied, leading to violent behavior. Her lesson number one is “Never ever give up.” They need to hear that. She tells them, “If I survived Auschwitz, you can survive.”

The exhibit about Eva Kor’s experience is now at the Candles Holocaust Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana. Eva’s account and her passion for teaching forgiveness is well worth a visit. The museum also has a traveling exhibit.

Eva doesn’t want anyone to confuse forgiveness with forgetting. How can you forget when you are telling the testimony over and over again? We need to accurately understand the full truth of what has happened. We need to find ways to repair the wounds of the worst event that has ever happened in our society. “Besides,” Eva turns a satisfied smile, “I ruined their experiment. I survived!”

The Enzyme Factor Book Review

2011-02-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

The Enzyme Factor

When reading Dr.Shinya's book "The Enzyme Factor" you will be awakened to an entire world of nutrition that you probably never knew anything about! No matter how much good healthy food you eat, it can not be utilized without enzymes which are destroyed when you heat food to over 118 degrees.

In his book Shinya explains the tragic circumstances that lead him to create the colonoscopy. The death of his wife and illness of his children motivated him to find a way to see what was happening in his patient's colon without the need for surgery. Today his procedures including the polopectomy have saved millions of lives and educated us how to improve our health. He graphically demonstrates how you can see a person's physically health through their colon.

Not only will you learn about your body and how to keep it healthy, you will be moved by his personal story.

A COOK'S TOUR Anthony Bourdain

2010-12-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

A COOK'S TOUR
Anthony Bourdain
Bloomsbury 2001

If you are a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s Travel Channel program “No Reservations” you will enjoy this more detailed travelogue of exotic food and interesting people. I had often wondered about the behind the scenes of the crew and shooting adventures they must have encountered and this story lets the reader in on all of the graphic details of Chris hanging over the toilet bowl. Lydia wants Tony do shoot a scene and he’s not in the mood but she cajoles him into it anyway. The roads are dangerous and they bounce on endlessly in the middle of desert or jungle not knowing when it will end.

And then there is the food. Food porn is the latest obsession with TV shows or any books about food, it's an awful lot like the relationship between pornography and sex. Throw Anthony Bourdain, who understands the whole food porn phenomenon, into the mix and you have a winning combination. He spends pages and pages waxing poetic about ingredients and dishes that the reader wants to experience, but probably never will, and like porn you get it only in your dreams.

A COOK'S TOUR finds Anthony Bourdain, America's favorite ex-junky celebrity chef, traveling the world searching for the perfect meal, with each chapter devoted to a particular country or trip. Bourdain talks about what he loves including the Japanese obsession with quality, the toughness forged of hardship on the Russian frontier, the sense of community in small town Mexico from where most of his kitchen staff hail. Obviously his favorite, Vietnam is painted in contrasts of extremes that surprise him and shed light on a world many Americans experienced in the 1970’s.

Bourdain's previous book, KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL, was a huge success and led to the TV series. A COOK'S TOUR reads like series of TV episodes but delves into more than any show could possible say. It’s an enjoyable read and satisfied my desire for more Bourdain wit and adventure while safely tucked into my nice comfy bed. What better way to enjoy great food without the calories!

EAT, SLEEP, POOP Book Review

2010-10-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

EAT, SLEEP, POOP

By Scott W. Cohen, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Dr. Cohen, co-founder of Beverly Hills Pediatrics, is a father of two, and author of Eat. Sleep. Poop. He will be at a special event Saturday, October 23rd 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Dr. Cohen's Sessions: 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM)at Destination Maternity, Chauncey Ranch, 18560 North Scottsdale Road, Phoenix, AZ 85054 (480)-563-3437. A Free copy of Eat. Sleep. Poop. goes to the first 50 customers.

Dr. Cohen, co-founder of Beverly Hills Pediatrics, is a father of two, and author of Eat. Sleep. Poop. He knows from experience the questions new parents have and what they need to know. So he wrote a user-friendly guide that walks moms-to-be through everything from preparing for baby to preventing illnesses to the ins and outs of those three basic functions: “Eat, Sleep, Poop”.

It's especially interesting to read a book written from both a father and doctor perspective. Dr. Cohen comments about what he has read or heard and what his personal experience has been. Often he relates to his own daughter and how they treat her and even when he has medical knowledge, parent intuition comes into play.

"Dr. Scott Cohen has managed to condense everything parents need to know for their baby's first year into a fun and readable guide. Today's parents have more questions than ever and Dr. Scott answers them all in this handy book. I will be recommending this one to parents for years to come," Says Dr. Jenn Berman, Marriage, Family and Child Therapist and author of Los Angeles Times best-selling book The A to Z Guide to Raising Happy Confident Kids.

In his pediatric practice, Dr. Cohen often finds that new parents come to him anxious, overwhelmed, and confused-they receive conflicting advice from books, the internet, neighbors, and relatives. He wanted to provide an alternative to encyclopedic, overwhelming books, strict regimens, and old wives' tales, so using his unique position as award-winning pediatrician and new father, Cohen set about writing a guide to your baby's first year that offered essential information in an engaging, easy-to-use format. Thus, EAT, SLEEP, POOP (Scribner; March 30, 2010) was born!

Dr. Cohen believes the best tool for parenting is informed common sense: know all the facts and then do what is medically sound and what feels comfortable for your family. It's an approach that's meant to simplify and reassure at a time when you need it most.

Organized by subject and chronology and filled with helpful diagrams, quick reference worksheets, and entertaining and revealing daddy vs. doctor sidebars, Eat, Sleep, Poop's user friendly format walks readers through everything from preparing for baby's arrival to preventing illnesses to the ins and outs of those three basic functions that will come to dominate a new parent's life. Chapters include:

· Eat-Breast, Bottle and Beyond, which addresses breastfeeding basics, introducing the bottle, and solid food guidelines.

· Sleep-Rock-a-Bye Baby includes advice for establishing a bedtime routine, teaching your baby to self-soothe, and preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

· Poop-The Scoop on Poop, which has tips for dealing with constipation and diarrhea.

· Hachoo!-Common First-Year Health Concerns, your go-to guide for handling illnesses from vomiting to Hand, Foot and Mouth.

· Protect-Vaccines, Dr. Cohen's thoughts on vaccines and autism, vaccines and Mercury and Aluminum and more.

Dr. Cohen handily uses his medical background and experience as a first-time dad to advise his readers, providing a straightforward "common sense bottom line" for each subject. This isn't a guide that dictates, but one that helps parents to work out what is best for their baby. Lively, practical and reassuring, EAT, SLEEP, POOP provides the knowledge you need to parent with confidence and to relax and enjoy baby's first year.

The film rights for EAT, SLEEP, POOP have been bought by DreamWorks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Scott W. Cohen, M.D., FAAP, is the co-founder of Beverly Hills Pediatrics and an attending physician at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where he was awarded Pediatrician of the Year in 2006 and the Physician Recognition Award in Pediatrics in 2005 and 2008. He completed his pediatric training in 2003 at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he was the recipient of the Victor E. Stork Award for continued excellence and future promise in the care of children and the Associates and Affiliates A ward for scientific knowledge, clinical judgment, and excellence in human relations. He was selected as one of the Best Doctors in America® for 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters.

EAT, SLEEP, POOP: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year By Scott W. Cohen Scribner; March 30, 2010 304 pages, $16.00

* * * MEDIA ALERT * * *

WHO: Enfamil® and Destination Maternity® Host a Celebration of Motherhood

WHAT:Scott W. Cohen, M.D., FAAP - co-founder of Beverly Hills Pediatrics, father of two, and author of Eat. Sleep. Poop.; a user-friendly guide that walks moms-to-be through everything from preparing for baby to preventing illnesses to the ins and outs of those three basic functions that will come to dominate a new parent's life.

Moms-to-be from the Scottsdale/Phoenix area will have the opportunity to hear Dr. Cohen's comments and ask questions

· Visit nutritional learning centers

· Take home a gift bag valued at over $100

· Win one of three great raffle prizes with a total value of $850

· Enjoy light refreshments

** Free copy of Eat. Sleep. Poop. to the first 50 customers.**

WHEN: Saturday, October 23rd Event time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Dr. Cohen's Sessions: 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM

WHERE:Destination Maternity Chauncey Ranch 18560 North Scottsdale Road Phoenix, AZ 85054 (480)-563-3437

CONTACT:

Stefanie Weiner 215-400- 2551 sweiner@destinationmaternity.com

Shari Harel 212-246-2977 shari @sallyfischerpr.com

About Destination Maternity Destination Maternity® is the home of the world's leading maternity brands Motherhood Maternity®, and A Pea in the Pod®. It is a one-stop shop for the most extraordinary selection of maternity fashion, accessories and everything imaginable for the pregnant woman. Visit www.destinationmaternity.com for a baby namer, pregnancy information and expert advice.

About Enfamil® Infant Formulas Mead Johnson Nutrition, a global leader in infant and children's nutrition is best known in the US for its Enfamil® infant formulas. Moms and pediatricians have trusted and recommended the Enfamil brand since it was introduced in 1959. Consistent with over a century of innovation, Mead Johnson recently introduced Enfamil Staged Formulas - 3 individually tailored formulas to meet your baby's changing nutritional needs. Visit enfamil.com for more information on Expert Nutrition at Every Stage~.

“The Butterflies of Grand Canyon”

2010-05-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

“The Butterflies of Grand Canyon”

Review by LeeAnn Sharpe

“The Butterflies of Grand Canyon” by Margaret Erhart, is an “Indie Next List Notable Pick” with good reason. Erhart brings the Grand Canyon of the American West to life with an intriguing romance and mystery. Her gentle characters, complemented by the sweet butterflies, provide considerable imagery against the might and majesty of the Grand Canyon.

Using local historic characters, Erhart builds a believable and interesting community where anyone can envision themselves stopping in for a summer vacation. For a young housewife, Jane Merkle, a summer visit rediscovers a sensuality that had been misplaced in her marriage to a much older St. Louis insurance salesman. Park Ranger Euell Wigglesworth awakens her desire. Communing with nature and chasing butterflies opens opportunities allowing Mother Nature to take her course.

Watching her sister-in-law, Dotty, carry on a tryst of her own, Jane is surprised to learn her brother-in-law, Oliver, knows all about it, and has for years. His sensitive understanding that his wife needed more than their marriage could provide allowed him to give her loose reins, which in turn, kept her coming back to him without a word spoken of her indiscretions.

Erhart created characters whose names were inspired by tags affixed to butterflies in the museum at the Grand Canyon National Park. The tag reads, “Mrs. Merkle, on the 17th of July, 1951, brings down a wood nymph or two at Point Sublime on the North Rim of Grand Canyon.” Another reads, “E. Wigglesworth captures a red admiral” in the same place at the same time. From here Erhart builds her story.

Grand Canyon National Park brothers Ellsworth and Emery Kolb photographed the canyon for decades and become an integral part of the story with a skeleton found in Emery's garage. Real life botanist Elzada Clover and her associate, Lois Jotter Cutter, are called into action to solve the mystery of the skeleton with a bullet hole at the back of the skull.

“The Butterflies of Grand Canyon” is a well woven mystery that combines romance and intrigue. Erhart keeps the reader coming back for more. This, her 5^th novel, puts her hiking guide at the Grand Canyon experience to good use and may teach you a thing or two about its butterflies as well.

For more info about this and other Penguin titles please visit www.penguingroup.com

THE BUTTERFLIES OF GRAND CANYON By Margaret Erhart Plume Original/$15.00 978-0-452~29549~0

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

2010-04-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

International Congress XXIII Endovascular Interventions, hosted by The Arizona Heart Institute

2010-03-02T21:58:00.001-07:00

Nearly 1000 physicians, allied health professionals and industry from throughout the world met at the Phoenician Resort (6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale) February 28th to March 4th for the International Congress XXIII Endovascular Interventions, hosted by The Arizona Heart Institute and Arizona Heart Hospital, “The People Who Touch the Heart.”

As part of this annual Congress of world expert, Dr. Edward Diethrich played host to over 900 of the general public in a forum to educate on the latest developments in endovascular treatments for cardiovascular diseases. They actually performed live minimally invasive surgeries treating an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, a Peripheral Vascular Disease Stent to restore leg circulation and a hole in the heart of a young woman who suffered a stroke in child birth. Each surgery displayed on huge theatre screens in the main ballroom, showed the surgery with the surgeon explaining the procedures, monitors of vital signs, x-rays and ultrasounds including breaking technology intravascular ultrasounds.

Arizona Heart Institute did a fabulous job of explaining each procedure and factors that lead to the need for such surgery. They made clear the complications that can arise and how we often don’t catch the problems in time. It emphasized the need for early detection to save lives.

The Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm surgery was especially meaningful to me as my mother experienced this surgery a year ago. Her eldest sister and father had both died of aneurysms in the days before we could detect such problems. Her path to the surgery and the procedure seemed more complicated than the 15 minutes of surgery we viewed. But it was nice to see it actually being done.

Before the forum vendors lined the halls displaying their wares and giving away goodies. Nurses and pharmacists were on hand to answer questions. The lines of seniors waiting to talk to the professionals, speaks to the concerns Americans have with their health care. There seem to be more questions than primary care doctors have time to answer. Public health forums like this one go a long way to helping people understand their health issues.

Then there’s the issue of following doctors orders for diet, exercise and medications. Or the issue of health insurance, procedure and prescription cost. Will the government’s attempts to create a health care system actually improve conditions? All questions to be addressed in the future…

Avatar: Exciting as Star Wars?

2010-03-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Roger Ebert said it best, "Watching "Avatar, I felt sort of the same as when I saw "Star Wars" in 1977. That was another movie I walked into with uncertain expectations. James Cameron's film has been the subject of relentlessly dubious advance buzz, just as his "Titanic" was. Once again, he has silenced the doubters by simply delivering an extraordinary film. There is still at least one man in Hollywood who knows how to spend $250 million, or was it $300 million, wisely."

I felt the same way. From the previews I was intrigued and being open minded I wanted to see what all the buzz was about. But it wasn't the type of movie I generally enjoy. I mean all of the computer generated animation, alien creatures, and fantasy stuff. It's okay in small bits but this was way pushing the envelope. So if I'm going to see it I go for the 3-D IMAX experience. And what an experience! I loved it!

Avatar is the story of a disabled ex-Marine, Jake Sully , who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind is put into an alien body, where he finds himself torn between two worlds. Sully went for the opportunity of walking again but found himself in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people.

More than ten years in the making, Avatar marks Cameron's return to feature directing since helming 1997's Titanic, the highest grossing film of all time and winner of eleven Oscars® including Best Picture. WETA Digital, renowned for its work in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and King Kong, incorporated new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters.

The imagery takes you into their incredible and beautiful world so completely you will find yourself ducking when creatures are flying toward your face. All they need is surround smell and a little shaking of your seat to give you the full Disneyland experience!

The cast includes many unknowns including Jake Sully played by Sam Worthington and the exotic Neytiri played by Zoe Saldana. Dr. Grace is veteran actress Sigourney Weaver who adds the balance between the scientific and the fantastic.

20th Century Fox presents this film written and directed by James Cameron. Running time: 163 minutes. MPAA rating: PG-13 (for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking). Box office $2,481,904,000 Worldwide: as of Mar 1, 2010

Western Coen Brothers Style with Classic John Wayne "True Grit" Remake

2010-03-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Western Coen Brothers Style with Classic John Wayne "True Grit" Remake

We read in the New York Times that the Coen brothers' are working on a remake of "True Grit" "True Grit" is scheduled to hit theaters at the end of this year, on December 25.

This is great news for western aficionados wanting westerns introduced to another generation who seem more preoccupied in the science fiction and fantasy of the future than the history of their ancestors past. Coens are capable of making a film the next generation will embrace and maybe open the door a crack for more westerns.

Jeff Bridges reunites with the Coens, taking the Rooster Cogburn role that was previously made famous by screen legend John Wayne. Also cast are Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, as Cogburn sidekick La Boeuf and main villain Tom Chaney, respectively. An unknown actress, Hailee Stanfield. 13-years-old, has been cast for the character of Mattie Ross.

"True Grit" is the story of Mattie Ross, a teenage girl who convinces Cogburn to help her find justice for the murder of her father at the hands of Chaney. Also investigating the crime is Damon's character, a Texas Ranger, whose idea of justice is more within the bounds of U.S. law than Ross and Cogburn's.

If you have never seen the original John Wayne "True Grit" movie, pick it up at BlockBluster or in the discount bin at Wal-Mart. It's a classic worth viewing over and over again.

The Back Roads (Arizona Highways: The Back Roads)

2010-02-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Back Roads (Arizona Highways: The Back Roads)
I love back roads and where they lead. This book will stay in the vehicle while out on the back roads exploring. It is great to plan off road trips - a day or even longer. There is no place like the back country for solitude and peace of body and mind. Arizona is filled with history on our scenic back roads. This book divides the state into sections and lists the best trails in those areas. 40 Scenic trips with route finders directions and maps and 220 color photos make this a must read before you hit the trial!

2010 Year on a Dream Board

2010-01-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

On Dec 30th , Guest speaker Dr. Matt Mannino - Personal Growth Trainer and Business Mentor spoke about the “Law of Attraction” and how it applies to the “Dream Board”. He was very interesting, especially in regard to how doubts and fear hinder our progress in accomplishing our goals.

The idea was to make your intentions- goals - dreams very clear for the 2010 year on a Dream Board. A Dream Board is a tool that allows you to place images and text about your dreams on a piece of cardboard. Then you place that board somewhere in your home or office so that you can constantly be reminded of those dreams. The Secret talks about the Law of Attraction and that is basically what the Dream Board is all about. That which we think about will manifest itself into our lives. So, what better way to think about our dreams than to put the images on a board so we can think about them more frequently.

Knowing I was planning to attend the meeting, I got a head start on my Dream Board. I started by printing images to symbolize the various projects I wants to achieve. Then I started examining what I really wanted in my life, where I wanted to live, who I wanted to be with, how I wanted to feel, what it would take to accomplish my dreams.

Ben Stein said, “The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.”

It sounds simple but when you really sit down and start writing it out, it is quite a process to set goals and determine how to get there. I have done this before, just about every new year’s eve of my life. But this year I have really approached it with much greater definition and structure. Perhaps it will lead me to greater success in realizing my dreams.

Thank you to Michael Gallegos for hosting the Dream Board meeting at Marie Calendar’s. I always meet the nicest people at his meetings.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2010-01-01T12:45:00.001-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

A friend sent me this message, "One noble intention can move the earth. One sincere effort can change the world. One step towards peace and prosperity can usher a positive change and make the world an amazing place to live. A great welcome to the year 2010 and a big hello to you." I thought it was so wonderful I wanted to share it with all of you ladies in the AZ Business Women's Network.

I believe we can all work toward positive change in 2010 by supporting each other in any way we can, to grow in our business and personal lives. We are women and we are strong!

So join us in our first meeting of 2010 at a new location : Shish Kebab House, 5158 W Olive Ave, in the Fry's Shopping Center NW Corner of 51st Ave & Olive. Glendale, AZ 85302 (623) 937-8757.

We meet every 1st & 3rd Wednesday at 11:30am to share lunch and our business stories, leads, ideas and learn from each other. There are no dues and we invite all business women too join us! Bring your friends!

We will be working toward a fund raising luncheon in March to benefit the Crisis Nursery. Bring your ideas!

Best wishes for a joyous and prosperous 2010

LeeAnn Sharpe

602-565-5785

lasharpe@cox.net

Book Review The Civility Solution

2009-11-02T16:18:00.002-07:00

Book Review The Civility Solution
By LeeAnn Sharpe

The Civility Solution by P.M. Forni, published 2008 from St. Martin’s Press

ISBN 0-312-36849-6, has 166 pages.

This book answers many questions with an extremely civil attitude that common sense dictates to most people, but frequently seems to be lost in today’s world.

P. M. Forni, the award winning professor of Italian literature at Johns Hopkins University, has founded a Civility Institute. His 2002 book Choosing Civility has sold over a hundred thousand copies proving that what was once taught from childhood, has been lost for generations, and now must be learned by adults unaware that civility is what drives peaceful co-existence.

It’s no wonder we live in times where road rage and sideline parents at sporting events results in violence. Keeping one's cool in tense situations seems to be deemed as weak.

Forni’s book offers Eight Rules for a Civil Life that I find so simply elegant as to be words to live by.

1. Slow down and be present in your life. It sounds so easy but who among us isn’t guilty of rushing to get everything done. And isn’t that generally when civility flies out the window?

2. Listen to the voice of empathy. I know it can be hard when the creep you are trying to empathize with has just stolen your parking place, but it will do you more good to let it go.

3. Keep a positive attitude. No one likes a downer. Positive breeds happy and happy breeds joy and joy breeds… well you know.

4. Respect others and offer them plenty of validation. This goes exceptionally well for a child or spouse. But it applies to the rest of the world as well.

5. Disagree graciously and refrain from arguing. This is pretty much the most important chapter in this book in learning how to be civil. The book is worth it just for this one chapter!

6. Get to know the people around you. How many people don’t know their neighbors these days? There you are.

7. Pay attention to the small things. My Dad goes crazy when he works so hard to maintain his clean yard and the wind blows his neighbors unkempt leaves over. It may be a small thing but it leads to a loss of civility.

8. Ask, don’t tell. Wouldn’t we all enjoy a bit more civility in the world?

Retails for $19.95 at all fine booksellers today.
About the author: LeeAnn Sharpe is a freelance writer residing in Glendale, Arizona. Her love of the southwest and the western lifestyle have inspired her to a project called Keeping the Spirit of the Old West Alive. She also writes reviews on books and dining as well as several biographies of influential people.

Mark Everett Guardians of the Grain CD Review

2009-11-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

Mark Everett "Guardians of the Grain"
CD Review
by LeeAnn Sharpe
“Guardians of the Grain” by Mark Everett hit the market this month with 12 of the most delicious new tracks you could ever hear. Everett’s beautifully deep resonating voice brings life to articulately crafted lyrics telling stories in these ballads. Those with a love for history and bygone years will enjoy his nostalgic lines. Danceable and catchy, you will find yourself singing along in no time. He engages a theme of longing for the kinder gentler world of the past and offering hope for the future.
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Everett was raised all over Canada, with his guitar, a Christmas gift from his father in 1983, his constant companion. “I have always felt that old guitar has been there as my one truest friend...and music the truest form of my personal expression. I live for that!” he says.
Beginning with melodic chords, “Guardians of the Grain” – (by Clyde Jorgensen, J. Watts, and Mark Everett) tells the story of grain silos on farms across Canada guarding the harvest in a time when farmers stood proud. The lyrics proclaim “Now the world has changed and those giants don’t rule.” This number will really grow on you more each time you hear it.
“Don’t Take it So Hard” – (by C.D. Lenard) has a crisp full life of it’s own. Try not to tap your foot to this song and you will not succeed. Your girl leaves “It’s not the end of the world” lyrics can be taken to heart in a number of ways; the lesson we all learn when a heart is broke.
“The Drive” – (by Mark Everett) is a slower paced heartfelt sorrowful ballad that came from personal experience of heartache and loss of his Dad. “Time will heal the pain I feel, they say. But I feel it will never be the same…” echo the same sense of loss that “Guardians of the Grain” and “Where the Mustangs Run Free” do. Each lyric speaks of a time when the promised land was ours and the recent changes in life aren’t always for the best.
Everett grew up drawing influence from many different artists like Hank Thompson, George Jones and later Radney Foster and Randy Travis. “As I get older, I realize that only time brings life experiences that make for real personal artistic influence. For me, blessings and trials such as becoming a father, losing loved ones, and just plain old laughs and struggles down life’s sometimes hard and dusty road are ultimately the greatest sources of my music”, Everett commented.
“Where the Mustangs Run Free”. (by R. Lane, Clyde Jorgensen, J. Watts, and C. Dunnagan) is, in my opinion, a musical masterpiece. With the longing for a past life, “Where the Mustangs Run Free” begins with crisp clear melodic finger picking guitar and strong bass that continues like a playful mustang running through at a good pace. A depth and dimension to the orchestration of this piece brings to mind the majestic themes of western movies and story telling that makes it an experience to be enjoyed time and again. You will see those mustangs and feel their hoof beats. And you too will long for a time and place where the mustangs run free.
“Kiss My Ex” – (by Bill Turner) is sassy, humorous and upbeat, if I were to describe this ditty. Everett adds a little twang and character to his voice to a number that pretty much is explained in it’s title. Everett met Clyde Jorgensen in 2001. He says. “He (Jorgensen) was the one who turned my idea of recording a CD into a reality. We took some material he had written, some I had written, and co-wrote a couple of tracks, putting them together to create the “Guardians of the Grain” album.”
“When the Diesel Winds Down” – (by Mark Everett and Clyde Jorgensen) displays the collaborative power of this duo taking advantage of Everett’s voice and Jorgensen’s knack with lyrics. “Daddy drove rigs back as far as ’69…” Flashing back on memories again and how “When I feel sad I think about my dear old Dad”.
“Welcome Home to Alberta” – (by Mark Everett) is a love song to the “true north strong and free, “It’s a place of wealth and beauty. It’s a place for you and me.” Everett’s love for Alberta rings true. “The beauty of this land is something everyone should see.” Alberta’s Chamber should adopt this number real fast!
“Truckin” – (by Clyde Jorgensen and C.D. Lenard) picks up the pace for an upbeat great dancing number.
Work and family kept Everett travelling the highway between the northern Alberta family farm near High Level and his southern home near Lethbridge. He spent time in Phoenix working with Jorgensen, which as he says, “Made me feel like I have a third home there as well.”
“Catherine’s Song (The Way You Love Me)” – (by Clyde Jorgensen) is a simple beautiful love song that showcases Jorgensen’s skill with words and feelings. He sings the harmony as well. He has one lucky lady. Although he would say it’s the other way around, that he’s the lucky one.
“Would You Like to Dance” – (by Clyde Jorgensen and C.D. Lenard, B. Bailey) is upbeat and lively almost a Cajun beat. It makes a great dancing tune. “Would you like to dance or are you still mad at your Ex?” Can’t you just imagine hearing that at the bar?
“Better Watch Out” – (by Clyde Jorgensen) Jorgensen makes this one a true duet with Everett. And the juxtaposition of Jorgensen’s rough gravel voice against Everett’s silky smooth voice is an interestingly successful contrast.
“Once Again Your Love Surrounds Me” – (by Clyde Jorgensen) proves Jorgensen a true romantic with an ability to put words to music in a classic style. Yet each is fresh and new. Everett delivers the message with the feeling it deserves.
“The success of this CD was made possible by Clyde and Billy William’s awesome talent and patience. These two veterans of the business made me laugh every time we were in the studio. So even though we put our all into it, it never felt like work,” says Everett.
Also performing on this project were Billy Williams (guitar and piano), Mike Smith (steel guitar), Jerica Nicolaides (fiddle), Mike Brouchette (harmonica), Lycia Ware, Steve Parrish, & Clyde Jorgensen (background vocals).
Everett says, “I really hope my music connects with the folks who hear it. This first project has really opened up an exciting chapter in my life. I am already working on new material for another project. But first I’m very anxious to see the response to the “Guardians of the Grain”. I am really hoping everyone comes to enjoy these songs like I do.”
You can learn more about Mark Everett at www.markeverettmusic.com “Guardians of the Grain” 2009 Daffy Dane Music, 10476 N Balboa Dr, Sun City, AZ 85351. Recorded and mastered at Billy Williams Studio in cooperation with Trails End Productions .