On Memorial Day, we did our patriotic duty and supported our economy by blowing a ridiculous amount of money at the movie theater. We debated between Prince Caspian, or Indiana Jones. In the end, the realization that Indiana Jones’ PG-13 rating practically screams “YOUR 6 YEAR OLD WILL HAVE NIGHTMARES IF HE SEES [...]

Today’s post was inspired by one of Justine’s thought-provoking posts and the interesting comments that ensued. (Not to mention just a little egging on by Deborah and Sue.) I especially loved Justine’s fabulous rant about “Moby Dick.” It’s going to make my Comment Hall of Fame.
I have a confession to make. I graduated with [...]

“In Utah, it’s… there’s a lot of… caucasians that live there.”
I love the film documentary Sisterz in Zion, which is showing on BYU-TV tonight at 9 p.m. A video portrait of a handful of young women of color in New York City, converts, some of whom are immigrants from other countries, who are the [...]

What do Cream of Wheat, near-twin sisters, an Italian monastery, hair dye, Mormon opera singers, deep Southern accents, and frogs have in common? They are all part of Segullah’s Spring 2008 issue, Roots and Branches. Read and enjoy the articles here. To subscribe to our print edition, which includes art by Emily McPhee and Cassandra [...]

dir segullah,
i know i told you that i would postthis morning but, thing is . . .
(let me switch the baby to the other shoulder)
(typing one handed ishard exclamation point)
i tried posting late last night
(or was it early morning question mark)
and i fell asleep with the laptop staring back at me.
then i tried to post [...]

The following is the first in a two-part guest post by a private blogger who wishes to remain anonymous. In it she discusses her life-long search for faith and the realities of living in and raising children in what she likes to call a “bi-cultural” family.

I was raised in the southwest, to parents who were [...]

We’re going to the cemetery today, to put flowers on my mother-in-law’s grave. Mom died four years ago. It’s good for me to have days like today, to make me remember my mother-in-law more clearly. And to make me realize that I need to talk to my kids about her more than I do. [...]

This weekend, I’m afraid, too often descends into a free-pass weekend of boating and TV watching, and not enough time spent remembering the many people in our lives who have sacrificed to see us here. No guilt, though, about boating or tv, we’ll be having plenty of picnics and water games ourselves…
But tell me, on [...]

Dh and I got in a fight last weekend. A real doozie. And it lasted longer than a day.
Let me first say that this is not normal for us. We don’t fight, or not that often, anyway. And when we do fight, it’s often short lived, about stupid things, and, although I [...]

Wanted: More reader submissions for Ask Nine Women. Please submit yours at askninewomenATgmailDOTcom.
Recently I read a couple of hysterical posts about things our parents fed us when we were children. You can read them here and here.
The food flashbacks triggered by both posts reminded me of many a time I sat alone at the dinner [...]

Today we’re lucky to have another guest post from Lois (not her real name) of Lois Common Denominator. Thanks Lois!
I first started really thinking about the psychology behind consumerism after reading the book “Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping” by Judith Levine. I love stuff like this. I still need to read the book [...]

Today’s guest poster has requested to remain anonymous. Sometimes she feels the need to do this when writing about sensitive subjects, in order to protect the privacy of others. Today she does so mostly just to save her own face. Thanks “Name Withheld.”
Recently I got called into the bishop’s office. I’ve warned the ward clerk [...]

My husband spent the first decade of our marriage traveling a lot for his business. From my myopic view, he was off seeing the world, climbing the Great Wall of China, flying over erupting volcanoes, scuba diving with tribal chiefs (oh, and going to boring meetings and stuff, too, but whatever), and I was home [...]

I follow a familiar pattern: I pick up a Martha Stewart magazine at the grocery store (usually the Halloween issue. I love that holiday and nobody knows their tricks and treats like Martha); I like what I see so I subscribe. Then for 12 months I am blessed to behold Martha and her [...]

My great-grandmother, Mary Leona Johnson Jolley, was born in 1888. She lived to be 95 years old, and although she died when I was only eleven, I remember her well. She was a mother of nine from a small town in southern Utah, and even without the benefit of much formal education she [...]

My husband just spent two consecutive weekends, six days total, away, for Scout-related bishopric training. I was dreading it. I have a hard time motivating myself to do anything when he’s not around. Make dinner? Chicken nuggets sound good. Clean? Meh, he’s not coming home anytime soon, so I can save it up and have [...]

Have you met my friend Lois yet? Lois, not her real name, and I go way back. (Maybe someday I’ll tell you.) She blogs at Lois Common Denominator. If I had to describe her with a few brief details (in addition to the fact that she is hysterically funny), I’d probably tell you about how [...]

Hey Segullah Blog readers, it’s me, Heather H. Not the witty and ever-present Heather O., nor the poetically gifted Heather B. But me, the I-used-to-blog-about-once-a-month editorial staff member who has been scarce as of late due to a beautiful new baby. Do you remember me? Have you missed me?

Here’s my most recent motherhood faux pas (okay, the most recent one was ten minutes ago, but it wasn’t good enough to blog about):
Two weeks ago my first grader brought home a note saying his class would be dismissed two hours early the following Monday and Tuesday. Crap, I thought. I have enough trouble remembering things [...]

Talk to me about scripture study.
I need to do it every day more faithfully.
I also need to do about 479,000 other things every day.
The Lord is kind of yelling at me right now in exhortation.
How do you do it?
How do you make it meaningful?
How do you invite the Spirit into your home?

“If you can’t behave yourself then I’m not going to bring you to Costco again!” 
I said these words, which wouldn’t have been such a big deal, except that I was saying them to my mother.  She had already been scolded twice by the Costco sample ladies for trying to grab their food straight out of [...]

While Deborah was defending her non-book-snob status last week, I was also coming to terms with my own. And I guess here is where I must admit that I’m a bleeding-heart-book-snob. I think there are books filled with nuance and beauty and books that are thinly veiled propaganda abounding in oversimplification and poor writing [...]

Today’s guest post comes to us from Kacy Falconer of the simply fabulous Every Day I Write the Book. Thank you Kacy! We hope you’ll grace us with a few pages from your book again sometime.
My mom was a working mom. She worked every day, made dinner every night, did housework and yard work on [...]

Today we have another great guest post from Lori, of Hearts and Hands. Thanks Lori!
Ours was a friendship that, over the years, dissolved into what could be termed as a mere acquaintanceship. I left the neighborhood we both lived in and vowed to return to see Julie as often as I could. She was going [...]

I remember when my first was born and the foreign utterance that crossed my lips to my dad, while I was still in the hospital with my new baby.
“Now I know what joy is,” I told him. And he said, that’s right, that’s exactly right.
In Darlene’s beautiful poem, in the latest issue of Segullah (out [...]

Recently, a dear friend confided in me.
“I didn’t like my book club’s book last month. I’m sure it was beautiful and masterful, but it was about abuse and sex and a horrible sad life. It didn’t matter that there was redemption. It was too awful to read. I must not be a very literary person, [...]

Mother’s Day is in eight days–can I recommend a gift subscription to Segullah for your mom/wife/friend? Our Spring issue, Roots and Branches, is at the presses now, and it’s wonderful. I am so excited about it. I was trying to be all professional about this announcement, something like “From the stunning cover by Cassandra Barney, [...]

Last week I went to the grocery store and while I was casually meandering past the aisle of rice and beans I got quite a shock.
The rice row was completely empty.