A Crazy Cowgirl is my alias, also known as the Cowgirl Connoisseur, and a few other pseudonyms over the years. I am LeeAnn Sharpe, a freelance writer from Glendale Arizona. Writing is an obsession for me and has been for as long as I can recall. It must come from my father who was the family storyteller. All of my life I recall sitting around the kitchen table or a campfire or on lawn chairs watching the stars at night listening to my father tell me stories of people and places in his life. He captured their essence with his ability to describe, not so much in the physical, but more in their character and experience. Like a painter captures the feeling and emotion, that’s what I try to do with my subjects.

“Write about what you know and experience personally,” was advice a well known western writer Elmer Kelton gave me during an interview a few years back. Taking that advice to heart I write about food, movies, and people in my life. The best skill my father gave me in addition to storytelling is listening. Listening to people tell their stories and pulling the bits and pieces together in a cohesive package is what I do best.

So I hope you enjoy my blog and feel free to comment.

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…

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.

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

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
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 .

Featured November 19th at Bison Western Museum

The 3000 Club Food Rescue benefits from auction

(SCOTTSDALE) – The Spirit of the Old West Alive lecture series continued November 19th, the second in the series to honor people who have “kept the spirit of the old west alive”. Bob Boze Bell Executive Editor of True West Magazine was center stage and offered some candid insight to events never before discussed as he was interviewed about his life and times in Arizona.

“I don’t know if I can say this if there are kids in the audience,” Bell sheepishly confided. His story continued about how the “P” word got one of his books pulled from a bookstore for indecency when a customer complained. The audience laughed at the absurdity of the situation and at the endless quips Bell let loose in the 2 hours on stage.

The Spirit of the Old West Alive (SOWA) was founded by LeeAnn Sharpe with the purpose of collecting oral histories. “Too often we see the passing of significant people in our history without their stories being recorded. It means so much more to hear their stories directly from the individual. To hear their voice, to see their body language and pick up on their personality,” Sharpe comments. These video taped interviews will be available as DVD’s and online for research.

Why Bell? “We have to honor those people who have impacted our western experience. Bob Boze Bell has written a number of books on old west characters, created western art, and brought a publication, True West, back to life and introduced the history of the west to a whole new generation.”

Bison Western Museum is an excellent partner in the SOWA program as their goal is also related to gathering history of the southwest. The lectures are presented in their theatre seating 125 people. With the gorgeous museum upstairs for guests to explore while enjoying a buffet of hor d’ouveres and a cocktail, the location is about as enjoyable as possible. (www.bisonhomes.com )

Also sponsoring the event is the Wild West Gazette dedicated to promoting Arizona history, education and tourism. Sharpe as Editor of the publication had little trouble convincing Publisher Sid Hagel to jump onboard. The current November issue of Wild West Gazette boldly depicts the first two lectures in the series. ( www.wildwestgazette.com )

The 3000 Club Food Rescue (www.the3000club.org) was a beneficiary of a third of the evenings receipts. The 3000 Club Food Rescue, with founder Lon Taylor and Ethel Luzario, do incredible work transporting produce that can not make it to market to food banks that would be otherwise sent to landfills. Their program makes a major impact feeding the hungry with high quality nutritious produce. A portion of the proceeds from the SOWA lecture will support their efforts. Taylor took the stage to describe the work they do in these much needed times. He told how they had lost a major sponsor and needed to raise $30,000 to replace that income to keep the project going. “We need 3000 members to donate as little as $100 to make this happen,” Taylor commented. The audience responded with questions of how to join. The website above has an application online. Or call 602-549-1011.

The next lecture will be January 7th and honor Wyatt Earp Grandnephew of the famous lawman. as one of the people who keep the “Spirit of the Old West Alive.” Earp has preserved the family history and performs a one man show. He has traveled the world with his show and certainly is deserving of this honor.

Bison Western Museum is located at 16641 N. 91st St., Scottsdale, AZ (just north of Bell Road) Parking is free and admission is a $15 donation to benefit our selected charities. Doors open at 5PM, Cocktail hour begins at 6pm and the program will begin at 7pm and last until 9pm. (www.spiritoftheoldwestalive.com )

Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s Official State Historian, was honored with a “Spirit of the Old West Alive” award Nov. 5 at the Bison Western Museum in Scottsdale.
LeeAnn Sharpe, director of the program, presented the award following her videotaped interview of Marshall. The video is the first in the lecture series, “People Who Keep the Spirit of the Old West Alive,” created to promote the history of the West both online and in museums nationwide.
The interview, accompanied by a slide show, focused on Marshall’s life as a teacher, historian, and musician. While Marshall is certainly all of those—and more–the presentation proved he is also a man with a lot of friends.
The late Senator Barry Goldwater was one of them.
Marshall met Barry Goldwater in 1972 when the senator spoke at Scottsdale’s Coronado High School where Marshall was teaching Southwest history.
Marshall said he and the senator became friends that day, “and we were friends until the day he died.”
Following his introduction of Goldwater at the high school, Marshall said he went on to introduce the senator “on the Barry Goldwater Lecture Series for more than twenty-odd years.”
“We never talked politics,” Marshall said. “Barry had this whole other side; he liked to talk about Arizona history…we always talked history. That suited him and it suited me too.”
Another of Marshall’s friends was Henry Cordes, grandson of German immigrant John Henry Cordes who established the town that bears his name in 1883, and became its first postmaster.
Marshall’s family met Henry when their 1936 Ford broke down in Cordes.
“Not Cordes Junction, Henry Cordes’ town,” Marshall clarified. “We lived there for two, three, four days. We were the guests of Henry Cordes.”
He added, “I think the population of Cordes was one.”
Besides a politician and a town founder, Marshall’s list of friends included an Academy Award winner: Ben Johnson.
Marshall called Johnson, who acted in “The Wild Bunch,” “Shane,” “ Junior Bonner” and other westerns “one of the best storytellers.”
The two men camped together in Monument Valley for a week for an “Arizona Highways” piece that Marshall was writing about the actor.
“Other than his loud snoring, we had a very wonderful time,” Marshall said. “You met him and it felt like you knew him all your life.”
Marshall said that when he heard the news of Johnson’s death in 1996 he had to pull his car off to the side of the road to gather his thoughts.
“He was just that kind of guy. I’ll never forget him.”
But one of the Official State Historians dearest friends is Arizona Official State Balladeer Dolan Ellis. Marshall and Dolan have performed together since about 1978.
“He’s a great guy, like Ben Johnson,” Marshall said, “to know him is to love him.”
Marshall recalled that when he “went down with a heart issue” and couldn’t make his performances, Dolan called him, asking if Marshall had any shows he needed covered.
“I said, ‘Yeah, all of ‘em.”
Marshall said Dolan drove “all over the place to cover my shows. And when the checks came in and I tried to give ‘em to him he wouldn’t take ‘em. We’re that kind of friends.”
Marshall concluded the interview with a reflection on his book signing for “Ash Fork,” his book about the history of his childhood hometown.
“The day… that the book came out and we went up there for the book signing, there was a blizzard,” Marshall said. “I started signing books at…noon and it snowed up at Flag. and Prescott—everywhere. And people came from as far away as Kingman and Flagstaff, through the storm to come to the book signing. And, those,” he said, “are friends.”
To learn more about Marshall Trimble, visit his website at www.marshalltrimble.com

Bob Boze Bell Featured November19th at Bison Western Museum

Cowgirl Designs displays art and The 3000 Club Food Rescue benefits from auction

(SCOTTSDALE) – The Spirit of the Old West Alive lecture series continues November 19th, the second in a series to honor people who have “kept the spirit of the old west alive”. Bob Boze Bell Executive Editor of True West Magazine will be center stage interviewed about his life and times in Arizona.

The Spirit of the Old West Alive (SOWA) was founded by LeeAnn Sharpe with the purpose of collecting oral histories. “Too often we see the passing of significant people in our history without their stories being recorded. It means so much more to hear their stories directly from the source,” Sharpe comments.

Bison Western Museum is an excellent partner in the SOWA program as their goal is also related to gathering history of the southwest. The lectures will be presented in their theatre seating 125 people.

Also sponsoring the event is the Wild West Gazette dedicated to promoting Arizona history, education and tourism. Sharpe as Editor of the publication had little trouble convincing Publisher Sid Hagel to jump onboard.

Sponsors also include photographer Karin Johnson of Cowgirl Designs who will auction some of her horse photography art work to benefit the designated charity for the evening, The 3000 Club Food Rescue (www.the3000club.org).

The 3000 Club Food Rescue, with founder Lon Taylor and Ethel Luzario, do incredible work transporting produce that can not make it to market to food banks that would be otherwise sent to landfills. Their program makes a major impact feeding the hungry with high quality nutritious produce. A portion of the proceeds from the SOWA lecture will support their efforts.

Sharpe says, “I hope to build an archive of stories that combine to tell the history of Arizona. The lectures will be entertaining evenings for anyone interested in cowboy western art, music, history and lifestyle. It’s also a great opportunity for business and social networking! We had 88 people attend our event for Marshall Trimble on Nov 5th and expect a similar crowd for this event.”

Bob Boze Bell is a historian, a humorist, a storyteller, and as True West editor has brought the history of the old west to people all over the world. It seems only fitting that he should be the among the first to be honored as one of the people who keep the “Spirit of the Old West Alive.”

Bison Western Museum is located at 16641 N. 91st St., Scottsdale, AZ (just north of Bell Road) Parking is free and admission is a $15 donation to benefit our selected charities. Cocktail hour begins at 6pm and the program will begin at 7pm and last until 9pm.