My name is Sharlene Olander, I'm 54 years old --TODAY 8/28. Here is my home page ShLoOl's Home Page I was born at a very early age. LOL I spent the first 9 years in the Primary Children�s Hospital (in for two-ten months, then out for a month or so, and then back in, etc.) I had severe kypho/scoliosis. After I graduated from high school I attended business college and became a secretary. Later I went to the University, but have not graduated....got married instead, when I was 30. I have been very active in the church--teaching is my favorite. I�ve been music/sports /drama/speech/camp directors on ward and stake levels. However, I have never served in a presidency. I�ve served a stake mission in Park Stake, SLC; and a full-time mission in the West Central States (1964-65) ; because I kept getting pneumonia in Montana, I was reassigned to Northern California (1965-66). After my mission I moved to No. Cal where I lived for five years and worked at the University of Cal at Berkeley. I was there in the 60�s.....people�s park.... hippies.... etc. What an experience. I worked in the Oakland Temple and I taught early morning seminary for four years. I moved back to SLC in �72. Worked in the SLC Temple and attended the U of U. Met and married a wonderful, spiritual non-LDS man. As the years progressed, so did his alcoholism. Finally he had to choose between his family or the alcohol and he chose his family. Had my one child--Matthew (Gift from God)--when I was 32. We moved to Murray, UT. I worked in the Jordan River Temple. Started doing serious genealogy. In 1989 my DH joined the church and quit drinking completely, but never has been able to give up cigarettes--because of this he doesn't hold the priesthood; however, he attends church regularly, reads the scriptures daily, does home teaching monthly, serves as High Priest Group secretary and is a wonderful husband. In the past I have also been very active in humanitarian and civic organizations. I was Treasurer for a county political party for a term where I learned the importance of electing officials that are representative of your value system. And then monitoring them to make sure they are voting as you would have them vote. I learned the importance of having a group who would (at a moment�s notice) phone or fax their government representative when an issue was at stake that compromised the Gospel values. In 1989 I became heavily involved in a humanitarian project involving pre-Hispanic Indians in southern Mexico. Our group was sponsored by CHOICE Foundation. We made several trips, building school, teaching them agriculture, a cistern and rain catcher, and other projects that enriched their lives. For a week we would live with them at 10,000 ft. on the side of an extinct volcano--no water--no electricity. I was the food coordinator and fed three meals a day to 75 expedition staff and about 25 Indians who were working on the project. The past few years I have been an officer is several "values" organizations. A friend of mine, Susan Roylance and I formed the Coalition for Religious Liberties to protect our rights in public areas. Some of the Organizations I've served on the board or as an officer for are: Republican Coalition for Life (anti abortion), United Families of Utah, United Families International (attends UN conferences throughout the world to influence delegates to support family values). Utah Association of Women and WOW Women Of the World (MOM upside-down....a family values group). I have had to step down and take a back seat in these organizations because I've been ill. I�ve had health problems all my life, but in 1994, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I survived--am surviving...... You may have read by testimony, "Thy Will Be Done". We live in South Jordan now with our son, who is currently home on sick leave from his mission. He plans to return to a mission in October. He is currently waiting for his new call, as he was released from the other one. He was serving in West Virginia but will probably go to a different mission this time. The other members of our family include our fur people: Rose (Irish Setter), Phoebe (poodle), Fred (BIG Siamese cat) and Elizabeth (dainty petite tabby). People have asked me to write about some of my experiences. I�ll share them with you from time to time and give more detail of certain things. I spend my time resting, doing family history research, surfing the net...chat...etc. and try to do a little housework every day. I don't like dealing with food..my husband has done the cooking for many years...I love gardening...home decorating... music... sewing... flower arranging, and playing, Scrabble, Wordtris and Backgammon with my computer. I enjoy getting to know you. Thanks for being there. I love hearing about you and your lives. The struggles we all face and the ways we overcome them are a help to each other. I look forward to my mail each day.