2009-01-23 Draper Temple Open House

The Christensens, Fords, and Conleys went with us to the Draper Temple open house after a day of skiing at Brighton.

2009-01-24 We're in Maui for a week!

We snorkeled at this beach and enjoyed a sunset here.



The sun and the beach were wonderful. We had a lot of fun with Bonnie and Henry who are easy to be with and flexible.



We had a sad experience of seeing a woman drown despite our efforts at CPR. This is her photo from her obituary.



We saw a number of whales of the beach in Kaanapali, and we went out for an afternoon of whale watching. Timing the photos is a challenge.



We also went snorkeling with turtles near Napili Beach.



Still friends since their days in Highland High School pep club.

2009-01-22 Conleys visit for a wedding

Jeff's brother married and all the Conley clan came to celebrate.

2009-01-14 Benjamin loses his tonsils

It would seem to Melissa that Benjamin's tonsils carried a secret formula for keeping him kind and thoughtful. Since losing his tonsils he spends too much time spitting at her and pointing out her faults.

2009-01-15 Benjamin plays basketball one day after his tonsils are removed

Benjamin had his tonsils removed on January 14, but he still played basketball on January 15. He even made a couple of baskets. Today (January 21) however, he is still home from school with a sore throat. Joshua plays very well, and he and Benjamin are on the same team.

2009-01-17 Auto Show

Thomas, Joshua and Grandpa visited the car show and tested a number of models. Thomas liked the Dodge Viper. Grandpa liked the Honda Civic. Joshua liked the Ferrari. Beofre the car show we went to Costco for pizza and we bought an X-Box 360 with the 2009 NFL football game. This proved to be a hit. Thomas, Joshua, Benjamin, Jack, Will and Zach Seager slept overnight, played X-Box and bowled on Saturday.

The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating

from the NY Times

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” updated his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.
#1 Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
#2 Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
#3 Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
#4 Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
#5 Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.
#6 Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
#7 Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
#8 Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
#9 Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
#10 Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies. We like fresh blueberries which we seem to be able to buy year round.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
#11 Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

You can find more details and recipes on the Men’s Health Web site, which published the original version of the list last year.

In our house, we only have a few of these items — canned pumpkin, which we use each and every Thanksgiving, and blueberries, which we eat with oatmeal, cinnamon, and tumeric which we never use.

How about a dinner of sardines, cabbage and beets?

2009-01-06 Househunting in St. George

We spent a couple of nights at Don and LaRue Stauffer's place in St George and looked at bank-owned properties. There are a lot of places, but these photos are from the house we liked the best, and we made an offer to buy this place.

2009-01-03 Winter Wonderland

Following a big snow storm we took a walk to La Caille and back. This is a photo of our fire pit by the stream in the snow.