CT Scanby Angie
7 Feb 2008
11:02 pm1
Well, I lived. They had to poke me twice in my left ankle and then finally in my right before they could find a vein that would take their blasted 20-gauge IV catheter. It was not remotely comfortable. Also, I understand wiggly children in church better after today: It is so much harder to hold still as soon as someone tells you that you’re not allowed to move!
Anyway, the good news is that the Cardiothoracic Radiologist did an initial sweep of the scan and didn’t see any major clots. Now he has to thoroughly examine the over 2000 images of my “plumbing” (as he called it) to make sure nothing questionable has been missed. He told me all this and more right after the CT was through, but I was pretty out of it and didn’t retain much. I’ll see Dr. Murphy again in a couple of months and we’ll find out whether I’m safe to stay off coumadin for a while longer.
Good Eatsby Angie
6 Feb 2008
10:02 am3
I love cooking. I think I’ve loved it ever since I was little and learned to make the best homemade macaroni and cheese in the world with my sister Emily. However, since I was a fairly picky eater growing up, I had a very limited selection of dishes I knew how to make (because, frankly, how silly would it be to cook something I didn’t like?). Going on a mission and getting married did a lot for expanding my culinary horizons, but I think my confidence in experimentation has mostly come from my favorite TV show (really, the only one I watch regularly): “Good Eats.”
“Good Eats” is hosted by Alton Brown – the Bill Nye of the culinary world. It’s all about the science behind cooking, the history of various foods, safety and hardware in the kitchen, and learning methods rather than just recipes. Lots of puns and visual aids make it extra entertaining. Watching this show inspired Jim to try making homemade jam… and now we never buy store-bought because making our own is both cheaper and tastier. When we can find flank steak for a good price, we make Good Eats beef jerky on our homemade drying rig (rather than a dehydrator), which tastes fantastic with no scary chemical preservatives. Even my baked potatoes will never be the same since applying tips from Alton Brown.
Anyway, just to experiment, I’m going to try embedding a video of the Good Eats theme song right in my post. Enjoy!
Primary Elections!by Angie
5 Feb 2008
9:02 am2
The Primary Elections are today (for California, at least), and away I go to vote. I hope everyone I know takes the opportunity we are given to declare our opinion about the public officers that lead our country! What a blessing it is to live in a land of liberty!
Ok, I’ll stop now… but you all should really vote! At least vote on our poll, anyway 🙂 Who would you like to see as the President of America next year?
Try-Me-Night Review: Chiliby Angie
3 Feb 2008
11:02 am0
This recipe was a fantastic success! Several weeks ago, the Bradleys invited us over for dinner and served us this chili – Jim and I both loved it so much, I asked Kristyn for the recipe and she had emailed it to me before we even got home. I finally had everything I needed to try it out this week and it turned out great! I doubled the batch, because we were sharing it, but went a little light on the beef and heavier on the veggies. It still turned out meaty and delicious. I used the little “sweet peppers” we found at Costco, which have a great flavor with just a little more heat than regular bell peppers. This week, I also purchased and potted some cooking herbs to keep handy on my porch, so we happened to have cilantro – a favorite of Jim’s – to sprinkle on top. It was perfect for the cold, rainy week we’ve been having.
“The Peacegiver” by James L. Ferrellby Angie
29 Jan 2008
11:01 am0
Justin Bradley offered to lend us this book on Friday, with a very high recommendation. Both Jim and I read the whole thing over the weekend: it’s a quick read, and rather hard to put down. I loved it – It was profound and insightful, but in a very real and familiar way. The protagonist is invited to understand forgiveness and mercy through visions faintly reminiscent of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” except that the scenes he witnesses are from the scriptures, rather than his own life. As the story unfolds, it teaches about the Savior’s Atonement and the role of healing it can play in our relationships.
As a side note, I found it ironic that one of the complimentary comments on the back cover was from C. Terry Warner, which called it, “An invaluable, compelling book of hope and discovery – about Christ, about others, and about ourselves – unlike, I think, any other book you have ever read.” Though I agree with almost his entire statement, it actually did remind me of another book I have read: C. Terry Warner’s very own “The Bonds that Make Us Free.” Brother Warner’s volume, while not written in narrative form like “The Peacegiver,” taught similar concepts in its message of humility, forgiveness, and peace. If you were touched by one, I think you will very likely enjoy the other as well. Not surprisingly, Brother Warner and Brother Ferrell both work for the Arbinger Institute, a foundation based on principles of peace and individual accountability.
Congratulations to Rebecca Carlson!by Angie
27 Jan 2008
9:01 pm2
As promised (though, rather later than promised), Rebecca finally receives her prize for successfully identifying the song and album that are the source of our very appropriate blog tag-line. What is the amazing prize? Why, a post on our fascinating and exiting new blog, with readers across the country, dedicated entirely to my amazing sister-in-law! So, here goes…
Rebecca J. Carlson is the oldest of six children born to Roger and Kathy Hoffman. With an airline pilot and a marine biologist turned super-mom for parents, Becka had adventure and creativity stamped on her destiny in bold type. She spent her childhood in Utah, Arizona, and Texas. Later, she pursued scientific studies at Brigham Young University, where she met a brilliant mathematician named Russel Carlson. It didn’t take long for Physics and Math to notice each other and, during Becka’s Senior year at BYU, they were married in the Portland LDS Temple. Together, they’ve taught ballroom dance classes, written and published The Journal of Extraneous Scientific Topics (JEST), and moved from Utah to Oregon, back to Utah, then to Arizona, and finally to their current home in Nevada.
Rebecca & Russel spend a significant portion of their time raising their five children. This generally includes a conglomeration of homeschooling, music lessons, science projects, family prayers, various pets, and wholesome recreational activities. Becka keeps a running commentary of these adventures on her blog, “And Now, For My Next Trick…“. She plays the harp, and has even built several of them herself. She is an avid reader, and often takes the time to write insightful reviews on what she reads. Her literary interests have prompted her to experiment with her own authorship, and she is currently attempting to publish a young adult novel titled, “Society of Peregrines, Book One: The Key to the Corridor.”
Here are a few things her family members have said about her:
“I could not have hand-picked anyone better than this remarkable young woman to be the “ring-leader” of my children! She has been a constant source of inspiration, creativity, and fun to our whole family.” – kathy
“Rebecca is amazingly creative, a problem-solver and a natural leader. She’s intelligent yet sensitive, scientific yet spiritual, talented yet humble.” – russel
“She is a brilliant person – a genius when it comes to science and physics and all that. She’s an inspiration to me artistically, and has been the trail-blazer in my family.” – jon
“(intelligence / n(projects)) + (courage (action + vision)) + (mom-of-the-year x 5) = Rebecca”
We love you, Rebecca! Hope you like your prize 🙂
Monterey Bay Aquariumby Angie
19 Jan 2008
6:01 pm2
Yesterday was amazing! Since Jim and Justin had the day off (they’re both on a 9/80 schedule at work, so they get every other Friday off), we spent the day with the Bradleys at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It’s a long drive – about two hours each way – but it was quite a treat to make the trip together. First, we watched a diver feeding fish in a kelp forest and learned about making seafood choices that are friendly to the environment. We saw two giant octopuses, huge crabs, jellyfish, sea otters, sting rays, different kinds of birds, snakes, frogs, and – of course – amazing varieties of fish! They have some fun “Touch Pools” where kids (and grown-ups!) can actually reach in and safely poke around at kelp, sea urchins, abalone, starfish, and more. Maddie was patient and peaceful in her stroller the entire time, and attracted lots of admiration from passers-by. Emily was just a whirlwind of interest and energy all day. Thank goodness for the kids’ play areas! The slide was, apparently, Emily’s favorite.
When we were all sufficiently exhausted, we headed over to the wharf and had dinner at the Old Fisherman’s Grotto, which won over the other options with the promise of deep-fried cheesecake. For the first time in my life, I had fresh steamed crab. It tasted good, but I really couldn’t get over having to crack open the stiff, spiky legs and scooping the meat out from the crevices inside. The fact that Jim demonstrated tugging the remaining tendons to make the leg joints move and claw pinch didn’t help my appetite for the dish. We also had delicious deep-fried asparagus hearts, which were so good that Jim and I looked at each other in delight and – of course – said, “What a great idea! We should make these at home!” The meal ended with the aforementioned deep-fried cheesecake with strawberry sauce, and a scoop of birthday ice cream for Kristyn.
P.S. Rebecca won the contest for identifying the source of our tag line – check back tomorrow to see her prize!