And Yet Another Birthday Dinner!!!

Saturday will be the third birthday dinner party this month. Richard, my only great and wonderful son-in-law is turning 29 (yippee, bells and whistles the big 2-9!) on December 3rd, but because of his work schedule we are having his party a wee bit early. This dinner will consist of prime rib, baked yams, fresh out-of-the garden horseraddish (this is heaven on Earth--the only way to eat aged prime rib!), potato rolls, brussle sprouts (slightly steamed with lemon-still biteable), as well as other veggies. OMG this is making me hungry.

Happy Birthday Richard! We love you!

Hardware Removal Surgery - Andrea's Knee

On Monday Andrea had surgery to remove the screw that was put in her knee 18 months ago as part of her knee surgery. Luckily the surgery was nothing like her first. Last time during her post-op recovery period she was hallucinating horses and unicorns. This time a different med was used and it made her body itch--specifically her nose. She kept grabbing, rubbing, and scratching her nose like she wanted to rip it off. I thought it would be swollen, red, and bleeding by the time we left the hospital, but it wasn't--she is as cute as ever!

Her knee is a little bit swollen with a lot of bruising. The incision looks horrible and I think it will leave an ugly scar. You can't tell from the picture, but it is "T" shaped about 1 1/4 inches long and only held together by two large stitches.

First Fish

Sammy and Robert went fishing in Wyoming yesterday and Sammy caught her very first fish, and it's a big one!

Book Update

Week 45 and I just finished book 53!

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Here's the picture of Dylan's Birthday Dinner
I promised to show you.

Yummy!

Another Birthday -- Another Special Dinner!

Last week was Dyl's b-day and special dinner; this week is Robert's b-day and special dinner. Yum!

Robert's dinner request -- calzones. I've been checking various recipes and concluded the best way to do this dinner is to have a "buffet" of prepared ingredients that way everyone can make their own specialized calzone. Yum Yum!

Kind of makes you wish you lived in Powell-land doesn't it!
Yum Yum Yum!

Happy Birthday Robert!!!!!!!

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Contortionista Kitty!

Sammy's little "Wink" sleeps in the weirdest positions.
Just looking at her hurts!

Happy 19th Birthday Dylan

One family birthday tradition we have is the birthday person gets to choose whatever he/she wants for dinner. You would think Dylan, being the typical boy that he is, would want tacos or pizza. No, not our Dylan. He wanted a combined Chinese/Japanese dinner including Orange Chicken, Tiny Spicy Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, low-mein, rice, and a full-out sushi bar! Everything home-made of course! (I'll add picture of food later.) I forgot to mention dinner was for only 17 people this time! (I'm getting really good at banquet-size cooking!)


Dylan is all "Bro."

Dylan talking with his long lost mysterious Aunt Kim!

Happy 19th Dylan -- We love you!

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There are Pumpkins, Then There are PUMPKINS!

This year was definitely the most fun Jeff's had carving pumpkins.

He has wanted to do special pumpkins for years. This was His year!

Jeff and Robert busy carving pumpkins.

Believe it or not they didn't make a mess of the kitchen!

(I got out of helping with pumpkins this year

because I was busy putting the final touches on Robert's costume.)

My favorite: "Barbie-Eating Monster"

I thought parents would be upset by this one;

especially the ones with really young children,

but only a few people even commented on it.

Jeff's favorite: "Crying Baby with Poopy Diaper"

Parents asked if they could take pictures of this one!

This "Alcoholic Pumpkin" got the most comments - good and bad!

Some people just can't take a joke or maybe it's just Utahns

(Utards as Kim says).

Yes, after 30 years living in Utah I still consider myself a

New Yorker through and through.

You can take the girl out of New York,

but you can't take the New York out of the girl!

Jeff with all the pumpkins he and Robert made.

They also made a "Punk Mohawk Boy," "Pirate,"

and "Crying Baseball Boy."

We would have liked to have Robert in the picture too, but he and Sammy were too busy winning First Place in Best Couple Costume contest at Sherwood Hills huge Halloween shindig. Okay, I guess we can forgive him this time!

All of us in Powell-land hope you had a fun Halloween!

46, 47, and counting!

Book number 47 done!

The Eyre Affair is 48th

Ahead of Schedule -- Yippee for me!

My life for the most part is boring. I don't keep a journal or a diary; that would just remind me about how boring my life is. What I do keep, however, is a book journal. I don't know why I started keeping one; it's like I woke up one day in 1994 and said, "I think I'll keep a log of all the books I read." Two years ago I lost the book journals. Well, at least I thought I did. Yesterday I found them tucked behind the photo albums on the bottom cabinet shelf. It has been fun to look at the list of books and reread some of the things I wrote about them. I can tell when I really liked a book because I would write, write, and write. The books that were so-so, sometimes just received a "meh."

My reading goal has always been at least one book a week. When the children were young that was achieved through our homeschool reading and educational materials. Okay, I know that is cheating, but at least I was reading something. Now that the children are out of the house during the day and I have lots of free time, I get to read more interesting material. This year most of my reading has been contemporary novels. That is something I thought I would never enjoy. I've tried to stay close to the classics, but recently have discovered I like a few of the newer authors too! Because of a very busy winter/spring I was unable to read my first book until April. Not a good start to my reading year! I am pleased to report, though, that I just finished my 45th book and it is the 43rd week of the year!

As always, all recommendations welcome.

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Okay, I think it's official... I have become a read-a-holic. Samantha's friend Melissa gave me a list of books to read. (Afterall, I did post that I wanted input from people on books to read!) In the last week I read four books. I'm hooked! I ask everyone I know to suggest a book. My already long list is now even longer and I love it!

What I don't like, however, is if someone tells me anything about the book itself. If they tell me about it, then it ruins reading it for me. All I want to know is whether they would recommend it -- that's all! For me, knowing the plot of a book beforehand is like watching the last few minutes of a movie first then starting it over and watching it from the beginning.

Anyway, I'm still open for suggestions!

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Crazy Weather ???

Last winter was mild; Spring was great; we had a late start to summer with three weeks of freezing rain in June; and now, September 30th, we got our first snowfall!

This weekend we are preparing for freezing rain and snow. Garden is covered, play things put away, and the like...

I'm sure the snow and frost will melt and we will get at least another month of sun (and warmth). Mother Earth just wants to let us know who's boss.

We aren't the only ones with crazy weather. I heard Colorado had a major snow storm a couple weeks ago.

I've lived in Utah for 31 years and the earliest I can remember it snowing in Cache Valley was October 8th, and I thought that was early. September 30th! Whew! and burrrrrr!

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Aeneid by Virgil

Okay, maybe we bit off more than we could chew or at least comfortably eat in one sitting in choosing to read the Aeneid by Virgil. Normally Donna and I choose books we can read in at least a week's time, but I am now on week two with the Aeneid and I am only half way through it.

In order to understanding Virgil's history-mixed-with-myth writings, I have digressed into a history of Rome and a study of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses. Virgil in the Aeneid writes about all of these things, and I was getting a bit frustrated trying to figure it all out.

After Aeneid we will be reading "Common Sense" by Glenn Beck and "Timeline" by Michael Crichton.

Mysterious and Hilarious

I had the most wonderful experience at church today while at the same time being the most adamant and direct with the bishopric 2nd Councelor I have ever been with anyone in my life. After sacrament meeting Jeff (as my support) and I went to "talk" with him. I told him very directly and pointedly that I was NOT to be released from my current church calling. (Now you need to understand that nothing yet had been said about releasing me.) He looked at me with a big smile on his face and asked, "Have you been talking to the Bishop?" I replied, "No." He then told me that just two hours ago in Bishopric meeting they discussed that exact thing--and decided that, in fact, they were not supposed to release me from my current calling (Ward Emergency Preparedness Specialist).

I then looked him directly in the eyes and said, "I know what calling you ARE supposed to call me to in addition to my current calling."

"Oh, and what is it?" he asked with a big grin.

"I am supposed to be called as the Ward Genealogy Specialist and Teacher."

By this time he was laughing heartily out loud and he asked, "Have your ears been ringing this morning?" Then he took out his PDA scrolled down to his list of things to do this week and number four on the list was "Call Powells - Genealogy position." He then said, "You just saved me some time by talking to me first. How did you know?"

"I knew two months ago that I was supposed to have the Genealogy position in addition to my current position. I just needed you (meaning the bishopric) to figure it out. But I was getting impatient and didn't want to wait any longer."

He told us that there was a big discussion in bishopric meeting as to whether or not I should have both callings. Well, you know the outcome of their discussion! We all laughed at the irony of how everything turned out!

The Lord works in mysterious ways!

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A "Sort of" Book Club

Donna and I have been reading books and then watching the movie version of it. This week we read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. We were able to find five different movie versions from the 1940's to 2003. We watched three of them in one day and two another day. It was funny watching one version because of the horrible script. We were constantly making fun of it and commenting on the important plot sections that were rewritten or removed under the guise of "creative license." Granted it can't be easy putting a 500+ page classic into a 2 - 3.5 hour movie, but at least staying to the plot should be a screenwriter's priority. It is sad in one way because the worst of the bunch was the hollywood version starring William Hurt. I don't think I can watch another movie starring him without remembering how absolutely horrible his version of Jane Eyre is.

We are open to book suggestions!

Sprained Wrist

Okay, how does one sprain their wrist picking garden produce? I'm not quite sure myself, but I am the talented one who did it.

I think it happened when I twisted a zuchini from its stem and ended up twisting my wrist instead.

Processed food for 10 hours today. I'm tired and well stocked!

Pharmaceutical Company Pawns versus Health

For the last few years I have been living with a messed up thyroid, so 4 years ago I finally decided to get it tested. The normal range for the thyroid test is between 0.45 - 4.67.

Four years ago my result was 19. The doctor, without even consulting me, scheduled me for surgery. I found out about it when the hospital called the "day before the surgery" to tell me what to do to prep for it. I told them a mistake was made and I wasn't having any surgery. Needlesstosay I never went back to that doctor.

The next doctor I went to told me I needed to go on thyroid medication for the rest of my life. I told him I wouldn't do that and that I was going to try natural ways of correcting my thyroid. He told me I was an idiot. Needlesstosay...

I started researching and testing alternatives on my own.

Eighteen months later I decide to have another thyroid test to see how my alternative therapy was doing, so I had to choose another doctor. The doctor I choose was a new doctor with a brand new practice - a young women who I hoped would have some respect for women. Well, she ended up being a worse misogynist than most male doctors in town. When I discussed with her any other possible options for my condition, she would only discuss the various pharmaceuticals on the market. When I asked if there were any food studies relative to my condition, she actually yelled at me and said, "If you don't want to take a medication for your thyroid, why are you coming to see me?" Good Point! Needlesstosay...
Good news though - my thyroid test result was down to 9 - a drop of 10 points.

Obviously my alternative therapy was working. I stopped doing it about 8 months ago when I "felt" better. I wanted (no, I needed) proof for myself that my thyroid was in fact okay, so last week I had another thyroid test and the result was 4.59--in NORMAL range. The doctor I have now is respectful of my thoughts, concerns, and wishes, and is willing to work with me. So far he's been good.

So for all you doctors out there who have no respect for the healing properties of the human body, who have no respect for alternative therapies, who are only glorified pill pushers, and who won't work with their patients' specific needs I say it's no wonder why people are quickly losing respect for the medical profession!

Can't Judge A Book...

Many of you may remember three years ago when Jeff was rushed to the hospital with a suspected heart attack, and it wasn't a heart attack at all but a severe side effect of a medication he was taking. The doctors at the time gave him a clean bill of health (and believe me the bill was costly!). Well, Jeff just had blood work done--all the typical tests--hdl, ldl, triglycerides, thyroid, etc... and everything was in "normal" range. Let's be honest Jeff is a big boy and most people think that he would have some medical problem.

Let me turn the table... we have a good friend who is a competition bicyclist, a skiier, jogger, and avid swimmer and scuba diver. He is the most active person we know. He is trim and thin and most people would think he was very healthy. However... he has high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and has already had two heart attacks.

Jeff and our friend work in related fields (except Jeff's is much more stressful) and Jeff gets continual cardio exercise throughout the day while our friend sits at a desk.

Moral of the story: Being Large Does Not Automatically Mean Unhealthy!

Transformation: PL&M ---- J&L's Pizza

This post is primarily for my siblings for they are the ones who will be taking the trip down memory lane. For the rest of you, especially family, you will learn something of our past.


When our parents' store PL&M
was sold it became a pizza and sandwich shop. It remained its original size and color for many years. However, this trip to New York we found that it had been added on to (two business offices available for rent) and it was painted beige with white trim. It was so different I just had to stop and see what the insides were like.

I was disappointed inside the store
because it was not a sit down restaurant--only a take-out place. Upon walking in, we walked right up to the order counter. However there were four stools where you could sit and wait for your order. We asked if we could eat there. This picture shows the front display windows of the store. They looked pretty much the same as I remember. As a young child I remember having to clean all those BIG display windows. Funny, they didn't look so big :)

This was Dylan's first meal in NY
--an authentic NY sandwich--well, afterall it was a sandwich and we were in NY. Sitting in front of those windows brought back a number of memories. And, yes, the sandwich and pizza were very good. Dylan gives his approval with a big thumbs up.