Book Look

See - food in Seattle

2012-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

Some people eat sea food or fresh produce at Pike's Market in Seattle. I was caught with my bag of fresh hot mini donuts...

First day in Seattle, just rain no more snow. Outside the aquarium.

I need a little Christmas, right this very minute

2012-01-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning after picture.

Handsome boys on Christmas morning

Roman decorating Christmas cookies - it's all about the sprinkles

Dawson checking the time on his "slap watch" from Grandma and Grandpa

Baby Paxton on Christmas morning bad picture again in the car seat. We need to try harder!

I'll betcha 2 bucks there is a doe in my backyard!

2012-01-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

These 2 young bucks are showing off for a doe that is outside the photo. It was a bit difficult to get the picture, but worth it since I haven't seen this before despite our daily deer visits.

Where there's fire there's smoke

2011-12-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

Where there's fire there's smoke. The hazy special effects are courtesy of the fire pit at Thanksgiving Point. We all enjoyed driving through the Christmas lights, then visiting the reindeer.Dawson is modelling the 3D glasses.

Huddled around the fire pit by the reindeer at Thanksgiving Point

Three boys sleep over for the weekend

2011-12-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

Dawson is reading to his little brothers in our bed. It started with one - then 2 - then 3 up on the bed with us until Mark had to leave to make room Sunday morning. We had the boys for the weekend to give their mom and dad a rest with new baby.

Shopping with Roman

2011-11-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

Could this boy be any cuter! Every store we went into people commented,"He's so cute!" We are at Eddie Bauer where he could be one of their manikins if they sold children's sweaters.Tyfani's cute pregnant belly is in the background.

My candidate to play Major Pettigrew

2011-10-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

At book club we played "who should play the characters in the movie?" We read "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" which I highly recommend. We were allowed to choose an actor living or dead for each character in the book. I chose David Niven to play the major. I know I am right and here is the picture to prove it.

I sure hope my Canadian family still looks at these pictures

2011-10-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

Cherrios were the greatest breakfast item ever invented. Nico's dad continues to teach his baby sons the important skill of drinking the rest of the milk from the bowl.

Nico came to visit - we went outside on the deck to see the deer or as he said "Dog". Apparently every animal is a dog.
I try to post a weekly picture for my far-away family. They aren't much for facebook these Canucks and really I don't need 200 people looking at every picture I take of my adorable grandchildren. I know they don't comment, but they better be looking or I can save myself a lot of time.Yes, you know who you are - email me.

The new deck

2011-09-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Mark finished our new deck this week. We had a little porch and now we have room for outdoor dining and seating for our family on the deck.I love that Trex stuff - so nice to walk on.

"Boy is completely hidden by giant birthday gift bag!"

2011-09-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Roman turned 3 and it's possible that grandma gave him a gift that was too big to open or even see over. Look at those cute little bare feet! Mom and dad notice dad's painting in the background on the entryway hall in a place of honor.It's the only painting hung in the new house so far.

Goose and her boys looking at the fish

2011-08-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

Goose, Roman and Finn are looking at the gold fish in Finn's backyard pond. It is so funny to watch this threesome play together. Goose thinks she is just one of the kids.

Deer Damn-age

2011-08-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

Our deer are darling and damnable. The eat the flower right off the top of "deer resistant" plants and for good measure pull out new plants before they can even root. Even my rose bushes get new leaves eaten and that's a trick with all those thorns!

This is what those geraniums should look like - these are their twin sisters safe in my front porch pots.

Workin' on the chain gang

2011-08-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Our Saturday chain gang is getting the rocks off the front yard. Chris and Sean joined us and we got most of the front de-rocked.

Don't worry, when the front is done we still have the side and back on this corner lot. And the view of the lake from their back deck is beautiful!

Even Tyfani pregnant with boy #4 is out there raking.

We celebrated pioneer day

2011-07-30T17:19:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Pioneer Day by going to the Mormon Battalion visitors center in San Diego with Jake. We chose Jake (not because he lived in California) but because we needed another strong person to help pull our handcart. We also hoped he could spot gold nuggets when we panned for gold. Dawson turned out to be the best at panning for gold. As the picture was being taken someone (Tyfani)suggested we strike a serious pioneer type pose, but as you can see some people just had to smile!

Yellowstone National Park Balzotti Reunion 2011

2011-07-01T14:54:00.001-07:00

Mark and I in our secret agent disguise at Yellowstone Upper Falls. What a great Balzotti family reunion! The best people and the best scenery! We had 60 people there. All four grandparents and spouses, Mike's group total of 16, Mark's total of 12 (we lost!), Donna's group total 16 and Lori's group total of 16 also. The three pregnant moms - Tyfani, Rachel, and Andrea deserve an extra kiss and hug for being such good sports to come on this adventure. Three new babies coming in November, December and January for our family.

Alyssa is wearing a skirt (and a necklace). I am not. I am also saying "Don't take a picture," which always works.

Bear in the tree - Mark finally saw a bear on the last day. We had to restrain him as he attempted to leap from our moving vehicle when the ranger said no parking but he was able to safely jump out and we circled back for him.

Mahea, Pono, and Dawson about to be eaten by the Dragon!

Finn experiencing the Dragon's Breath Cave and modeling the reunion shirts Alyssa made for all the children.

Marie and Finn: "Don't get too close to the wildlife."

Just trying to help out - 100th anniversary of Mackies

2011-06-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Mark and I helped Mackies in Port Stanley celebrate their 100th birthday by eating their fries with special sauce. The sauce is an amazing sweet/spicy ketchup, spices and a dash of their famous orangade combination - I think. I am considering working there one summer just to steal the recipe for their fry sauce!

Meet Brigham Young's great-great-great-great grandson

2011-05-23T15:52:00.001-07:00

Dawson had to dress up as someone from Utah's history for his 4th grade "wax museum" last week. With all the classes going around the gym it's a bit noisy but he did a great job. I liked the part where he said BY was the first governor of SLC instead of Utah. The coat came right out of our dress-ups. Sadly, his recent haircut removed his curly hair which was just like his ancestor.

Carribean Cruise pictures from last week

2011-04-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

If you leave your chair for a half hour snorkel you may find your spot taken by some skinny-legged chick strutting down the beach!

My chair for the day. At our second port we went to beautiful Brewer's Beach on Tortola.There were about 2,000 passengers on our cruise ship and only about 10 people were on this incredible beach. We shared a taxi with one other couple and we were the only ones there for a couple hours and then a few people arrived later. No loud music, no spring break crowd, clean warm turquoise water to snorkel in, soft white sand and shady palm trees.Perfect.

Our first port in the southern Carribean was Samana - this is the colorful downtown shopping area which is one street. The ride in on boat tenders took longer than walking around the town.

These are the taxi's at Samana - scooters with attached seating. The port isn't visited by very many ships so it is still small and not very developed.

Let them eat cake (and drink Italian sodas)

2011-03-31T07:02:00.001-07:00

The cakes are adorned and labels and ready for the wedding shower guests to enjoy. Fresh tulips, Italian soda bar, tissue ceiling decorations and a moss runner from Taipan.

Jordan's bridal shower brought to by Alyssa's decorations and new cake decorating skills.

Cowpie clocks - the story I had to tell

2011-03-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

I heard Chris and Thaylene talking about Cowpie clocks and wrote the story for the Daily Herald - go check it out on their site."Cowpie clocks are selling like hotcakes"
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_47198301-1ebf-527e-9b21-1a68656eceff.html

What are they up to?

2011-03-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Dress rehearsal for "Sleeping Beauty" which Tyfani directed. Haydon and Roman are lined up ready to enter during rehearsal. The junior version was a little more junior with 2 year-old Roman joining the goons. He danced and sang and swung his sword on stage the last night with the rest of those bad boys!

Dawson "painting" his clay mask with shoe polish. While brothers rehearsed "Sleeping Beauty" Dawson went to sculpture class across the hall.

One of the clay projects Dawson made was a mask.

by request: book review of "The Distant Hours"

2011-02-13T19:44:00.000-08:00

Some people have asked me to continue writing review - Yes or no? If no one is reading them here I probably won't take the time. I am not sending them out as a bulk email anymore but I could post here when I read a good book. This was my last review written for the column but never published.

“The Distant Hours”by Kate Morton

When a female friend (or complete stranger at the grocery store) asks for a good book to read, I suggest a novel by Kate Morton. Gentlemen, I’ve given you plenty of suggestions lately for books you would like so skip this review and pick up the TV remote – it’s a definitely a book for the ladies.

Kate Morton books include “The House at Riverton”, “The Forgotten Garden” and her newest “The Distant Hours”, published in November of 2010. They are books about old houses, old families and old women. Sound boring? Not at all – these mysteries will keep you up late at night reading generational secrets, riveting love stories and haunting endings.

“The Distant Hours” begins with the first few pages of an old book titled “The True History of the Mud Man”. Edie read this book as a child and now wonders if it’s more than fiction. “Hush… Can you hear him? The trees can. They are the first to know that he is coming. Listen! The trees of the deep, dark wood, shivering and jittering their leaves like papery hulls of beaten silver; the sly wind, snaking through their tops, whispering that soon it will begin. The trees know for they are old and they have seen it all before.”

The mysterious book about a terrifying muddy man scaling the walls of an old castle to kidnap a child was written by the father of the three Blyth spinsters more than fifty years ago. As little girls, the twins and their baby sister lived under his famous shadow in Milderhurst castle outside of London in Kent. They live there still, hiding their secrets and his.

One afternoon Edie watches her mother react with shock when a letter that should have been delivered fifty years earlier arrives. Her mother had been evacuated out of London as a young girl to live with the Blyths during World War II and the letter is from the youngest daughter Juniper. Edie begins to research her mother’s past and discovers the terrible truth of what happened in the distant hours at Milderhurst.

“The Distant Hours” is a gothic style novel with twists of fate, dark family secrets and madness lurking in turret rooms. I enjoyed traveling between the 1940’s and the 1990’s as Edie unravels the mystery of the Blyths and discovers her own mother’s secrets. It’s definitely on my top ten of 2010 fiction reading list.

Good News - Daily Herald News

2011-02-08T17:59:00.001-08:00

Yes, our beloved little Springville Herald was shut down by the big bad owner in Provo. I promptly applied to the big bad Daily Herald and am now employed by them to write Springville stories - two a week is what they will now run. I had my family editor (Jon the beloved) read and comment on my first story. With his brutal, slashing red pen he helped me make my article "Less tepid" and suggested I change my last paragraph which "comes to a grinding halt". While he was in high school I was just as ruthless and now the tables have turned! I actually value his suggestions - even if I sift through and discard some of them.
The story was about an elementary school in Springville trying to get Chinese Immersion started. This precocious little kindergarten girl was a great interview!

The Last BookLook - Springville paper closed down

2011-01-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

Not sure what will happen to BookLook now. I will be having a meeting in the next week or so with Provo Daily Herald who owned and closed The Springville Herald. Hopefully I will be able to continue writing. Here is the last review printed in the column. No one knew about the closing or we would have all done something spectacular instead of a routine article.

BookLook January 27, 2011
Debbie Balzotti

“Queen of the Night”
It’s the dead of winter. The weatherman gleefully announces that we haven’t seen temperatures above freezing for weeks. Inversions are blown out of our mountain valley by snow storms depositing several inches of heavy wet stuff which turns to ice and stays plastered to sidewalks and roads. It’s time to head to St. George with a good book in the CD player and the promise of warmth and sunshine just four hours south!

J.A. Jance, an award winning mystery writer, wrote “Queen of the Night” in 2010 and dedicated it to the late Tony Hillerman. Like Hillerman, Jance brings many tribal legends and contemporary Native American practices into her story about the Cereus desert flower known as Queen of the Night. The fragrant white flower only blooms one night each spring but this year it is also a night of murder on the Tohono O’odham reservation in Arizona.

Retired sheriff Brandon Walker is again solving murders past and present. He is asked to follow-up on a 50 year-old cold case where a witness is ready to talk. He is also involved with the four brutal murders recently committed just outside of Tucson. His wife Diana and adopted Native American daughter Lani soon become involved in the cases.

One small part of the book involved the token Mormon character. Mormon is often used as a handy adjective to describe an extremely religious person with impossibly high standards of behavior – like using crazy or freakish. Why can’t she be a Methodist or a Presbyterian? Wouldn’t those good parents of teenage daughters get upset when they found out the girls were drinking and breaking the law in 1959? Well at least she wasn’t portrayed as another polygamist wife so I guess I should just get over it.

The rough gravelly voice of the narrator Greg Itzin helps the reader keep the large cast of characters straight as he pitches his voice high and low and slightly accented when needed. No easy task in a J.A. Jance novel filled with dozens of main characters. Hiking in the desert country around St. George is the perfect way to really get into the setting of the concluding chapters. And who knows? I might meet one of those other Mormons on the trail; you know the polygamist kind, not the freakish kind.

Happy Birthday Grandma Ava is 92

2011-01-26T12:45:00.001-08:00

Grandma Ava with son Mark and daughter Lori. Donna and Mike were able to join in the singing of Happy Birthday by speaker phone. Ava enjoyed her party very much and although she wasn't smiling in her pictures she had lots of smiles for everyone.

Ava and Grandson Chris and his son Finn who will be 1 year old next week. They are 91 years apart in age.

Our Family Picture at Christmas

2011-01-22T12:34:00.000-08:00

We took a family picture at Christmas this year since it was the first time to get everyone together for a couple of years. With Sean and Alyssa here after 2 Christmas's gone and Jon and Mariel back for the holiday from Iowa, we thought we'd better take a family picture. Our general "rule" has been every time we add a baby we need to take a new family picture and we added 2 this year - Finn and Nico!

"Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" BookLook Jan. 20

2011-01-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

“Saving CeeCee Honeycutt”
“Saving CeeCee Honeycutt” by Beth Hoffman is a novel about southern women in the 1960’s. It’s filled with lots of nuts and as syrupy as a slice of pecan pie. These characters are “Steel Magnolias” without the hair salon. They range from sweetly eccentric to full-fledged crazy and we love reading about their absurd behavior and uppity ways.

CeeCee is short for Cecelia Rose. CeeCee is the twelve-year-old daughter of Camille Sugarbaker Honeycutt, formerly and forever Miss Vidalia Onion Queen 1951. Camille was swept off her satin pump clad feet by a northerner (damn Yankee) and is now living in utter misery in Ohio. Momma Camille slips steadily, or rather unsteadily, into complete insanity as her husband spends more and more time on the road working as a salesman. Little CeeCee is left to care for her delusional mother with no support except a kind elderly neighbor lady.

After the untimely death of her mother who was run over by the ice-cream truck as she crossed the road dressed in one of her Goodwill gowns with matching heals and tiara, CeeCee is rescued by her mother’s elderly Aunt Tootie. Just picture little Cinderella driving off with her kindly fairy god-mother in a big Buick convertible headed for a happy ending in a southern mansion in Savannah Georgia.

Of course Aunt Tootie wasn’t christened Tootie, she was named Talullah. I love the names and nicknames of these southern women. When pronounced with a soft drawl and accented with an eyelash flutter they are pure poetry.

My own grandmother, Lucy Trotter Brigeforth Allen was nicknamed Aunt Tot. This odd moniker used a version of her middle name and carried the expectation that at age 37 this unmarried nurse would be the old maid of the family – everybody’s Aunt. Boy did she fool them! Picture the Southern Belle driving off into the sunset with her dashing Mr. Allen headed for a happy ending in a…farmhouse growing tobacco ever after.

A Few of Our Pet Deer

2011-01-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

This little group of deer is standing just outside the back door. When I slowly opened the door to take the picture I did get a few heads to turn but basically they are so used to us that unless we startle them they like to nibble our bushes and use our backyard for napping.

Goose is not a very good guard dog. She was visiting when the herd of deer was in our backyard mere feet away and instead of barking she just stood and watched out the door.

What happens at grandma's stays at grandma's

2011-01-07T16:24:00.001-08:00

Read the shirt. Nico is enjoying cheerios and helping in the kitchen by throwing the dish towel on the floor.

Dawson and Haydon posed for my newspaper article on cookie decorating with grandma. This picture proves the cookies didn't come out of my oven - thank you Allen's bakery!

Gabe and Jonathan rode horses on a beautiful December day. (Gabe had help from Aunt Marie's mom.)

"Food Porn Daily" - really that's the title!

2011-01-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

“Food Porn Daily”
If ever you should judge a book by a cover it’s “Food Porn Daily”. The cookbook by Amanda Simpson is amazing so don’t let the title scare you off. Or maybe you have an epicurean sense of humor and have visited their website also titled FoodPornDaily with .com added. The popular website features only mouthwatering pictures without any recipes so the new cookbook to go with the photos is brilliant.

The website has the motto “Click, Drool, Repeat.” For the cookbook the motto needs to be changed to “Flip, Drool, Repeat.” I agree it would be even better to add the words cook and eat to the list of activities for the motto. Every page has a very close up picture which entices the most reluctant chef to rush off to the grocery store with a list of ingredients while focusing on that picture of a perfect dish in their head.

In the introduction Simpson offers helpful tips on seasoning, preheating, frying and measuring flour. She also states, “Recipes are simply guidelines. In my opinion, there is no definitive right or wrong way to create a dish so long as the outcome is a tasty, satisfying experience.” The recipes do allow for adaptation but I would worry about that perfect picture from the book not appearing in living color on my plate if I make any changes.

What’s to recommend about this cookbook? The pictures of course and recipes ranging from grilled hot dogs to oysters on the half shell. I also like the creative chapter divisions by season. It implies a mood for food which I subscribe to wholeheartedly. Hot, thick soups like Loaded Potato Soup with bacon, cheddar, sour cream and chives are perfect for winter and Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes can be made from our own garden-ripe fruit at the end of the summer.

I enjoy reading cookbooks while sitting in the kitchen with a cup of cocoa. I enjoy making new dishes from cookbooks. I also enjoy eating delicious food – especially cooked by other people. My new “Food Porn Daily” cookbook was created in response to salivating viewer requests on their website. I am hoping the next product to be generated by these food-lovin’ folks will be a restaurant menu. Then I can have my cake picture and eat it too.

Our Christmas Eve nativity

2010-12-31T12:00:00.001-08:00

Singing wisemen with Mary (notice Baby Beans is Baby Jesus since we have no baby this year who can stay still long enough to lay in a manager).The dining room is a perfect elevated stage with the audience in the living room below.

Roman dressing as a wiseman the boys played both shepherds and wisemen with Tyfani as Mary and Alyssa as the angel. Sean and I narrated while Mark filmed

Our Shepherds were the best yet. They played their parts very well.

Last BookLook 2010

2010-12-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

“Hell’s Corner”
I hope you got a book for Christmas. I did – surprise! I suppose it’s difficult to buy a gift book for someone who reads a lot. One of the books I received was a good-for-nothing read just-for-enjoyment novel titled “Hell’s Corner”. It’s by one of my favorite authors, David Baldacci and I enjoyed taking a break after Christmas with a good book.

The story begins in Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C. aka Hell’s Corner. It’s named for the law enforcement jurisdictional nightmare created when city police, secret service, and homeland security are all in charge, not the climate temperature. The Park is located across Pennsylvania Ave. in front of The White house which makes it a security risk to watch.

Oliver Stone, a retired government assassin witnesses a bomb explosion in Lafayette Park just as the British Prime Minister passes on his way between The White House and Blair House. Stone is quickly issued a badge and partnered with British MI-6 agent Mary Chapman to find the unknown attackers and uncover a possible terrorist plot. The assassin is sent out to catch the assassin but will he be betrayed again?

As Stone and Chapman uncover a sinister plot involving international politics and the intelligence community, they finally call in the Camel Club. Stone’s trusted companions from the past once again risk their careers, their loved ones and their lives to uncover the truth. They enter the story a bit later than past adventures, which is a disappointment if you were expecting the book to be about Stone and his club mates, but they do join the fight just in time.

“Hell’s Corner” is a good post-Christmas read. I like Baldacci because he keeps the unnecessary swearing out of his stories and he spins a good crime mystery. I have a couple more good books sitting on the desk but this one called out to me when I just needed to take a break and read for fun.

Bethany: Is your house on fire, Clark? Clark: No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights.

2010-12-21T12:02:00.000-08:00

I interviewed the Carters since their front lawn is lit up like a beacon and it drew me right in. They have to switch their lights on with six breakers.Look out Griswalds!
Bethany: Is your house on fire, Clark?
Clark: No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights.

p.s. Christy - it all started about 15 years ago with a big old sleigh and reindeer originally from Modern Display they found at a yard sale!

BookLook "The Carpenter's Miracle"

2010-12-19T15:45:00.001-08:00

“The Carpenter’s Miracle”
The most dreaded words you will hear this week before Christmas are, “Is your Christmas shopping done?” Complete strangers, friendly clerks and elderly aunts will ask with a big smile on their face. I want to reply, “Is yours?” But I am too afraid of the answer. Quick – grab a book for everyone left on the list and be done!

“The Carpenter’s Miracle” is the story of Josh the carpenter. One December day he is ice fishing when a young boy falls through the ice and Josh rescues him. The unresponsive boy Luke is rushed to the hospital but it is too late and his mother arrives to hear the news that her son has died. As Josh touches the cold shoulder of Luke he mutters, “I wish to God you could have lived, kid.”

Luke begins coughing and regains consciousness as everyone rushes back to witness his return from the dead. The nurse points to Josh and says, “He put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and he came back to life.” The story of the miracle soon spreads around the hospital and Josh becomes an instant celebrity but also an instant oddity.

He lives in a small town in Wisconsin where news travels fast and fish tales improve with the telling. Soon the national media hears about the “miracle” and descends on the town hoping to expose Josh as a fraud or a true miracle worker. Despite his constant protests that he didn’t do anything, his once quiet life soon spins out of control as reporters spin their stories trying to boost the ratings for their networks.

I enjoyed the humor in this little Christmas book. It was a refreshing change to read a story with average and oddball characters bringing the heartwarming message that miracles do still happen, even in Wisconsin in December. And when the next person asks if your Christmas shopping is done, smile and ask them when their baby is due.

I love this sign

2010-12-16T07:06:00.001-08:00

This sign is posted at the salon I go to. It gets the message across.

BookLook "Christmas Prayer"

2010-12-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

“Christmas Prayer”
Allison age 12 and a student at Art City Elementary enjoyed hearing me read this book aloud to her class. Her excellent review makes me worry about my future job security. On the other hand, when I am old and rambling I am confident she will leave her position at a famous publishing house to take over writing my BookLook column.

Allison wrote a perfect synopsis without any plot spoilers. “The “Christmas Prayer” is a heartwarming children’s picture book. It is about a boy whose father teaches him the true meaning of Christmas. The father teaches the son what Christmas is all about by having him help give gifts to their poor neighbors,” wrote Allison.

I agree with Allison. The author Rian Anderson has been a sheep herder for most of his life and to quote the inside cover leaf, “He wrote this story one freezing night in the desert while pondering true needs and how to share the true meaning of Christmas with his children.” Anderson’s sweet simple story does teach us about our needs, needs of others and how a father’s example is a priceless gift. It was difficult to read aloud and keep the lump out of my throat and the tears under control.

Since I have grandsons, I am always looking for books that appeal to little boys and offer thoughtful lessons. In the story, the boy Matt expresses the reluctance most young men feel when the need for service means sacrificing a warm evening at home. He also lets the young reader know how he comes to feel differently at the end of the evening.

Allison mentioned the beautiful full-page illustrations in her review. “I thought the illustrations were simple, yet showed a lot,” she wrote. The illustrator is Michael Parker who lives here in Springville uses his talented brush to give visual life to the story.

“I loved this book and encourage everyone to read it,” Allison wrote as her conclusion. I agree wholeheartedly and couldn’t have said it better myself.

Grandpa and Grandma Granat with Esme and...

2010-12-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

Our wild turkey survived Thanksgiving

2010-12-05T12:51:00.001-08:00

We came home from shopping and saw our wild turkey happily roosting (not roasting) on our back porch outside the kitchen door. There was a couple inches of snow as you can see. Not sure if it's a he or a she and adorable as our new pet is, the size and volume of those bird droppings is getting annoying! We should think up a creative name...

Pack your bags we're going on a guilt trip

2010-12-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

“The Christmas Experiment”
We’ve all tried to “do” Christmas better. We read the books and articles about simplifying and refocusing (when we can find the time) and try to copy our perfect neighbors. And every year no matter how early we start we’ll never be organized enough to pull off the perfect Christmas.

Reading “The Christmas Experiment” by Denise Wamsley provides an opportunity for personal reevaluation. Our Christmas celebration has become more commercialized and more complicated with every year. If you need to have more peace and joy during the season and less stress and discord, even changing one thing can make a difference. Wamsley wisely suggests customizing our Christmas to include bringing our family closer to Jesus Christ.

The author shares her journey to Bethlehem in book format after fifteen years of verbally teaching six lessons to help put Christ back into Christmas.
1. Simplify gift giving
2. Give all year
3. Create meaningful family experiences
4. Serve one another
5. Teach with symbolism
6. Enjoy quality traditions.

The author wisely cautions us not to fill our "inn" with presents and parties until it is so overcrowded we risk turning away The Holy Family. When Mary and Joseph seek lodging for the Christ Child will you have room in your home?

It's not too late to read this book before Christmas, but it would be even better to buy it now but read it after the decorations are put away. When that nagging little voice surfaces whispering you could have done it better, take a break, open your "inn doors" and consider Wamsley's advice.

BookLook "The Christmas Stone"

2010-11-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

“The Christmas Stone”
Your neighbors would rather have a book this year. True, your Divinity is divine and your fruitcake is, well it’s fruity, but a little Christmas book is a better gift. If you are truly thoughtful you will not write inside in giant letters “Merry Christmas from the Smith Family” either. When they finish reading they can pass it along to someone on the next block over and really spread that Christmas cheer. And they won’t have to give it to DI where it’s just embarrassing when you find it there with your signature.

”The Christmas Stone” is one of those perfect little Christmas books. It is written by Liz Carlston, a young woman who survived the Columbine High School massacre. Since all the proceeds from her book are being donated to Primary Children’s Medical Center, it is a worthwhile purchase as well as a worthwhile read.

The story begins with Claire rushing home on December 23rd to Milwaukee to be with her father who is hospitalized. She is beautiful, financially successful and adrift in the lonely life she has made for herself in Colorado. Daniel is about to enter her life as a seat mate on her flight home. He will be meeting his son Spencer for Christmas in Milwaukee as soon as he takes care of an apology to his ex-wife that is long overdue.

During the flight Claire hears the story of Daniel’s mistakes and regret and his hope for forgiveness at the end of the flight. He also shares the story of the small “magic” stone he carries in his pocket and how it came to represent what he needed to do to forgive himself and begin the healing process.

The book is small, with only 81 pages. It is easily read on a winter’s evening when it’s time to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas chores and spend a little time quietly nourishing the soul. Reading “The Christmas Stone” reminds us Christmas should also be a time of love and forgiveness and mending.

Zac Efron joined our family Thanksgiving!

2010-11-27T10:11:00.000-08:00

One of our most loved family members is Laura. After making sure it was okay with us, she brought her special friend Zac to our dinner table in his full cardboard outfit complete with scarf (in Timpview High School colors)and a Primary song taped to his shirt in celebration. He didn't say much but he did add a lot to the dinner table conversation!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

BookLook for Thanksgiving

2010-11-19T06:48:00.000-08:00

“The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet”
Historical fiction is a time machine sitting on a magical flying carpet. Off to explore places and epochs with an author like David Mitchell as our genie. His magical powers carry us where we will never go, to visit a place we will never forget.

In 1799 the Empire of Japan has completely isolated itself from the evil Christian world of the west except for the Dutch East Indies Company. A young clerk with the company, Jacob De Zoet, sails into Nagasaki Harbor planning to make his fortune and return to his fiancé in Holland. But Jacob’s integrity and Christianity place him on another tragic path. After refusing to sign his name falsely to allow his superior to steal from the company as is commonly done, Jacob is left behind without status or protection. He faces years of servitude and falls in love with a Japanese woman studying medicine with the Dutch doctor. There is hopelessness and courage in the lives of all who are also trapped by the mandates of society and their individual decisions.

Mitchell has been compared to Tolstoy and I would add Michener. His complex characters are magnificent in their bravery and foolishness. Their stage is a foreign landscape described so vividly we hear the crunch of leaves as they pass and smell the malodorous vapors rising up from a decaying civilization. Sometimes the author creates an atmosphere filled with so much tension we find ourselves holding our breath waiting for their rescue or redemption.

“The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet” is an epic novel of epic length. There are some graphic descriptions which though not offensive they are not for the faint of heart. It is available as a 19 hour recorded book and narrated by a man and a woman whose dual performance enhances the unforgettable experience. This is a great historical fiction novel however you choose to read or listen to it.

A Christmas Tree made of dolls

2010-11-15T21:11:00.000-08:00

I interviewed 92 year old Alta Taylor today for a newspaper story about the Festival of Trees. In 1984 she made a tree covered in dolls she made from scratch. She poured porcelain in the molds, painted the faces, attached the hair and sewed white gowns. The tree in her home was the model and it has 36 dolls in 3 sizes attached to a tall white tree. Amazing. The dolls sit in a glass case in the doll room until they are placed on the tree every November. She is blind now but still makes porcelain gifts for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren every Christmas.

BookLook Review "It's Good to be Alive"

2010-11-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

“It’s Good to be Alive”
Inspirational speakers are inspiring. On the other hand and there’s always another hand, you have to fight traffic, shift your schedule around their appearance date, and sit too long on an uncomfortable chair to listen to their message. It’s much better to read their book then watch their YouTube clip (this author has more than 500,000 hits)!

Jack Rushton had everything. At age 50 his six children and happy marriage filled his days with joy and he enjoyed his church education job. He was living the good life in southern California until his head struck a rock while body surfing with his family and ended up a quadriplegic 21 years ago. His new book “It’s Good to be Alive, Observation from a Wheelchair” is good inspirational reading.

Rushton’s self-depreciating humor is revealed in this quote: “All my life I wanted to be able to do one thing better than anybody else and was very unsuccessful. Then I had my accident, and I thought, you, maybe I can be the best quadriplegic on a respirator that ever lived. And then wouldn’t you know it, Christopher Reeve goes out and breaks his neck and I’m in competition with Superman.”

Although Rushton didn’t have the publicity Christopher Reeve generated, he became a popular inspirational speaker and writer. His humor and wisdom despite a tragic accident and his current difficult circumstances inspires readers to face their adversity with courage too.

With chapter titles like “If Rushton can do it, anyone can do it” it’s hard to choose a favorite. But one of mine is the concluding chapter written by his wife and full-time care giver Jo Anne. Her life also changed instantly that day at the beach. Reading how she initially felt completely overwhelmed comforts others beginning the care giving journey. When she writes, “I never would have predicted early in Jack’s injury that we would be so happy today and find life so pleasant and fulfilling,” we believe her. Her sense of humor shines through as she mentions one of the benefits of having a husband confined to a wheelchair is that he doesn’t mind going shopping with her since he always has somewhere to sit!

Jack Rushton’s optimism is contagious. If he can find joy in his journey and believe it’s good to be alive we can too. Our challenges pale in comparison but his advice applies to whatever is diminishing that attitude of gratitude for each of us.

BookLook Nov. 11 "The Terrorist"

2010-11-08T16:06:00.001-08:00

“The Terrorist”
Don’t let the title scare you – wait, government conspiracy novels are a little scary. Peter Steiner writes another thriller for those of us who enjoy the occasional great spy novel. It’s an addiction which began when I read every LeCarre book published. Or maybe it was even earlier when I discovered Agatha Christie in elementary school. Like chocolate, once you’ve tasted a good spy novel you just have to have more.

“The Terrorist” continues to follow Louis Morgan who left the CIA as an accused terrorist. He was innocent but set up by his now deceased former boss in a complicated plot. The file was supposed to be buried deeply in the dusty archives of the CIA but with the increased search power of new computers and a zealous employee, the file is resurrected and another conspiracy begins.

Louis, who now paints quietly in the French countryside, is visited by a CIA official and asked to help find links to al Queda using his former contacts in the Middle East. At first he refuses, but when a young boy is kidnapped Louis knows he must agree to help. Louis suspects he is being manipulated and that once again things will not end well. Using his intelligence, intuition and experience, the retired spy takes control of the game and changes all the rules for an exciting conclusion.

Steiner sketches his characters and countryside so simply and brilliantly, they are unforgettable. Louis is a reluctant hero making life and death choices for himself and others. His recent romance with Pauline brings tenderness and wisdom into his lonely life but he must risk it to reenter the dark and sinister world of spies. The innocent young boy Zaharia gives us a glimpse into the terror of false imprisonment and provides additional tension as we fear Louis will not succeed in time to save him.

Since this is the third Louis Morgan novel, you may want to read “L’Assassin” and “Le Crime” first, but it’s not necessary. The novel is short but satisfying – sometimes you just want one chocolate, not a whole box. If you need a delicious spy novel to read, “The Terrorist” will satisfy your craving at least for a little while.

Halloween Pictures

2010-11-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was "flying" little dragon Finn after his first big trick-or-treat night out with his big boy cousins.

The Star Wars family.

Roman saying "EEwww!" while helping clean out the pumpkins.

Dawson was up on the table for better pumpkin carving leverage.

Haydon loved the design and the cut part but not the clean out!

Flower arranging is like Karoake

2010-11-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Pictures for the newspaper with an article on flower arranging

Flower arranging for the amateur - it's like karaoke

Debbie Balzotti for the Springville Herald

It started out as a basic interview of a local business and their news that they would be teaching floral design classes in Springville. But Chad and Cherie Hall found out I had a secret yearning to create and they made me give it a try on the spot. Here are a couple of things I learned.

It's like karaoke. You think you can sing but actually you need someone singing along with you to make it really good. Chad patiently, very patiently and smiling sometimes at my complete ineptitude, stood by my side teaching me how to make a simple fall arrangement. Here is the recipe I followed, with lots of help.

First, hollow out a small pumpkin and attach the lid with a wooden skewer. Next, fill the pumpkin to just above the rim with that green florist foam stuff. Cover the foam with little pieces of leather fern (already I was pleading for help on where and how much) around the edges. Now take 3 cattails and cut them 3 different lengths and insert to form a triangle - no, no the smallest one always goes at the top!

Take 5 red carnations and place them in the triangle pattern - yes 5 makes 2 triangles when viewed from the front and side. Oops I make the big mistake of sliding a carnation up when it looks too short. "Never pull a flower back up or you will make an air pocket and the flower can't get water which makes your arrangement die sooner." That explains a lot about my past failures.

My focal flower is a sun flower and I learn how to wire the floppy stem and make it stand where I want it to stand - down front and center. Off course Chad now has to zoom in and repair with a little stem stick where my flower isn't quite standing up.

The filling in is the hard part for me. And I forgot to strip off the lower leaves so Chad reminds me again that I need a couple of inches of just stem to push in. Myrtle, Solid Aster, and Broom Corn finish the flower work.

The ribbon - for me this is very important but Chad reminds me it isn't the focal point. What? Another false notion is corrected with a lovely fall bow - not too prominently placed to complete my first masterpiece. It was really fun but I think I better take the class and see if I can do this more than once and all by myself.

Primary Program happiness

2010-10-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Dawson and Haydon did very well saying their parts in the church Primary Program on Sunday. They both memorized them and spoke so clearly. In every children's program there are some characters. There was the little guy who almost ate the microphone at the pulpit,the start over a couple of times reciter, the mega-volume child and of the course the little shy one who couldn't remember a single word when he looked out at the congregation in absolute shock.

Working on a book review in Jamaica

2010-10-26T13:32:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Monster Fest 2010. We continue the October celebration of books past and present that are sure to haunt your dreams. The recently released paperback “The Doomsday key” by James Rollins is a frightful beginning for our festival. What could be more terrifying than genetically altered crops? Toss in world domination conspiracies, the plague, religious relics, the Celts and the Norwegians and you’ve got a truly strange brew.

“The Doomsday Key” is the sixth book in the Sigma Force action series and definitely one of the best. It isn’t necessary to read the previous books but after reading this one you will be tempted to go back and read the series in order. The first few chapters reestablish the characters before the adventure begins so a little patience is required – but then it’s a fast paced ride.

Commander Gray Pierce and his team must race against the clock to solve an ancient riddle that prophesies the end of the world. There seems to be a link between the deaths of a famous geneticist, a Vatican archaeologist and a Senator’s son when they are found branded with the same ancient pagan cross symbol. There is also some mysterious connection between the ancient Doomsday Book and a recent genetic crop research project. The team splits up to follow leads in Norway and the British Isles. In both locations motorcycle chases, snowmobile adventures, explosions and fires continually threaten the lives of the good guys.

Rollins is Michael Crichton and Dan Brown rolled into one. He combines modern scientific ethical dilemmas with historical religious mysteries. I like the generous amount of pages spent on explaining peat bogs, for example. You can feel better about wasting time reading an adventure book when you come away with random trivial knowledge that has absolutely no practical application.

Did I mention the black mummified finger? That alone is a qualifier for a Monster Fest book selection. The wonderful Michele Richings will be reviewing her choice for creepy literature as the official guest reviewer for the next two weeks and I expect her choices will be equally nightmarish.

Wedding shower for Michelle

2010-10-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Michelle and my nephew Michael are getting married in November. We have a tradition of a family shower and here are a couple pics from the shower I did on Saturday. Thanks Cheri for taking pictures since I was too busy to do it.Lori (future mom-in-law) made delicious minestrone soup and Tyfani (future cousin) brought her famous homemade rolls - we are working hard in the kitchen and the lovely bride is sitting nearby visiting with one of our girls. Little Roman is watching standing next to his mom.

Since the weather was cold and rainy I tried something new for our refreshments. A steamer bar. I purchased a cocoa-latte machine and guests made their own steamers or flavored hot cocoa from the recipes sitting on the counter.Recipes included Coconut Tres Leches,Mexican Hot Cocoa, and Timberline Cocoa. We mixed in chocolate syrup, or caramel or coconut milk and then topped with whip cream and sprinkled with crushed toffee, cinnamon, or marshmallows or cocoa shavings.Very yummy with pumpkin tarts and donut holes. And of course our take-home gift was a bag of M&Ms since they are Michael and Michelle...

Cruise pictures - to torture everyone

2010-10-21T20:13:00.001-07:00

We had the most wonderful dinner partners. Phil and Terry entertained us with their stories about Greece (where Phil is from) and New York (where Terry is from). He introduced himself as a retired jockey, horse trainer who fixed races! We introduced ourselves as the boring Balzottis from Utah. They were celebrating their 41st anniversary and still in love. We were lucky to spend the week with them!

We had a singing Maitre D'named Konstantine who seriously sounded like Frank Sinatra. He and the waiters serenaded us every night and danced for us.

Since we don't buy pics on the cruise we have our waiter do it. Ok, not that great.

The night after we got home Mark put this towel creation and a chocolate on my pillow. Almost like being on the cruise again - so funny. That's why I love him!

The turkey that got away

2010-10-07T13:51:00.003-07:00

This is a bad picture of the huge wild turkey leaving my backyard being chased by a little hawk. I couldn't believe the hawk, which perched on a tree branch 10 feet outside my back door really thought he could catch a turkey. If I had his optimistic attitude I would have tried harder to catch it for my Thanksgiving feast!

Some people shouldn't write to columnists

2010-10-07T13:51:00.002-07:00

I find this funny!

I know it's hard to read, but all moms and future moms should try.

Dawson's winning goal

2010-10-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Last game of the season, the score is 0 to 0 and just before the whistle blows to end the game Dawson scores the winning, and only goal of the game!

BookLook Review "Supreme Justice"

2010-09-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

“Supreme Justice”
Today my computer spam menu includes offers for an oil deal in Iraq, a free iPhone, a palm reading, and apparently I have inherited money! Unbelievable – just like this book.
“Supreme Justice” by Phillip Margolin is a fairly enjoyable murder mystery requiring the reader to suspend reality and just take that offer for a free ride. It would be a good idea to read “Executive Privilege” first to understand why the characters do what they do, although I read that book and I was still confused. Maybe fewer characters and time-line jumps and state skipping would have helped my disorientation. When I read a book I want the free gift offered; I just don’t want to work too hard for it.

A mysterious freighter carrying drugs is docked in Oregon. Captain John Finley narrowly escapes being murdered with the rest of his crew by one of the sailors and steals a duffle bag filled with cash from the ship. It doesn’t turn out to be a good idea. The ship soon disappears with the dead crew and illegal drugs and everyone who knows about it is silenced. A powerful drug cartel and mysterious government agents are involved in the cover-up.

Next we travel across time zones and calendars to Washington D.C. to the Supreme Court which appears to have a criminal sitting on their court. The justices are deciding whether to hear an appeal from Sarah Woodruff on death row in Oregon who has been convicted of murdering her ex-boyfriend John Finley (that boat captain who stole the drug money).One Supreme Court judge resigns and another is nearly murdered. There appears to be some connection to the Sarah Woodruff appeal.

One of the clerks of the court, Brad Miller teams up with three other characters from “Executive Privilege” to secretly investigate and they once again turn over a rock to find government agencies hiding underneath. Dana Cutler, Keith Evans and even Miller’s girlfriend Ginny return to find out who is hiding what and bring them to justice.

“Supreme Justice” picks up where “Executive Privilege” left off and Margolin has once again convinced me that there are shady politicians and crooked agents everywhere. Since the government is still running those corrupt black ops, I wonder if I could get a little help from a rogue agent to track down the guys who keep offering to find me a date on Singles Net. I’m pretty sure that’s a black op too.

Finn's House

2010-09-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Finn behind bars - one of three baby gates to keep the boy on the inside. When Finn arrived the entire house became his. Every room is now filled with his stuff and all adults must adapt. Including to going through gates to exit the livingroom.

His very own recliner. Some people call it a jumperoo or whatever, but Finn just lays back and relaxes when he needs a bit of a rest. This is only one of many pieces of personal baby furniture in his house. A new highchair is in the background.

This sweet baby boy has a very cute bed in his very own bedroom. His nursery is actually the larger of the 2 bedrooms since he has a lot of stuff to put in there.Evidence that he does sleep sometimes.

Finn has his very own counter space reserved full-time in his kitchen. Bottle warmer (which I love!)His own clean dishes,binkies,etc.wash and dry area and the cereal measuring station take up almost half the available space.

In theory Finn is supposed to stay on his king size blanket which covers the living room floor and is filled with wonderful toys. In reality he immediately army crawls off to investigate dangerous items like the back of a chair or an electrical chord.

Finn likes to use his personal keyboard which his parents provided to keep him busy while they are working on the one that is actually hooked up to the computer.

Sometimes Less is just...less

2010-09-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

Serving on the museum board is wonderful. One of my assignments is to "advise" the volunteer guild. They held their first-ever Princess Tea in the sculpture garden this week and a shocking number of people bought tickets - 150 princesses and escorts would be arriving Saturday morning. The food was perfect, the entertainment wonderful, activities, and a professional photo to take home included. But as the guild discussed their decorations I realized they were going for the Less is More approach. On the way home I thought about all those pretty princesses and decided to take matters into my own hands! I loaded up the wedding decorations which included tulle, netting, bows, silver lanterns,garlands, flowers etc. and accompanied by my Knight in Shining Armor (Mark of course) arrived an hour earlier and decorated the gate, the entrance, and the loggia where the girls would be doing their fashion show.It was beautiful. Instead of dressing up as a princess, I dressed as a serving wench.

The Disney princesses were well represented.

A few of the royal guests arriving - there were about 150.

The serving wench closing the garden gate at the end of the party

BookLook Review "Cranberry" I mean "Cranford"

2010-09-17T17:13:00.001-07:00

“Cranford”
This charming Victorian novel begins: “In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses, above a certain rent, are women.” And as we read a little further we begin to see that these are remarkable women: “Their dress is very independent of fashion; as they observe, ‘What does it signify how we dress here at Cranford, where everybody knows us?’ And if they go from home, their reason is equally cogent: ‘What does it signify how we dress here, where nobody knows us...” I had to give you a taste of the delicious writing of Elizabeth Gaskell. She wraps you up in lace and carries you off to dine on tea and crumpets in her little fictional English town of Cranford. It is an escape to an earlier time and place where gentle ladies strolled along arm in arm wearing their latest bonnets.

Gaskell’s close friends included Florence Nightingale and Charlotte Bronte and she was a respected contemporary of Charles Dickens. She published “Cranford” in serial form for a literary paper where Dickens was the editor in 1851. Serials were popular reading as an economical way to read a book and sell newspapers and magazines. Maybe we should try it again to revive our declining national newspaper readership?

The ladies of Cranford are the local monarchy of their little parish. Their superstitions and social rulings are absolute law. As if Victorian society wasn’t already as rigid as a corset, Miss Matty, Miss Jenkyns, Mrs. Jamieson, and Miss Pole tighten things up to the point of painful breathlessness. The ladies manage to rise above their modest financial means to create a social order as impressive as royal court. Yet when one of their friends needs help their kind and generous hearts endear them to the reader.

Although I own “Cranford” as a part of my beautifully bound British classics, I listened to some of this book on CD to enjoy the English accent of the reader. Lasting just over 7 hours it is the perfect length for a week of daily exercising – and you can imagine you are strolling under a parasol down a dusty lane instead of toiling on a treadmill.

Christy and Dalanina's baby shower

2010-09-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

Shower guests included sisters, moms, aunties and one pretender. Dalan snuck in the door although he knows that men are not allowed at baby showers we let him stay after Tyfani announced he was actually Dalanina. It wasn't much of a disguise.

The Balzotti girls' gift was buckets of clothes including lots of customized jig wear by Alyssa of course but we all baby girl shopped since we finally had an excuse!

All the Gleave girls are here posed around the diaper cake.

The beautiful food, and beautiful baristas serving our Italian sodas

2010-09-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

“True Blue”
Continuing on my quest to provide the male readers with good book recommendations, I read another best-man-seller this week. “True Blue” by David Baldacci is about an ex-cop who is an ex-con who hooks up with an ex-athlete lawyer to solve the murder of a lady stuffed in his fridge at work. Oh, and they both know karate and beat up gang members named Psycho and they roar around D.C. on a Ducati motorcycle- you cannot get manlier than that! This book is no “Steel Magnolias” but it’s an entertaining read for both women and men.

Mace Perry gets out of prison after serving a two year sentence for a crime she didn’t commit. She was set up and decides the only way to be a “blue” again is to solve a big murder case on her own and get her record expunged. The only problem is she isn’t a cop anymore and the killers are part of a dark and dirty government op.

The ex-athlete lawyer Roy decides he likes the type of law-lessness Mace practices and shuns his big paycheck to ride behind her on her Ducati. They play basketball a lot too. Roy and Mace are solving the crime one clue at a time and just ahead of the police. Of course if you can break and enter and lie you can usually beat those law abiding cops any time. Mace is book ended by two strong opposing characters. Her sister is the chief of police and her arch enemy has been appointed the temporary U.S. attorney and neither is happy about her involvement in the murder investigation.

It’s a formula plot which works well for Baldacci, Grisham, Scottoline, Margolin and other ex-lawyers who now make a lot money writing fiction. Some may argue they always wrote fiction. The heroes go around the cops and solve a crime that involves a big political financial conspiracy. You don’t have to worry about complicated relationships or emotional involvement because the authors don’t.

I seriously doubt “True Blue” will be on Oprah’s book club list. It is dependable Baldacci crime drama with plenty of action and as usual it’s absolutely un-be-lieve-able. I laughed in parts where I’m pretty sure the author wasn’t trying to be funny. I still recommend it for PG13 action movie style entertainment. But don’t worry - next week I am reading a Victorian Novel by Elizabeth Gaskell while eating chocolates to restore some balance to my universe.

Book Review "The Rembrandt Affair"

2010-09-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

“The Rembrandt Affair”
We all seek balance in our lives - our Ying and Yang, our chocolate and vanilla, and our fiction and non-fiction. According to my brother-in-law my lit. list has been out of balance lately and is heavily leaning tower-of-Pisaish toward chick books. Within the pages of “The Rembrandt Affair” by Daniel Silva there are enough car chases, manly spies, and beautiful women to restore balance to the BookLook column.

I am a big fan of Silva’s series starring Gabriel Allon the reluctant Israeli spy/ art restorer. I could not put this latest one down! It has a little less violence and bloodshed than the past books (less parts for me to skip over), but the plot tension and fascinating characters remain extraordinary. He is one of the best spy fiction writers out there and this latest novel debuted at #1 on the NY Times Best Seller list. You don’t need to read the others in the series but as always if you read the first one “The Kill Artist” you will understand the back references.

Gabriel has once again retired as a Mossad assassin. He and his beautiful Italian wife Chiara have returned to the isolated coast of Cornwall. When a friend desperately needs his help to recover a stolen Rembrandt, Gabriel is compelled to take the case. The worlds of Nazi art theft and Iranian nuclear armament collide when a true villain is revealed and a trap is set. There is a good dose of history combined with current political themes to keep the international intrigue believable.

Although falsely accused by Peter of favoring the feminine reader lately, it’s true I have been reading more books about relationships than conquering evil empires. “The Rembrandt Affair” should set things right. It is so loaded with progesterone I won’t have to worry about PMS this month at all.

Sisters give siblings better mental health article

2010-09-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

I put the entire article from Newsweek here. Hopefully my brothers can appreciate me more now than when this picture was taken in 1959, and to encourage granddaughters to join our family if they read my blog in heaven.

Sisters give siblings better mental health, study shows
New research also shows loving siblings promote good deeds more than loving parents

Something about having a sister – even a little sister – makes 10- to 14-year-olds a bit less likely to feel down in the dumps.

That’s one of several intriguing findings from a new study on the impact siblings have on one another. Brigham Young University professor Laura Padilla-Walker is the lead author on the research, which also sorts out the influence of siblings and the influence of parents within families.

“Even after you account for parents’ influence, siblings do matter in unique ways,” said Padilla-Walker, who teaches in BYU’s School of Family Life. “They give kids something that parents don’t.”

Padilla-Walker’s research stems from BYU’s Flourishing Families Project and will appear in the August issue of the Journal of Family Psychology. The study included 395 families with more than one child, at least one of whom was an adolescent between 10 and 14 years old. The researchers gathered a wealth of information about each family’s dynamic, then followed up one year later. Statistical analyses showed that having a sister protected adolescents from feeling lonely, unloved, guilty, self-conscious and fearful. It didn’t matter whether the sister was younger or older, or how far apart the siblings were agewise.

Brothers mattered, too. The study found that having a loving sibling of either gender promoted good deeds, such as helping a neighbor or watching out for other kids at school. In fact, loving siblings fostered charitable attitudes more than loving parents did. The relationship between sibling affection and good deeds was twice as strong as that between parenting and good deeds.

“For parents of younger kids, the message is to encourage sibling affection,” said Padilla-Walker. “Once they get to adolescence, it’s going to be a big protective factor.”

Many parents justifiably worry about the seemingly endless fighting between siblings. The study found hostility was indeed associated with greater risk of delinquency. Yet Padilla-Walker also sees a silver lining in the data: The fights give children a chance to learn how to make up and to regain control of their emotions, skills that come in handy down the road.

“An absence of affection seems to be a bigger problem than high levels of conflict,” Padilla-Walker said.

A story about the "Good Old Boys"

2010-08-30T12:48:00.001-07:00

S.O.S. featured in national magazine
If you turn to the back of the June edition of Country Living Magazine you will see a familiar sight. A half-page photo of S.O.S. Drugstore with eight lines of print encourages readers to perch on a stool and enjoy an old-fashioned ice cream cone. The caption begins: “This Main Street pharmacy has been serving its loyal customers since 1909.” It quotes current owner Garrett Crane and labels the past owner Kendal Oldroyd (who is in the picture) a “part-time soda jerk”.

Kendal laughs at his new national moniker, since he is actually a pharmacist who now works part-time at S.O.S. but is happy to serve ice cream – or coffee to the store’s “loyal customers”. What the magazine didn’t take a picture of was the 9:30 a.m. coffee crew. These gentlemen have been putting down a dollar for cup at the counter and some good conversation for more than 50 years. “We come down here to decide who to hang every morning!” said one of the members (who wanted to remain anonymous) with a chuckle.

The senior member of the group is 88 year old Floyd Stewart a WWII veteran who comes with his younger brother Jay Stewart. Floyd build Springville Floral on the corner of 4th East and 4th South in the early 1950’s and sold the business in 1984. He’s been dropping by for good conversation almost every morning for more than 50 years. Jay, age 79 was born in Springville but lived in Omaha Nebraska where he worked as an engineer for AT&T. “I retired and moved back to Springville in 1991 and I’ve been joining these guys down here ever since,” said Jay.

Maury Thomas, age 80 was the owner of Quality Cleaners in Springville for about 45 years but has turned the business over to his son. “I’ve got a little more time now to come here to meet my friends in the morning,” he said. Don Horton is one of the younger gents at age 74. He used to bring his kids down for ice cream when they were young and now enjoys taking his turn to visit the soda counter. He’s retired from Geneva Steele and enjoys the political discussions. “Don’t put this in the paper, but our political view is don’t vote for the incumbents,” said Don.

Glen Ruff age 80 was wearing a “Beat the Pro” shirt from his son Wesley Ruff the popular Channel 4 Sports Director. “I don’t know if he’d want that to be mentioned in the paper after he reads what I’m about to say,” said Glen. Glen cherishes his special hot-seat on this coffee council. “I’m the only Democrat, the only union man and the only environmentalist allowed,” said Glen. “It makes for some (darn) good conversation since these other guys sure aren’t any of those things!” There was a unanimous chorus of “You got that right!”

Country Living Magazine sent two professional photographers with expensive gear and spent five hours shooting pictures with the two adorable twin grandnieces Kate and Ginny Peterson. After some editing for printable language and a couple of clicks with a digital camera, the slightly older crowd are now just as famous – at least in their own hometown of Springville.

Hand-Me-Downs

2010-08-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

In our family we embrace all stylish hand me downs from Alyssa.Although she is the youngest and has never worn hand me downs in her life since she was the only girl. These sofa pillows arrived via brother carrier service and although not yet properly place match my area rug perfectly. I still enjoy several great shoes she has cast my way and except for the dog, will take any hand-me-downs offered.

2010-08-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

“Half Broke Horses”

Since this book is so popular I had to go on a personal quest to obtain it from the library. With 12 people ahead of me in line, and absolutely no space on my bookshelf to put another purchased novel, I approached the desk of the Reference Librarian Sheri. “Um, I see that there is a copy of “Half Broke Horses” on CD that is being repaired. And, uh, I wonder how soon it will be available,” I asked quietly (I was in the library). She didn’t know but she kindly escorted me into the mysterious, hidden, repair shop which was formerly the place to pay my city bills. “I remember I repaired it last week and it should be shelved,” said the highly skilled disk polisher Sherry (one of 3 or 4 Sherries working at the library). But no, it was not to be found on any shelf! “Let’s write a note to Ann. She will locate it or die trying. She can’t stand to have a mysterious disappearance of a library item.” She did locate the hidden treasure the next day and lent it to me while they await the arrival of a new disc #2 which just has a little skipping at the end. Hurray for the mighty librarians!

“Half Broke Horses” is a true-life novel written by Jeanette Walls. It is best read as a companion to “The Glass Castle” which is Walls’ best-selling memoir. The mostly non-fiction novel tells the story of the author’s grandmother Lilly Casey Smith born in a west Texas dugout in 1901. The narrative is most interesting to women readers who are fascinated by stories of tough western gals who roped and rode and raised their children to be resilient through flash floods and The Great Depression. Grandma Lilly had a survival philosophy of learning how to take a fall and get right back up. She suffered a broken arm while breaking horses as a little girl, started teaching during WWI at age 15, married and divorced a bigamist, put herself through college to get certified as a teacher, sold bootleg whiskey from under her baby’s crib to survive the depression, and endured the suicide of her only sister and tragic accidental death of her best friend.

As in all families, there are characters with a story to write. The Walls family had Grandma Lilly and she surely lived an interesting life of adventure. Lilly gives birth to her “half-broke” daughter Rosemary who will become the neglectful mother of the author. I wished sometimes that there was a little less hard-life philosophy and little more love and affection expressed by these generations of women, but it certainly did explain the flawed characters in “The Glass Castle”.

Book Look Review "The Beekeeper's Apprentice"

2010-08-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

“The Beekeeper’s Apprentice”
My niece Heather who is the mother of four young children recently posted this on her blog. So perfectly worded, I stole it (with her permission). “My husband's books are pristine. He leaves a very small carbon footprint on his books - in fact he leaves not a single clue that he was ever there. The spines of his books are barely bent much less broken and you won't find any chocolate crumbs between any of his pages. His books are universally hardbound and stored by category and height. They are beautiful. But they are not mine. My books are messy. I am not afraid to wield a pen when reading and I have been known to attack some very interesting books with said pen. If I am going on a flight and I want a light, cheap book for the plane - I will buy (gasp, shame) paperback.”
I not only agree with this shameless behavior I support it wholeheartedly. In fact when I travel, I sink even lower by buying a paperback at the Friends of the Library bookstore which means it is (louder gasp, greater shame) a used paperback! And I often leave it behind on the shelf of the lake house or condo as a tattered hostess gift plainly stamped by the library as a “discard”.

One of my recent library purchases included the paperback novel titled “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice” by Laurie R. King. I had actually read it about 10 years ago and knew it was a great one. Someone had been cleaning out their bookcase and donated it to be sold to help the library. I came along looking for a cheap mystery book to read on the plane and voila! A match made in heaven.

The book begins in 1915 out on the wind-swept moors. Fifteen-year-old Mary Russell meets the retired Sherlock Holmes who is now studying the behavior of the honeybee. Combining these two delightful characters was a stroke of brilliance by King. We have the well-known eccentricities of Mr.Holmes set against the fresh new precocious viewpoint of Miss Russell. Their friendship blossoms despite the difference in their age, sex and background. As Holmes tutors the young girl she soon matches him in the skills of deduction and disguise. Together they solve the case of a landowner’s mysterious fever, the kidnapping of an American senator’s daughter and finally face a deadly villain who wants their partnership to be terminated, permanently. It is a superb historical detective novel and one of my favorites in this genre.

I also agree with Heather that books were made for me; I was not made for books. They were created to serve me, and I will do as I choose with them. I love buying books at the Friends of the Library book store. I feel free to dog-ear, add crumbs between the pages and discard or leave behind my purchase without feeling guilty since it was purchased to support two worthy causes – the library and my need to read a paperback.

Ridin' the Range for End of Summer Sleepover

2010-08-23T08:41:00.001-07:00

Before school starts up in August we do "End of Summer Sleepover" at grandma and grandpa's house. We missed Gabe this year since they have moved to Iowa.We went horseback riding thanks to Aunt Marie, got our ice cream cones (Haydon reminded me that we always have ice cream cones for this event), then went to the outdoor movie in the park.It was short and sweet this year due to busy calendars and swim lessons every morning but we made it happen!
Roman has his first ride with Aunt Marie and mommy. He soon refuses to have them there and Marie leads him around her sister's horse pasture as he grins.
Haydon trotting up the hill led by Aunt Marie

Dawson takes a turn riding but he will soon need a bigger mount!

Book Look Review "T is for Trespass"

2010-08-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

“T is for Trespass”

You can probably guess that “T is for Trespass” is part of a series that started with “A”. This is the…wait let me sing the ABC song and count on my fingers and toes at the same time. Good thing I am wearing flip-flops because this is Sue Grafton’s number 20 in her Kinsey Millhone series. “U is for Undertow” was published in 2009 and I read and reviewed it promptly – but I accidentally read #21 before #20. Counting backwards, here is the review of number #20.

Kinsey is one of my favorite detective characters. She is smart, friendly, has interesting neighbors and likes to clean and organize when she is stressed. Her ability to solve mysteries combines methodical analysis and old-fashioned intuition. Unfortunately Grafton has let Kinsey develop the habit of swearing a little more than she used to which makes it a bad choice for a book on tape if that bothers you.

The issues of elder abuse and identity theft combine in a suspenseful story about grumpy old Gus down the street from Kinsey. After a fall, the elderly man cannot return home without someone to care for him. With no family except a busy niece who lives across the country, a home care nurse needs to found immediately. After Solana Rojas answers her advertisement, the relieved niece hires her immediately and flies back to New York. Kinsey is hired to do a brief check on the new nurse and finds everything seems to be in order. Solana we know is a clever sociopath who changes her identity as often as her hair color. She plans to steal everything from Gus and may even resort to murder as she has in the past to cover her theft. Can Kinsey discover the truth about Solana in time and save grumpy old Gus?

I wonder what Sue Grafton will do when she completes her ABC mystery series. What will happen to Kinsey Millhone after “Z”? She has been quoted as saying she doesn’t even know yet what will happen in the last book. Until then, we have five more books, or one more handful of digits to count until the end of the alphabet.

Chris recieves his Masters of Environmental Science from BYU

2010-08-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Chris has been accepted to do a PHD at the University of Utah so he won't have much of a break after completing his Masters of Environmental Science at BYU. He has spent the summer as a stay-at-home dad with Finn but that life of ease (ha ha) is about to end in a few weeks.

SARAH'S KEY - ALYSSA REVIEW

2010-08-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Sarah's Key - - ALYSSA'S REVIEW

Thanks to our Mommy and Me bookclub (still working on that name) my mom and I have been furiously working through our books on either end of the country ... its been fun and I'm usually only a week or two behind the speed reader.

This book was my pick because we share a love for historical fiction books and this one had a good cover (thats right, I am guilty of choosing books by their cover sometimes) my cover is a smidge different than the one shown here - -mine has 2 children running through the Luxembourg Gardens which remind me of my trip to Paris so I grabbed it (its fun reading a book where you can recall places you have seen).

I literally had to walk away from this book a few times because of how disturbing it is, the parts where they talk about the camps and the roundup are emotionally hard to read. The moral issues that you are forced to confront really make you stop and think and I spent a lot of time wondering about the flip side. I wondered about the French police that were ordered to round up the Jews, how they felt and how they dealt with it after, I wondered about the neighbors who watched those few mornings as the families were rounded up by those sworn to protect them. I was glad the author, Tatiana de Rosnay provided us a small glimpse of how the family of one of the characters, Julia, felt about their small part in the roundup - and I thought that was refreshing compared to many books. I think the most fascinating part about this book, and something that sent me straight to Google because of my own ignorance, was France's 'hush hush' about it all - even to this day. It also made me ponder about the things that we as Americans are 'hush hush' about. It reminded me of the book When the Emperor Was Divine by Julia Otsuka about Japanese interment camps during WWII (another great read!)

This book was fascinating, and forced me to some interesting moral areas while reading it, I will admit I liked Sarah's story more than Julia's but I thought Tatiana de Rosnay did a great job of weaving the two together to make a great read for anyone! Just be sure to have some tissues next to you as you read.

Book Look Review "Sarah's Key"

2010-08-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

“Sarah’s Key”
Parlez -vous francais? I used to parlez a little since I grew up in the bilingual country of Canada. Although the French Canadians known as Quebecois do not actually speak the Parisian version I learned in school and off the back of the cereal box every morning. It’s a handy language to speak -especially living here in Utah. “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana De Rosnay is a French novel translated for the rest of you who cannot read it in French. Actually I wouldn’t be able to read it either except for cereal box words like sucre Pop and cereals de mais.

It’s a bestseller here in America and an award winning choice for book clubs. The novel begins in Paris July 1942 with the tragic story of ten-year-old Sarah who is taken in the middle of the night by the French police. Her Jewish family is betrayed by their apartment concierge. Sarah quickly hides her little brother by locking him in a cupboard believing they will return for him in just a few hours.

That’s when I started to cry the first time. I didn’t know very much about this infamous round up of 10,000 French citizens by the French police labeled Vel’d’Hiv. Captive families were kept in a locked stadium for days without food or water and then children and parents were literally torn apart as the parents were sent to Auschwitz. Little Sarah’s story is similar to many holocaust survivors and unique to others. The author notes: “This is not a historical work and has no intention of being one. It is my tribute to the children of the Vel’d’Hiv’. The children who never came back. And the ones who survived to tell.”

After a few chapters we are introduced to the American journalist Julia married to a Parisian whose family secrets lead her to search for Sarah. De Rosnay is skillful in weaving the story between the two characters. I did wish for more of heartbreaking Sarah’s story and a little less of Julia with her modern day family problems which pale by comparison.

I read this very good book in two days while on vacation in Canada. I’m sure people wondered why I had red-rimmed eyes sitting on the shores of Lake Erie in my mom’s retro orange webbed lawn chair. Je n’aime pas. I don’t care. It was worth adding a little salt water to the sand at the lake.

And Alyssa will be soon adding her review here on the blog.

Mark takes a picture of all our grandchildren

2010-08-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

While Tyfani was taking a picture of all the grandsons on Sunday in our backyard, Mark took a couple also - but at the end of lots of picture taking. Finn was not happy about the photo session at this point and was letting everyone know. Roman was concerned about his little cousin and the rest of the boys were done.When Tyfani gets the real portrait to me I will happily post it!

Why you should take more than one picture

2010-08-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

I only took one picture at the folkfest this year and of course Jonathan had his eyes closed! I didn't want to stand in front of the whole audience and take pictures. All the grandsons were there and loved it.

Here is one of the dances from Paraguay - the Bottle Dance of course.

BookLook Review "When We Were Romans"

2010-07-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

“When We Were Romans”
The novel “When We Were Romans” by Matthew Kneale describes a family in crisis through the eyes of nine year old Lawrence. His family lives in fear that the father will return from Scotland and harm them. Lawrence’s mother hurriedly loads his little sister Jemima and a few belongings including his precious pet and they drive through the underwater chunnel to Rome.

Lawrence’s mum used to live in Rome when she was single and still has friends there where they hope to find refuge and start over. Spending a few days with each of them, the little family seems to be getting on their feet with the help of an interesting cast of characters. And then their world unravels again. Despite his efforts, our young narrator cannot save his family from itself.

There are similarities to other recent novels including “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time” which use a child as narrator. The mysterious adult world described by a precocious child is always an amusing and bewildered perspective. They cannot understand what is really happening around them which causes the reader to be equally confused at times.

One of the charming aspects of the novel is that young Lawrence assigns animals to adults as he meets them and uses the phonetic spelling of a young child. A woman who is small with dark hair and gives quick little kisses as greetings reminds him of a squirrel. She is labeled “Chintsier squirrel”. Another is “Crissy chick” since her hair is short, yellow and stands straight up. He is also fascinated by his new book describing past rulers of Rome and sums up their history in his funny misspelled childish style. “One day there was a big fire in Rome, it went on for days, and some people said Nero did it because he was emporer but nobody was sure. Thousands of famous temples and houses got burnt down and Nero went up a tower to watch, he said doesn’t it look beautiful and then he sang a long song.” His version of history is much more entertaining and simplified than a high school history text.

I suppose I would only give this book 2 out of 5 stars if I did that sort of rating. I don’t usually since it is too restrictive and often misleading in a book review. There were things I really liked about this book, and things I didn’t. It did have moments of great reading but it also had sections that didn’t quite ring true. I give it a guarded recommendation to those interested in the struggles of children and adolescents dealing with the confusion of living in a dysfunctional family.

What do you pack in your carry-on luggage?

2010-07-28T15:23:00.001-07:00

These are glasses and stemware from my mom and grandmother. We packed them in socks and t-shirts and put them into our carry-on luggage. Mom is downsizing so we brought them home and didn't even break one!

You have to admit this is a great shot of my nephew Aaron diving into the pool during the family pool and BBQ party!

Kobe the lifeguard dog is climbing out of the pool after making sure the little ones are safe with their parents.

BookLook Review in time for the movie

2010-07-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

“Eat, Pray, Love”
On August 16th the movie version of this book comes out. I guarantee the movie will be better than the book. This goes against all that I believe – the book is always better than the movie. But this was a book with lots of empty parts that could be discarded. I think Julia Roberts is bound to improve the story and the storyteller.
Our life is made up of choices. Elizabeth Gilbert wrote a book about her choice to divorce her husband and using the advance money for this book travel for a year to find some meaning in her life. The subtitle she chose was: “One Woman’s Search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia”. I have some better subtitles: “Around the World in a Daze”; or “Gullible’s Travels”. Or perhaps the less subtle title: “Dump All Responsibility so You Can Travel Without Baggage.”
Gilbert does write with a sense of humor and I found myself chuckling during the first third of the book as she describes Italy and the joy of pasta and gelato. These foods do have curative powers even if you have to buy larger size jeans after a few months. Leaving Italy she tries to become spiritual by visiting an ashram in India. Will a few months of seclusion with a guru to guide her actions and thoughts cure her self-esteem issues? Will she finally stop crying? Alas, no. Next it is on to Bali to find balance between pasta and the lotus position - interesting choice Bali. This Indonesian island filled with corruption and superstition does provide a Brazilian expat named Felipe with whom she has an affair. Meaning at last?
I believe the author’s claim that her travel talent is making friends as she brags: “If there isn’t anyone else around to talk to, I could probably make friends with a four-foot-tall pile of Sheetrock.” The interesting characters that she encounters are the highlights of her travelogue. She describes them more as an observer in the room at a large party would than a friend who spent many weeks in their company. It may again be the problem of having the book in mind before the actual experience takes place.
Her narrative bogs down often with many references to her failed marriage and struggles with depression. I know that it’s important for us to understand her state of mind as she embarks on this search for peace and meaning, but sometimes she comes across as too defensive and self-absorbed. I am actually looking forward to Julia’s interpretation in the movie and expect I will like the story edited for the big screen.

Roman statues

2010-07-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

I thought this was so funny when Roman went and stood by his mom and copied her foot way of standing. The boy has addiction issues with 3 items: popsicles (as you can see), ketchup - he dips everything in it including broccoli,and plain potato chips.

BookLook Review "The Lost City of Z"

2010-07-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

“The Lost City of Z”
Glancing around the pool at a Park City resort recently to see what people were reading (I do it all the time!), I noticed they weren’t reading anything I would really like. The already tanned teen girls were oiled up and turning the pages of the latest “Twilight” clone. The mommies glanced up at their splashing kids from the pages of a celebrity biography and the grandmas were covered up in the shade weeping over another Nicholas Sparks. I was reading a fascinating nonfiction bestseller titled ”The Lost City of Z” by David Grann, slathered in sunscreen under an umbrella between the grannies and the mommies. Ah, vacation reading – read whatever you want because no one you know is watching!

Grann became obsessed with the story of legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett. In 1925 Fawcett, his son Jack and Jack’s friend Raleigh disappeared in the jungles of the Amazon searching for the lost city of Z – an El Dorado. Like Amelia Earhart, his mysterious disappearance launched expeditions to search the dangerous jungle for his story and evidence of his remains. Included in the book are historical pictures and a photo of the Washington Post headline, “Deep in the Fearful Amazon Jungle, Savages Seize Movie Actor Seeking to Rescue Fawcett”. Not only did Fawcett and his party perish, but several others disappeared searching for him.

Despite the failure of previous searches Grann is determined to solve the mystery. He and a large staff of researchers spend years reading published and unpublished letters and documents trying to piece together the probable route of the small Fawcett party. Unfortunately, like many explorers of his time, Fawcett was secretive to the point of paranoia. He didn’t want any other competing expeditions to get there ahead of him. His secrecy and lack of communication during the trip made it seem impossible to solve the mystery of his disappearance without traveling into the dangerous Amazon jungle. Consequently, Grann takes a Brazilian guide and sets out to find the city of Z and clues about what really happened to Percy Fawcett.

I bought this book for my son Chris who spends a lot time in the jungles and ancient ruin sites of Guatemala and Mexico doing research. I have highlighted the critical passages where blowfly maggots crawl out of your elbows and indigenous residents attack you if you don’t take precautions. It’s just a little motherly advice and a “vacation” book to read in his hammock during his upcoming jungle expedition.

We took a vacation from our vacation

2010-07-08T09:35:00.001-07:00

We had a great family vacation to Lake Arrowhead California. Stayed up late watching movies at the cabin,loved getting up at 6 am with little grandsons,walking down to feed the "gucks" (ducks) many times a day,going to Newport Beach and a children's nature hike - but we did have to take another week just the two of us to Mexico to rest up from our first vacation!

BookLook June 24 "The Imperfectionists"

2010-06-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

“The Imperfectionists” by Tom Rachman is a novel for those of us who appreciate newspapers in this day of digital dominance. We are the people who like to turn the page with a soft rustle. It makes us laugh to read a misspelled word that turns into a malapropism as it slips past a proofreader relying on Spellcheck. We enjoy the individual style and personality of each columnist and article author. We want to read something that took time to research and write and not just listen to the hasty opinions attached to the nightly news performances on T.V.
The cast of characters in Rachman’s debut novel is made up of memorable misfits connected to each other by a dying newspaper. Ten chapters, ten employees, and a back-story to explain the history of its founding by a wealthy American in 1953. The paper is an English language daily in Rome, which is about to be closed down since the corporate office in America cannot see any profitability in continuing to publish thirty-five years later.
Each chapter title is assigned a headline. “World’s Oldest Liar dies at 126” tells the story of the obituary writer, Arthur Gopal. Arthur has a boss he describes as “a resentful Alabamian with a toilet-brush mustache and an inability to maintain eye contact.” Arthur muses, “If history has taught us anything, it is that men with mustaches must never achieve positions of power.” As the obituary writer Arthur ‘s goal is indolence, “to publish as infrequently as possible and to sneak away when no one is looking. He is realizing these professional ambitions spectacularly.”
Slipped in between chapters eight and ten we find the story of a reader of the paper instead of an employee. Ornella De Monterecchi is a widow who is slowly working her way through every page of the paper. Since it takes her several days for each daily edition, she is hopelessly behind reading the news of 1994 in 2007. “These are her today headlines…””Mandela Set to Win South Africa Elections”, “Cold War Over, Hot War Begins.”
It’s not necessary to be a newspaper fan to enjoy “The Imperfectionists”. The short story in every chapter style is brilliant for a book about a newspaper where long embellished descriptions cannot be printed. This original novel by a former foreign correspondent for the Associated Press makes us regret canceling our newspaper subscription and validates the small cost of supporting journalism with all it’s imperfections.

BookLook June 17 "Elegance of the Hedgehog"

2010-06-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

“The Elegance of the Hedgehog”
My daughter Alyssa and I started our own little book club this month. There’s just two members, living 2,000 miles apart in Chicago and Springville. She came up with the idea to take turns buying two books, one for her and one for me and then reading it together and talking about it by phone and email. Brilliant! Book clubs are all the rage lately and are made up of friends, neighbors, co-workers even congregation members. There are lots of good things about traditional book clubs and we plan to enjoy every one of them – except the treats at the end of the evening.
Our founder chose “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” by Muriel Barbery for the first book to discuss. Translated from the French novel published in 2006 it is a best seller in Europe and the Americas. This is a great book filled with the beauty of language. It does require more concentration and dedication but it is worth the effort. More than a year on the New York Times Bestseller list doesn’t always equal a book we like but in this case the critics and millions of readers were right. “Both of the book’s protagonists create eloquent little essays on time, beauty and the meaning of life, Renee with erudition and Paloma with adolescent brio.” We agree enthusiastically with this blurb from the NYT reviewer.
The novel is written diary style with the chapters revealing the thoughts and point of view of the twelve-year-old Paloma and the fifty-four year old Renee. They share a building in Paris where Renee lives literally on the bottom level as the impoverished concierge, and Paloma lives with her wealthy family above. Both live publicly according to the expectations of their social positions and privately share a passion for learning. Events bring them together and the story begins.
As Alyssa said in our recent book club phone call, “I feel like I want to read it with a yellow highlighter since there are so many great one-liners on every page.” Here’s just one example I marked in my copy describing Paloma watching an art film she rented from the library. “From time to time I rewind, thanks to this secular rosary known as the remote control.”
If you are looking for a book that is a little unusual for your book club I would recommend “The Elegance of the Hedgehog”. Whether your group has ten members or two it will be an enjoyable read and an interesting discussion.

Dominic Jonathan's Baby Blessing

2010-06-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

Nico was blessed on Sunday with all our children able to attend including Alyssa. Although Mike and Alyssa had to race to the airport that evening we had a wonderful family event together.Here he is being held by his beautiful mom ready to go to the church.

I do - the rest of the story

2010-06-08T08:52:00.001-07:00

Alyssa posted the lovely pictures of her best friend's wedding, but I alone will share ... the rest of the story. This is the only picture of us taken by the fabulous Camille who did the bride's hair. Notice Alyssa is holding the ring pillow? 5 minutes after the bride is supposed to walk down the isle they are standing outside the barn door wondering who has the rings! "Run back to the house and ask Alyssa where they are!" Alyssa runs across the lawn, over the pond bridge and up the gravel drive with the pillow - POP! One heel snaps off of her beautiful orange high heeled shoes. Does that slow her down? No! She is unstoppable. The entire wedding was held up as Camille rushed back to the house to get Alyssa's flats that she has been wearing all day to help set up and decorate. Phew,another happy ending. And that's the rest of the story.

BookLook June 9 "The Girl of his Dreams"

2010-06-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

“The Girl of His Dreams”
You know how I love a narrator with an English accent? Well, an Italian accent is even better! “The Girl of His Dreams” by Donna Leon has been my book on CD this last week and the Commissario Guido Brunetti is once again my co-pilot as I navigate the beautiful highways and byways of Utah. I wish I was navigating the fetid canals of Venice instead. This series of Italian crime novels set in Venice is buon reading and buon listening. Although it’s not necessary you may want to start with the first one “Death at La Fenice” written in1992. Ah, Venice – bella cita.

A body is found floating near the steps of one of Venice’s side canals. It’s a young gypsy girl and she has been dead for a few days. Why hasn’t anyone reported this child missing? And why hasn’t anyone reported the gold jewelry it appears she has stolen? Brunetti searches for her family and the truth as he struggles with prejudice and corruption. The reader despairs for justice as Brunetti seems unable to penetrate the cultural barriers of the gypsy refugees. He is also thwarted by his superiors who want the case closed with a verdict of accidental drowning since a powerful family is involved in the crime. It seems prejudice and politics are international barriers to crime fighting.

The cast of continuing characters includes his endearing wife Paola an English literature professor from an aristocratic Venetian family, his loyal sidekick Sergente Vianello, his vain corrupt boss Vice-questore Patta, and my favorite- the smart and very sneaky secretary Signorina Elettra. Signorina Elettra has shady connections to access any information to aid Brunetti in his fight for right and her ability to work around her boss is award winning. Despite the mafia, internal political pressures, and government corruption, the commissario continues working on the case. Brunetti must once again decide if exposing the truth is worth sacrificing his career. Buon giorno and buona lettura!

BookLook Review "On Stranger Tides"

2010-05-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

“On Stranger Tides”
Captain Jack Sparrow will soon take to the seas again and the script is based on the 1987 pirate novel, “On Stranger Tides” by award-winning fantasy author Tim Powers. Tim(oddly both writers are named Tim)Elliott, the co-writer of the first three “Pirates” movies said the story of the novel aligned with where they wanted to take the fourth film being filmed in Hawaii this summer. “We wanted to do a story about Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth, and Tim Powers wrote a book about Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth... it just turns out that to do that story you would need that book," said Elliott. Therefore, we all must read this book now since everyone else will soon be doing it.
“On Stranger Tides” is great story-telling. It’s as fast as a pirate ghost ship skimming the tops of turquoise Caribbean waves. It is also just as shallow – don’t expect too much since this is a tall tale after all. An insane British scientist brings his lovely young daughter Elizabeth to meet up with Blackbeard himself on a quest for the Fountain of Youth. John Chandagnac, a handsome young man also headed for Jamaica is forced to join the pirates and is renamed Jack Shandy. We now have another Captain Jack who is more Orlando Bloom than Johnny Depp. And we have another beautiful Elizabeth who also runs around in a white nightgown. Pirate movie images do appear in your mind as you read this book and I would wager a gold doubloon that Tim Elliott read this book before he wrote the first two movie scripts. They are just too similar.
Black magic and voodoo dominate the story and the characters. There is an abundance of sorcery and creepy creatures returning from the dead to dance around on ghostly ship decks. The addition of legendary pirates who actually existed makes the book even more interesting. Their true stories are woven into the tall tale with skillful exaggeration. It’s not a book for young readers or book clubs, but those who enjoy historical fantasy writing will be thrilled and chilled by it.
We all know the book is better than the movie, so be sure to read “On Stranger Tides” before the movie comes out in May 2011. And thank you Springville super librarian John Averett for searching for the book for months to place it on our shelves. It should be arriving soon. You may want to call the library to see if it has been added to the collection. Now everyone please check it out to prove my prediction of its inevitable popularity!

The crazy hair cousin gang - 3 members

2010-05-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Laura for graduating from high school this week! One of her distinctive features for the past year has been her colorful hair - purple, blue, red, green.It's a lot of fun to see at family parties. As you can see she has started her own cousin crazy colored hair gang with Dawson and Haydon joining up for her graduation party.

Dawson won Most Outstanding Student Award!

2010-05-27T07:12:00.001-07:00

Dawson's proud family at the school assembly.The CUB, Most Outstanding Student award is sponsored by the Lion's Club and as the principal put it "It is for the nearly perfect student. They have high academics, are helpful and kind to others, good citizens, good leaders and examples and someday will be the presidents of organizations." Congratulations Dawson - I'm not surprised you won!

BookLook Review "H.I.V.E."

2010-05-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

“H.I.V.E.”
Kids accuse parents and teachers of using them as slaves. They complain we make them do our work for us – like take out the garbage, do the dishes and write our column. It’s true. Mr. Fluckiger’s fifth grade was conscripted this week to do my work for me. Thanks guys!
Most of the class really liked Mark Walden’s young adult book. Trysta submitted the most enthusiastic review I’ve ever read when she wrote, “HIVE are you kidding me, everyone that I know who’s read it loves it!” Her punctuation even gets me excited to read it. “It is a book that if you read it you’d be surprised that not all your predictions are right. Most of the time you will be wrong,” she continued.
H.I.V.E. stands for The Higher Institute of Villainous Education or as Kristina put it, “I’m not going to tell you because it is too long and it is a very different name. If you don’t like villain books you won’t like this book. But if you want a good book read this one.” I’m glad she reminded me what the title letters stood for, and I do like books with villains so there can also be heroes.
The story involves young characters who have been kidnapped and brought to a special school to learn how to become villains. Their peculiar talents and felonious activities have brought them to the attention of the sinister headmaster who plans on shaping them into the super crooks of the future. Kaden’s plot summary included, “Auto is stuck in HIVE and is hatching a plan to get out. How can he get out? The teachers are evil.” Evil teachers - must be our age difference perspective coming through or is Mr. Fluckiger not as beloved as I thought?
Kali summed up a couple of the characters. “Auto Malpence (main character) has been in an orphanage until one day he got tasered by a worker at HIVE. Shelby was a 13 year old girl, who was a professional jewel thief and she was like a ghost when she went to take the jewels” They do listen! I explained that the word wraith meant a ghostly apparition! I have made a difference in the world! That’s stretching it a bit, but still nice to know they have another vocabulary word to use.
Not everyone in the class loved the book. “If you wish to read an adventure book read HIVE. It’s not my type of book. I really am not a fan of realistic fiction. It is a weird and kinda creepy book. It’s just not my favorite thing,” wrote Erin. First of all, Erin I’m glad you can feel free to disagree. I often swim against the current and don’t like popular books either. But just to clarify this is not realistic fiction, I think it’s fantasy you don’t like.
“If you are tired of reading the same old book try 3 things in one book, fantasy, mystery and adventure,” writes Becky. If you think this sounds like an infomercial how about this sell-it sentence from Serina? “Wow, what a great book full of my favorite things! Action, adventure and humor. It’s awesome! It’s a unique adventure! The fiction will help you blast through all the pages of the book!” I couldn’t have written a better conclusion myself – having the fifth graders do my job for me turned out really well!

Baby Nico is one month tomorrow

2010-05-23T21:31:00.001-07:00

Dominic is the right name for this little bambino! He has beautiful dark wavy hair and a repertoire of facial expressions that would make any godfather proud, or grandparents of course.

Grandpa is explaining to Nico about "The Family", and how we don't actually have a godfather anymore - although Nico looks like he is applying for the mafioso job here with his cute chubby cheeks and serious "whadda ya talkin' about" look.

BookLook Review "Unlikely Heroes"

2010-05-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

“Unlikely Heroes”
I’m just one person. On a mission to get people to read. And finding good books for you, and your gift list. “Unlikely Heroes” by Ron Carter is perfect for you and everyone you know requiring a gift. Graduation or Father’s Day are up next on the gifting calendar and thanks to the Safsten’s persistent nagging, I finally read this really great book and will give it for both occasions. It is a collection of stories about the Revolutionary War which is everyone’s favorite war. My seventeen year old niece and my nearly 80 year old father will both enjoy these tales of “ordinary men and women whose courage won the revolution”.

With chapter headings like “The Petticoat That Saved Paul Revere” and “When six Hundred Stopped Five Thousand” it’s hard to choose a favorite. So I will share a couple of paragraphs from one heroic tale to convince you to read “Unlikely Heroes”. Maybe if the Safsten’s had done this months ago they would have hooked me sooner!

My first selection comes from the remarkable story of Margaret Corbin. This brave woman stood alone at the gun emplacement after her husband and all the other men firing the cannons were killed during an attack on Fort Washington on Manhattan Island. She had studied the men loading and firing the cannon as the enemy approached. Surrounded by the moans of dying men, she reloaded the cannon and fired it again and again until she was struck in her left shoulder by a musket ball. She recovered and painfully reloaded and fired before being struck twice more and knocked unconscious. After her life was saved by British doctors she was released back to the American army to regain her health and return home. “In 1779 the Continental Congress granted her a lifetime military disability pension…She was the first woman in the United States to receive such honors.”

“Unlikely Heroes” would also be great as a read-a-loud on family road trips this year especially if you are visiting any historical sites. Carter’s writing style is perfect for all ages and the length of the stories will keep everyone interested while they are being educated and entertained. It encourages patriotism and reminds the reader that sacrifice and bravery were required by many in the American war for Independence. This inspiring book is worth reading and giving as a gift for graduation, birthdays and especially Father’s Day.

Finn for Mother's Day

2010-05-11T15:49:00.001-07:00

People kindly ask how he is doing and as you can see he's happy and healthy.

Cowboy Finn who will be up and ridin' behind his mom on a horse before ya know it.

BookLook Review "Winter Garden"

2010-05-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

“Winter Garden”
Stories about mothers and daughters are complicated. In reality and fiction there is something different in their relationship compared to their male counterparts in the family. It seems more complicated, more intense, and more emotional. In the novel “Winter Garden” by Kristin Hannah the mother-daughter story has all these elements and a mystery from the past to keep the reader turning the pages.

Two very different sisters unite after the sudden death of their beloved father. Confronted with his deathbed wish that they learn to love their cold and distant mother, Nina and Meredith try to honor his request. The married oldest sister Meredith manages the family orchard business and fills her days with frantic “Martha” tasks. She cooks and cleans like a maniac to prevent her grief and other emotions from overwhelming her. Nina on the other hand has spent her years away from home as a famous photojournalist with an incurable wanderlust. The two sisters have grown apart over the years although they were once very close and loving.

The winter garden is a special place behind their family home where their mother Anya sits and stares out at the bare trees and snow covered ground. Anya came from Russia but refused to share anything with her daughters about her past. She told them a beautiful fairytale without an ending when they were young but now the girls suspect it was more than just a fictional bedtime story. As Anya is convinced to finish telling the fairytale, her daughters begin to understand why she closed her heart to them.

It is a story about a mother and her daughters. It is a story about forgiveness, and the complicated feelings within every family relationship and especially between mothers and daughters. It is a wonderful Mother’s Day gift for any mother who enjoys a good book.

A picture that is worth a thousand words

2010-05-01T18:49:00.001-07:00

Although this is a composite photo it is a great image! I use the OK scuba signal when I substitute teach as a fun way to get kids to stop and listen quickly. I explain that they are my scuba buddy for the day. They can't make any sound because they are under the water when we make the signal.It works really well and it's more fun than some of the other annoying and over-used methods.

BookLook Review "Among the Mad"

2010-04-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

“Among the Mad”
I am a fickle friend to Maisie Dobbs. The main character of the series by Jacqueline Winspear deserves better. I love her and leave her and do not read her books in order. To the lovely lady at the library who insisted I must read the other four books before listening to the audio recording- I apologize. I have read the first book, which is my only requirement before stepping out of line and listening to “Among the Mad”. I have read others in the series and should have continued in sequence but I love the soft British accent of reader Orlagh Cassidy and couldn’t resist the CD’s. I started listening in the car on the way home from the library. I publicly confess my weakness but can’t give up this unforgivable behavior.

“Among the Mad” is a bit darker than other Maisie tales. As the title implies, the story is filled with troubled souls. On Christmas Eve 1931 Maisie is injured by a suicidal bomber who appeared to be an injured veteran begging on the street. She is then called upon by Inspector Stratton and Special Branch Chief McFarland to help find an insane letter writer who threatens to unleash a chemical terror unless his demands are met. What are his lunatic demands? He wants the neglected veterans of WWI to have improved pensions. He wants them to receive the physical and mental care they need. After serving their country so nobly they don’t deserve to be left to beg on the streets as people turn away from them.

Maisie’s assistant Billy is also struggling with his wife’s breakdown following the death of their little daughter. Maisie’s best friend confesses her melancholy has returned and with it her drinking problem. Both consulting psychiatric doctors Maisie turns to in the terrorist investigation suffer their own forms of disturbed behavior after their war service. Maisie continues to prefer a solitary life while mourning the death of her own beloved soldier. The post traumatic stress for all the war survivors combined in this story can be a bit overwhelming at times, as I’m sure it was in London during the 1930’s post-war Depression.

The Great War left many walking wounded. Shell shock was a newly diagnosed condition which covered every physiological problem presented by war veterans. Outwardly they didn’t appear injured, but on the inside there was terrible psychological damage. Victims were told to “chin up” and “carry on” for they were “made of sterner stuff”. Winspear used her experience with her grandfather’s shell shock condition to create her characters for the book. Although things brighten up at the end, it is a haunting story of the plight of veterans in all wars.

Although I struggle with reading any series, I understand the author’s need to keep producing books featuring their popular character. Many readers will spend lots of money on their true love. I also know writers don’t want to repeat too much information from previous books as a favor to their loyal followers. As a disloyal follower I don’t expect to be kept up to date and find I am able to skip around a bit and still enjoy the series.

Our Newest Grandson Born Today

2010-04-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

Our new grandson Dominic (Nico) Jonathan Balzotti was born this morning, April 26th at 4:53 am. He weighed 7lbs. 13oz. which is the same as his big brother and 20 1/2 inches long but this little guy wasn't due to arrive until May 5th so he was a happy April surprise.

Gabe the Babe is a big brother now!

Things that made me smile (or laugh) this week

2010-04-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

I had two good daily entries for my Moment of Happiness one-line-a-day journal I keep on the computer. I spend a lot of time writing long newspaper articles and book reviews so I had to find a simplified journal solution. Something every day that makes me smile or even laugh.Some weeks are full of funny!
These fake eggs were attacked by our Magpie who spotted them on the porch and destroyed them!

I heard the water running in the bathroom sink while babysitting Gabe the Babe.A two year old and running water are never good so I ran in there to see him trying to remove lipstick with a towel and water. He tilted his head and said,"I sorry grandma I wash it off." So cute, so contrite, but looks a little like the Joker.

BookLook Review "Sand Sharks"

2010-04-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

I don't like every book I read...
“Sand Sharks”
I was looking for a recorded book that wouldn’t make me blush if someone heard me listening to it. Well, “Sand Sharks” didn’t have any descriptive shower scenes, or graphic blood and gore but it was embarrassing none-the-less. If I could have put a plain brown paper wrapper around the reader’s irritating voice I would have. Driving to Salt Lake City every week, I like to listen to an audio book in the car. I can’t listen very long to NPR without my blood pressure rising and local chat causes me to talk back to the people on the radio who can’t even hear me. Books pleasantly pass the commute time and help me arrive in a good mood despite the eternal construction delays on I15 - usually.

“Sand Sharks” written by Margaret Maron (Maron, not moron) is a novel somewhere in the middle of a mystery series featuring Judge Deborah Knott. She’s an idiot. I don’t like her. And she has my name! I don’t care about her personal life lurking in the background and I really don’t care about her southern friends. Words wasted on the descriptions of everything she eats and drinks are also irritating. What made the story worse was the chirpy narrator’s voice dragging me through the ridiculous plot.

Beware the enticing description on the back of the cover. “Margaret Maron (moron) never fails to deliver electrifying tales and well-wrought characters.” I guess there’s always a first time Margaret. The story is littered with meaningless clues and concludes with a surprise killer you could never guess since the author didn’t seem sure herself who was going to be the murderer. I liked the idea of the setting being in a North Carolina beach town but found myself annoyed by the obvious name-dropping of stores and restaurants. I wonder how much advertising cash they paid out to be mentioned.

Skip this 8 disc disaster and find something better in the library audio book collection. I really appreciate our library keeping it well stocked with new selections since they are expensive to buy and rarely worth listening to again. I wanted to be fair (and optimistically hoped the book would get better) so I endured to the end. It didn’t improve. I’m sure other people will check out this narration when they read “will leave readers awash in well-laid clues” but I can’t recommend it. It may even qualify as verbal abuse.

BookLook Review "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day"

2010-04-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

I love this movie; I mean this book, by Winifred Watson.

It is because of the wonderful movie that I bought the book. Although they are of course slightly different, the 2008 movie does make a valiant attempt to keep true to a book written in 1938. And thanks to the movie, Persephone Classics of the UK has a popular re-release here in America. The inclusion of the small original illustrations bring the characters from more than seventy years ago to life for the readers and make the slightly higher purchase price well worth it.

The virtuous Miss Pettigrew (picture Frances McDormand here) is a frumpy 40 year old out-of-work governess in 1930’s London. Her life has been devoid of affection, friendship and fun. She has never been in love and certainly never been kissed in all her sheltered years spent first as the child of a stern cleric and more recently behind the doors of the nurseries of unkind employers. I am thinking in a British accent right now so you may want to read it that way – it will all make a great deal more sense.

But one day…the employment agency mistakenly sends her as a maid, not a governess to the beautiful actress Miss Delysia La Fosse (picture Amy Adams here). A frantic series of humorous misunderstandings turns Miss Pettigrew into an instant friend to a crowd of “swinging” singles. Delysia and her friend the cosmetologist are at their wits end trying to balance their numerous lovers. Miss Pettigrew advises and revises as she offers her help in managing each crisis. She is brilliant! Why hadn’t they thought of that? She must come along for the evening and help them save their relationships! The girls dress Miss Pettigrew up like Cinderella and whisk her off to have a ball at a cocktail party, a dinner party and an evening at a nightclub.

As hour by hour Miss Pettigrew sheds her dowdy former self, she gains confidence that she may have a place and a purpose in this new and exciting society. Her Cinderella story only lasts one day for us, but we are left with the hope that she has found her prince and true love at last. It’s a classic old tale told in an unusual setting, which always makes a great book and a great movie.

We all love the park in the Springtime!

2010-04-13T19:47:00.001-07:00

A few of our monkeys are climbing on the bars.

Even though the picture is of Gabe with eyes closed, he was laughing all the way down the slide.

Gabe is a big fan of the slide that goes round and round.

Even with a cast, little Roman keeps mommy busy on the slide