The Dark Knight

I give The Dark Knight 4 stars. It was an entertaining movie with a lot of action and great acting. First of all, you can NEVER go wrong with Christian Bale. He's not only great looking, but is a great actor as well. Of course there's the (Oscar Buzzed about) Heath Ledger, who I always liked. The story is great - I've heard a lot of people say that it is a really dark movie and a lot of people say that is wasn't as dark as they'd expected. Who knows? The only drawbacks for me were that it did get a little long there towards the end, dragging on a bit. Also, I've heard a lot of people talk about Heath Ledger's voice (was it his own?, did they digitalize it?, etc.) but the voice that I was most bothered by was Batmans! I hated that he sounded all gruff and what have you - I mean I realize that he's disguising himself, but I would have preferred it to have been a little more normal.

The prized float of Grantsville

We did a float for the Grantsville 4th of July parade. Of course we had to fight about it the night before, like any normal people would. It actually turned out better than we thought it would. Aaron thought that the stuff around the bottom would fall off half way through the parade and it would look stupid but it lasted. All of the ward members said it was the best part of the parade, even the women that aren’t into dead stuff really liked it. After the parade we went to the park so people could come up and see Aarons work up close. A lot of people were really interested and hopefully it will generate a lot of business for us. Don’t you think this idea of mine, to be in the parade, was a great idea? Hope it worked! Next years will only be bigger and better, hope to see you all there.

Eating Healthy: My Pet Chia

Chia Seeds Chia, a super food, is a tiny seed from South America packed with lots of nutrition. It possesses 19% complete protein and all the essential amino acids needed. It carries the highest amount of essential fatty acids, more omega 3 than salmon, rich in vitamin B, C, calcium & minerals.

Two tablespoons of this tasteless chia in a cup of oj, juice or water, added to bread, soups, drinks or eaten as a snack will keep you full all morning. Great for dieters or a person that doesn’t eat the best of foods. Because of the cost, I am using 2 teaspoons daily which seems to satisfy. There is no taste whatsoever. I even made some Chia oj banana nut muffins. They were delicious and I couldnt even taste the banana which I really don't like baked.

At health food stores it sells for about $10 or more per pound. Some say that only the white seed is best. They both have the same and that is just a gimic. Brother Bob Koch has ordered 100 lbs. and selling it for $7. I have ordered some, so if you want to try it before you buy some, let me know.

Dad is even taking it daily for his breakfast to see if he can loose some pounds. I am trying the afternoons for my shot to help fend off those afternoon munchies that take control. I'll keep you posted on how we do with our new Chia pet.

No Bum Thumb for This Trigger Finger

As I walked down the surgical hall to my appointed spot, I saw several procedures taking place in each windowed room along the way. Operating station No. 5 had a big 2x4ft. air filled plastic cushion waiting for me on my table to prop up my different parts. Although I don't remember, Allan tells me the surgery only took fifteen minutes. Directions were given while the tubes were being removed, not to do much for the rest of the day. Dad took the advice for himself and obeyed it literally. When I slept, he slept and so forth.

Looking at the 4x4 inch bruise on my left hand, it is easy to understand that it hurt as much as the surgical site. The nurse failed to compress the artery when the iv was pulled out. Blood coursed under the skin until we discovered it bulging 1 inch high on the back of my hand. After a week of sporting a big ace bandage half way up my arm, the dressings were removed to see this small incision with its dissolving stitches.

SUCCESS!! The thumb now moves as it should.
MORAL of the Story: Don't buy Christmas nuts for $1 per pound and shell them days on end for weeks, because they will end up costing you in the end $100 per lb.

What You Don’t Know About Your Gray Haired Granny?

While visiting my sister Paula in Nebraska, I went for a walk with Stephanie who asked about Grandma Crane. Did she sew? Absolutely I said, and she used to do so much more. I thought you might want to know a few tidbits about this social lady that turns 79 on July 20th. She was a Depression Baby born in Granger in 1929 when women could finally vote.

Her first job was working at a cookie factory downtown. She was happy to leave newspaper delivery and the farm behind. After graduating she almost stood my dad up on a blind date because she got stranded in town. He wasn’t happy, but after meeting her,they danced the night away. He was just out of the Navy and looking for a wife. He was 23 & she was 19 when they married on Sept 15, 1948 in the SL Temple.

In the 1953 she gave birth to me. Sandra wasn’t yet three and Jim was 6 weeks short of two. This made for a very busy life and Dad was only working part time jobs. She told the doctor, “Give me something please!” He did, and that is why I was the baby 5+ years.

Few women were truckers in 1960, but my mom was one of them. She drove a 2 ton truck to town every few weeks to deliver sour cream to the Salt Lake Creamery. I always went along so we could go shopping afterward. Try parking a big truck in SLC. She also drove to Ogden and Spanish Fork with loads of peas, tomatoes, corn and other produce. Dad would do a morning run & she would go in the afternoon to help make ends meet.

We visited her friends & relatives often. Picking bushels of peaches, pears & cherries then spending August and September canning the fruit was a must. Her ½ acre garden fed us all year & nary a weed dared grow. She grew, picked & sold 5 acres of sweet corn @$.35 a dozen. People came from all over the valley to get the best corn for that price.

A social outgoing person, Grandma Crane is comfortable talking to anyone wherever, whenever and as long as she pleases. When done they feel as if they know this little old white haired grandma. May you appreciate the talents she passed on to you, as well.

4 Stars

Is it possible to give more than four stars for a movie? I can't say enough good about this movie. Penelope is a GREAT (notice the all caps and bold use there?) movie for everyone. (Yes, even you, Dave.) This movie has a great moral, it is clean, and it's one of those that you finish watching feeling really happy. I highly recommend that you all watch it!

(Next movie review: The Dark Knight or Mama Mia - whichever Jed and I see this weekend)

childhood memories

For the last few weeks I've been thinking a lot about the importance of keeping records and journals and such. I'm not exactly sure why although I think it may have something to do with wanting to share things about my life with my children as they get older. I also think it is just fun to remember experiences from my life. Here are a few things that I've come up with that I remember from our childhoods:

• eating Cookie Crisp cereal at Grandma Schmidt's house. We never had it at home (probably too expensive), but she always had some in the cupboard just to the right of the kitchen sink. We used to love to eat it when we went to visit.
• making snapdragon lips
• pulling the legs off of grasshoppers
  
• throwing crabapples from the crabapple tree in the front yard
• making homemade popsicles
• making mud pies
• the fish that jumped out of its bowl onto the stairs when we lived at the pink house
• the time in elementary school when my teacher read us "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." I was so scared that night that I couldn't sleep and stayed up very late. Late that night I heard cloppity-clop, cloppity-clop and thought for sure the Headless Horseman was coming to get me. It was the furnace.
• going swimming at the Midvale Pool with the Crane family, floating on my back, and going to the drugstore after for ice cream or milkshakes
• playing that game at Grandma Crane's house where we would throw the ball over the garage up front near the house (what was that game called?)
• playing No Bears Are Out Tonight with the Crane cousins
• Steal The Flag on the street with all the neighborhood kids
• Grandpa Schmidt's love for zinnias, marigolds, and roses
• making apple cider with the Schmidt family and riding around in the front loader to pick the apples
• gathering rocks on the dry farm and then hauling them home to build the rock wall in the backyard
• drinking gallons of lemonade and punch on the deck while playing cards in the summers
• pulling endless weeds in the front and backyard
• fashion shows when we got new clothes
• Zero, the beloved bear
• Mauri's favorite pillow which I'm sure she still has
• chasing Breann down the hall in the yellow house and pushing her into the wall and giving her a nasty cut on her head

What do you remember?