IdahoStatesman.com Life

Jason Wanlass: Want to be ready to hit the ski slopes?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

For many of us, that winter chill in the air can only mean one thing - ski and snowboard season is right around the corner.

Carolyn Hax: Take on brother-in-law bully over invitation snub

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Carolyn: We have plans this weekend to visit my husband's family. I just found out that my husband's brother, "Bill," called my husband and asked him not to bring me. When asked why, Bill gave a really flimsy answer about my not fitting in with them and how they were not comfortable with me being there. My husband told Bill that he was totally out of line and that if I was not welcome, then as my husband he was not welcome and would not be attending. He also told Bill that he could explain to their parents why we weren't there and hung up.

Ask Amy: Separation may be the only answer

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Dear Amy: I have been married for 20 years. Six months ago my husband announced that while he loves me he isn't "in love" with me anymore. This news was devastating. I love my husband and love our life with our three kids.

The You Docs: The prescription you shoudn't get filled

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Want to shock your doc out of his socks? Next time you get a sore throat - or your kid's nose is at flood stage - don't demand antibiotics.

Woodward: Bill Huckstep is a Boise moving institution

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Bill Huckstep is a Boise moving institution. He's moved hundreds of homes, up to and including the Bishops' House. A bridge? A school? A 57-ton bakery oven? No problem.

Heart of the Treasure Valley: Emerging from the darkness of mental illness

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Eric Buckner, just 20 years old, has struggled through a lifetime of mental illnesses. But now he's in recovery and wants to help others deal with similar issues.

Here are some fun ways to remember facts!

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Can you recall which presidents are depicted on Mount Rushmore?

Idaho History: Railroads brought steel bridges to Idaho

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

The Utah Northern Railway was the first to enter Idaho Territory. It was a narrow gauge line connected to the Union Pacific mainline at Ogden.

Woodward: 'One of the best things about Boise'

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

A recent blog on good things about living in Boise cited qualities that attract people who work for multinational companies. Tim Woodward response: One of the best things about living in Boise is "the blessed absence of people."

Ask Amy: Does 'no gifts' really mean no gifts?

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Dear Amy: I received an invitation to "celebrate a marriage with dinner and dance." This is a second marriage for both bride and groom.

Hax: Yes, get out of affair with married man

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Carolyn: I'm involved with a married man, which (1) I didn't know until after we became involved, and (2) breaks one of my core values - so even though I love his company (we're no longer physically involved), I hate that I'm in the middle of someone else's marriage.

Diane Ronayne: Artists to propose Treasure Valley Arts Alliance

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Inspired by this summer's "Culture Cafes" convened by the Boise Arts and History Department and Idaho Commission on the Arts, five visual artists - Craig Clark, Amber Grubb, Kim McKain, Sandra Shaw and Melissa Chambers - have continued to meet.

Book review: 'Devil's Dream' tells of contradictory Civil War general

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

In "Devil's Dream," Madison Smartt Bell has chosen as his subject a Confederate general and slave trader who would go on to become one of the leaders of the early Ku Klux Klan.

What's new at your library?

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Adult non-fiction. A sweeping work of the fading days of the Roman Empire, both east and west, and the descent into the Dark Ages. Wickham draws together the cultural, political, and economic features of the period and resets the standardized view of chaos and barbarity through the use of archaeological evidence and historical documents to reveal cultures and societies that didn't know they were living in unfortunate times.

Book review: 'SuperFreakonomics' is just as much fun to read as its predecessor

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

In their 2005 book "Freakonomics," economist Steven D. Levitt and journalist Stephen J. Dubner used dozens of interesting anecdotes to prove a simple point: "People respond to incentives."

David Roper: Leaving work behind can be a good thing

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

In Homer's Odyssey, battle-weary Odysseus sets sail for Ithaca, his island home off the coast of Greece, after years of fighting at Troy. Along the way he encounters the goddess Circe who tells him he must go to the underworld to consult the ghost of an old prophet, Teiresias, from whom he would gain wisdom for his last years on Earth.

Hax: Is it you or your boyfriend? Trust jealousy when it flares up

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Carolyn: I usually trust my instincts, but lately I've noticed that I'm jealous or suspicious of most women in my boyfriend's life. Like, if they leave the room together I start to think they are up to something. This is obviously me and not him - any thoughts or suggestions with how to get over this and relax?

Ask Amy: Got the second wedding blues?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Dear Amy: I am a 28-year-old divorced mother of one.

APPLE WEEK: APPLE, HAM AND CHEDDAR MELT

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:15:52 MST

Fall's favorite fruit has to be the apple. This week, we'll share five ways to maximize your apple enjoyment. Today's recipe comes from Martha Stewart's "Everyday Living" magazine.

U of I Master Gardener: Tear out the suckers

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:06:25 MST

In the fall of 2007, I moved a large rose bush from the front of the house to the side yard. I pruned it from nearly seven feet tall to about 18 inches. I then placed it below a window so I could smell the roses on warm summer nights.

Keep your energy bills in check this winter with some quick and easy improvements

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Southwest Idaho tends to have relatively mild winters, but the colder months can still wreak havoc on your home energy bill.

Lauterbach: Next year, squash bugs had better beware

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

The first seed catalog for 2010 arrived Oct. 24, and parts of my 2009 garden are still growing, including some weeds. I don't dare look at a seed catalog now.

Ask the You Docs: Just how bad are baby bottle dangers?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Q: My children are grown now, but back in the late 1970s I would mix their baby formula with boiled water and put it into the plastic liners of disposable baby bottles, which I now know contain bisphenol A (BPA). My children haven't had any problems, but I am still concerned about the danger I've put them in. Is there anything they need to know to minimize their cancer risks?