Heston.com

Heston Family Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 21:42:00 +0000

# THE MAIN COURSE

TURKEY: Cook according to instructions on the turkey wrapping. Be sure to buy a few days ahead of time in order to let it thaw. Use a roasting bag and foil pan. Cut open the roasting bag about an hour prior to serving. Using the roasting bag can cut down the cooking time by an hour or two.

GRAVY: Use the turkey gravy packets from the store, not juice from the turkey. One packet is enough for a dozen or so people.

STUFFING: homemade or use Stove Top stuffing; do not stuff the bird but cook on top of the stove.

CRANBERRIES: get 2 cans of whole berry cranberry sauce

# VEGETABLES

MASHED POTATOES: First, bake the potatoes, then mash and mix with whipped cream (not yet whipped). Keep warm in the oven.

STEAMED VEGETABLES: Steam using the microwave. Birds Eye Steamfresh brand works well.

# SALADS

BEAN SALAD

1 can each of: garbanzo beans, kidney beans, green beans, yellow beans

1 medium onion

1 small shallot

a small bunch of green onions

1-cup cider vinegar

1-cup honey

Drain and rinse all beans. Combine with diced onion and shallot. Cut up the white part of the green onions, and mix this in. Blend vinegar and honey thoroughly and pour over vegetables. Stir slowly to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight. Do not use a metal bowl.

AMBROSIA

4 oz. sour cream

1-1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1-1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

1 can (12 oz) of pineapple chunks, drained

1 small can of mandarin oranges, drained

Juice of one lemon

2 medium sweet red apples, cored, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 medium firm bananas cut into 1/3-inch slices

On Wednesday night, mix sour cream, coconut, and marshmallows in a bowl, stir well, cover, and refrigerate. Put mandarin oranges and pineapple chunks in the refrigerator.

On Thursday, just before serving, drain mandarin oranges and pineapple chunks and add to the sour cream mixture. Dice the apples, slice the bananas, and place them in a separate nonmetallic bowl. Cover the apples and bananas with lemon juice. Add the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle top with a small amount of coconut. Serve immediately in individual cups rather than in a large serving bowl on the table.

# SIDE DISHES & MISCELLANEOUS

ROLLS: follow instructions on the pre-made roll package; enough for 3 per person. Get the Grands style of rolls, not crescent rolls

RASPBERRY JAM: On Wednesday or earlier, add a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. Raspberries work well. Blackberries may need extra sugar, or mix 50/50 with raspberries. Boil the fruit for half an hour. Mix in 1 packet of gelatine while cooking and then a second packet when you take the jam off of the stove. Pour into jars, then refrigerate. Raspberry jam requires less sugar because of its natural sweetness.

TANGERINES

BUTTER, SALT, PEPPER

# DESSERT

PUMKIN PIE: Make according to the recipe on the can or use the recipe here. Use pre-made piecrusts and deep-dish glass pans. Make at least 2 pies for 6 people (1/3rd of a pie per person).

Mix Together:

30 oz can of pumpkin pie mix or a 30-oz can of pure pumpkin

2 cans (24 oz in total) condensed milk

2 eggs

1 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice ( = 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg)

If you get a can of pure pumpkin only (not the pie mix) you may want to add:

1-1/2 cups of sugar

2 more eggs (for a total of 4)

Pour into two glass deep dish pans using the refrigerated, unbaked pastry pie shells (preferred) or frozen pre-crusted aluminum deep dish pans. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 F, then reduce the temperature to 350 F and continue baking for an additional 35 to 45 minutes until the knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

WHIPPED CREAM: Buy the cartons, not pre-whipped. Add 1 tbsp of sugar, 1/2-tsp of vanilla. Whip just before dinner and put in the refrigerator. By the end of dinner, it should be well chilled but not frozen. Make enough for dinner only, as the whipped cream does not save.

ROOT BEER FLOATS

# BEVERAGES

SPARKLING JUICE: Get the non-alcoholic sparkling juice that is in the champagne bottle. To save money, make your own by mixing sparkling water with frozen juice concentrate.

MILK

SPARKLING WATER: Get a couple of liters of sparkling water

WINE: Get Merlot & Chardonnay. Smoking Loon brand is good. Boxed wine is OK if expecting a large number of guests.

COFFEE: French roast is best.

BEER: Budweiser or similar light ale is always appropriate. Keg beer is best if possible.

ROOT BEER: Thomas Kemper, 1/6 keg, if available; otherwise, get diet root beer.

# PRAYERS

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2025

Together again

Make new friends, silver and gold.

Serve one another.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2024

Acts of Thanksgiving

Express our love for others

In the very best way.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2023

It’s a two-part word:

We say Thanks, then start Giving.

Sharing our blessings.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2022

Full of gratitude

We thank our community

God's greatest blessing.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2021

We are together

With our friends and family

Forever grateful.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2020

Ever so thankful

We celebrate all of life

Together again.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2019

We are so thankful

For the people everywhere,

Family and friends

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2018

He gave everything

So we could experience

Life to the fullest.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2017

Our feast celebrates

The time we have together

It's lifes' greatest joy.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2016

(working in Goldendate, celebrated with Klickitat Valley Health community)

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2015

(working at Deaconess, celebrated with Deaconess Medical Center community)

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2014

We all celebrate

the family together.

It gives us great joy.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2013

All the Family

together at the table

giving Thanks to God.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2012

We say our prayers

to express our gratitude

for what's been given.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2011

Everyone is home

With laughter comes our friendship

This is Thanksgiving.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2010

Away from our home

Yet happy with each other

We are all at peace.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2009

All things must change – yet

Our gratitude is constant.

Thank You, God. Thank You.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2008

On this Thanksgiving

May we always remember

To love one another.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2007

On this Thanksgiving

Let us remember to give

from our heart and soul.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2006

Father in Heaven

Thank you for everything

You have given us.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2005

On this Thanksgiving

May we always be grateful

For all our blessings.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2004

Thanks and gratitude

We give you O Lord our God

For eternity.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2003

Oh great God above

Thank you for our family

And all your blessings.

PRAYER HAIKU FOR THANKSGIVING 2002

We thank you Father

for bringing us together.

We are truly blest.

# TOASTS

---------------------

The traditional toast recognizes we show gratitude through our actions.

---------------------

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2024: What greater blessing to give thanks for at a family gathering than the family, and the gathering. - Robert Breault

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2024: Everyone must work to live, but the purpose of life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others - Albert Schweitzer

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2023: To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant; to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.- Marcie, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2022: It is one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do. - Tim Keller

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2021: Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but on every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have. - Catherine Pulsifer

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2020: God doesn’t bless us to provide for our own needs; he blesses us so we can be generous. - Rick Warren

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2019: Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is. - Earnest Hemingway

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2018: A grateful heart is filled with acts of kindness.

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2017: If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share. - W. Clement Stone

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2016: (celebrated with Klickitat Valley Health community)

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2015: (celebrated with Deaconess Medical Center community)

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2014: There are two kinds of gratitude: the kind we feel for what we receive; and the much larger kind we feel for what we give. - Edwin Arlington Robinson

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2013: We show Thanksgiving by doing our very best to serve others. - Traditional American Saying

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2012: To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch heaven. - Johannes A. Gaertner

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2011: A grateful life, not just words, will bear witness to the glory of God. - Matthew 8:4

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2010: They do not love, do not show their love. - William Shakespeare

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2009: All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits committed to our trust on this condition: that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors. - John Calvin

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2008: By our words and our actions, we give Thanks the whole year through. – Traditional Irish Saying

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2007: If the only prayer you said in your whole life was thank you, that would be enough. – Meister Eckhart

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2006: May your heart be filled with gratitude, your days filled with laughter, and your life filled with service to others. - Irish Blessing

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2005: Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action. - Cameron

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2004: Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips and shows itself in deeds. - Theodore Roosevelt, 1901

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2003: Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. -WT Purkiser

THANKSGIVING TOAST 2002: As we express our gratitude, let us never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them. - JFK

# BLESSINGS

THANKSGIVING IRISH BLESSING 2025

May your heart be warm and happy,

With the lilt of Irish laughter,

Every day in every way,

And forever and ever after.

THANKSGIVING IRISH BLESSING 2024

May your harvest table glow with soft, golden light,

While autumn winds dance gently into the night.

May stories shared bring laughter, sweet and true,

And grateful hearts beat strong in all you do.

May blessing's warmth surround your family fold,

Like morning sun rays that turn rainbows into gold.

May God's own love rest gentle on all your days,

And guide you home through life's windy ways.

THANKSGIVING IRISH BLESSING 2023

May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow.

May the soft winds freshen your spirit.

May the sunshine brighten your heart.

May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you.

And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.

THANKSGIVING IRISH BLESSING 2022

May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,

wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

with joy, that long endures.

May all of life’s passing seasons

bring the best to you and yours!

# OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

MUSIC: Soft background music: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart or similar

TABLE SETTINGS: Centerpiece, Candles, Tablecloth; Cloth Napkins

CAMERA

GAMES: Have group family games on hand, such as Mad Libs and playing cards.

DISCUSSION TOPICS: Think about possible discussion topics of special interest to your guests. If at a loss for words, discussing college football is always appropriate. Prepare a few jokes or humorous stories ahead of time.

# TIME TABLE

A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THANKSGIVING: Invite guests to dinner. Last-minute invitations are always okay as well. Arrange your work schedule to get the time off. Get some potatoes from the Kellog, Idaho Rotary Club. If you are having a large gathering, now is the time to order beer and root beer kegs. Get mail-order items.

SUNDAY: Double-check your supplies to make sure you have everything. If not, go shopping. Depending upon the size of your turkey, you may need to take the turkey out of the freezer and put in the refrigerator. Allow about 24 hours of thawing time in the refrigerator per 5 lbs of turkey.

TUESDAY: As much as possible, finish up all of your work duties so you can have time at Thanksgiving to share with your family. Pull the frozen pie crust out of the freezer if using pie crusts & a glass pie pan.

WEDNESDAY

Make the 4 bean salad

Make the raspberry jam

Prepare the ambrosia salad: refrigerate the fruits (except for the bananas) and the sour cream mix (1.5 cups coconut, 2 cups mini marshmallows, 4 oz sour cream).

Relax and play some family games like Clue or other board games.

THURSDAY

AM:

~ 8:30 - do the local Turkey Trot run/walk event

~ 9:00 to 10:00 - cook the pumpkin pies

~ 10:30 to 11:30 -

put the turkey in the oven in plenty of time to be done cooking by 3:00 and ready to serve by 3:30. Put the potatoes in the oven

Set the table

Memorize the toast & prayer. Update this webpage and archive it.

Relax and play some card games

PM:

~ 2:30 -

take the potatoes out of the oven and mash them; put the mashed potatoes back into the oven in the covered serving dish.

open the turkey's roasting bag for the last hour of cooking

~ 3:00 - shortly before meal time, in order:

take the turkey out of the oven and allow it to rest for 30 minutes

put the cranberries in a dish on the table

whip the cream and put it in the freezer; by dessert, the whipped cream should be chilled but not frozen.

bake the rolls

cook the stuffing

cook the gravy

steam the vegetables

finish making the ambrosia and put it on the table

put the 4 bean salad on the table

~ 3:30 - Dinner Time

At the end of the meal, while serving dessert, make the coffee

# TIPS

As much as possible, clean up as you cook. As soon as you are done with a cooking utensil, put it directly into the dishwasher or sink.

Get everyone involved in preparation and cleanup. Many hands make light work!

Make it a point to fill your home with music and laughter. Have some music ready to play, learn some good jokes ahead of time, and have some fun stories to tell.

Use Splenda or Stevia for tea, coffee

# SHOPPING LIST

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Section

2 medium bananas

1 Lemon

2 medium red delicious apples

At least a dozen Idaho potatoes (if not already obtained from Rotary)

Tangerines or oranges

1 small shallot (if you can find one)

A small bunch of green onions (scallions)

A medium-sized onion

Turkey Items

Buy a frozen whole turkey, generally the biggest you can get; figure approximately 2 lbs per person

Roasting bag

Foil cooking pan

Turkey gravy (powdered; just add water; get 2 or more packets)

Stuffing (2 or more boxes of Stove Top)

Canned Goods

1 can of whole-berry cranberry sauce

1 can of garbanzo beans

1 can of kidney beans

1 can of green beans

1 can of yellow (wax) beans

1 can of pineapple chunks (12 oz)

1 can of mandarin oranges

1 jar of mayonnaise (for leftover turkey sandwiches)

1 jar of mustard (for leftover turkey sandwiches)

3 cans of pumpkin pie mix (not just canned pumpkin)

6 cans of evaporated milk

Baking Goods

Cider vinegar

Sweetened shredded coconut - 1 bag

Flour

Gelatin

Miniature marshmallows - 1 bag

Pumpkin pie spice

Cream of Tartar

Vanilla

12 oz honey (a honey bear works great)

Sugar

Stevia sweetener

Dairy Section

Butter or Smart Balance margarine

Whipped cream (4 to 6 cartons minimum)

Milk (at least 2 gallons)

one or two dozen eggs

Vanilla ice cream - 1 to 2 gallons

Sour Cream

Ready-to-bake grand dinner rolls, 3 or more packages (enough for 3 per person)

4 pre-made pie crusts. Get the refrigerated pie crusts to use with glass pie pans (preferred) or get the frozen pie crusts in a deep dish aluminum pie pan.

Frozen Foods

2 lbs of frozen fruit for the jam

Birdseye Steamfresh frozen vegetables

Beverages (in addition to milk)

Sparkling juice

Sparkling water

French roast coffee

Red wine

Root beer (1 case or pony keg)

Beer

Miscellaneous

Salt & Pepper

loaf of bread or two (for leftover turkey sandwiches)

Foil

Zip-lock freezer bags

Camera

Deck of cards

Board Games

Table settings: centerpiece, napkins, candles

Cleaning supplies

Empty jam jars

# OUR FAMILY THANKSGIVING CELEBRATIONS

IN 2025 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Tom & Mary Heston, Matthew Heston, Cecilia Heston, Alexander Heston, Fred Wade, Mary Coucher, Kirk Fredrik, Linda and Gordy Holt, and Jim Richardson.

IN 2024 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN PALM SPRINGS WITH:

Thirty-three family members and friends attended our gathering at Jake Wade & Rob Donovan's villa in Palm Springs, including: Tom & Mary Heston, Matthew Heston, Michael Heston, Brooke Heston, Harvey Heston, Sophia Heston, Cecilia Heston, Alexander Heston, Fred Wade, Scot Wade, Tom Simplot, Jake Wade, Rob Donovan, Bill Donovan & Alba Conte, Mary Coucher, Kirk Fredrik, Braden Coucher, Audra Ewert, Joe Coucher, Maria Mollison, Monty Tripp & Don Wolfensberger, Bruce & Maribeth Roberts, Holly & Lyman Smith, Miles Smith & Femka, Sadie Smith, Mike & Donna Kuratli.

IN 2023 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Tom & Mary Heston

Matt Heston & Inga Laurent

Mike & Brooke & Harvey & Sophia Heston

... and our friends at Huffin' for the Stuffin' Turkey Trot

IN 2022 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Tom & Mary Heston

Matt Heston & Inga Laurent (now married!)

Mike & Brooke & Harvey & Sophia Heston

... and our friends at Huffin' for the Stuffin' Turkey Trot

IN 2021 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Tom & Mary Heston

Matt Heston & Inga Laurent

Mike & Brooke & Harvey & Sophia Heston

Jerry Heston (on the 24th)

IN 2020 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Tom & Mary Heston

Matt Heston & Inga Laurent

Mike & Brooke & Harvey & Sophia Heston

IN 2019 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Tom & Mary Heston

Matt Heston & Inga Laurent

Mike & Brooke & Harvey & Sophia Heston

Alex Heston

Alfred C "Jerry" Heston

Alfred C Heston Jr

... and our corgi Dozer

IN 2018 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN SPOKANE WITH:

Tom & Mary Heston

Matt Heston

Alfred C "Jerry" Heston

Alfred C Heston Jr

Beth Merck

Tim Merck

Jon Merck

... and our dogs Dozer and Zilla

IN 2017 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN SPOKANE WITH:

Tom & Mary Heston

Matt Heston

Alex Heston

Alfred C "Jerry" Heston

Alfred C Heston Jr

... and our dogs Dozer and Zilla

IN 2016 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN GOLDENDALE WITH:

Klickitat Valley Health patients and hospital staff

IN 2015 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Deaconess Medical Center patients and hospital staff

IN 2014 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING AT SEASIDE WITH:

Fred Wade

Gail Wade

Scot Wade

Jake Wade

Barbara Mollison

Mary Coucher

Joe Coucher

Tom Heston

Mary Heston

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alexander Heston

Tom Simplot

Brooke Bradford

IN 2013 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Mary Heston

Tom Heston

Mike Heston

Alexander Heston

Cecilia Heston

Matt celebrated Thanksgiving working

... and our pets, Dozer and Zilla

IN 2012 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Mary Heston

Tom Heston

Alexander Heston

Matt Heston

Cecilia Heston

Mike celebrated Thanksgiving in Germany

... and our pets, Dozer and Zilla

... and our friends at the Silver Valley Turkey Trot

IN 2011 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Tom Heston

Mary Heston

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alexander Heston

... and our pets, Dozer and Zilla

IN 2010 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN THE UAE WITH:

Tom Heston

Mary Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alexander Heston

Mike celebrated Thanksgiving with the Mercks in Spokane

Matt celebrated Thanksgiving with the Mollisons in Portland

IN 2009 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN IDAHO WITH:

Tom Heston

Mary Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alexander Heston

.... and our pets, Dozer and Zilla

Matt was in Portland

IN 2008 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN DELAWARE WITH:

Tom Heston

Mary Heston

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alexander Heston

Andrea Pardoe

Dave Pardoe

Matt Pardoe

Ian Pardoe

... and our pets Dozer Heston and Steeler Pardoe

IN 2007 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN IDAHO WITH:

Alex Heston

Cecilia Heston

Mike Heston

Matt Heston

Mary Heston

Tom Heston

... and our pets, Dozer and Lightning

IN 2006 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN IDAHO WITH:

Mary Heston

Tom Heston

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alex Heston

Fred Wade

Gail Wade

Scot Wade

Barbara Mollison

Robert Coucher

Mary Coucher

Margaret Coucher

Joe Coucher

... and our pets Dozer and Lightning

IN 2005 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING IN SEATTLE WITH:

Mary & Tom Heston (parents) and their children

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alex Heston

Julie & Rod Younker (aunt and uncle), and their son Ryan (cousin)

Connie & Jerry Heston (grandparents)

Dave, Dave & Suzy (friends)

IN 2004 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Mary & Tom Heston (parents) and their children

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alex Heston

IN 2003 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Mary & Tom Heston (parents) and their children

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alex Heston

Fred & Gail Wade (grandparents)

IN 2002 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Mary & Tom Heston (parents) and their children

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alex Heston

Fred & Gail Wade (grandparents)

IN 2001 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Mary & Tom Heston (parents) and their children

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alex Heston

Jerry & Connie Heston (grandparents)

IN 2000 WE SHARED THANKSGIVING WITH:

Mary & Tom Heston (parents) and their children

Matt Heston

Mike Heston

Cecilia Heston

Alex Heston

Jerry & Connie Heston (grandparents)

Instant Pot Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 20:09:00 +0000

Put into your Instant Pot the following

1 lb stew meat
2 potatoes
2 onions cut into chunks
2 stalks of celery, cutup
15 oz can of whole tomatoes, do not drain
1 beef boullion cube
4 carrots cut into small pieces
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 TSP instant coffee
salt, thyme, oregano to taste

Pressure Cook on High, Pressure Sealed for 10 minutes

Add the quartered potatoes, and cook for another 15 minutes

2018 Dare

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 22:16:00 +0000

This year: have it all
Mindfully, work and play hard
Find yes, dare greatly.

Tarzan of the Apes Reaction

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 04:45:00 +0000

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs is a stunning tale of a man not only survives, but thrives despite being so unlike everyone else. Tarzan overcomes many challenges throughout the story, but the way he overcomes them is by being smarter. As a little boy most of the Apes did not accept him. It was only because Kala was so protective of Tarzan that the Apes weren’t able to kill him nor kick him out of the tribe. They were confused by how he grew much slower than the other children, and thought he would never amount to anything. Being the black sheep of his people only pushed Tarzan to learn more and become better every day.

The Apes were terrified of the human devices, but Tarzan learned to embrace these tools. The Apes fled in terror at the sound of a gun going off. They considered it to be a stick that shot thunder. They all agreed to never go back to the hut where they found the thunder stick and other objects of man. Tarzan on the other hand finds a knife there, and he learns to take care of it so that he can keep using it. The knife helps Tarzan defeat a great bull ape. Something that none of his fellow apes could hope to accomplish on their own. This shows how learning about new things, even if they seem incomprehensible, greatly improves a person’s life. This idea is shown again and again throughout the book as Tarzan learns to read, learns to use a bow and arrows, learns to speak French and English. All of these things improve Tarzan, and make him greater than his more civilized English counterparts.

The romance between Tarzan and Jane was thrilling and heartbreaking. Tarzan had never known romantic love before he met Jane. He saves her from his own kind, and this leads to a passionate love between them. He even travels all the way from Africa to America for her, and gives her a fortune. In the end though Tarzan gives her up because he thinks she could not be happy with him, and that William Clayton could better take care of her. Unfortunately, Jane thought the same way.

Tarzan is truly a story about determination and inner strength. The message Burroughs sends is one of how the path to the most fulfilling life is through becoming stronger, smarter, and more thoughtful. Tarzan doesn’t fit in with modern man, and they say it’s because he’s more animal than man. The real reason is because of his selflessness, and his determination.

To Mary

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 08:30:00 +0000

Depth of character.
Joy and enthusiasm.
An eternal love.

With love comes sunshine
That clears away the darkness
Of fear and of doubt.

Her timeless friendship
Brings an infinite kindness.
The endless river.

Amazing wonder
Quieting all the turmoil.
Stars sprinkle the sky.

Contentment and peace.
My cup is overflowing.
Pureness of the snow.

Simple Starving Student Chili Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 22:44:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

1 lb hamburger
white onion
1/2 of a small green bell pepper
15oz can of kidney beans
2 x 15oz cans of black beans
1 TBSP chili powder
15oz can of diced tomatos (with green chili if available)
1/2 can of beer

INSTRUCTIONS

start browning the 1 lb of hamburger in a large stovetop pan
while browning the hamburger, chop up the onion and bell pepper and add to the pan
strain the beans with water then add to the pan
add the chili powder (approx 1 tbsp, adjust to your taste)
add about 1/2 can of beer (PBR, Coors)
simmer for about 1 hour
serve as-is or over chips to make chili nachos or over a hot dog to make a chili dog

TIPS

clean as you go
don't waste the other 1/2 can of beer!

What is up with Daylight Savings Time

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 19:03:00 +0000

Good Morning!

This morning we celebrated (whether we wanted to or not) Daylight Savings Time. I have been that person that walked in to church on a Daylight Savings morning just to catch the last few minutes of the service. So it can't be totally wrong that I enjoy watching other people walk into the end of the service and only then realize that they forgot to set their clocks ahead an hour.

In the past, I had always just accepted Daylight Savings Time ("DST") as a construct to give farmers more daylight hours to work with and that was all the explanation I needed. I have friends in Phoenix Arizona who giggle at all this DST silliness because they have abandoned the process long ago and keep their clocks set at the same time all year round.

This morning, as I reset the one clock left in the house that does not reset itself, I began to wonder what was really up with Daylight Savings Time. I opened another tab on the browser and headed on over to the DST wiki page. It's long and filled with information that suggests it may have started with Benjamin Franklin. But as I read through it one thing became clear. Daylight Savings Time has always been about Climate Change!

Over time scientists have pondered about the Ice Age and Global Warming vs. Global Cooling but I thought the whole Global Warming conversation started in earnest with Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth. And I would be wrong. It turns out that Benjamin Franklin proposed Daylight Savings to the French as a way to reduce the amount of candles being burned at night. And Germany adopted DST in 1916 to reduce coal use. (That may have had more to do with a coal shortage that was occuring because of World War 1 but I'm lumping that in to the Global Warming column).

It seems that the impetus for DST was energy conservation. But, according to the wiki page listing a number of studies from around the world, energy consumption ( counterintuitively ) often goes up. Which brings us right back to - Daylight Savings Time: What is Up With That?

Do we even still really need Daylight Savings Time? Russia canceled DST beginning in 2011 but switched back after 2014 because of so many complaints.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere there are serious benefits of returning home from work while it is still light out. There is something that just de-energizes you when you go to work in the dark and return home from work in the dark. Having a little time on the back patio in the sunlight after work is very calming.

So just remember, this morning when you Sprung Forward, you did your part to help prevent Global Warming (at least idealistically speaking).

Happy Springtime!

What is up with Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (HelloThere) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 22:30:00 +0000

Februrary 14 is a date that is anticipated and dreaded by people all over the world every year.

It is widely recognized as St. Valentine's Day. For weeks prior to this celebrated day we are inundated with advertising that tells us that, if we are a man, we need to get shopping. Flowers, diamonds, chocolate strawberries, and pajamas (sexy pajamas) are de rigueur. If you, as a man, are already married then your sweet heart requires a ring with two diamonds. For some reason you don't see advertising providing similar suggestions to women about what their male sweet heart desires.

But what is the deal with Saint Valentine? Why all these gifts? Going to wikipedia there is one thing that is clear. The mythology does indicate that this date is actually based on a real person but other than the stories vary. Research into the origin of Valentine's Day seems to meet up with some concensus with Geoffrey Chaucer.

"Oruch charges that the traditions associated with "Valentine's Day", documented in Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules and set in the fictional context of an old tradition, did not exist before Chaucer. He argues that the speculative explanation of sentimental customs, posing as historical fact, had their origins among 18th-century antiquaries, notably Alban Butler, the author of Butler's Lives of Saints, and have been perpetuated even by respectable modern scholars." (Wikipedia)

The name "Valentine" comes from the name Valens which means Strong, Healthy, Love.

This name was most popular in the United States around 1925 but then lost popularity although it is still considered common. According to the website Accordingtothename.com 95900 people around the world have this name.

So what is up with Valentine's Day? Basically, I have interpreted all of this to mean that Valentine's Day is a great day to let the people in your life that mean anything to you that you love, adore, and appreciate them. Celebrate this day in whatever way you want and build your own mythology. Traditions are good for relationships. Make Valentine's Day your day. Whatever that means to you. Celebrate love, health, and strength in your life no matter who you are celebrating with (even if that is just yourself).

And if you are determined to be depressed on Valentines Day then pick up a copy of Chaucer's Parlement of Foules and try to figure that one out.

Happy Valentines Day!

Constant Kindness

noreply@blogger.com (HelloThere) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 19:36:00 +0000

We have different perspectives and beliefs but we can find commonalities through kindness.

Life's Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 21:46:00 +0000

Ithaca

When you start on your journey to Ithaca,
then pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
Do not fear the Lestrygonians
and the Cyclopes and the angry Poseidon.
You will never meet such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your body and your spirit.
You will never meet the Lestrygonians,
the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not raise them up before you.

Then pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many,
that you will enter ports seen for the first time
with such pleasure, with such joy!

Stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and corals, amber and ebony,
and pleasurable perfumes of all kinds,
buy as many pleasurable perfumes as you can;
visit hosts of Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from those who have knowledge.

Always keep Ithaca fixed in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for long years;
and even to anchor at the isle when you are old,
rich with all that you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would never have taken the road.
But she has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not defrauded you.
With the great wisdom you have gained, with so much experience,
you must surely have understood by then what Ithacas mean.

~ Constantine P. Cavafy

Taking off in 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 05:24:00 +0000

"Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one, take off. But if you don't have one, realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who will follow after you."

~ Amelia Earhart

The new year

noreply@blogger.com (HelloThere) — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 06:25:00 +0000

“You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So… get on your way!”
― Dr. Seuss

2017 is a year for grand adventures.

Sometimes mountains are very literal but often they are metaphorical.

What mountains do you have to climb this year? Join us on our expedition and meet with other adventurers.

View from Wallace Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 18:37:00 +0000

View from Wallace Falls, Washington (2014)

This is a lovely viewpoint which you can get to from a nice hike starting near Gold, Washington. The falls themselves are beautiful as are the views of the valley below. Mary & Tom did this hike in 2014.

Thanksgiving - Bringing Together Generations of Family

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 01:33:00 +0000

Gail Wade, Mary Heston, Barbara Mollison, Cecilia Heston
Seaside, OR 2014

Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner: the Heston Family Tradition

noreply@blogger.com (Heston Family) — Sat, 29 Nov 2014 22:34:00 +0000

2014 was another great celebration of thanksgiving and gratitude. This year we spent it on the Oregon Coast, enjoying the rain, wind, and beauty of the people and the ocean. It was a special year as we celebrated the 80th birthday of Fred and the engagement of Mike and Brooke.

Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner According to the Heston Family Tradition

Hiking with some friends

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Sat, 29 Nov 2014 21:27:00 +0000


Cecilia with Dozer and Zilla, 2014

Hiking with a couple of friends in the Bitterroot Mountains.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of the Hestons!

noreply@blogger.com (HelloThere) — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 21:33:00 +0000

Updated Thanksgiving Toast and Haiku CLICK HERE

letter from #UNLV - we want you !

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 23:03:00 +0000

Congratulations CC !

Cecilia Heston on Twitter: "just got my acceptance letter from #UNLV whaaaaaaaaat"

Comic Con 2014 - Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 21:57:00 +0000

Me with Moss #ITCrowd #ECCC pic.twitter.com/YiS7ThMA1v
— Cecilia Heston (@ceciliaheston) March 30, 2014

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (HelloThere) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 00:16:00 +0000

Happy New Year from all of us at Heston HQ

Here's to a Great 2014!

Does Less Housework by Women Lead to More Obesity?

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:15:00 +0000

A new study suggests that less housework by women appears to be related to an increase in obesity. Likewise, it probably applies to men and their participation in less house or yard work. With this in mind, our Easter was not just bags of candy and Easter egg hunting. Instead, the children got Easter baskets full of cleaning tools, and together we did Spring Cleaning as a family. Fun!

Adding Captcha's to Your Blogger Form

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Heston MD) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 23:58:00 +0000

You can add a Google supported captcha spam protection to your form hosted by popular blog platforms including: Wordpress.com and Blogger.com

1. Get a reCaptcha key from Google: http://www.google.com/recaptcha

2. Paste this script into your form between the <form> and </form> tags:

<div>
<script src="http://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/challenge?k=your_public_key" type="text/javascript"></script>

<noscript>
     <iframe src="http://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/noscript?k=your_public_key"
         height="300" width="500" frameborder="0"></iframe><br>
     <textarea name="recaptcha_challenge_field" rows="3" cols="40">
     </textarea>
     <input type="hidden" name="recaptcha_response_field"
         value="manual_challenge">
</noscript>
</div>
<br />
<br />
3. Replace in the above "your_public_key" with your own public key obtained in step 1.

Happy Valentines Day

noreply@blogger.com (HelloThere) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:27:00 +0000

From PhotoArt by Mike

Master of the Games

noreply@blogger.com (HelloThere) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:28:00 +0000

circa 1978, originally for jazz band with trumpet solo

Artificial Intelligence: The Human Brain Project

noreply@blogger.com (HelloThere) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:04:00 +0000

by: Matt Heston

Recently, the European Comission began funding the Human Brain Project, granting roughly 1.6 billion dollars over ten years. The project hopes to build a supercomputer that can fully simulate the human brain, a task researchers have compared to the Large Hardron Collider in terms of scope and ambition. If successful, they believe there will be new and profound insights into neurological disorders such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers.

But it has people excited for more reasons than just it's benefits to medicine and neuroscience. If we learn how the human brain operates, how will the engineers and IT community use that knowledge? Could we make robots that use architecture similar to the brain? Could we get a computer to recognize patterns or detect what we mean to say rather than what we said?

The million dollar question, however, has to be "will we see true artificial intelligence this century?" The safe bet is probably not, our ability to simulate a single neuron is far removed from simulating roughly 100 billion neurons and the billions of connections between them. The Human Brain Project initially hopes to simulate small groups of neurons, the cognitive components active when a person is focused on a particular task. If these neurons are active simulated accurately, it can get around the current hardware limitations of supercomputers today. Even with this, a full simulation of the human brain would require a supercomputer one thousand times faster than the most powerful supercomputer today.

Granted, Moore's Law continues unabated, and if the only hindrance to figuring out the human brain was the raw computational power of our machines, then I could graph out for you the exact month our computers could think and act like people. But like any challenging puzzle, it takes more than having most of the pieces. They also need to be put together in the right places before you can get the full picture.

So let's be a bit more conservative and predict that the Human Brain Project will only accomplish part of it's goals. Our understanding of the mind is a bit clearer, but still incomplete. Beside modern philosophy staying the same, there can be plenty of potential in having a partial look into the brain. For example, IBM's Watson was their best attempt at creating a computer that could understand semantics, or what words mean in different contexts. If we had computers that understood language perfectly, your Google searches would always deliver, even with the vaguest and most oblique information and your smartphone might even be able to beat a Turing test. Or perhaps, the HBP's simulations of neurons could help explain how our brains are able to do so much with no more than a lightbulb's worth of electricity. We could have computers that make current ones look like a Humvee next to hybrid car.

Even if they don't succeed at solving the puzzle of the brain and human thought, it will certainly be nice to have a few more of the pieces.

Link:

The National Science Foundation article: Artificial Intelligence

Neuroinformatics: An overview of the Human Brain Project by Stephen Koslow

Human Anatomy Coloring Book