Warmer Weather

     I am so happy that we are finally getting warmer weather.  I was finally able to get my veggie garden up and running.  So fare I have planted mint, spaghetti squash, grape tomatoes and regular tomatoes, bush beans, dry beans and basil.  While turning the soil I also found some oregano I had planted last year that had survived the winter.  I decided to leave it alone.  My asparagus is doing very well.  I was able to have my first spears a few weeks ago.  I will never have canned again!

    I also decided to pick up entering sweepstakes again.  My month was very welcoming.  I won tickets for a college basketball game and to see Elmo.  I also won a book and a blueray/DVD combo pack.  Was actually nice to see the winnings start so quickly.  I was expecting it to take longer.  Entering sweepstakes was a previous hobby of mine.  I did very well and I am looking forward to doing it again.

     Everything else is doing well.  My kids are healthy and getting in to trouble as usual.  I love my job and feel very grateful to have the opportunity to be part of the company.  I am learning a lot about the shooting sports and look forward to taking it to the next level.  I understand that with all the political drama I have to jump through a few more hoops but it will be worth it.

     That is all I have for now.  Not very exciting I know.  Hope spring brings great new things. 

Crazy Weather

     I am looking forward to spring and being outdoors.  Every time I think we can start planting we get yet another cold front with snow, ice  and below freezing temperatures.  My first round of seedling all expired with the exception of the chives.  I planted these in a pot all by themselves.  They are doing well.  This next round of seedlings I am setting up next to the sliding door right above the heater.  This will help keep them warm.

      I think the kids are looking forward to this next storm that should arrive tomorrow.  We are supposed to get about four inches of snow.  In turn the kids may not have school, again.  Not sure it will turn out well if they don't have school since they are already fighting and it has only been the weekend.  Three days in a row may be more than they can handle.  

     When planting this year, I am taking in to consideration what I will be able to can when harvested.  Hoping the green beans and tomatoes do well.  Last year the heat held them back a bit.  I am going to freeze a lot of squash this time.  A bit of last years harvest went to waste.  My only concern is the asparagus I planted last year.  They were one year old plants when I planted them, making this year three and harvest year!  Not sure if I winterized them correctly.  Time will tell.   

Spring is just around the corner.

     It has been a very mild winter for us.  I have to admit I am grateful.  But I am really looking forward to spring.  Some of my seedlings are starting to sprout.  I can't wait to be able to work the dirt outside.  The spinach from last fall has survived the frost and few snow falls.  I have harvested the carrots that pulled threw.  My daffodils are coming up very nicely and I look forward to seeing what color they are.  They were planted last summer so I have no idea what they will look like. 

     I am also looking forward to spending more time outdoors.  My skin is pale and I would like to feel the warmth of the sun.  I am tired of bundling up to go out and have all this crap to carry around. Besides, there is nothing like hearing the birds early in the morning while drinking a cup of coffee and watering my garden.  Everything seems so clean, fresh and peaceful. 

     I have been doing a lot since my last blog post.  I started working full-time outside the home.  I am now the Range Manager at one of our local ranges.  It is one of the most fun jobs I have had to be honest.  The logistics portion bore me but the hands on is great!  The kids are thriving and finally participating in sports.  My oldest has planned his near future and wants to join the military.  He is planning on doing basic training between 11th and 12th grade.  Lets see how that plays out.

     My second born is still playing the flute and getting really good with it.  Now he is insisting on track as well.  The husband will be taking him for his "sports physical" tomorrow.  He starts practice on Tuesday.  Now I get to start my "taxi" runs again.  Going to have to rearrange my work schedule a bit to accommodate his practice. At least he is excited about something other than the xbox. 

     I am trying to be more active.  My goal is to lose 20 lbs by my birthday.  Unfortunately my will power sucks.  I have eaten out more often since I set my goal than I normally would have.  The reason behind my eating is stress.  I feel a lot of pressure to meet my goal and sabotage myself.  I hope I can get under control soon.  If not my health is going to spiral downwards quickly.  My blood pressure is already high. 

     Well I have a lot more to say, but I think that I need to work on my wording some more.  My opinions are strong but I still do not want to offend others.  Much.  Until next time.

"SAVING MR. BANKS" BEGINS PRODUCTION IN LOS ANGELES!

“SAVING MR. BANKS” BEGINS PRODUCTION IN LOS ANGELES

 

             Los Angeles, Calif., September 19, 2012—Disney began production today on “Saving Mr. Banks,” the account of Walt Disney’s twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to P.L. Travers’ popular novel, Mary Poppins, and the testy partnership the upbeat filmmaker develops with the uptight author during the project’s pre-production in 1961.

 

            Two-time Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks (“Philadelphia,” “Forrest Gump”) will essay the role of the legendary Disney (the first time the entrepreneur has ever been depicted in a dramatic film) alongside fellow double Oscar®-winner Emma Thompson (“Howard’s End,” “Sense and Sensibility”) in the role of the prickly novelist.  Before actually signing away the book’s rights, Travers’ demands for contractual script and character control circumvent not only Disney’s vision for the film adaptation, but also those of the creative team of screenwriter Don DaGradi and sibling composers Richard and Robert Sherman, whose original score and song (Chim-Chim-Cher-ee) would go on to win Oscars® at the 1965 ceremonies (the film won five awards of its thirteen nominations).

 

            When Travers travels from London to Hollywood in 1961 to finally discuss Disney’s desire to bring her beloved character to the motion picture screen (a quest he began in the 1940s as a promise to his two daughters), Disney meets a prim, uncompromising sexagenarian not only suspect of the impresario’s concept for the film, but a woman struggling with her own past.  During her stay in California, Travers’ reflects back on her childhood in 1906 Australia, a trying time for her family which not only molded her aspirations to write, but one that also inspired the characters in her 1934 book. 

 

            None more so than the one person whom she loved and admired more than any other—her caring father, Travers Goff, a tormented banker who, before his untimely death that same year, instills the youngster with both affection and enlightenment (and would be the muse for the story’s patriarch, Mr. Banks, the sole character that the famous nanny comes to aide).  While reluctant to grant Disney the film rights, Travers comes to realize that the acclaimed Hollywood storyteller has his own motives for wanting to make the film—which, like the author, hints at the relationship he shared with his own father in the early 20th Century Midwest.

 

            Colin Farrell (“Minority Report,” “Total Recall”) co-stars as Travers’ doting dad, Goff, along with British actress Ruth Wilson (the forthcoming films “The Lone Ranger” and “Anna Karenina”) as his long-suffering wife, Margaret; Oscar® and Emmy® nominee Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under,” “Hilary and Jackie,” “The Rookie”) as Margaret’s sister, Aunt Ellie (who inspired the title character of Travers’ novel); and a screen newcomer—11-year-old Aussie native Annie Buckley as the young, blossoming writer, nicknamed “Ginty” in the flashback sequences.

 

            The cast also includes Emmy® winner Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing,” “The Cabin in the Woods”) as screenwriter Don DaGradi; Jason Schwartzman (“Rushmore,” “Moonrise Kingdom”) and B.J. Novak (“NBC’s “The Office,” “Inglourious Basterds”) as the songwriting Sherman Brothers (Richard and Robert, respectively); Oscar® nominee and Emmy winner Paul Giamatti (“Sideways,” “Cinderella Man,” HBO’s “John Adams”) as Ralph, the kindly limousine driver who escorts Travers during her two-week stay in Hollywood; and multi-Emmy winner Kathy Baker (“Picket Fences,” “Edward Scissorhands”) as Tommie, one of Disney’s trusted studio associates.

 

            “Saving Mr. Banks” will be directed by John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side,” “The Rookie”) based on a screenplay by Kelly Marcel (creator of FOX-TV’s “Terra Nova”), from a story by Sue Smith (“Brides of Christ,” “Bastard Boys”) and Kelly Marcel.  The film is being produced by Alison Owen of Ruby Films (the Oscar®-nominated “Elizabeth,” HBO’s Emmy®-winning “Temple Grandin”), Ian Collie of Essential Media (the Aussie TV documentary “The Shadow of Mary Poppins,” DirecTV’s “Rake”) and longtime Hancock collaborator Philip Steuer (“The Rookie,” “The Chronicles of Narnia” trilogy).  The film’s executive producers are Ruby Films’ Paul Trijbits (“Lay the Favorite,” “Jane Eyre”), Hopscotch Features’ Andrew Mason (“The Matrix” trilogy, “Dark City”) and Troy Lum (“Mao’s Last Dancer,” “I, Frankenstein”) and BBC Films’ Christine Langan (Oscar® nominee for “The Queen,” “We Need to Talk About Kevin”).

 

            Hancock’s filmmaking team includes a trio of artists with whom he worked on his 2009 Best Picture Oscar® nominee, “The Blind Side”—two-time Oscar® nominated production designer Michael Corenblith (“How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Apollo 13”), Emmy®-winning costume designer Daniel Orlandi (HBO’s “Game Change,” “Frost/Nixon”) and film editor Mark Livolsi, A.C.E. (“Wedding Crashers” “The Devil Wears Prada”).  Hancock also reunites with Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer John Schwartzman (“Seabiscuit,” “Pearl Harbor”), with whom he first worked on his inspiring 2002 sports drama, “The Rookie.”

 

            “Saving Mr. Banks” will film entirely in the Los Angeles area, with key locations to include Disneyland in Anaheim and the Disney Studios in Burbank.  Filming will conclude around Thanksgiving, 2012, with no specific 2013 release date yet set.

 

 

THE LONE RANGER starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer

Wreck-It Ralph - Film Clip "Ralph Meets Vanellope"

Here is What's New at Red Lobster & Olive Garden!

Red Lobster 

All 700-plus Red Lobster Restaurants across North America are now offering a new menu, marking the most comprehensive menu transformation in the brand’s history:

• Everyday Affordability: 60 percent of the new menu is under $15; 15 new dishes under $15, called “Maine Stays”, are available every day; the 4-Course Feast for $15.99 has been added to the menu permanently.
• More Than Just Seafood: 14 great-tasting, non-seafood dishes are available such as Wood-Grilled Chicken with Portobello Wine Sauce and Wood-Grilled Pork Chops – a 200 percent increase from what was previously offered for non-seafood choices.
• Choice and Variety: New lighter-style options and fish and shrimp entrées among long-time guest favorites.

 

Olive Garden

The innovations are inspired by Olive Garden’s desire to be a lively Italian gathering place where friends and family can enjoy delicious Italian food while getting more value than the price they pay.

•  Getting More for Less: The new “Dinner Today & Dinner Tomorrow” promotion (October 8 through November 18), gives busy families a convenient and affordable way to enjoy two meals during the week – maximizing quality time dining together and minimizing time spent preparing meals.. Guests can enjoy one of five favorite entrées today and take a second entrée home for dinner tomorrow for only $12.95.
•  New Signature Wines: Porta Vita, a new line of high-quality signature wines were crafted in partnership with the award-winning wine making team at Cavit Winery in Northern Italy and skillfully blended to be aroma-driven and fruit-forward.
• Lighter Options: A new Lighter Italian Fare section on the menu includes five flavorful entrées, each with less than 575 calories.

Cow Issues

     If I have not mentioned it before I am a want to be hunter.  While I have not had my first kill I am looking forward to it.  I pray that I get it with my bow.  How ever these darn cows are not helping.  October 1st was the beginning of deer season.  It starts out with bow, rolls in to black powder and end with rifles.  Anyways I asked for the day off at work to be able to go hunting the first day of the season with my husband, his brother and his dad.  We were all excited and ready to go.

     Here is where is all goes wrong.  Once the sun started to come up we here the sound of cows slowly heading our way. And then there they were.  A whole herd of cows!  Why on earth the owner of the lease decided the day before deer season was the best day to put the cows out on a piece of property he leased out to a bunch of hunters was beyond me.

Some of the cows near the stand I was in.

     The fist day was not so bad.  The cows came and went ruined the morning but life goes on.  Yesterday (Saturday Oct 6)  I go back out the the guys again very determined to get my first kill.  We can hear deer movement in the woods, unfortunately we see nothing but cows.  AGAIN!  This time I decided to just take pictures and make the best of it.  Not much I could do about it.  Until they came back that is.  One of the cows actually seemed to be curious about the metal by the tree and tried to push it.  Yup that's right.  The cow was nudging the stand while I was in it!  Scared the crap out of me and making me grab a tree limb hugging it for dear life. 

More cows near the stand.

          It really took everything I had to not get out of my stand and run to the truck.  While I am not scared of trucks, I am very scared of falling from a tree stand.  I had many cows come up to the stand and to sniff and lick it.  I also had a few go directly under the stand.  I know why I decided to stay in my stand but I sure as hell was second guessing myself.  You know that before I go back out to the lease I am doing some research on keeping cows away.  Not sure how or what I could do to keep them away without scaring off the deer but I will find something. But in the mean time I was really tempted to just shoot one of the darn cows with an arrow.  

Temptation...

 

  

     A girl can daydream can't she?  No, I did not shoot the cow.  But the temptation was unbearable.  After all I am a carnivore.  Not to mention it would have scared the rest of the cows off.  Finally around 9 o'clock  my father in law came over to get me.  In the process he scared off the cows.  I had never been so happy to see my father in law.  And of course I was more than happy to get out of that stand.  While I am still left dreaming of my first kill, I am happy that at least I was able to climb out of my stand and not in the hospital because I fell out of it.  There are still about three more months of hunting.  I am sure I will get one this year.  Just not this weekend.

Weight Loss Week 3

     Well this week there has been no change in my weight.  I guess that is a good thing.  I could have easily gained weight.  The frustration in not seeing more results is getting to me.  I understand that my age, health and other factors take a role in my weight, I just wish I could see the results a lot faster. 

     My biggest issue this week has been eating healthy.  I am trying to find a balance that all of my family will enjoy.  I would hate having to cook two separate meals.  I always seem to have issues getting the kids to eat more vegetables.  

     Trying to count every single calorie is a little trickier than I thought.  There are many different variations in the recipes and many variations in the ingredients.  The best I can do is guess on a average amount.  I try to go with the higher number.  I wish I could be more active to burn more calories.

     Maybe next week will be better.

Weight Loss Week 2

     It has been a week since I started on my journey to lose the weight I gained.  While it has been a difficult week I think I have done OK.  I lost a grand total of 2 lbs.  The issue I am struggling most with is counting calories.  I am a food lover.  Not to be confused with a food addict.  I like to try new recipes.  If the food is good I will sometimes go for seconds.  This is part of the reason I gained so much weight.  How ever I will keep at it the best I can.

     As far as exercise goes, I am currently walking.  Today I have walked my first two mile session with Leslie Sanson.  It is very fun and motivating.  It Feels nothing like walking but like Aerobics.  Good music, good pace and low impact. Can't wait for the results of week 2!