Diana Ross

I had a lovely surprise this week, my mom's cousin plays lead guitar for Diana Ross, and he happened to give my mom a call the other night and said hey, we're in town, come visit and here's some tickets to the Calgary show. So off we went last night, girls night out, my mom, my sister and I.




She is an amazing singer, with extraordinary Diva clothes (I asked her dresser who made her clothes, and its Bob Mackie, of course, look at those sequins!) . I was surprised how many songs I knew, and I loved that the performance was short and sweet, about 80 minutes.



Then we took mom's cousin back to the Palliser, had drinks and an $18 clubhouse and fries (hahaha I kid you not!) , took some pics, and then home we went.

It Could Happen....

This....

..COULD turn into this...it could, you know!


I picked up a northern Hi-Lights Azalea at Superstore as well, along with my Saskatoon bush. I couldn't resist for $5.99... never can resist a plant bargain! I am awaiting that ONE measly flower impatiently, to see if it resembles the ones above LOL! However, its does get to 5' x 5' and that is a perfect size to fill the area I had in mind in the front...might take a few years to get there tho!

I Am Intrigued......

Perhaps my sister would like to take a trip to Okotoks with me if I come down this coming week???




I have wanted to go HERE
(the Saskatoon farm in the video) for quite a while now.....but its south of Calgary and I never have time to go...I am VERY interested in the 3 year old Saskatoon bushes, (the year they start producing) and have yet to find anywhere up here where I can buy them....Blackbird Pie if you are interested in a couple bushes I can let you know the prices and perhaps pick some up.

Saskatoon

I picked up a Saskatoon bush at Superstore today...due to a great summer cold I felt like shit and was uninspired to buy much else... a northern something azalea that will go in the front and that was it.


Blech, just want our (kids and I) colds to go away!

Blueberries...

...we hope! I planted my blueberries this afternoon, one of either side of my roshbush, and now we shall just wait and see. I bought some fir/larch mulch, lots of peat moss and black soil, dug out huge holes, filled them with the mix, and in went the bushes. Besides burying mulch deep down below the bushes, I also covered the top area with the mulch to make it as acidic as possible, perhaps not this year, but it should start affecting the soil within a year or two...I hope :)


Mr K enjoying the rain, and you can see where I ripped out the sod and used those grey stones to make a border, it goes the entire length, and top of the yard now, more that enough room for plants!

I have blisters forming tho, my delicate lily white hands are unused to all this manual labor..so much left to do...

I Can't Stop Smelling It!

My ultra fabulous, waited for 2 months super yummy smelling gorgeous purple leather purse is here! I don't usually blather on about my weight loss, I kinda don't like talking about it actually, I feel like its taboo, like like talking about someone's salary LMAO, but I think that Kandice and Jen knew I was treating myself to a fantastic , exactly-what-I-wanted-for-the-first-time-ever purse that I would love forever to reward and celebrate all the hard work I have done since, what, last summer I think? Definitely fall I started hard core working on getting healthier.

And she is here!

The pic above makes it look blue, the pic below shows the true color. And it matches the necklace Kandice bought me for my birthday, can you tell I love that shade of purple?

And once for the record, my total weight loss is 57 lbs since last fall, I fell 3 short of my goal that I set to be when the purse arrived, but I think I will cut myself some slack for not getting to 60. Now no one has to ask and I don't have to tell anymore ;) Oh yah, and I will never tell anyone what I paid so don't ask that either LMAO!! My parents might find out and lecture.... ;) (what am I, 12 or 32 here....)

I am going to go sit and smell new leather smell alllllll night looooong.... so very happy my reward is here! I was like a kid on Christmas opening the box!

Actually, I Need To Go To Work So I Can Rest

I'm tired..so tired! Once again, I was inspired (or crazy) and went at the front today like a woman possessed. The kids helped me haul all those gray bricks to the backyard, and then I spent forever digging and moving and adjusting and blah blah, and the end result is that I am finally happy with the border in the front flowerbed. I hated the gray bricks, we threw them in just to have a border, so now I am incredibly happy. This is more the "cottage garden" look that suits the style and color of house we have.


And lo and behold, the peonies that died last year? I moved my fairies away from the base of the tree and what did I find....two peonies growing. (the red little spears poking up). I am happy because they lived, but um, if this tree is still infested with ash mites, then we have to chop it down and are putting an apple tree in there instead....I wonder if I should just move them to the front flowerbed now, instead of later and replant more when the apple tree in is.....
And now that my front yard is so lovely, the backyard is a shithole :)

Now I have to put in the gray bricks as my border on the flowerbeds, and that is going to SUCK, because they are all going to be halfway into the ground because I want a very short border, only enough to discern where the bed starts, and to keep the grass out. Lots of digging and swearing under my breath will ensue the next two days (barring there is no rain)

I Need To Get Back To Working

Meep I am spending too much money LOL! I need to get back working to occupy my time instead. Or just make more that I can spend ;)

I popped to Walmart to pick up some plants, found my Northcountry blueberries that looked especially healthy and I am gonna give them a shot.I don't know many people who have been successful, they are finicky with their PH levels, but its only two shrubs that I may possible kill.

And my raspberries, which are going back, because they are only good to Zone 5/6. WTF. Can you just NOT stock plants that won't survive in Alberta? ( we are zone 3a) Please? OR at least just put it on the container or the card in the description. Blech, all the way back to return them. I am so not into babying plants that may not make it.

These MIGHT be ok in our Zone.....I am going to try them along the fence where they might winter ok.....
And my lupines with their waterdroplets after the rain...they are all coming back SO beautifully!

Bag Book

Well Jane, I haven't yet taken a picture of my totes and my reusable bags for you, I will tomorrow post my collection lol, BUT I will also post this book that I am picking up for the kids tomorrow, and will include in the picture the bag that they get with it. Unfortunately, I was through the checkout when I saw it, and it was SO busy at Save On tonight, there was no way I was going through again! So I will pop out in the morning, because Mr K was incredibly excited about it, and so am I actually LOL! I was very disappointed that I didn't find this before all the birthdays that just occurred this spring :( I have been trying to think of some that are coming up that would like this..... WHAT a great gift!


Product Description
Help save the planet one bag at a time! Teach your child to be eco-friendly and conserve the earths precious resources! Its never too early to learn the importance of reusing, reducing and recycling. My Bag Me follows a child and his reusable shopping bag on a trip to the grocery store. By the end of the story, your child will say Paper and plastic no more!Includes a FREE reusable Tyvek shopping bag! Children can tote on their next shopping trip to show-off their eco-awareness!

Hen and Chicks

I potted this up for Mike's desk at work...he has been wanting something and I adore these plants.

And So It Begins...

And here start the gardening posts.....and my counter space is limited for the next week and half. Its almost time to plant! After a nice morning having friends over, I was inspired to dig out my new flowerbeds while the kids played outside. Then we popped to Canadian Tire to search for a de-thatcher blade for the mower, and ending up drooling over the peonies there. And I grabbed 3. my green thirst is quenched for the moment.

Mr K has completely claimed the middle one as his own, he was lugging it around the store and calling it his own from the moment we bought it, and The Princess picked the red one as hers. But Mr K loves the fact that his is named Karl :) so it will be one that goes in the backyard, I need two for the front flowerbed as well....I love how many lessons we get out of this every year, its amazing what can spark their interest. We are going to have a great summer watching the ants and discussing the symbiotic relationship between them and the peonies, he literally CAN'T wait for the ants to start eating the wax away, he is fascinated by this concept. Even tho they don't really need the ants so they can open, I think its so cool how the ants love them.

Study shows breast-fed children are smarter (this doesn't suck)

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - A new study provides some of the best evidence to date that breast-feeding can make children smarter, an international team of researchers said on Monday.

Children whose mothers breast-fed them longer and did not mix in baby formula scored higher on intelligence tests, the researchers in Canada and Belarus reported.

About half the 14,000 babies were randomly assigned to a group in which prolonged and exclusive breast-feeding by the mother was encouraged at Belarussian hospitals and clinics. The mothers of the other babies received no special encouragement.

Those in the breast-feeding encouragement group were, on average, breast-fed longer than the others and were less likely to have been given formula in a bottle.

At 3 months, 73 percent of the babies in the breast-feeding encouragement group were breast-fed, compared to 60 percent of the other group. At 6 months, it was 50 percent versus 36 percent.

In addition, the group given encouragement was far more likely to give their children only breast milk. The rate was seven times higher, for example, at 3 months.

The children were monitored for about 6 1/2 years.

The children in the group where breast-feeding was encouraged scored about 5 percent higher in IQ tests and did better academically, the researchers found.

Previous studies had indicated brain development and intelligence benefits for breast-fed children.

But researchers have sought to determine whether it was the breast-feeding that did it, or that mothers who prefer to breast-feed their babies may differ from those who do not.

The design of the study -- randomly assigning babies to two groups regardless of the mothers' characteristics -- was intended to eliminate the confusion.

'MOTHERS WHO BREAST-FEED ... ARE DIFFERENT'

"Mothers who breast-feed or those who breast-feed longer or most exclusively are different from the mothers who don't," Dr. Michael Kramer of McGill University in Montreal and the Montreal Children's Hospital said in a telephone interview.

"They tend to be smarter. They tend to be more invested in their babies. They tend to interact with them more closely. They may be the kind of mothers who read to their kids more, who spend more time with their kids, who play with them more," added Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

The researchers measured the differences between the two groups using IQ tests administered by the children's pediatricians and by ratings by their teachers of their school performance in reading, writing, math and other subjects.

Both sets of scores were significantly higher in the children from the breast-feeding promotion group.

The study was launched in the mid-1990s. Kramer said the initial idea was to do it in the United States and Canada, but many hospitals in those countries by that time had begun strongly encouraging breast-feeding as a matter of routine.

The situation was different in Belarus at the time, he said, with less routine encouragement for the practice.

Kramer said how breast-feeding may make children more intelligent is unclear.

"It could even be that because breast-feeding takes longer, the mother is interacting more with the baby, talking with the baby, soothing the baby," he said. "It could be an emotional thing. It could be a physical thing. Or it could be a hormone or something else in the milk that's absorbed by the baby."

Previous studies have shown babies whose mothers breast-fed them enjoy many health advantages over formula-fed babies.

These include fewer ear, stomach or intestinal infections, digestive problems, skin diseases and allergies, and less risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that women who do not have health problems exclusively breast-feed their infants for at least the first six months, with it continuing at least through the first year as other foods are introduced. (Editing by Maggie Fox and Stacey Joyce)


Whooeee, a lot of people are going to be up in arms about some of the comments in this article, and can't say that I blame them!

"They tend to be smarter. They tend to be more invested in their babies. They tend to interact with them more closely. They may be the kind of mothers who read to their kids more, who spend more time with their kids, who play with them more," added Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

Um, OUCH? I think that generalizes a bit too much, and they almost redeem it with saying how having to breastfeed brings you physically closer, possibly more talking, but um, that was some trash talking! I think they should have worded that a mite bit better!

This Is The Suck Too

FFS. This was one of my favorite Stephen King short stories, and they changed the ending in the movie to one that reaches supreme suckiness level. Yah yah, its all shocking and you never saw it coming (um CAUSE YOU MADE IT UP AND ITS NOT IN THE BOOK) and just a bloody horrible ending. Mike was mad at me (as he rightfully should be) for me choosing the movie and told me it was the suckiest movie ever. We are now both surfing the net filling our heads with useless crap to get "unscarred" before bed.

I wonder how many times can I blog today using the word sucks and variations of it?

Suckety Sucks Day

You know, I have had better days. Truly better, more enjoyable, happier days. Ever have a day start out nicely, then just go downhill from there? I had a nice time at the playground with friends and their kids, shopped at Superstore, then headed home, and it just all went to shit once we got there. I usually don't really complain, I don't like real whiners, but man, I am COMPLAINING now.

Mr K slammed The Princess's hand in the door and ripped her pointer finger nail off. Like OFF. I freaked of course, slapped a bandage on there, and went to the medicenter. Now, I must admit, this center is well prepared and efficient for things that are slightly more of an emergency. They asked what was wrong, pulled her file immediately, and ushered me into what must be the room saved for emergencies. The nurse cut off the bandage, took one look, and the doctor was there almost immediately after she left to get him. He snipped off the one little skin thread that had the nail attached, talked to me about how long it will take to heal, (months, but it will grow back) and what to watch for and when to come back in. . Obviously I have learned NOT to go to emerg at a hospital with things like this, that its SO efficient to go to a medicenter instead. Who knew?

Anyhow. She was all cleaned and bandaged and care for, Dora bandaids were bought to cheer her up, since she will be wearing them a looong while. We head home, kids get tv.

I take out the Broccoli Rabe that I picked up at Superstore to try for the first time ever, and rip off a piece, wash it up really well cause it looked like it had dirt on it, and try it out. Meh not bad.

Except for the part when my throat swelled up.

Now I didn't freak out, oddly enough Brazil nuts make my throat itch and swell a little, not that I eat them anymore lol, thanks, next time might be fatal. So I really didn't think much other than, ah shit, here's something else I am allergic to, and what the hell? A green plant? Nice allergy Karlynn.

Until my voice changed. I went to talk to the kids and effing freaked the mother f-ing out when my voice sounded like a man's who had something stuck in his throat and I realized that swallowing wasn't really working that well. So I called up Mike, who also absolutely freaked out because you couldn't even recognize me by my voice. So he stayed on the phone until my voice started coming back and the swelling went down enough that I wasn't terrified anymore.

A pic of the lovely rabe before it went into the garbage.


So weird, I was telling Mike that I know I washed the hell outta the little piece I ate, it had dirt on it, so I scrubbed it really well, so I actually don't think I can contribute it to a pesticide that might have been on it. I did google it and found a few people have had reactions to it, so weird.

Now tho, I think its time I teach Mr K how and when to dial 911...which actually Mike thought of first and I agree....and perhaps some benadryl kept on hand as well.

Speaking of which I was an ass and when talking to my dad later, didn't pick up on the other line when mike called like 3 times, and it didn't clue in why he would call so much. He was flipping out, thinking I am dead on the floor and ready to call 911 by the time I called him back. Whoops.

So that was my day. My throat still hurts and my chest is sore as well from it and I feel like a truck hit me, this day has officially kicked my ass.

But tomorrow is another day!

Reading and Read....

I finished reading Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill, which was an excellent book, highly recommend it! I also finished On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon by Kaye Gibbons, which was a pleasant surprise. It had been sitting on my shelf forever and I finally pulled it out and read it within a few days.

I am tackling this one next, so far its good. Thanks to Beckie who not only watched my kids, but let me pillage her bookshelf when I picked them up LOL!

Next is finding more of those "Women of the Underworld" series...Bitten was SO darn good, I need to find more!

I Heart Superstore

Oooh I had a shopping spree today....all the Joe clothes are on sale for 25% off the next 3 days, which makes their already cheap clothes even cheaper! Then add on my $30 off coupon when you spend $250, and it was deal day galore.

So my goodies....total cost, $112! The Princess is now pretty much set for summer, that's 7 shirts, 2 skorts (omg CUTE!) one pair shorts, two dresses and adorable sandals. I love the "mod" theme they have! I also love that everything mixes and matches, I HATE stores that create 5 different shades of pink and none match (yes, mom's of girls, you know exactly what I am talking about!) ALL the pinks match each other, ALL the shirts have a color that matches the skorts or shorts, and OMG that dotted dress made me almost squeal out loud!

Poor Mr K got the one lonely pair of jean shorts LOL! He has a closet full of t-shirts and shorts, he needs pretty much nothing this year.


And I found a dress for ME that fits SO well, and is sooo comfy and is so adorable! I also loved the peasant shirt behind it, dark colored but such airy material.
I might have to go back when Mom can spend more time looking for herself..the kids were so good while I tried things on, I didn't push my luck tho.

Hurray for May!

My lupines are coming up already! I think they are early this year.... but I will take any and all greenery!

BBQ Weather

MMM I went all out for dinner tonight, I was inspired by the absolutely gorgeous weather, and the fact that other than the mud, it felt like summertime. The kids were outside at 9:30 at their request, came in from 12 until 2 for lunch and a nap for the Princess, then back outside until 5! It was a fantastic way to spend the day.

So I made mesquite chicken breast on the bbq, fresh corn on the cob, carrots and homemade cornmeal muffins....my god, was it TASTY LOL.


And no bbq is complete without the requisite beer.

Good thing we enjoyed it, looks like it will be cooler later this week, so I am glad we lived outside today. I also cleaned out my flowerbeds in the back, got dirt under my nails for the first time in a looong while :) and generally lazed around in the sun.

I work the next 3 nights, then 9-1 on Sat/Sun (I LOVE those shifts, hardly feels like I work and I get to spend the whole afternoon with my family, can't beat that) and we have lots of spring cleaning planned as well for the yard and house. Fun fun!

The Weekend

Ah, a good, relaxing and fun weekend! WE went to Calgary for my nephews baby shower and got to see everyone altogether in one room with lots of food and lots of babies. What could be better? Oh, and there was a smattering of alcohol too, so it was pretty much perfect.

The nice pic of Kandice, Violet and I, the funny one, along with others, is on the kids blog.


Speaking of Kandice, we went out for breakfast in Crossfield this morning on our way out of town, to a wonderful little place called Michelle's (if I remember correctly) and had a FANTASTIC greasy spoon diner breakfast.

I commented on the lost art of the greasy spoon, and really, it is. Denny's is just a shadow of what a good ol' truck stop diner can whip up for you for breakfast. The kids had pancakes with whipped cream and berries (the cafe had my undying loyalty the moment I saw that you could choose 1, 2 or 3 pancakes, hellooooo toddler who doesn't eat more than half of one LOL!) so they each were served their own separate plate with their own special breakfast for a minimal cost. Then Mike and I proceeded to stop our hearts with eggs, grated hashbrowns, sausage and toast and coffee by the bucket. Which were all fantastic tasting and lumberjack portioned.

And there's nothing like leaving NOT feeling ripped off because you are stuffed to the gills. And having a waitress who actually talks to you while pouring your coffee, ooh, scratch that, a waitress who comes around refilling your cup before you even actually need another. And being able to watch all the "locals" coming in for their own breakfasts.Oh OH OH and NOT having to wait for a table to seat 2 young kids, 2 babies in seats and 4 adults, even tho they were pretty busy. Try doing that at Denny's next Sunday morning, I dare you!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Mulder and Scully are reunited in the new X-Files movie (yes, I am excited.)

Duchovny: I Felt Queasy Hooking Up With Co-Star Gillian After We Spent Six Years Apart

Apr 26 2008 By Rick Fulton

IT'S one of the most eagerly anticipated movies of the year ...but The X-Files co-stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson didn't seem that keen to get back together on screen.
David admits they had hardly seen each other since the TV show ended six years ago and that he was "queasy" at the thought of returning to his most famous role.
But once the 46-year-old was reunited with Gillian on the set of the new film, The X-Files: I Want To Believe, it was all sweetness and light.
"It's almost like going back to a relationship you thought was over, so it's a little queasy at first," said David.
"But what got me over that hesitation was the first scene I did with Gillian.
"Everything kind of clicked and that's when it really felt like, OK this is The X-Files, this is Mulder and Scully."
There had been rumours of off-screen tension between the pair and David admitted they hadn't exactly been bosom buddies since the TV series ended.
But now he has only nice things to say about Gillian.
The actor said: "We haven't really kept in touch. She moved to London, so we were in email touch a little bit. But I've only seen her since 2002 probably two or three times.
"I didn't understand what she said. She has an English accent now.
"No, I am just kidding. It was a highlight for me to work with her again.
"The first scene was just great.
We immediately felt there was still a connection."
Of course, the biggest connection was the "will they, won't they" storyline between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
And when the actors were photographed during filming recently in what looked like a clinch, fans turned the internet white hot as they discussed whether the mystery plot would have the pair finally hooking up.
Later, David claimed they had pretended to kiss as a joke for photographers.
But now he says it was the director Chris Carter who staged it to throw people off. David shook his head as he said: "I would never say it was just a joke. The relationship does evolve."
So there's a kissing scene?
"No, I won't speak on the kiss," he insisted. "I mean, I know there was a planting of misinformation by producers.
"Therefore, it makes everything suspect, and I think that's a good thing."
It's been 10 years since the original movie and six years since the TV series ended.
The fact that fans are getting so hot and bothered about a kiss shows the level of hysteria over one of sci-fi's greatest franchises. And fans will be familiar with the title. I Want To Believe was the slogan on a poster in UFO-obsessed agent Mulder's office. You'd have thought it would be another aliens theme, like the first movie, but you'd be wrong.
For The X-Files was always as much about the supernatural, the paranormal, weird and the freaky as it was about aliens.
Some episodes, such as the child exorcism in The Calusari, were spine-chilling.
And David reveals they are going back to what fans loved about the first couple of series in the new film.
"It's very dark and frightening," he said.
"We forgot, as we grew older and the show became so big, that it got so popular because it was that scary.
"This movie goes back to the original impetus of The X-Files, which is to scare the pants off people."
Since the television series finished, David has starred in another hit TV series, Californication, as sex-obsessed Hank Moody, for which he won a Golden Globe for Best Actor earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Gillian, who won a Best Actress Emmy and Golden Globe in 1997 for The X-Files, played Lady Dedlock in the multi-award-winning television adaptation of Bleak House three years ago.
She has also been in movies The Last King Of Scotland and Straightheads.
But David admits he had hoped he'd be back as Mulder a lot sooner. He thought the second movie would have happened in 2004 or 2005.
Because of the delay, the characters have been allowed to fray that bit more.
Dad-of-two David, who is married to actress Tea Leoni, said: "I will share a little secret about this movie with you - Mulder's quest is to rediscover the energy from the beginning. By the end of this movie, he's more like the original Mulder that started out in 1993."
Back then, Mulder always believed he would uncover the truth and unmask the lies. But he has lost every battle and has been beaten down by life.
The last time we saw him in 2002, he was on the run from the FBI, who had closed down The X-Files.
The actor admits there is a lot of chasing and being chased again in the movie.
It's set in wintry Virginia and sees Mulder and Scully investigating the disappearance of a group of women.
Billy Connolly plays a priest called Father Joe while Amanda Peet and rapper Xzibit are FBI agents.
David said: "Mulder is probably less plugged in than the last time we saw him.
"He's less into the quest that we got to know him in. But by the end of the movie, he's back to where he was.
"He's re-motivated. He's reinvigorated. So, this particular story is really about this character finding his way again."
With Californication making waves around the world and a blockbuster movie waiting in the wings, David is in the best place he's been since The X-Files first caused a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic.
But X-Files fans shouldn't hold their breath for a new television series. The franchise will continue on the big screen only.
David laughed: "None of us wanna do the television show again.
"But we like the idea of coming back every four or five years and trying it again."
It seems David wants to believe, like so many X-Files fans, for just a little longer.
The X-Files: I Want To Believe is in cinemas from August 1.
WHAT SCARES DAVID?
DAVID DUCHOVNY admits to liking the scary side of X-Files, but his two biggest fears are clowns and sharks.
He said: "I'm not a big fan of clowns, they are a little scary. But what actually terrifies me is the idea of being eaten by a shark.
"I like to swim in the ocean, so I think about sharks much more than anybody should.
"None of us should ever think about sharks when we're in the ocean, yet we do. I resent the fact that my ocean-going experience has been ruined by Jaws."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, he believes that "we are not alone out there", although he adds that he doesn't think much about life after death.
He said: "It just makes sense that there are more forms of life than just us.
"Yet I don't feel the need to prove it.
"I know that I can't and I don't feel the need to yell at people who may disagree with me."
'What got me over the hesitation was the first scene I did with Gillian. Everything clicked'

X-Files Movie This Summer!

`X-Files' movie title is out there: `I Want to Believe'
By DAVID GERMAIN – Apr 16, 2008
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The truth is finally out there about the new "X-Files" movie title.
The second big-screen spinoff of the paranormal TV adventure will be called "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," Chris Carter, the series' creator and the movie's director and co-writer, told The Associated Press.
Distributor 20th Century Fox signed off on the title Wednesday.
The title is a familiar phrase for fans of the series that starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents chasing after aliens and supernatural happenings. "I Want to Believe" was the slogan on a poster Duchovny's UFO-obsessed agent Fox Mulder had hanging in the cluttered basement office where he and Anderson's Dana Scully worked.
"It's a natural title," Carter said in a telephone interview Tuesday during a break from editing the film. "It's a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. `I Want to Believe.' It really does suggest Mulder's struggle with his faith."
"I Want to Believe" comes 10 years after the first film and six years after the finale of the series, whose opening credits for much of its nine-year run featured the catch-phrase "the truth is out there."
Due in theaters July 25, the movie will not deal with aliens or the intricate mythology about interaction between humans and extraterrestrials that the show built up over the years, Carter said.
Instead, it casts Mulder and Scully into a stand-alone, earth-bound story aimed at both serious "X-Files" fans and newcomers, he said.
"It has struck me over the last several years talking to college-age kids that a lot of them really don't know the show or haven't seen it," Carter said. "If you're 20 years old now, the show started when you were 4. It was probably too scary for you or your parents wouldn't let you watch it. So there's a whole new audience that might have liked the show. This was made to, I would call it, satisfy everyone."
Hardcore fans need not worry that the movie will be going back to square one, though, Carter said. The movie will be true to the spirit of the show and everything Mulder and Scully went through, he said.
"The reason we're even making the movie is for the rabid fans, so we don't want to insult them by having to take them back through the concept again," Carter said.
Carter said he settled on "I Want to Believe" from the time he and co-writer Frank Spotnitz started on the screenplay. It took so long to go public with it because studio executives wanted to make sure it was a marketable title, he said.
The filmmakers have kept the story tightly under wraps to prevent plot spoilers from leaking on the Internet, a phenomenon that barely existed when the first movie came out in 1998.
"We went to almost comical lengths to keep the story a secret," Carter said. "That included allowing only the key crew members to read the script, and they had to read it in a room that had video cameras trained on them. It was a new experience."


Ooooh, I think I am more excited about this than the new Indy movie! More Mulder and Scully, I can't WAIT!

Road Rage

Aaaah I had a good time this morning LOL. We took Mr K to get his preschool pics done (ok, there is nothing cuter than those min-sized little caps and gowns, I couldn't resist! He looked SO ADORABLE and smiled sooo nicely). So we were in and out of there in about 10 minutes.

Anyhow, on the way back on 167th, that back road to St Albert, I had some jerk on my arse. Like ON my bumper. Not only on my bumper, but doing the whole "swerve to one side" so that you know, I get the hint to speed up, cause I am going sooo slow. Which was 65 km in a 60 zone. I was SPEEDING already. He was so close I could see his face in the side mirror.

So after about 2 minutes of him doing his little dance behind me, I finally saw a speed limit sign. So I slowed down to get his his attention, then, erm, opened my window, stuck my hand out and did these HUGE sweeping motions pointing at the sign, over and over. And yelling at him in my side mirror so he could see me "Its 60!" the whole time. Read my lips mofo! Its a shame the kids were in the van, cause there certain words you can definitely lip read that I would have liked to have said!

Hahahahaha and he read my lips and got the point, because I have never seen anyone back off so fast in my life. He stayed SO FAR behind me the rest of the way, I think he must have thought that the mini-van mom had lost her mind.

Then the kids and I had a great talk the rest of the way home about how the man was driving dangerous and mommy had to tell him what the speed limit was, so no one on the roads got hurt and we were all safe. Hahahahaha me and my temper my community spirit.

More snow today

Ugh. I canceled my appointment at Mr K's kindergarden this morning, but he still HAS to go to preschool because we are the parent helper this afternoon. AND then I have to go to work for 5:30...sigh. I am not chicken but Mike called me at 8:25 (took him far too long to get to work and he was late) and told me I shouldn't be running all over the city today, that the roads were awful.

And I do believe that is the first time he has called worried about me driving around. Ok granted, yes, I had to run to mill woods to drop off The Princess for babysitting, then to St Albert to drop off K, then to the mid-east to visit his school then back to Mills Woods to pick up the Princess then back to the north to give The Princess to her dad and then to the hospital for work today... holy crap no wonder I almost cried thinking of getting in the van this morning.

Weather warning issued for Edmonton region

edmontonjournal.com

Published: 9:36 am

EDMONTON - Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for City of Edmonton, St. Albert and Sherwood Park.

We can expect to get 5 to 10 centimetres of snow by the end of the day on top of the 25 cm that has fallen on the Edmonton area since Saturday.

Environment Canada says a deep low pressure system currently in northern Saskatchewan is slowly moving to the northeast. This winter storm continues to wrap moist air into the northern regions of Alberta producing heavy snow. The most intense snow is currently in a band over Edson, Slave Lake, Red Earth and Fort Chipewyan. This band is now shifting over the Edmonton area and yet another deposit of 5 to 10 cm of snow is expected today.

Monday Night Therapy

Yip. Since its kinda my Friday ( I worked the last 4 nights and work the next 3 after tonight) AND the snow is just sooo depressing, we decided to get take out, and pizza would just not do. We ordered our favorites from the New Asian, which now have these nifty reuseable bags, and Mike went to get it from the new northside location! Yes, we are pretty excited about that. The pakoras were fantastic, and the biryani excellent, but to be honest, we have found a brand of butter chicken that Safeway carries that tastes literally the same, and costs much less to make! We taste tested tonight to make sure, and yip, homemade is the same. So we can try out a new dish next time. But now I am scared that Safeway will stop carrying the brand of butter chicken sauce....perhaps a little stockpiling is in order LOL!

I will have to pass on my compliments to my parents for their homemade wine as well, it was absolutely perfect with the spices tonight, didn't overwhelm them, but honestly complimented them just perfectly! And that was my last bottle darn it...

That reminds me! I have a wine kit ready to go, I just need the equipment! I bought it at Christmas with the full intention of starting the Chardonnay that my parents first tried (oooh, its far too good) but I need the actual tub and stuff to make it in. Someone remind me when I am in Airdrie to pop to the Home Vinter, ok?

And that's about it...hope everyone is surviving this crapola weather we are getting.

Snack Time - Barenaked Ladies

I saw this on Parentdish, and I think I am going to pre-order the book and cd combo, I love them, and Mr K laughed soo hard at this video, and I must admit, its too cute. I love them anyways, and even more so that they did a kids cd. And now I am being pestered to play the video for literally the 6th time...lord, what did I start.....

Pre-order here

Seeing Things

First Jesus in a pickle, now the Loch Ness monster in Cheerio crumbs...what next?

The Princess decided to dump the remnants of the Cheerios box on the floor, said "uh oh" (at which point I came bolting into the kitchen of course), took a peek down and couldn't even really lecture as Mr K and I kinda looked at it dumbfounded....and asked "How did you manage THAT?"

The kids think its a duck....I see Nessie ;)

Reading List

I haven't had enough time to post what I have been reading, so here's the list:

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Elena Michaels is the world's only female werewolf. And she's tired of it. Tired of a life spent hiding and protecting, a life where her most important job is hunting down rogue werewolves. Tired of a world that not only accepts the worst in her— her temper, her violence—but requires it. Worst of all, she realizes she's growing content with that life, with being that person.

So she left the Pack and returned to Toronto where she's trying to live as a human. When the Pack leader calls asking for her help fighting a sudden uprising, she only agrees because she owes him. Once this is over, she'll be squared with the Pack and free to live life as a human. Which is what she wants. Really.

How Children Fail by John Holt
In his groundbreaking book, John Holt, draws upon his observations of children both in school and at play to identify ways in which our traditional educational system predestines our young people for failure.

Holt argues that children fail primarily "because they are afraid, bored, and confused." This, combined with misguided teaching strategies and a school environment that is disconnected from reality and "real learning", results in a school system that kills children’s innate desire to learn.

Stalemate by Iris Johansen
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killer Dreams comes a terrifying new thriller that will leave you guessing - and gasping - till the final nerve-racking page. The suspense begins with a phone call and leads forensic sculptor Eve Duncan to the trail of a killer even killers fear to face.

Eve Duncan has turned down the job twice already. Her skill and devotion in identifying murder victims and helping bring their killers to justice may be world-renowned. But Eve works exclusively for law enforcement and the families of the innocent, and the man on the other end of the phone is many things - none of them law-abiding or innocent.


Those were the most notable, because other than that, its been trash magazines at work (which has been, ooh, a LOT of my time lately...sometimes 5-6 shifts a week. I am crazy, I know) so I haven't had much quality reading time! They were all really great reads!

Shiny.....

...my birthday present from Kandice, when we went to the antiques show...soooo shiney...must have BBQ and serve devilled eggs....


And I finished Bitten, by Kelley Armstrong, a book about a female werewolf that Amanda gave me, and its FANTASTIC!! I am on to You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore next! I have to update my books over on the right, maybe tonight....

Little Big Run

Well, we've gone and been crazy. I received an email from work last night about their Little Big Run, and Mike and I are going to tackle the 5km on June 1st.

Little Big Run

All the money goes towards kids programs through the Capital region, no donations needed, our registration fee is the fund raising in itself.

Ironically, its Mike who's going to have to get into better shape, I've been doing 5km three times a week for quite a while now. Not that I don't expect pain and suffering when I go, I most certainly do ;) But I have to cheer on Mike now!

Anyone else who wants to, go join up! Nothing better than starting a Sunday morning with a good fund-raising run! (ok, I had to come back and edit, cause yes, there are better things, like champagne and strawberries in bed in Tahiti, but work with me here)

Signs of Spring

And not a moment too soon for my sanity.

It's Been A While....

And since there are still a) new moms and b) expecting moms reading this I will post some more interesting breastfeeding links.

Remember This? Woman Who Refused to Cover Baby's Head During Flight WINS Human Rights Complaint

Breastfeeding Prevents Iron Deficiency

Breastfeeding May Explain Weight Disparities

OH NO YOU JUST DIDN'T!!! (oh yah, READ this one!)


LOVE IT

LOVE IT

LOVE IT

LOVE IT

LOVE IT


Ok time for my trash tv. America's Next Top Model, yeehooo!

Bitter cold bites pine beetle

EDMONTON - Albertans who shivered through a frigid winter can take heart knowing that the bitter cold has likely taken a big bite out of mountain pine beetle populations.

Two cold snaps blasted central Alberta in late January and late February, with temperatures that scientists believe are cold enough to kill significant numbers of the voracious pest.

"We need 12 consecutive hours of minus 40 ambient air temperature to affect beetle mortality," said Alberta Sustainable Resource Development spokesman Duncan MacDonnell.

Reports from field weather stations showed the areas hit those temperatures or came close for the required time, he said.

"It looks like in west-central Alberta, where the bulk of the infestation was, we hit the required low temperatures for the duration that we need to have significant mortality."

The department will know better when crews head out in May to strip bark off trees and count larvae which survived the winter.

"We're cautiously optimistic we'll get significant mortality because of those temperatures."

But southwest Alberta didn't get cold enough to do much damage to beetle infestation there, he said.

I know, you are all wondering why the hell I posted this. But I have said several times over this winter, about the cold, that "at least it should be killing off the pine beetles"., and of course, received blank stares and weird looks from most people LOL! So here, this is what I meant....I actually find all this very interesting and have been avidly reading any articles on it. Resilient little effers, those pine beetles....

Elizabeth : The Golden Age

Gooood movie. BUT I really enjoy this genre, Mike lost interest about 3/4 of the way through (I know, why not just finish it?) I swear I have watched the first one, in fact, I would be surprised if I hadn't, but I can't remember it...it DID come out almost 10 years ago, that might be why...Cate Blanchett is amazing as the queen, absolutely amazing.

Just getting ready for The Other Boleyn Girl next weekend! I can't wait for that one!

The Napkin Says It All

Thanks to Nicole for the laugh! These will stay in my purse!

Brioche

So besides being cruel and cranky, I also tackled Brioche for the first time today, and it turned out AMAZING! Sometimes yeast breads and I don't always get along well, but, today, we were in beautiful, golden crisp, harmony. This is an orange zest and raisin brioche, that I will serve with peach jam tonight for dessert. The best part was that the kids helped braid it, and Mr K just thought that it was the coolest thing ever to braid dough into a shape that will be bread.


Is is dessert time yet?

A Little Pregnant

Hahaha not me! Betcha I made your eyes pop outta your head! What was that?? I was cruel? Why yes, I am in a kinda cruel, mean mood. Sorry.

Anyways, I have been reading this one woman's blog for a long time, and today she just had the BEST POST about infertility and the hush surrounding it, go take a read, I just laughed my ass off. She writes so well, but this post was mocking celebs and is just GREAT.

A Little Pregnant