Thursday Movie Picks-Farm

"Green Acres is the place to be, farm living is the life for me"...oops sorry, whoever loves to get up at 4am, clean up shit, work until hands are raw from bailing hay, and send off cows to the butchers and chop chickens’ heads’off have no clue. I grew up on a sawmill but we were surrounded by farms and my friend was the next door neighbour, so I helped out with hay baling, catching chickens, cleaning up the barn plus picking fruit and veggies. They had a good free hand:). Did anyone else ever work on a farm or live on one? I wonder what everyone else will pick, so head on over to Wandering Through The Shelves and find out. Here are my 3...

1. THE EGG AND I-1947

I just re-watched this since I own the DVD and enjoyed it thoroughly. It’s based on a book about the exploits of a young newlywed couple who buy a farm, knowing likety-split about chicken farming. The movie became a smash (hahahaa..get it...smash..eggs..ok never mind) hit despite Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray being a bit too old as young newlyweds, but they were great in their roles.  The house looks just as bad as the chicken coops but she does her best to help make her husband’s dream come true. Enter a good looking woman who brings out the green in the new wifee and Ma and Pa Kettle who help out the newlyweds teach the ways of farming and you have a good entertaining movie. In fact, Ma and Pa Kettle were so popular in this movie that the studio used the actors, Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride, to make a whole bunch of movies based on their characters.

2. SO BIG-1953

I have not seen this film in decades but I really enjoyed this version and the 1932 film, with Barbara Stanwyck, but I remember the newer version better. Jane Wyman (the ex Mrs. Ronald Reagan) plays a teacher who helps a young man realize his dream of being a concert pianist. She ends up meeting a farmer, marries him and they have a son whom the nickname, So Big. Her husband dies and she is left to deal with the farm and her young son. She sees her son also has a gift in building and helps him to become an architect since her farm is now a success because of (blecch) asparagus, but he meets a wayward woman, the hussy. He loses his way and his mom becomes disappointed in him. She must overcome many hurdles especially being a woman in farming but her love for her son, for teaching and helping others see their potential keeps her going. It’s melodrama at its finest and Jane Wyman was the queen of melodramas in the 1950’s.

3. BABE-1995

I love this fairy tale movie that was a surprise sleeper hit and gave a huge career boost, not to mention an Oscar nod, to James Cromwell plus using an innovative way to have the animals talk and make it look believable. We meet Babe, a young pig who is bought by a farmer to grow up and become bacon. The young pig is brought to the barn and is scared and lonely but is taken in by the mom dog who is an excellent sheep herder along with her gruff partner who doesn’t care much for the pig. The pig is always polite to all the animals and just wants to be friends and the farmer takes a shine to the little pig. The farmer takes the little piggie into his home much to the cat’s chagrin and starts to teach the piggie how to rear..um, herd the sheep (no, the farmer is not Greek). I found the whole film enchanting, sweet and very clever. It must have been a challenge to act against all these animals. I loved the cottage and wished I could stay there myself. In fact, I had a dream where I asked the mice if i could sing with them. Apparently, I sang this song out loud and woke up my then current hubby. Yes, I have weird dreams.

Which 3 would you choose

Thursday Movie Picks-Good Remakes

We live in the age of remakes upon remakes, I mean, how many sPiderman remakes do we need? I almost believe that the good ole Hollywood have swallowed their brains and are shoving crap through their butts. Yeah, that happened long ago but they do make some good remakes, rare but it does happen. Wandering through the Shelves creates a theme each week and you pick 3 movies that suit the theme. Here are my 3....

1. THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH-ORIGINAL-1935, REMAKE#1956

This is unique because these films were directed by the same person, Alfred Hitchcock and, I have to say both are good but I lean to the 2nd film which stars, my fav, James Stewart and Doris Day. Yes, Doris was in a Hitchcock film and her most famous song (arguably) debuted in this film, “Que Sera, Sera". They play a married couple vacationing in Europe, with their young son, when their young son is kidnapped. They had come across a man who whispered something to Stewart just before the man dies and this results in the terrified couple trying to find their son. The song becomes a huge focal point in the plot to the point that I wanted Day’s mouth duct-taped shut but I understood why this was important to the plot. The original film that stars Peter Lorre is also a great film  that I thoroughly enjoy watching and, in both cases, the women were the reason their children lived. Check out both if you can.

2.  A STAR IS BORN-ORIGINAL-1937 REMAKE-1954

OK, so 1937 is not the original (What Price, Hollywood from 1932 is) and it was remade with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson in 1976 and now the latest is with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga which I want to see.   The plot is supposed to be somewhat based on the marriage of Barbara Stanwyck and Frank Fay but John Barrymore, John Bowers and John Gilbert all have been referenced as the inspiration for Norman Maine. I love both these versions but my heart belong to the great Judy Garland. She plays a singer(duh!) Who is found by a famous, alcoholic actor played by James Mason. With his help, she is groomed and becomes a great star while his star diminishes. Of course, she sings but I don’t classify it as the typical musical that was made at that time. You get snippets of her concerts that she was just starting to do and she gives on hell of a dramatic performance. That one scene, where she talks about her husband to their Hollywood mentor, is brutal, sad, realistic and mind numbing considering she had her issues with drugs and alcohol. The 1937 film is well acted and is about 2 actors, but my heart belongs to Judy who should have won the Oscar. Shady, even though it is classified as a musical, I hope you give this one a chance.

3. OCEAN’S 11-ORIGINAL-1960 REMAKE-2001

The original stars the RatPack, Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter and Joey as World War 2 vets who come together after a life of small time crime to do a heist. It’s ok and they reek suaveness but I love the remake starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould, and the late, great Bernie Mac, who also all know each other, for the most part from previous jobs they did. George decides to steal a ton of money from a casino run by a real jerk who happens to be seeing George’s ex, played by Julia Roberts. It is fun, witty, and quite well written and you know they all seemed to have a lot of fun making this film. Of the 3 I have chosen, this is the first remake which is superior to the original. I love the coolness of the film and how nicely they brought in a couple of men from the 60’s era. A Fun movie and so are the sequels.

Which 3 would you choose?

Card making-Yippee!

Christmas Card Throwdown-Hot Pink and Lime green colours-Colour challenge

Addicted To Stamps-Holiday

Dream Valley Challenges-Girlie

CHNC-Use the word "Joy"

Winter Wonderland-Christmas Joy

It has been cooler the past 2 days and I am so happy! I hate the heat so this cooler weather makes me skip for joy..well, if I skip. I might knock out a hip so I will skip to my lou in my head. Yes, Christmas will be soon upon us and I have been so lax in my Christmas cards, so I decided to make a card and  girlie one at that with lots of sparkle and attention grabbing colours. I had this stencil for years so I finally used the stencil and placed the paste on top followed by the green sprinkles so it would adhere to the paste. After that was dry, I coloured the other 2 letters in hot pink with my pastels. I stamped the holly leaves and embossed them in green twinkle glitter powder and in pearl green powder and fussy cut them out. I took some leftover cardstock in pink and glitter white and used the double sided tape to adhere it all together. I will send this card to my sister who loves pink.

 

  

Penny Black and More-Feminine

Simon Says-Stamp On It

I love Sue Wilson's stamps who is an artist inspired by the Native teachings of animal totems. She has taken her designs and placed them on stamps and I love them! I stamped the elephant on basic white and coloured the elephant in girlie colours since this is for a girl who just got married and she loves elephants. I took white card stock and coloured the background with some subtle distress inks, fussy cut the elephant out and placed her (can't be a boy) on the card with pop-up dots, stamped and embossed the word and finished it off with some border stickers.

Eclectic Ellapu-Anything Goes

Butterfly Challenge-The Letter E-Used all 6 from the wheel-Embossing Folder, Embossing powder, Embellishment, Emerald, Eucalyptus, Electric Yellow

The Flower Challenge-Anything Goes

My hubby and I will be celebrating 12 years together this coming weekend so this card will be for him. I hope he will like it. He has put so much love and effort into our backyard/sideyard garden(we are on a corner lot) and his labour shows it. I am forbidden to touch the  plants since I am the kiss of death..I once killed a spider plant so that tells you a lot about me with plants. I am so happy to have been able to use all the E elements from the Butterfly Challenge. I stamped the saying, (which I found in Vancouver when I was there in July) with green embossing powder powder, on a cream cardstock. I took an emerald green metallic paper and embossed it with a flower motif using my cuddlebug. I also took a die cut and cut out the centre with the sizzex machine and placed the cream cardstock so the saying peeks through the cutout part. I stamped, in gold and embossed in gold embossed powder, the flowers and fussy cut them out and placed them on each side with the smaller flowers raised up using the pop up dots. I stamped the little flowers in green and embossed them with pearl green and stuck them onto the card along with the butterfly. I coloured them with my tombow markers in the colours suggested by the Butterfly challenge. I think this is a good card for a man...I hope:)  I am so happy to be part of the Flower challenge and Eclectic Ellapu. All the challenges are always so much fun to partake in.

Thursday Movie Picks-New Kid at School

Bleccch.....I have been out of high school for 36 years and when I hear all the stupid back to school commercials, I still feel a sense of foreboding. I hated school, I hated studying and I hated tests plus, as so many of you know, the kids were not the nicest but that’s the past. Tests and studying can still come to haunt me in my job but, I hope, I no longer have to take any more tests. Ok, so moving to films about being a new kid in school, I had a hard time finding films that I have not picked yet but I think I have chosen a good 3. Check out Wandering Through The Shelves to see what the others have chosen and she now  covers books she has read each month which you can also check out. Here are my 3...

1. GREASE-1978

This is a story about a pretty, sweet lass with a good reputation who meets a young lad during summer vacation. They fall in love but separate due to school starting. School has started, the lad is actually a rogue with a leather jacket and the new girl at school is the young lass who believes in her good reputation. They sing, they dance and there is romance with the rogue saying how good she was while she sings how sweet he was. He finally decides to be with her and loses his jacket but, wait a second, the sweet lass decides to change too, into a great looking slut in painted on pants. The world is aok now because he throws off his sweater because she changes for him. They sing and dance because she gave up herself, ruining her reputation all to make him happy as they fly away in a convertible. It’s a fun flick with some good songs but I can’t stand the ending because it sets back women and their strength of mind 50 years.


2. NEVER BEEN KISSED-1999

A nerdy geek, played by Drew Barrymore, works for a newspaper, and is given the assignment to go undercover in a high school to report on the kids of high school and how things work from the kids' point of view. She is scared of the assignment since she was bullied when she was in that environment years back but her brother gives her a makeover in how to be cool and joins her in the school where he becomes the most popular just like he was when he was in high school. One thing she did not count on was falling for the teacher who relates to her love of books, history, and all the things interesting:). What will happen? Will it all come crashing down? Will She get that kiss? (Duh). This is a cute rom-com that I like. It is nothing mind blowing but a fun little movie that makes you forget the bad day you just had.

3. HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE-2001

The books are amazing! Of course, I saw the films first and I love both! This is where it all starts....once upon a time, a child with a scar on his forehead is left with muggles (you and me as we have no powers) who can’t stand the kid and abuse him through neglect, hard words, lousy food and living under the stairs. Yeah, thanks Dumbledore for saving me...jerk. Ok, moving on, the kid, Harry Potter finds out he can talk to snakes and has powers so, finally, after numerous attempts, he receives a letter to go to a school for wizards. He is met by a big, burly sweetheart of a man, Hagrid, who takes him to buy his school supplies and  brings him to the train station to venture to Hogwarts. He meets his future best friends, Wesley and Hermione, and they find out there are hidden dangers and they must stay on their toes. On top of that, Harry and Wesley join to play in a Quidditch game everyone loves since one can fly on a broom. This game looks like a lot more fun to watch than Soccer or any other sport actually. Great special effects, excellent acting especially by the kids and the great Alan Rickman as the creepy Snape. I love these series that are not just for kids but great for adults as well.

Which films would you choose?

Thursday Movie Picks: TV Edition-College

I am writing this on my phone and trying a test. I will tell ya of I am successful....I am successful! I wrote this and downloaded the youtube video through my phone the day before:) Yes, I am that sad sack who doesn't know a thing about computers and all that jazz. Why can't I do this on my IPad! I find that bewildering...oh well.

Since this is the final Thursday of the month (I can't believe it but am praying for cooler weather), it is all about TV over at Wandering Through the Shelves. This time it is about college (Yeah I could take a course or 4 on computers but I would just fall asleep) and, frankly, I know some shows but never watched them. I have chosen 3 but I am lacking in this area.

1. COACH-1989-1997

I enjoyed watching this sitcom when it was on even though I don't care at all about sports. I wish I could recall a lot but I do remember laughing with the couch getting into trouble usually because of his dim-witted friend who worked with him played by Jerry Van Dyke. The coach also had a long suffering girlfriend, later wife, played by Shelley Fabares. It was a fun show and one I wouldn't mind re-watching

2. SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH-1996-2003

Sabrina started off in high school but ended in college. I started watching this show because I loved Bewitched. It is no Bewitched, but it has its moments with my favourite character being the talking cat. Sabrina is raised by her witchy aunts, one more logical and one more nutty. They try to teach Sabrina on being a witch and they must deal with a teenager. Its an ok show that, for some reason, I kept watching.

3. THE BIG BANG THEORY-2007-PRESENT

Listening to geeks rant at the abhorrence of being called Trekkies not the correct term trekkers. Listening to one asking a waitress to bring a cognac to him and to make sure a flame is lit and that the flame should be blue. Seeing one feel all icky if someone touched his books. Yea, we are talking about the people I hung around with when I was in university. When this show came on, I gave it a try...and another try...and yet, another, but I just felt the past coming back to haunt me. I lived it! I could not find this comedy funny because it was too close to home and, although I loved my years at university, I did not want to revisit. Besides, reality is one committed suicide and another has, sadly, died from cancer. I know most love this show, but I can't get into it and I wish Sheldon would get some major mouth fungus.  Oh, the basic plot is about 4 very nerdy but brilliant scientists who love all things nerdy(who doesn't?) but have a hard time fitting in with the average Joes-enter the blonde gal who lives across the hall. I have to admit, I do want to see the episodes with Leonard Nimoy and Bob Newhart if I can stomach Sheldon.

Which 3 would you choose?

Final Part of my July vacation to Vancouver and the Rockies

I posted these pictures via my phone! I can't believe I can do this with my phone but not through my I- Pad! Well, here are the last pics of my trip out west. The day we headed home, we stopped at an outdoor museum for only 1 hour. I would have wanted at least 2 hours to take this great museum in. It's called 3 Valley Gap Ghost Town  in which all the buildings were either part of a town or  were brought here from the mountains. These buildings were saved by a couple who didn't want to see history destroyed. Now we can see  how life was like around the turn of the century.

I like this black and white shot I made because it reminds me of the old Silent westerns and even the old TV shows like Bonanza.

They had a large barn that housed many vehicles but I like these 2 very old cars from the turn of the century

Trapper Joe really did exist and  he would use this cabin as shelter overnight before continuing back down the mountain. It had a bed, small stove and  tons of hooks to hang his pelts.

Each building housed authentic pieces from that time period. This is the dentist's office so let's all cringe for a moment. That horrible dummy looks so bad I sent it to Jeff saying that it was his image after this big tour. 

This is the lobby of the old hotel which comes with its own sad mannequin but it was also the most lavish. You could not walk in but could see to each side where breakfast and dinner were served. I had a real eerie feeling in here and when I told my friend, Jeff, about this, he told me that it is supposed to be haunted. The owner told him that 3 people, this year, were taking pictures when their camera and or phone was taken out of their hands and thrown against the wall by something unseen. 

After another long time on the bus where I caught a few more flies, we came back to Hope and I could not resist taking a couple more pictures of the woodcarving done with chainsaws. 

We got back at 8:45pm when we should have arrived back in Vancouver around 6:30 but we came back and went immediately to my friend's husband's place of work. Kain is Jeff's husband who is a mature 27 to Jeff's immature 53...yes, Jeff is a cradle robber and happy. Kain is such a good man who works very hard at his job. After we had something to eat, Kain asked what we were going to do next, and I just stared at him in disbelief. Jeff and I both laughed and said we were going to go to bed since we were tuckered out...ahh, youth! The next day, Jeff and I went back on a bus to see a Titanic exhibit which was well worth it.  They had actual artifacts from the ship along with plenty of history and a piece of ice that you could place your hand on and feel the cold that those poor souls had to deal with when they went into the water. 

The Monday, we headed back to Granville island to look a bit more around and that is me in front of a rhubarb plant! It's like rhubarb on steroids or some Day of the Triffids plant. 

We had lunch at a really nice seafood place and just enjoyed the view. I didn't realize until I got home that Jeff looks like he is sprouting some teapot look.

This is the end of my wonderful trip to see my friend and enjoy a trip into the Rockies. I hope you enjoyed my posts on this. 

Wandering through the Shelves-Discovery/Exploration

I had a really tough time this week and had a huge brain fart. I know I have seen tons of films that fit this week’s theme but the dull lightbulb in my head was flickering like a 10 watt bulb. Let’s head on over to Wandering Through The Shelves and find out what everyone else chose. Here are my 3...

1. KING SOLOMON’S MINES-1950

A good old adventure film shot in beautiful Technicolor, with the beautiful Stewart Granger as the rough and tough (hahaa) Allan Quartermain and the equally beautiful Deborah Kerr as the romantic interest. She is in search of her husband, who went in search for, well, King Solomon’s mines, and hires Quartermain to help her. He reluctantly agrees and they search through jungles running from cannibals, vicious animals and all sorts of mayhem falling for each other in the process. It’s a good fun film that makes one forget our daily troubles for a couple of hours. Great cinematography highlights this film even though both leads seem better sipping tea somewhere.

2. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE-1989

Yeah, I am not a huge fan of these movies. I know, I know, sacrilege, but I find them a bit meh...yeah...shoot me. The one that I do like the best and believe, is the best, is the third in this series that stars Harrison Ford as the famous professor/archeologist and Sean Connery as his dad. We finally know why Jones hates snakes and where he gets his love of finding items that are supposedly just legends. He and his dad have issues but this is set aside to try and find the lost grail. I saw this in the theatre because part of the filming took place in Petra. One day I will see this famous old site that was carved out of rock. This is the most entertaining of all the films that has everything in it...the fabled grail, dad and son issues, a love interest, Bad Nazis and the old knights.

3. STAR TREK:FIRST CONTACT-1996

I love Star Trek although I have not been able to get into the latest rebirth. This film stars the men and women from the second  version(not counting the animated series from the 70’s with all the actors that starred in the original Star Trek). We find out that, somehow, the Borg, those nasty machine/human hybrids, have traveled back in time and changed history. It is up to the Enterprise crew to go back in time and correct the calamity. They arrived just before Stephan Cochran sends his ship into warp speed starting the planet Earth on a whole new age of discovery and exploration. While some of the crew are down on the planet, Picard, Data and others are trying to stop the Borg and the Borg Queen from destroying Earth. Patrick Stewart never acted better in his role as Jean Luc Picard and his interaction with the under-rated Alfre Woodard was superb. The Captain Ahab quarrel is just perfect. I will also add, Alice Krige as the Borg Queen, was able to convey menace, intelligence and sexiness despite her pale colour with tubes coming out of her. The comedy on the planet is a nice break from the tenseness on the ship. Love this film.

Which 3 would you choose?