Friday, April 30, 2010

KFC and Breast Cancer

Yesterday I saw a commercial on tv that KFC was partnering with the Susan G. Koemen Breast Cancer Foundation. For every pink bucket of chicken they sell, 50 cents would be donated to this foundation with a minimum of 1 million dollars with a vision to hopefully reach 8 million in donations.

I was concerned about this. As a breast cancer survivor I have worked hard at eating healthy, exercising and trying to take care of myself as best as possible. KFC does not promote a great lifestyle in regards to eating habit. Anytime in the past that we ordered chicken it has always arrived to our home greasy and just gross. But you ate it not realizing how bad it was for you.

It bothered me that this foundation would go in a business venture with a company that does not promote healthy lifestyle. Yes they now offer grilled chicken but really who orders grilled chicken when you order from them? So I wrote to the foundation telling them that I felt KFC was doing it for THEIR bottom line which was making money. They are only giving 50 cents for every bucket but if they had even 50% increase in people ordering because they "felt" they were helping out then they made way more money then they would have. I wrote that if KFC wanted to help out why not just donate the million dollars?

Well I never expected to hear back from them especially not within 24 hours. Here is their answer:

Thank you for your email to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. We do appreciate you taking the time to tell us how you feel about our partnership with KFC. You should know that our partnership with KFC is designed at the core to educate millions of people we might not otherwise reach with breast health information – outreach that we consider critical to our mission to save lives and end breast cancer. We are reaching people with life-saving messages through KFC’s 5,300 restaurants (about 900 of them in communities not yet served by a Komen Affiliate), with information in the store, on the buckets and in advertising directing consumers to KFC’s bucketsforthecure.com website, with links to www.komen.org.
Second, this partnership is helping generate millions in funding – a goal of $8.5 million to be raised in six weeks – to further the nearly $1.5 billion in research and community programs that Komen has already spent over the past 30 years – programs that are literally saving people’s lives through better treatments, early detection and advocacy at the federal and state levels. Because of partners like this, our $500 million in research funding has paid enormous dividends – 98 percent five-year survival rates for cancers that haven’t spread from the breast and better and more effective treatments for late-stage breast cancer patients, Further, these partnerships have enabled us to invest $900 million in our communities, providing financial and medical support for women, particularly low-income women, who desperately need help gaining access to the medical care system.
Some ask what we are doing in terms of prevention. About 10 percent – or $50 million – of our research budget over the years has gone to prevention research. We’ll invest another $20 million of our $55-$60 million research grant program to prevention, and continue funding programs that educate women about their risks.
We recognize that this partnership brings up a conversation about obesity and health related to cancer. Our partnership highlights the healthy options at KFC – grilled chicken and vegetables, for example. Ultimately, the decision to maintain a well-balanced diet lies in the hands of the consumer. KFC provides tools to make those choices, by providing a healthier choice menu at its restaurants and advice on its website on how consumers can limit fat and calorie consumption in its products.
We hope that you will take a moment to visit the bucketsforthecure.com website to learn more about the partnership and see the stories of hope, education and empowerment being shared there.

We appreciate your concern and thank you for sharing it with us.

Very truly yours,

Margo K. Lucero
Director, Global Corporate Relations
5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250 | Dallas, TX 72544
1-877 GO KOMEN | www.komen.org

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Jackpot and Ancestors!

I have decided when I get to my next life and will meet my perfected body I will do what today I cannot do. I will jump up and down for great joy! Today I have found some ancestors that I have been researching for ages. I found out from my mom a year or so ago that her maiden name was not her actual name that it had been changed from another name at the time of her great grandparents. I had been talking to her that I had been blocked time and time again in researching my grandfather's paternal line. That was when she told me..she also told me she was sure she had told me that before. Uh no mom..I have been researching our line for decades..I would definitely remember you telling me and I would not have wasted so much time locating something that was not there.

I asked her what the name had been and she said "Solange (what she calls me when she is upset or exasperated with me) I am almost 80 years old you want me to remember something I overheard my parents talking about when I was a young adult? Uh yes!!! She said she would ask her older sisters to see if they remembered but no one else knew the name had even changed. I found a website that gave you name changes for french names and I found 5 names that my grandfather's name had been changed from. I called her up and said I had 5. She told me if she heard it she would recognize it. It was the 3rd one and she said that's it!!!

I was then able to go back 3 more generations at that point (gee the things you find when you have ALL the CORRECT information!) But once again I was stuck. As often happens with me, when I get blocked I tend to put that line aside and work on another line so had not been back at it since last summer. Well today I went to our main city library downtown Vancouver as I knew they had a lot of research books we did not have in our family history centre and as research books are not allowed out in inter-library loans I headed over.

I knew the books I wanted, all 7 volumes of them. They are quite heavy so could only carry 2 of them to my table at a time. When I went to get the 3rd one I reached down (of course has to be on the 2nd shelf from the bottom!!!) but my hand grabbed a different book...the ones I needed are red, thick, short but bulky..this one was blue, tall, wide but not very deep. So narrow in depth that it didn't even have room to have the title on the binding. I thought that's weird..so I flipped it over and read the cover (good thing I read French!) and here was this book that was the recordings of marriages in 1666 in Quebec BEFORE it was even Quebec when it was called Nouvelle France (New France). I thought huh...ok.

So I put it on the table and got the other big ones I needed. Because that one was so much smaller I decided to go through it first. Ideally it would have been so much easier for me if whoever had recorded all the information had put it in alphabetical order but nope they had it in order of parishes. I started with page 1 and worked all the way to the last one.

I have to tell you I found names on EVERY SINGLE LINE of my family!!!!! Because I have been researching for many many years, I was able to recognize names from my lines as ancestors. Those I found I knew by name but had never been able to get their marriage date or date of entry into Canada from France..but now..this...well I was ecstatic. 5 hours later Keith called my cell to tell me he was on his way to pick me up..Already??? Seemed like I had barely started!

As soon as I got home I started entering the data I had furiously scribbled onto paper into my computer. I ended up having to take Lareta and Darien to their meetings so popped in to the FHC and kept working. I was agitated for lack of a better term..I knew these were my ancestors but I had a hard time with matching them to the first of the ancestors I had on my records.

But finally after an hour and a half I was able to connect one of the lines I had found!! I was thrilled. I know to some of you reading this you must think is this woman for real?? These are dead people! I know.. ain't life grand???? :-D

I have my regular day at work tomorrow and a staff meeting to get ready that night but man it will be so hard to not work on my own work tomorrow! It is after midnight here now and as Keith went to bed an hour ago he said "Well I guess I will see you at the table still when my alarm goes off?" hehehehe he knows me well!

City Slickers vs Rural Saskatchewanites :)

THE RULES OF RURAL SASKATCHEWAN ARE AS FOLLOWS

Listen up City Slickers!

1. Pull your droopy pants up. You look like an idiot.

2. Turn your cap straight, your head isn't crooked.

3. Let's get this straight; it's called a 'dirt road.' I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive,
you're going to get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.

4. They are cattle. They're live steaks. That's why they smell funny to you. But they smell like money to us. Get over it.
Don't like it? Hwy 1 goes east and west, Hwy 6 or 9 goes north and south Pick one.

5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $ 200,000 combines and hay balers that are driven only 3
weeks a year.

6. So every person in rural Saskatchewan waves. It's called 'being friendly Try to understand the concept.

7. If that cell phone rings while an 8-point buck and 3 does are coming in, we WILL shoot it out of your hand. You better hope
you don't have it up to your ear at the time.

8. Yeah, we eat meat and potatoes. You really want sushi & caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop.

9. The 'Opener' refers to the first day of deer hunting season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first
of November.

10. We open doors for women. That is applied to all women, regardless of age.

11. There's little for 'vegetarians' on the menu. Order steak. Or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of
ham & turkey.

12. When we set a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup.

13. You bring 'coke' into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice.

14. You bring 'Mary Jane' into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair

15. Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and Minor Hockey is as important here as the Maple Leafs and
Montreal Habs, and more fun to watch.

16. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards - it spooks the fish.

17.. Colleges? We have them all over. We have Universities and Community Colleges. They come outta there with an education plus
a love for God and country, and they still wave at everybody when they come for the holidays.

18. We have a whole ton of folks in the Armed Forces. So don't mess with us. If you do, you will get whipped by the best.

19. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump crap ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we
want to see your boxers. (Refer back to #1)

20. 2 inches of snow & ice isn't a blizzard - it's a vacation. Drive like you got some sense in it, and DON'T take all our
bread, milk, and bleach from the grocery stores. This ain't Alaska , worst case you may have to live a whole day without
croissants. The pickups with snow blades and tractors with snow blowers will have you out the next day.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Next project

Remember last year or so I talked about going to this humongous shoe sale where everything was 75-90% off and how rude people were yanking things out of your hands or out of your basket etc? Well one of the pairs of shoes that I had bought for 10 dollars no less was this beautiful blue pair. I have no idea what shade of blue it is but I fell in love with it! I also knew I had absolutely nothing in my closet that even matched it but I did not care. We are talking shoes here and this pair was talking to me!


After sitting on the pair for months and trying to find something that matched it I gave up. I even tried finding something new but nothing so Lareta and I headed over to the fabric store. We had found a pattern at Walmart that I could use for different outfits (by the way most of my clothes I make)and the patterns were on sale for 1.99 so bonus.



It took a long time to find fabric because everything was too blue, or too tourquisey (is that a word) or too teal etc...Lareta finally found this fabric (She is the BOMB!)that was perfect so I got enough to make a dress, a suit, shorts, and pants. Because it is a multi coloured fabric I can alternate between taupe colored pieces with the patterned one and vice versa. (It is a little hard to make out the actual color but there are 2 different shades of blue stripe, a beigey stripe, a taupe stripe, and a medium brown stripe. I already had a suit jacket the exact shade as well as skirt in the taupe. At Christmas time I had been out shopping for my granddaughters and Ardene's had these buy 1 get 2 free kind of thing so for 5 bucks I got the 2 belts. The jewelry I already had.




So enough fabric for jacket, skirt, top, dress, shorts, pants and thread/buttons etc came up to under $40.00, 2 belts $5.00, blue shoes $10.00 (Brown ones I already had) and for a grand total of $55.00 including tax I have all these new outfits! So this is my new project for when I get back from my Mom's in May :)

Friday, April 09, 2010

40 questions about me

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops?
Searched yes, when we were coming through the border once going into the US and another time when we were coming back into Canada we were searched and the car was searched.

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters?

Doesn't everyone?

3. When's the last time you've been sledding?

2 summers ago
4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?

someone, I won't even go to bed if Keith isn't with me
5. Do you believe in ghosts?

Considering they talk to me I had better

6. Do you consider yourself creative?

hmmmm that's a hard one, I don't think I am but I keep getting told I am

7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife?

100%

8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie?

Angelina Jolie without a doubt
9. Do you stay friends with your ex's?

no
10. Do you know how to play poker?

yes I learned when I was married before as my ex used to lose his whole paycheck in poker games. I learned how to play so I could win it back then he would think it was his again..uh have you never heard the term possession is 9/10th's of the law?

11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?

many MANY times

12. What's your favorite commercial?

the Coke one when they sing "I'd like to teach the world to sing"

13. What are you allergic to?

wheat, adalat and erythromycin

14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around do you run red lights?

Never, I'm a good girl.

15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you?

nope Keith knows everyone

16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees?

Neither

17. Have you ever been Ice Skating?

Yes. but sad I can no longer do it

18. How often do you remember your dreams?

constantly, because I never go into REM all I do is dream
19. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?

On Saturday when we watched Old Dogs


20. Can you name 5 songs by The Beatles?

Hey Jude, You say yes I say no, She loves you, Imagine, Lucy in the Sky


21. What's the one thing on your mind now?

money
22. Do you know who Ghetto-ass barbie is?

no

23. Do you always wear your seat belt?

always
24. What cell service do you use?

ROgers

25. Do you like Sushi?

some
26. Have you ever narrowly avoided a fatal accident?

yes and I care to never repeat it
27. What do you wear to bed?

depends on weather outside

28. Been caught stealing?

yes

29. what shoe size do you have?

11 narrow

30. Do you truly hate anyone?

no
31. Classic Rock or Rap?

Classic Rock
32. If you could sleep with one famous person, who would it be?

Keith
33. Favorite Song?

Dance With Me
34. Have you ever sang in front of the mirror?

yes

35. What food do you find disgusting?

brussel sprouts


36. Do you sing in the shower?

at times

37. Did you ever play, "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours"?

I have no idea..it would have had to have been when I was too young to know what I was doing

38. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back?
sadly when I was in elementary school

39. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?

absolutely

40. Have you ever been punched in the face?

yes

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Moms

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2... Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1... My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them..
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter.. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.