How Great is Our God!!!!!!!!

For sure!!!! Today is a beautiful day here in Lafayette. The air is nice and cool, the sky is beautiful and it is Friday! On my way into work this morning I was able to have my car windows down and feel the cool air, smell the fresh smells of morning and just marvel at the beauty. I think this song by Chris Tomlin sums it all up!!!

Today in History

I almost did not post anything about today in history because nothing really looked very interesting until I saw the entry about a former Purdue football player who went on to play with the New England Patriots. He was paralyzed after a brutal (but legal) hit by Oakland Raider defensive back Jack Tatum in a 1978 NFL exhibition game. This incident brought about many improvements in player safety: the anti-spearing rule and the stickum ban.  In his book, They Call Me Assassin,  Tatum stated his best hits “border on felonious assault”. Tatum was also involved in the famous Immaculate Reception play from the 1972 AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders.

In 1983, Stingley authored Happy to Be Alive, a memoir of his life and injury.

Darryl died on April 5, 2007, as a result of complications from his injury. Stingley and Tatum never reconciled.

Although Darryl forgave Jack, he says that Jack never contacted him nor apologized.

I find that so, so very sad. I hope the reason is that he feels so terrible that he can't face Darryl and be confronted with what happened. In reality, football is a dangerous game and whether or not Jack was hitting harder than he should have been, I'm sure he did not intend to do the damage that was done. I hope that if Jack has not forgiven himself he can one day do so.

Today In History

Remember the Ford Pinto? My sister had one but I don't remember "a scandel". Of course I never payed attention to the news either.

Anyway, on this day in 1978, three teenage girls die after their 1973 Ford Pinto is rammed from behind by a van and bursts into flames on an Indiana highway. The fatal crash was one of a series of Pinto accidents that caused a national scandal during the 1970s. 

The small and economical Pinto, which debuted in 1970, was Ford's first subcompact car produced domestically, and its answer to popular imports like the Volkswagen Beetle and the Toyota Corolla. Lee Iacocca, then an executive vice president at Ford and later to earn fame as head of Chrysler, spearheaded the Pinto's development. Initial reviews of the Pinto's handling and performance were largely positive, and sales remained strong, with Ford introducing new Pinto models such as the Runabout and the Sprint over the course of the early 1970s.

By 1974, however, rumors began to surface in- and outside the company about the Pinto's tendency to catch fire in rear-end collisions. In May 1972, a California woman was killed when her Pinto caught fire after being rear-ended on a highway. Her passenger, Richard Grimshaw, was burned over 90 percent of his body but survived; he sued Ford for damages. Grimshaw's lawyer found that the Pinto's gas tank sat behind the rear axle, where it was particularly vulnerable to damage by rear-end collisions. He also uncovered evidence that Ford had known about this weakness ever since the Pinto first went on sale, and had done nothing about it, mostly because changing the design would have been too costly. An article in Mother Jones magazine in the fall of 1977 exposed the Pinto safety concerns to a national audience, and a California jury's award of $128 million to Grimshaw in February 1978 spread the news still further. That June, Ford voluntarily recalled all 1.9 million 1971-1976 Pintos and 1975-1976 Mercury Bobcats (which had the same fuel-tank design).

As Douglas Brinkley wrote in "Wheels for the World," his history of Ford, the Ehrlich girls, who died in the rear-end collision in Indiana on August 8, 1978, were apparently unaware of the Pinto-related dangers; their family would not receive a recall notice until early 1979. A grand jury later returned indictments against Ford on three counts of reckless homicide in the Ehrlich case, marking the first time in history that a corporation had been charged with murder.

Quilt of Holes

My good friend Marilu shared this with me and thought it too beautiful not to share with you all.

As I faced my  God  at the last judgment, I knelt before  Him  along with all the other souls.   Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was.  They were filled with giant holes.  Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in every day life.  I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me.  Nobody else had such squares.  Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune.  I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.  Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn,holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been.

My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.  My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn’t had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it.  I had to start over many times. 

I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life.  I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the  Lord in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.  I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.  An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.  Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me.  Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of  God.  Then He  stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, ‘Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles.  Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.’   May your quilt be threadbare and worn, allowing God  to shine through! 

Betty Boop

Betty Boop’s first cartoon appearance was in August 9, 1930, in a cartoon called Dizzy Dishes. As female dog like character, she was a perfect fit for Bimbo. She was sassy, innocent, daring, and even sexy (at least her body was). However, there was just one big problem with Betty Boop, she was ugly! No matter how cute, sassy, innocent Betty Boop would try to be, the audience just couldn’t get over her anthropomorphic facial features.
In 1932, Max Flecisher decided it was time to change Betty Boop’s appearance. In the 1932 cartoon short Any Rags, Betty Boop was finalized to look more like a human cartoon character. Her floppy poodle ears became hoop earrings, and her black poodle nose became a girl’s button-like nose. Betty’s appearance had finally match her characteristics and the audience loved it.

Song Pick

I heard the song "Beautiful Things" by Gungor on  K-Love on my way to work - a Monday morning. UGH!  It really has had me thinking all day. The chorus speaks so clearly to me about how God does take all the ugly and make it beautiful, He takes the chaos and turns it into calm. We just have to ask and trust.

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make me new, You are making me new

Some of God's Beautiful Creatures

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful:

The Lord God made them all.

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell

How great is God Almighty,

Who has made all things well.
—All Things Bright and Beautiful

Beautiful aren't they? Makes you just marvel at what God created. I can't wait to hear His story about how and why He created each one!!!!!


Anyway, God also made these two funny creatures -

Shawshank Redemption

One of my favorite movies had one of it's memorable landmarks destroyed on Friday.

The tree outside Ohio's Malabar Farm State Park in north-central Ohio that played a key role in the the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption appears damaged by high winds. The tree was hit Friday, July 29, 2011 by straight-line winds that split it down its rotted middle and took out one side.

The tree near the state park is popular with tourists and is part of the local convention and visitors bureau’s “Shawshank Trail” that also includes the former reformatory that closed in 1990 and is now a museum. The trail leads travelers to 12 sites where the movie was filmed.



Tree Before Strike




Tree After Strike

 Trail travelers can look to the left just past the state park entrance and see the site where Freeman’s character walked along a hayfield and removed stones from a rock wall where the money was buried. The movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best actor for Freeman and best picture.

This Day In History

On this day in 1988, the Chicago Cubs host the first night game in the history of Wrigley Field.

At 6:05 p.m., 91-year-old Cubs fan Harry Grossman began the countdown. "Three . . . two . . . one . . . Let there be lights!" Grossman pressed a button, and to the cheers of thousands of fans, six light towers flickered to life. Night baseball had come to Wrigley Field.

It had taken six years of arguing, cajoling and bluffing to bring lights to Wrigley, which for years had been the only major league baseball park where night games could not be played.

Starting pitcher Rick Sutcliffe was nearly blinded by the thousands of flashbulbs that went off as he delivered the first pitch. Perhaps that was why Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Phil Bradley deposited Sutcliffe's fourth pitch into the bleachers. Then, with the Cubs leading 3-1 in the fourth inning, the rains came. Not a light drizzle, but a downpour. After a two-hour rain delay, the game was called, obliterating it from the record books. "This proves that the Cubs are cursed," said one fan, as she ran from the ballpark. The following morning, the Tribune editorialized, "Someone up there seems to take day baseball seriously."

The first complete night game at Wrigley Field took place the following evening. The Cubs beat the Mets 6-4.

Also on this day:

President Richard M. Nixon resigns.

In an evening televised address, President Richard M. Nixon announces his intention to become the first president in American history to resign. With impeachment proceedings underway against him for his involvement in the Watergate affair, Nixon was finally bowing to pressure from the public and Congress to leave the White House. "By taking this action," he said in a solemn address from the Oval Office, "I hope that I will have hastened the start of the process of healing which is so desperately needed in America."

Just before noon the next day, Nixon officially ended his term as the 37th president of the United States. Before departing with his family in a helicopter from the White House lawn, he smiled farewell and enigmatically raised his arms in a victory or peace salute. The helicopter door was then closed, and the Nixon family began their journey home to San Clemente, California. Minutes later, Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States in the East Room of the White House.

This Day In History

Lucille Ball is Born

On this day in 1911, Lucille Desiree Ball, one of America’s most famous redheads and beloved comic actresses, is born near Jamestown, New York.

After waitressing and working as a hat model, Ball was hired in 1933 as the Chesterfield Cigarette Girl. Around this time, she began playing bit parts in Hollywood movies. She went on to leading roles in dozens of B-movies in the late 1930s and 1940s. In 1940, Ball met the Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz while shooting Too Many Girls and the couple soon eloped.

From 1947 to 1951, Ball starred as a ditzy wife on the radio program My Favorite Husband. When CBS decided to launch the popular series on the relatively new medium of TV, Lucy insisted that Arnaz be cast as her husband in the TV version.

Network executives initially argued against the idea, arguing that no one would believe the couple were married.

However, Ball and Arnaz were eventually cast as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo in I Love Lucy, which aired from 1951 to 1957 and became one of the most popular TV sitcoms in history. According to Ball’s obituary in The New York Times: “It was a major national event when, on Jan. 19, 1953, Lucy Ricardo gave birth to Little Ricky on the air the same night Lucille Ball gave birth to her second child, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha 4th. The audience for the episode was estimated at 44 million, a record at the time, and CBS said 1 million viewers responded with congratulatory telephone calls, telegrams, letters or gifts.”

 Ball died at age 77 on April 26, 1989. In 2001, the U.S. Postal Service honored her with a commemorative stamp.

I still love to watch the I Love Lucy show! It doesn't matter that I've seen the show multiple times, I still always laugh. She just had that rare quality.

One of my favorite episodes is when she is doing a commercial for Vitameatavegamin.

First execution by electric chair

At Auburn Prison in New York, the first execution by electrocution in history is carried out against William Kemmler (a produce merchant), who had been convicted of murdering his lover, Matilda Ziegler, with an axe.

On August 6, 1890, William Kemmler became the first person to be sent to the chair. After he was strapped in, a charge of approximately 700 volts was delivered for only 17 seconds before the current failed. Although witnesses reported smelling burnt clothing and charred flesh, Kemmler was far from dead, and a second shock was prepared. The second charge was 1,030 volts and applied for about two minutes, whereupon smoke was observed coming from the head of Kemmler, who was clearly deceased. An autopsy showed that the electrode attached to his back had burned through to the spine.

Dr. Southwick applauded Kemmler's execution with the declaration, "We live in a higher civilization from this day on," while American inventor George Westinghouse, an innovator of the use of electricity, remarked, "They would have done better with an axe."

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!

Daily Reflection - Saint Peter

Everyday I get an email from St. Monica's Parish in Indianapolis with a reflection on that day's reading. I really like the one I received today because it reminds us to not dwell on another's weakness but to find their strengths and what they can share with us using those strengths. It is so easy to recognize weakness - let's look harder.


Our  reflection on Thursday’s Readings:

You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church (Mathew 16:18)

When reading scripture or hearing the readings when I attend Mass, I am fascinated by the life of Peter and would love to know more about him.  He seemed so human to me as he seemed to constantly “miss the point”.   He seemed to be a very reactive person instead of thinking before he acts.  What is more astonishing is that Jesus sees something different in Peter.  He says to Peter, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church (Mathew 16:18).
 So even through Peter’s betrayal of Jesus or acting in ways that was opposite to the teachings of Jesus, Jesus still embraces him as the foundation of the Church!  Jesus must have seen other qualities in Peter that he loved and trusted that even through such weakness his strengths prevailed. 

I think this is what Jesus sees in Peter.  He teaches us today that if His teachings are to come alive that we need to focus on strengths within one another versus the weaknesses that burden them.  What a beautiful gift Jesus shares with us today and an incredible gift we can give to others.  How many times a day do we spend frustrated that others in our lives did not fulfill our expectations or have disappointed us because we focused on their weaknesses versus the strengths they have to offer us.  I believe Jesus recognized the weaknesses in Peter and was quite direct with Peter when he “missed the point”.  He did not ignore this side of Peter but He did not hold on to the weaknesses of Peter and judged him every time he did or said something.   It seemed that Jesus addressed his weakness when it was appropriate and then moved on with only seeing the strengths of Peter.  Peter is a great example for us as we too struggle to find the gifts people have to share with us. ---Margarita Solis Deal

To be honest, I am not terribly knowledgable about the Saints. Being a convert to the Catholoic faith I am slowing learning more and more about these great men and women. They were so much braver than a lot of people think they could ever be sometimes. However, put in a certain situation you never know what strength we can find in ourselves for our Lord.

In the case of Saint Peter, I always knew he was the disciple closest to Jesus and that he was probably considered a rabble rouser. But I never knew, or at least did not remember, how he was martyred. So I did some research and here is what I found out about Saint Peter.

He is recorded more than any other disciple, and was at Jesus’ side at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane.

He helped organize the Last Supper and played a major role in the events of the Passion.

When the Master was arrested, he cut off the right ear of a slave of the high priest Malchus and then denied Christ three times as the Lord predicted. Peter then “went out and began to weep bitterly”.

After the Resurrection, Peter went to the tomb with the “other disciple” after being told of the event by the women. The first appearance of the Risen Christ was before Peter, ahead of the other disciples, and when the Lord came before the disciples at Tiberias, he gave to Peter the famous command to “Feed my lambs.... Tend my sheep.... Feed my sheep”.

In the time immediately after the Ascension, Peter stood as the unquestionable head of the Apostles, his position made evident in the Acts. He appointed the replacement of Judas Iscariot; he spoke first to the crowds that had assembled after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; he was the first Apostle to perform miracles in the name of the Lord; and he rendered judgment upon the deceitful Ananias and Sapphira. Peter was instrumental in bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles. He baptized the Roman pagan Cornelius, and at the Council of Jerusalem he gave his support to preaching to Gentiles, thereby permitting the new Church to become universal. Imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa, he was aided in an escape by an angel. He then resumed his apostolate in Jerusalem and his missionary efforts included travels to such cities of the pagan world as Antioch, Corinth, and eventually Rome.

According to rich tradition, Peter was crucified on the Vatican Hill upside down because he declared himself unworthy to die in the same manner as the Lord. He was then buried on Vatican Hill, and excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica have unearthed his probable tomb, and his relics are now enshrined under the high altar of St. Peters.

This Day In History

American Bandstand

American Bandstand first aired on the ABC network on Monday, 5 August 1957, becoming one of a handful of local origination programs to broadcast nationally. Initially, the program ran Monday through Friday from 3:00 to 4:30 P.M., EST. In 1964, Clark moved the production of American Bandstand to California, cutting broadcasts to once a week.

In 2004,  Dick Clark, with the help of Ryan Seacrest, announced plans to revive the show in time for the 2005 season; although this did not occur (due in part to Clark suffering a severe stroke in late 2004), one segment of the revived Bandstand—a national dance contest—eventually became the series So You Think You Can Dance.  While the American series has aired eight seasons, its format was also replicated worldwide, from Norway (Dansefeber) to Australia (So You Think You Can Dance Australia).

I can remember watching American Bandstand every Saturday morning for years. So You Think You Can Dance is one of my favorite shows and I did not realize until I read this article that Dick Clark had a part in that show. He is really a talented guy.



Here's a clip from a 1969 American Bandstand show of one of my favorite's - Stevie Wonder!



Marilyn Monroe is found dead

On August 5, 1962, movie actress Marilyn Monroe is found dead in her home in Los Angeles. She was discovered lying nude on her bed, face down, with a telephone in one hand. Empty bottles of pills, prescribed to treat her depression, were littered around the room. After a brief investigation, Los Angeles police concluded that her death was "caused by a self-administered overdose of sedative drugs and that the mode of death is probable suicide."

This Day In History . . . .

On August 4, 1944, Anne Frank was discovered hiding with her family and sent to concentration camp; only Anne's father survived. Here is one of her many quotes:

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

Also on this day, Lizze Borden's parents were found murdered. Strangely enough, Lizzie Borden was charged with one murder of Andrew Borden, one murder of Abby Borden, and a murder charge for both of them, totaling three charges of murder. she was never convicted. She was 67 years old when she died of complications following a gall bladder surgery on June 1, 1927.

Sleep, that deplorable curtailment of the joy of life. -- Virginia Wolfe

How can I have a couple days a week like these guys?

The Long and Winding Road . . . .

 

Listen to this song by the Beatles while you look at the pictures below of real winding roads. Amazing!

Atlanterhavsveien - Norway

The Atlantic Road this road has been voted as the top end of the construction of the century of Norway the top world, the road looks rough, uneven and  8.3 Km long (5.2 mile) The Atlantic Road is part of the road County Road 64. The Atlantic Road is located between the Kristiansund and Molde city (follow the map below) in the central region of Norway in the Norwegian language known as a road Atlanterhavsveien. The Atlantic Road was first of the ranking of "the world's best road trips!" from The Guardian book is a popular tourist route with beautiful scenery, especially at high tide or low tide. Suitable for fishing. Especially cod fish.

Los Caracoles Pass - Mountain Andes

Los Caracoles is road that through the rougher terrain in the mountains Andreas Andreas Mountains continuous network from the mountains Andes is a path between Argentina and Chile are winding up and down the slope of the mountain wave-like Without a vertical steel to prevent falls road in any way. Throughout the year the road was covered with snow. Is very challenging to pass through. A road that requires very careful in driving. But the statistics are incredible roads with high security. Very few accidents.

Oberalp Pass road - Switzerland

The Oberalp Pass is a road that cuts through the spectacular alpine Swiss Alps in Switzerland. Connection between the central part of the country with the Graubunden Oberland region is a famous road that is well known in Europe. The Oberalp Pass will be opened only summer. the top world in winter, the road was closed due to snow covered roads and the ground itself will be used for skiing or sled for the trails.

Trollstigen Road
Trollstigen, in the heart of Romsdal, is one of the best visited attractions in Norway. The mountains which encircle the Trollstigen road are enormous.

The Ease of Weighing a Giraffe

What a great giraffe!!! Just hanging out getting weighed. Not causing a scene. Looks quite content actually.

I took my dogs to the vet a couple of weeks ago and our Ella dog turned the whole visit into a dramatic event. She started off fighting getting on the scale and it went downhill from there. There was flopping all over the floor when they tried to just check her out and forget it when shot time came. They had to take her out of the room so Kobi dog would stop freaking out and making Ella dog even more dramatic in her floor flopping. Who would have thought that it was easier to weigh a giraffe then an 80 pound black lab.

Weekend Getaway

Three hours northeast of Lafayette is a quaint little getaway called South Haven, Michigan. And this past weekend I was lucky enough to be able to "get out of dodge" and spend time there with Bob, Katelyn, Matt, Angela and Leah. Unfortunately, Jason and Erica were not able to join us this year, but we are hoping they can next year! Anyway, what a beautiful little town. Here are a few pictures of the town and where it is located. I have a TON of pictures that I took so as soon as I have a couple of hours :) I'll get them posted.

It was a great time!!!!!!!

Indy International Wine Competition At Purdue

I walked over to the Memorial Union on campus this morning and upon walking in the doors was overcome with an overpowering smell of . . . . wine! Right now in one of the ballrooms, there is a wine competition going on. It is a really neat site to see dozens of tables with "scientist looking people" messing around with wine. The final judging will be tomorrow between 11:00-12:00. I may have to mozey back over for that.

Here'e the article:

The 20th Indy International Wine Competition, an event that will be open to the public, will be held next week at Purdue University.

Along with products from Hoosier wineries, nearly 3,000 entries from more than 40 states and 12 countries will be represented in the competition organized by the Purdue Wine Grape Team.

"We have strong competition from all over the world, and Indiana's wines have been quite successful against them," said Christian Butzke, professor of enology at Purdue and chief judge for the competition.

Last year, 28 Indiana wines won 227 awards. The white wine of the year honor was won by a 2008 Traminette from French Lick Winery.

This year, top awards will be presented to the wine of the year, white wine of the year, red wine of the year, sparkling wine of the year, rosé wine of the year, winery of the year and winemaker of the year.

"In the future, we will be able to give more information than simply 'bronze, silver or gold,' " Butzke said about the streamlined scoring possibilities. "We can give judges' perceptions of the wines back to the commercial winemakers. They may be able to see how they compete with others and better understand consumer preferences."

The general public is invited to attend judging from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on two days -- Wednesday and Aug. 4. The final tasting, from 11 a.m. to noon Aug. 5, also will be open to the public. All activities will be held in the ballrooms of the Purdue University Memorial Union.

Results from this year's competition will be available at http://www.indyinternational.org/

10 Smelliest Animals

Who would have ever thunk that some of these animals stunk? This is a hilarious video!

This is beautiful

This is so amazing. This beluga whale is dancing along with the marachi players. How beautiful!!!