My World – The Governor’s Office

 

I want to take you back to the State Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan.  This week we’ll tour the Governor Jennifer Granholm’s office.  This is her public office.  Here she meets with the press and has meetings with the lawmakers.  Her private office is across the street in the George Romney State Office Building.

We can’t actually enter the office but there is a plexiglass half door so you can lean in and see most of it.  The doorknobs and hinges are even decorated with the state seal.

 

The crown molding and ceilings are very ornate.  When the building was restored, they brought everything back to its original condition.  The gold you see on the ceiling is actually gold leaf not just paint.

This is a hunt sideboard.  Our tour guide is showing us that all the doors are decorated with hand carved hunting scenes inside and out.

This is the table where the Governor meets with the public and lawmakers.  You can see thru the doorway on the right into her inner office.

For more views of our world, visit MyWorld.

Technorati Tags: MyWorld,Michigan

I Did It! Week #6

About 9 years ago, I finished the king-sized quilt that we now use on our bed.  It’s called Nana’s Garden.  It has 63 different fabrics in it.  I had it professionally quilted.  I really love this quilt for many reasons.  I love the precision required in the piecing and the shortcuts that made it easier than it looks.  I really got OCD about it because I didn’t want any two blocks to be exactly the same.  I like the light weight batting I chose so we can use the quilt for summer and winter.  Jillian inspected it for me when I first got it back from the quilter and gave it her seal of approval.  I hope you like it, too.

 

Won’t you join us?  Your I Did It! doesn’t have to be as big as this.  It could even have been done by someone you want to praise.  Head over to My Meme Mania to see what others have done and to share your link so we can visit you.  We’d love to have you play along!

Technorati Tags: I Did It! Monday,Quilts

Thank you, Entrecard Advertisers!

These lovely blogs advertised with me this week.  Go visit them.  You won’t regret it.

         

      

        

Technorati Tags: Entrecard

Flag Friday – Sri Lanka

I hope you are enjoying this series as much as I am.  I’ve learned so much about other countries.  If you have visited my blog and not yet seen your flag featured, please be patient with me.  Eighty-five different countries have visited me to date.  I’m posting the flags in the order they appeared in my Flag Counter widget in March of 2009.  And now for Sri Lanka….

Symbolism and Colors:

According to legend, Prince Vijaya, founder of Sri Lanka, arrived in the 5th century bc from Sinhapura (“Lion City”) in India. Since that time the Lion Flag has been the chief flag of the island’s Sinhalese majority, except in those years when Sri Lanka was conquered by foreign invaders. Britain established its control over the island in 1815 when it overcame the king of Kandy, forcing him to lower the Lion Flag on March 2, 1815. Independence was restored on February 4, 1948, and the same Lion Flag, based on a painting of the original, was hoisted in celebration. The Union Jack nevertheless also continued to fly until October 29, 1953.

The minorities on Sri Lanka felt that this flag represented only the majority Sinhalese. A parliamentary commission charged with examining the question finally proposed a new flag, which became official on March 2, 1951. The yellow border of the Lion Flag was extended around two vertical stripes placed near the hoist, green for the Muslims and orange for the Tamils (Hindus). A further change was made in the flag on May 22, 1972. In the corners of the crimson area behind the lion there had been yellow spires similar to those on the tops of temples. Buddhist leaders requested that these be replaced by leaves from the bo tree to recall that it was under such a tree that Siddhartha Gautama sat when he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha (“Enlightened One”). The flag of Sri Lanka incorporated further artistic modification of those leaves on September 7, 1978.

The above information is from this site.

The following information comes from the Flag Counter widget in my sidebar.  There is much more to be found there about geography, government, population, economy, and military.

The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C. probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in the ethnic conflict that continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006 and the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. In January 2008, the government officially withdrew from the ceasefire, and by late January 2009, the LTTE remained in control of a small and shrinking area of Mullaitivu district in the North.

Population: 
21,324,791 (July 2009 est.)

Languages:
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Colombo

Independence:
4 February 1948 (from UK)

Currency (code):
Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)

Technorati Tags: Flag Friday

Thursday Thirteen – Things That Begin With M

1.  Mercy – I’m so glad that God treats me with mercy instead of justice.  I’ve sinned and God says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23 (NIV)

2.  Mouth – I have a big one!  I’d like to get it around the ice cream in my TT banner above.

3.  Mandolin – A beautiful instrument.

4.  Man – This is the best one! 

5.  Mouse – Either a dirty pest or a human interface devide.

6.  MP3 Player – I do not have an iPod.  Or an i anything.  I don’t usually follow the crowds.  Besides, I prefer audio books to tunes so MP3 player is the way to go.

7.  Michigan – My home.

8.  Mythbusters – One of my favorite TV shows of all time.  Although, it would be nice if Jamie would trim the moustache a little bit.

9.  Mercenary – A soldier or fortune.  The word leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.

10.  Mother – My mom was terrific!  Alzheimer’s took her away from us a few years before she died.  It’s a terrible disease.  But now Mom’s in Heaven with Jesus and she has her mind back!  I can hardly wait to see her again!

11.  Meme – I’m crazy for memes!  I even have a separate blog dedicated to them!  Go see My Meme Mania.

12.  Marigolds – Another of my favorite flowers!

13.  Miser – Being a miser only brings misery.  Poor King Midas found it out the hard way!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wednesday Hero

Band Of Brothers


Something a little different this week. Instead of profiling a service member, Wednesday Hero will be profiling a movie. Band Of Brothers. It was a miniseries tha aired on HBO in 2001. It follows Maj. Richard Winters, Cpt. Lewis Nixon and the men of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, aka E-Company or Easy Company on their march to Germany. From their training to their battles at Normandy and Bastogne, their liberation of the Kaufering IV concentration camp to their taking of Hitler's Eagle Nest. A great cast and great writing make this one of the best war movies ever made. But it is graphic in visuals and language. And parts of it may be hard to watch, but it is worth it.

What the men of E-Company did will never be forgotten. They are the heroes that helped the cause of freedom.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

My World – Traverse City, MI

There are so many beautiful places in Traverse City.  I never tire of going there. 

  This family of Canada geese were enjoying a swim in the Boardman River.

Just half a block away is historic downtown.

Check out other worlds at MyWorld.

Technorati Tags: My World

I Did It! ~ Monday #5

Theme for this week: Something you’ve done to make your blog special.

I made a change this week that I’ve been enjoying.  I was dropping Entrecards and came across Cornymans Money-Blog.  He was discussing increasing traffic on your blog with Entrecard and some ways to make dropping cards easier.  I liked this idea so much more than others I’ve seen around the web because it does not discourage you from stopping to read the blog.  It just helps you find the Entrecard widget more easily.

Use this Pop-Up tool (for FireFox) from Dustin from Blogfiction.org which puts the EntreCard-Widget always in the upper left corner - no need for searching the whole page where the owner has hidden it.

I followed the link to Dustin’s blog.  Here are the 3 simple steps to easier dropping.

Here is what you'll need.

1. The Firefox Web Browser
2. The GreaseMonkey Add-On
3. Click on this link to install the EntreCard User Script

What this does for you is put the widget in the upper left hand corner of your screen.  If you find it’s in your way as you read the blog, there is a bar beneath the widget labeled ‘Move Back’.  When you click on the bar, it does just that.  It puts the widget back in its original location.

I’ve found this to be very helpful.  I can always find the widget right away and it doesn’t inhibit me from reading the blog.  If you’re an Entrecarder, I suggest you give this a try.  You’ll probably like it!

Technorati Tags: I Did It! Monday,Entrecard

Happy Fathers Day

This is the 19th Fathers Day since my dad passed away.  I still miss him so much.  He was such a great dad. 

Here are just a few of the reasons he was so great.

• He served our country during WWII.  He was in pilot training when the war ended and he was released from the Army Air Corp.
• He used to read to us every evening.
• My older sibs tell me that he was laid off during the winter when I was very small and he would get down on the floor and play with me.  I know this is true because he did it with my nieces and nephews and my daughter.
• Dad made the best grilled chicken ever.  He not only barbequed it at home, but at the Masonic picnics.
• He taught me to drive before I had drivers training.
• I got to go with him on the mail route when the weather was bad and he couldn’t drive from the center of the front seat.  He wanted me to drive, but that didn’t work so well.
• I never stopped being his little girl.  He helped with maintenance around my house that I couldn’t do myself until he was physically unable to do the work.
• We weren’t a demonstrative family.  We didn’t hug each other or say '”I love you”.  But I never doubted that love.  As my brother Chuck of Secondary Roads said at Dad’s funeral, the best gift a man can give his children is to love their mother.  And our dad certainly did that.
• This one is very personal.  I had a stillborn child.  The following Sunday morning, I wasn’t able to go to church with my husband and daughter.  After Mom had gone to church, Dad came over to visit.  We sat and talked about his childhood and fun things we’d done together as I was growing up.  He stayed until it was time for Mom to get home.  He never said “I love you”, but every word from his mouth and the fact that he was there was such an incredible outpouring of love. 

So, Dad, Happy Fathers Day in Heaven!  I love you very much.

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A Lovely Award and a Milestone

Rita T. at Writing With Wings gave me this lovely award way back on May 27th.  I’ve been terribly slow at acknowledging it.  It’s beautiful, and I’m honored to receive it.  Thanks Rita!

I can’t believe I missed a huge milestone on June 10th.  It was my 300th post!  I was having so much fun that I forgot to keep track of the numbers.  It’s sure been fun running this blog.  I appreciate all the awards and comments and friends.  I hope you’ll keep coming by to visit!  Maybe I’ll remember to celebrate 400 posts.

Flag Friday – The Kingdom of the Netherlands

2

Symbolism and Colors:

The national flag of the Netherlands is a tricolour flag. The horizontal fesses are bands of equal size in the colours, from top to bottom, red (bright vermilion), white (silver), and blue (cobalt blue).

The first Stadtholder, or ruler, of the Dutch Republic was William of Orange, who joined with Dutch nationalists and led the struggle for independence from Spain. Partly out of respect for him, the first flag adopted by the Dutch was a horizontal tricolor of orange, white, and blue. It became known as the Prinsvlag and was based on the livery of William of Orange.

The orange dye was particularly unstable and tended to turn red after a while, so in the mid-17th century, red was made the official color. The flag has flown since then, but was confirmed by Royal Decree only in 1937. As the first revolutionary flag, it has had a seminal influence throughout the world, particularly on the Pan-Slavic colors of Russia. Until about 1800, in the case of both the orange- and the red-striped versions, the number of stripes and their order frequently varied.

The above information is from this site.

The following information comes from the Flag Counter widget in my sidebar.  There is much more to be found there about geography, government, population, economy, and military.

The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.

Population: 
16,715,999 (July 2009 est.)

Languages:
Dutch (official), Frisian (official)

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Amsterdam

Independence:
23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)

Currency (code):
euro (EUR)

Technorati Tags: Flag Friday

Thursday Thirteen – Things That Begin With L

1. Lava Lamp – Yes, I’m that much of a geek.  I bought a lava lamp a few years ago while I was still working.  I ran it on my desk every day. 
2. Lightening – I love thunderstorms.  I would love to live on a hill with an unrestricted view so I could watch the lightening show!
3. Love - Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.   (I Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)
4. Lilac – My favorite flower.
5. Lilies – If you take the little pollen pods out they won’t upset your allergies!
6. Lavender – Beautiful and great for helping you sleep if you don’t use too much.
7. Laptop – My is still in the hospital.  I’m SO glad I have this desk top to see me through.
8. LED – Light Emitting Diode.  These are the lights we should be using instead of CFLs which are toxic if broken.
9. Life – Look, up in the sky!  It’s a game!  It’s a cereal!  It’s a gift from God!
10. Legacy – Presidents should look less to creating a legacy and more to doing the right thing for the country!
11. League – Let’s see… NHL, NFL, MLB which consists of the NL and the AL, League of Women Voters, Little League, The Big Ten….  That’s enough for now.
12. Leaf – From tiny to huge, from green to yellow to red or orange, leaves are beautiful things.  Or if you’re a Toronto hockey player, it’s Leafs. Now, those are some large leaves!  My head didn’t come up quite as high as the green curl near the bottom.
13. Lion – The king of the beasts!  One of Jesus’ names is the Lion of Judah.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wednesday Hero

Pvt. William Long
23 years old from Conway, Arkansas
D Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry
June 1, 2009


"My brother taught me valuable lessons and made me the man I am today," said Pfc. Triston Long, brother of Pvt. William Long. "My commander said, 'Make your brother one of us.' I will miss my brother with all that I am, and I serve in honor of him."

Pvt. William Long had just completed basic training and was set to ship out on June 8 to his first duty station in Korea when he and Private Second Class Quinton Ezeagwula were shot outside a Little Rock, Arkansas Army-Navy Recruiting Center by Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad. They were in Little Rock to speak to with potential recruits about their experiences.

Pvt. Long's father, Daris Long, a former Marine, wrote a letter to give to him when he shipped out for South Korea. In that letter he wrote, "Your day only ends when you’ve done your duty. You and your brother … are both heroes for having the moral courage to stand up when your country needs you most. You are in my hopes and my thoughts and my prayers. You are my son, you are my hero. I love you. Semper fidelis."

Along with his father and brother, Pvt. William Long is survived by his mother, Janet, who had served in the Navy herself.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From RedState, Sipsey Street Irregulars & Army Times with help from Kathi

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

I Did It! Monday – I Finally Read This Book

Torn Apart: The Heartbreaking Story of a Childhood Lost
(Against Medical Advice)

(2008)
A non fiction book by

Hal Friedman and James Patterson

Cory Friedman woke up one morning when he was five years old with the uncontrollable urge to twitch his neck. From that day forward his life became a hell of irrepressible tics and involuntary utterances, and Cory embarked on an excruciating journey from specialist to specialist to discover the cause of his disease. Soon it became unclear what tics were symptoms of his disease and what were side effects of the countless combinations of drugs. The only certainty is that it kept getting worse. Simply put: Cory Friedman's life was a living hell.
AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE is the true story of Cory and his family's decades-long battle for survival in the face of extraordinary difficulties and a maddening medical establishment. It is a heart-rending story of struggle and triumph with a climax as dramatic as any James Patterson thriller.

This has to be the most inspiring book I’ve ever read.  This young man learned by going through hell on earth that he could survive and even thrive.  But he had to depend on himself.  No one could do it for him. 

His monumental courage was amazing.  There is hope for others who suffer from this debilitating disease.  In the epilogue, Cory’s father mentions a surgical procedure that shows great promise.

If you read nothing else this summer, read Torn Apart (a.k.a. Against Medical Advice).

Technorati Tags: Books

Flag Friday - India

Symbolism and Colors:

The Indian flag is a horizontal tricolour in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom.  In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the Sarnath Lion Capital. This center symbol or the 'CHAKRA',  is a Buddhist symbol dating back to 200th century BC.

Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes, which intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. The saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white, for purity and truth; the green for faith and fertility.

The design of the National Flag of India was adopted by India's constituent assembly on 22nd July, 1947. It's use and display are regulated by a code.

The flag symbolizes freedom. The late Prime Minister Pandit Nehru called it a flag not only of freedom for ourselves, but a symbol of freedom for all people.

The above information is from this site.

The following information comes from the Flag Counter widget in my sidebar.  There is much more to be found there about geography, government, population, economy, and military.

Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated onto the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkic in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons testing in 1998 caused Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption.

Population:
1,166,079,217 (July 2009 est.)

Languages:
Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9% note: English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the most widely spoken language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language (2001 census)

Government type:
federal republic

Capital:
New Delhi

Independence:
15 August 1947 (from UK)

Currency (code):
Indian rupee (INR)

Technorati Tags: Flag Friday

Thursday Thirteen – Things That Begin with K

 

1. Kite – Is it a bird?   Or a glorious flying fabric shape?                 
2. Knife – I love my Cutco knives.
3. Kitten – My kittens have grown into cats now, but here is Chloe as a kitten.
4. Knight – Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad….
5. Kin – I have the best kin!  I love my family.
6. Kit – Another dilemma.   A young pigeon?  Or all you need to make a work of art?
7. Kid – A kid playing with a kid!                                                                                      
8. Keyboard – I have an ergo keyboard I currently using as my laptop is in the hospital.  I was surprised a few years ago how easy it was to transition.  And it held off the carpal tunnel surgery for a couple extra years.
9. Kilt – Guys sure look cute in a skirt, don’t they?                                                     
10. Kiln – It’s amazing what ugly pieces you can put into a kiln and have them come out beautiful.
11. Key – I’ve pared down to only my car and house on my key ring.  It’s so much easier than juggling every key I own.
12. Ketchup – There IS only one kind.  Heinz.
13. Kettle – Versatile and indispensable  during pioneer times, it’s main use now is to make yummy popcorn.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants