I Love lol cats!

Thanks, Entrecard Friends

A big thanks to this week's advertisers!  Go visit them.

 

 

Which New Profile Picture Should I Use?

We recently had our picture taken for a new church directory.  Here's the new picture.  We really like it.  And before you ask why MWH does not have on a tie and jacket... This is the real Rick.  He doesn't look like himself in a tie and jacket and only wears them when they are required.  Isn't he gorgeous?!

The new picture got me thinking about changing the profile picture on the blog.  I put one up of just me, but then I thought that I should include MWH since he completes me.  So I'm asking you to vote.

My original picture taken in February 2004.

The new (heavier) picture of just me taken in October 2009.

The new picture of me with MWH.

Please use MckLinky below to vote for which picture I should use.

Flag Friday - Republic of Korea

Symbolism and Colors:

South Korea's flag pictures a red and blue Yin-Yang symbol, red (yang) on top, blue (yin) on the bottom, in the center of a white field. Four groups of three long and short black bars (called kwae) surround the central circle. South Korea's flag was adopted on January 25, 1950; the flag is called Taegukki (which means, "Great Extremes"). 

  The white in this philosophical flag represents peace and purity. Symbolically, the Yin-Yang symbol represents opposites; it is the belief that all things in the universe have two, opposite aspects that cannot exist without the other. The kwae trigrams are from the I Ching; the broken bars symbolize yin (dark and cold) and the unbroken bars symbolize yang (bright and hot). The four Kwae represent: heaven (three unbroken bars), the Earth (three broken bars), water (one unbroken line between two broken bars), and fire (one broken bar between two unbroken bars). The Kwai trigrams are placed in such a way that they balance one another, heaven is placed opposite Earth, and fire is placed opposite water.

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.

An independent Korean state or collection of states has existed almost continuously for several millennia. Between its initial unification in the 7th century - from three predecessor Korean states - until the 20th century, Korea existed as a single independent country. In 1905, following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a protectorate of imperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a colony. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (the DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il. In October 2007, a second North-South summit took place between the South's President ROH Moo-hyun and the North Korean leader. 

Population:
48,379,392 (July 2008 est.)

Languages:
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Seoul

Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)

Currency (code):
South Korean won (KRW)

Technorati Tags: Flag Friday

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• The Pilgrims who came to this country looking for freedom to practice the religion of their choice
• The Founding Fathers who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to bring this country into existence.  
• The men and women who have served and continue to serve our country in all branches of the military.  They gave their lives to make and keep this country free.  If each of us lined up to say thank you it would never be enough.
• The men and women who have and continue to serve us all here at home.  The firefighters, police, EMTs, and others who give so much to keep us safe and pull us from dangerous situations.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

What are you thankful for?

Wednesday Hero

Rear Adm. Ned Deets


Rear Adm. Ned Deets speaks with Frank Chebatar, president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, at the conclusion of the base consolidation ceremony. The two bases consolidated to form Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Fort Story.

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.

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• Growing up in the US at a time when kids were still allowed to be kids
• My brother who threw a softball tirelessly so I could learn to bat - or at least try
• Visiting my grandparents who lived in northern Michigan.  They lived out in the boonies and it was way cool.
  
• Living next door to my other grandparents.  We did puzzles and played dominos and ate cookies!

What are you thankful for?

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• Parents who loved each other and the four of us kids.
• Siblings that love each other and don't fight - at least since we've grown up.
  
• A beautiful daughter, terrific son-in-law, and amazing grandchildren.
• The best in-laws imaginable.

What are you thankful for?

Silver Bells in the City

Silver Bells in the City is an annual event in Lansing to kick off the holiday season.  The major events are the Electric Light Parade, the lighting of the state Christmas tree, and fireworks.  There are lots of other small things going on downtown, too.  It's the largest event of the year. 

I've always wanted to watch the parade, but it seems that every year it's very cold and windy.  This year it was pretty nice.  The temperature was in the mid 40s so my feet and hands didn't freeze.  Another complication with going to a parade is that MWH is claustrophobic and standing in the crowd about does him in.  But we decided to go this year.

MWH took the pictures because my attempts all came out blurred.  Here are just a few of the floats we saw.

We had a great view from the 4th floor of one of the parking ramps downtown.  No crowds for MWH!

 

 

This is a model of a beautiful historical home on the north side of Lansing.  It's a beautiful place to visit.

 

Poor Santa had to be towed.  That's a HUGE wrecker.

 

 

I liked this one a lot.  The reindeer are all lifts.  The one in front has a red "nose"!

 

I hope you enjoyed the electric light parade!  You can click on the pictures to see them larger.

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• Water - creeks, streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, rain, ice, swimming pools....
• Skies - beautifully blue, gloomily overcast, menacing clouds, feathery clouds, super cells....
• Hills - low rolling, foothills, mountains....
• God - who made them all...,

What are you thankful for?

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• This week's Entrecard advertisers (scroll down to previous post)
• Everyone who visits and comments on this blog
• My church family and my Pastors
• God who knows my every thought and motive and action and loves me anyway.

What are you thankful for?

Thanks, Entrecard Friends

A big thank you to all my advertisers this week.  Go visit them!

 

 

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• a great time at the Electric Light Parade
• audio books
• dead tree books
• the book of Psalms - it's one of my favorite books inside my favorite book.

What are you thankful for today?

Flag Friday - Taiwan

Symbolism and Colors:

The Taiwan flag was officially adopted on October 28, 1928.

The white sun on the blue field was the Kuomingtang party flag, and the rays represent two hours of each day. The red field represents the Han Chinese race.

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.

      

In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the local population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.

Population:

22,920,946 (July 2008 est.)

Languages:

Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects

Government type:

multiparty democracy

Capital:

Taipei

Independence:

Currency (code):

New Taiwan dollar (TWD)

Technorati Tags: Flag Friday

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• Clean water to drink
• Clean (mostly clean) air to breathe
• Plenty of food to eat
• God's grace and mercy

What are you thankful for?

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• Church choir - I love to sing, but not a solo!
• My DVR
• Soft, sweet kitties who love to cuddle
• The Bible - the instruction manual, a love letter from God to me

Wednesday Hero

Staff Sgt. Dennisur Thompson


Staff Sgt. Dennisur Thompson, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, overcompensates a left turn while on a driving simulator as a part of the Save a Life Tour in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army

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.

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• My most wonderful husband
• Our Select Comfort bed
• The new gas meter to replace the one that developed a leak
  
• God who...
• listens when I cry
• saves my tears in a bottle
• comforts me
• loves me

Spongy Jumping

Jeanne Robertson is one of the funniest women alive.  I've seen her in person and nearly split I laughed so hard.  I hope you enjoy this video.  A good laugh will make you feel better!  (BTW, Left Brain is her husband.)

Today I Am Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for...

• Laughter
• Family 
• God's never ending love
• Ice cream

What are you thankful for?

Today I Am Thankful For...

I found this challenge at Short Stories in the Making.  The challenge is to post something you're thankful for each day between now and Thanksgiving.  I think it's such a great idea that I've decided to participate.  If you'd like to join in, just grab the picture and give it a try.  Link back here and leave a comment so I can come read what you are thankful for. 

There are so many things to be thankful for.  I think I could go until Thanksgiving next year and still only scratch the surface.


Today I'm thankful for...

• My blogs and the new friends I've made online.  
• Football.  The local High School is in the state quarterfinals and my friend's son is one of the star players.  And Michigan State became bowl eligible this weekend!
• Beautiful sunny weather that's much warmer than normal for November in Michigan.
• And most of all, I'm thankful for Jesus and all he's done for me and in me.  

What are you thankful for?

Entrecard Friends

Thanks to this week's Entrecard advertisers.  Go visit them!