Holy Thunderstorm Batman! Or is it...??

Just as I was getting ready to settle in onto our deck for an evening of reading and writing...this is what started to creep up into sight...

Talk about putting a damper on one's evening of outdoor enjoyment!! We stayed and watched the sky change for a good twenty minutes and eventually the winds picked up and the smell of rain took over however, as of yet, it appears to be all bark and no bite!

We will keep you posted though if it manages to live up to it's creepiness!!

Pathways to Peace...

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."
- Matthew 5:9

www.pathways-to-peace.com

Cubs or Pork Chops...

I just received this recently from a friend via email and thought that it was too amazing not to share...

In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born pre-maturely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger, after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother.

The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species.

The only "orphans" that could be found quickly, were a litter of wiener pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger.

Would they become cubs or pork chops???

Happy Summer Solstice...

When the sun came up at 5:14am this morning...it became the Summer Solstice of 2006 and as far as I'm concerned...a day that is highly overlooked and under rated by the those living in North America. June 21st (TODAY!) is the day in which the sun's rays strike one of the two tropical latitude lines, marking the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and simultaneously heralds the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere.

Traditionally, we would get between 15-20 hours of sunlight today depending on where you are located in the world, with the exception of those residing north of the Artic Circle, who will get 24 hours of daylight and those south of the Antartic Circle who will have 24 hours of darkness (ouch! That's what you get for living so far away from a Starbucks!!!).

"Solstice" is derived from two Latin words: "sol" meaning sun, and "sistere," to cause to stand still. This is because, as the summer solstice approaches, the noonday sun rises higher and higher in the sky on each successive day. On the day of the solstice, it rises an imperceptible amount, compared to the day before. In this sense, it "stands still."

The Summer Solstice has been celebrated worldwide for centuries and being the longest day of the year, I think that everyone should take advantage of such a special day! Pagans celebrated the Solstice with bonfires in hopes of generating sympathetic magic: giving a boost to the sun's energy so that it would remain potent throughout the rest of the growing season and guarantee a plentiful harvest. In Sweden, a Midsummer tree is set up and decorated in each town. The villagers dance around it and women and girls would customarily bathe in the local river because it's a magical ritual, intended to bring rain for the crops. In ancient times, people used to celebrate the solstice by sacrificing their pets but, I suggest opting for a more laid back means of taking in the occasion!!!

When I was a little girl we used to celebrate the summer solstice by staying up way past my bed time to enjoy the added hours of sunlight but now that I'm a big girl...the novelty of staying up past 8 o'clock just doesn't have the same thrilling effect as it once did! However, I would suggest maybe getting up at dawn and having your eggs sunny side up or making a quick visit to Stonehedge if you happen to be in the neighborhood!!! Or how about taking the day off work to lounge in the sun (but don't forget your sunscreen!)?!?!?

Whatever you choose to do...you have until 8:54pm tonight to enjoy it! So, Happy Sunshine!

photo credit: London Heritage

Congratulations Matt & Kate...

One of the many very fun plans that we had during "May Madness" (as we laughingly call it!) was to attend Matt and Kate's wedding in Chatham. Not only was it such an honour to be invited but, few fairytales truly match up to the story that these two have in their back pocket!

I don't know the details well enough to brave telling it but, let's just say that after being asked who amongst his friends Matt would most like to marry...he said Kate (and they weren't even dating at the time)!! Honestly, they are just too cute for words!

Personally, I don't know either Matt or Kate very well but, after spending time getting to know their friends and family at their wedding, I can confidently say that both of them are people of very strong character and integrity. They are both just so lovable and kind, and above all things, not only are they very faithful people but, they are very faith-filled people. It was just so beautiful to watch.

Kate looked extraordinary...truly one of the most beautiful brides ever and their entire wedding exuded grace and class. Aside from watching them exchange their vows and the twenty-six (that's right...twenty-six!!!!) different desserts they offered after dinner, their absolutely amazing "U2-rock-the-house-bring-you-to-your-feet" version of Amazing Grace was merely one of the many things that made their wedding so memorable.

Thanks for the great time guys and Congratulations!!

Matt & Kate Korpan

May 27th, 2006

Happy 29th Birthday Steve...

Stay Tuned...

Okay...I admit it...I've been slacking on my blogging responsibilities. Not only have I not quite gotten over the Senators loss in round two (again!) but, our schedual has just been so full of summer time funness that it has left limited time for blogging about all the funness.

But fear not, I have come to realize that the summer fun needs to be shared with the world in order to fulfill it's blogging destiny!

So stay tuned for updates on the many 2006 excursions to date:

• Alexander May 2-4 visit
• Family Trip to the Detroit Zoo (with some overly frisky animals and curious young nieces and nephews!)
• Korpan wedding (dum dum da dum..)
• Anniversary/Birthday night out at Cirque du Soleil

So much to blog about and so little time...