A tree on the roof

So this week we had a little interruption to normal stuff. Early Friday June 26 (like 2:00 in the morning early) we had a pretty good storm here in KC. I heard there was a small tornado skipping down a nearby road – no confirmation on that though. But we did have a little drama here at our house:

tree branch that fell on the roof

And we were so lucky – the falling branch got gentled by other branches, and did not make a hole in the roof. We know a really good tree guy (as in, removal of) but he was booked solid, so my DH did the work himself. He’s a champ! The only other PITA was being without power for 2 days – and no internet for 3 days.

So now I’m playing catch-up. But you know? SUPER lucky.

(And by the way, that broken branch looked way bigger in person. Just sayin!)

Dame Helen Mirren Tony Award Winner

I know, this isn’t my usual. But I so adore Helen Mirren, I just had to applaud and add one more voice to the “You are fabulous” list of fangirls!

Read all about it here (and thank you to the Entertainment section of www.independent.co.uk::

Helen Mirren, Tony Award winner for Best Actgress 2015

Dame Mirren has already won an Academy Award for playing Queen Elizabeth – but this is her first Tony. I haven’t seen her performance – yet – but if I get a chance to get to NY I will definitely be in line!

P.S. And did I hear you ask, why do I love Helen Mirren? No, you probably already know. But I’ll say it anyway. Not only is she a great actor – and gorgeous – but she seems to have fun. And like herself. Talk about a great role model!

Tippi Hedren is now my hero

I’ve always loved watching her. “The Birds” and “Marnie” come to mind first, and while I think I would’ve run screaming (how appropriate) from Alfred Hitchcock as a person, he did make good films. And Tippi Hedren has always been a classy actor.

But I didn’t know till recently what a terrific role model she is, as well!

I recently read a very informative article from the BBC about Miss Hedren:

Tippi Hedren
“How Tippi Hedren helped Vietnamese refugees get jobs and establish an industry in the US”

Please go read that article – it is inspiring! In short form – in the mid 60s, she realized that displaced Vietnamese women, homeless because of the war, needed not just charity – but jobs. She established a school that taught the women sewing, typing, and most importantly – nail care and fashion. It worked so well that by now, 51% of the nail technicians in the U.S. are Vietnamese.

Ms. Hedren wasn’t just sympathetic to their plight. She DID something to help. Truly a hero!

P.S. And her other, very personal cause? is the Shambala Preserve, a sanctuary she established to care for abandoned and orphaned exotic big cats.

Like I said – a class act!

The Challenger

It’s January 28, and of course I’m rememering the Challenger.

This pretty much says it all:

The Challenger astronauts - civvies here

Why did I put that pic first? Because before they were astronauts – even more important than that they were astronauts – first they were just people. Courageous, outrageous, fun-loving, silly, ordinary people. Well. Maybe not ordinary.

And here’s the official one:

The official Challenger Crew pic

Yes, they are heroes. Not because they died. That was just – stuff happens. Bad stuff happens. They were heroes because they wanted to go, and worked for it, and knew it was risky, and WANTED to go.

So this is for Greg Jarvis, Christa Mcauliffe, Ron McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnick, Dick Scobee, and Michael Smith. Thanks, guys. You’re not forgotten. R.I.P. and God bless.

Captain Phillips is rescued!

Woo hoo! I don’t know details yet but it doesn’t matter – we’ve rescued Captain Phillips!
Check out Drudge Report or Yahoo News.

Back to our regular programming shortly 🙂