Alabama Tornadoes, April 27th

I pretty much watch the news two to three times a day and very little has been said about the devastating tornadoes that ripped through Alabama this week. On April 27^th the deadliest outbreak of tornadoes since 1932, hit the city of Tuscaloosa, one of the heaviest hit cities where there were 228 confirmed deaths and 900 were injured. The death toll from six states impacted by the storms include, 33 in Mississippi, 34 in Tennessee, 15 in Georgia, 5 in Virginia, 2 in Louisiana and 1 in Kentucky. A total of 328 deaths were reported by late Friday. Tuscaloosa, and other cities, have been declared major disaster areas by the President and FEMA will be providing aid for the area.

Why is it that not much is being reported on our news about this national disaster? Any time something like this happens in another country we hear about it for days. And yet, this occurred right here and did not receive the national attention it deserved. It’s really a shame that I have to get my news from Facebook and not the major networks. We should be informed about our citizens so we can reach out and help in any way possible, like we have done for foreign countries in their time of need. This is not just a local news story, it is a national news story. My regular television programming wasn’t interrupted like it is for every single event with breaking news. So many times it’s been interrupted by things much more trivial that could have waited till the 5 o’clock regular news. Here, they knew the path of the tornado, the force of it and the devastation it was about to cause. They had it on video (see below) as it approached, and yet the major networks were not broadcasting it as it was happening. They did not devote much time to it after, from what I saw either. And ironically, two days later, there were hours of nonstop coverage for the Royal Wedding. Something is not right with this picture.

In case you have not heard or seen what I am talking about, you can do your own research online or I have posted a couple of links below to give you an idea. I don’t know where our priorities are in this country. This is a national story that should have been shown from start to finish. I get the impression that it was mainly treated like local news. That’s just unacceptable.

Today I will pray for all who have lost their loved ones and homes and hope relief efforts restore some sense of normalcy to their lives soon. We are so quick to inform and to act when it concerns other countries, but when it concerns our citizens not so much.

LIVE Videos of tornado: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA7TKSHJ_wM (8 mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjVW0Du2ZIo&feature=player_embedded

Slideshow of damages: : http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/gallery/news/tuscaloosa-alabama-tornado-apr-27-2011

The Royal Wedding, Minus One

I woke up early, as I do every morning, but this morning I watched the Royal Wedding. Prince William marries Kate Middleton Wilt. She looked beautiful. West Minister Abbey is spectacular. The ceremony very traditional and proper, as you would expect. The couple rarely smiled throughout. It seemed very solemn, but after they left the church and got into their horse drawn carriage, they were beaming. I heard the cost of the wedding was 55 million and that did not include some additional expenses, which I cannot remember. The bride’s parents were allowed to contribute $165,000. The couple has three new titles bestowed on them by the Queen, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. As I sit here watching, for over an hour, only one thing comes to my mind. With one a million people there, and all the pomp and circumstance and extravagance, there is one thing missing…Princess Diana.

Diana should have been there today to see her son marry. Her death was tragic. I remember the day I heard of her accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. I turned on the radio and could not believe what I was hearing. It affected me deeply for some reason which I could not understand. I never followed her life or took any interest in the royal family. I could not help but be captivated by her fairytale wedding in July, 1981. She was a beautiful bride. I was just starting to plan my own wedding, and watching the wedding of all weddings was amazing. She gave birth to William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984. I guess I related to her somewhat because we were going through similar life experiences. I married in 1983 and had two girls in 1987 and 1990. I always heard about how she wanted to teach her boys to be aware of the suffering of others and took them with her to do charitable work. I admired her for her humanitarian works, she was a princess and didn’t have to walk through the minefields of Angola. She brought attention to so many causes worldwide.

One day I heard about her marital problems. I started paying more attention. In 1995 she was interviewed and responded to all the rumors that had been circulating for years. I found it heart breaking how she spoke of three people being in her marriage from the beginning. She said, even as she walked down the aisle, that her gut was telling her this wasn’t right, but felt powerless to stop it. She spoke of how she loved Charles, but he never gave up on Parker Bowles. It was plain to see that she was being honest. She was hurt and sickened over what was done to her. She won my sympathy and compassion. I felt the royal family and Charles, took this young girl of 19, and swept her off her feet just so she could produce heirs to the throne. When her job was done, she was discarded, like an old dish rag. Charles went about his business with his mistress and the royal family never really gave her the respect and love she deserved. It struck me as being so sad.

When I heard the news of her death, my heart broke on the spot. She was so young and beautiful. She was tricked in to a marriage and robbed of the best years of her life. She had two young boys 15 and 13, that she could not finish raising. In my mind, Charles and his family had killed her. But for them, she would not have been out being chased by the paparazzi. She would have been home, with her family, where she belonged.

I spent the 31^st of August, 1997, crying and even sobbing at times. No one knew what was wrong with me. I couldn’t explain it. My heart was broken for her and for her children. I have never been that affected by the death of someone I didn’t know. But, Diana had touched my heart and her death had broken it.

So, while today is a happy day for her son and I am happy for him, I cannot help but think of his mother. As a mother, I cry for her today because she was robbed of this occasion and so many others. I know she is watching from heaven, but she should have been there today.

May God Bless Prince William and Kate and I am sure they will be assigned a special angel, in Diana, to watch over them.

Lindsay Lohan...Crime After Crime

Well, I get the impression that Lindsay is trying to turn over a new leaf with her little speech on Jay Leno. She intends to earn back people’s trust and respect.

I couldn’t believe she is only 24. Seems like she has gotten in enough trouble, over and over, to be at least 30 by now. How did she manage to get into so much trouble and have a career all at the same time? She has had quite a few scrapes with the law and faced a judge so many times I lost count. She has had DUI’s and accident and then pops into rehab like some people stay at a spa. She leaves rehab and heads out to the next party. She violates parole, goes to the Cannes Festival and says she couldn’t come back because someone stole her passport. She makes a mockery of the judicial system. But all that’s not enough.

In February of this year, she decides to steal a piece of jewelry. They have it on tape. She wears the very same necklace a week later. They say it’s felony grand theft. They say it violated her probation. What does Lindsay say? Does she accept responsibility? Or does she say the charges are bogus and that she only “borrowed” the necklace? Right, she borrowed it.

However, last night she was on Jay Leno. She said a few words accepting responsibility for her actions and got a standing ovation! Very nice. Except for her motivation. Why all of a sudden is she repentant and ready to change? Maybe it’s because she is up for a part in a John Gotti, Jr. movie? A chance to reignite her career big time. John Travolta has the lead role. Between Travolta and the storyline about the mob, it could be a real money maker. The fact the industry has lost respect and confidence in her may play a part too. At 24 she could easily be washed up as an actress. So she has every reason to try to redeem herself now. But, will she? If the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, she has a mountain to climb. I will have to really see it to believe it.

If you want to see a real acting job, check out the link below, where Lindsay plays the role of her life on the Jay Leno Show.



http://www.ology.com/celebs-and-gossip/watch-lindsay-lohan-gets-standing-ovation-leno

Marlo Thomas

I forgot how much I loved Marlo Thomas. I watched her back when she was “That Girl” and I could relate to her as the girl next door, wholesome, pretty, silly, coy, naïve…what’s not to love. The show aired from 1966 to 1971 and she played the quirky Ann Marie who was dating Donald. She developed the show about an up and coming actress and it wasn’t until recently that I learned she was the creator and executive producer of the series and very much in control of everything that went into making it.

Maro has done dozens of things after “That Girl” ended, including marrying talk show host, Phil Donahue. But, I think I respect her most for carrying on her father’s work with St. Jude’s Hospital, which he opened in 1962. I saw a video where Marlo talks of how her father made a pack with God. The family was going through some hard financial times and Danny Thomas had very little money and no prospects of finding work. He was down to his last seven dollars and he put it in the church collection plate, but worried because he would soon have hospital bills from the birth of his new baby. He said a prayer that he needed ten times what he put in the collection plate and the next morning was offered a job paying $75. Later in life, he prayed to St. Jude for guidance and direction and if he would answer his request, Danny Thomas promised to build a shrine to St. Jude. In less than a year his career gained momentum and he was making a lot of money. He never forgot his promise to St. Jude. He raised the fund necessary to build St, Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital which today is a world leader inn cancer research and treatment for children. No child is ever turned away.

But, the hospital must raise enormous funds each and every year to keep up it‘s work. When Danny Thomas was nearing the end of his days, he spoke to his children and told them that they did not have to continue his work with the hospital. It was his promise to St. Jude, not theirs. But, they decided they would continue their father’s work and Marlo has a very important role in that endeavor. The hospital website shows all the remarkable work they are able to do with the money that is raised. There is really no other hospital like it and children come from all over the world to be treated there.

Marlo Thomas also has her own website where she discusses woman’s issues, has resources there and things of interest to read and watch. I recommend checking it out, link below, and also liking her Facebook page.

Marlo Thomas has always been America’s sweetheart, and she still is.




http://www.facebook.com/#!/MarloThomas
http://marlothomas.aol.com/

Soap Operas, A Thing Of The Past

I grew up watching soap operas. Every day the television went on at lunch time and the families of As The World Turns, The Guiding Light, The Edge of Night, Search For Tomorrow, The Young and The Restless, and the Bold and The Beautiful would come into my life. They were all aired on CBS in succession. I watched babies grow up, people get old and die, attended marriages, shared holidays, and worried over their tragedies.

Soap Operas were popular because women were stay at home moms back in the day and their only adult contact came from the characters in these programs. They watched religiously. My mother wouldn’t dream of missing her “stories” and God forbid they were interrupted by breaking news, she would curse like a sailor.

There were days I came home from school and instead of her asking about my day, she was ranting and raving about how Dan Rather should drop dead for interrupting her stories. I wonder what she would have to say if she knew that one by one these shows were being cancelled after 30, 40 and 50 years? Search For Tomorrow and Guiding Light actually started on the radio and came to television first. When the were first aired, they were only 15 minutes long.

My mother and I had many lively conversation about our soap opera families. When I had school, she would fill me in on what I missed. Other times we would watch them together, it was our quality time, and something we enjoyed and shared. Soap operas were always on 5 days a week, 52 weeks out of the year, no reruns. That made for a lot of time for me and my mom.

I went back to watching a couple of soap operas last year. They did away with As The World Turns and The Guiding Light a few months ago, after 50 years on the air. The Young and The Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful are all I have left now. Nowadays, the plots move a long much faster than they used to. I guess that’s to keep viewer interest. As I watch them, I imagine conversations about what my mother and I would have to say about the characters and plot twists. So many of the actors are the same now as they were then. So it’s not too hard to reminisce.

I’m sure, one of these days, these last two soap operas will be cancelled too. It will be a sad day. But I am thankful that they outlasted my mom’s life. I hesitate to even think how she would have reacted to the news. Based on what she said about Dan Rather, I can only imagine the worst.

Happy Easter!

I just want to wish you all a very happy and blessed Easter. I hope you share your day surrounded by the love of family and friends, good food, and renewed hope.

I hope you all enjoyed hunting for eggs, opening baskets, and chocolate bunnies!

Please refrigerate your eggs, once cooked the shell no longer protects the egg. They can be stored in the refrigerator for one week.


Special Message: I am not a preacher, but I do want to say:

Easter is a special time. We have learned from the resurrection that God promises new life, new beginnings. Whatever trials and tribulations we are going through right now, there is hope for the future. God loves us unconditionally and He will see us through the storm. He has promised to be there with us and for us. He will provide support, encouragement, peace, and strength. Don’t be afraid to take the first step.

May you all be blessed.
　

Coping Skills

The last few days I have heard of so many personal problems, impossible situations, and sad and tragic events. I won’t use the word hopeless, because there is always hope, prayer and faith that we can and will get through these life crises. But how long can the human spirit hold on before it breaks? As a friend I feel helpless to do anything. Not every problem has an answer or solution. Not everything can be fixed. So we have to depend on time. Time is supposed to help us heal, allow us to search for other options, get support, help and encouragement where we can. But how much time does it take? No one knows.

So today I went searching for websites to pass the time or distract myself from all the heartbreaking situations I am hearing about. I went looking for coping skills. Ways we can manage and reduce stress. Anything we can do while we are waiting for time to work it’s magic and restore some normalcy to our lives?

The coping skills all sound so nice and simple. But the truth is, there isn’t much you can do when your world is falling apart. They say you need to eat healthy meals, but who has an appetite? Get plenty of sleep, but how do you turn off your brain from the thousands of thoughts racing through it? They say take deep breaths. When you are worried and anxious over a crisis, breathing almost feels like work. I sometimes have all to do to take in enough air to keep me alive. They say to maintain a normal routine, but how can you when everything is not normal. Find friends to comfort and support you…that’s great, but they can’t be with you 24/7 or maybe not when you need them the most. People have busy lives and almost everyone of them is dealing with something. And, they say to take up a hobby to distract you. Speaking for myself, I could not focus on a hobby in a time of crisis. I have all to do to put dinner on the table and have the laundry done. And sometimes, dinner is takeout.

These coping skills are great for some problems, the ones that can be fixed, like a leaky roof, car trouble, a backed up toilet. But they are too helpful when something catastrophic happens and you feel your world is coming to an end, like dealing with infidelity, loss of a loved one, a serious diagnosis. These things tend to consume our every waking moment with emotional turmoil, kill our appetites, and cause us countless sleepless nights. Those are the things we can use help for, but I didn’t find a set of coping skills for them. There is only time, words of consolation and prayer.

So if you know anyone going through something major or even suspect that they are, try to be there for them as much as you can be. We can all use a shoulder or two to lean on or to cry on when we are feeling at our weakest and most vulnerable. And who knows, one day the favor may be returned in kind.