Magical Moment 532, "Trapped in the Tower"

There's an old legend at my alma mater, the University of Nebraska, that someone once got locked in the clock tower. The clock tower today is automated, and plays a tune every hour. But they say that back in the old days, there was an organ up there. Well, the organist was trapped inside, so as a call for help, he played "Rescue Me" repeatedly on the organ until someone noticed and found him. (Or something like that, it's been a few years since college folks!)

The lap top is my organ. My bedroom is the clock tower. I've been held hostage in my room for hours, with no release in sight! We've broken a temperature record, with the heat index at 115 F (46 C). My number one complaint about northern NJ (besides the traffic), is the hundred year old buildings that lack any kind of temperature regulation. So we survive the seasons on radiators and window air conditioners (I know, outrageous, right?!). Last year was our first summer here. On June 1st, Eddie and I drove straight to Home Depot and picked up the largest window air conditioner in existence. It cooled our living room and dining room area with ease. This summer, it was doing pretty well. Until today. The hottest day on record.

With no hope of repair until tomorrow, I've had to make due. The flimsy "Window Air Conditioner that Could," in our bedroom is on full blast, with a fan in front to help circulate the air. The door is closed. The lights are off. I've captured Emily the cat and Joy the dog, who are sitting on the bed with me. All 3 of us bored out of our minds. I did the laundry. Made the bed. Dusted the surfaces. Organized my bookshelf. But I just keep thinking about what I should be doing! All those hours of piano practice lost, or vacuuming the living room, or something! And just when I gather the courage to attempt one of those tasks, I open my bedroom door and am confronted with a blast of heat, as if I were standing directly behind the engine of a C-130. I mean, just to go to the bathroom, I had to stick my face in the sink! I should mention that Eddie is gone until midnight and he took my car. Mmmm hmmm. So I really am stuck!

We don't have a TV in the bedroom. My laptop speakers are useless, so TV or movies on the laptop is out of the question. It's too hot to sleep. Way too hot to eat. So what does a girl do when she's out of all entertainment options? Well I noticed something when I cleaned off my bookshelf...BOOKS! Oh my goodness, I never knew I had so many! Strange things, these books. They're made of paper and have words printed on them. The words form some kind of story!

So I suppose my task for the rest of the day will be to choose a book...one that I've held onto for years thinking, "I bet that's a good book" then forgot all about, and...drum roll please...READ IT! Maybe, just maybe by the time I'm done, my handsome Prince Eddie will return from work and rescue me from this tower...scratch that. Maybe the electrician will come rescue me from this sweltering heat!

What about us?! We can't read!!!!!!!

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le...

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-...

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