The Value of A Second Language

If you'd only studied!

Signs of the Times

Yep, that's how I feel about roundabouts, too.


More very funny (and thoughtful) signs here. 

Update on Notre Dame

As you may have heard, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has suffered a horrendous fire.

The flames are out, thank God -- and the bell towers were saved. So were the rose stained-glass windows, though some sections were obviously damaged.

The 'before' version. From tripmemos.com, via Pinterest

Notre Dame is still standing. Sort of.

A number of artifacts cannot be accounted for, though many others were saved. A brave priest, among others, managed to grab a number of items, including a crown of thorns reputed to have been worn by Christ Himself.

Black soot and damaged beams are everywhere, particularly from the roof, where the fire seems to have started. Fire is not a respecter of anything.

Can they rebuild this 850-year-old beauty?

Of course...but it will not be the same. It will be something different.

* * * * * * * * * * *

During the late Seventies, I had a chance to visit Nuremberg, Germany -- including their cathedral. I had grown up in a Baptist church, which disdained such fripperies, and was awed by the building's lovely Gothic design, including its huge rose window.

From Gobeyondbounds.com, via Pinterest

To my surprise, at least part of the cathedral's back roof was open to the sky. Wartime damage, I was told, left unrepaired on purpose. As a reminder. (And, I suspect, an impetus for fundraising.)

Ironically, the following video says the church was repaired in the 1960s. That's not what I remember.



It's obviously fixed now.

via Pinterest

I wonder, since the roof is now gone, if this will happen to Notre Dame, too.

Tragedy At Notre Dame

Notre Dame is burning.


It has been undergoing nearly $7 million in renovations, and the fire is thought to have started somewhere in that area.

Thankfully, the bronze statues were removed last week, so they could be worked on. They're trying to save the artwork in the basement, as I'm typing this.

The roof and central spire have fallen in.

A spokesman is saying, "Everything is burning; nothing will remain from the frame."

That beautiful Paris cathedral...heartbreaking.

Update:  Sounds like they've slowed the fire down -- and the frame is still sort-of intact. Both towers have been saved.

Update:  As of early Monday evening Colorado time, the fire is largely out. (Thank God...and I mean that literally.) More was saved from the interior's central area than previously thought-  some, if not most, of the wooden pews are intact. See this link for more.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: The T---- Word

We are deep in the final steps of that great American pastime: TAXES. Papers are piled everywhere, and the calculator's getting a regular workout. This year, I wised up and used any year-end online statements I could find. In previous years, I laboriously gathered all the paper statements, then went through them, one by one. 
      The only problem with this approach: the computer doesn't always separate out items like it should. Sometimes the business restaurant meal (deductible) is lumped in with a trip to the feedstore. (Not deductible, darn it.) That means I still have to trudge down the columns to double-check numbers and totals...but at least it doesn't take quite so long as the paper method. 

      The end is near. 

Hopefully you've got a refund coming...

Instead of having to pay.

Don't forget -- there are good tax day freebies out there. You might as well take advantage of them.

The difference between pounds, shillings, sovereigns, pence -- and other English money. If you read older British novels, this website is most helpful.

Ten cases of people sporting odd colors. Including the green kids from Woolpit...no one ever figured out where they came from.   (Thanks, Listverse) Add to that this fun note:

Ten incredibly wealthy people you would NOT want to trade places with. There now...don't you feel better?

Ten beautiful DIY kitchens -- before and after photos included.  (From Emily Henderson)

Pizza bake.  A keto-friendly dish that sounds easy to make...and tastes wonderful.  (From Simply A Keto Lifestyle)

The five grocery label phrases shoppers waste the most money on.  (From Len Penzo)

Cheesemaking notes from a beginner's viewpoint.  Some day I AM going to start making my own.  (From A Better Whey) 

Lovely mansions of old-time Hollywood stars. Take note, Gentle Readers, that those same houses, while more than 'comfortable,' are not generally valued at the big bucks many modern celebrities are paying. (Okay -- Gene Hackman's was $27 million -- but that's what he sold it for in 2015.) Smart.

A beautiful quilt show in Pulaska, TN...and a bunch of very strange painted turkeys. Each to his own...

The ongoing story of a summerhouse -- built a little at a time from pallets, doors and other leftovers. I would love to try something like this. (From Life After Money)

Kim Kardashian plans to take the bar exam and become a lawyer. (According to the report, she doesn't have to put in any time in school -- just pass the exam. Why not?)

One of the first photos ever of a black hole. Wow.

More about the Chinese woman arrested at Mar-A-Lago.  And it ain't good.

Ten royal medieval recipes you can make at home.  (From Listverse) Also from them:

Ten amazing people who accomplished wonders -- without arms and/or legs.

 A Bigfoot encounter...at a rest area?   One of the creepier stories I've heard lately.

Bigfoot was also hanging around not long after Mount St. Helens exploded. Or so we're told.

A new (to me) British blogger: Crafty Cats Corner. If you're an embroidery admirer, scroll down through her posts -- she's doing wonderful work.

Cattle rustling -- today in Colorado. It's more common than you'd think.

What it's like to grow up with more money than you can spend.  Roy Disney's daughter tells her experience.

Ten real-life water oddities.  (From Listverse)

The story of a new baby...colt!  LOTS of photos.  (Thanks, Get Me to the Country)

Did you know Rob Gronkowski, who just retired from the Patriots, had 3 brothers who also played in the NFL...plus a brother who played professional baseball? His mom says she feels like she's retiring, too.

Crazy purchases twenty celebrities made after their first big paydays.

Imitation pulled pork -- from banana peels. She says it's "yummy." I'm not so sure.  (From Penniless Parenting)

Egg cups for breakfast -- these do well in the freezer, too.  (From Thrifty Mom in Boise)

Cherokee inscriptions from a few centuries back are finally decoded.

An old girlfriend, dressed in her own wedding gown, crashes her ex's wedding and begs him to take her back.  Really?? Maybe she's just a drama queen...or this was a setup.


Mail your taxes -- then have a great week.

Tax Day Freebies

    Are you grimly schlepping through papers and other flotsam and jetsam this weekend, Gentle Readers? If so, ease the pain with this list of Tax Day Freebies.

Here's another list, courtesy of the Internet.

We're thinking of taking advantage of Applebee's $1 Strawberry Margaritas, at the very least.


We're all going to need it.

Patience

Well. This has been one of the crappier weeks in our year, full of dental work, repairs needed on the trailer, and some rather scary financial moments. (Thankfully the latter have mostly smoothed out.)

Is God trying to tell us something?

Or are we having these 'teachables' to prepare for something wonderful in the future?

It's hard to say. 

Now on to finish up the taxes -- and hopefully have a weekend that's more peaceful.

Thankfully, He takes hold of us left-handers, too.