Rainbows

GOD ALWAYS SENDS RAINBOWS AFTER THE RAIN

Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
there will always be sunshine,
after the rain

Perhaps you may stumble,
perhaps even fall,
But God’s always ready,
To answer your call

He knows every heartache,
sees every tear,
A word from His lips,
can calm every fear

Your sorrows may linger,
throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish,
in dawn’s early light

The Savior is waiting,
somewhere above,
To give you His grace,
and send you His love ..

Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
“God always sends rainbows
after the rain.”

Pastor Connie Ciccone

Photo courtesy http://1.bp.blogspot.com.

D-Day Prayer

My former pastor pointed out yesterday that on D-Day, President Roosevelt asked employers if they would give their employees the day off to pray for the troops.  Although the weather was questionable for an invasion on the Normandy beaches that day, although the Germans had panzer tanks ready, although the odds were stacked against them, the Allies went ahead with the invasion.  My pastor believes that it was prayer which gave them a much needed edge.  The weather co-operated.  Hitler's two top men were out of the country at the time and Hitler was still in bed with orders not to be disturbed.  Therefore the Allies were able to launch a surprise attack which was successful.  Here is the radio address that President Roosevelt delivered that fateful day.

My Fellow Americans:

Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer (my italics).  But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944

Photo of President Roosevelt reading D-Day prayer courtesy http://1.bp.blogspot.com.

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Sweden

My married name, Jonasson, is a Swedish name which means son of Jonas.  Today I looked up ten things you didn't know about Sweden. 

1.  Sweden is the third largest country in Europe with an area of 450,000 square kilometres.  Ninety-two percent of the land is rural, full of lakes, mountains and forests.

2.  By the early 1900's, 1.2 million Swedes had immigrated to the United States; today there are 10 million Swedish-Americans.

3.  Red houses in Sweden are very red due to the pigmentation from the copper mines.

4.  Sweden is the third largest music exporter.

5.  Sweden is considered the strongest trademark in the world.

6.  Swedes drink more coffee than all other Europeans except Finns.

7.  The Swedish flag comes from the coat of arms which has a blue shield and a golden lion.  Most Swedish gardens fly the blue flag with the gold cross.

8.  Sweden has between 300,000 and 400,000 moose, which cause many serious accidents.  In autumn, hunters kill 100,000 of these animals.

9.  Seven and a half percent of Swedes play golf (600,000).  Sweden has 500 golf courses, only surpassed by England in Europe.

10.  The Vikings were Swedish, a group of explorers, warriors and pirates who sailed around the world conquering other lands from the 8th to the 11th century.

Image courtesy http://2.bp.blogspot.com.

The Transcontinental Express

Photo of the Golden Spike circa 1869 courtesy www.nytstore.com.

"Express Train Crosses Nation in 83 Hours" read the headline on June 4, 1876.  The Transcontinental Express, from New York City to San Francisco, was in business. 

Back in 1800, Thomas Jefferson, who had never seen a train, had a dream of a nation stretching from "sea to shining sea".  He proposed using steam to propel a "carriage on wheels".  At the time, it took him 10 days to travel by stagecoach from Monticello, Virginia, the site of his summer home, to Philadelphyia, Pennsylvania, temporary home of the nation's capital (1790-1800). 

American pioneers took six months to cross the continent by Conestoga wagon along the Oregon Trail.  Although the West was largely unsettled in the mid-1800's, the landscape changed with the California Gold Rush which attracted many migrants, many of whom stayed.  Abraham Lincoln dreamed of a transcontinental railroad and signed a bill to that effect in 1863.   

The new railroad was built in large part by Irish immigrants (the Union Pacific section) and Chinese immigrants (the Central Pacific section).  It took six years to complete, hindered by the Civil War at first.  In 1869, the last spike, which was a "golden spike", was driven into the ground at Promontory Summit, Utah, where the two railroads met, amidst a cheering crowd, some standing on the desert floor surrounded by sage brush, others sprawled over and engine with bottles of champagne in their fists.  It was truly a historic moment.

The first trip across the continent, through the mountains of Appalachia, through the Mississippi Delta, through the Badlands of the Dakotas and through the Mojave Desert of Utah was a beautiful sight to behold for the passengers.  The black engine, complete with a "cowcatcher" at the front to clear the track of cows and other wildlife, puffed through the mid-West where buffalo once roamed. 

However, progress was still not fast enough for some.  Within 7 years, the Transcontinental Express was in operation, guaranteeing passengers a trip in three and a half days.  First-class passengers rode in plush velvet seats and slept in cozy sleeping berths and were served by attentive porters; for an extra four dollars, they could eat in a first class dining car. 

Third-class passengers, however, were not treated to the express train.  They rode in congested cars with narrow wooden benches which were shunted aside for the express train.  Their cross-country trip took ten days. 

The transcontinental railroad shrunk the United States to a manageable size.  It brought the population westward and several states were added to the Union.  Thomas Jefferson's dream of a nation from "sea to shining sea" was fulfilled.  

Photo of the Transcontinental Express circa 1876 courtesy www.littleblackstar.com.

Baseball and Writing

Fanaticism?  No.  Writing is exciting
and baseball is like writing.
   You can never tell with either
      how it will go
      or what you will do;
   generating excitement--
   a fever in the victim--
   pitcher, catcher, fielder, batter.
 Victim in what category?
Owlman watching from the press box?
 To whom does it apply?
 Who is excited?  Might it be I?

It's a pitcher's battle all the way--a duel--
a catcher's, as, with cruel
   puma paw, Elston Howard lumbers lightly
      back to plate.  (His spring 
      de-winged a bat swing.)
   They have that killer instinct;
   yet Elston--whose catching
   arm has hurt them all with the bat--
 when questioned, says, unenviously,
   "I'm very satisfied.  We won."
 Shorn of the batting crown, says, "We";
 robbed by a technicality.

When three players on a side play three positions
and modify conditions,
   the massive run need not be everything.
      "Going, going . . . "  Is
      it?  Roger Maris
   has it, running fast.  You will
   never see a finer catch.  Well . . .
   "Mickey, leaping like the devil"--why
 gild it, although deer sounds better--
snares what was speeding towards its treetop nest,
 one-handing the souvenir-to-be
 meant to be caught by you or me.

Assign Yogi Berra to Cape Canaveral;
he could handle any missile.
   He is no feather.  "Strike! . . . Strike two!"
      Fouled back.  A blur.
      It's gone.  You would infer
   that the bat had eyes.
   He put the wood to that one.
Praised, Skowron says, "Thanks, Mel.
   I think I helped a little bit."
 All business, each, and modesty.
        Blanchard, Richardson, Kubek, Boyer.
 In that galaxy of nine, say which
 won the pennant?  Each.  It was he.

Those two magnificent saves from the knee-throws
by Boyer, finesses in twos--
   like Whitey's three kinds of pitch and pre-
      diagnosis
      with pick-off psychosis.
   Pitching is a large subject.
   Your arm, too true at first, can learn to
   catch your corners--even trouble
 Mickey Mantle.  ("Grazed a Yankee!
My baby pitcher, Montejo!"
 With some pedagogy,
 you'll be tough, premature prodigy.)

They crowd him and curve him and aim for the knees.  Trying
indeed!  The secret implying:
   "I can stand here, bat held steady."
      One may suit him;
       none has hit him.
   Imponderables smite him.
   Muscle kinks, infections, spike wounds
   require food, rest, respite from ruffians.  (Drat it!
 Celebrity costs privacy!)
Cow's milk, "tiger's milk," soy milk, carrot juice,
 brewer's yeast (high-potency--
 concentrates presage victory

sped by Luis Arroyo, Hector Lopez--
deadly in a pinch.  And "Yes,
   it's work; I want you to bear down,
      but enjoy it
      while you're doing it."
   Mr. Houk and Mr. Sain,
   if you have a rummage sale,
   don't sell Roland Sheldon or Tom Tresh.
 Studded with stars in belt and crown,
the Stadium is an adastrium.
 O flashing Orion,
 your stars are muscled like the lion. 

Marianne Moore

Photo courtesy http://thegazette.com.

Queen Elizabeth II

Today marks the beginning of the diamond jubilee year of Queen Elizabeth II.  Her coronation took place on June 2, 1953.  Here are ten things you may not know about her.

1.  She has no passport.  Eventhough she has visited 160 countries, she doesn't need one as each passport is issued in her name.  She also has no driver's licence, although she does take occasional joyrides around her property.

2.  She has two birthdays.  Her official one is April 21, 1926.  However, in each Commonwealth country, her birthday is celebrated either in May or June.

3.  For safety reasons, during much of World War II, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret stayed at Windsor Castle or Balmoral Castle in Scotland, especially during the London Blitz.

4.  However, when Elizabeth turned 18, she begged her father to let her serve in the military and he acquiesced.  She trained as a mechanic and drove a military truck as part of the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service.

5.  Elizabeth paid for her wedding dress with ration coupons, given the war had just ended two years previously and Britain was hurting economically. 

6.  Elizabeth married her third cousin, a former prince of Greece and Denmark.  The bride did not take her husband's name, Mountbatten, but chose to remain a Windsor.

7.  Elizabeth sent her first e-mail in 1976, the first head of state to do so.

8.  Elizabeth was shot at while on horseback in her birthday parade in 1981.  Unruffled, she simply calmed her horse down and kept riding.

9.  In 1982, a stalker scaled a Buckingham Palace drainpipe and entered the Queen's chambers.  She simply engaged him in conversation for 10 minutes until a palace worker was able to apprehend him.

10.  Elizabeth is a keen horsewoman who keeps racehorses and occasionally visits Kentucky stud farms.

Photo of Queen on balcony of Buckingham Palace courtesy http://1.bp.blogspot.com.

How the Berenstain Bears Got Their Name

Image courtesy http://en.wikipedia.org.

Everyone has read the Berenstain Bears books with Papa Bear in his trademark overalls, Mama Bear in her blue dress with white polka dots, Brother Bear in blue overalls and red shirt, and Sister Bear in her pink overalls and bow.  However, few of us know how the Berenstain Bears got their name.  I assumed that the authors chose it; however, it was another author named Theodor Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss.

Theodor Geisel had his first book published in 1957 called To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Random House publishing (see my blog "From Madison Ave. to Mulberry St." dated April 29, 2012).  He continued to write books, but he also became an editor at Random House.  Phyllis Cerf, another editor, connected him with two of his early clients, Stanley & Janice Berenstain.  The artistic couple soon discovered that Mr. Geisel was just like one of his book characters, The Cat in the Hat:  as an editor, he was "charming, courtly and congenial" but also "demanding, dismissive and downright difficult".   

The first manuscript they presented him was published in 1962 as The Big Honey Hunt under the Beginner Books division.  However, Theodor Geisel suggested that everyone was writing about bears (Yogi Bear, Smokey Bear, The Three Bears, the Chicago Bears) and he proposed that they write their second book about another animal.  The Berenstain's chose a penguin; however, in the middle of writing it, Mr. Geisel phoned them to say that the Bears were selling like hotcakes.  The sequel, titled The Bike Lesson, was published as The Berenstain Bears, at the suggestion of Theodor.  The "master of rhymes" also shortened the authors' names to Stan & Jan without consulting them, although the change seemed workable. 

The Berenstain's continued to pump out books.  In 1974, Sister Bear was added to the series in the edition The Berenstain Bears' New Baby.  In the 1970's and 1980's, the couple made some television specials starring the Bears.  In 2000, Honey Bear was added in the edition The Birds, The Bees and the Berenstain Bears, her name having been chosen by a fan.  In 2003, the PBS television series debuted.  Today there are almost 500 titles in the collection, written in 23 languages.  Stan Berenstain passed away in 2005, but his son Mike joined his wife in writing new titles, many of which have Christian themes like The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule.  Son Leo is involved in the business end of the franchise.  Jan passed away this past February. 

For more information, read the Berenstain's autobiography Down a Sunny Dirt Road (2002).

Early photo of Stan & Jan Berenstain, married for 54 years, courtesy http://cdn.everyjoe.com.