Woman HIt By Lightning While Praying

‘I’m blessed. That’s the good news,’ she says
AP News
Updated: 3:27 p.m. ET May 30, 2006

DAPHNE, Ala. - Worried about the safety of her family during a stormy Memorial Day trip to the beach, Clara Jean Brown stood in her kitchen and prayed for their safe return as a strong thunderstorm raged through Baldwin County.
Suddenly, lightning exploded, blowing through the linoleum and leaving a pockmarked area on the concrete. Brown wound up on the floor, dazed and disoriented by the blast but otherwise uninjured.
"I said, 'Amen,' and the room was engulfed in a huge ball of fire," she said. "I'm blessed to be alive."

Brown, 65, was hit by a bolt of lightning that apparently struck outside and traveled into the house Monday afternoon. She doesn't know how much time passed while she remained disoriented on the floor before Jamie Matthews, her 14-year-old granddaughter, discovered her after returning from the beach.
"I was just standing there when a huge ball of fire engulfed this whole room. I don't remember much after that," Brown said hours later as her family helped clean her home. "Concrete was everywhere."

Brown was at home alone when the storm hit, while her husband, James Brown, was at the store and her son and his family were on their way back from the beach.

James Brown said fire officials told him lightning likely struck across the street from the couple's home and traveled into the house through a water line. The lightning continued into the couple's backyard and ripped open a small trench, James Brown said. Pieces of concrete were scattered throughout the family's kitchen — ruining day-old brownies sitting on the stove.
"Never in my life did I think something like this could happen," James Brown told the Press-Register in Mobile. "I always thought if you're in a house that you're safe. That's not the case."

Mrs. Brown said paramedics suggested she go to the hospital, but she chose to stay at home with her family.

"I'm blessed. That's the good news," she said.

Michelle Malkin Says It Best

"There are countless numbers of anti-war zealots on the American Left rooting for failure. They believe the worst about the troops. They've blindly embraced frauds who've lied about their military service and lied about wartime atrocities. They've allied themselves with socialist kooks and coddled murderous dictators. They are looking for any excuse to pull out, abandon military operations and reconstruction, and impeach the president.

They insist on giving suspected foreign terrorists more benefit of the doubt than our own men and women in uniform.

And that, I know, I am not willing to do.
I will wait. I will pray.

And I will remind you that while the murder of civilians is and remains an anomaly in American military history, it is the jihadists' way of life. "

Dark Green Lowest Prices/Red is Outrageous

From Our Buddy James Taranto at the WSJ

A Washington Post magazine article on "global warming" includes this howler:

James Hansen, the prominent NASA scientist, points out that the models don't realistically include ice sheets and the biosphere--all the plants and animals on Earth. The global climate surely has more surprises for us. . . .
Hansen thinks we have less than 10 years to make drastic cuts in greenhouse emissions, lest we reach a "tipping point" at which the climate will be out of our control.
Someone might want to take Hansen aside and explain that the climate has always been out of our control.

Thanks, Lucianne

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,

Jesus Christ and the American G.I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Thank them both today.

The Stench of Florida's Criminal Justice System

COMMENTARY - The Schiavo Case: Anatomy Of A Cover-Up June Maxam of the North Country Gazette continues to keep score. This commentary covers much more than the Schiavo case. Long but worth it.

How Is It That It Isn't Raining In St Cloud?

Beautiful Brookie in Brown

Lucy Update and Stuff

Lucy seems to be a bit improved. Cory and I gave her aspirin and we're limiting her activities. By the way, the family is fine. Dwain and I are attending a birthday dinner at an Orlando restaurant for Donnie's mother, Rhonda. Rhonda is 50. I wonder if SHE'S having hot flashes and waking in a pool of her own perspiration? Aging is one of my least favorite things. Danielle and Cory's plans are in the air, maybe Danielle cooking dinner at our house. I figure she might as well get familiar with the layout. Cory and Danielle will be staying here with us after the wedding until Cory's graduation. Danielle finishes her student teaching internship in the Fall.

A Beautiful Day in Downton O-Town

A few scattered, but welcomed showers. Hot and humid. Welcome to Florida!

Speaking of Doggies

TYLER, Texas -- Melissa Lanier's pet dog, Piglet, shows her colors in support at the 7th annual Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's Race for the Cure 2006, in Tyler, Texas. Piglet is 14 years old, and herself a canine survior of breast cancer. (05/16/06 AP photo)

Saturday Morning

This morning I spent my time fretting a bit over Lucy. She's having some problems. She's either bruised a muscle, doing heaven-knows-what or else her hip joints are giving her pain. Lucy hasn't been quite herself all week. Moving slowly, not interacting with family as much, not hopping on chairs and people as normal. I know hip dysplasia is common in Cocker Spaniels, but Lucy is only estimated to be 6 years old. (They told us she was 3 when we adopted her from the Pet Rescue in 2003.) Reading on the Internet this morning, problems with hip joints can occur in dogs as young as 6 months. We're just hoping it's a muscle thing and not a joint thing.

Brooke Washed Her Dog & Looked What Happened

Just kidding.

Just Because It's Beautiful, A Nice Dream

A view of the summits of the Apuan Alps, Italy.

Compare Sizes

samson3
Originally uploaded by peaumpkin2.

This is Samson. This is a computer mouse. Four pounds isn't big, is it?

Praying For Rain (Nothing Tropical, Please)

A Job Interview Gone Terribly Wrong

This was too funny from the BBC.
Because of a studio mix-up, Britain's BBC interviewed a man applying for a job instead of the computer expert the reporter thought he was.
On the day Apple Computer Inc. won a lawsuit over the Beatles' Apple Corps, BBC business reporter Karen Bowerman thought she was interviewing an expert on music downloads named Guy Kewney.
In fact, she was talking with Guy Goma, who was at the studio applying for an information technology position.
After a moment of confusion and a wince, Goma answered Bowerman's questions.
Watch the video here.

Confessing

Okay, I've been watching WAAAAY too much television. My blog has suffered, along with the housekeeping, socializing and various other aspects of real life. But, what's a gal to do?

Here's the deal: for YEARS I've made fun of people who were glued to their TV sets on Tuesday and Wednesday nights watching American Idol. And don't let me get started when they talked about it at work like it was reality. I hooted, I hollered, I doubted. (Shaking head slowly...) Then last year, my family's addiction to AI became even stronger watching Carrie Underwood win. I watched a few shows last season, never expecting to really care one whit this year.

Brother, was I wrong. From the very beginning this season I have been hopelessly transfixed. American Idol should come with suitable warnings about its' power to addict. Now that my favorite Elliott has gone home, I'll still watch. But don't expect me to watch next year. It's too big of an investment.

Man vs. Gator in Doral, Florida

700 Pound Gator Caught In Doral. It took Hardwick three hours to capture the alligator, which at almost 12 feet long is the biggest gator caught this season.Watch the video here.

Discovery Rolls Out

Shuttle Discovery is rolling out to its launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center today amid growing optimism the mission will be ready for a July 1 liftoff.

The Bird Flu Strikes Florida

(Courtesy my pal Connie)

Find The Bean Counter

(Courtesy my dad)

How To Tell You're Driving Too Fast