Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving tradition begs that we consider all the good that surrounds us and give thanks for all we have. This is my list this year

1. My growing up too fast children-  How can Liz be 21? John is nearly 13- and the years are just flying by.
2. My healthy new body- I am in better shape now, after surgery twice in the last 14 months, than I can remember being since my days in the Peace Corps when I was walking miles every day and eating healthy every day.
3. My beautiful house- Improvements and positive equity are nothing compared  to the sense of peace I have when I am home.
4. My large network of amazing friends- The support and love are constant reminders of my blessed life
5. My work in the EB world- I know I make a difference, and making a difference matters. I work with some of the most incredible families, medical providers and scientists. We get closer every day to my dream world where EB has no place.
6. My huge wonderful family-Getting home to Ireland after such a long time was an amazing thing and I love that I can sit down with my cousins after years and it is as if no time has passed- My family rocks!

Looking at my life I can't help feeling awestruck by all the gifts God has given me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

DWTS: Champions of the Mirror Ball

Bethany Mota and Derek Hough  were the first couple sent home Monday at the end of night one of our two part finale and our final four became three...

Janel Parrish and Valentin Chmerkovskiy were the next to be eliminated... I had hoped they would take the trophy... oh well...

Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas became our runner-up couple, but they should be so proud of all they accomplished.

Alfonso Ribiero and Witney Carson took the trophy. Just like Meryl did last year... But having danced professionally, do they have an advantage over folks like Sadie, that the show was created for?  People who don't dance becoming dancers?

Next season starts in March. See you then...

Homestead: A 1st Time Champion and a host of goodbyes

4 drivers who were Rookie of the Year when they came to NASCAR are battling for their first Championship.

Harvick, the oldest of the chasers, won in 2001
Newman beat out Jimmie Johnson for it in  2002
Denny did it in 2006
Logano, our youngest chase contender, won in 2009

I hope Denny Hamlin wins and but  would be elated if underdog Ryan Newman wins.

Jeff Gordon was our pole-sitter and our contenders started in 4th (Harvick) 8th (Hamlin) 9th (Logano) and 21 (Newman)

We are saying goodbye today to ESPN- this is the last NASCAR event they will cover, as next season NBC and Fox will split the season. Thirteen of NBC's races are on NBCSN, a channel I don't get, so I will miss a third of the season- disappointing.

We also say goodbye to Marcos Ambrose, who returns to Australia, and Steve Letarte, who will move from Junior's crew-chief  to broadcasting next season. Jimmie Fennig is also acting as a crew chief for the last time- he retires at the checkers tonight. Steve Burns, suffering from a cancer relapse, is absent tonight but on everyone's mind.

At the restart on lap 111 we have our chasers as follows:


Harvick is in 2nd place
Denny is in 3rd place
Joey is in 5th place
Ryan- our biggest mover, is up to 8th place

At the restart with 55 laps to go, Denny raced from 2nd to 1st, with Harvick in 3rd, Joey in 6th and Ryan in 11th.

But cautions change things...


In the end, a late caution let Harvick have the lead,  and he won the race and his first Sprint Cup Championship. Newman in second place in the race and the championship was so close and yet so far. Denny placed third with his seventh place finish and Joey Logano was 4th with his finish of sixteenth, after his car slid off the jack, a poor showing not reflective of his year as a whole.

Congratulations Kevin!

The Great War

From the 28 of July, 1914 to the 11th of November 1918, the world was at war. What started as an assassination became a battle between world powers and redrew the map of Europe.

Two armies that fight each other is like one large army that commits suicide. 

French soldier Henri Barbusse, in his novel "Le Feu", 1915

100 years have passed since war was declared and losses were huge: The total number of casualties in World War I, both military and civilian, was about 37 million: 16 million deaths and 20 million wounded. The total number of deaths includes nearly 10 million military personnel and nearly 7  million civilians. The number of Irish deaths in the British Army recorded by the registrar general was 27,405, according to wikipedia
 
My grandfather's brother John was one of them. he was killed in Northern France.

The First World War killed fewer victims than the Second World War, destroyed fewer buildings, and uprooted millions instead of tens of millions - but in many ways it left even deeper scars both on the mind and on the map of Europe. The old world never recovered from the shock. 

Edmond Taylor, in "The Fossil Monarchies"

The war was over- Hard fought for peace arrived, but at huge cost. The landscape of Europe was forever transformed. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist. New countries had borders decided on in a haphazard manner and stability was lost:

The old empires had provided a degree of stability, so many had trouble adjusting to life under a different rule, says Margaret MacMillan, professor of international history at Oxford University.

“Suddenly people throughout the Middle East and the center of Europe found themselves living in a world where they didn't know what country they belonged to; it wasn't quite clear what the borders of those countries would be; a whole lot of small wars were breaking out between different national movements trying to grab territory, and so it was in fact a very difficult time for people," said MacMillan.

The Great Depression rocked the world as it tried to recover.

Yesterday I visited the battlefield of last year. The place was scarcely recognisable. Instead of a wilderness of ground torn up by shell, the ground was a garden of wild flowers and tall grasses. Most remarkable of all was the appearance of many thousands of white butterflies which fluttered around. It was as if the souls of the dead soldiers had come to haunt the spot where so many fell. It was eerie to see them. And the silence! It was so still that I could almost hear the beat of the butterflies' wings. 

A British officer, 1919 

And before too long, these nations battled again across Europe. Inevitable? Some think the punishment of the Versailles Treaty made it possible for the Nazi Party to rise, making the Great War into World War I, by bringing on World War II.

The Second World War took place not so much because no one won the First, but because the Versailles Treaty did not acknowledge this truth. 

Historian Paul Johnson, 1972

I wonder what all those men and women would think of the European Union and the state of the world today. Do we make them proud or do they weep for all that was sacrificed to get us to this point.

We will have a 1st Time Champion in Sprint Cup

Newman pushed Kyle Larson up into a wall on the last lap and ended Jeff Gordon's Drive for Five. Gordon missed advancing by one point, Kenseth was three points back, Bad Brad was eight behind and Carl Edwards was out by 15. And that means we will have a first time champion next weekend at Homestead.

The Four still in the Chase are:

 Kevin Harvick finished        1^st

 Denny Hamlin finished        5^th

 Joey Logano finished           6^th

 Ryan Newman finished       11^th

 ^{Can't wait to see what happens!}

DWTS Season 19 Week Eight

Dynamic Duos night:  The couple with the highest score after the first dance wins immunity and cannot go home tonight. The rest will dance-off to give them bonus points.

Janel Parrish and Valentin Chmerkovskiy danced Contemporary as  Romeo and Juliet  and it was effortless and so beautiful ,  SO GOOD.   Bruno called it a juciy dance – “romance don’t come any juicer: extremely ambitious  yet gorgeous and glorious in every possible way” Carrie Ann stated “This was the perfect example of how abstract  movement can tell a story and elicit absolute pure emotion- epitome of what dance is about.”  Len continued the raves, saying “I knew you were a good dancer - tonight you’ve shown  me that you are a great dancer”  Juliann said it was simply breathtaking.  Their 40, A PERFECT SCORE won them  IMMUNITY, but they were not going anywhere.

Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas danced Contemporary as Adam and Eve and  WOW so I was impressed Len kept it simple, “ You are back next week- well done.”  Juliann absolutely loved it. “Maturity beyond what we have seen.”  Bruno told Sadie, “You have come such a long way my darling- the detail of the choreography and the difficultly- it is unbelievable how you did it. Amazing” Carrie Ann told her “I’m impressed- I think you nailed it” 38 

Alfonso Ribiero and Witney Carson did a Cha Cha as Batman and Robin and all I can say is he is a really good dancer- he actually leads his pro and is very good in this style. And how cool was he hanging on the zip line stuck with a too short ladder?!? Juliann said it was pure entertainment- so good and Bruno added Alfanzo rocks Gotham City, adding, “And you have got to be the hottest Robin I have ever, ever, ever seen.”  Carrie Ann stated, “There is something so right to watching you be Batman and you be Robin to Prince. Super smart.”  Len told the couple to “Get into your Bat-mobile and head into next week, well done.”  38

Bethany Mota and Derek Hough danced a Salsa as Lucy and Ricky and I must say I just love, love watching them dance. Bruno said “So convincing-  your versatility exceeds all my expectations.”  Carrie Ann said, “You are ridiculous, that was phenomenal.   Len won the comment of the night with “Hotter than a bull’s bum in June- sizzling out there- it was fantastic.” Juliann told Bethany, “Your journey this season has been my favorite journey.” 37

Lea Thompson and Artem Chigvintsev danced a very safe stiff Jazz as Bonnie and Clyde. Lea did what she does and nothing more. Len called them on it “You need to Risk it to get the biscuit. Safe won’t get you the mirror ball.” Julianne said the dance felt dated and like she had seen it before. Bruno felt it wasn’t “bad-ass enough” Carrie Ann did say Lea’s confidence is back but advised her to “dance into the ground” and less like a ballerina.  32

Tommy Chong and Peta Murgatroyd did a Paso Doble  as Johnny Cash and June Carter.  Tommy missed time and was clearly tired- his injury showed. Carrie Ann talked of their magic mojo and the  incredible connection Tommy has with Peta.  Lensaid it was “Like a hotdog- tasty never sure of the content.” Juliann was kind, “You’ve come out and charmed us.”  Bruno told Tommy, “Peta keeps you alive.”  26

Michael Waltrip and Emma Slater did a Foxtrot to  “You’ll be in My Heart” as Tarzan and Jane and my thought as he was dancing was  “If Michael goes home, this was a lovely dance to finish with.”  Juliann complimented him that he was leading Emma. Bruno didn’t buy him as King of the Jungle, “More like the Lord of the garden center.” He went on to say Michael wasn’t long, smooth and gliding but it was a good try.  Carrie Ann told Michael he “improved so much- I am so proud of you. You run your own race and you run it with pride.”  Len, too, was kind. “The best I have seen you dance.”  25 

Dance-off rules: 3 points if you win your dance-off. The higher ranked team picked their competitor and then the chosen couple picked the dance from Jive, Cha Cha or Rumba. Once a style was picked, it was eliminated as a choice.

Alfonso Ribiero and Witney Carson  picked Lea Thompson and Artem Chigvintsev ,  they in turn picked the Jive since it was her best dance so far, but OMG Alfonzo and Witney rocked it! Winner:  Alfanso. 38 + 3 = 41

Bethany Mota and Derek Hough picked Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas who in turn picked the Cha Cha and WOW it was too close to call- even the judges were split. When that happens, Len’s vote, as head judge, is the winner. Winner: Bethany 37 + 3 = 40

That left Tommy Chong and Peta Murgatroyd  to dance Rumba against Michael Waltrip and Emma Slater. The clear leader was a suave Tommy. Winner: Tommy 26 + 3 = 29. 

And going home tonight : Michael Waltrip and Emma Slater, Which leaves Tommy at the bottom of the leader board and the likely elimination next week.

Texas brawling

It seems almost an afterthought that Jimmie Johnson won after Bad Brad hit Jeff Gordon and cut his tire down, moving him from racing for the win to a 29th place finish. And it was his 70th career victory in the Sprint Cup Series.

Brad and Jeff got into it on pit road and both were left bleeding after an impressive brawl between the teams, which saw a beat up Brad spitting out blood and Jeff with a cut lip. And was the Harvick who gave Brad a big shove towards Jeff?!?!

So our championship contenders are now ranked as follows:

Up by 13     Joey Logano  finished          12^th

Up by 13     Denny Hamlin finished        10^th

Up by 11     Ryan Newman  finished       15^th

Up by 1       Jeff Gordon  finished           29^th

Down by 1  Matt Kenseth   finished        25^th

Down by 1  Carl Edwards finished           9^th

Down by 5  Brad Keselowski finished     3^rd

Down by 6  Kevin Harvick finished        2^nd

^{Phoenix  is going to be a free for all- three will make it in on points- and as tight as the points are there is no telling who will still be in the Championship Chase at Homestead... NO IDEA!. Pretty sure it won't be Brad....}