30 years ago tonight...give or take a couple days...

30 years ago tonight, I was preparing to watch the NCAA men's (I don't think women's games were televised back then. If they were, right or wrong, nobody cared... ) basketball championship between the Indiana State Sycamores and the Michigan State Spartans.

Starring in the event were Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. I attended ISU from 71-75, but Larry Bird wasn't there yet. That year, ISU had not lost a game when they entered the tournament and ended that season with a 33-1 record. Needless to say, at the end of the evening, I was heartbroken and have hated Michigan State ever since. Later, after Bird and Johnson went to Boston and LA, respectively, when Boston and Bird won his first NBA championship, Larry said, "This one's for Terre Haute".

From Wikipedia: "Bird led the Sycamores to the NCAA championship game in 1979, his senior season, only to lose to the Michigan State University Spartans, who were led by his future NBA rival, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The Sycamores finished the season 33–1. That year, Bird won the USBWA College Player of the Year, Naismith and Wooden Awards, given to the year's top male college basketball player. After his three seasons at Indiana State, he left as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Bird finished his collegiate career with an average of 30.3 points per game. He is on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Century Team. The Boston Celtics selected the 6'9", 220-pound Bird 6th overall in the 1978 NBA Draft, even though they were uncertain whether he would enter the NBA or remain at Indiana State to play his senior season. Bird ultimately decided to play his final college season, but the Celtics retained their exclusive right to sign him until the 1979 NBA Draft, because of the NBA's "junior eligible" rule that existed at that time (allowing a collegiate player to be drafted when the player's original "entering" class was graduating and giving them one calendar year to sign them, even if they went back to college). Shortly before that deadline, Bird agreed to sign with the Celtics for a US $650,000 a year contract, making him at the time the highest-paid rookie in the history of the NBA. Shortly afterwards, the NBA draft eligibility rules were changed to prevent teams from drafting players before they were ready to sign. The rule is called the Bird Collegiate Rule.

Larry Bird's impact on the Celtics was immediate. The Celtics were 29–53 during the 1978–79 season, but with Bird the team improved to 61–21 in the 1979–80 season, posting the league's best regular season record. Bird's collegiate rival, Magic Johnson, also had entered the NBA in 1979, joining the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1980, despite a strong rookie season from Johnson, Bird was named the league's Rookie of the Year and was voted onto the Eastern Conference All-Star team (an honor he would receive for each of his 12 full seasons in the NBA). For the 1980 season, Bird led the Celtics in scoring (21.3 points/game), rebounding (10.4 rebounds/game), steals (143), and minutes played (2,955) and was second in assists (4.5 assists/game) and three-pointers (58). Though Boston was beaten by the more athletic Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference finals that year, Bird's addition to the team had renewed the promise of Celtic glory."


PAUSE PLAYLIST FIRST...
Here is a you tube clip which has this documentation: "In the highest rated game in the history of televised college basketball, Michigan State gave Indiana State their only loss of the season as the Spartans won the 1979 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship by a score of 75-64. The game was a showdown between two future NBA Hall of Famers, Magic Johnson of Michigan State and Larry Bird of Indiana State. Johnson was named the Most Outstanding Player.

The whole game was on TV last night. I couldn't watch it. Even after 30 years, the ending is just too painful!!!

I have NO IDEA what was up with this pose!



What a GREAT Boston Celtics team this was!!! Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish. They were so much fun to watch...





Here is Sports Illustrated's take on the 30th anniversary...For me, it is wonderfully well written. Here is an excerpt: "The 1979 NCAA championship by itself didn't create the world we live in today. We would have gotten here from there eventually. But as we celebrate the 30-year anniversary, we can look back and wistfully recall that this was the moment when March Madness began, when the basketball world was transformed by two of the most-gifted performers any sport has ever produced.

"The college game was already on the launching pad," the late Al McGuire once said. "Then Bird and Magic came along and pushed the button."

Because they did, we're still watching."


The only other championship game that thrilled me this much (believe me, there have been other memorable championship games) was when the North Carolina State Wolfpack UPSET Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde "the Glide" Drexler, and the "Phi Slama Jama" Houston team with a SLAM DUNK at the end. But that could be a whole 'nuther post. (That is the game that CBS always showed the late coach Jim Valvano going crazy at the end as they started each "March Madness" game.)

Enjoy tonight's game...I'll be sitting this one out. Michigan state...Nah. North Carolina...give somebody else a chance for a change...

My 100th Post

I am surprised I even remembered I was gettting close to my 100th blog post!!! A lot has happened since my first blog post on Saturday May 24, 2008. Thank you to Pastor Kris and Mindy Pfohl for welcoming me to "Blogland" way back then!

We have discussed politics, religion, football, parenting, celebrated birthdays and passed tests. We have shared prayer requests, flea market finds, recipes, movie reviews and even the weather. I thought a long time about what to share for my 100th post. This is what I feel I wanted to share most...A tribute to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, via the Christian rock group "Third Day"...(Believe me, a few years back, the words "Christian Rock Group" used in the same sentence would NOT have worked...LOL)

First of all here is Third Day's (and Caedmon's Call's) rendition of "God of Wonders". {AS ALWAYS, REMEMBER TO PAUSE MY PLAYLIST OVER ON THE RIGHT FIRST!} (Sorry about the inconvience of that, but my whole life's journey in music is pretty much on that playlist...)




That video reminds me of the series Pastor Kris preached on about just how really HUGE our God is...


Next up is a personal favorite entitled, "Mountain of God"







And last but not least, for all you "rockers" out there...here is Third Day's LIVE version of "Creed" by the late Rich Mullins (who was from a neighboring county here in Indiana, BTW, for any out of state readers.) For this one...CRANK IT!!! lol






I have enjoyed visiting "Blogland" for the past few months and meeting like minded people...and even those not so like minded. I hope to be able to share, as well as learn from others, in the future.

Thanks and love to all my "blogging buddies"...GOD BLESS!!!

UPDATE to last American Idol post...contains videos by Michael, Megan and Lady GaGa...whoever she is???

ETA: I don't know why I didn't think about this at the initial posting...below are the links to the losing performances from the last 2 weeks:



I meant to post every week as the contestants were eliminated one by one. I missed doing it last week, so let's start with the elimination of contestant # 10. (Keep in mind that ALL of these folks will be going on the tour this summer.)



Michael Sarver, the 27 year old oil rig worker from Jasper, TX and father of 2 got the least amount of votes during Motown week. His version of "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" PAUSE PLAYLIST ON RIGHT FIRST!
just didn't cut it with America or the judges who chose not to use their new "one per season save" vote. (Listening to it again, I remember that I thought he did great and did everything Smokey Robinson [the Idols' mentor that week] told him he needed to do!)



Michael had a decent voice, IMHO. Country may be his forte. At work, we called him "Teddy Bear".

Now for the best news of the whole American Idol Season 8! 23 year old Megan Joy from Sandy, Utah...AKA "Caw Lady" was FINALLY voted off last night!!! Sorry if anybody reading this actually liked her voice...How she made it to the Top 10 (and therefore the tour) is WAAAY beyond me. To me, her version of "Turn Your Lights Down Low" was the equivilent of nails on a chalkboard. (Plus, the girl has NO rhythm!!! It was just sad...) PAUSE MY PLAYLIST FIRST!!! {Click on the link...I can't get the video to imbed...} After you watch it...see what I mean????




According to Fox News.com, "Megan’s exit came as a surprise to absolutely no one, including Megan, who went all Jerry McGuire on everyone and told Simon she “didn’t care” about his opinion, before even hearing the results. {Simon later told her if she didn't care, then neither did the judges and it didn't matter how she "sang for her life", as Ryan tells them they must do in order to be considered for the "save vote"...that there was absolutely NO WAY they were going to save her. OUCH!}
A half an hour later we were listening to “Home Sweet Home” and reminiscing about Megan’s “journey” on "American Idol." But what was way more interesting was her journey to the bottom three.

Unlike most people who mope on over to the dreaded stools, Megan opted instead to flap her arms and loudly squawk as she made her way across the stage. The move was probably meant to be reminiscent of her performance of “Rockin' Robin,” a few weeks ago when she cawed at the end. Sadly the strange sounds and body movements just ended up being reminiscent of all her performances."



At least she is going home to her 2 year old son, Ryder, which seemed to make her very happy. But that tour is long and grueling...I wonder if she will be able to take him with her. She is a beautiful young lady and as much as I think she shouldn't quit her day job, she DID make it to the top 9 of American Idol without even being in the bottom 3...go figure!

As strange as the show was, THIS made it even weirder. Some chick named "Lady Ga Ga"...I must be showing my age...sang some song called "Poker Face" that just left me with my mouth hanging open in disbelief. She looked rather strange as well. Had an open zipper over one eye. I could not find that picture, but this is close...



Again, according to Fox News.com, "Still, even with all the antics and bizarre facial expressions, Megan seemed tame compared to Lady Gaga. The 23-year-old pop star came out looking like a drag queen from outer space, playing a clear piano filled with pink bubbles."

American Idol, you sunk to an all time low with this one, me thinks... (sorry about the poor quality)

"Bluegrass Beatles", Clean Windows, the President and God...

OK, a "random-type" post while listening to the President's press conference...

First of all, "Bluegrass Beatles", because I have had this picture saved for quite awhile now with no place to use it...



...until Jim found this You Tube video the other day. {AS ALWAYS, PAUSE MY PLAYLIST OVER ON THE RIGHT FIRST}




Now for the "clean windows" part of the post:

The windows over our kitchen sink face the west and as I was doing dishes last night, I remarked how dirty they were. When I came home from work tonight, imagine my JOY AND RAPTURE at finding Jim had spent the day cleaning almost ALL our windows! I almost burst into tears...it was such an unexpected delight! Thank you, Honey!!!



As far as President Obama's press conference...



Sorry...it is just that I put my confidence in NO MAN, or governmental system. Democrat or Republican. As you all know, I was a Ron Paul supporter in the last election. Turns out, if I were living in Missouri, that would be just ONE of the MANY REASONS that I would be considered part of a modern militia group.




Just keep spending, Washington. The mint can keep printing them out (even though there is nothing there to back up all those bucks) as fast as you can give them away. Relax. Next week's G20 summit will bring us one step closer to our 'global economy' that you all want in place. And by the way, you all think you are so slick about it. How many of you know it has been in the works since before God breathed his Spirit into the men who penned the Bible? {Hey, I just heard Barack deny a "global currency". LOL}

From what I heard tonight, I have to ask, is the American view on Israel changing???

Oh, and by the way Mr. President...don't be trying to use the violence on the Mexican border as a reason to try and take our guns away from us, OK?



Call me jaded, but I just don't think the press conference was worth pre-empting American Idol. Same old, same old, IMHO...

Night, all...

1/2 price day at Goodwill...AKA...it doesn't get any better than this!

DISCLAIMER...Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and relax. This is gonna take a little while...at least it took me a long time to post it...there HAS to be an easier way!)

Periodically, some of the blogs I follow show off their really cool finds at Goodwill and thrift stores across the country. Since Jim and I had a good day at Goodwill, I thought I would follow suit...

Let's see...where to begin??? {NOTE: None of this stuff has been washed and/or cleaned up yet. Also, to get a better look at anything, just double click on any picture.}


This Christmas tree mosaic candle holder was purchased for 50 cents:



This will go nicely with our collection:



This vase was purchased today for $2.50:



More than I would liked to have paid, but I REALLY NEEDED it (ladies, you know how that goes, right?) to go with these other two:



Next was a cute little fabric finished box to hold my CDs at work (or something else I just haven't thought of yet) for 50 cents:



4 brand new (I took them out of the packaging before I thought about it) kitchen table placemats for 25 cents each to go in our "apple themed" kitchen:



A large hardbacked book about houseplants for 79 cents:



An unopened puzzle of a painting by Charles Wysocki for next winter, purchased for 50 cents:



I don't know if I am up to the challenge...



3 VHS tapes for $1.00 each...this first one I already own, but since it is probably my ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE, I figured why not buy another copy just in case:



This one I have never seen but it is from "Feature Films for Families". We had a membership to that when Lauren was little and she enjoyed their movies.



This one I bought because I like it and it has Hugh Grant in it. 'Nuff said! LOL



You all still with me? OK, let's forge ahead. To do that I'll probably need a pair of boots. Now before you all start freaking out, these boots have never been worn...still have the price tag on...and I bought them to walk Scooby this coming winter.



I paid 2 bucks for them...



Next up, a really great CINCINNATI BENGALS shirt for $1.50!



The bigger of these 2 bowls was $1.00 and the smaller one was 50 cents. Jim says they should clean up very nicely with Tarnex...



3 picture frames for 50 cents each (cause you can never have enough picture frames in your home!):



and these 3 old saucers/candy dishes/not really sure what they are for 50 cents each:



Since that was all the damage Jim and I could do at Goodwill's "Everything 1/2 off sale" today, we went on over to the Salvation Army Thrift Store where we found...

a flower vase with a vine etched in the glass for 75 cents (remember, it isn't washed yet):



an old CUTE doggie planter for 99 cents (to go with my others, but I forgot to take a picture of them)



an little old German bowl of some sort for $2.00:









Jim purchased these for 19 cents each for his tackle box (BIG spender! he he):





Now for the "pièce de résistance" (I googled how to spell it LOL) A piece of old sheet music for 75 cents...check this out (I would probably double click on this one!):







We also went to Trinity Christian Bookstore where I purchased these books. They say they are $5.00 each, but we got them ALL for $5.00.



Remember the 3 picture frames I purchased and I said you can't ever have enough of them? Well, to prove that point, look at these random shots of my home...















These pictures...along with LOTS of others I could post, combined with the fact that I LOVE to shop at Goodwill and have for years, makes me think that THIS next picture should be the topic of a soon coming blog post for me. Do you all agree????



Hope you enjoyed this little "shopping trip" with me. Have a great 'what's left' of the weekend...