Cul-de-sac Shack is dedicated to all things mid-century. From my house, to interesting things I find, all will be shared here!
Follow along as I restore my small Ranch House to it's 1958 glory!
Some Legal Stuff
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I was reading a nice article tonight about the efforts of a radio station in Joplin that I've been listening to for updates as they have been doing 24/7 broadcasting about relief and recovery efforts when the little yellow / black "Breaking News" box popped up.
"Breaking News: Spotters confirm a tornado on the ground moving toward Joplin, Missouri, where a twister on Sunday killed 124 people."
That's definitely not a good thing. Thankfully the worst part of the storm missed Joplin (as of this 10:30 PM writing). The sirens sounded again in Joplin due to wind speeds in excess of 75 miles per hour, raising concerns that existing debris could be blown around.
I think we're all ready for Mother Nature to take a break.
I believe this footage is the most intense thing I have ever watched. This first person video of a group of people huddled inside a walk-in cooler at a convenience store is not for the faint of heart to watch. This video was shot at the Fastrip on east 20th Street. The people in the video all survive, but you still might want to have a box of tissues with you if you wish to watch the video.
* This video is first person in that it was not captured by a news outlet - it is not first person as in me filming it. It is just one of many videos that have been posted to YouTube showing the destruction in Joplin.
As it has made national news, I am sure that many of you have heard of the tornado that struck Joplin, MO around 6:00 PM yesterday evening. Many of my readers know that I live in the Southwest section of Missouri. I want to assure you that I am safe and fine, as I live approximately 40 miles from the location of the tornado.
My brother and his family live a few miles north of the devistation, and thankfully they were all at home and not in the city when the tornado hit.
The tornado destroyed a large section of Joplin, including a direct hit on one of their two hospitals. The patients at that hospital have been transferred to hospitals in Springfield, MO, Pittsburg, KS, as well as smaller hospitals in surrounding towns such as the 25 bed county hospital here in my hometown.
The following information is from a Facebook page set up for information on the tornado:
"Live Press Conference is wrapping up. Please only repost confirmed information to avoid confusion and panic. So far - we know 89 people are confirmed deceased as of 5:30 a.m. * Search and Rescue is top priority, going door to door and grid search. * Patients in uninhabitable facilities have been transferred to nearby hospitals. * Unknown number of people still need to rescued from rubble. * 25-30 percent of Joplin has been directly affected. * Area radio stations have opened phone lines to answer questions and let you pass along information - Please utilize this. Phone lines will be busy but keep trying. This will be an immediate way to ask for help over the next several days if stations continue to offer this option. Please turn down your radio if you are live on air. 102.9 FM 1310 AM 102.5 FM 97.9 FM 93.5 FM 92.9 FM"
I hope and pray that all of my readers are safe. Please be in prayer for the people of Joplin - they have a long road to recovery.
Hey everyone! I know that it has been a while since I last posted. This time of year is complete chaos for a teacher (at least one that coordinates Federal Programs for their school district... it's time to submit all of next year's plans to the state). This brings long work days and exhaustion when I am at home. It's a great recipe to keep the blog from being updated.
I do have a few fun finds that I need to get pictures of and share with y'all. It may happen before school gets out, but I can't make any promises. My last day with the kiddos is May 25. It's always an exciting time, but it also gets me down a little as well, I enjoy my students so much, and believe it or not, I miss the little boogers over the summer!
I am finally getting to the point that I can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Out of the nearly 20 things on my must-do list at the beginning of last week, I'm down to somewhere around 5. At least I can see the progress as I cross them off the list!
To add a touch of vintage to this post, I've included a really fun (although somewhat long) clip from 1941, showing the last pre-war Pontiac.
After watching President Obama's speech last night announcing the death of Osama bin Laden, I felt many emotions, as I am sure most people did. I instantly remembered that day, almost 10 years ago that changed our country forever, and felt intense sorrow. Watching the crowds that gathered at the White House, in Times Square, and at Ground Zero, I felt pride in my country as well. The man who planned the World Trade Center attacks is dead. I wasn't sure what the best way to share this on the blog was, but I felt that sharing a little Kate Smith was appropriate. Of course, that national anthem is alway appropriate, and I have never heard a better version that what you will hear in the video below. Have a great day.
