Naomi has started a site to share her photographs and you can find here blog HERE -

This song combines two of my favorite things – The best name in the world and my horrible memory.

-paul

It’s genuine leather which was a surprise given the cheaper price.

Best part is the nice built-in stand as part of the case.  Looks like it will sit nicely on my car’s dashboard and will really help when I’m driving and reading.

The magnets seem strong enough to hold it closed and overall, it didn’t seem too heavy to hold while reading.  I bought it from HERE and ordered it on 1/9/12 and got it today (1/17).  Not bad considering it came from the U.K.

If you have a touch, I’d recommend this case.  No light on this one, but I didn’t really want one and all the reviews of cases with lights were unimpressive.  This will keep my wife’s awesome Christmas gift to me safe and make me look all professional when I walk into my next staff meeting (while I read Ben Franklin’s autobiography).

-paul

Thankfully, all the kids were up and able to see this.  I had to head to work and got to actually drive into this glorious scene.

You can make your own here: Create Handwritten Letters

I used to donate plasma when I was in the military and would actually get paid for each donation.  After feeling dirty after my third or fourth time (given the other people that were donating and the area of town the donation center was located) I quit doing that.  I guess ‘double reds‘ is different.  They take two units of blood and then return the plasma and platelets as opposed to taking plasma and returning the rest.  I would highly recommend doing this, if you are eligible and haven’t tried it before.  It takes a bit longer (about 45minutes) but here are the things I learned from talking to the nurse who stuck me yesterday -

1.  Giving blood is extremely healthy for men to do!  Men have high iron in their blood (depending on what we’re eating, of course) and bleeding is a great way to get rid of excess iron and it actually lower your risk of heart attack as too much iron is bad for your most important muscle – your heart!

2.  Double-Reds gets rid of more blood as you are giving two units instead of just one – so you are really purging that extra iron, men!

3.  Giving two units actually helps the future receiving patient you are helping (or saving!) when they receive your blood.  The nurse told me that when a patient is given someone’s blood, there is always a risk of their body reacting negatively.  Some recipients can start to react but not quite reject the first unit of blood so having a second unit from the same donor can help stabilize the patient as their body ‘recognizes’ the blood as familiar.

4.  You can’t donate as frequently as your eligibility time doubles when you give double-reds.  With a normal blood donation, you can give every 8 weeks.  When you give a double unit, you can’t give again until 16 weeks.  This (if you lead a busy life like most of us) is pretty convenient.  The mobile donation team comes to my office here at work, so it’s uber convenient, but even then I sometimes can’t make it downstairs to donate so spreading out my donations makes it easier to plan around my appointments if there are less in the year.  I know I sound like a selfish American here.  Sorry.

5.  You aren’t as dehydrated after your donation.  Because they return your platelets, plasma and saline, you walk away sometimes more hydrated than when you came in!  I was running to the restroom all day yesterday.  I was still pretty tired for the rest of the day and even dozed off watching The West Wing with my wonderful wife last night.  But I wasn’t depleted of fluids like I usually am with a normal donation.

6. It’s a great, simple, relatively painless way to love your neighbor.  As a Christian I’m commanded, called and empowered to make my love for my neighbor grow more and more.  Donating blood, single or double units, is very simple way to do just that.  I was laying there yesterday, reading Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography on my new Kindle Touch, thinking, “How great is this?!  How easy!  We have it so good in this country!  So many of us are healthy enough donate and help our fellow human beings!  I get to lay here and with virtually no effort, actually do something helpful!”

7.  It’s just way cool.  OK, this reason is more for the geeky (like me) friends who are reading this.  Think of the technology!  A powered machine about the size of a microwave oven, with pumps, circuits, tubes, motors designed to take blood from a human, spin it just right so that the blood separates, filter out what it needs and then returns the other elements back to the same human!  It’s overwhelming to consider how many people perished because of blood loss before we had these machines. I know technology is not a savior and we will never be able to completely eradicate the loss of human life, but this technology is just fascinating to me!

There is a risk.  Once they take the first pint, the machine then starts to return the unneeded items and if the needle is not in your vain good, it could pop out and will sting a bit.  Your arm is not going to fall off.  You just notify the nurse, she comes over and fixes it.  So a bit of pain (potentially) for a huge gain.  Don’t let it scare you.

If you’ve given double-reds, I would love to hear your story or the thoughts you have on the process or the experience.  Good or bad.

-paul

The first telephone was installed in 1882.  Michigan Bell came to Howell in 1923, and built their telephone office in 1929, costing $143,000.  That same year they had 1,450 phones and expected a population of 5,000 people and they were not too far off.  They are presently building a new telephone office costing $416,000.

The Howell office is the main station for the county. Upon completion of the new building there will be a dial system throughout the county, including direct dial.

Consumer’s Power Company transmission lines were run in 1926 to Okemos, Williamston, Webberville, Fowlerville and Howell.  Two years later in 1930 extensions from this line were made to Haslett Lake Lansing, Lake Chemung and Brighton.

Composed in the transmission lines of this development is forty-eight and three fifths miles of four and six inch steel and cast iron pipe, while in the distribution system is forty-three and one-half miles of steel pipe of two and four inch variety.  Service from this is carried to 1550 customers.

“NATURAL GAS WELL AT HOWELL IGNITED SENT BARREL-SIZE FLAMES UP 30 FEET”

A Detroit newspaper carried a story from Howell on July 22, 1893 which stated in part:

“While workmen were digging a well at Walter Papworth’s place (presumably for water) in the eastern part of the village of Howell this morning a terrific roaring was heard and stones and dirt were blown 100 feet into the air.  Natural gas had been struck.  The flow was lighted and a flame as large as a barrel ascended to a height of thirty feet.”

Prior to 1900, salt was the object of comparatively intensive drilling, and in many cases drillers struck ‘pockets’ of gas and oil.  Water well drilling also produced  showings of oil and gas which in most cases were regarded as nuisances because they impeded progress and contaminated the salt or fresh water.

Keith Swartley writes, “It is not our job to watch out for lions, the narrowness of the path or the depth of the ravine: we just follow the Shepherd.  And following the Shepherd is always better than we expect – even comforting, like a cool drink from a stream near a green pasture.”  Following Christ “takes boldness, not just in speech, but in attempting those efforts others are not willing to undertake.”

The Shepherd may choose a path for us to travel that seems uncomfortable, frightening, even dangerous when our eyes move from Him to the surrounding terrain.  Yet onward He leads, expecting us to keep our eyes on Him, trusting Him all the way.  And what if that treacherous way should bring pain, suffering, injustice or even death?  The Shepherd still leads, strengthening and protecting from ultimate harm, and accomplishing His Kingdom purposes in and through us for His glory.  And one day as we follow, we find He leads us into an extraordinarily glorious City where we find we are finally home!

So, let our Good Shepherd lead you.  Fear not as He leads the way.  He’ll carry you when you cannot take another step and guard you with his sovereign, almighty hand.  Don’t hesitate at the edge of deep crevasses or turn to stone at sudden movements in lion-infested jungles.  Watch the Shepherd.  The key to finding comfort and joyful purpose in all of life is fixing our eyes on Him.  That’s our job, our privilege, our joy!

With you in following and loving our Great Shepherd,

Pastor Rick

The city of Howell as we know it now was established as a village as an act of Legislature March 14, 1863, consisting of sections 35 and 36 and the south half of sections 25 and 26 of Howell Township.  The first actual settlements in Howell were made by George T. Sage, John D. Pinckney, James Sage and David Austin in the year 1834.  The village was laid out by Flavius J. B. Crane and Edward Brooks in July 1835, and was named Howell in honor of Thomas Howell a friend of Mr. Crane and son of Judge Howell, of Canadaequa, New Jersey.  The name did not come into immediate use however, as it was called Livingston Centre for quite some time.

In 1835, John D. Pinckney built the first log house in this area and the settlement became known as Livingston Centre.  In this year Moses Thompson and his family migrated here from New York and Livingston Centre began to grow in population.  The first building erected, was a two story, frame house which was a public house.  This structure was built by Misters Crane and Brooks and was known as the Eagle Tavern, or hotel, for Mr. Amos who was the first settler within the village.  The establishment stood on the southeast corner of Grand River and Walnut streets.

After the erection of the Eagle House, came other public houses and taverns.  There was the “Old Stage House”, midway between East and Walnut St. on Grand River, in the year 1840.  Then the Temperance Hotel, which was just what the name inferred – “No Liquor”.  It was said you had to get a room in the Temperance to get a good night’s sleep as there were taverns connected with all other public houses.  Mr. Gay who built, owned and operated this hotel was a brave and noble man and met much opposition, but carried his project out in spite of all.  After these followed the Union Hall, Shafts Hotel, and the Melvin House.

The pioneer manufacturing enterprise of Howell was the saw mill built by Moses Thompson in 1836.  This mill was built on the stream which forms the outlet of our present Thompson Lake, which was named after him.

January 1836, saw the establishment of the first post office.  Flavius J. B. Crane was post master, and it was located in the Eagle Tavern.  In March of this same year, there was a mail route started between Howell and the village of Kensington and West to Grand Rapids.  March 24, 1836, the legislature passed an act organizing Livingston County and Howell was slated to become the County seat.  This claim was vigorously opposed by a group from Brighton and was never wholly relinquished by them until the county Buildings were actually erected twelve years later.  Howell at once assumed the dignity of the County seat.

The year 1836, also saw migrate to this village, from his native Scotland, one who was to become one of the most respected and wealthiest men.  This was William McPherson who came here with his wife, two sons and daughter.  Mr. McPherson was a blacksmith and started a blacksmith shop with his father-in-law Andrew Riddle, also a native of Scotland.

1837 saw several new businesses established.  Mr. Edward F. Gay established the first general store, Mr. Richard Fishbeck, a shoemaker, and Mr. James White, a cabinet maker, also came in this year.  Two more new arrivals came in 1838 that were very important to the community.  Mr. Wellington A. Glover a lawyer opened his office and Dr. Gardner Wheeler was the first resident physician.  Before Dr. Wheeler arrived in Howell, the people of the community had to travel to Washtenaw or Oakland Counties or, at least to Brighton.

Mr. John R. Neely came to Howell in 1839, and was the first mason.  Mr. Joseph Rowe also settled in the year and opened a tailor shop.  In 1844, the first iron—working establishment was begun.  This was the foundry of Hickey and Gallaway.  Its works was “the manufacture of box, cook, and parlor stoves, plows and hollow ware” and all kinds of agricultural implement castings.

The “Phoenix Foundry and Machine Shop” was built in 1857, by W. Smith.  They manufactured the double team plow known as the Bathgate, the Curtiss the North Bend, the Seventy-Six and every kind of corn-plows wanted.  This foundry was destroyed by fire in 1860, and rebuilt the same year by Benjamin and Henry Curtis.  They manufactured more types of machinery and in 1861, built the first stream engine ever made in Howell.

The “Howell Foundry” was built in 1849, by Stephen Clark and made stoves and agricultural castings.  The Carnegie Library is now located on the land where this foundry was established.  About eight years after the original survey and plat of the village by Crane and Brooks, the Village began to extend eastward and Mr. Peter Cowdrey platted another parcel of section 36, which was called “First Cowdrey Addition” being an addition to the original village plat.

The first wagon shop was established by Andrew L. Hill in 1842.  He made very kind of wagon for farms or other use, “also Buggies, Buffalo Wagons and Sleighs.”  The first cutter made in Howell was made by Mr. Hill for the Dr. Gardner Wheeler.  The next wagon-shop was opened by W. R. Melvin and James Lawther.  These two men were also blacksmiths and went into business in 1846.

In the year 1849, Morris Thompson, George W. Lee and Frederick Lee, commended a grist-mill on the same stream outlet as the saw-mill, but did not actually go into business until 1850.  In 1860, this mill ground a thousand pounds of flour.  In 1851 the “Old Bickhart Four Mill” was built on North Walnut Street.  This is the site of the present “Co-op Mill”.

The Howell Stream Saw-Mill was built in 1850.  The proprietors were D. D. T. Chandler, George W. Kneeland and Shubael B. Sliter.  This mill was destroyed by fire the following year but was rebuilt by Judge Kneeland.  A large amount of work was done here in sawing plank for the Detroit and Howell and Lansing plank roads.  The engine that drove the machinery for most of this work was the first steam engine manufactured in Howell.

John Wright built the first planning mill in the village in 1869.  This mill was located on Clinton Street, between Center and Walnut Streets.  It was destroyed by fire in 1875, but was rebuilt soon afterwards.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

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A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 7,200 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people.

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