Rare Disneyland Castle Concept Art

You may think the current color scheme of Sleeping Beauty Castle is too bright or saturated, but as you can see in this piece, playing with the colors of Disneyland's icon is nothing new. This rare rendering first appeared in a 1955 guidebook for the park. It's one of many unique pieces in my collection.

At least to my eyes, this castle color palette feels much less playful than the version we got, more masculine, grand, and Arthurian in presentation. The deep blues and maroons give it a whole new serious presence. 

There are many variations on the castle parks' centerpieces over the years. One of my favorites is the darker colors used at Tokyo Disneyland and the pure fantasy version of the Disneyland Paris castle.  Actually, I prefer any of these treatments compared to the infamous "Castle Cake" at Walt Disney World!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Sleek and Modern World Showcase

Longing to stroll around Epcot's beautiful World Showcase Lagoon at night to see each country in its stunning nighttime glory? Me too.  But as we know, this can't happen currently. Instead, let me give you something that will spark your imagination. 

Just imagine a World Showcase this is a park all its own. Don't worry, Future World is its own park now too. Disney Imagineers were the first to divide the two, not me. It was once a real plan. In this version of Imagineering's world, each country has moved their displays and attractions indoors. However, the outsides are all strikingly similar to avoid competition. Guests have to venture in to discover each ones delights.

This type of design plan for Disney's initial take on World Showcase was not forgotten and it was picked up by recent designers for more current World's Fairs. Look at these photos I've found after searching the web and looking at different decade's plans. Case in point: The World Energy Expo held in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2017. Apparently from inside the sphere, guests could look down and see four quadrants housing participating countries.

Poor photography aside, it's easy to get an idea of what the Disney Imagineers originally thought the first version of World Showcase should look like. 

What do you think about this design choice? As for me, I am very happy that Disney leadership pushed both park models together and created EPCOT Center as we know it. Embracing both concepts made it a much better guest day! And truth be told, I much more enjoy the current version with the Disneyfied traditional, romanticized, architecture representing each country than the sleek, modern, contemporary but austere look found above.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Where is God When We Need Him?

The call of Jesus to pick up our cross and follow him meant from the beginning there would be a life of hardship and suffering for those who love him. In times like these when we do not understand what he allows, it is easy to ask questions such as “Where is God when I need Him?” Be assured this is nothing new. Our heroes of the faith had times when they asked the same questions. Thankfully, for centuries, our Good God has been showing himself faithful to those who love him.

One of the most dramatic Biblical examples is found in John chapter 11- the story of Jesus and Lazarus.

In the first 16 verses, the story is set up for us. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are Jesus’ friends. He knew them. He loved them. He was only a few hours walk away from them when the messenger came. In spite of being told Lazarus was close to death, Jesus chose to stay away two more days instead of going directly to his friends and healing him. Why would Jesus do that? He boldly explains to the disciples, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (verses 14-15) You could almost hear their responses: What? How can this be? What does Jesus mean?

Back in John chapter 8, he says, “I am always doing what is pleasing to the Father. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”  How could allowing Lazarus to die please the Father? Is God cruel, heartless, indifferent to our pain? You might read this account and ask why Jesus would let Mary and Martha suffer if he knew he was going to bring Lazarus back to life. None of this makes sense. But this is where faith comes in. 

The disciples had seen Jesus do other miracles: Feeding the five thousand, casting demons out, walking on water, calming the storm, healing a blind man. They wondered what was happening and may even have questioned Jesus’ character. 

We can be no different in our response to God during hardship and confusion. Often, we are so focused on our concerns that we forget the God we love and serve is also in control of all circumstances. We may know Romans 8:28 that in all things God works together for good if we love him and are called to his purposes, but our hearts can reveal we really don’t live that out when it is tested. We can let our prayers turn to fear and our anxiety remove the ability to hear God speak in the Word and in prayer.

Continuing on in John chapter 8, verse 17-37 tells us more about Mary, Martha, and the crowd gathered around them. Just like us at times, Martha reveals she knows her theology, but her pain keeps her from hearing what Jesus is telling her: “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”  “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (verses 20-27) In contrast to her sister, Mary just expresses her grief to the Lord. The crowd that followed her, however, acknowledges Jesus has the power to heal because they remember he had just given sight to a blind man. 

We know the ending here. After four days in the tomb, our God delivers. Lazarus is raised from the dead at Jesus’ command. His body was decomposing, and according to some Jewish beliefs, his soul had departed three days after his death. Jesus brings Lazarus fully back to life to the amazement of Mary and Mary and the crowd gathered. Verse 45 tells us that many of the Jews now believed in Jesus. God wastes nothing. Yet, this act was not just for the benefit of those who did not earlier believe. For Mary, Martha, the disciples, and others who did believe, by allowing Lazarus to die then be resurrected, Jesus gave them a great gift. They now knew for themselves that Jesus had the power of life and death Looking with 20/20 hindsight, they understood his ways and his goodness. Jesus may have looked cruel and uncaring, but he was not. In his great plan, through Jesus’ obedience to the Father, he gave them something better than what they already had.

In our world today, a dreaded, deadly virus has interrupted the course of our lives. Respecting our government and serving our neighbors well means we must socially distance ourselves and get creative. We miss our friends. We mourn the loss of families gathering together for fun. We lament our freedom to gather together to worship the One True God whenever we please. What could Our Heavenly Father be teaching us through this time? 

Challenges and hardship will be a part of our lives while we are in this world. It may not be this virus or that war or that other difficulty, but painful events will come our way. Hardship reveals what is inside of us and who we believe God to be. 

Is our God cruel? No.  He is loving and wise and his ways are not ours. Use this gift of time to do and to say the things that have gone undone. Share your stories of his great faithfulness. Play with your children, kiss your spouse, call your friends. Remind others of his gift of eternal life for all that would come to him in repentance. Take care of each other. Celebrate his goodness through worship and prayer. Dive anew into His Word with a fresh desire and different perspective. Make this time count. God is still in control.
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For an excellent book on how God uses suffering for his purposes, consider Sheldon Vanauken’s classic A Severe Mercy, a very personal look at the author’s marriage, the couple’s search for faith, and the friendship of C.S. Lewis who extended himself in time of need.

A Whole New World

It's certainly a whole new world! Here's my niece on her flight just before departure from Ohio to Los Angeles. As it turned out, she was the only one on the flight. Amazing!

Introducing Undone Press

Lovers of Disney theme parks and Imagineering come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. It's a wonderfully diverse world that we all enjoy. Today, I'd love to introduce you to a brand new blog I just discovered- Undone Press. These Disney lovers, the husband and wife team of Andy and Lauren Knuth, bring a fresh perspective to our world during this very strange time of living with the Coronavirus all around us. Be sure to check it out!

Snapshot of Florence

For the traveler or the armchair traveler, Italy conjures up some magnificent images- and for good reason! Florence is the gateway to Tuscany, and one of the most lovely areas in the country. This beautiful little valley is seen from our very, very, modestly priced room. High above it all, there was nothing special to see. But my camera was pretty active! No city lights, no views of cafes and tourists. Nothing. Just simple farmland and clusters of homes resting quietly among the beauty of God's creation. Perfection!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Prayer, God, and the Coronavirus

Is the Coronavirus making you anxious and worried? I think we all have a bit of jangled nerves as we figure out this brave new world. Does it make you pray? It should! Why do we pray? We want answers from a Living God. We want to pour out of hearts. We want to know someone greater than us cares. Sometimes we just ask for things. But prayer is much more than this.

When talking about prayer, we have to start at the beginning…

It all begins with the character of God. In the book of I John, the great disciple of Jesus states, "God is love". (verse 4:16)             

God’s character is the beginning of everything good.              

The problem is with us. If we don't understand who God is and what prayer means to Him, we may be expecting results that God never intended. Then, we can become discouraged, confused, or even embittered.

Of the many characteristics of God, four stand out to me as being worth consideration as we discuss prayer. Let's look at these from a Biblical standpoint.

 1- He is Unchanging.

In the New Testament, James writes in Chapter one, verse 17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

In other words, He is the same God for the starving children in Africa as He is for those of wealth. Even though we do not understand his ways, and they are never subjective to the understanding of man, God is dependable.  In fact,  He is not fickle nor does His personality alter. If our image of God is dependent on our understanding of Him, our understanding becomes our highest authority, our god, not Him.

2- He is All-Knowing   

    

PSALM 147:5   “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.”

God created Man. Nothing we think, do, or say, past, present or future, surprises Him. He knows all things. There's an inherent comfort in that for those of us that love and know Jesus Christ. 

3- He always cares. Our circumstances don't change His love.

Here's a classic piece of scripture that best describes this point:

Romans 8:35-39    “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:  “For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God's love for a fallen, imperfect man is shown best in the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross for sin. That He understands and has seen all the evil men can do, and yet He loves us, it's amazing. That means you and me! We all fall short of the perfection God desires. But He alone provides a way. In fact, any man who would come to Him, confessing his sins, believing in his heart that Jesus Christ is the perfect payment for sin, will find an eternity in heaven with Him. Hell is no longer his destination, and Satan no longer has a hold on him.

 4- He is Always Good

PSALM 25:8     “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.”

Let me emphasize here. God is always good- even when we do not agree with Him or get what we want. God's goodness and mercy are found all through the Bible, but all of Psalm 136 resonates:"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever!"

Stop and think about the times God has answered your prayers. These stories are important because they are your stories of interactions with our Living God. No one can take these from you, no one can tell you they did not happen. This is part of your history. Just think, the most powerful being ever took time to interact with you. Incredible!

Now, remembering what you just did, let’s look at prayer from God's perspective. A Biblical perspective. There's three main aspects of prayer.

1- Relationship with Him

God desires that we  would know Him and love Him. This goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. After the fall of man, when the forbidden fruit was eaten, God searches for them in the garden. It's not that He didn't know where they were. It's that He wanted them to answer as to why they were hiding from Him; why they no longer desired to know Him and talk with Him. 

An Eternal Relationship. He gives us hope for an eternity with Him. An eternal, loving,  relationship. Never broken unity. No pain, no loss, no doubts. Imagine an eternity of peace, deep love, and joy. This is God's heart for us!

As far as prayer goes, He does answer prayer. For those who put their trust in Him, prayer is a two way dialogue, a by-product of relationship. Not the reason for it. Contrary to what the false teachers of the prosperity gospel would teach, God is no cosmic genie, waiting at our beck and call to give us all we ask. Instead, He is a good and perfect Father, allowing only what is best for us.

                               

2- Transformation

The second reason for prayer is transformation. Not the Michael Jackson type of change, but the kind of change for the better. Every recovering alcoholic understands what I mean here. Ever plead with God to change you? To heal you? To make you different than what you currently are? Well, God has a plan for that kind of transformation. The plan is to make those who believe to look more like Jesus Christ. He desires to clean us up, heal our souls, and to change the course of our lives. It gives us hope and purpose, but it also means God has a plan for us...

 3-   Instruction

He wants to lead us. Our beautiful, living, powerful, good God has a plan for us. He created us and made each of us unique. Because we are made by Him to be unique, He alone knows what will most fulfill us and give us meaningful purpose. The truth is, we only think we do. Yet, until we love and trust in God, we will never discover the truth and instead, be left to search endlessly on our own.

We all want to know if we make a difference. We all want to know we will make an impression in this world before our life is over.  God's plan is that all people would know and love Him. (Just read the book of Second Peter in the New Testament.) And He desires to uniquely use us for this plan. 

There’s a progression here.  In other words, if we love Him and walk closely with Him, we will: 

·      Encounter the Living God, 

·      Be Changed by the Living God, 

·      Be Used by the Living God.

And God desires to keep this cycle going! So, from a Biblical perspective, these are the three real purposes of prayer. As you think more deeply about each, you'll realize prayer doesn't always involve getting what we want, what we think is best. Sometimes, oftentimes, it's a very different story. 

To make sense of this fact, it helps to look at the life of Jesus as our model.

This Jesus, the one I love and follow, took on the pain and sins of Man. Once for all time. Even though His life was sinless and ours is not, there's a lot to learn by examining his life. He was, after all, a man of prayer. And what better place to look at his prayer than right before His Crucifixion.

Let's look at the Book of John, chapter 17 verses 1-4, right before Jesus is sent to be crucified.  

"After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.  Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do."

·   This was the most crucial time in Jesus’ ministry. Would He finish well? No one would dare complete this task of crucifixion unless God Himself spoke it and they loved God enough to obey. Jesus’ prayer reveals THE most important aspect of why we pray:

“I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”

But back to us. What about the things we pray about?

What happens when we pray and God answers? What happens when our life is impacted by what happens around us and to us? It usually falls into these categories. 

·      Good things we like 

·      When Bad Things Happen 

·      The consequences of our sin

·      The consequences of other’s sin

·       The results of Other people’s sin against us

What happens when we get what we asked for? When there's no answer? When the answer brings us pain? Keep reading!

When We Get What We Ask For

Rejoice and be thankful! God wants us to come to Him when things are good and not just come to Him when things are hard or when we need something. Remember how good He is! Celebrate that- and remember that.

Sometimes getting what we pray for comes with an unexpected side! There can be challenges that come with it. Opportunities to grow, change, and become more like Jesus. 

It's time for us, for me, to move away from an American mindset of Christianity. What I mean is, following Jesus does not mean we will experience success as our culture defines it. We will, however, experience success as how God defines it. And He defines it as obedience. Jesus himself says if we love Him, we will obey what He commands. Doesn't mean we'll get what the world says is a reward. 

In the world's eyes, Jesus was a crucified failure. In God's eyes, Jesus completed his mission- to die for the sins of the world, to save all the people that would choose to love Him, serve, Him, and follow Him. The world would say he was a victim of a hate crime. The truth is He was no victim. Jesus was a strong, brave and obedient servant of the God Most High who completed the task set before Him- even if it looked like failure and shame.

What about When We Get No Answer?

Let’s look again at Jesus in the Garden. He knows what’s coming. He is in emotional distress, lonely, troubled. He’s in physical distress as well. His friends are too tired and worried and sad to stay awake and pray with Him. He is ultimately alone. He cries out:

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  (Luke 22:42 )

The Father doesn’t change the situation, but He was strengthened. In this case, an angel appeared to Him. We may not get an angel, but we may not be asked to die on a cross either! Jesus continues on… to fulfill the Father’s plan.

Practically, when we get no answer, we can follow Jesus' model.

1-Keep Praying,  2- Wait and Watch for God, 3- Do the Last Thing He Told You 

When the Answer Brings Pain 

Our life's circumstances can come because of our sin, the sin of other people, or other’s sin against us. But, as we have just seen in the example of Jesus at the cross, it can also come because we are obedient to what God has asked. God works in ways and in time that we may never understand. Or it may take years before we can look at our life, look backwards, and then say to ourselves, "Now I understand." 

  

What about the times we pray and do not get what we feel we have been promised?

Interestingly, the Bible does not ignore the fact that sometimes we do not get what God has promised. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament speaks of all the great "heroes of the faith". You know, the guys like King David, etc. The guys of Sunday School Bible stories. 

Hebrews 11:39: "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised."

All the great heroes of the faith didn’t get what was promised!

We are in good company! Of course, this also brings a challenge to our minds when we do not receive our promised from God. What do we do when we think the promises of God don’t come- when it seems God is contradicting Himself?

Will we rely on our own understanding to bring us peace?

Will we trust Him, knowing His character and love for us?

Will we wait on Him even if it’s hard?

Again, will we trust in God even when it looks as if He is certainly contradicting Himself?

Looking at the topic of prayer from God's perspective always helps us. We can either choose to believe things about God that are not true, or we can believe He is unchanging, all-knowing, that He always cares and that He is always good. 

The Complete and Biblical Purpose of Prayer is for Relationship with God, Transformation into the image of Jesus, and for Instruction from Him. 

He wants Relationship with Us, Wants to Make us More like Jesus, Wants to Give Us Hope, and Wants to Use Us for His Purposes.

God allows the seasons so he can show his power to us, his wisdom, his goodness. Whether or not we get the answer we want or ever understand, He is still God! This we know: He does love and care for us. 

I'll end here with a piece of truth from the book of Romans. (Romans 8:28-30) Through the inspiration of God's Spirit, the Apostle Paul writes:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD, HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Have a Dole Whip at Home

Just because we currently can't visit the Disney parks, doesn't mean we can't enjoy its treats! I'm going to jump in on the new trend of sharing Disney recipes here.

This recipe for Disneyland's and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Dole Whip treat sounds pretty good right now.

Dole Whip Recipe

2 cups frozen pineapple
1/4 cup milk   
1/16 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar 
1 tbsp lemon juice

Blend the ingredients. Place it in your freezer for about 20 minutes checking for the right consistency and enjoy!

Disney and More's Alain Littaye Passes

It is with a heavy heart I read the surprising announcement of the passing of Disney and More's Alain Littaye. It is being reported by this Disney news group, DLP Welcome. Alain is the author of the excellent Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality. 
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It wasn't enough with all the changes from the Coronavirus. Yesterday's unexpected news of the passing of Alain Littaye, the blogger behind Disney and More and the author of Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality took me for a loop! His book is amazing and full of concept art, photographs, and a historical look at the creation of Disney's most beautiful Magic Kingdom. And Alain seemed like a very nice man during our many years of corresponding and even speaking on the phone once or twice. But now, he is in a new kingdom... but which one?

Look, as I was reminded yesterday, life is short and can end unexpectedly. I would be amiss to not tell you that Jesus Christ has given us a way to move from eternal separation from God because of our brokenness into an eternity with him. He says himself that there is no other way to Heaven. Because of his great love for the world and in his obedience to his Father, Jesus suffered and died - but rose again!- for our sake. All to prove He is who He said he was: The Son of God came in the flesh to take away the sin of the world... and to save us from an eternity in Hell, the darkest kingdom that will never end. Yours and mine, our sin leads us right there if not for Jesus. But life eternal is ours for the taking, a great gift we must receive from Jesus because we can never earn it on our own. He paid the price on our behalf conquering death for all who believe.

If you think you know Jesus, I give you this challenge: Ask Him, the LORD God of the universe, to step into your life and make a difference head to toe. Take the risk of giving Him control in a new way. Let God prove himself to you by embracing the God made Man who gave his life on the cross in payment for your sins. Accept the gift, put him to the test, take the challenge. Be transformed yourself. Let the landscape of your life and heart be changed forever. It's scary, rewarding, and life-giving. Go for it. You know you need something more.


Which kingdom will you remain in for eternity? The choice is yours, but know that not choosing is a choice.

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Stop and take a look at this photograph- and breath in and breathe out. Relax. Pause and pray. Focus on something other than your fears. "But what about the Coronavirus?" you say. God is either in control or He is not. This doesn't mean everything always goes the way we want- Jesus did die on the cross, however willingly- but it does mean God knows what is best. Take those precautions, be wise, but rest in Him. It's the best health insurance plan you can get.

(Photograph by Chon Kit Leong)

मुंबई डिजनीलैंड खुश करेगा

क्या आप मुंबई डिजनीलैंड की ताज़ा ख़बरें पसंद करेंगे?  ऐसी और भी रोमांचक खबरें हैं जिनमें आपको अवश्य पढ़ना चाहिए!  अद्भुत जगहें और उन सभी के लिए आवाज़ जो इसे बनाने वाले के निमंत्रण पर इस खूबसूरत जगह पर जाते हैं।

 क्योंकि परमेश्‍वर ने दुनिया से इतना प्यार किया कि उसने अपना एक और इकलौता बेटा दे दिया, जो कोई भी उस पर विश्वास करता है वह नाश नहीं होगा बल्कि अनन्त जीवन पाएगा।  क्योंकि परमेश्वर ने दुनिया की निंदा करने के लिए अपने बेटे को दुनिया में नहीं भेजा, बल्कि उसके द्वारा दुनिया को बचाने के लिए।

यह बाइबिल में पाया गया है, जॉन की पुस्तक, अध्याय तीन।

A Night in Morocco

What would a night in Morocco be without food, friends, and lots of laughs? No, we are not really in the country, and it's not exactly Epcot's World Showcase either, but it is very flavorful and authentic food prepared and served the old world way. A very nice night out!

From the Mickey Mouse Revue to Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway

The brand new Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is just the kind of attraction that Disney's Hollywood Studios needs, but before we talk about it, let's clarify one thing: It is not the first attraction to predominately feature Mickey Mouse. 

From the D23 archives. 

The US version of the attraction poster.

From the Disney Gazette.

That honor goes to the Magic Kingdom's original Mickey Mouse Revue which made its debut at park opening in 1971. Sometimes referred to as the Mickey Mouse Musical Revue perhaps due to the confusion based on the name which appeared on the attraction poster. 

The 86 Audio-Animatronic characters in this theater attraction took park guests into the world of Disney film music long before the equally charming 3D film PhilharMagic came into being. In this original "E Ticket", Maestro Mickey had center stage as he led the orchestra through a beautiful and rather reverent look at classic Disney music. (This is also the first placement of the Three Caballero figures now found in Epcot's Gran Fiesta Tour.) Florida was the first home to the Revue attraction, but it was later moved to Tokyo Disneyland. 

OK- onto the brand new attraction... 

In our snarky, tired, and cynical world full of deadly viruses, war, and strained social media focused relationships, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway offers a silly respite from it all. With a refreshingly innocent old school approach to Disney attractions, I can see it being the kind of achievement that Walt Disney himself would be proud of! It's a family friendly, fun and wacky journey, full of detail that makes repeats rides a necessity. 

Under the Sea?

If only Ariel's Adventure was this fun!

With new technologies and classic design sensibilities, Imagineer Kevin Rafferty, Charita Carter, and their team have created something special here- truly worth being duplicated at other parks! It especially fits at Disneyland where Mickey Mouse made his park debut back in 1955. Mickey's Towntown is a fine fit for this instant classic!

I won't get into the should it / should it not have replaced the Great Movie Ride. I think we all know the answer to that. But as a brand new attraction, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is the perfect addition to the attraction starved Studios park.

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Update: Here's the best video out there. From my friends at WDWMagic:

The attraction's theme song, "Nothing Can Stop Us Now" is even available in I-tunes.

(Art and photographs copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Karen Carpenter: The Singer's Singer Would Be 70 Today

The woman with the golden voice would have turned 70 years old today. The one and only Karen Carpenter is not forgotten! Books and articles continue to be written, their music is still revered around the world, and fans clamor for just one more tidbit of music from this beloved singer. 

With brother and musical mastermind Richard, as the duo Carpenters, they would produce a string of lasting hits. From Close to You to Yesterday Once More, from Only Yesterday to the majestically beautiful Goodbye to Love, Karen is remembered as the decade's most incredible songbird- Autotune not required!

Northern Lights Shine

Absolutely beautiful shot of the Northern Lights by photographer Pete Griffiths.