InsIDE - Paramount Granite Company

Spring, 2013
Volume 17, Issue 2
MountaIn toP MoMEnts…
InsIDE:
1.
Mountain Top Moments.........p. 1
2.
Unity—Hairball? What? ...........p. 2
3.
Quote Of The Quarter ............p. 2
4.
Did You Know?.........................p. 3
5.
Ask The Experts ........................p. 3
6.
Kitchen Of The Quarter..........p. 4
Editor & Desktop
Publishing:
Barb Rodgers
As I am writing this, the Easter season has just passed and I am patiently
waiting for spring to arrive. It is hard to believe it is just around the
corner, with yet another snow storm brewing. Yikes! Anyway—speaking
of Easter, I wanted to share some words of inspiration I heard in a
lenten sermon this season that stuck with me.
On this particular Sunday, the priest gave his sermon on Mountain Top
Moments, appropriate since the Gospel that day was about The Transfiguration where
Jesus took Peter, John, and James up a mountain to pray and suddenly Elijah and Moses
appeared with Jesus in glorious splendor (Luke 9: 28-36). The priest questioned why these
two prophets appeared at this time. He explained that the disciples were distraught, worried and run down from the events that were going on in their lives—something we can
all relate to from time to time. He went on to say that this vision they witnessed, gave
them a glimpse of the future—something they could hold on to for hard times to come.1
We are often told however, to forget the past and don’t worry about the future. Yoga
masters and teachers too tell us to be present in the moment. In his book, The Golden
Present, Sri Swami Satchidananda states, “Don’t worry about the future and don’t worry
about the past. Think of the golden present, sow what is necessary, what is right. Sow
good thoughts, sow good deeds, and I am sure you will reap good fruits.”2 While I agree it
is good to be in the present and conscious of our actions, life can bring about
circumstances from time to time that bring us down. If we look to the future however, it
brings us hope. In fact, in his book, There’s A Spiritual Solution To Every Problem,
Dr. Wayne Dyer says, “What is hope but a feeling of optimism, a thought that says
things will improve, it won’t always be bleak, there’s a way to rise above the present
circumstances.”3
What the disciples experienced was a vision of hope and what this priest, called a
Mountain Top Moment. He went on to say, that we all need Mountain Top Moments in
our lives to sustain us and that we can play a part in providing them for others. Parents
often provide Mountain Top Moments for children with birthday parties, vacations,
special occasions, etc. Some family members open their homes for holidays and other get
togethers, maybe not realizing they are providing a gift to others by providing lasting
memories and hopes of future events to look forward to. As remodelers and builders, we
also provide Mountain Top Moments for our customers, whether we realize it or not.
While we work hard daily to achieve our deadlines and goals, the end result is a beautiful
home, remodeled kitchen or bath, etc. and a realized vision for a home owner.
And back to the weather I talked about earlier…While we can’t control it, and it can
sometimes bring us down, we can all think about those Mountain Top Moments of
summer to get us through it. I don’t know about you, but I’m already looking ahead to
the family gatherings at the lake, my nephew’s wedding in May, and our daughter’s
wedding in October.
What Mountain Top moments are helping to sustain you?
Thanks for reading!
V.P. Paramount Granite Company
brodgers@paramountgranite.com
Source: 1Fr. Joseph Bambenek. Mountain Top Moments sermon. St. Michael Catholic Church. 02/24/13 (Second Sunday of Lent.)
2Brian Johnson’s Philosophers Notes—The Golden Present. http://www.entheos.com/philosophersnotes/notes/all/The Golden Present
3”There’s A Spiritual Solution To Every Problem.” Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. Harper Collins Copyright 2001. pg. 213.
Paramount Granite Company…Rock Solid Reputation, Rock Solid Value!
Phone 763-428-4075 • Fax 763-428-1795 • paramountgranite.com
ParaMount PEEks
Spring, 2013
Volume 17, Issue 2
unIty—haIrBall? What?
I’m a little late with my column—Barb has been on me to get it done.
Usually I just open my mind for a day and a subject comes to mind. Unity
came very fast to my mind, as I read that public lynchings being held long
ago were sometimes just for the purpose of bringing people together and
help them forget about their worries, their enemies and focus their hatred
on the hanging victim. It just seems crazy at least by today’s standards—at
least in this country.
“QuotE” of thE QuartEr
“It is often in the darkest skies
that we see the brightest stars.”
—Richard Evans
Tragedies are so sad, but they certainly do unite us. Think for a brief moment how the recent
Boston tragedy sent every flag in the entire nation to half mast, suddenly we are all reminded
that we are one with this nation. We can get so upset with policy in this country, then all of
sudden we realize how great of country it is and how we stand together strong and unite in
times of tragedy…very cool.
Barb asked me to take her to the Runestone Community Center in Alexandria last Saturday
night for a rock concert. You may know that in Alexandria there is a 28' tall statue of a Viking
named Big Ole. He wears a skirt while holding a sword and a shield that states “Alexandria–the
Birthplace of America.” It’s amazing how many people you catch standing under Ole’s skirt
looking up…I digress. Not too far east from there on highway 27 there is a runestone. It is a
controversial claim, but there is no proof that the runestone is a hoax. Thus…the Runestone
Community Center.
The place was at capacity, at least a thousand people–quite united. I was wondering why they
didn’t have another place to buy beer as the line was incredibly long, when all of a sudden
there was a loud explosion and much to my surprise, out comes Dee Snyder with Twisted
Sister, “We’re not gonna’ take it..NO we ain’t gonna’ take it…we’re not gonna’ take it anymore!” How could I not sing along and pump my fist in the air. I never had a mullet in the
80’s, but at that very moment—I wanted one!
Soon thereafter, out steps Gene Simmons and Kiss, now I’m amazed with more explosions and
fireworks as he cranks out “I wanna’ rock and roll all night…and party every day!” He didn’t
seem to have the tongue length that I remember seeing back in the day. I know it sounds hard
to believe, but right after Gene Simmons’ tongue goes in his mouth—out comes Alice Cooper,
then Freddie Mercury with Queen singing Bohemian Rhapsody!
About one hour into the show, out comes Prince. I was never much of a Prince fan. I just had
a hard time picturing that little guy on a motorcycle with Apollonia tearing through
Minneapolis. I just thought she was too fine for him…oh well that tells you what I know. So as
Barb enjoys Purple Rain, I feel the need to visit the 5 acre urinal just beyond the parking lot to
make a little rain of my own—sometimes it’s nice being a guy. As I returned, I heard
Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Guns 'n Roses, then White Snake. Seriously, I must say
that if Robert Plant does not want to go on tour with Led Zepplin, David Coverdale would be
a wonderful choice. I know that was a rumor a few years back, but let’s get something going
there. It would be real cool to get some e-mail comments on that one.
The highlight of the night, “ALL ABOARD AHAHAHAHAHAAAAA…AYE AYE AYE
AYE…(epic guitar rift here)…Crazy but that’s how it goes…millions of people living as
foes…Maybe it’s not to late …to learn how to love and forget how to hate…I’M GOIN’ OFF
THE RAILS ON A CRAZY TRAIN!” Ozzy Osbourne, all dressed in black with his dark
round glasses and straggly straight hair—cranking it out. In words from the late 80’s,
TOTALLY AWESOME! We were jamming air guitars everywhere, and even some women on
their man’s shoulders (Barb). AC/DC finished up the night with Back in Black and Highway
to Hell, of course it was Brian Johnson singing, as you should remember Bon Scott was not
was not available.
When it comes to a cause for unity—I prefer a rock concert over a lynching anyday. However
my parents may have a different view—I drove them crazy with that music!
Rock-On!
Special thanks to Hairball for the good time. They play all over the Midwest, and they bring
all of their friends. Find them at www.hairballonline.com. Dude – they rock!
ChECk out our Blog sItE!
Find company and industry
information, links, tips, opinions,
recipes and more on the PGC blog.
Make sure you check it out!
paramountgranite.com/blog
ChECk out our CookBook
“Indulge 101 Recipe Favorites” is a
collection of favorite recipe blog
posts from the Paramount Granite
Company website.
All profits from the book will be
donated to the organization
www.healinghaiti.org
Purchase the cookbook & learn
more about the cause at:
paramountgranite.com/cookbook
(Argue, inspire, agree, complain, or just say hello at crodgers@paramountgranite.com.)
ParaMount PEEks
PagE 2
ParaMount PEEks
Volume 17, Issue 2
Spring, 2013
DID you knoW?
Ø Anthropologists believe stones were one of man’s first calculating devices, aiding in addition and subtraction
throughout primitive times. In fact, the word “calculus” is derived from the
Latin for “stone.”
Ø The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. has five sides, five stories, and five acres in
the middle.
Ø The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, according to the American
Podiatric Association.
Ø The Mall of America is the size of 78 football fields—9.5 million square feet.
Ø While 7 men in 100 have some form of color blindness, only 1 woman in 1,000 suffers from it. The most common form of color blindness is a red-green deficiency.
Ø The Chinese drink an average of just eight soft drinks per year, and only one (or less) is a Coca-Cola product.
Ø The first women flight attendants in 1930 were required to weigh no more than 115 pounds, be nurses, and
unmarried.
Ø A sneeze can travel as fast as 100 miles per hour. It is impossible to sneeze and keep ones eye’s open at the same
time.
Source: www.coolquiz.com
“ask thE ExPErts”
Q:
A:
I have heard that granite can chip. Is that true and should I be worried about my new granite
countertops getting chipped?
Yes—it is true that granite can chip. As far as being worried about it, I would definitely set those worries aside,
as it is rare. Granite is one of the hardest materials available for countertops today and it is extremely
durable. While chips can and do happen from time to time, they can be easily repaired.
Over the years, we have received a number of calls from customers pertaining to chips in their granite
countertops, but the number is small in comparison to
the number of countertops we have installed. Customers
sometimes call in a panic, wondering what happened and
if the chip can be repaired. Since many homeowners
often hand wash their pots and pans, the sink area,
(around the perimeter), tends to be more prone to
chipping because people tend to bang their pots and
pans against the granite when they are cleaning them.
If you have a chip in your granite countertop, we would
most likely set up a service call to come out and repair it.
An epoxy resin is typically mixed with a hardener and
used to fill in the void. For larger chips, the epoxy resin
may be mixed with small amounts of stone particles to
help fill in the area.
If you have questions pertaining to chip repairs, please free to give us a call.
ParaMount PEEks
PagE 3
ParaMount PEEks
Spring, 2013
Volume 17, Issue 2
kItChEn of thE QuartEr
fEaturE your kItChEn In
our nEWslEttEr
If you are interested in having your
kitchen featured as our “Kitchen of
the Quarter,” as well as displayed on
the PGC Feature page on our website,
please contact our Customer Service
Department for more
information, or e-mail photos to:
brodgers@paramountgranite.com
your sourCE for:
Material: Siena Silver Travertine; Contractor: Urban Rebuilders.
Fabricated/installed by: Paramount Granite Company.
Note: Look for more photos of this kitchen on the PGC Facebook page and our photo gallery on
www.paramountgranite.com
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