Because the internet is not all depressing news and celebrity gossip…

… There’s some interesting stuff out there too.

An Arlington Heights 6th Grader Starts a Prison Ministry

Tom Constertina, a sixth-grade student at St. James School in Arlington Heights, decided to donate his own money to buy Bibles for people behind bars. By telling others of his cause, Tom has inspired donations totaling more than $2,000, enough to buy 600 Bibles designed especially for prisoners.

Being a modern young man, he went online and found Bibles called “Free on the Inside,” especially designed for working with prisoners. And with the help of his father, Jim, he started his own website, Biblesbehindbars.com.

He credits God with touching his heart and instilling the desire to do this.

“We all have bars and chains in our lives,” said Tom. “We are all enslaved to sin and all need to be free. This is particularly true for prisoners. Maybe they are in there for life, but they can still be free in their hearts.”

The Paris Time Capsule Apartment

The owner of this apartment, Mrs. De Florian left Paris just before the rumblings of World War II broke out in Europe. She closed up her shutters and left for the South of France, never to return to the city again. Seven decades later she passed away at the age of 91. It was only when her heirs enlisted professionals to make an inventory of the Parisian apartment she left behind, that this time capsule was finally unlocked.

In the apartment they found this…

A painting of familiar style was discovered of a beautiful woman in pink. One of the inventory team members suspected this might be a very important piece of treasure. Along with the painting, they also found stacks of old love letters tied with colored ribbon.

With some expert historical opinion, the ribbon-bound love letters were quickly recognized as the calling card of none other than Giovanni Boldini, one of Paris’ most important painters of the Belle Époque. The painting was his. The beautiful woman pictured in the painting was Mrs. de Florian’s grand-mother, Marthe de Florian, a beautiful French actress and socialite of the Belle Époque. She was Boldini’s muse.

Lastly, it’s summer. Time to play outside. There are a few doable fun things on this list of 32 Cheap And Easy Backyard Ideas.