Carrie Underwood has sold more than sixty-five million records worldwide and is the most awarded artist in CMT history. Her faith in Christ is a very public part of her life and career.

Now she is making headlines for another reason.

In a blog post on her official fan website this week, Carrie discussed a fall last November in which she broke her wrist. For the first time, she also revealed that she injured her face.

She writes: “I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but when I came out of surgery the night of my fall, the doctor told [her husband] that he had put between 40-50 stitches in. Now, here we are 7 weeks later and, even though I’ve had the best people helping me, I’m still healing and not quite looking the same.” She adds, “When I am ready to get in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look a bit different.”

Despite her suffering, Carrie’s spirit comes through: “I honestly don’t know how things are going to end up but I do know this: I am grateful. I am grateful that it wasn’t much, much worse. And I am grateful for the people in my life that have been there every step of the way.”

She’s right: “It’s crazy how a freak random accident can change your life.”

Value time more than money

Orrin Hatch, the longest-serving Senate Republican, declared yesterday that he will not run for re-election. In another notable transition, NBC announced that Hoda Kotb will replace Matt Lauer as co-host of the Today show.

California residents victimized by the largest wildfire in state history now have another fear: the blazes burned away so much foliage that mudslides are a terrifying threat. The state needs rain to regrow plants and trees that can keep hillsides together, but a half an inch per hour could create high-velocity mud and rock flows.

And the “Heavenly Palace,” China’s first space lab, will crash down to earth in coming months. It will probably miss you: Quartz reports that the odds of…