I'll be sleeping early so I can awake and watch the Royal Wedding starting at 4am. Tonight I watched the NBC special with Matt and Meridith - the look into preparing for a royal wedding.
Some wonder why I want to watch the wedding. I watched the wedding of Diana and Prince Charles years ago. It was very educational. This year I feel a little different since I learned that my paternal great-great grandfather came to America from Wales, so I have roots that date back to the early 1800's.
His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales marries Miss Catherine Middleton on this BIG DAY.
The Red Hat Society (RHS) is a social organization, founded in 1998, for women approaching the age of 50 and beyond. As of January 2011, there are over 70,000 registered members and almost 24,000 chapters in the United States and 25 other countries. The Red Hat Society is the largest women’s social group in the world.
The founder of the Society is artist Sue Ellen Cooper, who lives in Fullerton, California. In 1997, Cooper gave a friend a 55th birthday gift consisting of a red fedora purchased a year earlier at a thrift store along with a copy of Jenny Joseph's poem "Warning." The opening lines of the poem read:
"When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me.”
Cooper repeated the gift on request several times, and eventually several of the women bought purple outfits and held a tea party.
The Red Hat Society’s primary purpose is social interaction among women, and to encourage fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment, and fitness. The goal is for members to bond as they travel through life together. The Society is not a sorority or a voluntary service club. There are no initiations or fundraising projects.
Members are called "Red Hatters". Members 50 and over wear red hats and purple attire to all functions. A woman under age 50 may also become a member, but she wears a pink hat and lavender attire to the Society's events until reaching her 50th birthday. She is referred to as a “Pink Hatter.”
The official Red Hat Society day is April 25 each year.
April 22 is National Jelly Bean Day. Anyone who loves these delicious little sweets should treat themselves on this day. They should also share with family and friends. But be careful, as we all know, jelly beans are addictive.
Jelly beans are one of the oldest forms of candy we have. Historians say they date back to about 1860 and the Civil War era.
President Ronald Reagan, known for his love of jelly beans, took note of the way people picked the candy out of the ever-present jar on his desk in the Oval Office. "You can tell a lot about a fella's character by whether he picks out all of one color or just grabs a handful," Reagan once said.
When Ronald Reagan became Governor of California in 1967, he started eating jelly beans to overcome his addiction to pipe smoking. In 1981, for his inauguration, about three tons of jelly beans were delivered to the White House in small jars. The flavor of blueberry was invented to make them look red-white-and-blue for him to share. His favorite flavor was licorice. He had jars of jelly beans at every meeting at the White House.
There are so many things you can do with jelly beans, other than eat them. You can decorate a candle base to make it more festive, add color to a centerpiece, decorate cakes, or use them to make a flower vase look more colorful with single-color flowers.
Did you know that the flavors are: red - cherry - spiced with cinnamon; orange - orange - spice-ginger; green - lime - spice-spearmint; purple - grape - spice-clove; black - licorice - spice-licorice; white - lemonade - spice-mint; pink - strawberry - spice-wintergreen; and yellow - lemon.
The Oklahoma City bombing was a bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19 children under the age of 6, and injured more than 680 people. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a sixteen-block radius, destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings. The bomb was estimated to have caused at least $652 million worth of damage.
Years later, the bombing’s impact still reverberates with those who lived through it. Daniel Gordon, 37, who was about seven miles from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at the time of the blast, remembers feeling the force of the explosion as he backed out of a parking spot at a grocery store. “It felt like I’d hit a car,” he said of the concussion from the blast. “I looked and saw a ton of smoke pouring from downtown.” As the day went on, he saw the damage to the building and bodies being pulled from it. “It was absolutely horrifying,” said Gordon, a fourth-generation jeweler whose family’s presence in Oklahoma predates statehood. “It was horror in real life.”
An Army veteran, Timothy McVeigh, was eventually convicted on federal murder charges in connection with the bombing and executed in 2001.
McVeigh said he set off the bomb in front of the Murrah building at 9:01 a.m., in part, to seek revenge against the U.S. government for its raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, on April 19, 1993.
The petitions are ready and will be here soon. Get ready Fayette County - the volunteers will be at stores, malls, businesses, on street corners near you, and knocking on doors throughout the county so everyone will have a chance to sign the KILL THE BILL petition to Repeal Senate Bill 5 to save working families in Ohio.
Don't miss your chance to help save Ohio from ruin. The Governor is trying to strip the rights of working families and line the pockets of his rich friends. This ballot initiative is necessary to save the bargaining rights of our unions, especially for those who protect and serve - like firefighters and policemen - and all state workers. Help us defeat Senate Bill 5!
April 16th is National Stress Awareness Day. There was a method to the madness about the choice of this date. It is the day after the official Income Tax Day. This is your opportunity to realize that there is plenty of stress in your life. Today is also an opportunity to learn how to deal with all the stress, before it drives you batty. It was originally started in 1992 by the Health Resource Network.
This year the income tax day has been moved to April 18, because of Emancipation Day being celebrated in Washington D.C. on Friday, because of the Saturday holiday. On April 16, 1862, President Lincoln signed an act abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia, an important step in the long road toward full emancipation for African Americans.
April 16th is also National Librarian Day. They are honored because they are some of the most knowledgeable people. When you are looking for a book, or section, or specific research item, they can always point you in the right direction. They also know the Dewey Decimal System and know where to find the genealogy records, and how to run all their library equipment. They are a wealth of resources and information.
I'm going to take the day to de-stress from all my troubles. I will relax and forget my problems, whatever they may be. I will send a Facebook message to my friendly librarian who helps me each time I ask her, and yes, Cindy is a wealth of information. I already filed my taxes so I don't have to worry about today, or Monday. Enjoy your weekend, the month is only half over.
Life isn't a utopia, it's a sucktopia. Rigorous scientific studies have shown that most things in life suck. For starters, 10 out of 10 people die. Odds are you will be in the losing study group.
It's NATIONAL THAT SUCKS DAY, established in 2005. For example, one fool wanted to detonate his shoes, so now we all have to take off our shoes, get x-rayed or groped in order to fly to any destination. That sucks.
April 15 is also Income Tax Pay Day when everyone is suppose to pay their taxes; of course, EXCEPT big corporations like GE and others, and Wall Street billionaires who get out of paying their fair share. However, the little people better pay their taxes or the IRS comes knocking at your door and takes your "stuff."
On April 15, 1912 at 2:20 a.m. the Titanic, built in Belfast, Ireland, sank after hitting an iceberg. It left Queenstown (now known as Cobh), Ireland heading across the Atlantic Ocean for New York on its first long voyage. A approximately 705 people survived, and approximately 1,517 passengers and crew perished.
All three are just good examples of THAT SUCKS DAY. Have a great day in spite of it all, be sure to pay your taxes, stay off large floating vessels, and take off your shoes and wiggle your toes. It might just feel good!
On Sunday afternoon, the Night Flight Jazz Ensemble concert was held at the Washington Middle School, sponsored by the Fayette Area Community Concert Association.
There were five saxophone players, four trumpet players, four trombone players, one drummer, one guitarist, and one singer. Nine of the aforementioned musicians had solo parts during their repertoire of selections. My personal favorite was their arrangement from West Side Story, since I've seen the movie several times.
The music took us from toe-tapping, quick-stepping timing to slower love songs. Vocalist TSgt Felita Rowe sang the popular Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead, and I'm Beginning To See The Light to Skylark.
The ensemble was lead by MSgt Jay Halpin (on trumpet), who also mentioned that he was retiring from the Air Force later this year. The jazz group entertained for one hour and 25 minutes, ending with a standing ovation from the crowd.
Night Flight is a part of the United States Air Force Band of Flight from Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Night Flight is the largest ensemble from within the Concert Band. This twenty-piece jazz ensemble combines the best in traditional and contemporary big band jazz. Night Flight performs for official military ceremonies and social functions, and for community concerts and festivals throughout the Midwest. They have performed at national and international festivals and conferences. Outstanding charts written and arranged by Night Flight personnel and the world's leading jazz composers provide a framework for their exciting performances.
The Fayette Area Community Concert Association's next concert will be the Mark Flugge Quintet scheduled for Sunday, May 1, at 3pm. The Association has lowered their membership for this next season, due to economic concerns. They have also added Mt. Vernon (Knox County), The Memorial Theater, to their reciprocal sites, along with Lancaster and Marysville.
The upcoming concerts include The Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band Tribute, Billy Dean, Legacy of Floyd Cramer, and The Four Aces. For more information on membership or tickets to future concerts, contact the Association at P. O. Box 531, Washington Court House, Ohio 43160.
Today is what I call Freedom Day. It's a very personal day for me alone. Its the first REAL nice, warm day in April, as far as I'm concerned. I look forward to this day each year. It doesn't happen on any specific date in April, just the first warm sunny one that I choose.
I have one "second childhood-like" passion from April to November each year. My summer toy is my classic car. I call it "classic" because of it's history. I am it's second owner. A man bought it for his wife, and just after the purchase, they split up. He took possession of the car to sell it in their split. I had just experienced a similar split up after ten years and sold my half of our home. I made a great investment in my future happiness. I bought my classic summer toy.
My summer toy is a 2000 silver Camaro convertible in excellent shape. The best thing about it just might be that I have less than 100 miles to drive before the odometer turns to 25,000 original miles, and it's turning 11 years old.
The car has never seen snow and has been garaged every winter since it came from the factory. I have not broken that tradition. As soon as the weather threatens to turn bad in November, the car, my baby, goes into the garage. And today, Freedom Day, it came back out to face the world. I let it warm up a while, then drove it around the block for a test drive. I gave it a quick clean-up and later took a short drive. She still purrs like a kitten and has power like a lion.
I enjoyed my Freedom Day and getting back in the seat, behind the steering wheel and cruising down the road (briefly) today. There are many more summer days to come, and the big kick off was emotionally great. Maybe the next time I cruise down the road (this week or next), I can put the top down and really feel the wind and sun on my face. The freedom of driving a hot car and feeling young again is the best "second childhood" experience for any senior who still has a lot of "kick" in her step!
With the billions we spend on education, I would dare say we would be very much lacking when it came time to answer some of these questions.
Can you imagine giving this to today's kids or adults for that matter?
Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? What did it take to get an 8th grade education in 1895?
This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas, USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.
8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 1895
Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph.
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie, ‘play,' and 'run.'
5. Define case; illustrate each case.
6. What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.
Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. For tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft.. Long at $20 per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.
U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.
Orthography (Time, one hour)
[Do we even know what this is??]
1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, sub vocals, diphthong, cognate letters, lingual’s
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?)
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis-mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.
Geography (Time, one hour)
1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena,
Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each..
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10.Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.
Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete.
Gives the saying 'he only had an 8th grade education' a whole new meaning, doesn't it?!
No wonder they dropped out after 8th grade. They already knew more than they needed to know!
April 5th is National Deep Dish Pizza Day. To celebrate Chicago deep dish pizza—originated by Uno’s—and the efforts by Uno Chicago Grill to bring deep dish pizza to the entire United States. The original restaurant, which opened in 1943, began serving deep dish as a way to make sure hungry families could get a “real meal” when it came to pizza. Up to that point, pizza was hardly more than a snack. Annually celebrated on the anniversary of the day (Apr 5, 1979) that the first restaurant outside Chicago opened (in Boston, MA).
Birthdays on this date are: Spencer Tracy, Booker T. Washington, Gregory Peck, and Bette Davis, to name a few.
ENJOY PIZZA TONIGHT OR ANYTIME.
An older lady was somewhat lonely and decided she needed a pet to keep her company. So, off to the pet shop she went. She searched and searched. None of the pets seemed to catch her interest, except this ugly frog. As she walked by the jar he was in, she looked and he winked at her.
He whispered, 'I'M SO LONELY, TOO. BUY ME AND TAKE ME HOME. YOU WON'T EVER BE SORRY.'
The older lady figured, what the heck! She hadn't found anything else. So, she bought the frog. She placed him in the car, on the front seat beside her. As she was slowly driving down the road, the frog whispered to her 'KISS ME AND YOU WON'T BE SORRY.'!
So! The older lady figured, WHAT THE HECK, and kissed the frog.
IMMEDIATELY the frog turned into an absolutely gorgeous, sexy, young, handsome prince.
THE PRINCE THEN RETURNED THE OLDER LADY'S KISS.
SUDDENLY THE OLDER LADY FELT HERSELF TRANSFORMING FROM HIS KISS. NOW CAN YOU GUESS WHAT THE OLDER LADY TURNED INTO?
COME ON GUESS!
SHE TURNED INTO THE FIRST HOLIDAY INN SHE COULD FIND!!!
She's older......NOT BLOODY DEAD!!!!!
"OLD LADIES ROCK"
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are almost dead?
Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they already know there is not enough money?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars; but have to check when you say the paint is still wet?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?
How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
And my FAVORITE......
The statistics on sanity is that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.
****A day without a smile is like a day without sunshine!****
No one knows exactly when this prank started. But, the closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France.
Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied, or I accidentally stepped on your glasses!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"
Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the entire day. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees.
A local newspaper used to place a surprising story on page one, and then continue to page two just to say "April Fool."
April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!
