visit from my sister- Feb 16-20

My sister Mari and her husband Walter visited with us for a few days during mid-winter break. We did a lot of sight-seeing and took almost 400 photos. I am working on editing them now and will post them online as they are done. Here's the link for the first few- http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa105/r_d_landon/2008-02%20visit%20from%20Mari/

We celebrated Naomi's 14th birthday, toured the historic town of Senoia, the historic mansion of Bulloch Hall in Roswell (north of Atlanta), the World of Coca-Cola, the Atlanta High Art Museum, and the Cyclorama. (This is a musuem which houses a 360 degree football sized painting of the Battle of Atlanta- when General Sherman occupied the city during the Civil War.)




Mari & Walter sitting on porch of Bulloch Hall



Landon family in front of Coke museum

Valentine’s Day message from Fr. Jonathan

Valentine’s Day
Many people take advantage of this day to express their love to others who are important in their lives, especially family members and potential spouses. Our mental picture of Valentine’s Day includes heart-shaped cards, love poems, flowers and candy.

However, the original name of this holiday was *Saint* Valentine’s Day, (or the Feast of Saint Valentine). It was designated as a day to remember the life, the faith and the martyrdom of a real person, who died on February 14th in the year 269 or 270. He was a Christian priest in Rome during the reign of the Emperor Claudius II.

There are differing stories as to why he was arrested. Some say he was hiding and aiding Christians, which was a crime during the persecutions in Rome. Others say that he was performing marriages for Christian couples or attempting to convert non-Christians. Quite likely all of these were true. Whatever the reason, he was arrested but the Emperor Claudius took a liking to him at his trial. He might have been freed, except that he attempted to persuade the Emperor to become a Christian and was therefore sentenced to death.

His jailer had a daughter who was blind. Having heard about Valentine’s imprisonment, she asked her father to take her to visit him. Valentine prayed for her and she received a miracle of healing and her sight was restored. She became a Christian and Valentine began to teach her about the faith, and continued until the date of his execution.

In 496, the Christian church began to observe the date of his death as a feast day. The custom of sending affectionate messages to loved ones on this day may be based on the tradition that Valentine sent messages of love and encouragement to his wife and children from his prison, because they could not visit him for fear of being arrested.

I would invite you all, men and women of every faith, to take advantage of this day to be glad that we live in a country where we are free to follow our own conscience in matters of religious belief and practice without fearing for our lives. It’s also a great time to remember to take every opportunity to express your love and affection to your family and friends, because you can never get back your lost opportunities to say, “I love you,” and the last chance often passes by, unexpected and unrecognized. Finally, remember that *right now* is the time to turn your heart and your mind to God, to renew your relationship with God and grow in intimacy with Him, because that chance, too, often passes unrecognized.

“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor 6:1-3

May God bless and keep you all in His grace and peace. Have a happy *Saint* *Valentine’s* *Day*

Father Jonathan K. Landon
Chaplain (Major) US Army
US Army 2d Recruiting Brigade

How Many Dogs does it take to change a lightbulb?

How many dogs does it take to screw in a lightbulb? post reply

GOLDEN RETRIEVER: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned-out lightbulb?

BORDER COLLIE: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.

DACHSHUND: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp.

ROTTWEILER: Make me!

LAB: Oh, me, me!!!! Pleeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Can I?!!!

GERMAN SHEPARD: I'll change it as soon as I've led these people from the dark, check to make sure I haven't missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.

TIBETAN TERRIER: Let the Boder Collie do it. You can feed me while he's busy.

JACK RUSSEL TERRIER: Ill just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.

POODLE: I'll just blow in the Border collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

COCKER SPANIEL: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.

DOBERMAN: While its dark, I'm going to sleep on the couch.

BOXER: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.

CHIHUAHUA: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.

POINTER: I see it, there it is, there it is, right here...

GREYHOUND: It isn't moving, who cares?

AUSTRALIAN SHEPARD: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle...

OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG: Ligh bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light bulb.

HOUND DOG: ZZZZZZZZzZzZzZZz.z..z...z...z.z.z...z

CAT: Dogs do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the question is : How long will it be before I can expect light?

ALL OF WHICH PROVES, ONCE AGAIN, THAT WHILE DOGS HAVE MASTERS, CATS HAVE STAFF.
-unknown author-

Only an 8th Grade Education??

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?...hmmm. ..how about as smart as an 8th grader had to be in 1895? Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade 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 , KS , and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

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, 65 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 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050 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 6720 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 meter?

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, and 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour) (Do we even know what this is???)

1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, and syllabication.

2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?

3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, sub vocal, diphthong, cognate letters, and lingual.

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-, and 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? This also shows you how poor our education system has become... and, NO! I don't have the answers!!

Church Youth Basketball team

Naomi has been practicing with the church's youth basketball team. The team is mostly younger kids, so much of the time is spent on teaching them basic skills. We also did not get into a league, so there are no games. But the kids are really improving- they will be terrific next year.

Here is a link to over 50 photos that I took on Monday during the practice. Sorry some of the photos are somewhat blurry. My camera doesn't take action shots very well.


http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa105/r_d_landon/2008-2-11%20CTK%20youth%20basketball/

(If the link doesn't work, copy and paste and take out the line break.)

Happy Birthday

Feb 7th is my mother-in-laws birthday and Feb 8th is my mother's birthday. I have a message for them both....

Catch up News- Feb 4, Monday

We are getting ready for Lent to start on Wednesday. We will be attending the Ash Wednesday service at church that night.

I did get the business taxes finished in time. We actually made a profit this year, not a whole lot and definitely not enough to pay off the machines- but things are continuing to improve in the last 3 years.

Now to get the federal taxes done and the rest of the sorting and packing of the basement. Progress doesn't look like much because I've been working on clearing out old papers from the file cabinets.

Jonathan had a good single soldier retreat in Tennesse this past weekend. His next retreat is Feb 22-24.

We are looking forward to Naomi's birthday and the visit by Mari and Walter. I will be lots of fun exploring a few of the many interesting things Atlanta has to offer.

I have rediscovered a website where you can light a virtual candle. If anyone would like to try it out, I've posted the link in my Favorites box in the right hand column.

I had a tune-up done on my computer and have just discovered I need to re-install my photo editing program. Until I can get that done, will not have any photos to post. But the computer is running a LOT better now.

I guess that's all for now.