April FOOLS!!

"April Fools MOM"!, Sabrina Raftery

She got me this morning! OH YEA! I thought I got her but REALLY she got me.

This morning I went to wake Sabrina up for school. I sat on her bed and said "Sabrina school was cancelled because it is snowing out". She moved the shade and looked out the window and said "NO SAH"!

Then she got up and said. "Lets go have breakfast together". We went to the kitchen counter and she had the bowels ready. I should have known that she was up to something the night before because she never puts the cereal boxes out on the counter - in fact NOTHING can be out on the counter! I know a little OCD (not ME! - HER!)

Sabrina then waited for me to cut up banana slices into each of our bowels. Then I picked up one of the boxes and started to pour it into my bowel... and noticed it was the WRONG cereal. When I looked in the box and said "wait a minute..." and she began laughing and said, "April FOOLS MOM".

Yup I thought I FOOLED her but she got me and got me good! Thats my girl!

Happy April Fools Day - I Hope you got FOOLED by someone you love like I did!

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APRIL FOOLS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools

April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day, although not a holiday in its own right, is a notable day celebrated in many countries on April 1. The day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, and neighbors, or sending them on a fool's errand, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible. Traditionally, in some countries, the jokes only last until noon: like UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, someone who plays a trick after noon is called an "April Fool".[1] Elsewhere, such as in Ireland, France, and the USA, the jokes last all day.

"Cead Mile Failte" - Irish Welcome!

"Cead Mille Failte" - One Hundred Thousand Irish Welcomes!

From the Dublin Penny Journal, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 11, 1832

It is perhaps not generally known from whence the famous expression of Irish hospitality, Cead Mille Failte, was taken. It occurs in the concluding stanza of Eileen a Roon, and is thus translated by Furlong:-

A hundred thousand welcomes,
Eileen a Roon! A hundred thousand welcomes,
Eileen a Roon! Oh! welcome ever more,
With welcomes yet in store,
Till love and life are o'er,
Eileen a Roon!

There are two songs entitled Eileen a Roon, Ellen, the secret treasure of my heart. The old version, from which the above stanza is taken, bears internal evidence of antiquity. The first line of the second stanza of it, "I would spend a cow to entertain thee," proves that it was composed before coined money was in general use. The following is esteemed the most probable account of the circumstances which gave rise to it.

THE IRISH CLADDAGH RING

The Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish ring given in friendship or worn as a wedding ring. The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the old walls of the city of Galway. The ring was first produced in the 17th century during the reign of Queen Mary II, though elements of the design are much older.



The Claddah Irish ring has a tradition that dates back to over 300 years. Because of the meaning and significance attached to these Irish Claddah rings, they are also referred to as the Irish friendship rings or the Irish faith rings. Kaisilver creates the best rendition of the Irish claddah rings in sterling silver and gold. Every ring has high end craftsmanship and is hand finished to perfection. You can choose the gemstone of your choice and add more meaning to your Claddah ring by selecting your birthstone as the gemstone for the ring.


Irish Claddah Rings, The History
The origin of the Irish Claddah ring takes us 300 years back in time. The location of this folklore is a small fishing village in Ireland called the Claddah. A local fisherman by the name of Robert Joyce was sold as a slave after his fishing boat was captured by pirates. Working for his master who was a wealthy goldsmith, Robert could not forget his beloved who lived in the Claddah village. It was during his tenure as a slave that Robert Joyce created a very special ring for his beloved.

A few years later Robert was released from slavery and came back home to the Claddah village. He presented the ring to his beloved and they were soon married. Little did he realize that the ring that he created, would grow up to be a legend and worn by people in nations far off from his tiny Claddah fishing village. This is the most trusted record of the origin and history of the Claddah Irish ring.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claddagh_ring


Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Happy Holidays from Jana Barnhill

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful".
Norman Vincent Peale
"Happy Holidays"



Dear District Officers,

As the holidays are upon us and times are so busy, I pause to say "thank you" and let each of you know how very much I appreciate all your hard work. I hope you all have the opportunity to enjoy family and friends, to laugh and have fun. My wish for your new year is The Courage to Conquer lots of new members, clubs, cc's and ac's. (What did you think I would wish for you?) ;-) But also I wish the coming year brings you good health and many blessings!

Below is the link to the Christmas light and sound show of our home.

Enjoy...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjFlx1LVjq0


Jana Barnhill, DTM, AS
2008-2009 Toastmasters International President

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I recieved this in my email inbox last nite from Jana the Toastmasters International President - What an amazing amount of work and timing that Jana and Bob put into their holiday light and music show and since it is made to be shared - I thought I would post it onto my blog!! SIMPLY AMAZING!


AND before I forget - Let me wish you all a Happy Holiday and if you celebrate Christmas I hope Santa is especially good to you!

Sabrina surprised me this morning when I woke up to a RED Tea Kettle I have been wishing for! Thanks Sabrina!! Would anyone like to share a cup of tea?


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Christmastmas
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:christmas&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

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Christmast Lights

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=define%3Achristmas+lights&btnG=Search

Christmas lights (also sometimes called fairy lights, twinkle lights or holiday lights in the United States) are strands of electric lights used ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_lights

Christmas Lights is a 2004 British Christmas television special broadcast by ITV starring Robson Green and Mark Benton. Although originally produced as a one-off 90 minute special, it spawned two spin-off series - Northern Lights and City Lights.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Lights

December - Municipal Christmas fair (Weihnachtsmarkt)www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Herford

God Bless the USA

Click this link to see the video and hear the song God Bless the USA by Lee Green

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E

President Eisenhower signs HR7786, officially changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them". John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave". Elmer Davis

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you". Dick Cheney

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 12, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas, shoe store owner named Al King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.[3]

Congress amended this act on November 8, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.[4][5]

Thank you to those of you who have, did, or will serve!

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VETERAN'S DAY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day

Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11. However, if it occurs on a Sunday then the following Monday is designated for holiday leave, and if it occurs Saturday then either Saturday or Friday may be so designated.[1] It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

The holiday is commonly printed as Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day in calendars and advertisements. While these spellings are grammatically acceptable, the United States government has declared that the attributive (no apostrophe) rather than the possessive case is the official spelling.[2]